Spooky Wemby Stats + Bucks beat Warriors without Giannis

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily — Episode Summary

Episode: Spooky Wemby Stats + Bucks Beat Warriors Without Giannis
Date: October 31, 2025
Hosts: Dave DuFour, Esfandiar Baraheni (Es), Nick Friedell

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Episode Overview

In this Halloween edition of The Athletic NBA Daily, the hosts dive into the San Antonio Spurs’ stunning 5-0 start, led by Victor Wembanyama’s historic performances, sharing some appropriately “spooky” stats. Later, they break down the Milwaukee Bucks’ victory over the Golden State Warriors—earned without Giannis Antetokounmpo—and analyze both teams’ early-season outlooks. The show wraps with NBA Cup predictions and a lighthearted conversation about Halloween costumes.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. San Antonio Spurs: Wembanyama’s “Spooky” Stats and Team Identity

(Segment Start: 02:12)

• The Spurs defeated the Miami Heat, moving to 5-0 for the first time in franchise history.
• Miami’s unorthodox offense (not running screens/pick and roll) was tested against emerging Spurs defense.

Wembanyama’s Stat-Line & Impact

“Victor Womenyama…27 points, 18 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 blocks. That’s his third game with at least 25 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks.”
— Dave DuFour (03:04)

• The hosts marvel at Wemby's rare stat lines, noting he's putting up numbers usually reserved for video-game create-a-players.
• Wemby already holds more blocks this season (19) than 10 entire NBA teams—teams are visibly avoiding him at the rim (06:26).

Historic 120-Game Pace

“Through 120 games, he has more points than LeBron James did, more rebounds than Karl Malone, more blocks than Hakeem Olajuwon, and more threes than Steph Curry.”
— Es (06:26)

• The consensus: He’s setting a new standard for rookie impact and versatility.

Spurs’ Identity

• The team shows classic “young team” traits: build big leads, let them slip, then battle to close.
• The local energy is “back”—Spurs’ home atmosphere is described as electric (05:34).
• Dylan Harper is highlighted for valuable bench scoring (13 pts).
• Speculation that adding De’Aaron Fox could elevate the team into upper-tier contention.

“Spurs might win 50 [games].”
— Es (08:14)

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2. NBA Cup Outlook and Underdog Picks

(Segment Start: 10:44)

• Halloween night also marks the NBA Cup kickoff—hosts discuss favorites and sleepers for the in-season tournament.
• Bulls, led by Josh Giddey, cited as a possible surprise team.
• Dave singles out the Charlotte Hornets as a scrappy potential dark horse.

“You can’t have too many guards. … The ball-handling they’ll have with Harper, [Stephon] Castle, and Fox will help Wemby a lot.”
— Es (09:37)

Bucks as Back-to-Back Favorites

• Hosts argue that with the Bucks’ current form and depth, a repeat NBA Cup title is realistic.
• Special mention of Ryan Rollins’ emergence at PG and AJ Green’s sharpshooting.

“Let’s go ahead and do it. Our pick to win the 2025 NBA cup…back to back, the Milwaukee Bucks.”
— Dave (14:01)

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3. Bucks Beat Warriors Minus Giannis: Ryan Rollins’ Breakout & Warriors’ Mindset

(Segment Start: 18:06)

• Nick Friedell joins live from the arena after Bucks’ surprise victory over the Warriors—with Giannis resting.
• The focal point: Ryan Rollins’ career night and overall Bucks resilience.

“Steph was signing a jersey at his locker. Rollins reveals after the game that he had Steph sign one for him.”
— Nick Friedell (18:34)

Warriors’ Habits & Fatigue

• Steve Kerr jokes about the team being winless (0-12) when opposing stars sit, blaming “mental fatigue” from travel and a congested early schedule.
• The mood in the locker room isn’t panicked—they know it’s early.

“Pro athletes…they’re still humans. You play that many games in a short stretch…stuff like this happens.”
— Nick (19:45)

Warriors’ Roster Evaluation

Improved Depth & Youth:

• Jonathan Kuminga’s leap in play—passing, defense, rebounding—stands out.
• Brandon Podziemski, Moses Moody, Quinton Post, and Will Richard are all contributing.

“When you have that many different guys who can give you a lift…maybe this team really is pretty deep all the way around.”
— Nick (23:43)

Versatility & Potential Moves:

• Dave notes interchangeable lineups, though says they lack an “elite center” and perhaps a true wing stopper.
• Al Horford contributing off the bench; depth could be further bolstered.
• Nick suggests a big man would be the most useful deadline pickup, but overall optimism remains:

“I think they have the pieces in place. … All you can hope for if you’re the Warriors at this stage is to have a chance. And I absolutely believe…with Steph at the level he’s still at, they have a chance.”
— Nick (25:52)

Bucks’ Culture & Coaching

• Bucks are praised for “playing hard,” echoing successful regular-season teams of the past (e.g., Tom Thibodeau’s Bulls).
• Doc Rivers’ sideline intensity noted.
• Key takeaway: The Bucks have a “nothing to lose” mindset, which can propel them until Giannis returns.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Wemby’s absurd stat lines:

  “He’s terrifying. … His block totals have gone down because teams are afraid to shoot the ball against him.”
  — Es (06:26)

• Comparing Wemby to video-game players:

  “You would try to make a guy like this. … To see that happen in real life…doesn’t it feel like he’s going to be a 35 point a game guy?”
  — Dave (07:28)

• On the Spurs’ early surge:

  “They get a five game head start…they’re looking like a playoff team, not play-in, which completely shuffles everything in the West.”
  — Dave (08:59)

• On NBA Cup’s meaning:

  “Teams that absolutely should just be trying to win the NBA cup because they don’t really have much else to play for.”
  — Dave (11:46)

• On the Warriors’ perspective:

  “This team, when they have confidence, they are going to be tough for anybody to beat. … It’s all about April. Get healthy going into April. It’ll be all right.”
  — Nick (21:20)

• On Bucks’ style minus Giannis:

  “You can win a lot of games in the regular season by playing hard…if you have a team that’s playing with very little expectations, having fun, that’s a combination in this league for a lot of success.”
  — Nick (27:31)

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Important Timestamps

• 02:12 – Start of main show (skip ads)
• 03:04–04:13 – Spurs defeat Heat, Wemby’s outrageous performance
• 06:26 – Wemby’s defensive dominance and record-breaking early stats
• 08:14–09:37 – Spurs as a 50-win/contender and impact of early winning streak
• 10:44–14:01 – NBA Cup preview, sleeper picks (Bulls, Hornets, Bucks)
• 18:06 – Bucks stun Warriors; Ryan Rollins’ breakout, Warriors’ mentality
• 21:20–24:05 – Warriors’ depth, Kuminga’s improvement, lineup versatility
• 25:52–27:14 – Potential Warriors moves, confidence if healthy
• 27:31–28:43 – Bucks’ “play hard” culture, Doc Rivers’ coaching
• 29:34 – Nick’s NBA Cup ambivalence, Halloween costume chat

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Tone & Style

• Upbeat, fast-paced, playful (Halloween jokes and banter).
• Direct basketball analysis intermingled with statistical deep-dives.
• Warm camaraderie between hosts; seamless transitions between stats talk and league-wide discussions.

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Summary Takeaways

• Victor Wembanyama has begun his second season obliterating rookie and early-career records, validating “unicorn” hype. His impact is translating to real team wins, with the Spurs now seen as possible dark-horse contenders in the West and for the NBA Cup title.
• The Warriors, despite a surprising loss to a Giannis-less Bucks squad, remain positive, buoyed by youth contributions and veteran steadiness, but still eyeing bench and frontline improvements for another title push.
• The Bucks—with Rollins, AJ Green, and a strong team culture—look dangerous even without their superstar, fueling speculation they could repeat as NBA Cup champions.
• The NBA Cup is earning respect as a coveted mid-season goal for teams on the cusp or in rebuilds.
• The episode delivers a blend of timely insight, lively debate, and basketball-fan energy, keeping the Halloween spirit alive throughout.

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For listeners:
This episode offers a snapshot of early-season surprises, the excitement of emergent stars, and how the NBA’s mid-season tournament is shaping team priorities—plus a few laughs and Halloween camaraderie. Even if you missed the games, you’ll walk away feeling in-the-know and entertained.

Transcript

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[Dave DeFore]

And welcome to the NBA Daily presented by eBay. I'm Dave DeFore here with Esperahenny and coming up we're gonna give some opinions man. We've got some spooky stats on Victor Womenyama and the spurs as they move to 5 0. And then we've got Nick Friedle on to talk about the warriors big Loss to the Bucks, even though Giannis was sitting out foreign. Everybody. Happy Halloween. Happy Halloween. S. Happy World Series, very much. Thank you so much.

[Esperahenny]

Yeah, I felt like this was the appropriate costume to wear today, you know?

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Esperahenny]

I like this, by the way, for. For the audio listeners. If you aren't watching this on YouTube, Dave has an incredible outfit which you will reference from a specific movie.

[Dave DeFore]

You'll.

[Esperahenny]

You'll get the reference. If you're old enough, you'll get.

[Dave DeFore]

It's a hot outfit. I'll say that.

[Nick Friedell]

It is.

[Dave DeFore]

It is warm. I'm in California, man. This is. It's not sweater weather right now. Oh, yeah. And also, I mean, gosh, every opinion I have about hair, I. I just. I'm gonna double down on. That wig is the worst. Well, okay. Sure. Yeah, sure. Anyway, it's Halloween, so, you know, we like to have fun around here. We dressed up a little bit. Yeah. The spurs moved to five and. Oh. With a win over the Miami Heat, and this is a good win.

[Nick Friedell]

The.

[Dave DeFore]

The Miami Heat have been good to start the season. We talked a lot about the changes that they've made to their offense, especially without Tyler Hero out there, you know, running just no screens. Like, not. Just not running pick and roll, just not really setting screens in general. And so I had this game circled because I thought, hey, with what the spurs have been doing defensively, it'll be nice to see what happens when they play a team that's playing with this sort of pace. And, you know what? The defense held up. I thought that they looked really great. Obviously, when you have Victor women. Yama, it's hard not to. He goes. He goes pretty berserk. 27 points, 18 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 blocks. That's his third game with at least 25 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks.

[Nick Friedell]

That's.

[Esperahenny]

That's in his career.

[Dave DeFore]

That.

[Esperahenny]

That's absurd. That's a spooky stat.

[Dave DeFore]

Right? Spooky. You know, I'm hoping that, like, we have, like, ghosts come across the screen, like.

[Esperahenny]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

You know, like Pac man or something.

[Esperahenny]

No, I like it.

[Dave DeFore]

Something in there.

[Esperahenny]

Maybe those sound effects cook it up for us.

[Nick Friedell]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

So what do you think about the spurs in this game? I mean, again, Miami, this is a good defense we talked about. I mean, they've already hung 140 in regulation on two separate teams, and the spurs hold them to 101 points.

[Esperahenny]

I mean, look, I think the fact that the spurs could make their one. I would say the pace for Miami was off today. I thought they. They couldn't get into their actions as quickly if they've tried to recently. But also the spurs are developing a bit of an identity. They will get a big lead, they'll blow that lead and then they will try to close it out, which is a very young team characteristic to have. They had a 15 point lead in the second half in this game. Miami cut it down.

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[Esperahenny]

Adebayo was awesome. He knocked down, he took 13 threes, by the way. That's a spooky stat, but he knocked down three of them. He finished with 31. He was basically leading the way for Miami and the spurs closed them out in a massive way. The three point shooting, the, the actual. The atmosphere of the spurs arena tonight was incredible on tv.

[Dave DeFore]

It's back. It's back. Guys. Listen, that arena is one of the best places to watch a basketball game when it's a good team. I've been there for playoff. It is back. It feels like there's an event happening at the, at the spurs arena every single night. Now I'm glad you brought that up because it does feel like there's more juice in the building. I mean you saw these guys after the game look five and oh, first time in spurs history ever, this team and, and it just felt different when these guys won that game. I mean, even Victor women Yama, the way he sort of celebrated, went out to the crowd. Yeah, the spurs crowd is, is totally back. Dylan Harper, another good game off the bench for him. You know, he puts up 13 points. We've been talking about just how good this team is, how young they are, but I don't know, man. Victor is really the scariest guy in the world right now.

[Esperahenny]

He, he's terrifying. And I will, I will throw back a spooky stat at you here. So coming into tonight, Victor Wembanyama had more blocks total this season, which was 19, than 10 teams in the NBA. That's just absurd. And, and look, honestly, his block totals like you mentioned a couple of days ago have gone down because teams are afraid to shoot the ball against him. So the fact that he is still blocking shots like this, the fact that he's deterring the rim, it's absurd. I'll give you another Wemby stat here just to throw it at you, okay? Wemby has now played 120 games in his NBA career. Through 120 games, he has more points than LeBron James did, more rebounds than Karl Malone, more blocks than Hakeem Olajuwon, and more threes than Steph Curry. Now I Don't know about you, but for most people those would probably be at least debated as the best in those specific categories. Oh yeah, he is lapping them.

[Dave DeFore]

You know, back in the day when they first added creative player to sports video games, the basketball games, I mean you would, you would try to make a guy like this. Yeah, how do I make a guy who's 7 foot 6 but he can dribble and shoot threes and rebound and it, it winds up not being fun if you actually play with those guys because you know you can score 50 and, and 20 every night. To see that happen in real life with a guy who does feel like, doesn't it feel like he's going to be a 35 point a game guy? Like, because he gets points where other people don't. Like they're just there for him between the threes. The offensive rebounding, just the, I mean touches the ball almost every single possession, whether it's passed to him or he's on the glass. I mean this is like a different thing.

[Esperahenny]

I used to play NBA Street Volume. I think it was one or two and they had this really, really tall guy in that game you could do anything with. I think his name was Stretch. I can't remember what his exact name was, but he was what Victor Wembanyama is today, which is a my player. He's created. It doesn't make sense. What you see defies all odds. And this spurs team has galvanized in such a massive way around him. The three point shooting makes sense, the defense makes sense and they should incorporate de' Aaron Fox at some point to this whole thing, which we'll see how it works. But overall this is looking like a team that's probably going to win 50 games in this in the West. If I'm jumping the gun here in October, spurs might win 50.

[Dave DeFore]

I mean they get a five game head start, right? Like mean to come out of the gate like this. This really sets them up. They're looking like a playoff team. You know, it doesn't like they can bank all these early wins and it just feels like they're going to be a playoff team, not play in which completely shuffles everything in the west in my opinion because this is early, this is ahead of schedule. This is almost like reminiscent of OKC like two years ago. And I'm not saying that they're that team or they're that good, but you know, you never know when they add de' Aaron Fox, maybe it's, it's an extra piece instead of Trying to figure out how does he fit? Maybe it's just perfect. You know, we don't know yet.

[Esperahenny]

I think there's a chance that it is a perfect fit. Like, look, you can't have too many guards in the NBA. Now, the ball handling that they will have with Dylan Harper, Steph Castle and Fox, I think it'll help Wemby a lot. And if you think of, like, another team that I think of, when I think of this First Team is the 06 LeBron team that finally made it to the playoffs, where it's like, okay, LeBron James is here.

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[Esperahenny]

And Victor Wembanyama is here. That's where we're at with him.

[Dave DeFore]

So you're predicting a Finals run next season? Is that where we're at? Yeah, yeah. By the way, I got it. I got a stat for you as another spooky stat.

[Esperahenny]

Spooky stat, Khalil.

[Dave DeFore]

Where? Zero points. Damn. So much for my. Hey, he's almost Wemby. No, no. Zero points. But he did block Wimby. I will give him credit.

[Esperahenny]

I'll give it to you.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, guys, Halloween, you know, while you're at your Halloween parties, turn on the tv because it's NBA cup kickoff night. Yes, we are ready.

[Esperahenny]

The Cup.

[Dave DeFore]

I don't. Yes, we do respect. We love and respect the cup around here.

[Esperahenny]

Absolutely.

[Dave DeFore]

We will be in Vegas for the. The championship. The NBA cup champ game. We're excited about that. It was a good time last year. We ran to a lot of listeners out there, which is awesome. So if you're going to be there, definitely let us know. But kicking it off on Halloween night, the game of the night has got to be Bulls. Knicks. Right. Undefeated Bulls facing the Knicks.

[Esperahenny]

Yeah, I mean, look, this is one of their best tests yet. I mean, they've played awesome basketball so far. They have a young group led by Josh Giddy that plays a specific style, as we've talked about on this podcast a bunch of times. But they also are heading into a stretch in their schedule where they're playing some really good teams. And so this is a good early test for them. I also think. I don't know how you feel about this, Dave, but they give sneaky upside bet for the play in turn or for the NBA Cup. Like, I think the Bulls can make. They play hard. They can catch some teams. I think they have a chance to make a pretty deep run in the NBA Cup.

[Dave DeFore]

Well, you know, we've talked about this the last. Like we talked about this last year. We talked about this a Little bit in the run up this year. But there are teams that absolutely should just be trying to go all in. And I want to win the NBA cup because they don't really have much else to play for.

[Esperahenny]

You know what's another team, the spurs.

[Dave DeFore]

That we just talked about, sports should be trying to win the NBA cup. And, and you know, I, I think about these tournaments and I like to think about them, you know, more like a regular basketball tournament rather than an NBA style tournament. And I think about guard play and you know, you look at what like OKC last year, they make it to the Finals and then they just couldn't hit a shot. Yeah, same thing happened two years ago with the Pacers. Right? Like they make it to the final, couldn't hit a shot. I think it's going to be similar shooting and guard play. Right. Like your most consistent shooting teams. And with the way that the spurs been shooting the basketball, I mean, I don't know, man, maybe they should be the favorites. I mean, it's probably going to be Oklahoma City because it's still just NBA basketball games. Right. We expect them to just keep winning. But I don't know, I like to think these NBA cup games mean just a little bit more.

[Esperahenny]

So who's your, who's your underdog? Who's the team making a run for you?

[Dave DeFore]

You know what, how about the Charlotte Hornets? Why not? I like that. Like they're trying to build culture there. They've got some good young talent. They did drop a game last night to the Magic, which, you know, the Magic should beat them, but they've got some good young talent. I think that this could, you know, they've got the guard play. Lamelo is amazing.

[Esperahenny]

Yes.

[Dave DeFore]

You think about having to win one game. I don't know if I trust him to win one game. I hit him. I trust him to hit one shot though. So if you can get it, keep it close. I don't know, they're scratching.

[Esperahenny]

Can I give you a sneaky pick here?

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Esperahenny]

And okay, so the Hornets are in the same group as the Bulls that are the same group as the Heat, the Bucks and the Knicks. What about back to back titles for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Cup?

[Dave DeFore]

You know what? That. Well, with the way, and we're going to talk to Nick Friedle after the break about this, but with the way that they are playing and they did this without Giannis, this big warriors, with the way Ryan Rollins is playing, looking like he's their starting point guard for the rest of the season. Yeah, AJ Green doesn't really miss shots anymore. Yeah. Why not the Bucks?

[Esperahenny]

I kind of like the pick and and Ryan Rollins is heating up at the right time too. I think that's a you talked about guard play. That's really important and they are in.

[Dave DeFore]

A good group to win. Yeah, I like you know what? Yeah. Go with the Bucks. You convinced me us Bucks are going to let's let's go ahead and do it. Our pick to win the 2025 NBA cup repeat back to back the Milwaukee Bucks. Go ahead. Let's we'll go to Vegas and and no we won't. We won't. No gambling on this show guys. Stick around after the break. Nick Furdell is here to talk about the warriors loss to the Bucks and how Ryan Rollins did what he did.

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[Dave DeFore]

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[Dave DeFore]

What should have been an easy win for the warriors without Giannis out there for the Bucks turned into a laid egg. Here to talk about it, the guy who's covering the warriors for us now, Nick Friedell. Welcome to the show. Welcome to the Athletic. Usually when I'm talking to somebody about, you know, the Warriors, I ask him what it's like to be in the building when Steph Curry does something. But tonight I got to ask you, man, what was it like to be in the building for the Ryan Rollins Show?

[Nick Friedell]

It was quite the experience when somebody's running that hot. I think there's a little bit of disbelief at how it's going. But to put into context just how big of a night it was for Ryan Rollins. Steph was signing a jersey at his locker stall. And when we were sitting there, it's kind of like, who's this for? And then Rollins reveals after the game that he had Steph sign one for him. So I'm sure, oh that's awesome. Everybody is feeling a little extra special in that Bucks locker room. It was quite the sight, though, and Steve Kerr was kind of funny. He said, I think we're 0 and 12. When the other star on the other team sits out, we just kind of take our foot off the gas and they don't play the way they should. It happened again tonight. There's certainly no concern in that warriors room. But, yeah, to see where Milwaukee was going into the game and to see who had to step up for them to make it happen, it was pretty impressive.

[Esperahenny]

Yeah, it felt like they were lacking motivation, which is maybe not typical of the warriors, but it seems like it is typical if it's 012 when a. When a team is missing a star.

[Dave DeFore]

What was. Was.

[Esperahenny]

What was everybody saying post game about why they laid this egg?

[Nick Friedell]

I thought Kerr made an intriguing point, and I hesitate to think that it will. It'll upset some fans, but he said, I think we're just a little mentally fatigued and people will hear that go, oh, it's the beginning of the year. But as Kurt said, this is like their sixth game in TED nights, and they played all across the country already. And people will say, ah, pro athletes, they're flying first cut. Okay? They're still humans. And you play that many games in a short stretch, especially at the beginning of the year, where everybody's still kind of getting in shape and, and feeling their way through things and stuff like this happens, guys. What I thought was interesting is Steph's sitting there at his locker and he's saying, I know this feeling because from 09 till, you know, 12 or 13, the warriors would go into games and they didn't have enough talent most nights. But if they played the right way, everything clicked, they could win. And Steph said, I know this feeling because it would happen here and there occasionally in those years. It just happened from Milwaukee tonight without Giannis. So I think the warriors are still feeling really good about where they're at. They just know they laid an egg. They didn't play defense really well, and they got beat by a team that was absolutely hungrier.

[Dave DeFore]

What do you think about how the season has started for them, let's say just outside of this game? Because even in this game, there's bright spots. You know, I think Jonathan Kuminga has excellent to start the year. Quinton Post has been really good. But what are some of the things that have stood out to you? You know, here, six games in that.

[Nick Friedell]

They'Re feeling good about themselves, and this team when they have confidence, they are going to be tough for anybody to beat. And guys, we're going to hear this all season long. And it's the key. You have to have them healthy for them to have any kind of shot. If somebody goes down, that'll be the end, especially if it's Steph. But in the same breath, that's any team in the league. So everybody's got to be healthy. They're just more focused on this team because there are so many high level guys who are 35 and over. They just have to find a balance. But I think Kaminga's name is what pops up when you say, all right, what surprised you or what's been the good thing? If you're a Warriors fan going into this season, first couple weeks, Tim, he's been awesome. He's taken his game to a different level. He's passing better, he's playing defense better, he's rebounding better. Everything's a little extra for him right now. He feels really solid when he's out there and they trust him. And when you have that kind of belief, everybody else starts to look for him a little bit more and they know what he can do. So there's absolutely no reason to think that the warriors can't keep stringing good performances together. They just know as they start the year, no matter what the hell happens in the next few months, it's all about April. Yeah. Get healthy going into April. It'll be all right.

[Esperahenny]

Well, some of the fact that, like, their stars are playing less minutes now, granted tonight Jimmy Butler plays 36, Steph plays 34, but they're trying to limit how many minutes those guys are playing. For the most part. The depth is coming in really clutch right now for this warriors team. From what you've kind of talked to everybody on the team about, what are they saying about the depth of this warriors team?

[Nick Friedell]

That it can be really, really good and it's mostly young and they feel like it's going to get better as they play more games together. Yeah, I mean, we've talked about Kaminga, but a guy like Brandon Pajimski, he's about to take a next step, potentially in his third year. Moses Moody looks like a really solid player. He can take a little bit of another step. Quinton Post the other night was knocking down threes from all over the place. When you have that many different guys who can give you a lift, and I throw one more name in there who's at least caught the coaching staff's attention and his Teammates early. It's will Richard been great.

[Dave DeFore]

He's been.

[Nick Friedell]

You see the young players have the success that they've had. And then you juxtapose that against all these older guys who you and, and, and I and everybody else knows, they know what they're going to do and they know how to play. Then you start to think, all right, well, maybe this team really is pretty deep all the way around. Guys, we haven't even mentioned the Anthony Miller.

[Dave DeFore]

They haven't added him yet.

[Nick Friedell]

Yeah, yeah. Need appeared yet. Same goes for Seth Curry. He'll be out there at some point down the line. This is a very deep team. Mike Dunleavy can make another couple moves at the deadline. But again, that's why, like, it's so fascinating how this year is going to play out. We'll see how these games go. It's all about maintaining. And we talked about the minutes, getting them past the All Star break and into those last couple months. If you get there and you play them in a seven game series, look out.

[Dave DeFore]

Not only do they have depth, they actually have interchangeable lineup versatility. They can switch their starting lineup to match whoever. I mean, Al Horford's coming off the bench for them. He can obviously spot start in big games. You can play him next to Quentin Post because both of those guys can shoot and Al Horford can move the ball so well and is a good passer. You mentioned Pajimsky and Moody. I mean, if they want to go small, they can start those guys and have draymond at the 5. It does seem as if they, while they lack, you know, amazing size, they don't have any elite centers. That's it. Everything else they kind of have covered. I mean, I would say maybe a wing stopper is something that they could use, depending on how you feel about Jimmy Butler in that role come playoff time. But when I look at this roster, I think, okay, this is pretty good. I don't know if it's a championship roster though, as the lights get turned out in the arena. But Nick, I mean, you know, if they had a move to make, what.

[Esperahenny]

We did say it was a spooky night. It is Halloween, lights going out.

[Dave DeFore]

What type of player would you see them? You know, could you see them going out to get, you know, like, who fits here? Not necessarily a name, but give me like an archetype.

[Nick Friedell]

I would just say another big man because you know what you're going to get from Draymond. And I know Horford has started slowly, but again as, as Kurt Just said after this Bucks game, he's Al Horford, he'll be fine. If you had one more big man just for depth purposes, I think that could help them. But let's see how the next couple months play out, because, again, I don't think anybody within that warriors organization is looking at this saying, all right, everybody's going to play 70, 75 games. That's not going to happen. The injuries are part of it. We'll see what happens when they do come down. But as far as I can see, in these first couple weeks of the season, this team was pretty solid. When you get Kaminga playing at that level, guys, it's just a completely different look, and it provides for them even more confidence for a group that thrives upon it anyway. So as far as a move down the line, you can always get some more depth. But there was so much talk of, well, what's the other piece? And who else could that piece be? I think they have the pieces in place. I'm certainly not saying they're going to go win another title again, but all you can hope for if you're the warriors at this stage is to have a chance. And I absolutely believe, all things being equal with Steph at the level he's still at, they have a chance.

[Esperahenny]

Nick, I know it's kind of hard to get a read on the Bucs tonight just because Giannis didn't play. But Ryan Rollins, career night, they got contributions from everybody, it seemed like, offensively. And maybe some of that is the warriors taking the night off, so to speak. But what were your impressions from the Bucks, seeing them live?

[Nick Friedell]

The Bucks play hard, guys, and you can win a lot of games in the regular season by playing hard. I mean, come on. I was in Chicago for a lot of years covering those Tibbs teams. They beat teams a lot of nights just because they played harder than they did. Yeah. Doc Rivers can get the most out of the group, especially on nights when nobody thinks they can win anyway. Without Giannis, my favorite thing is watching.

[Dave DeFore]

Him on the sideline. He's just yelling, come on, come on.

[Nick Friedell]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Let's go, let's go. But I think with Milwaukee, you know, when you watch them, they know what they're going to get from Giannis when he's out there.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Nick Friedell]

And they know that nobody's really expecting much from him. If you have a team that's playing with very little expectations, having fun, well, that's a combination in this league for a lot of success in the regular season. So who knows how it plays out four or five months from now, but the early returns are solid. They play tough, they play to win. And when you start having these type of games, when the big man does come back, you go, oh, okay.

[Dave DeFore]

All of a sudden you get a little bit, bit of belief mixed in there with the working hard. Right. And so a little bit of luck, you know. We just picked them to win the NBA Cup.

[Esperahenny]

I was just about to say that.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, let's just have something, man. Like I don't know what it is. It's like no one actually believes in them.

[Esperahenny]

Do you have a pick for the.

[Nick Friedell]

If I'm being real honest, I just do not. I cannot get into the mv.

[Esperahenny]

Oh, you gotta respect, you gotta respect the cup, dude.

[Nick Friedell]

The NBA. I, I sit there and I watch, I watch those games the last couple years and I go, huh, Okay. I mean I know the Die Hards. I trust me, I hear it. But I just, all I think guys is these are nice looking regular season games that are dressed up and if somebody can get to Vegas, cool. I love going to Vegas. Let's, let's party and let's play some blackjack and watch some basketball. Great. But I, I, I just cannot, cannot get into the NBA Cup.

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Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

And that means the warriors are going to make a run. We're going to see exactly. Nick is going to be on the show in Vegas. We'll see you there, buddy. We're all in on the NBA cup games kick off tonight. Halloween night. Nick, do you have a costume for Halloween?

[Nick Friedell]

I have gone as Fred Flintstone several times in my life. I am not going to have one in Indianapolis, guys. But if I ever needed a last minute go to. I'm going as Fred.

[Dave DeFore]

I like Fred. That's a pretty good one. Yeah, that is a good one. All right guys, Nick Friedle, he covers the warriors for us over at the Athletic. Go and follow him on the app so every time he posts a new story you get an alert and check out his videos work. That's going to be happening this season. He's going to be here a lot because the warriors obviously super important in the NBA. That's going to do it for the show folks. Thanks to Nick. Thanks to Esperaheny. I'm Dave Dufour, this is Ben the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us. Banking with Capital One helps you keep more money in your wallet with no fees or minimums on checking accounts and no overdraft fees. Just ask the Capital One bank guy. It's pretty much all he talks about in a good way. He'd also tell you that this podcast is his favorite podcast too. Ah, really? Thanks. Capital One Bank Guy what's in your wallet? Term supply See capitalone.com bank capital1na member FDIC.

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