The Athletic NBA Daily — Saturday Slam n’ Jam

Episode: The Kevin Durant Rockets, Austin Reaves, Ryan Rollins
Date: November 1, 2025
Hosts: Andrew Schlecht, Alex Spears
Special Guest: Will Guillory (The Athletic, Rockets beat writer)

Overview

This weekend’s episode of Saturday Slam n’ Jam delivers a dynamic, stat-crunching, and opinion-laden recap of a wild NBA week—headlined by the unexpected phenom performances of Austin Reaves, the meteoric rise of Ryan Rollins in Milwaukee, and a deep dive on the new-look Houston Rockets featuring Kevin Durant, with insider insights from Will Guillory. The crew also discusses struggling teams, surprising early-season success stories, fresh statistical oddities, and wraps up with their trademark trivia showdown.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

NBA Week in Review (02:32–09:17)

• Austin Reaves’ Monster Week (02:32):

  • With Luka Doncic sidelined, Reaves exploded for 51/11/9, followed by a 41-point game and a buzzer-beater against Minnesota (28/16).
  • Reaves took a career-high 22 free throws in the Kings game.
  • “He started his Luka-less week by putting up 51, 11 and 9 in a win over the Kings in Sacramento.” — Andrew (02:36)

• Laurie Markkanen’s 51-Point Outburst: Matched Reaves’ mark in a Suns win.

• Undefeated Teams:

  • Thunder (6-0, SGA averaging 34+ PPG, but benefited from a soft schedule)
  • Spurs (5-0, surprising start sans De’Aaron Fox)
  • Sixers (4-0, led by Tyrese Maxey’s 37.5 PPG and rookie BJ Edgecomb)
  • Bulls (4-0, highlighted by rookie Mattis Bouzelis’ 27-5 with 4 threes)

• Winless Teams (05:52):

  • Brooklyn (0-5, Cam Thomas’s boom-or-bust scoring)
  • Pacers (0-4, ravaged by injuries)
  • Pelicans (started 37-year-old DeAndre Jordan: “A team that started 37 year old DeAndre Jordan at center in a game in the year 2025.” — Andrew, 06:50)
  • Joking about if the Pelicans had done “nothing” at GM, their draft pick situation would be better.

• Nicola Topic Health Update (08:32):

  • Thunder guard diagnosed with testicular cancer; expected full recovery.
  • Emphasis on monthly self-exams for men in 20–34 age group.

Good, Bad, What?! (09:49–26:27)

“Good” of the Week

• Austin Reaves, Continued (10:07):

  • Leads NBA in assists (50 as of Friday morning), 2nd in drives (93) shooting 70% on those (only matched by Giannis).
  • “It’s Austin Reaves and it’s Giannis. Similar players.” — Andrew & Alex, joking (10:52)
  • Leads the league in charges drawn (3).

• Ryan Rollins’ Breakout for Milwaukee (11:30–15:04):

  • Second-rounder, floated team-to-team before catching on with the Bucks.
  • Averaging 18.6/3.6/5.0/2.5 stl, shooting splits of 52/44/88.
  • Best game: 32 points, 8 assists, 5 threes vs. Warriors (without Giannis).
  • “I just can’t remember the last time the Bucks had a young player this exciting.” — Alex (14:03)

“Bad” of the Week

• Toronto Raptors’ Disarray (16:03–18:38):

  • After a promising opener, have lost 4 straight; now 29th in defense.
  • High payroll, unclear identity after high-profile acquisitions.
  • “I don’t know what the vision is for them.”

• Sacramento Kings’ Stagnant Offense (19:12–21:44):

  • Offense ranked 27th, Sabonis underutilized compared to his “hub” role in 2022–23.
  • “You are voluntarily sapping so much of the value he brings to a team.” — Alex (20:50)

“What?!” of the Week

• Big Men Finishing Poorly at the Rim (22:09–23:30):

  • Early numbers: Zion (53% at rim), Cooper Flagg (50%), Miles Bridges (45%), Towns (41%).

• Heat’s New Up-Tempo Offense (24:08–26:27):

  • Going from one of the league’s slowest, most pick-and-roll-heavy teams to fastest pace and heavy transition focus.
  • “This is like a complete 180 for this team.” — Alex (25:58)

In-Depth: The Kevin Durant Rockets (32:04–45:39)

With Will Guillory, The Athletic’s Rockets Beat Writer

Kevin Durant’s Integration (32:14)

• KD and Alperen Sengun have stepped up, even as Fred VanVleet’s injury forced early adaptation.
• “The early returns have been pretty good with this group so far.” — Will Guillory (32:56)

Sengun’s Expanded Role and Shooting (33:08)

• Added 3-point range, higher FT% (a team weakness last year now improved).
• “I think, maybe even bigger than the three point percentage going up, you see his free throw percentage going up and I think that’s a big story with this team.” — Will (34:14)

Reed Shepherd’s Growth & Limitations (34:42–37:02)

• The former #3 pick’s defense needs work, especially keeping quicker guards in front.
• Offensively aggressive, no hesitation, but shot isn’t falling yet.
• “He’s done a decent job… he’s had more trouble dealing with the small, quick guys and keeping them out of the paint.” — Will (37:31)

DFS Injury Update (38:47)

• Expecting Dorian Finney-Smith back soon; he would add versatility to lineups.

Amen Thompson’s Development (40:08–42:23)

• Adjustment period as primary ballhandler—finding lanes for his athleticism while expanding his 3-point shot (still 0 made so far).
• “He’s showing more confidence with that shot…. I think, you know, Amen, he’ll be fine.” — Will (41:30)

Jabari Smith’s Leap (43:25)

• More confident, added muscle, exploiting mismatches and a steady corner-3 shooter.
• “Teams are really trying their hardest to get the ball away from KD… when I’m bringing two defenders over, it’s y’all’s time to shine.” — Will (44:20, paraphrasing Durant)

NBA Trivia Showdown: Andrew vs. The Beat (Will Guillory) (45:39–61:29)

Highlights:

• Absurdly low-scoring contest (final: Will 3, Andrew 2).
• Mind-bending questions:
  • Jeff Green’s most prolific dunking season came at age 35 with Denver, not Boston or Cleveland. (47:35)
  • Only active players with 30-pt games for five teams: Chris Paul, Westbrook, Jimmy Butler, Dennis Schroeder (50:01)
  • Last Rockets (not Harden) to average 27+ PPG: Russell Westbrook (2019–20)
  • Alperen Sengun and Christian Wood were last to average 10+ reb for Rockets.
  • Kevin Durant's biggest scoring average is vs. Detroit.
  • Wild “name Rockets to score 37+ in a game” stumps Andrew, who bizarrely skips James Harden.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Austin Reaves’ surprisingly elite categories:
  “Austin Reaves leads the league in charges taken in the NBA. …It’s only three, but he leads the league.” — Alex (11:06)

• On the Raptors’ defensive self-delusion:
  “Darko said before the season started that he doesn’t see a weak link on defense for us this year.” — Alex (16:18)

• On the Pelicans’ front office move:
  “If they had hired an inanimate object as GM this summer, let’s say a really nice chair that cannot use a phone, they would be in such a better position...” — Andrew (06:52)

• On the Rockets’ big, positionless lineups:
  “When they’re playing big, it really puts teams in a bind.” — Will Guillory (44:54)

• On the Heat suddenly leading the league in pace:
  “For decades. Decades. Plural. Miami’s offense has been as consistently slow as you can be… This is like a complete 180.” — Alex (25:58)

Notable Timestamps

• NBA Week in Review & Standouts: 02:32–09:17
• Nicola Topic Health Update: 08:32–09:17
• Good/Bad/What? Segment: 09:49–26:27
• Houston Rockets Deep-Dive (with Will Guillory): 32:04–45:39
• Trivia (Andrew vs. The Beat): 45:39–61:29

Tone and Style

The episode is rapid-fire, stat-laden, irreverent, and analytical, blending deep dives on advanced stats with sardonic jokes, self-deprecating banter, and ongoing inside references (e.g., Andrew’s odd trivia guesses, the “inanimate object as GM” Pelicans joke).

For Those Who Haven’t Listened: Key Takeaways

• Austin Reaves had a historic statistical week and is producing elite playmaking metrics while stepping in for Luka Doncic.
• Ryan Rollins’ breakout as a legitimate scoring and playmaking threat is a seismic development for Milwaukee.
• The revamped Rockets are adapting quickly to injuries, with KD and Sengun forming a potent, creative partnership and young players like Jabari Smith and Reed Shepherd in evolving roles.
• The NBA landscape is topsy-turvy: surprise undefeateds and winless teams, weird stat anomalies, and long-standing identities (Heat’s pace, Raptors’ supposed defense) being upended.
• The trivia segment is a fun, brain-breaking ordeal with obscure stats and historical nuggets for the NBA diehard.

Closing Thoughts

This episode is an essential rapid-catchup for anyone who wants a whirlwind tour of the NBA headline stories, emerging player arcs, front-office follies, and the stats shaping early-season narratives—delivered with both insight and comic relief.