Transcript

A (0:00)

This podcast is brought to you by T. Rowe Price. Join me as I chat with Chris Murphy, their head of ETF Specialists, to unpack what ETFs are, how they work, and how T. Rowe Price is helping investors make more informed decisions. So as a pure investment tool, as an ETF versus let's just say a mutual fund, what are the advantages and disadvantages between those two?

B (0:21)

The ETF structure itself allows for the costs to really be materially lower and so on average, an ETF is going.

A (0:29)

To be a lot less expensive.

B (0:30)

Expensive from an expense ratio perspective.

A (0:32)

Let's talk about the philosophy that differentiates T. Rowe Price from other organizations that are in the ETF space. What's that secret sauce that you guys have?

B (0:41)

It comes back to kind of the core principles of our firm, which is curiosity around what can we do to find an edge or where can we innovate?

A (0:49)

Listen in to discover how T. Rowe Price's active ETFs can help you add an edge to outperform the index. Learn more@tprice.com.

B (1:00)

Why choose a sleep Number Smart Bed? Can I make my site softer?

A (1:03)

Can I make my site firmer? Can we sleep cooler?

B (1:06)

Sleep number does that cools up to eight times faster and lets you choose your ideal comfort on either side your Sleep number setting. Enjoy personalized comfort for better sleep night after night and now max out your savings. The more you buy, the more you save on beds, bases and more. Plus get free home delivery on any smart bed with base limited time. Check it out at a Sleep Number store near you or@sleepnumber.com today.

A (1:30)

Tonight's meal tilapia surprise with boiled cabbage. Begin cooking steps one through 50 now.

B (1:35)

Are you kidding me? Making dinner shouldn't feel like doing a thousand piece puzzle with Blue Apron's new one Pan Assemble and Bake meals. The hard part's already done. Pre chopped ingredients, zero stress. Just assemble, bake and enjoy. No complicated steps, no mountain of dishes. Try Assemble and bake today. Get 20% off your first two orders with code APRON20 Terms and conditions apply. Visit blueapron.com terms for more foreign welcome to the Saturday Slammin Jam here on the Athletic NBA Daily presented by Ebay. On today's show, we're discussing our good, bad and what of the week and Will Guillory stops by to talk about the Rockets. And then we finish with some trivia. But before we get to all of that, Alex, tell me what happened in the NBA this week. This week?

Summary

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.