The Athletic NBA Daily: Slam N' Jam – "The NBA’s Best and Worst Shooters + The Mavs Vision"

Release date: February 28, 2026
Hosts: Andrew Schlecht & Alex Spears
Guest: Christian Clark (The Athletic, Dallas Mavericks beat)

Episode Overview

This week’s Slam N’ Jam offers a fast-paced, stats-driven discussion featuring the NBA’s best and worst shooters by court zones, a critical look at teams on hot and cold streaks, and an in-depth segment on the current state and future of the Dallas Mavericks. The show combines hard data (with plenty of specific numbers), humorous banter, and some colorful NBA stories. Notable guest Christian Clark brings detailed insights into the Mavericks’ youth movement, front office uncertainty, and draft outlook.

Top NBA Stories of the Week

[02:45–10:08]

• San Antonio Spurs Streaking

  • Spurs now on an 11-game win streak, closing in on the top spot in the West.
  • Wembanyama's defensive dominance against Detroit: 17 rebounds, 6 blocks.
  • Devin Vassell: big offensive week, including 28 points (7–11 from 3) vs. Detroit.
  • “If the Spurs can push their streak to at least 14 ... it'll be the fourth longest winning streak in franchise history.” — Alex, [03:18]
  • Franchise record: 19 straight wins in 2014.

• Eastern Conference Surprises

  • Four teams (Pistons, Celtics, Cavs, Bucks) have won 8 of last 10.
  • Bucks surging into play-in contention with Giannis nearing return.
  • “They're going to make the playoffs. Listen, hasn't been a murderous row of opponents, okay? But the Bucks have done what they've needed to do.” — Alex, [04:54]

• Hawks & Magic City Night

  • Jonathan Kuminga’s impressive debut: 27 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists.
  • Hawks promoting “Magic City Night,” honoring the iconic ATL strip club, including arena lemon pepper wings.
    “Special game nights have come a long way. This is shaping up to be a memorable night” — Alex, [05:19]

• Charlotte’s Rookie Record

  • Hornets’ rookie Kon Knipple broke the all-time rookie record for 3-pointers (209).
  • Next big matchup: Boston.

• Lakers’ Ugly Week

  • Three straight losses; featured embarrassing anecdotes about Deandre Ayton (e.g., “prat fall” story, water bottle labeled “crunk juice”).
  • Ayton’s frustration: “They're trying to make me Clint Capela. I'm not no Clint Capela.” [09:12]
  • Capela’s IG response: “You got two of the best four generals … My dog lock in 😂😂” [09:25]
  • Ayton’s struggles: just 2 points, 4 rebounds in latest loss.

• Quick Hits

  • James Harden thumb fracture—will play through it.
  • 40-year-old Taj Gibson signs with the Grizzlies.
  • Pat Riley statue unveiled in LA.

Good, Bad, What? (Three-Part Deep Dive)

[10:24–36:35]

GOOD

1. 2026’s Most Efficient Shooters (by Zone)

Andrew’s Segment – [10:52–15:55]:

• Restricted Area:

  • Most Attempts: Zion Williamson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Tyrese Maxey.
  • Most Efficient: Ryan Kalkbrenner (79% - Charlotte), Giannis (78%), Deandre Ayton (78%).
  • “Maybe he is Clint Capela ... you're extremely efficient in the restricted area.” — Andrew, [12:01]

• Paint Non-Restricted (Floater)

  • Peyton Pritchard (59%), Najee Marshall (58% - Mavs), Nikola Jokic (58%).

• Midrange:

  • Most Attempts: DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Durant, Brandon Ingram.
  • Most Efficient: SGA (53%), TJ McConnell (52%), Donovan Mitchell.

• Corner Threes:

  • Most Attempts: Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Harrison Barnes.
  • Most Efficient: Bobby Portis (52%), AJ Green (51%), Kon Knipple (50%).

• Above-the-Break Threes:

  • Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell, Luka Doncic (most attempts).
  • Most Efficient: Cam Spencer (43%), Kon Knipple (42%), Colin Gillespie, Ryan Rollins, Jamal Murray (41%).

2. Pelicans Rising Against Tanking

Alex’s Segment – [15:55–19:47]:

• Pelicans surge amid a rough season; currently 18–42 with momentum from Dejounte Murray’s return and Zion’s sustained health (34 straight games played).
• Trade for Derek Queen cited as a bright spot.
• “Go Pels. Maybe this won’t be the worst trade ever. It’s not looking awful, wouldn’t you say?” — Alex, [18:52]

BAD

1. NBA’s Least Efficient Shooters (by Zone)

Andrew’s Segment – [20:18–26:29]:

• Restricted Area (Lowest % among high-volume):

  • Jeremiah Fierce (57%), N. Alexander-Walker (58%), Josh Giddey (58%).

• Floater Range (Paint Non-Restricted):

  • Zion (37%), LaMelo Ball (37%), Paolo Banchero (39%).

• Midrange:

  • Shaden Sharpe (33%), Alperen Sengun (33%), Paolo Banchero (34%).

• “Those two stats in itself are kind of why a lot of people have been out on Paolo.” — Andrew, [22:27]

• Corner Threes:

  • Ron Holland (21%), Jake LaRavia (29%), ToMonica Mara (30%).

• Above-the-Break Threes:

  • Derrick White (32%), Deni Avdija (32%), Shaden Sharpe (32%).

2. The Importance of Halfcourt Offense for Playoff Success

Alex’s Analytics Dive – [26:29–31:15]:

• Historical data: 18 of the last 22 NBA champs finished top-8 in regular season half-court offense; only four Finals teams in 22 years were bottom-half in this stat.
• 2026 Top 10: Denver, Lakers, Bucks, OKC, Boston, Cleveland, Spurs, Warriors, Wolves, Knicks.
• Detroit Pistons could be a historic outlier if they win the title, given current halfcourt ranking.
  • “The lack of additional creation beyond Cade is the biggest question mark regarding their ceiling.” — Alex, [29:55]

WHAT (HEAD-SCRATCHERS/ODDITIES)

[31:48–36:35]

• LeBron & Lakers’ On/Off Catastrophe:

  • “The Lakers are just not good with LeBron anymore ... You literally just go into Cleaning the Glass and you start sorting, Luca and LeBron: –4, Luca and Austin [Reaves]: –4 … Austin Reaves and Luca without LeBron: +10.6.” — Andrew, [31:48]
  • Advocacy to “let LeBron James go wherever he wants” for the Lakers’ future.

• Konn Knipple: Rookie 3s and Historical Context

  • Breaks rookie 3pt record with 209 in just 59 games.
  • Only 15 players in NBA history (all ages) have reached 200 by game 59; Klay Thompson managed it just once, at a much older age.
  • “We may very well be watching the first chapter in one of the greatest shooters in league history.” — Alex, [36:31]

Deep Dive: Dallas Mavericks – State of the Franchise

Wheel of Fandom | Interview w/ Christian Clark (The Athletic) [38:29–47:16]

Mavericks Recap & Recent Trends

• Mavs snapped a 10-game losing streak with wins vs. Pacers and Nets (both lottery teams), but lost to Kings despite a monster game from Naji Marshall (36/10/6 in 42 min). Sitting 21–38, 11th in the West.

Cooper Flagg’s Rookie Evolution

• “Flag’s best stretch came before his injury: Six-game run averaging 32 PPG, including a 49-point game.” — Andrew, [41:09]
• “He looked uncomfortable [early]. … Since, he’s more comfortable as a ballhandler; his jumper’s improved. … He’s better going left, even though he shoots with his right.” — Christian Clark, [41:09]

Max Christie Progression

• True shooting up to 62%, 42% from 3.
• “He shot the heck out of it and we love it. We want him to take more. … They've pushed him all season: high volume, 8–10 threes per game.” — Christian Clark, [42:36]

Final Stretch & What to Watch

• “Enjoying Chris Middleton's short stint—playoff buyout candidate. … Really hope we see Flagg return soon; it's brutal without him.” — Christian Clark, [44:05]
• Key dates: March 6 (Flagg’s return to Boston), upcoming games vs. top rookies.

Mavericks’ 2026 Draft Outlook & Front Office

• If Dallas lands in top three, consensus among fans is Banson as the top pick.
• “We don’t even know who’s running the draft … still a co-interim GM situation. That’s a huge question this spring.” — Christian Clark, [45:49]

2026 Offseason Priorities

• Find a permanent decision-maker (“lead basketball decisionmaker ... we need a lead vision”).
• Address lack of guard creation (D’Angelo Russell experiment failed); Kyrie likely back, Lively pending extension, Christie extension likely.
• “They gotta do something to address the backcourt because that's been their biggest problem this year.” — Christian Clark, [52:48]

Mavericks Draft Prospect Discussion / Darren Peterson Debate

[47:16–50:57]

• Peterson’s confusing season—teams split on talent, need for pre-draft interviews to clarify injury/personality questions.
• “Teams want to sit down, get in the room with this guy ... the interview portion is going to be outrageously important, especially for the team that's picking number one.” — Andrew, [47:24]
• “If you go back and look at high school tape, ... Darren Peterson’s clearly injured this season.” — Alex referencing Sam Vecenie's analysis, [49:28]

Trivia: Andrew vs. The Beat – Mavs Edition

[52:48–66:12]

• Fun, competitive trivia game pitting Andrew against Christian Clark with deep Mavs roster history, rookie stat leaders, obscure lineups, and NBA trivia.
• Notable questions:
  • Who led 2016-17 Mavs in assists? (A: Deron Williams)
  • Which rookies logged most minutes for Mavs in last 30 years? (A: Luka Doncic, Dennis Smith Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith)
  • How many career dunks for Tyus Jones? (A: 2)
  • Cooper Flagg’s most effective lineup partner? (A: Brandon Williams)
  • Which active rookies had more FT attempts/game than Flagg? (A: Joel Embiid, Paolo, Zion, etc.)

Closing & Listener Engagement

[66:24–show end]

• Next Wheel of Fandom: Philadelphia 76ers!
• Listener shoutouts: Heartwarming Blazers fan (Milo and dad), positive reviews, Jaylen Brown triple-double correction.
• Upcoming: Protecting Knicks players for mock expansion draft, schedule outlook, listener questions.

Memorable Quotes

• “Maybe he is Clint Capela. Someone should show him this. You are extremely efficient in the restricted area.” — Andrew, [12:01]
• “I can write a Naji Marshall book.” — Christian Clark, [40:43]
• “Go Pels. Maybe this won’t be the worst trade ever.” — Alex, [18:52]
• “The Lakers are just not good with LeBron anymore ... It's so obvious and it's so awkward.” — Andrew, [31:48]
• “We may very well be watching the first chapter in one of the greatest shooters in league history.” — Alex, on Kon Knipple, [36:31]

Useful Timestamps

• [02:45] — Weekly NBA Recap & Top Stories
• [10:24] — Good/Bad/What: Best & Worst Shooters
• [15:55] — Pelicans Rising & Lottery Implications
• [20:18] — Bad Shooters (Zone by Zone) & Paolo Debate
• [26:29] — Halfcourt Offense and Playoff Success
• [31:48] — LeBron’s Negative On/Off Effect
• [36:06] — Kon Knipple’s Historic Rookie Three-Point Shooting
• [38:29] — Mavs Deep Dive w/ Christian Clark (Wheel of Fandom)
• [41:09] — Cooper Flagg’s Offensive Growth
• [45:49] — Mavs Front Office & Draft Strategy
• [47:16] — Darren Peterson Draft Discussion
• [52:48] — Mavs Trivia: Andrew vs. The Beat
• [66:24] — Next Week’s Wheel of Fandom (76ers), Listener Reviews

Tone and Language

• Smart, friendly, and fast-moving: Stats and trends are delivered with fan enthusiasm and podcast-specific in-jokes.
• Hosts freely critique teams/players but maintain lighthearted banter.
• Deep dives are peppered with anecdotes, humor, and vivid metaphors.

For New Listeners

This episode offers a sparkling, data-driven look at the NBA’s surprise stories, shooting leaders/strugglers (with in-depth breakdowns by court area), and delivers a granular, insiders’ account of the Mavericks’ turbulent but hopeful season. The trivia section and mailbag give the show extra fun and community feel. Highly approachable, this is a must for stat-loving NBA fans and team diehards alike.