Podcast Summary: The Athletic NBA Daily

Episode: Who is the Best Team in the Eastern Conference?
Date: January 5, 2026
Hosts: Dave DuFour, Zena Cata, Esfandiar Baraheni (“Es”)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into an in-depth discussion of the current Eastern Conference landscape as the NBA nears its midseason. The hosts debate which team truly deserves the “best in the East” title, analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the frontrunners (Knicks, Celtics, Pistons), and break down the middle and lower tiers with an eye on the potential for playoff success or disappointment. The conversation highlights key players, coaching philosophies, looming trade deadline questions, and the ever-present uncertainty of health.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Is There a True Best Team?

• Initial framing (02:00-03:45): The hosts emphasize how the Western Conference’s star power and storylines have overshadowed a “sneaky competitive” Eastern race.
• Dave expresses skepticism about recent talk of the Knicks as the best team. “I just don’t think I believe that right now.” (03:36)

2. The Knicks: Still the Team to Beat?

• Es feels the Knicks remain the standard despite setbacks:
  • “After the two losses that they had, it opens up some room for skepticism...but I still think they're the best team in the East, man.” (03:45)
• Zena disagrees, advocating for the rising Celtics.

3. The Celtics: “Just Boring Enough to Trust”

• Zena’s case for Boston (04:06):
  • “I've been saying that they are the team that they're just boring enough to trust. And what I mean by boring is that they're consistent...they have an identity on both ends.” (04:54)
• The Celtics’ style and consistency with Joe Mazzulla’s coaching get praise.
• Jalen Brown’s Rise:
  • Dave highlights Brown’s career season: “He's averaging more points per game this season so far than Jason Tatum ever has in his career...it’s more of a 1A/1B.” (05:42)
  • Zena: “Give Jaylen Brown the credit that he deserves, knowing that he's always been capable of this...he arose to the occasion.” (06:01)
  • Es: “I'll go a step further. I think he should be on the MVP ballot at this point just because of how good he's been.” (07:39)
• Coaching edge:
  • Dave: "I think Joe Mazzulla should be the front runner right now for coach of the year." (07:49)
  • Es: “They've Moneyballed this thing...they still play the math game that Missoula likes to play on every single game.” (08:14)

4. The Pistons: Defense, Depth, and Doubt

• Dave admits the show sometimes “blows past” the Pistons, who have been excellent but remain unproven in marquee games (09:18).
• Pistons’ defensive identity:
  • Es: “They wall off the paint. Isaiah Stewart has been phenomenal...what they provide defensively will give them that margin to be able to win on the offensive end.” (10:24)
• Playoff doubts:
  • Zena: “Even though defense wins championships, you do need to score a lot of points in the playoffs...I don't know if Cade Cunningham has quite the gravity of some of these big stars.” (11:16)
• Three-way matchup intrigue:
  • Es: “It’s kind of a love triangle at the top...the Celtics can beat the Pistons, Pistons can handle the Knicks, but the Knicks have beaten Celtics before.” (12:00)

5. Contenders or Pretenders? Raptors, Sixers, and Middle-of-the-Pack

• Raptors’ offensive woes and lack of depth:
  • Es: They might swing a trade for “maybe an Anthony Davis, maybe a Lamelo Ball, maybe a Trae Young, who knows?” (17:07)
  • Zena laments the “no depth. And I think that's the biggest thing that's going to take them out of the playoffs very early.” (18:52)
  • Funny aside: Inside joke about “you got guys” (19:01)
• Sixers: Surprising strength and dual stars
  • Dave: Tyrese Maxey “has taken a leap,” while Embiid has been “pretty good. Pretty good.”
  • Es: “Maxey...probably along with Jaylen Brown should be thrust into the MVP conversation. That has allowed them to alleviate some pressure off of Joel Embiid.” (20:33)
  • Zena: Rookie BJ Edgecombe “has been one of the best clutch players in the league as a rookie, which is absurd…” (23:23)
  • The hosts agree: Sixers aren’t true title favorites but have enough to be “in a second round playoff series with a couple of games to go to potentially make it to the conference finals.” (23:41)

6. Cavs and Magic: Disappointing or Unlucky?

• Both teams struck by injury, but the Magic’s issues go deeper.
• Es: “They need to be inventive offensively. They need to set up their guys to be guys...” (24:32)
• Zena: “Somehow this team isn't better when Paolo and Franz are together...that is the weird thing.” (26:29)

7. Making Picks: Who Comes Out of the East?

(Timestamps 27:17-28:56)

• The hosts hedge based on potential future trades/health, but for now:
  • Dave: “The team I trust the most come out of the east right now would be the Knicks.” (27:36)
  • Zena: “I think we're on the same page there. But I also think...it's Boston they're meeting up with to make that decision.” (27:44)
  • Es: Predicts Pistons, Knicks, Celtics, Cavs as the top four (28:33)
  • Zena: Predicts Pistons, Knicks, Celtics, Sixers (28:44)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Zena Cata (04:06): “I've been saying that they are the team that they're just boring enough to trust…they know what they're trying to do in and out, night in, night out…there's something to the Missoula magic.”
• Dave DuFour (05:09): “The Celtics have been—they are so far outside of their expectation that we had coming into this season. I mean, they're going to blow past…Vegas had them at like 41 and a half wins before the season.”
• Esfandiar Baraheni (07:39): “I'll go a step further. I think [Jaylen Brown] should be on the MVP ballot at this point…
• Dave DuFour (09:18): “I blew right past the Pistons…we talked about the Celtics knowing how to win…but with the Pistons, it's just…That's it. We haven't seen them do it yet.”
• Zena Cata (11:16): “There's something to be said, though, about defense wins championships. And they've got dogs. They've got dogs in the perimeter…that second layer of defense is huge.”
• Esfandiar Baraheni (12:00): “It's kind of a love triangle at the top of the Eastern Conference…which will make for some really good playoff games.”
• Dave DuFour (20:21): “We don’t see the Sixers as contenders, do we? Right. Like, they don’t have that kind of ceiling.”
• Esfandiar Baraheni (23:23): “Like you said, a lot of guys, and they have a lot of guys. And by the way, Edgecomb has been one of the best clutch players in the league as a rookie, which is absurd…”

Important Segment Timestamps

• 02:00 — Main theme introduction: Eastern Conference playoff race, trade deadline looming
• 03:45 — Knicks’ recent struggles & debates over best team
• 04:06 — Zena’s case for the Celtics, “boring enough to trust”
• 05:40-07:45 — Jalen Brown’s emergence, coaching, Celtics’ system
• 09:18 — Shifting focus to Pistons; their defensive identity
• 11:16 — Debate on Pistons’ playoff scoring limitations
• 12:00 — Three-way hierarchy (Celtics/Pistons/Knicks matchup dynamics)
• 16:14 — Middle-tier outlook: Raptors, Sixers
• 17:07 — Raptors’ trade speculation; roster/bench depth issues
• 20:21 — Sixers’ surprising leap; Maxey’s rise, Edgecombe’s clutch play
• 24:32 — Cavs and Magic: injuries, underwhelm, chemistry issues
• 27:17-28:56 — Hosts’ picks for East champion and predicted top four seeds

Summary Table: Predicted Eastern Conference Top 4

| Host | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |--------------|-------------|---------|--------|------------| | Es | Pistons | Knicks | Celtics| Cavs | | Zena | Pistons | Knicks | Celtics| Sixers | | Dave | “As is”—trusts Knicks most, with Celtics a possible challenger if healthy/trade

Tone and Takeaways

The discussion is conversational, slightly playful, with knowledgeable banter, frequent quick pivots between teams, and occasional in-jokes. There is genuine uncertainty and excitement over how wide open the East is, with “identity” and “consistency” as recurring themes about teams that inspire more trust. The Celtics’ surprise rise, Jalen Brown’s development, the Pistons’ defense, and the Sixers’ high ceiling are all viewed as key X-factors. Ultimately, while the Knicks get the nod for “most trusted” at this moment, nobody feels confident in a single clear favorite, guaranteeing a chaotic and entertaining playoff run in the East.