The Athletic NBA Daily – "Worried about the Thunder? + Pistons Smoke Knicks"

Date: January 6, 2026
Hosts: Dave DuFour and Esper Henny
Guest: James Edwards (joins for Pistons-Knicks segment)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into a wild night in the NBA, highlighting surprising losses for the Oklahoma City Thunder and key wins for the Pistons. The hosts dissect if the Thunder’s recent struggles are cause for alarm, celebrate unlikely heroics from the Denver "Zombie" Nuggets, break down the Suns' and Rockets' resilience, and cover the latest trade rumors swirling around Trae Young. The show closes with a deep-dive discussion with James Edwards into Detroit's emphatic win over the Knicks and the continued rise of Cade Cunningham.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Thunder Upset by Hornets – Is It Time to Worry?

Segment Start: [01:44]

• The Charlotte Hornets shocked OKC, winning 124-97, shooting a staggering 50% from three.
  • "Brandon Miller was 7 of 10 from 3. He felt like he could make anything he wanted to... 50% from 3." – Esper Henny [02:49]
• Thunder have now gone 6-6 over the last 12 games, sparking concern for fans but reasoned analysis from the hosts.
• Hosts note fatigue factors: second night of a back-to-back, travel, and a previous game lost to a Devin Booker buzzer-beater.
  • "Scoring 97 points against the Hornets is bad. All right." – Dave DuFour [03:16]
• "I think the fact that they are struggling right now is a good sign for June...it's good to get punched in the mouth every now and then, you know." – Esper Henny [03:36]
• Thunder's offensive predictability in the halfcourt is cited as a concern; pressure on Jalen Williams and especially Chet Holmgren to step up as creators behind SGA.
  • "If there was one area to nitpick about this team is that in the half court other than SGA, they can become a little bit predictable." – Esper Henny [05:01]
  • "They just need [Chet Holmgren] to become ... a third shot creator for them." – Esper Henny [05:55]

2. The “Zombie Nuggets” Pull Off Another Upset

Segment Start: [06:28]

• Denver, crippled by injuries and resting stars, still found a way to win, with huge nights from Jalen Pickett and Peyton Watson.
  • "Somehow the Nuggets still win the game... This is the sort of game... when we get to March, April... I'm going to look at this game, I'll say, hey, they definitely can." – Dave DuFour [07:13]
• Discussion of “blessing in disguise” from injuries, giving role players a chance to excel.
  • "No, Nikola Jokic is going to be out for a month. No, it's not going to be a blessing, but look, Zeke Nnaji had a great game tonight." – Esper Henny [07:45]
• Close game, Sixers didn’t lack effort but the Nuggets’ next-man-up mentality shined.

3. Suns vs. Rockets – KD Clutch, Sengun Out

Segment Start: [08:24]

• Kevin Durant hit a clutch game-winner as the Rockets managed without Alperen Sengun (out a couple of weeks).
  • "The Suns were about to just have a... back to back win streak with the Thunder and the Rockets and KD." – Dave DuFour [08:24]
• Houston’s depth at center a comfort (Steven Adams, Clint Capela), but creation without Sengun (especially late) is a looming issue.
  • "There's just going to be so much more pressure on KD to be their sole shot creator." – Esper Henny [09:18]
• Suns lauded for “outlier development” from their supporting cast that’s keeping them competitive.
  • "The reason they're in that 6, 7 range is because they're getting outlier development from some of their cool guys." – Esper Henny [10:32]

4. Clippers Survive Warriors – Wild Finish, Snoop Dogg on Commentary

Segment Start: [11:01]

• Clippers barely escaped the Warriors, 103-102, in a turnover-filled game lacking standard point guard play due to James Harden’s absence.
  • "When the Clippers are missing James Harden, they have no other reliable point guard... Kawhi Leonard, who had five turnovers tonight." – Esper Henny [11:54]
• Warriors’ effort kept the game close despite roster and in-game challenges (Steve Kerr ejected, Steph Curry fouled out late).
• Snoop Dogg’s guest commentary: Provided much-discussed color and energy to the broadcast.
  • "He was kind of acting like the play by play guy and the color commentator at the same time. I wanted to hate it. ... There was like an uncle vibe there that won me over a little bit... But it wasn't bad." – Dave DuFour [13:37]
  • Hosts enjoyed, but don’t want it all the time: “You don't want Snoop Dogg in the NBA Finals.” – Esper Henny [14:00]
  • "He made some good points about the refereeing and the continuation... hard when you're just watching as a fan to know what continuation is anymore." – Dave DuFour [14:13]

5. Trae Young Trade Rumors

Segment Start: [14:49]

• The hosts tease a deeper dive with Josh Robbins in tomorrow’s episode but discuss the increasingly “goodbye” behavior from Trae Young amid rumors.
• "He just walks right by [the Hawks’ front office] and starts warming up... and then just disappears to the back of the locker room... That felt like saying goodbye to your teammates type of moment." – Esper Henny [15:10]
• Speculation on Wizards as a potential landing spot, fit with young core, and wider ramifications for Hawks’ direction.
• "Their ceiling is not what it is if Trae Young gets traded... if the Hawks do end up trading Trae, which seems likely at this point, it's to shift into a new direction." – Esper Henny [17:39]

6. Pistons Rout Knicks – Cade Cunningham's MVP-level Play

Segment Start: [21:17]
Guest: James Edwards

• Pistons thrashed the Knicks 121-90, gaining dominance in the paint and rebounding.
  • "The Knicks just can't rebound. They can't defend, they couldn't score. Are the Pistons just that much better than the Knicks right now?" – Dave DuFour [21:24]
  • Carl Anthony Towns (4 shots), OG Anunoby (3 shots) called out for inactivity.
    • "To take four shots, I mean, that's just... disinterest." – Dave DuFour [21:41]
• Knicks’ woes attributed to missing players; Josh Hart deemed "maybe the second most important guy."
• Celebratory praise for Cade Cunningham, who put up a 29/13/17 (pts/asts/fga) triple-double and drew MVP chants.
  • "He had 29, 13 assists, 11 of 17 from the field...I think you look at him putting up this sort of an efficient night. So what did you think about the MVP chance that he was getting out there?" – Dave DuFour [21:57]
• Fun anecdote: JB Bickerstaff, Pistons’ new coach, was once babysat by Mike Brown—highlighting the NBA’s interconnectedness.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Scoring 97 points against the Hornets is bad. All right." – Dave DuFour [03:16]
• "If there was one area to nitpick about this team is that in the half court other than SGA, they can become a little bit predictable." – Esper Henny [05:01]
• "Somehow the Nuggets still win the game." – Dave DuFour [07:13]
• "You don't want Snoop Dogg in the NBA finals." – Esper Henny [14:00]
• "That felt like saying goodbye to your teammates type of moment." – Esper Henny [15:10]
• "To take four shots, I mean, that's just... disinterest." – Dave DuFour [21:41]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:44] – Thunder’s loss to the Hornets
• [06:28] – Nuggets’ shorthanded win
• [08:24] – Suns-Rockets, injury updates, and rotation talk
• [11:01] – Clippers-Warriors, Snoop Dogg on commentary
• [14:49] – Trae Young trade rumors and fit discussion
• [21:17] – Pistons-Knicks recap; Cade Cunningham MVP talk (w/ James Edwards)

Episode Tone

Conversational, witty banter between seasoned analysts. Playful and self-aware (especially regarding Snoop Dogg’s commentary), yet always grounded in sharp, critical breakdowns of basketball nuance and league storylines.

Summary Takeaway

This episode gives listeners a whirlwind tour of a zany NBA night, balancing serious questions about the Thunder’s vulnerabilities, the Nuggets’ resilience, and the Suns’ surprising development with lighter moments—most memorably, Snoop Dogg’s irreverent guest commentary. Throughout, the hosts offer granular analysis on evolving storylines: teams’ midseason adversity, the looming movement of franchise players (Trae Young), and the MVP credentials of new stars like Cade Cunningham. Perfect for fans wanting both insight and entertainment from the overnight NBA news cycle.