Hoops Tonight – NBA Week 1 Reaction: Spurs’ Wemby Top 2? + 76ers’ VJ Edgecombe Explosion, Clippers Embarrassed

Date: October 26, 2025
Host: Jason Timpf (Hoops Tonight, The Volume Network)

Overview

The episode kicks off the NBA regular season, offering rapid reactions and deep analysis from Jason Timpf on three notable matchups from the first week: Raptors vs. Hawks, Clippers vs. Jazz, and Sixers vs. Celtics. It also dives into a robust listener mailbag covering questions about team ceilings, player evolution, and early-season power rankings. The main threads: breakout performances from young stars (especially VJ Edgecombe in Philly), concerns for teams like the Clippers and Hawks, and healthy skepticism (but also excitement) about early hype for standout rookies like Victor Wembanyama.

Key Game Reactions & Takeaways

Raptors vs. Hawks – Toronto's Surprising Dominance

[03:20]

• Toronto’s physicality and athleticism stood out immediately.
  Players highlighted: Brandon Ingram, Scotty Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett—"just very physically imposing."
  Quote:

  "Toronto had 43 transition points in this game. They had an offensive rating over 140 on their transition possessions. Just a combination of really poor Atlanta transition defense and just how athletically imposing they can be when they’re running the floor." (Jason, [05:10])

• Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett provided scoring punch and defensive intensity.
• Grady Dick's 20 points off the bench were noted: “a bunch of jumpers from all sorts of ranges.”
• Toronto’s offensive game:
  • “...ran a lot of actions on every possession... more playmaking talent than you would think.”
  • Elite ball movement compensates for shooting limitations.
  • Assist stat: “They had assists on two-thirds of their baskets—anything over 65% in assist percentage is really strong.”
• Atlanta’s weaknesses:
  • “Super sloppy guarding the actions that Toronto was running in the half court.”
  • Poor communication and execution on switches; transition defense “flat out abysmal.”
• Jalen Johnson (Atlanta): Impressive passing but still developing as a shooter.

Clippers vs. Jazz – Clippers Embarrassed

[12:00]

• Utah's frontcourt (Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler) dominated early, exposing the Clippers’ lack of readiness.
• Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac called out:

  "Kawhi was applying little to no pressure or physicality on Markkanen... Zoo was essentially not helping Kawhi on either side of the action... Just floating around out there." (Jason, [12:56])

• Turnovers:
  • "Clippers had like a half dozen super bizarre unforced turnovers…they literally looked like they were asleep.”
  • Early third: "Ty Lue’s calling a timeout, Clippers are down by 37."
• Utah praise:
  • “Keonte George was great all night, Bryce Sensabaugh came in and torched them from three…really nice debut for the Utah Jazz.”
• Implication: No team can coast anymore, even against NBA bottom feeders.

Sixers vs. Celtics – VJ Edgecombe's Breakout

[19:06]

• VJ Edgecombe's stunning debut:

  “34 points and 7 rebounds, looked like the perfect compliment to Tyrese Maxey.” (Jason, [19:06])

• Boston's defense dared VJ to shoot; he answered:
  • “He got six unguarded catch and shoot threes and made three of them. Hit two off the dribble jump shots versus passive coverages.”
  • Showed ability to slash, finish, and thrive in transition (“caught a ridiculous lob in the second half...full speed euro step...ridiculously athletic play.”)
• Projection:
  • “To me, Edgecombe feels very safe as a bet to be an All-Star in this league. If he can stay healthy, the reports about his character and his work ethic are great.”
• Tyrese Maxey:
  • “His pull up three was dialed in... hit three in a row in the second half that closed a double-digit Celtics lead.”
• Supporting cast:
  • Kelly Oubre hit the game winner; Quentin Grimes and Jabari Walker contributed energy and athleticism.
• Joel Embiid’s regression:
  • “Looked like an absolute shell of himself…didn’t seem very vertical or mobile around the basket.”
  • Hope expressed that he’ll "continue to get better as the season progresses."
• On the Celtics: showed perimeter firepower but lacked rim protection; struggling at the center position.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Toronto’s offense:

  “They can’t shoot the ball, but they have real strengths. They’re big, they’re athletic, they’re great at defense... good recipe for winning basketball games.” (Jason, [08:35])

• On Clippers’ performance:

  “Holy shit did they come out flat... it was just bizarre... Ty Lue took the blame and I’m sure the Clippers will bounce back, but it was pretty crazy.” (Jason, [13:32])

• On VJ Edgecombe:

  "What an exciting backcourt partner for Tyrese Maxey who was amazing in this game. His pull up three was dialed in... just a really impressive display of footwork and athleticism.” (Jason, [23:30])

• On Embiid:

  “Honestly, the only disappointing thing if you were a 76ers fan was that Joel Embiid looked like an absolute shell of himself.” (Jason, [25:15])

Mailbag & Big Picture Questions

Lakers' Ceiling & Power Rankings Update

[28:30]

• Defends LeBron's defensive chops:
  • “LeBron was one of the best ISO defenders in the league last year... one of the most attentive defenders and better communicators on the team.”
• Updates Lakers’ contender rank:
  • Explains drop: "I'm dropping them to 7th behind Houston and Golden State... right now they look pretty mediocre and unathletic."
• Stresses that early-season rankings are constantly shifting based on on-court performance, not preseason speculation.

Warriors – Steph Curry's Greatness and Jonathan Kuminga's Trajectory

[34:00]

• Steph Curry:
  • “To me, Steph is the fifth greatest perimeter player of all time... best off ball mover in history…high level passer…one of the best competitors of his era.”
  • Memorable moment: Describes Steph hitting a 37-foot three to tie the game and flexing for the Denver bench.
• Jonathan Kuminga:
  • “If Kuminga plays well enough, I think it’s more likely than not that he doesn’t get traded... he’s off to a great start.”
  • Stresses that matchups matter for Warriors evaluation (need to see vs. faster, more athletic teams).

Spurs & Wembanyama – How Close Are They?

[43:00]

• Impressed by the young Spurs but cautions:
  • “Victor Wembanyama is messing up timeline stuff because he might be a legitimate top-tier superstar this year.”
  • “If their young guards blossom, maybe they don’t need to trade... but more likely, they’ll want to add veteran shooting and floor-raisers.”

Bam Adebayo, Klay Thompson, Jaden McDaniels, and More

[45:00‑56:00]

• Bam Adebayo: “Kind of is what he is…great passer, screen setter, but not a high-level shot maker.”
• Klay Thompson: “No longer one of the 10 or 15 best two guards…teams are going to account for him in the game plan, and he can’t create for himself at this point.”
• On team offense: “The future of basketball is taking advantage of smallest defensive lapses—turning basketball into a ‘punish’ league.”

Chet Holmgren's Consistency & Wemby for Best Player Alive?

[57:00]

• Chet Holmgren:
  • “Hard for big, lanky dudes…to be ball handlers in late game environments... If he becomes a 40% above-the-break three-point shooter, that's all the Thunder need from him.”
• Victor Wembanyama – Best Player?:
  • “There’s nothing Wemby could do in the regular season that would convince me he’s the best. That’s a playoff thing.”

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Raptors vs. Hawks Recap: 03:20 – 11:30
• Clippers vs. Jazz Recap: 12:00 – 15:49
• Sixers vs. Celtics & VJ Edgecombe: 19:06 – 28:20
• Mailbag (Lakers Power Ranking): 28:30 – 33:50
• Mailbag (Curry & Kuminga): 34:00 – 42:09
• Mailbag (Spurs, Wemby, Bam, Klay, etc): 43:00 – 56:00
• Chet & Wemby for Best Player question: 57:00 – 59:45

Summary

The episode delivers sharp, nuanced breakdowns of opening week’s NBA action with a focus on eye-popping debut performances, unexpected team meltdowns, and evolving power rankings. Jason Timpf stresses healthy skepticism about first-week results but also highlights real reasons for excitement (VJ Edgecombe in Philly, a retooled Raptors, Spurs’ upside with Wemby). Listener mailbag questions bring thoughtful discussions on everything from individual player evolution to philosophies on maximizing margins in today’s NBA. The show ends on the note that greatness—like “best player alive” status for Wemby—can only come through playoff achievements.

For listeners who missed it:

• VJ Edgecombe is THE early rookie story in Philly.
• Toronto could be much stronger than expected, blending defense, athleticism, and crisp ball movement.
• Clippers fell flat, but it’s too early to panic.
• Victor Wembanyama could mess up all timeline expectations for the Spurs, but true stardom is measured only in the postseason.
• Jason’s power rankings are in flux, with the Lakers dropping and the Warriors/Houston on the rise.