The Zach Lowe Show: NBA Latest, Training Camp Reports, and Favorite Non-Finals Teams

Date: September 24, 2025
Host: Zach Lowe
Guest: Chris Ryan

Overview

This special midweek episode features Zach Lowe settling into his “new home” at The Ringer. Zach is joined by first-time guest Chris Ryan for a sweeping conversation around the latest NBA happenings, including training camp news, the state of various contenders, and a deep-dive gimmick draft: selecting their favorite single-season NBA teams from the past 15 years that did not make the Finals. The episode is balanced with signature banter, NBA nerdiness, and both hosts’ unique blend of insight and humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Fred Van Vliet’s Injury & Houston’s Response

• Van Vliet tears his ACL — a major blow for the Houston Rockets, who had championship aspirations after adding Kevin Durant to their young core.
  • The Rockets are “going to do nothing” for now in response, mainly because of CBA restrictions (can’t make trades until December 15 for offseason signees) and a desire to test Amen Thompson and rookie Reed Sheppard in lead guard roles.
  • Zach and Chris mourn what was looking like a “beautiful two-timeline team” (Durant + veterans alongside youth).
• Zach’s take on Houston’s odds:

  “This injury was an absolute gut punch… took a team that had real championship equity… now they have none.” (03:52)

• Potentially, this is a “learning year” for Houston; their timeline isn’t solely dictated by Durant.
• Potential trades: Names like Emmanuel Quickley, Payton Pritchard, and T.J. McConnell are mentioned, but salary/roster complications cloud possible moves.
• Chris’s silver lining: The injury happened early, so Houston can properly evaluate its guards and possibly pivot at the deadline.

  “If something like this is going to happen… it’s better to happen preseason than in late March.” (08:16)

2. Anthony Edwards’ Hyped Post-Up Game

• Shams reporting: Edwards is planning to unveil a post game–something he mentioned to Zach three years ago with little visible change since.
  • Zach: “It’s not new that he’s talking about this. … Maybe now we will [see it].”
• Strategic implications: If real, this could address Minnesota’s chronic need for supplementary playmaking and scoring, especially in the playoffs. Zach floats trade ideas (“Nas Reed for Tyler Herro”) as a hypothetical for playmaking guard help.
• Chris’s quip: “Anthony Edwards’ post game is to basketball what George R. R. Martin’s last Game of Thrones book is… he’s just working on it.” (13:36)
• Zach doubts a sudden explosion of post-up play, but sees real value in deploying it to exploit mismatches.

3. Jason Tatum’s Injury Timeline

• Tatum's Comeback Talk: Despite Achilles surgery, he’s publicly hinting at returning later this season; insiders have whispered about this possibility.
  • Zach is skeptical: “I’m penciling him in as a zero until I see otherwise.” (16:43)
  • Chris compares it to the Aaron Rodgers ordeal: “Respectfully, these guys should take a year off… I wouldn’t want to be the guinea pig.” (17:50)
• Both agree it’s hard to expect “full Tatum” until next season at best.

4. Chris Ryan on the 76ers’ Latest Era

• Zach asks Chris how he’s handling “the continuum of semi-rational approaches to a franchise that has been irrational for 15 straight years.” (18:36)
• Chris’s stance: Buoyed by exciting young guards (Maxey, McCain, etc.) and in “gravy” land regarding Embiid and Paul George:

  “I would watch no matter what their record is… PG and Embiid are gravy… it’s kind of Embiid’s last stand. So I’m here for it.” (19:32)

• Both agree the East is open due to other teams’ struggles, but Zach is weary: “I can’t do it anymore.” (21:00)

5. Knicks Training Camp: The Double-Big Pivot

• Reports suggest Mitchell Robinson may start over Josh Hart at PF/C, pushing the Knicks to a double-big lineup.
  • Zach likes the potential for defense and rebounding, so long as Robinson isn’t overtaxed.

  “I think it makes the Knicks’ ceiling higher.” (22:26)

• Josh Hart’s finger injury (requiring a splint) is concerning, but the consensus is that health is always a determining factor in deep playoff runs.
• Chris's classic “Nixy” vibe:

  “It is very Nixy that he’s already got a debilitating injury and we haven’t even gotten to camp yet.” (22:01)

• Brief mention of Quentin Grimes and Kaminga trade stalemates – both see Grimes as a useful but not make-or-break guard.

6. Draft: Favorite Non-Finals Teams (2010–2025)

• The primary “gimmick” of the episode: Each picks five favorite teams from the last 15 years that did not make the NBA Finals, with no limits on reason for selection.
• Criteria: Could be lovable losers, stylistically beautiful, weird, or tragic. Only restriction: can’t have made the Finals.

Draft Order:

(Note: Not all teams/quotes listed for brevity; major highlights below.)

Chris Ryan’s Picks:

1. 2012–13 Oklahoma City Thunder

   • “There’s something about that what-if and that Westbrook injury.” (28:47)

2. 2017–18 76ers (“FEDS” era)

   • “This was the homegrown team…Fultz, Embiid, Dario, Simmons…” (35:22)
   • Confetti game/lost potential = defining Sixers moment.

3. 2012–13 Denver Nuggets

   • “Peak league pass team…Ty Lawson [was] like a top-10 player.” (42:03)
   • George Karl’s paranoia about Andre Iguodala as a “Warriors mole.”

4. 2013–14 Indiana Pacers

   • “They are built to beat LeBron… and they just ran into a buzzsaw.” (47:34)

5. 2016–17 Washington Wizards

   • “Ernie Grunfeld's masterpiece… Wall, Beal, Gortat… if you were ever going to believe in Wall and Beal, this was the year… One of my favorite moments in NBA history, Wall on the scorer's table.” (53:59)
   • Mentions the “funeral game” with the Celtics as a great NBA subplot.

Zach Lowe’s Picks:

1. 2014–15 Atlanta Hawks

   • “All four of their five starters made the All-Star team… the most complex ballet of basketball I had seen to that point.” (32:59)

2. 2012–13 Golden State Warriors

   • “The rise finally of Steph Curry… proof-of-concept year… I started calling Curry the glitch in the system.” (38:53)

3. 2011–12 San Antonio Spurs

   • “They end up on a 20-game winning streak… then the Thunder just punch them in the mouth four times in a row.” (45:36)

4. 2014–15 Portland Trail Blazers

   • “This team just caught a little bit of magic… never the same when Wes Matthews tore his Achilles.” (51:06)

5. 2012–13 Memphis Grizzlies (“Grit 'n’ Grind”)

   • “How could you not love Tony Allen… Z-Bo… only 4.8 threes a game!” (58:57)

Additional Notable Discussion:

• Spitballing “honorable mentions” — beam team Kings, 2019–20 Raptors, 2017–18 Rockets, 2010–11 Bulls/Clippers, Lob City, and more.
• Zach and Chris highlight favorite “role guys” and bench mob legends in a wistful “In Memoriam” segment, running through (with obvious glee) forgotten NBA names: Josh Harrelson, Ivan Johnson, Lavoy Allen, Sundiata Gaines, Jamario Moon, Chris Wilcox, Kylo Quinn, Von Wafer, Anthony Randolph (the “hammer,” per Chris), and many others (63:08–65:15).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Seven Seconds or Less Suns:
  (Not actually picked, but Zach: “We’re one year out of the 09–10 Phoenix team… that was one of my favorite teams.”)
• On the 2013 Nuggets:
  Chris: “There were nights you believed Ty Lawson was a top-10 player… and it ended when Gallo gets hurt.” (42:03)
• Splash of existentialism:
  Zach (on the 2015 Hawks): “I hope we’re not just wasting our time. Like, we’re really trying here…” (33:02)
• On Wizards hilarity:
  Zach: "It's the year Nick Young and JaVale McGee did the cinnamon challenge… JaVale ran off the court the wrong way." (56:26)
• On the NBA fandom/loss experience:
  Chris: “How can you not be romantic about basketball, watching John Wall and Bradley Beal actually play together? … it’s as good as it got for me.” (54:43)
• In Memoriam hammer:
  Chris: “Anthony Randolph is absolutely the hammer, he is the stuff dreams are made of.” (65:15)

Important Time Stamps

• [03:52] – Zach on Houston's lost championship hopes
• [08:16] – Chris's “silver lining” for Rockets’ injury timing
• [13:36] – Chris compares Ant Edwards' post game to George R. R. Martin
• [16:43] – Zach's skepticism of Tatum's early return
• [19:32] – Chris on Sixers’ young guards & “Embiid’s last stand”
• [22:26] – Zach endorses Knicks’ double-big lineup
• [28:47] – Chris picks 2013 Thunder in the draft
• [32:59] – Zach picks 2015 Hawks, discusses “ball movement”
• [35:22] – Chris describes the “FEDS” Sixers era
• [38:53] – Zach picks 2013 Warriors, calls Curry “the glitch in the system”
• [42:03] – Chris rhapsodizes about 2013 Nuggets
• [45:36] – Zach tells the story of the 2012 Spurs meltdown
• [47:34] – Chris reflects on the 2014 Pacers' heartbreak
• [51:06] – Zach’s love letter to the 2015 Blazers
• [53:59] – Chris’s ode to the Wall–Beal Wizards
• [58:57] – Zach details the Grit ‘n’ Grind Grizzlies’ unlikely style
• [63:08–65:15] – “In Memoriam” – a celebration of obscure former NBA players

Tone and Takeaways

• Tone: Classic Zach Lowe Show blend—nerdy, affectionate, at times wistfully lamenting lost teams or potential, spiked with Chris Ryan’s humor and deep-cut references.
• Utility:
  • Listeners get deep context on the current NBA landscape (player health, team outlooks, trade talk).
  • The draft of non-Finals teams serves as an entertaining nostalgia trip for NBA fans, spotlighting beloved squads that fell just short and underlining the emotional journey of basketball fandom.

For NBA nerds and casual fans alike, this episode is a loving tribute to heartbreak, fun, style, and the enduring hope that “next year, it might just be our turn.”