The Zach Lowe Show — October 30, 2025

Philly Lovefest With Chris Ryan. Plus, Who’s Better or Worse Than We Thought With Mo Dakhil.

Overview

In this lively episode, Zach Lowe – now at The Ringer – launches into two fast-paced NBA conversations. First, he invites devoted Sixers fan Chris Ryan for a “Philly Lovefest” to dissect the surprisingly electric early season for Joel Embiid’s 4–0 Philadelphia 76ers. They dive into how optimism has returned to Philly, focusing on the thrilling Maxey/Edgecombe backcourt, Embiid’s evolving role, and the team’s dramatic vibe change.

Next, Mo Dakhil joins for a “Better or Worse Than We Thought” team draft, breaking down which squads are surprising, disappointing, and which ones to keep an eye on as the NBA season heats up. The ensuing discussion covers the Chicago Bulls' hot start, Miami's revamped offense, struggles in Orlando, a rejuvenated Warriors team, and much more.

Tone: Playful, deeply analytical, self-effacing, with bursts of Philly fan exuberance and classic Zach Lowe basketball nerdery.

Philly Lovefest: Chris Ryan on the 76ers

[03:36] The Sixers’ Surging Start — Lowe Eats Crow

• Zach Lowe admits he ruled out Philly too soon:

  • “I said it was over for the Sixers in the Joel Embiid era. Couldn't possibly contend. Windows closed. ... And here we are a couple weeks later. The Philadelphia 76ers are 4–0. ... Maybe those two eras are the same era.” (ZL, 01:38)
  • “How humiliated should I be right now for scoffing at this very notion that this team ... could contend?” (ZL, 02:34)

• Chris Ryan overjoyed, reflects on the shift in fan energy:

  • “This 4–0 Sixers team has kind of revived my love for this sport. ... I'm so pumped up about this team.” (CR, 03:36)
  • Recalls trading “text message threads with fellow Philadelphians about how many rings from the Philadelphia Eagles we would give back to sustain and protect the Edgecomb–Maxey backcourt for the next eight years.” (CR, 03:41)

[04:13] Vibes, Hope, and a Whole New Team Culture

• On new energy, team buy-in, and Maxey/Edgecombe:

  • “The vibes are immaculate. ... After several years of Harden and Embiid, ... Embiid ... kind of being the emotionally dominant force ... even Maxi seemed pretty disaffected last season — to go to this season where everybody has bounce.” (CR, 04:16)
  • “Andre Drummond look[s] ... five years younger. ... Eric Gordon ... is smiling! Everybody’s doing Bash Brothers arm celebrations.” (CR, 06:10)

• Zach asks if hope is appropriate:

  • “Do you have hope? I mean, is it too early?” (ZL, 04:13)
  • Chris: “It's not about that... Watch those guys explode off the bench during the Wizards game, during the Hornets game. ... There’s a lot of hope springing eternal right now here in the autumn.” (CR, 04:16)

[07:19] Early Season Standouts—Edgecomb, Maxi, Coaching

• Edgecomb’s emergence as a rookie guard:

  • “Edgecomb, 22 points, five and a half assists a game, shooting 47%, 43% on threes, pretty solid on defense. ... He has control of his dribble, goes up for those little mid-range shots. ... There’s a certain maturity to his game.” (ZL, 07:19)
  • “I did not expect him to be handling the ball for half the game, at least ... His ball handling and his playmaking has been really impressive.” (CR, 08:12)

• Edgecomb’s “rookie moments”:

  • “There were definitely some possessions of confusion ... running around kind of in a little circle, and everybody's like, no, over there, over there.” (ZL/CR, 08:58–09:02)

[09:45] Joel Embiid’s New Role—From Star to Substance

• Embiid as a supporting (and still dominant) player:

  • “Is it weird watching Embiid become nearly a supporting character, slowing things down, taking more threes?” (ZL, 09:45)
  • Chris: “It is strange. ... I’ve kind of enjoyed his passing. ... Getting into his playmaker bag ... so much pressure on the hoop, all these guys running downhill at the rim, and Embiid throwing a couple of alley oops or no-look passes... I would love to see more of that from him.” (CR, 10:36)
  • On Embiid’s quotes: “What does it feel like ... the team's better without you on the floor? ... [Embiid responds,] 'Thank God. It's been 12 years. I've been waiting for this.'” (CR paraphrasing Embiid, 10:36)

• Physical limitations:

  • “He doesn’t look like this dude used to just mash people under the basket. ... My hope is that’s just a natural part of the recovery process.” (ZL, 12:11)

• Defensive concerns:

  • “Bagley went right at him. ... Embiid just doesn't look like he can jump as high and cover space as quickly. ... He’s playing ... his reputation more than his body.” (CR, 13:05–14:34)

[16:06] New Roles & Unsung Heroes

• Paul George’s addition and buy-in:

  • Chris: “What I'm kind of curious to see, honestly, is how PG fits in, because I do feel like there is a Paul George–size hole in the team.” (CR, 15:10)

• Kelly Oubre Jr. “flowers”:

  • “Amidst all the mess, this guy just brought it helter-skelter every single night. ... He's averaging 18 a game and shooting well again this year.” (ZL, 16:10–16:37)

[20:21] The Edgecomb–Maxey Backcourt: Nicknames and Philly Lore

• On nicknames and lighthearted Philly banter:

  • “Do you have a preferred nickname for the backcourt? Edge Max?” (ZL, 20:21)
  • “VJ Max cannot be it. ... Edgelords is not it. ... My only passion project is it cannot be VJ Max because TJ Maxx ... Crap for Sale.” (ZL, 20:25–21:15)

• Chris:

  • “They're doing the Bash Brothers celebration, so maybe Bash Babies.” (CR, 21:23)

Team Draft: Who’s Better or Worse Than We Thought?

(with Mo Dakhil)

[23:35] “Better Than We Thought” — Draft Picks & Deep Dives

1) Chicago Bulls: Are They for Real?

• [25:08] Bulls are 4–0, 3rd in defense, new style & new stars.

• “They look like a 38–39 win team for the millionth year in a row. Is it time to revise our expectations? Is this maybe like a 47- or 48-win team?” (ZL, 24:42–25:08)

• Mo: “47–48 maybe a bit high...I'll go 45. ... The Bruce Ellis leap has just been phenomenal. Like it’s been a fun, fun ride watching him go from just being an explosive dunker to, yo, I can do a lot of stuff.” (MD, 25:08–25:25)

• “Fun when Chicago’s good.” (MD, 26:14)

• Giddy’s growth: “Giddy's catch and shoot three appears to now be a real thing.” (ZL, 26:59)

• Bouzelis: “His nasty streak ... I love.” Multiple leap players being decisive and confident.

• Billy Donovan praised: “He's so adaptable ... stands for nothing and everything as a coach. ... A good coach.” (ZL, 30:29–32:20)

2) Miami Heat: Offensive Overhaul

• [36:22] “I'm actually going to go with the Miami Heat.” (MD, 36:22)
• “Totally revamped their offense...They looked at themselves in the offseason and just said, like, 'Yo, our offense sucks,' and it did... and they went and fixed it right off the bat.” (MD, 36:26–37:44)
• Lowe: Miami’s now running the fewest pick-and-rolls in the league, switching to an ISO, drive-and-kick system.
• “Norm Powell ... great for that. The question will be what does Hero think about it? Because Ja Morant didn’t like it [in Memphis].” (ZL, 39:30)
• “This is the perfect team for Spo ... this is when Spo blows expectations out of the water.” (MD, 41:27)

3) Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis, Giannis, Giannis

• [45:48] “I am going to pick the Milwaukee Bucks, who are 3–1. ... Giannis, I think after five games, would be the MVP of the NBA.” (ZL, 45:48)
• “My biggest question mark was the guard play. ... You're seeing they're getting a lot of good stuff. Cole Anthony averaging seven assists, ... Rollins shooting 35% from 3.” (MD, 47:04)
• “This is the biggest burden [Giannis] has ever shouldered... no Dame, no Jrue, no Khris. It’s all on Giannis all the time.” (ZL, 48:37)

[50:54] “Worse Than We Thought” — Teams in Trouble

1) Orlando Magic: Missing on Both Ends

• “The Orlando Magic have been the most frustrating team for me to start the season.” (MD, 50:54)
• “Nothing has changed for them offensively...there's no fluidity, no system ... and then ... the defense has fallen off the cliff.” (MD, 51:00)
• “Jamal Mosley's seat ... is not hot, it's pretty cold, but I've got my eye on him ... The time for this team to be shitty on offense ... is over.” (ZL, 52:36)
• “You lost your defensive identity...Your offense [still] sucks and now your defense sucks.” (MD, 56:26)

2) Golden State Warriors: Window Re-Opening?

• [57:39] “The Golden State Warriors look unbelievable now. ... They're 4–1 ... 10th in offense, 11th on defense.” (ZL, 57:39)
• On Kaminga: “He’s making much better decisions with the ball ... defending his ass off ... That foursome (Curry, Butler, Kaminga, Draymond): plus 44 in 72 minutes.” (ZL, 57:54–58:54)
• “The window ... I'm not ready to crack it open, but the latch is open. ... This team looks awesome.” (ZL, 60:38)

3) Knicks & Timberwolves: On Notice

• [68:52] Knicks: “It just looks a little clunky...They're still trying to figure out [how to get Cat involved].”
• “You fired your coach after getting to the conference finals...now you're going to bring in a new coach, new system, got to start figuring it all out.” (MD, 69:39)
• [71:33] Timberwolves: “Just on notice because ... you change the starting five, that was a little bit of a red flag about Mike Conley and Anthony Edwards is hurt.” (ZL, 71:33)

Notable Quotes / Moments

• Chris Ryan:
  • “The window is open in my heart.” (03:41)
  • “I feel completely alive with this team.” (CR, 07:19)
• Zach Lowe:
  • “My only passion project on this is it cannot be VJ Max, because TJ Maxx ... I just think they should rename themselves Crap for Sale.” (ZL, 21:15)
• Mo Dakhil:
  • On the Bulls: “We're kind of seeing multiple leaps at the same time.” (MD, 28:50)
  • On new NBA offense: “Just the fact that ... they're going to get more shot attempts than you because they're going to get the offensive rebound. It just doesn't matter.” (MD, 85:32)

Quick Hits & Shout-Outs

• Utah Jazz: Offense humming; Keonte George's leap; Lowry Markkanen’s brilliance may force a franchise crossroads, [75:00–81:00].
• Houston Rockets: Number one offense despite no spacing; Sengun–Adams duo is “bizarro world,” [83:02–86:20].
• Washington Wizards: “On notice” in a good way; Keyshawn George and Zaccharie Risacher (“Sar”) both looking like real cornerstones, [73:23].
• Toronto, Hawks, Pelicans: Struggles, trade fallout, and the terrifying potential for a disastrous New Orleans pick to become a top lottery prize for Atlanta, [87:55–96:44].

Timestamps for Key Sections

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------|-------------| | Philly Sixers Lovefest (Chris Ryan) | 01:38–21:37 | | Bulls “Better Than Expected” | 23:35–34:46 | | Heat Offense Overhaul | 36:22–42:19 | | Bucks: Giannis MVP-Level Start | 45:48–50:40 | | Magic Troubles (Offense & Defense) | 50:54–57:39 | | Warriors: Kaminga’s Leap, Window Open? | 57:39–67:34 | | Knicks, Wolves “On Notice” | 69:05–73:23 | | Wizards/Utah Jazz, Fun Young Teams | 73:23–83:02 | | Rockets “Bizarro” Offense | 83:02–87:55 | | Raptors, Hawks, Pellies, Pick Fallout | 87:55–97:31 |

Concluding Notes

• NBA Scandal Interlude: Brief but sharp take on the Terry Rozier gambling situation (42:19–45:48).
• NBA Cup & News Roundup: Zach closes with league news, especially Pelicans’ dire situation, and player health updates.

Summary Takeaways

• Philly’s delight: Chris Ryan embodies the rediscovered joy of Sixers fandom with an explosive new backcourt and fun, cohesive basketball.
• Chicago’s real, Miami’s transformed: Early hot streaks and bold coaching changes are shaking up the East.
• Golden State’s youth movement and Orlando’s regression: the importance of adaptability, having a clear identity, and the pitfalls of organizational inertia.

For NBA fans and hoop nerds, this episode delivers the tone, insight, and laughter you expect from Zach Lowe, with no shortage of receipts (“wrote them off!”) and optimism for an unpredictable season.

Notable Quotes with Time Stamps

• “This 4 and 0 Sixers team has kind of revived my love for this sport.” — Chris Ryan [03:36]
• “Is it weird watching Embiid become nearly a supporting character?” — Zach Lowe [09:45]
• “Nothing drives me crazier than a team that's bad on offense and for no reason suddenly becomes bad on defense too.” — Mo Dakhil [55:45]
• “The window ... I'm not ready to crack it open, but the latch is open...” — Zach Lowe [60:38]
• “We're kind of seeing multiple leaps at the same time.” — Mo Dakhil [28:50]
• “If you watch Jimmy Butler play, it's all of the little things, it's all of the in between moments that make him a star.” — Zach Lowe [64:46]

Special thanks: to Chris Ryan (Sixers optimism), Mo Dakhil (nuanced team breakdowns), and all listeners. Catch “The Zach Lowe Show” every Monday and Thursday for more expertly-nerdy NBA coverage!