The Zach Lowe Show: Wemby and the Spurs Slay OKC, plus Nick Friedell and Cam Johnson

Date: December 15, 2025
Host: Zach Lowe (The Ringer)
Guests: Michael Pina, Nick Friedell, Cam Johnson

Overview

This episode celebrates a seismic NBA moment: the Spurs ending Oklahoma City’s historic win streak in a showdown brimming with future rivalry energy, headlined by Victor Wembanyama (“Wemby”), Chet Holmgren, Steph Castle, and more. Zach is joined by Michael Pina for deep dives on both the Spurs and their NBA Cup Finals opponent, the Knicks. Later, Nick Friedell jumps in to diagnose the Golden State Warriors’ turbulent season, and Denver Nugget Cam Johnson chats about his trade journey and podcaster life. There’s something for every NBA watcher: emerging stars, state of the contender, Western play-in race, and candid insider takes.

Segment 1: Spurs Conquer OKC – Wemby, Castle & a New Power Rises

Guest: Michael Pina | Start: 03:05

Key Points

• Spurs Snap the Thunder’s Streak: San Antonio hands OKC their second loss of the season in Wemby’s comeback, showcasing depth, youth, and rival-building intensity.
• Game Quality: Lauded by Stan Van Gundy (“SVG”), who dropped the line:

  “The Spurs can contend this year.” – Zach Lowe paraphrasing SVG [04:11]

• Wemby’s Impact:
  • Even “rusty,” Wemby controls the game well beyond the box score.
  • Example: Spurs initiating offense through him at the nail to collapse OKC’s defense and spark scoring bursts.
• Supporting Cast:
  • Steph Castle (last season’s rookie of the year), Dylan Harper, and Devin Vassell highlighted as mature beyond their years.
  • Castle thriving as a secondary creator despite high turnovers.
  • Harrison Barnes: breaking the “put your wing on Wemby” scheme by scoring efficiently and spacing the floor.
  • De’Aaron Fox: seamless fit, providing big-time scoring and leadership, rendering previous worries about spacing and usage with Castle & Harper moot.

Notable Quote:

“Victor Wembanyama … makes the box score look like toilet paper. Like everything is superficial with what he does. His impact just kind of pervades the entire game.” — Michael Pina, [04:11]

Championship Ceiling?

• Are the Spurs contenders?
  • Michael Pina: Leans yes, with caveats—youth, playoff growing pains, but Wemby covers so many issues.
  • Zach: Not quite ready for full contender status, but says, “I don’t want any part of this team in the playoffs.” [09:58]

Giannis Trade Speculation

• Both agree: Spurs should “sit it out” on aggressive Giannis trade offers and let their young core develop. Instead, minor upgrades for shooting or a wing could be explored.

Notable Quote:

“If I was the Spurs, I would be super patient with the nucleus that I have. I would let it grow organically.” — Michael Pina [10:18]

Segment 2: Knicks Preview & State of the East

Start: 11:35

Knicks’ Strengths

• Offense: 2nd in the league, playing with pace and variety, especially in Brunson-Cat pick-and-rolls.
• Defense: Holding around 11th, with aspirations to be just above average.
• Bench Concerns: Deuce McBride and Landry Shamet’s return to health remains a key focus.

Notable Quote:

“Brunson is unbelievable. ... For a guy who's so small, when he goes up for these 17-foot jump shots... it does feel automatic, like it's just going to go in.” — Zach Lowe [14:42]

• Spurs-Knicks Cup Final: Zach can’t wait to see the big man matchups (Wemby vs. Cat) and how each coach navigates defensive assignments.

Segment 3: Quick Headlines – Cavs, Zion, Porzingis, Hawks, Play-In Race

The Cavaliers’ Crisis [15:47]

• Injuries: Garland, Mobley (calf), and others have stunted growth and chemistry.
• Shooting & Defense: Three-point shooting is poor. Pressure and drive numbers are down. Donovan Mitchell is overburdened.
• Zach: “I'm like DEFCON 2 for the Cavs right now. That's all.” [17:49]

Zion’s Return & Tankathon Moves [20:46]

• Zion quietly returns for the struggling Pelicans, with draft implications tightening for the Hawks due to pick swaps.

Porzingis’ Absence & the Hawks’ Future [23:00]

• Hawks most likely Giannis suitor if Porzingis remains unplayable, but uncertainties abound. Jalen Johnson is an All-Star-level breakout, but overall: the Hawks “just look kind of like an average team.”

Notable Stats:

• Portland is better when Deni Avdija is on the floor (+117 net), but has suffered without a healthy point guard.
• Shade & Shaden Sharp's evolving, with flashes suggesting a leap if shot selection matures.

Segment 4: Western Conference Play-In Focus

Teams discussed: Blazers, Grizzlies, Jazz

Portland Trailblazers [35:47]

• Disappointing record, but optimism exists if healthy. Absent Scoot Henderson and traditional PGs have hurt.
• Shaden Sharp: Recent stretch is encouraging; shows hints of All-Star upside when he’s decisive and makes better reads.
• “He is so crafty off the dribble... he can get to the basket I think more than he thinks he can get to the basket.” — Zach Lowe [39:45]

Memphis Grizzlies [43:03]

• Edie out, Morant struggling: Ja’s drives are less explosive, shoot efficiency at a career-low; big questions about his offensive future.
• Jaren Jackson Jr.: Disappointing year, questionable defensive impact.
• “The power, the fearsomeness, the ability to actually explode toward the basket just don’t seem to be there the way they need to be there...” — Zach Lowe [48:35]

Utah Jazz [51:27]

• Caught between competing or keeping Top-8 protected pick (currently 8th worst record).
• Keonte George: Flirting with Tyrese Maxey leap; averaging strong numbers and passing the “future All-Star” eye test.
• Lowry Markkanen: Ideally stays as a franchise anchor unless “bowled over” by a crazy offer.

Segment 5: Prediction Mea Culpas

“What did you get wrong this year?” [60:21]

• Zach: “I can't believe how wrong I was [about the Celtics]. … They are 15 and 10 with a top-five offense in the NBA ... I was dead wrong.”
• Michael Pina: Echoes Zach; thought Boston was in lottery territory, deeply underestimated Jalen Brown’s evolution as lead scorer and playmaker.

Segment 6: Warriors Breakdown with Nick Friedell

Start: 66:47

Key Points

• Warriors: Most Interesting 13-14 Team Ever?
  • “They are a content machine to me. They lapped the field this year in being interesting. There is something going on, and there always is with the Warriors.” — Nick Friedell [70:04]
• Despite strong on/off splits and defensive numbers, inconsistency is killing them:
  • Steph, Draymond and Jimmy are producing in their minutes, but the inexperience and injuries elsewhere (Horford out, Kaminga banished, Moody inconsistent) have ruined continuity.
  • Steph Curry is having an MVP-caliber season, but both veteran “old guard” and next-gen “youth movement” aren’t firing well enough together.
  • “If you were banking on the Warriors to have a good year this year, you were banking on Pajemski, Kaminga and Moody to take another step ... That has not happened.” — Nick Friedell [70:34]
• The rotation changes nightly—Draymond and Jimmy have been in and out, but the bench is too up-and-down and the system too unsettled.
• Friedell notes schedule has been grueling, but worries, "If you’re getting these type of games from Steph and you’re still losing, you’ve got big, big problems." [71:52]
• Trade market slim; Kaminga's value has plummeted. It's likely the last real window with Steph/Jimmy/Draymond.

Segment 7: Cam Johnson Interview (Denver Nuggets & Podcaster)

Start: 91:31

Trade Talk & Nuggets Transition

• On Being Traded from Brooklyn to Denver:
  • Cam learned the “right way”—via his agent and GM, not Twitter.
  • “It always felt like that starting five was so established ... I never really thought Denver was that true of a possibility.” [97:12]
• Nuggets Expectations:
  • Cam’s role: “Come in, make shots, space the floor, kind of be a secondary creator and then ... be all about that team defense kind of mob mentality.” [97:51]
  • Finding rhythm has taken time due to a shoulder injury, but he's shooting 40% from three as of late and feels his best ball is still ahead.
• On Nikola Jokic:
  • The experience is even “crazier” than expected; he marvels at Jokic’s adaptability and the impossibility of game-planning him.
  • "It's really hard to slow him down. ... Teams do not have a good answer to slow him down, period." [103:10]

Nuggets Outlook

• West is brutal; Cam is focused on Nuggets peaking late and staying adaptable, not chasing seeding.
• “Our goals are in the end, more important than how our team is playing at this very moment.” [104:18]

Cam’s Backstory & Fun Bits

• Rooted as a Bengals fan because his dad never liked the Steelers—jersey story about “C. Dot Johnson.” [121:43]
• Big astronomy geek; laments that Denver’s light pollution stifles his hobby, but the Arizona skies compensate.
• Best outer space movie? “Interstellar. Easy.” [120:59]

NBA Answers of Record

• Best ping pong player on Bubble Suns? “I came away with the most wins.” [109:01]
• Jay Crowder salsa dancing at LeBron: “At that point I’m like, you know what, Jay? Salsa dance your way all the way back to Phoenix.” [112:25]
• Most gut-wrenching play? Giannis alley-oop in the Finals: “Yeah man, I hate that play.” [115:13]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Wemby’s Impact Beyond Statistics:

“He just covers up so many [Spurs' flaws] and he fills the box score, but at the same time, he makes the box score look like toilet paper.” — Michael Pina [04:11]

Stan Van Gundy’s Schedule Take:

“Maybe 82 games is too many, Stan. Maybe you slipped that one in there a little bit.” — Zach, channeling SVG [06:10]

Shaden Sharp’s Allure:

“He’s a top five in the entire NBA ... of ‘oh boy’ moments when you watch... If he gets any kind of clear space in front of him, you immediately perk up because he can fucking fly and he likes to go after people.” — Zach Lowe [41:55]

On Warriors’ Youth Not Developing:

“The problem is the talent level. They have a lot of solid players, but they have not had a lot of players behind Steph raise the level of their own games this season.” — Nick Friedell [79:01]

On the Core Aging Out:

“This was always what was most likely to happen, is that the old guys get old and the young guys don’t get good enough soon enough to save the team.” — Zach Lowe [80:30]

On Steph Curry:

“Steph Curry is still the baddest motherfucker going.” — Nick Friedell [76:44]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Spurs/Thunder Game & Spurs Outlook: 03:05–14:42
• Knicks & NBA Cup Final Preview: 11:35–15:46
• Cavs’ Issues & Eastern Battleground: 15:47–20:44
• Western Play-In Race: 35:47–54:50
• Prediction Mea Culpas: 60:21–64:50
• Warriors Deep-Dive w/ Nick Friedell: 66:47–91:31
• Cam Johnson Interview: 91:31–126:11

Tone and Takeaways

The conversation is engaging, deeply analytical, and includes plenty of ribbing and NBA-insider asides. The hosts and guests combine in-depth X’s and O’s talk with humor (and moments of delightful exasperation) about the sport’s quirks—whether it's the Spurs' surprising rise, the highs and lows of their own preseason predictions, or the sobering reality of dynasties facing decline.

For fans:

• You’ll walk away knowing why the Spurs are now “the team nobody wants to face.”
• The Knicks are real, and their trajectory is mapped clearly.
• The Warriors’ warning signs are real—even Steph Curry’s brilliance may not save them.
• Nuggets’ new starter Cam Johnson is thoughtful, honest, and soaking in the Jokic experience.
• The West is a gauntlet, and the play-in race is both unpredictable and fascinating.

Recommended Segment: Spurs-OKC breakdown (03:05–11:35) for future-of-the-league stakes and vibrant analysis.

Summary by The Zach Lowe Show Podcast Summarizer, preserving the panel’s insight, quotes, energy, and humor, with all the critical timestamps so you can jump to your favorite section.