Dunc'd On Basketball NBA Podcast

Nate and Danny tackle Western Conference mailbag questions from the Dallas Mavericks through the LA Lakers, digging into star-trade calculus, emerging young players, and which contenders really scare OKC and Denver.

Dallas Mavericks — 0:55

Is Max Christie’s 65% true shooting for real, and if/when his shooting regresses, can he still be a starter on a championship team?

How should Dallas value and time a potential Anthony Davis trade—w...

Victor Wembanyama returns in heroic fashion to power San Antonio past Oklahoma City and give them only their second loss of the season.  Plus, the NBA rule that MUST be changed for next year.

Jalen Brunson becomes only the 3rd player to drop 40 in Cup play as Orlando had no answers for the new-look Knicks.

Then, we look ahead to a fascinating San Antonio vs New York Cup Final.

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Nate and Danny take questions on Indiana through Washington in the Eastern Conference.  

Pacers — 0:13

What explains the divergence between the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers despite their seemingly comparable losses in talent?

Did the Pacers truly “miss” on Ryan Nembhard given their existing guard depth with Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, and T.J. McConnell?

Do the Pacers have a starting-caliber center on the roster (Jay H...

Hawks — 3:36

Should the Hawks trade Trae Young plus two juicy Bucks/Pels picks for Giannis, and how would that look from both teams’ perspectives?

If the Hawks keep Trae, re-sign him reasonably, and just add this incoming Pelicans pick, can that path ever realistically lead to a championship?

Do you buy Onyeka Okongwu’s three-point shooting, and if you do, is he a top-15 center in the league?

Celtics — 13:20

If you’re the Celtics, how s...

With the East so open, should the Pistons push their chips in now for a star forward like Jaren Jackson Jr. (or Markkanen/AD), and what would that kind of trade cost?

Is an Austin Reaves–Luka Dončić backcourt too weak defensively for the Lakers to be a true championship contender?

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• Lawrence Frank
• Chris Paul-Clippers
• Chris Paul
• L.A. Clippers
• Cleveland Cavaliers
• Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Spurs-Magic
• Pistons-Bucks
• D...

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s potential trade request leads off the show, as Nate and Danny retrace how Milwaukee got here and debate where he could go next.

They then break down Bucks/Pistons, highlighted by Giannis’ calf injury, Doc Rivers’ clever 2–3 zone, and Jericho Sims’ decisive and-one.

San Antonio/Orlando follows, with Dylan Harper’s electric playmaking, De’Aaron Fox’s tough shotmaking, and Luke Kornet’s game-saving block on Franz...

Nate and Danny take their first crack at the NBA awards. Jokic, Shai, Luka, or Giannis for MVP? 00:01:38

We break down a ridiculously deep field for the All-NBA teams, with over 25 legitimate candidates. 00:28:59

Then, Defensive Player of the Year, with some surprising and some familiar candidates. 00:57:59

Coach of the Year is another great one with coaches who have totally overhauled their systems, and others who have continued cons...

Nate and Danny break down all the action on point differential night! 

Orlando and Detroit was a fascinating matchup of two hungry, athletic, physical teams.

Cleveland had a chance to advance as the wild card, but the Hawks defense stifled them late. 29:00

Jalen Brunson out-dueled Giannis down the stretch in a win or go home game to reach the quarterfinals. 42:53

Denver disappointingly blew an 18 point lead to San Antonio at home to ag...

Our bi-weekly look at the Western Conference!

LAL @ UTA: The Lakers hold on against the Jazz in LeBron James’ second game of the season.

NOP @ DAL: Two young teams go at each other in a fun matchup over the weekend.

POR: What makes Deni Avdija so hard to stop?

MIN: Rob Dillingham just isn’t a rotation player right now for a team with the Wolves’ aspirations

DEN: How could they use Cam Johnson more?

HOU: How real is their 3-point shootin...

Denver and Houston was a fascinating tactical matchup between two of the three-best teams in the league with a lot of different pitches to throw. 

Phoenix’s new identity helped them steal a game they had no business winning against the Wolves. 33:43

Portland took control of their own destiny in the West Group of Death with an upset over Golden State. 46:24

We look at the rest of the NBA Cup standings and scenarios, then discuss the la...

CHA: Kon Knueppel has truly impressed early on

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We take our biweekly look at the teams in the Eastern Conference, featuring scouts on two young breakout players in the Central Division.  Plus, we discuss the firing of Willie Green in New Orleans.

• Willie Green Firing
• DET: Daniss Jenkins has come out of nowhere to feature in Detroit 6:04
• ORL: Tristan da Silva is looking like a rotation stalwart 16:47
• CHI: What are we seeing from Matas Buzelis, who SOME ARE SAYING should have been ...

It was a fantastic night of NBA Cup action as Stephen Curry somehow topped himself from Wednesday with 49 points including the game-winning free throws against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. We go deep on that game, plus catch up on all the other action around the league. Plus a great companion is Nate’s live call of crunchtime with video.

Warriors–Spurs — 0:00

Rockets–Blazers — 30:25

Hornets–Bucks — 36:00

Clippers–Mavericks — 42:00

7...

A breaking 15 & 60 opens with Dallas moving on from Nico Harrison and what that means for the franchise’s direction. We examine the logic of acting now versus waiting, and the implications for Anthony Davis and Cooper Flagg. Then it’s a detailed look at Pelicans–Spurs from the weekend, including Trey Murphy’s big night and encouraging rookie flashes. San Antonio’s guard mix with De’Aaron Fox returning and Stephon Castle blossoming ...

Author Yaron Weitzman joins to unpack his new book, A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers—and all the palace intrigue that shaped this era. We dig into why the LeBron–Lakers “marriage” delivered a title yet still feels unresolved, from Buss family succession politics to who actually pulls the levers in L.A. You’ll hear how decisions really got made—Ty Lue negotiations, Linda/Rob’s influence, the AD trade mec...

Part 2 of our look at the Eastern Conference 2 weeks in.

Orlando Magic — Can Jamahl Mosley unlock Desmond Bane?

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• Miami Heat
• 15 in 60
• Ja Morant
• Myles Turner
• New Orleans Pelicans
• Egor Demin
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• Santi Aldama
• Costumes

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We begin our look at the 15 teams in the Eastern Conference with a survey of where 8 teams stand with some of the most interesting storylines for the first 2 weeks of the season.

• Miami Heat —How the Heat reinvented their offense
• Chicago Bulls — 13:24 — What is sustainable and what isn’t about Chicago’s start?
• Detroit Pistons — 23:21 — Jalen Duren is keeping the Pistons offense afloat
• Atlanta Hawks — 33:56 — Post Trae path is defens...

Portland and Denver play a fascinating game in a contrast of styles, with Jerami Grant getting revenge against his old team. 

Ja Morant pouts his way through a winnable game against the Lakers, then voices displeasure in the media afterward.

Kawhi Leonard sends the Pelicans home with another loss.

The Knicks’ defense proved the perfect matchup for how the Bulls want to play offense.

Plus a bit more on every other game of the night.

Blaz...

Nate Silver of Silver Bulletin knows a little bit about risk and prediction.  He joins Dunc’d On to discuss every aspect of this evolving issue.  How much should NBA fans care about this scandal? How much does he care as an NBA fan and bettor? Should we be concerned about the overall integrity of NBA games?  Why would multi-millionaires like Terry Rozier or Chauncey Billups engage in the alleged behavior?  Plus, how should the NBA ...