Dunc'd On Basketball NBA Podcast

Stephen Curry adds another legendary performance to his ledger, closing out a Houston team yet again as Buddy Hield played the role of Klay Thompson. 

Indiana outshot Cleveland by 30 percent from 3. Was this Game 1 all about shooting variance, or does Cleveland have reason to be concerned?

We look ahead to the MVP Series between Shai and Nikola Jokic, discussing the key factors on each side of the ball and making our picks for the se...

Houston dominates Golden State in Game 6 to tie the series. We give an ode to Steven Adams, Fred Van Vleet, and Ime Udoka for the unique way they’ve controlled the last few games. What can Golden State do to counter, and who do we think will win Game 7?

With the news of Gregg Popovich retiring as Spurs coach, we look back on all the ways that he changed the game and our favorite Pop memories.

Plus, discussions of coach hires in San A...

The Pistons fought gamely, but Jalen Brunson led an 11-1 run capped by an iconic shot over Ausar Thompson to advance New York.

James Harden had perhaps his best late-series performance since 2012 while the Clippers stymied Denver’s attack in the second half to force the first Game 7 of the first round. 29:00

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We begin with the somber reality that Damian Lillard likely has a torn Achilles tendon, a season-, career- and franchise-altering injury for him, Giannis, and the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Then, we recap two classic games between the Lakers and Wolves (17:28) and the Knicks and Pistons (1:08:31), breaking down the keys plays (and calls) that could have gone either way.

Finally, Boston takes control of their series in another game of Island B...

Detroit provided a raucous environment, but the Knicks found their offensive flow and took a series lead.

Denver looks like they’re in big trouble against the Clippers with myriad problems on both ends of the floor.

Oklahoma City set an NBA record by coming back from a 26-point deficit against Memphis as Ja Morant was unable to finish the game.

Plus we catch up on more executive news around the NBA.

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The Warriors grind out a 90s-style win over Houston, showcasing how their defense and Steph Curry's brilliance can still carry them despite some shaky offense. Can the Rockets score well enough in this series to make it competitive?

The Cavs overwhelm Miami in Game 1 with scorching guard play and a beautifully flowing offense. 34:43

Boston comfortably handles Orlando as Derrick White leads a third-quarter surge. How are the Celtics l...

A massive episode of Dunc’d On with Danny Leroux, as we discuss the Heat and Mavs moving on, and the Bulls and Kings (28:18) most decidedly not.

We look ahead to Heat/Hawks (15:33) and Mavs/Grizzlies (45:22) on Friday night and make our picks, then catch up on news including the latest rumors with the Suns. 59:00

Finally, we discuss the series we’re most excited about in the first round for 23 minutes: Nuggets vs Clippers. 1:20:24

Jo...

We look ahead to the Warriors’ matchup with Houston in the first round. 

Then, Dan previews the postseason based on adjusting for teams' projected rotations.

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Ten years ago today, April 13, 2015, was our first ever episode. We express our gratitude for your support over the years and reminisce on our favorite games, series, moments, players, transactions, and executives. 45:03

First though, we give our outlooks for the play-in games this week. 

• Memphis @ Golden State 0:42
• Atlanta @ Orlando 13:49
• Miami @ Chicago 26:04
• Dallas @ Sacramento. 35:13

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Nate and Danny review their over/under picks and best bets to see where they went right and wrong this year.  What went according to, and counter to, expectations for all 30 teams this season?

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It’s time to talk about the most inscrutable topic in the NBA:  Defense! We pick our All-Defensive teams and Defensive Player of the Year.  Are we swayed by Draymond’s self-promotional tour? Is another familiar name being slept on? Where do the big perimeter defensive stars rank relative to the bigs?

We also pick our positional all-defensive teams, discuss whether the 65-game rule changed our picks, and then pick a few categories li...

Nate and Danny make their final selections for the NBA’s awards. For the first time ever, it was so close that they both changed their MVP pick in the course of the discussion.  Plus, a discussion of all* the other major awards, plus a few we’ve made up ourselves.

• Most Valuable Player (MVP): 0:00:24
• Rest of MVP Ballot: 22:00
• All-NBA Teams: 26:47
• Coach of the Year: 38:10
• Most Improved Player: 44:10
• Rookie of the Year : 1:02:20
• All-Rook...

John Hollinger joins Danny Leroux and Nate Duncan to break down our rankings of the top players in the NBA. Jokic or Shai at number 1? Who takes the 3rd spot? Where do old lions Steph, KD, and LeBron fall, and how do they compare with the young superstar bigs? How about the bevy of star guards? Plus, we discuss the biggest risers and fallers, the hardest to rank, and the players we think could make us look stupid for having them so...

The last and deepest position is in the books. After obvious #1 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, where do the rest of the big stars like Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton, and Stephen Curry land? How did we process down years for Ja Morant, Trae Young, Jamal Murray, and De’Aaron Fox?  And who are some of the controversial risers that we believe could outgrow their roles over the next year?

Full Daily Duncs with links

• Taylor Jenkins-Larry ...

Nate always has a unique take on a coach being fired. What do he and Danny make of the Grizzlies moving on from Taylor Jenkins and this surprising timing? Then, on to the usual look at the West:

• MEM vs LAL: The Lakers’ intentional play exposes some key weaknesses for Memphis as the Tuomas Iisalo era gets underway. 14:00
• PHX: KD goes down with an ankle injury. Is this the last we’ll see of him in a Phoenix uniform? 37:00
• LAC: Nate ...

• DET: How do they match up with the Knicks? Should they look to acquire a star in the offseason?
• IND (10:28): Are they the sleeper of the East?
• MIA (19:40): Should they still be trying to convey their pick to OKC this year?
• MIL (28:22): Why is the Milwaukee offense only 11th?
• NYK (37:29): What’s our current verdict on the Bridges and Towns trades?
• ORL (46:02): Why has Paolo been better? And how good is Franz?
• PHI (58:00): What would o...

Our bi-weekly look at the East through your questions!

• ATL: Risacher is coming on, should he be in ROY conversation? Plus, everything Trae Young
• BOS: How do they get out of tax hell under new ownership and remain competitive? 24:00
• BRK: How many of these guys will be around in 2027? How many playoff series will the rebuilding teams in the East win in the next 5 years? 40:38
• CHA: What could the Hornets get for LaMelo? And what would...

Jerry Engelmann used to work for the Mavs and the Suns, and now writes for former ESPN editor Royce Webb’s substack where he has been one of the most interesting writers of late with his controversial but data-driven opinions. You can subscribe at roycewebb.com/naterate and get a special deal for Dunc’d On listeners.

We get into a ton of interesting topics, including players Nate thinks might be overrated by Jerry’s metrics and why ...

Dan Feldman goes through an overstuffed Western Conference mailbag with Nate:

• DEN: Which teams should they fear in the playoffs? What is their best defensive option? 
• HOU: What’s the best matchup for the Rockets in the West? What do they do with FVV this offseason? 10:14
• LAC: Can they get into the top-6? Would Shai have been this good with the Clips?
• LAL: Who are the Lakers’ best and worst playoff matchups? Is there a precedent for...