The Athletic NBA Show

Slam and Jam

Andrew Schlecht is joined by Will Guillory to discuss the the Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans trade and how it affects both the Hawks and Pelicans. Then in part 2 Bryce Simon of the Game Theory Podcast joins to hand out our annual draft awards.

Zach Harper, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour react to day one of the 2024 NBA Draft. Who won the first round? Trade grades, favorite picks, and a look ahead to day two round out the show.

Mo Dakhil and Dave DuFour react to the Brooklyn Nets trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks, assess the Knicks' next moves, and discuss JJ Redick as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge sits down with Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports to talk all things NBA Draft 2024, and although regarded as an underwhelming draft, they discuss why it may not be all that bad. They also go deep on a few potential picks, and... more

Zach Harper, Jay King, and Kelly Iko discuss the recent coaching additions for the Lakers and Cavaliers and give their takes on the Thunder snagging Alex Caruso from the Bulls. Then, they enter the Ikosystem to discuss the draft, free agency, and possible... more

Slam and Jam

Andrew Schlecht and Jovan Buha break down the JJ Redick hiring, the Giddey for Caruso trade and more.

In Part 2 Fred Katz and James Edwards join to discuss the Detroit Pistons.

Sam Amick, Anthony Slater, and Law Murray discuss the coaching situation in Los Angeles, preview Paul George’s upcoming free agency, and weigh the prospects of Klay Thompson leaving the Warriors.

Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour react to the Boston Celtics winning the NBA championship, discuss the lessons learned, look ahead to the future, and say a few goodbyes.

Zach Harper, Jay King, and Will Guillory sift through the fallout from game four of the NBA Finals and look ahead to game five. Will Luka keep his composure? Will the Celtics close it out? Then, the guys discuss Paul George's upcoming summer, Charles Barkley's... more

David Aldridge and Sam Amick reflect on the life and career of Jerry West. They tell stories of what Jerry was like personally, and how he impacted the NBA from start to finish.

Dave DuFour, Jared Weiss and Tim Cato discuss the Mavericks Game 4 blowout victory over the Celtics. Luka explodes in the first half, Mavs rookie Center Dereck Lively breaks out, and the Celtics, without Porzingis, stagnate on offense as the Mavericks' role... more

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Fred Katz are joined by Bryce Simon to break down the NBA Draft. Which players from last year would be considered to be the number 1 pick in this upcoming draft? We then conduct a Mock Draft for the lottery discussing their... more

Andrew Schlecht, Jay King and Tim Cato discuss the Celtics Game 3 victory over the Mavericks. Luka fouls out, Jaylen Brown steps up, and the Celtics without Porzingis rise above the Mavs and proving their regular season resilience was a good learning... more

Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour react to the first two games of the NBA Finals, discuss the Kristaps Porzingis injury news, and ask a few questions about the Lakers head coaching opening.

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson are joined by The Athletic's Jovan Buha to discuss what in the world is going on with the Lakers coaching spot, and who will be taking the helm. What happened with JJ Redick and and Dan Hurley? Also, the... more

Dave DuFour is joined by Celtics beat writer Jared Weiss and Mavericks beat writer Tim Cato to discuss Game 2 of the NBA Finals. How did Jrue Holiday go 9 for 9 in the paint? What has the Boston defense done to Kyrie Irving? We discuss all this and more on... more

Andrew Schlecht is joined by Celtics beat writer Jay King and Mavericks beat writer Tim Cato to discuss Game 1 of the NBA Finals. How did the Celtics dominate the Mavericks? How did they take away the corner 3s and lobs from the Mavericks? We discuss all this... more

Tampering

Sam Amick and Anthony Slater are joined by NBCS Boston's Chris Mannix to talk all things Finals and preview what the Celtics can do against the Mavericks. The guys also discuss the Lakers coaching search as the headlines swirl with speculation.

Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour preview the NBA Finals by asking questions. How will the Celtics defend pick-and-roll? Which team has the better coach? Who are the X-factors?

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson are joined by Washington Post's Candace Buckner to preview the Finals and what each team needs to do to win. They also discuss the circus that is the beginning of Caitlin Clark's WNBA debut, and why there... more

Zach Harper, Jay King, and Josh Huestis discuss the NBA Finals matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics. Can the Celtics finish the job? Will Luka win Finals MVP? What is the hottest Finals take?

Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour give their instant reaction the Mavericks' series-clinching victory over the Timberwolves, recap the series, and discuss some of the issues for the Boston Celtics.

Tampering Sam Amick and Anthony Slater are joined by The Athletic's Jared Weiss to discuss the Celtics' road to the NBA Finals, and previewing what they need to do to bring home banner No. 18. The guys also look at the Western Conference Finals to see if... more

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson are joined by NBA legend Rod Strickland to discuss his godson Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks. The guys also discuss Strickland's playing days, how the game has changed since he was in the league, and... more

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Fred Katz discuss the Wolves win over the Mavs in Dallas to stave off elimination and if the Wolves can actually make this a competitive series. In part 2 Kelly Iko joins to discuss the Rockets and Spurs... more

Zach Harper and Jared Weiss discuss the Celtics win over the Pacers in Game 4.

Mo Dakhil and Dave DuFour recap the conference finals games from the Weekend as the Celtics and Mavericks are both one game away from Finals berths.

Sam Amick, Anthony Slater, and Tim Cato give their takeaways from the opening game of the Western Conference Finals, what to look for in game two, and discuss what comes next for the Nuggets and Thunder.

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Fred Katz break down the Mavs win against the Wolves in Minnesota, how Luka did it, and what the Wolves need to do to get in this series. In Part 2 Jared Weiss of the Athletic joins to discuss the Celtics and their Game 1... more

Mo Dakhil, Seth Partnow, and Dave DuFour give their instant reaction and analysis after the opening game of the Eastern Conference Finals, preview the Western Conference matchup, and discuss the Nuggets earlier-than-anticipated exit.

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson are joined by Basketball, She Wrote's Caitlin Cooper to break down the Indiana Pacers journey to the Eastern Conference Finals, and whether or not they stand a chance against the number one seeded Boston... more

Buds

Zach Harper, Jay King, and Josh Huestis react to the conclusion of the playoffs' second round, discuss the finish between the Nuggets and Wolves, and preview the Eastern and Western conference finals.

Mo Dakhil and Dave DuFour give their instant reaction to the Minnesota Timberwolves thrilling comeback game 7 victory over the Denver Nuggets, discuss the Pacers blowout win over the Knicks and the Mavericks dispatching the Thunder.

Andrew Schlecht is joined by Sam Vecenie to break down the 2024 NBA draft. Is the draft as bad as some say? What could Alex Sarr bring to the Hawks? Who should the Hawks trade? That and much more about a bunch of different prospects.

Anthony Slater and Dave DuFour give their reactions to the Mavericks' game five win. Then, Mike Singer joins Sam to discuss the Denver Nuggets, Nikola Jokić, and his book, “Why So Serious? The untold story of NBA champion Nikola Jokić”.

Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour react to the Denver Nuggets dismantling of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Knicks destroying the Pacers, and discuss the Mavericks loss the Thunder.

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson are joined by The Athletic's James Edwards III to dissect the draft lottery and what the Pistons should be doing in the off-season. Then, the guys discuss what they think Bronny's decision to remain in the... more

Andrew Schlecht and Dave DuFour give their instant reaction to the unlikely Thunder comeback win over the Mavericks and the Celtics uninspiring win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Zach Harper, Jay King, and Josh Huestis take a look at the Panic Meter for each playoff series and answer, "Who really won the NBA Draft Lottery?"

Mo Dakhil and Dave DuFour give their instant reaction to Denver's Game 4 win to tie their series with the Timberwolves, breakdown the Pacers success in tying their series with the Knicks, discuss the Mavs and Celtics series leads, and react to the NBA Draft... more

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Tim Cato break down the Mavs win in OKC for game 2, how Dallas pulled it out, potential OKC adjustments, and what was up with the sex noises at Luka's press conference? In Part 2, Fred Katz and Jonathan Macri discuss the... more

Sam Amick, Anthony Slater, and Andrew Schlecht react to the dominant performance of the Oklahoma City Thunder in their first game against the Dallas Mavericks and discuss the odd vibes around the Denver Nuggets as they've struggled against the Minnesota... more

Mo Dakhil, Seth Partnow, and Dave DuFour react to the Thunder pummeling the Mavs in Game 1 of their series and the Celtics taking care of business against the Cavaliers, discuss the Timberwolves dismantling of the Nuggets, and wonder why the Knicks are trying... more

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson are joined by The Athletic's Darnell Mayberry to discuss the emergence of the Thunder and how they may fair in their playoff run. The guys also discuss moves the Bulls could make this off-season and how... more

Will Guillory and Dave DuFour react to an epic beatdown of the Denver Nuggets by the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Knicks heroics to defeat the Pacers.

Zach Harper, Jay King, and Josh Huestis overreact to Game 1 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets, make their picks for the second round of the playoffs, and discuss Victor Wembanyama's "Rookie of the Year" award winning season.

Mo Dakhil and Dave DuFour give their instant reaction to the Cleveland Cavaliers' game 7 victory over the Orlando Magic, recap the Minnesota Timberwolves game 1 win over the Nuggets, and discuss the Mavericks and Clippers game 6.

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Will Guillory discuss the Knicks closing out the Sixers, which direction the Suns should go, if KD wants to move on and possibly back to OKC, the Pacers moving on to round 2, and what to make of the Pelicans being swept from... more

Sam Amick, Anthony Slater, and Jovan Buha react to the night's playoff games and their ramifications, the Lakers and Suns current situations, and look ahead to the next round of the playoffs.

Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour react to the Sixers, Cavaliers, and Bucks' game 5 wins, discuss the playoffs so far, and do a post-mortem on the Suns, Lakers, and Pelicans.

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson are joined by Jon Krawczynski to talk about the Minnesota Timberwolves season, the latest in their ownership drama, their first round victory over the Phoenix Suns, the ascension of Anthony Edwards, and the... more

Basketbuds

Jay King, Will Guillory, and Dave DuFour react to the Minnesota Timberwolves closing out the Phoenix Suns and the beginning of the fallout in Phoenix, react to Sunday's games, and look ahead to Celtics vs. Heat and Pelicans vs. Thunder.

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Fred Katz discuss the week of basketball by discussing who has been the best offensive player, defensive player, role player and most disappointing player in the playoffs so far. In Part 2, Dane Moore of the Dane Moore NBA... more

Sam Amick and Anthony Slater are joined by "Thunder Buddy" Darnell Mayberry to discuss the Thunder's past and present and look at the current state of the Bulls.

Mo Dakhil, Andrew Schlecht, and Dave DuFour give their instant reaction and analysis to Miami's Game 2 win over the Celtics and the Thunder game 2 win over the Pelicans.

Nerder

Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour give an instant reaction to the Wolves, Pacers, and Mavericks' Game 2 victories and answer questions about the playoffs so far. Do the Knicks miss Julius Randle? Was starting Kawhi the right move?

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson are joined by The Athletic's Fred Katz to discuss the WILD ending at MSG that led to the Knicks leading the Sixers 2-0 in the series. They break down why the Knicks have looked so dominant thus far and why... more

Buds

Zach Harper, Jay King, and Josh Huestis break down the first weekend of the playoffs with Game One Awards. Which players stood out in this first batch of games? Which teams should be worried? The Panic Meter is back! Plus much, much more!

Slam and Jam

Andrew Schlecht and Fred Katz preview the East Playoffs starting with Jared Weiss on the Celtics, Caitlin Cooper on the Bucks Pacers, Mike Vorkunov on the Knicks Sixers, and finishing with Justin Rowan on the Cavs Magic.

Tampering Sam Amick and Anthony Slater are joined by The Athletic's best to preview the Western Conference playoffs. The guys are joined by Jon Krawczynski, Law Murray, and Jovan Buha to get the latest on the teams they cover, and what to expect in the... more

Mo Dakhil and Dave DuFour recap the Eastern Conference Play-In games. The Sixers hold off the Heat to clinch the East's 7 seed and a first round matchup with the Knicks. The Bulls crush the Hawks thanks to 42 from Coby White.

Nerder

Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour react to the Western Conference Play-In games. The Lakers move on to the playoffs after withstanding Zion Williamson's epic performance. The Kings destroy the Warriors and might have ended the dynasty.

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson are joined by the Timberwolves star Naz Reid to discuss the Wolves' playoff aspirations and what they look forward to in their first round matchup. Reid also discusses being undrafted, his thoughts on the... more

Basket Buds Zach Harper is joined by The Athletic's Will Guillory and Dave DuFour to preview the loaded Play-in matchups between the 76ers and the Heat, Hawks and Bulls, Lakers and Pelicans, and the Warriors and the Kings. They debate who has the most to... more

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers recap the week that was in the NBA, discuss the Slam and Jam end of season awards (the Slammys), and then Keith Parish of Gritz and Grindz joins to discuss the Grizzlies and their season they end with a fun... more

Tampering

Sam Amick and Anthony Slater are joined by The Athletic's Marcus Thompson to talk about how the Warriors may be surging at the right time. The guys also look at how the playoff picture is shaping up.

Nerder Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour react to Adam Silver’s statements on officiating changes and then answer listener questions. What is Jason Kidd’s strength as a coach? Should Chris Finch be Coach of the Year? What should the Spurs do around... more

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson envision an NBA Playoffs without LeBron James and Steph Curry, discuss their favored playoff matchups, and discuss the awards races. Are the young teams destined to disappoint in the playoffs? What's the... more

Buds

Zach Harper, Jay King and Josh Huestis discuss All-NBA selections, and who might be missing from them. The guys also look at teams that need to have a bit of a 'Gut check'. And the return of 'Plant Your Flag'.

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the Week that was in the NBA, the games of the weekend, The Bucks road woes, and then Josh Robbins of the Athletic joins to discuss the Washington Wizards, their season, their future and more. Then they... more

Tampering

Sam Amick, Anthony Slater, and Tim Cato check in on the Mavs and their title contender status, discuss the Warriors win streak and recent defensive success, and opine on the “yikes!” vibes around the Clippers.

Nerder

Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour breakdown the playoff races, discuss Joel Embiid's return and what it means for the 76ers, attempt to contextualize Victor Wembanyama's rookie season, and marvel at the ever-present specter of the Miami Heat.

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge hops from the NBA to talk about the Women's NCAA Tournament with The Athletic's Zena Keita and Girls Talk Sports' Khristina Williams. The crew discusses the huge rematch between Iowa and LSU and how the stars came out to play. more

Basketbuds Zach Harper, Jay King, and Josh Huestis discuss NBA talent in the NCAA Tournament, react to Joel Embiid's impending return, and project Victor Wembanyama's future. Then the guys react to the Minnesota Timberwolves ownership mess with a little... more

Slam and Jam

Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the week that was in the NBA, trades that might have to happen for the Wolves this summer, Wolves crunch time issues, and then talk with Anthony Slater about the Warriors.

Tampering Sam Amick is joined by Will Guillory and Jay King to switch up the usual trend of examining Western Conference teams to dive into the East. The guys discuss Miami and Philadelphia to analyze if if they'll be able to figure it all out before the... more

Nerder Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour discuss the implications and takeaways from March basketball games in the NBA. Does it matter when contenders blow games? In preparation for the playoffs, the guys try to come up with questions team need to... more

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson are joined by the Athletic's Kelly Iko to dissect what the Rockets have figured out here down the stretch. Is the team better without Alperen Şengün? Plus, are the Warriors done for? Or can they hold on to... more

Buds Zach Harper, Jay King, and Josh Huestis talk about the race for the tenth spot in the West as the Rockets keep winning, and the Warriors keep losing. The top of the west is discussed as the guys look at the Thunder and Timberwolves, and they Plant... more

Slam and Jam

Andrew Schlecht is joined by Sam Vecenie to discuss the potential of Jalen Williams, the NCAA Tournament and the players that could improve their draft stock, and then a mock draft through the lottery.

Tampering
Sam Amick and Anthony Slater are joined by Fred Katz, Kelly Iko, and Law Murray to discuss if the Knicks can be healthy by playoff time, the Rockets' pursuit of the play-in, and are the Clippers in trouble? Tune in and find out!

Nerder Dave Dufour, Seth Partnow. and Mo Dahkil discuss whether or not the league implementing live betting into the League Pass App is good idea. Would you trust the Celtics more this post season, or would you put your faith in someone like the Knicks? The... more

Nicole Auerbach joins David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson to talk all things March Madness. Why parity has been the separator for Women’s college basketball. Who to watch in the Men’s and Women’s tournament. Does South Carolina have a weakness? How the transfer... more

Basketbuds Dave DuFour, Jay King and Josh Huestis discuss the following topics on today's episode: Nothing, Something or Everything Kyrie Irving hits a running lefty hook to beat the Nuggets, are the Mavs dangerous? Are the Nuggets beatable? Is the... more

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the week that was in the NBA, 5 players to watch for in the NCAA tournament, DUNK or JUNK on the Thunder's rebounding problems leading to an early playoff exit, and then Jonathan Osbourne of the 6th Man... more

Tampering Will Guillory joins Sam Amick and Anthony Slater to catch up on the Pelicans recent success, Zion’s health, and their push to the playoffs. Then, Slater shares some insight from Oklahoma City on the Thunder and discuss Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s... more

Nerder The guys are here to answer your questions on this week's mailbag episode. Is scoring higher in the earlier parts of the season? We don't talk about Sabonis? Who is your All-NBA escape room team? Also, the guys discuss why fans seem to have such a... more

Hoops Adjacent Rex Chapman joins David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson to talk about his best selling book :It's Hard for Me to Live with Me, detailing his life in basketball, his battle with drug addiction during and after his career, and his calling to help... more

Buds



Zach Harper, Jay King, and Dave DuFour catch up on some news and discuss Rudy Gobert's gambling insinuations. The guys also discuss Troy Weaver's fan interaction and play a game of "Is This Real?" about trends since the All Star Break.

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the Week that Was, 5 stats that made me say hmmm, a look at the teams that have pressure this offseason and then we dive deep on the Dallas Mavericks with Tim Cato of the Athletic. Then we finish the show... more

Tampering Sam Amick and Anthony Slater are joined by Jon Krawczynski to get an update the breaking news of Karl-Anthony Towns latest injury. Then, Jovan Buha joins to jump into the 'mosh pit' of the lower seeded teams in the NBA, and how the postseason will... more

Nerder, She Wrote Mo Dahkil, Seth Partnow, and Mike Vorkunov discuss how the next media deal could look, and what that means for the casual viewer. The guys also touch on what rule changes could come about in the next few years to help curve the offensive... more

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson talk up the Celtics with Boston Globe's Gary Washburn. Why do they look so good this year? How has Porzingis fit in with the Celtics? That, plus why Marcus was embarrassed in an old company photo from back... more

Buds Zach Harper, Jay King, and Josh Huestis discuss how insane LeBron's consistency has been for the past 21 years as he's topped yet another milestone. The guys also check whether to trust their instincts as they play everyone's new favorite game: Gut... more

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the week that was in the NBA, the first edition of the NBA Role Player Awards, and how the Bucks have looked since Doc Rivers took over. Then in part 2, Will Guillory of the Athletic joins to discuss... more

Tampering

Sam Amick, Fred Katz, and Anthony Slater welcome The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski, Mike Vorkunov, and Eric Nehm to check in around the league on Leap Day.

Nerder Dave, Seth, and Mo drop in to discuss the hot seasons of Wemby, Chet, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. and whether the rookie race is open or if Wemby has run away with it. The guys also hit the Eastern Conference to see who can challenge the Celtics in the... more

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson II talk if the pressure is on the Clippers with Law Murray. Also, they guys get into the Clippers' new arena, what issues they have to overcome before the playoffs, and thoughts on the new uniforms and... more

Basketball Buds Zach Harper, Josh Huestis, and Jay King discuss Trae Young's injury, the Wemby vs Chet rookie race, and determine what teams should be panicking as they play "The Panic Meter". Plus, the guys discuss the 'unwritten rules' of basketball,... more