

The Athletic NBA Daily
The Athletic
Start your day with The Athletic NBA Daily – a fast, entertaining recap of the most important games and stories from the world of professional basketball with new episodes dropping Monday through Friday. Hosted by Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, and Esfandiar Baraheni with regular appearances by The Athletic’s award-winning NBA reporters. Andrew Schlecht and Alex Spears cap the week with the full-length Saturday Slam n’ Jam episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 17, 2025 • 30min
NBA Playoff Brackets + March Madness
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder dominate the weekend with a pair of wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons. Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, and Es Baraheni breakdown the playoff race in the East. Can the Bucks maintain home court advantage? Are the Pistons a sleeper? Then, the gang looks at the playoffs in the West. Can the Los Angeles Lakers lock down the second seed? Do the Nuggets have enough juice?Host: Dave DuFourWith: Es Baraheni & Zena KeitaExecutive Producer: Andrew SchlechtAudio Producer: Grayson MoodySubscribe to No Offseason: https://www.youtube.com/@No-Offseason Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 15, 2025 • 1h 8min
Why Cooper Flagg will change the NBA | Slam N Jam
Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the the upcoming NBA Draft with Sam Vecenie including, why Cooper Flagg is the undisputed number 1 pick, who Sam is looking forward to watching in the NCAA Tournament, who are the best shooters in the class, hand what players are expected to make in impact in year 1 of the NBA. Then the boys play a fun edition of Andrew vs. the Beat, a trivia game where Andrew is pitted against Sam Vecenie on NBA Draft history. Host: Andrew Schlecht and Alex SpeersWith: Sam VecenieExecutive Producer: Andrew SchlechtAudio/Video Editor: Jake Kleinberg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 14, 2025 • 27min
Steph Curry first to 4,000 3-pointers
Stephen Curry became the first player in NBA history to make 4,000 3-pointers in a career as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Sacramento Kings. Dave DuFour and Law Murray discuss the Milwaukee Bucks win over the Lakers, Law’s Power Rankings, and what separates the Cleveland Cavaliers and OKC Thunder from the pack. Then, the NBA Daily’s Zena Keita joins the show to react to Steph’s achievement, Jonathan Kuminga’s return, and to discuss the Warriors’ biggest weakness.Host: Dave DuFourWith: Law Murray & Zena KeitaExecutive Producer: Andrew SchlechtAudio Producer: Grayson MoodyLaw’s Power Rankings: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6193408/2025/03/11/nba-power-rankings-nuggets-knicks-warriors-cavaliers/Subscribe to No Offseason: https://www.youtube.com/@No-Offseason Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 13, 2025 • 27min
Thunder strike Celtics + Mikal Bridges game winner
Mikal Bridges hit the buzzer beating three-pointer to lift the New York Knicks to an overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni react to the Knicks win, Scoot Henderson’s recent play, and the Timberwolves smashing the Nuggets. Then, the Athletic’s Jay King joins the show to discuss the Oklahoma City Thunder’s win over the Boston Celtics, how to counter Chet Holmgren, and Jayson Tatum’s All-NBA season.Host: Dave DuFourWith: Es Baraheni & Jay KingExecutive Producer: Andrew SchlechtAudio Producer: Grayson MoodySubscribe to No Offseason: https://www.youtube.com/@No-Offseason Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 12, 2025 • 30min
Haliburton 4-point play drops Bucks + Cavs win 15th straight, again
Tyrese Haliburton hit the go-ahead free throw with 3.4 seconds remaining to complete an improbable four-point play and lift the Indiana Pacers over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milawaukee Bucks. Dave DuFour and Zena Keita react to the Cleveland Cavaliers second 15 game winning streak of the season, Zion Williamson’s triple double trend, and the Clippers slip down the standings. Then, the Athletic’s Eric Nehm joins the show to talk about that game winning play from the Pacers, the Bucks offensive stagnation, and what needs to change before the playoffs.Read Eric's article on the Bucks/Pacers: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6196567/2025/03/11/pacers-bucks-tyrese-haliburton-comeback/Host: Dave DuFourWith: Zena Keita & Eric NehmExecutive Producer: Andrew SchlechtAudio Producer: Grayson Moody Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 11, 2025 • 29min
Jokić playing his best basketball + The Kings are broken
Nikola Jokić scored 35 points to go along with 18 rebounds and 8 assists to lead the Denver Nuggets to a win over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni react to the Nuggets big win, the Grizzlies holding off the Suns, and the Lakers losing without LeBron James in the lineup. Then, Matt George from “Locked On Kings” joins the show right to discuss Sacramento’s embarrassing loss to the Knicks, their up and down season, and potential organizational changes.Host: Dave DuFourWith: Es Baraheni & Matt GeorgeExecutive Producer: Andrew SchlechtAudio Producer: Grayson Moody Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 10, 2025 • 28min
Shai goes for 40 as Thunder drop Nuggets
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a win over the Denver Nuggets. Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, and Es Baraheni discuss the Boston Celtics big win over the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James’ injury, and the historic performance of Nikola Jokić. Then, Andrew Schlecht joins the show right after the OKC’s big win over Denver to discuss Shai’s 40, the Thunder depth, and to talk a little MVP.Host: Dave DuFourWith: Es Baraheni, Zena Keita, & Andrew SchlechtExecutive Producer: Andrew SchlechtAudio Producer: Grayson Moody Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 9, 2025 • 1h 14min
Lakers Shooting Luck? + Clippers SNEAKY Contenders? | Slam N Jam
Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the week of NBA Basketball 6th man of the year , and our players, stats and quotes of the week. Then they are joined by Law Murray of the Athletic to discuss the LA Clippers and the defensive fall off, Kawhi’s health, and what the expectations look like for the Clippers in the post season. Then the boys play a fun edition of Andrew vs. the Beat, a trivia game where Andrew is pitted against a beat writer.Host: Andrew Schlecht and Alex SpeersWith: Law MurrayExecutive Producer: Andrew SchlechtAudio/Video Editor: Jake Kleinberg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 7, 2025 • 28min
Luka, Lakers keep rolling | Steph goes for 40
Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers won their 8th straight by beating Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks in overtime. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni discuss the Luka and LeBron James’ power as a duo, Steph Curry’s connection with Jimmy Butler, and ponder whether Orlando has lost its magic. Then, Benjy Ritholtz from Knicks Film School stops by to breakdown the Knicks-Lakers thriller, Jalen Brunson’s importance, and how the Knicks fix their problems before the playoffs.Host: Dave DuFourWith: Es Baraheni & Benjy RitholtzExecutive Producer: Andrew SchlechtAudio Producer: Grayson Moody Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 6, 2025 • 32min
Cavaliers clinch playoffs | Giannis gets 20k points
Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to their 52nd win and a playoff berth. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni discuss the way the Cavs are maximizing De’Andre Hunter, Payton Pritchard’s 43 points off the bench for the Celtics, and Giannis joining the 20,000 point club. Then, the Athletic’s Fred Katz joins the show to discuss Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP ascension, the science behind his development, and OKC’s chances at a title.Host: Dave DuFourWith: Es Baraheni & Fred KatzExecutive Producer: Andrew SchlechtAudio Producer: Grayson MoodyRead Fred’s story on Shai here: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6174500/2025/03/05/shai-gilgeous-alexander-sga-thunder-mvp-nba/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.