Shows / The Athletic NBA Daily
The Athletic NBA Daily
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
The Athletic NBA DailyNBA Draft Check in with Sam Vecenie | Slam N Jam
Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers are joined by Sam Vecenie of the Athletic and the Game Theory Podcast to discuss the 2026 NBA Draft. Is Darryn Peterson as good…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
ReDrafting the 2021 NBA Draft | Morning Shoot Around
Andrew Schlecht, Dave DuFour, and Es Baraheni discuss the 2021 NBA Draft and how the players are impacting the NBA. They conduct a redraft for the first 15…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Luka and Lakers advance in NBA Cup
Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni discuss the big NBA Cup matchups from the week and how the Orlando Magic have changed without Paolo Banchero. Then, Law Murray…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Raptors extend streak to 8 + what is the Warriors' identity?
Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni discuss the Raptors big win over the Cavaliers, their win streak, and how aggressive they may be as we enter trade season. Then…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Klay Thompson gives Ja Morant a wakeup call
Dave DuFour, Es Baraheni, and Zena Keita discuss the Nuggets and Rockets NBA Cup game, Denver's loss of Aaron Gordon to injury, and the ascension of Reed…
The Athletic NBA DailyNuggets Heating Up + Derik Queen Rising? | Slam N Jam
Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the week of the NBA basketball, the Good, the Bad, and the WHAT?? and then the boys are joined by Adam Mares of DNVR to…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
LaMelo Ball wants out of Charlotte
Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni react to the reports of LaMelo Ball being unhappy in Charlotte and how Tyrese Maxey has taken an All NBA leap. Then, Josh Robbins…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Bulls Buzzer Beater + Zion returns for Pelicans
Dave DuFour and Zena Keita discuss the Rockets offense and its sustainability, the Raptors secret to their early success, and Nikola Vucevic's game winner for…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Early NBA Season True or False | Morning Shoot Around
Andrew Schlecht, Dave DuFour, Zena Ketia, and Es Baraheni answer True or False questions about who the top 5 teams in the NBA are, if the East is Deeper than…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
LeBron James makes season debut + Pistons win 10th straight
Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni react to the season debut of LeBron James, discuss how his return affects the Lakers, and breakdown the Pistons big winning streak…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Giannis; Wemby injured + Paul George returns
Dave DuFour and Zena Keita react to the Bulls upset over the Denver Nuggets in spite of the big night from Nikola Jokić, Paul George's season debut in a Sixers…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Are the Hawks better without Trae Young? + Pelicans fire Willie Green
Dave DuFour, Es Baraheni, and Zena Keita recap all the action from the weekend. The gang discuss the play of Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun to lead the…
The Athletic NBA DailyCavs Identity Crisis + Land of the Lost | Slam N Jam
Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the week of the NBA basketball, the Good, the Bad, and the WHAT?? and then the boys are joined by Carter Rodriguez of…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Rookie rankings with Sam Vecenie + Raptors rising
Dave DuFour, Es Baraheni, and Sam Vecenie talk about this year's rookie class, Sam's rankings, and Cooper Flagg as a point guard. Then, Eric Koreen joins the…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Big nights for Steph Curry and Jokić + OKC keeps rolling
Dave DuFour and Zena Keita react to Nikola Jokić dropping 55 points on the Clippers, Bradley Beal's season-ending injury, and Steph Curry's electric 3rd…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Rebuilding the Dallas Mavericks | Morning Shoot Around
Andrew Schlecht, Dave DuFour, Zena Keita and Es Baraheni make fake trades to help rebuild the Mavs, discuss the teams that make the most sense for AD, why he's…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Mavs fire Nico Harrison
Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni discuss the Sixers win over the Celtics and their newfound identity to start the season before catching up with Andrew Schlecht…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Cade and Pistons win 7th straight + Heat beat Cavs at the buzzer!
Dave DuFour and Zena Keita relive the Pistons 7th straight win in spite of a rough Cade Cunningham shooting night, Desmond Bane's incredible game winner, and…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Steph Curry over LeBron? | Top 25 NBA players of the 21st century
Dave DuFour, Es Baraheni, and Fred Katz discuss the Top 25 NBA players of the 21st century. Should LeBron be number 1? Are the point guards in the right order?…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Are the Pistons contenders? + Under the radar numbers
Dave DuFour, Es Baraheni, and Zena Keita discuss the Pistons emergence in the Eastern Conference behind Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren starting the season hot…
The Athletic NBA DailyJosh Giddey, Clippers BAD, and Nets Identity | Slam N Jam
Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the week of the NBA basketball, the Good, the Bad, and the WHAT?? and then the boys are joined by Mike Smeltz to…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Power Rankings
Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni are joined by Law Murray to discuss the weekly power rankings and how he decides them week to week, who are the surprise teams that…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Blazers hand Thunder first loss + how high can Rockets go?
Dave DuFour and Zena Keita breakdown the Thunder's loss to the Trailblazers and Luka Doncic's impressive night against Wemby and the Spurs. Then, Will Guillory…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Trading Ja Morant | Morning Shoot Around
The NBA Daily crew discuss the NBA at large and then go through some fake Ja Morant trades. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Thunder keep rolling + Bulls big comeback
Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni discuss the Thunder's 8-0 start and whether the Orlando Magic are just bad. Then, Joel Lorenzi joins the show to breakdown the…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Giannis buzzer beater + Ja Morant lost his joy
Dave DuFour and Zena Keita discuss Giannis Antetokounmpo's buzzer-beater, Myles Turner's sour welcome back to Indiana, and how the Bucks and Pacers might be…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Will the Grizzlies trade Ja Morant? + Thunder stay undefeated
Dave DuFour, Zena Keita and Es Baraheni discuss Ja Morant's suspension, the fallout for the Grizzlies, and the Thunder's drubbing of the New Orleans Pelicans…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
The Kevin Durant Rockets, Austin Reaves, Ryan Rollins
Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the fun first week of the NBA season, the Good, the Bad, and the WHAT?? and then the boys are joined by Will Guillory…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Spooky Wemby Stats + Bucks beat Warriors without Giannis
Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni discuss the Spurs win over the Heat to move to 5-0 and some highlight some scary Victor Wembanyama stats for Halloween. Then, Nick…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Austin Reaves game winner + Early season NBA trends
Dave DuFour and Zena Keita discuss some early season trends as the Chicago Bulls move to 4-0. Foul calls are through the roof, the defending champion Thunder…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Stock Watch with Fred Katz | Morning Shoot Around
Andrew Schlecht and Dave DuFour are joined by Fred Katz of the Athletic to discuss the players/teams/trends that they are up or down on 1 week into the start…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
MVP start for Giannis + Sixers stay undefeated
Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni discuss the Sixers comeback win against the Wizards, how Tyrese Maxey has exploded to start the season and the guys discuss their…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Sixers Guard Duo + Wolves without Anthony Edwards
Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni discuss the Sixers big win against the Magic and how their guard duo of Edgecombe and Maxey have dominated the start of the season…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Rookie Check In + Sam Amick on NBA Gambling Scandal
Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, and Es Baraheni discuss the red flags they’ve seen so far this season including teams without guards like the Rockets, Mavs and…
The Athletic NBA DailyWemby, VJ, and the Mafia + Yaron Weitzman on the LeBron Lakers
Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the insane first few days of the NBA season, the Good, the Bad, and the WHAT?? and then the boys are joined by Yaron…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Shai Gets Career High + Warriors Out Duel Nuggets
Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni discuss the Thunder’s double OT win against the Pacers, and Shai getting his career high, 55. Then the Warriors pull off an OT…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier Investigation Emergency Pod
Es Baraheni is joined by Mike Vorkunov of the Athletic to explain the details we have on the gambling investigation into Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier and…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Knicks topple Cavs + Wemby explodes for 40
Dave DuFour and Zena Keita are back for night two of the NBA season including the Knicks statement win over the Cavs and Victor Wembanyama’s ridiculous season…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Opening Week | Morning Shootaround
Andrew Schlecht, Dave DuFour, Zena Keita and Es Baraheni discuss opening week of the NBA and what they are most looking forward to watching. Hosted on Acast…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Thunder win thriller + Lakers let Luka down
Dave DuFour and Zena Keita break down everything from the first night of the NBA season including Ring Night from OKC, OKC’s double OT thriller, and the…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Predicting the NBA season with Tracy McGrady
Es Baraheni is joined by Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady to discuss the players and teams that have stood out to TMac in the preseason, his prediction for NBA…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Inside Nuggets Training Camp + Opening Night Picks
Dave DuFour, Zena Keita and Es Baraheni discuss which games they are looking forward to opening week, plus their picks of the week. Then Sam Amick joins Dave…
The Athletic NBA DailyRookie Preview + 2026 NBA Draft Introduction
Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers are joined by Bryce Simon of the Game Theory Podcast to discuss the incoming rookie class and if Cooper Flagg is ready to…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Eastern Conference Preview: The top 5 contenders
Dave DuFour, Es Baraheni and James Edwards answer the following five questions about the Eastern Conference:1. Who are the top 5 players in the East?2. Which…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Western Conference Preview: The top 5 contenders
Dave DuFour, Zena Keita and Law Murray answer the following five questions about the Western Conference:Who are the top 5 players in the West?2. Which player…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Bold NBA predictions + under pressure teams
Dave DuFour, Zena Keita and Es Baraheni discuss which teams, players, and coaches are under the most pressure heading into the NBA season. Then after the break…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA award predictions: Who will win MVP?
Dave DuFour, Zena Keita and Es Baraheni are back and ready to preview the NBA season. They give their predictions for MVP, DPOY, MIP, COY, 6MOY and ROY.Host…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Does Kevin Durant make the Rockets contenders?
Es Baraheni is joined by Will Guillory of the Athletic to preview the Houston Rockets season. What are the expectations for Kevin Durant? How will he mesh with…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Can Ace Bailey give hope to the Jazz?
On today’s show, Zena Keita and Andy Larsen discuss the future of the Utah Jazz, focusing on the key factors that will determine the team's success in the…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Can Anthony Edwards win the 2026 NBA MVP?
Dave DuFour is joined by Jon Krawczynski of the Athletic to preview the Minnesota Timberwolves season. Jon gives his thoughts on the Wolves continuity, their…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Can Devin Booker lead the Suns to a better season?
Dave DuFour is joined by Doug Haller of the Athletic to preview the Phoenix Suns season. Doug gives his thoughts on the new look Suns, why they could be better…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Can the Philadelphia 76ers make the playoffs without Embiid?
Dave DuFour is joined by Tony Jones of the Athletic to preview the Philadelphia 76ers season. Tony gives his thoughts on the training camp injury situation…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Can the Thunder win the title again?
In this episode, Andrew and Alex discuss the Oklahoma City Thunder's offseason, focusing on player health, contract extensions, and expectations for the…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Is this the Warriors last shot at a title?
In this episode of NBA Daily, Zena and Marcus Thompson discuss the Golden State Warriors' offseason, focusing on the impact of Al Horford's signing, the…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Is Wembanyama ready for the MVP conversation?
Zena Keita is joined by Jared Weiss of the Athletic to preview the San Antonio Spurs season. Jared gives his thoughts on Wembanyama’s potential this season…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Can the Mavs surprise in the West?
Zena Keita is joined by Christian Clark of the Athletic to preview the Dallas Mavericks season. Christian gives his thoughts on Cooper Flagg and what the…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Is this Lakers team championship ready? + Who is Uncle Dennis?
Dave DuFour is joined by Dan Woike of the Athletic to preview the Los Angeles Lakers season and discuss his article on Kawhi Leonard’s Uncle Dennis. Dan…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Are the Bucks underrated?
Zena Keita is joined by Eric Nehm of the Athletic to preview the Milwaukee Bucks season. Eric gives his thoughts on the Bucks roster and if it can compete this…
The Athletic NBA DailySurprise Teams | Slam N Jam
Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers are joined by Law Murray of the Athletic to discuss which teams will be the Surprise Teams in the NBA this season. The…
- The Athletic NBA Daily
Are the Raptors a Playoff Team?
Es Baraheni is joined by Eric Koreen to preview the Toronto Raptors season. Eric gives his thoughts on the Raptors changing their front office, Scottie Barnes…