MIN Season Outlook w/ Jon Krawczynski; SAC Season Outlook with James Ham

The first ever Dunc’d On Prime live mailbag with callers from our Discord. A trip down Bulls memory lane, early thoughts on Shaedon Sharpe, why the Grizz are underrated right now, should the cap be raised to the same level as the tax, and who should be the MVP through 10 games.Want to participate in the next live mailbag? Join Dunc'd On Prime. DuncdOn.SupportingCast.fmIn addition to Discord access, you'll get six episodes per week, including Nate’s weekly podcast with John Hollinger, access to our cap sheets and more.Subscribe to our weekly mailing list for free bonus content and all the info you need to keep up with the latest from Nate and Danny!With @DannyLeroux and @NateDuncanNBA Join Dunc’d On Prime! It's the only place to get every episode with Nate & Danny, plus every pod with John Hollinger & Nate as well!Subscribe on YouTube to get Dunc'd On Clutch Calls, Real Video Scouts, and more.Or, sign up for our FREE mailing list to get Dan Feldman's Daily Duncs with all the major topics around the league twice a week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

11 Nov 202256min

Our first bi-weekly look at the East features 12 of the 15 teams:ATL: The early returns on Trae/Dejounte, and why Nate thinks this Hawks team has to play a lot better despite being 6-3BOS: The weird starter/bench splits, Jayson Tatum's scorching start, and how Malcolm Brogdon has changed the C’s style of play.BRK: Ugh, Kyrie again. Plus, where the Nets have fallen off with Ben Simmons on the floor.CHA: Jalen McDaniels’ interesting start to the season, and how the Hornets have managed to be above-average on defense so far. And the Miles Bridges situation takes its latest turn.CHI and TOR: A recap of a fantastic Bulls/Raptors game on Sunday. Plus a look at the Raptors’ unique style of play, and concern around the Zach LaVine situation despite a solid start for ChicagoCLE: The Cavs show their quality with two business-like wins against bad teams.DET: The offense has actually been solid with Cade on the floor, but that bench and defense…..IND: Why the Pacers’ offense has been solid so far. Plus a reason to expect them to get better on defense–if they maintain their personnel.NYK and PHI play a crazy Friday night gameORL’s promising frontcourt shines over the weekend, while unexpected backcourt contributions helped them to a signature win over the WarriorsFive more Episodes per week are available exclusively on Dunc’d On Prime, as well as Nate’s weekly podcast with John Hollinger DuncdOn.SupportingCast.fmSubscribe to our weekly mailing list for free bonus content and all the info you need to keep up with the latest from Nate and Danny!With @DannyLeroux and @NateDuncanNBA. Join Dunc’d On Prime! It's the only place to get every episode with Nate & Danny, plus every pod with John Hollinger & Nate as well!Subscribe on YouTube to get Dunc'd On Clutch Calls, Real Video Scouts, and more.Or, sign up for our FREE mailing list to get Dan Feldman's Daily Duncs with all the major topics around the league twice a week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

7 Nov 20221h 38min

Fellow CBA dork Keith Smith of Spotrac joins to discuss the 2023 CBA negotiations.  Keith talks to a ton of agents about CBA issues and provided a great perspective on the players’ side of the CBA negotiations. We also give our thoughts on whether the proposed changes would be good or bad for the game. Among the topics discussed:The owner’s desire for a hard capLiberalizing the extension and max salary rulesChanges to the two-way contractThe possibility of players owning part of teamsPlayers getting a piece of expansion feesRolling over unused cap space from year to yearDunc’d On Prime is the only place to get all six of our episodes, including one with Nate and John Hollinger, ad-free each week! DuncdOn.SupportingCast.FM/joinSubscribe to our weekly mailing list for free bonus content and all the info you need to keep up with the latest from Nate and Danny!With @DannyLeroux and @NateDuncanNBA Join Dunc’d On Prime! It's the only place to get every episode with Nate & Danny, plus every pod with John Hollinger & Nate as well!Subscribe on YouTube to get Dunc'd On Clutch Calls, Real Video Scouts, and more.Or, sign up for our FREE mailing list to get Dan Feldman's Daily Duncs with all the major topics around the league twice a week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

4 Nov 20221h 1min

Our first bi-weekly look at the West.  HOU: Dan Feldman shares his early impressions of Jabari Smith;DAL: The Christian Wood dilemma, Luka’s historic start and our early impressions of them in the West;DEN and LAL: Discussing the Lakers first win of the season against a close to healthy Denver squad;GSW: The strategic machinations behind their win against Miami, and our concern level after 2 straight East Coast losses;LAC: The Clippers struggles in 3 straight losses to OKC and NOP and where the offense has come up short so farMEM and UTA: A wild Saturday night game in Salt Lake, Desmond Bane’s breakout, and why the Jazz are so hard to guardSAS: The Josh Primo release and allegations, plus the keys to their 5-2 startDunc’d On Prime is the only place to get all six of our episodes, including one with Nate and John Hollinger, ad-free each week! DuncdOn.SupportingCast.FM/joinSubscribe to our weekly mailing list for free bonus content and all the info you need to keep up with the latest from Nate and Danny!With @DannyLeroux and @NateDuncanNBA Join Dunc’d On Prime! It's the only place to get every episode with Nate & Danny, plus every pod with John Hollinger & Nate as well!Subscribe on YouTube to get Dunc'd On Clutch Calls, Real Video Scouts, and more.Or, sign up for our FREE mailing list to get Dan Feldman's Daily Duncs with all the major topics around the league twice a week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

31 Okt 20221h 26min

A listener suggested we look back at our rankings of the worst contracts in the league, so we flash back to less than two years ago and see how those picks have aged.But first, a look at the latest news and notes from around the league.Dunc’d On Prime is the only place to get all six of our episodes, including one with Nate and John Hollinger, ad-free each week! DuncdOn.SupportingCast.FM/joinSubscribe to our weekly mailing list for free bonus content and all the info you need to keep up with the latest from Nate and Danny!With @DannyLeroux and @NateDuncanNBA Join Dunc’d On Prime! It's the only place to get every episode with Nate & Danny, plus every pod with John Hollinger & Nate as well!Subscribe on YouTube to get Dunc'd On Clutch Calls, Real Video Scouts, and more.Or, sign up for our FREE mailing list to get Dan Feldman's Daily Duncs with all the major topics around the league twice a week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

28 Okt 202254min

We continue familiarizing ourselves with all these teams at the start of the season, with a focus on TOR/MIA, GSW/DEN, HOU/MEM, ATL/ORL, plus some smaller notes on the Spurs, Pacers, Thunder, and Pistons.Plus, Friday Daily Duncs.Friday Daily DuncsRob MurphyThe Pistons are investigating assistant general manager Rob Murphy over an allegation of workplace misconduct involving a former female employee, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Hopefully, the investigation will produce a just outcome.James Edwards III of The Athletic profiled Murphy in August.LeBron JamesLeBron James drew attention to the Lakers' lack of quality 3-point shooting after they shot 10-for-40 (25%) from beyond the arc in their season-opener.Well, they shot even worse – 9-for-45 (20%) – in a loss to the Clippers last night.LeBron:"Our ballclub is our ballclub, and I'm definitely not going to sit here and harp on what we can't do every single game. That's not a leader. What I know we can do: We can defend our ass off. And we did that tonight, which gave us an opportunity to win, and we just couldn't make it happen. But, I'm OK with that."LeBron both tries to be a good leader and sometimes makes passive-aggressive comments. In this case, he has already made his point. The Lakers' roster has a crucial flaw, particularly for a LeBron team. The front office heard that. Not much else to be done at this moment.At some point, LeBron might try to accelerate the Lakers' trade timeline or reiterate what he wants a trade to accomplish.But for now, LeBron is seemingly settling into trying to win games with the teammates he has.Darvin HamRussell Westbrook said coming off the bench in the Lakers' preseason finale "absolutely" could have contributed to his hamstring injury.Lakers coach Darvin Ham:"First and foremost, let me be clear with this. The Lakers, myself, my staff – we in no way, shape or form would ever put anybody – a player, an employee – in harm's way, be it physically, mentally, spiritually. We don't stand for that. We're not about that. That's not who we are."Ham said he and Westbrook had a "brief discussion."Ham:"We moved on. We've got an understanding. And again, as the coach of this team, my staff and I, we’re going to do what’s best for our team to be as successful as it can be. And I’ll just leave it at that.”Ham was hired in part for his ability to hold players accountable. Westbrook is a different challenge. But Ham sounds resolute.Ham, via Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register:"You have to be prepared to do whatever your team needs you to do,” he added. “And that’s called being a professional. So, however we choose to use him, there has to be a willingness there to sacrifice for your teammates and the overall good of the team if that course of action is going to lead to success.”The true test will come if Ham decides bringing Westbrook off the bench would be better for the Lakers. And, really, we might not know if that happens. We'll know only if Ham follows through. Assuming the coach does, we'll see how Westbrook buys in – and how Ham responds if Westbrook makes more waves.But for now, Ham can call this latest issue quashed.Christian WoodWhich of Luka Doncic's Mavericks teammates has been the best player? Kristaps Porzingis set the bar while fizzling, which says something about the bar. I'd say Jalen Brunson last year.Tim Cato of The Athletic analyzes whether it might be Christian Wood.Wood isn't even starting for Dallas. But he's darned talented and, as Cato details, has already shown nice chemistry with Doncic. That seems sustainable given the multiple ways Wood can attack the pick-and-roll. If Wood defends a little better – I believe he's capable – this pairing could really work.Santi AldamaDanny's pick for biggest surprise player – Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama – looks pretty good. Starting at power forward with Jaren Jackson Jr. out, Aldama scored 18 points on 3-of-8 3-point shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds in Memphis' season-opening win over the Knicks on Wednesday. The Grizzlies outscored New York by 18 in his 39 minutes (and got outscored by 15 in the other nine minutes).Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal looked deeper into Aldama's performance, including how the slender Aldama held up defensively against the burlier Julius Randle.Victor WembanyamaWant more Victor Wembanyama hype? David Aldridge of The Athletic talked to six NBA personnel people about the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft and delivers plenty.My favorite quote:It’s not just his skill. It’s the flexibility he moves with. It’s incredible. It’s like seeing a giraffe, but a giraffe that’s moving like a completely different animal. And you’re going: ‘Wait a minute; that’s a giraffe, it’s supposed to move slowly.’ And, meanwhile, it’s like this giraffe that’s a predator. The giraffe is hunting you. And you’re going wait, what? It’s something we’ve never seen before.It's also interesting how Aldridge's sources seem divided on how to best deploy the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama defensively.One: "He’s not a switch defender; he’s a drop guy."Another: "He slides and moves so well, if they put him in pick-and-roll, he can switch. There’s not a lot of fives in our league that can do that."A third: "He’s a four. He’s not going to be able to guard threes out on the perimeter all the time."A fourth: "No one that big is going to stay in front of prime-time NBA guards consistently out on the perimeter. But he has enough lateral movement — it’s probably the best I’ve ever seen in anybody that big – that he’ll surprise you from time to time on some stuff out there. But the great equalizer, if you blow by him, you talk about some guys that’ll be looking over their shoulder as they’re going to the basket. You could beat him, and he could be at the free-throw line, and he takes one step and he’s pinning the thing."A fifth: "If whoever he gets drafted by ever had some type of conception of utilizing a zone? Can you imagine having a backline (with him) – or maybe even putting him in the top of defenses, trying to see over this albatross of a player?"Pick swapsPick swaps have become the rage as teams look to circumvent the Stepien Rule, which prohibits trading future first-round picks in consecutive drafts. Pick swaps allow teams to convey value in consecutive future drafts by retaining a first-rounder every other year, albeit a lower first-rounder.Think of pick swaps, and the first one that comes to mind is probably Celtics-Nets in 2017. As a condition of the Kevin Garnett-Paul Pierce trade four years earlier, Boston swapped its first-round pick (No. 27) for Brooklyn's (No. 1). The Celtics traded down to No. 3 and picked Jayson Tatum, who has developed into a star and left the Nets (and 76ers, who moved up to get Markelle Fultz No. 1) looking foolish.But pick swaps don't usually work like that.Zach Kram of The Ringer dug into the history of pick swaps and found most don't even get exercised. He determined the average value of a first-round pick swap is the No. 36 pick.Kram's research and presentation are certainly useful. Read his article, and you will be more informed.But I think he underplays the upside of pick swaps. The draft – and therefore, draft picks – are about upside. For many teams, the draft is the best – maybe only – way to get a franchise-changing star. That's more likely to happen high in the draft.A high second-rounder might have the average value of a pick swap. But only an unprotected pick swap has that limitless upside. That carries significant value.At some point, successful teams have all hit big on a player. Moderately positive moves aren't enough. You can keep hitting singles. But in a league with 29 other teams, some of them will hit home runs and surpass you. If you want to get to the top, you sometimes have to swing for the fences – even if you're more likely to strike out.Scoring recordYou probably know LeBron James will soon pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the NBA's all-time scoring record. Do you know how many points Abdul-Jabbar scored? I sure didn't.Finding an excellent angle on such a well-covered storyline, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times looked into how few people know the number and why that is. This is a really cool article.After reading it, I can tell you Abdul-Jabbar's career scoring mark is 38,387 – a number I'm sure to forget by tomorrow.Rudy Gobert/Karl-Anthony TownsNikola Jokic has become an All-NBA mainstay at center. Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis are likely All-NBA players when healthy, which isn't always. Often, it feels like one spot is left for Rudy Gobert or Karl-Anthony Towns. In fact, Gobert or Towns – but never both – have made All-NBA each of the last six years.Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic explored how Gobert and Towns viewed each other while foes and now teammates with the Timberwolves.Thanasis AntetokounmpoThanasis Antetokounmpo actually played a small role on the Bucks last season as a defensive specialist on the wing, helping to shed the image he's in the NBA only because he's Giannis Antetokounmpo's brother.But good luck convincing anyone now.Video caught Thanasis picking Giannis' nose before Milwaukee's win over the 76ers last night.In defense of Thanasis, it wasn't a deep pick. He did the ol' thumb-out move. Though technically a pick, that's barely more than a scratch.In prosecution of Thanasis, it was someone else's nose!-Dan FeldmanMore episodes are available exclusively on Dunc’d On Prime! DuncdOn.SupportingCast.FM/joinSubscribe to our weekly mailing list for free bonus content and all the info you need to keep up with the latest from Nate and Danny!With @DannyLeroux and @NateDuncanNBA Join Dunc’d On Prime! It's the only place to get every episode with Nate & Danny, plus every pod with John Hollinger & Nate as well!Subscribe on YouTube to get Dunc'd On Clutch Calls, Real Video Scouts, and more.Or, sign up for our FREE mailing list to get Dan Feldman's Daily Duncs with all the major topics around the league twice a week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

24 Okt 20221h 33min

Nate and Danny do their win predictions for all 30 teams, conference finalists and finalists, champion, and more.We also predict official individual awards, MVP, DPOY, COY, 6MOY, ROY, Most Improved, Executive of the Year, and give our picks for some made up categories: Most Surprising/Disappointing Team and Player, Sophomore of the Year, Not Executive of the Year, and First Coach Fired.Plus a catch-up on injury news prior to the season openers.More episodes are available exclusively on Dunc’d On Prime! DuncdOn.SupportingCast.FM/joinSubscribe to our weekly mailing list for free bonus content and all the info you need to keep up with the latest from Nate and Danny!With @DannyLeroux and @NateDuncanNBA Join Dunc’d On Prime! It's the only place to get every episode with Nate & Danny, plus every pod with John Hollinger & Nate as well!Subscribe on YouTube to get Dunc'd On Clutch Calls, Real Video Scouts, and more.Or, sign up for our FREE mailing list to get Dan Feldman's Daily Duncs with all the major topics around the league twice a week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

21 Okt 20221h 36min

Brian Lewis of the New York Post joins us to look at a fascinating Nets season. What is their state after all the offseason drama? How does Ben Simmons look? What are they going to do in the frontcourt? What is the health status of the team? Which playoff teams do they match up well against? Plus, we give our predictions for the season.The Oklahoman’s beat writer Joe Mussatto is our guest to discuss the Thunder’s upcoming season. What does the loss of Chet Holmgren mean for OKC? Who the heck is Mark Daigneault anyway, and how does he get these guys to defend like this? What is the ceiling of Josh Giddey? How would we rank the Thunder youngs in their importance to the team? And of course, we give our predictions for the season.Plus, Monday Daily Duncs.More Episodes are available exclusively on Dunc’d On Prime! Dunc’d On Prime is the only place to get every Hollinger & Duncan with John Hollinger! Take advantage of our one-time-only presale. DuncdOn.SupportingCast.FMSubscribe to our weekly mailing list for free bonus content and all the info you need to keep up with us.With @NateDuncanNBA and @DannyLeroux, @JohnHollinger and @DanFeldmanNBA. Join Dunc’d On Prime! It's the only place to get every episode with Nate & Danny, plus every pod with John Hollinger & Nate as well!Subscribe on YouTube to get Dunc'd On Clutch Calls, Real Video Scouts, and more.Or, sign up for our FREE mailing list to get Dan Feldman's Daily Duncs with all the major topics around the league twice a week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

17 Okt 20221h 54min