All NBA Most Improved Team + Celtics East favorites?
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily for April 8th, 2026. I'm Dave DeFore here with Espera Henne. Coming up, we're going to give our all-NBA most improved teams and then we're going to talk to Jay King about the Celtics' win over the Hornets and their playoff outlook. Good morning, everybody. What is up? Not a great NBA night last night.
What are the hosts' picks for the All-NBA Most Improved Team?
A lot of games. Not a lot of action.
No, no, not a lot.
We do have a standing update.
Yeah, we do have a standing update. There were three important games in this one. Obviously, we'll get to Boston Charlotte with Jay. I thought that was a really great game to watch. The Raptors beat the Heat. Heat are now locked into a playing spot. They also apparently had a team meeting after the game, which is never good. Never good. I mean, how many years in a row?
Are you going to be in the play? Right. Like, it's not like the team has really changed all that much. I'm not sure what exactly the heater. Have they turned into the Chicago Bulls of the East now? I mean, have they not just been there? Essentially, you know, I mean, even the year that they, you know, they make the run from the play in. It was improbable.
Yeah. Can I just say it is so bizarre to watch Bam out of bio score seven points in an NBA game after watching him score 83. It's like, where is that level of aggression? You talked about this when he dropped 83. It's like, how does that happen? How does that exist?
You know, I mean, was the Raptors defense just too much? I mean, like it is the Raptors defense. They are suited to stop a guy like Bam.
No, you're right. But seven points? I just, and he, most of his shots were corner threes. Anyways, the Heat are stuck in the play-in. We'll see them next week for a play-in game. Okay. Also, the Houston Rockets beat the Phoenix Suns. That means the Timberwolves clinch a playoff spot, but also the Suns clinch a play-in spot. So we've got our team set for the Western Conference play-in tournament. It'll be the Suns, the Clippers, the Trailblazers, and the Warriors.
Okay, so there are the standings. No real big shakeups, but we've been talking about this season and the surprise guys, these, these guys that have come out of nowhere. The most improved award is it's interesting. Number one, it's hard to pick one guy, especially a season like this. Yeah. I do think Nikhil Alexander Walker is likely winning the award. It feels like he's got all the buzz. He had that big game against the Knicks the other day. And rightfully so. I mean, he has had probably as big of an improvement as maybe any, any player in the league. I mean, I think just statistically he's, When you look at, yes, he has a better role or, you know, has more minutes, but he went from nine point four points a game to twenty point eight.
And it's not just to say that scoring is all that matters, because, I mean, he's done more than that. But that's a huge scoring job.
It's a massive scoring jump. Also, I would say if Nikhil Alexander Walker wins most improved, we are getting back to what the award is truly about, which is a guy who ends up getting opportunity, running away with it. And it's also a guy later in his career who's getting this run. Like this is year seven for him. And now he's finally getting a chance to show what he has and And the scoring is there. The three-point shooting has been absurd. He's also the guy, other than Dyson Daniels, who's guarding the opposing team's best guard on any given night.
Yeah, did a great job against Jalen Brunson, which, you know, obviously that's something that might come up in the playoffs.
Yeah, I think he is the most improved, to be honest with you. Like, if I had to make a pick right now, I would probably pick Nod just because where the Hawks are at, the pivot that they had to make halfway through this season to say we're done with the Trey Young experiment because, in part, we believe in Nikhil Alexander Walker and his ability to kind of be a secondary ball handler of sorts. I think he's the most improved player. Okay, I'll throw a name out at you because I think this guy also has a very good case.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:26
2
What are the hosts' picks for the All-NBA Most Improved Team?
0:26–8:23
3
Who is likely to win the Most Improved Player award this season?
8:23–10:04
4
How has Nikhil Alexander-Walker improved this season?
10:04–14:27
5
What makes Jalen Duren a strong candidate for Most Improved Player?
14:27–33:00