The Oklahoma City Thunder won their 15th straight game while holding the Boston Celtics to 27 2nd half points. Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, and Es Baraheni discuss the Thunder as the best team in basketball, their recent stretch of games, and their upcoming showdown with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Then, the gang discusses Kawhi Leonard’s comeback, Victor Wembanyama vs Nikola Jokić, the Bucks woes, and their favorite landing spots for Jimmy Butler.Host: Dave DuFourWith: Zena Keita, Es BaraheniExecutive Producer: Andrew SchlechtAudio Producer: Grayson MoodySubmit your questions to The Athletic NBA Daily mailbag: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5939460/2024/11/25/nba-podcast-mailbag-athletic-daily/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Chapter 1: What are the Oklahoma City Thunder's recent achievements?
Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily for January 6th, 2025. Coming up, the Thunder and Cavaliers seem like they're on a mission to meet in the finals. Victor Wiminyama might be the best player in the league by the end of this year, which is shocking. And Jimmy Butler is definitely getting traded. Good morning, everybody. Good morning, Xena.
Good morning, S. Another amazing, action-packed weekend in the NBA. It seems like this season, we have had more marquee weekend games on Sunday competing with football. Yes. The Thunder and Celtics is a game that I mean, a lot of people thought this is the finals preview. Yep. And they're going head to head in the afternoon with the NFL, you know, on NBA TV.
And we were texting a little bit in our in our chat, just wondering, why isn't this a national TV game? Like, why isn't this on primetime? I can't figure it out. But the Thunder guys are. Man, they gave a primetime performance. In the second half of the game, they held the Celtics to only 27 points. I think everyone is probably saying the same thing this morning.
You know, Monday morning, we all kind of had the same idea, right? We've had a chance to sleep on the entire weekend. And I think when you watch what the Thunder have done in the 15 straight wins that they've got, what they did against the Knicks the other night, and then what they did against the Celtics last night, Zena, you can't help but start thinking,
A new best team in the league just dropped. Like, this is it.
Oh, yeah. And the Thunder haven't lost to a team in the Eastern Conference yet, which is impressive.
I mean, the NBA Cup, you know. Game doesn't count.
Technicalities. Game doesn't count. Yeah, you're right. You're right.
I know.
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Chapter 2: Why is Victor Wembanyama considered a top player?
Second season in a row. And it's only his second year, by the way. And we've watched him, Zena, and it feels like every night he's better than the night before his machine. Yeah.
It's kind of like AI, right? The more experience, the more opportunities. Yeah. Well, I'm just saying, and the more information that you give it, it produces better output, right? I like the comp. And I absolutely believe that. He integrates every single part of his game. I mean, even from game one against Jokic to game two, I mean, it feels as if he just, it's like an amoeba.
He just absorbs it all. But I was so impressed. And the reason why I'm going to buy this stock 21 years old, folks. Wemby is 21 years old going against Jokic like that. There's a fearlessness about his game and a confidence level and invincibility level about his game. And I don't know if that comes with being 21 years old.
maybe that's like a maturity factor that he has even at just 21 years old. That's why I'm buying this stock. If you are that confident and that fearless at 21 to go against Jokic the way he was going in the paint, bodying up against them, even though he's pounds down on Jokic, like this is what makes him top five. I'm buying that stock.
I think he's, He might be the best player in the league already. I don't know, guys. I don't know. My brain is broken. My brain is broken when it comes to Victor Wiminyama. Guys, the Bucs, man, the Bucs, we can't quit the Bucs because they can't quit sucking for long stretches of time. The Bucs have lost four of their last five. They lost to the Nets twice. Look, the Nets are giant killers, okay?
They had a great coach, but they lost to the Bulls. And then Sunday, I mean, they lost to the Blazers. What are we doing? This was supposed to be their easy stretch as they were supposed to be able to walk through this. This was when they were finding their footing. Is it time to sell the Bucks as contenders to come out of the East?
Not yet. Not yet. I'm not ringing alarm bells yet.
I'm still buying. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
I'm still buying. Look, the NBA Cup curse has not hit the Milwaukee Bucks. I don't believe in it yet.
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