Author Yaron Weitzman joins to unpack his new book, A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers—and all the palace intrigue that shaped this era. We dig into why the LeBron–Lakers “marriage” delivered a title yet still feels unresolved, from Buss family succession politics to who actually pulls the levers in L.A. You’ll hear how decisions really got made—Ty Lue negotiations, Linda/Rob’s influence, the AD trade mechanics, and the inside story of the Westbrook pivot. We look at the common “Klutch runs the Lakers” narrative with fresh reporting on where that’s true, where it isn’t, and how those tensions played out.  You can ⁠buy Yaron’s book here⁠.

Part 2 of our look at the Eastern Conference 2 weeks in. Orlando Magic — Can Jamahl Mosley unlock Desmond Bane? ⁠Full Daily Duncs with links⁠⁠ Miami Heat 15 in 60 Ja Morant Myles Turner New Orleans Pelicans Egor Demin Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Santi Aldama Costumes ⁠Full Daily Duncs with links

Nate Silver of Silver Bulletin knows a little bit about risk and prediction.  He joins Dunc’d On to discuss every aspect of this evolving issue.  How much should NBA fans care about this scandal? How much does he care as an NBA fan and bettor? Should we be concerned about the overall integrity of NBA games?  Why would multi-millionaires like Terry Rozier or Chauncey Billups engage in the alleged behavior?  Plus, how should the NBA fix these problems?

Christian Braun extension (5/$125) and apron pressure

Newly minted San Antonian Jared Weiss of the Athletic joins us to discuss a fascinating Spurs season.  What new skills has Victor added for year three? How is #2 overall pick Dylan Harper looking in camp? What will the fit be between Harper, Stephon Castle, and De’Aaron Fox?   Plus, how is Mitch Johnson settling in to his first full year as coach?  Who will he start, and who should close for this group?  Finally, we give our predictions for the Spurs season.

Pistons tag-team of Omari Sankofa II and Bryce Simon of Pistons Pulse and Game Theory join to discuss the Pistons’ attempt to build on their breakout season a year ago.  What enabled the improvement, and how much of that can sustain this year?  Which of the youngs will take a step forward, and how? How will they deal with the loss of Malik Beasley? Finally, we make our predictions for Detroit’s season. Plus, is it ok to put chips on sandwiches?

Caitlin Cooper of Basketball She Wrote is our guest to discuss the upcoming Pacers season.  Is it, in fact, a gap year?  What are the Pacers missing without Tyrese Haliburton, and can Andrew Nembhard handle everything that’s going to be on his plate? Who will start in a crowded but unproven center rotation? What does it look like with Pascal Siakam back in a leading role offensively? Plus, could a new “Nate’s guy” be emerging in the Pacers backcourt? Plus, we make our predictions for the Pacers season.

Brady Hawk of 5 Reasons Sports is our guest to breakdown the first full season of the post-Butler era in Miami.  What are the Heat getting in Norman Powell? Which of the young bigs, Ware or Jovic, will start in the frontcourt? Is Davion Mitchell a key piece for Miami? How will Erik Spoelstra sort out his rotation in the absence of Tyler Herro, and what can we expect from Herro when he returns?  What changes is Spo making schematically this year?

Adam Mares of DNVR is our guest to discuss the refreshed Denver Nuggets.  Why couldn’t they get over the hump last year against OKC, and what have they done to improve this year? What will be the roles of Cam Johnson, Tim Hardaway, Jr., Bruce Brown, and Jonas Valanciunas?  What will Denver be doing differently on defense under David Adelman? Can Jamal Murray get back to the form he flashed in the 2023 playoffs? Plus, we make our predictions for the Nuggets season.

Magic beatman Jason Beede is a first-time guest to analyze the Orlando Magic.  Can this group take the next step to East contender after the Desmond Bane trade? What can we take away from last year’s funhouse season of great defense and historically awful shooting? When will Jalen Suggs make his debut? Can they play faster now with better guard play? And can Franz and Paolo fulfill their roles as the 2 best players on a contender? Plus, we make our picks for the Magic season.

Anthony Slater is celebrating his 10th season covering Golden State (and 9th as our Warriors Outlook guest). We get into the final resolution of the Jonathan Kuminga stalemate before discussing how the Warriors’ new additions fit in, including the signing of Al Horford. ⁠Full Daily Duncs with links⁠⁠ LeBron James Expansion 10 people Circumvention All-Star Jonathan Kuminga Miami Heat Ja Morant ⁠Full Daily Duncs with links

Nate and Danny examine the over/under season win totals for the Eastern Conference.  Can Cleveland cruise to #1 again? How will Boston and Indiana respond to the losses of their best players? What about young midfield teams like Atlanta and Toronto? Can we make anything of the Sixers?  We pick over or under for all 15 teams in the East, then make our 5 best bets for the league as a whole. Washington Wizards — 0:30 Toronto Raptors — 10:09 Philadelphia 76ers — 17:22 Orlando Magic — 27:24 New York Knicks — 35:13 Milwaukee Bucks — 39:23 Miami Heat — 48:53 Indiana Pacers — 56:38 Detroit Pistons — 1:03:27 Cleveland Cavaliers — 1:11:30 Chicago Bulls — 1:15:11 Charlotte Hornets — 1:21:24 Brooklyn Nets — 1:28:40 Boston Celtics — 1:33:31 Atlanta Hawks — 1:37:36 Wrap-up and best bets–1:40:30