The Lowe Post

Zach asks injury expert Jeff Stotts about the extent of Giannis Antentokounmpo's injury and his potential recovery timetable. Then The Athletic's Mo Dakhil joins to discuss Knicks-Celtics, playoff seeding, and the MVP race.

What will Giannis' recovery look like? (1:27)

Dakhil (17:20)

Does anything concern you about the Celtics? (21:03)

Knicks are a joy to watch (24:26)

Jrue Holiday extension (32:01)

Bucks make a starting lineup change (36:34)

Nuggets move into pole position in the West (45:12)

MVP race is not over (51:45)

West seeding possibilities (1:01:18)

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Zach and ESPN's Bobby Marks weigh in on the pivotal races in the Western Conference. Then ESPN's Tim Bontemps joins to discuss the logjam behind Boston in the East, what's gone wrong in Cleveland, and how their All-Defense and All-NBA ballots are shaping up.

The race for 6th in the West (3:21)

How the top spot will be determined in the West (20:05)

The muddled East from 2 to 8 (33:42)

Who's the biggest threat to Boston in the East? (39:55)

What's gone wrong in Cleveland? (54:07)

All-Defense Teams (1:14:37)

All-NBA Teams (1:19:39)

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Zach and ESPN's Kevin Pelton discuss the Sixers' chances now that Joel Embiid is back in the fold, how seeds 3 through 5 might shake out in the East, the race for the top seed in the West, how dangerous the Lakers can be, and what to make of the Suns and Clippers.

Sixers with Embiid (10:31)

Are the Heat going to heat up or what? (24:01)

Knicks without Randle (27:14)

Cavs and Magic (35:26)

Race for top seed in the West (44:35)

How dangerous can the Lakers be? (49:56)

Wolves without KAT (1:00:10)

Suns coming together (1:03:09)

Can the Clippers find the magic they had earlier in the year? (1:05:59)

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Zach and ESPN's Tim MacMahon discuss Joel Embiid's expected return to the Sixers, the charging Mavericks, and a trio of teams succeeding without an injured star. Plus, TrueHoop's David Thorpe joins to run through the top candidates for Most Improved Player.

Impact of Embiid's return (1:04)

Mavs currently in 5th in the West (9:42)

Hawks without Trae, Wolves without KAT, and Rockets without Sengun (30:57)

Thorpe (48:10)

Most Improved Player candidates (49:55)

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Zach and ESPN's Doris Burke discuss Draymond Green's ejection and the Warriors' push for the play-in before revealing their preseason takes that have since fallen flat.

Headlines around the league (15:04)

Worst Preseason Takes (22:07)

Under on the Thunder (22:27)

Hawks to finish in the top 5 (30:56)

Lukewarm on the Porzingis trade (33:19)

A Mavs swoon that never happened (41:58)

D'Angelo Russell's season with the Lakers (47:17)

The Suns as a title contender (55:23)

Clippers escaped Philly with a win (1:03:05)

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Zach and The Dunker Spot's Steve Jones, Jr. discuss what's going on with the Warriors, the races for the 6th seed in the East and West, and the battle for positioning among the 3-4-5 spots in the East. Then ESPN Chalk's David Purdum joins for the latest on the NBA looking into betting irregularities involving Toronto's Jontay Porter.

What's going on with the Warriors? (2:27)

6-7-8 spots in the West (9:44)

6-7-8 spots in the East (33:56)

3-4-5 in the East (53:05)

Purdum (1:08:34)

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Zach and ESPN's Tim MacMahon discuss how the Celtics and Bucks would match up in a playoff series, forecast the Thunder's chances in the West, and weigh in on Coach of the Year candidates. Then The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski joins to talk all things Anthony Edwards- the dunk and his elevation into superstardom- plus, what success looks like for the Timberwolves this season.

Celtics-Bucks matchup (1:50)

Forecasting the Thunder (21:20)

No one has an answer for Jokic (40:13)

Coach of the Year front runners (43:10)

The red-hot Rockets (47:50)

A basketball dilemma (53:02)

Krawczynski (56:29)

The Anthony Edwards dunk (58:54)

Wolves have more of a backbone this season (1:07:25)

Latest on KAT and Reid (1:11:13)

Anthony Edwards has taken the leap (1:16:39)

What is success for the Wolves this year? (1:33:23)

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Zach and The Athletic's Mo Dakhil discuss the latest Laker losses, the charging Mavericks, their concern for the Clippers and Suns, Victor Wembanyama making highlight plays look routine, and candidates for 6th Man of the Year.

Lakers-Warriors reaction (4:03)

The surging Mavs (15:08)

Concerns about the Clippers (30:47)

Officiating has been tweaked since the All-Star break (44:28)

Suns (50:22)

Wembanyama is here (1:02:44)

Sixth Man of the Year contenders (1:10:44)

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Zach and ESPN's Bobby Marks run through their preliminary list of candidates for All-NBA. Then the NBA's Head of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars and the Senior VP of Referee Training and Development Monty McCutchen join to discuss why scoring has dipped since the All-Star Break, ideas to help defenders, and the unintended consequences of the 65-game rule for awards.

Bucks still trying to figure it out (15:48)

Brunson is going to make an All-NBA team and state of the Knicks (29:05)

Rounding out All-NBA candidates (35:32)

Sixers in disarray without Embiid (48:58)

Dumars and McCutchen (1:01:27)

On scoring being down since the All-Star break (1:04:23)

Ideas to help defenders (1:14:45)

On how the 65-game rule is working (1:29:43)

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Zach and ESPN's Andrew Lopez discuss the red-hot Pelicans, Zion's play, Brandon Ingram's unheralded season, and how the Pelicans stack up against each of the West's elite. Then ESPN's Kevin Pelton joins to pick All-Defensive teams, talk Heat, Suns, Magic and Jamahl Mosley's extension, the recent decline in scoring and free throws, Victor Wembanyama, and much more. 

Pels are a mystery box and a sleeping giant (6:26)

Zion's improved defense and rebounding (10:57)

Herb Jones has a case for All-Defense and Most Improved (13:28)

The Pelicans' shooting luck defensively (20:13)

Not enough talk about Brandon Ingram (27:08)

How the Pels match up against other Western Conference playoff teams (33:30)

Pelton (40:15)

Middle of the East (57:46)

2nd tier All-Defense guys (1:02:47)

Thunder in line for the top seed in the West (1:09:14)

Wembanyama's All-Defense case (1:15:27)

Scoring is down since the All-Star break (1:30:20)

Temperature check on the Suns (1:39:46)

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