21 Questions with Nekias Duncan, including the Heat, the Bulls, fouls, the Celtics, Evan Mobley, Zion, and plenty more

Game Theory Podcast

Nekias Duncan from The Dunker Spot and Basketball News is here to dive into what we've seen from the NBA thus far. Questions on the Bulls, the Heat, Evan Mobley, the Celtics, Zion and plenty more. Full list below:

1. Is the Miami Heat the best team in the NBA? I think they're the best, most complete team I've seen this year.
2. We definitely trust Jimmy, Bam and Kyle at this point. But do we think that this Tyler Herro two-week star turn is real?
3. The Chicago Bulls are the other team I've probably enjoyed watching most this year in the East. Do you believe in the Bulls yet, and how much does the Pat Williams injury hurt them?
4. DeMar DeRozan: closer to the Hall of Fame than we think? My case: by the end of the year, DeRozan will likely be right around No. 55 all-time in scoring. At the end of next year if he averages 20 points per night, he'll be around No. 43. All of the top-48 scorers all time are in the HOF?
5. Boston might be a mess. What the hell is happening with the Celtics on both ends of the floor, where they don't look good in any regard?
6. What do you think of foul calls league-wide? Are you a fan of fewer fouls being called on shots? Is there room for improvement?
7. Speaking of the fouling thing, do we think the narrative that some players have been affected by the new interpretation of the rules is true? For example, do we believe that James Harden is more just working his way back into shape, or do we think he's actually playing at a less elite level due to officiating?
8. Who is your favorite league pass team so far?
9. You don't really watch a ton of college basketball, but you've now seen this rookie class for a couple of weeks. How excited are you about Evan Mobley literally transforming Cleveland's defense?
10. The Hawks are taking more midrange jumpers than any other team in the NBA, and fewer above-the-break 3s than any team other than Phoenix or Chicago. How worried are we about the Nate McMillan era in its first full season?
11. Up until last night against Toronto, the Knicks have been running some sweet, sweet halfcourt offense. They were literally first in the NBA in points per possession out of halfcourt, per Synergy, at 1.033. Do we trust this to hold up?
12. Toronto is 5-3 after a road win against the Knicks. Do we trust Toronto's weird mix of guys between 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-10 who can sort of, kind of shoot to continue generating efficient halfcourt offense by running and taking 3s?
13. Draymond Green has looked incredible to start the season. Are we sure he shouldn't have made the NBA 75?
14. Portland's defense is statistically fine but it feels a bit noisy based off of shot quality being strong for opposition. Do we think they can actually turn it around or is this the end of this core's run?
15. The Pacers finally got a second win last night, and Caris LeVert helped them look much better. But do we think the Pacers are the most likely team to shake things up a bit pre-deadline?
16. How worried are you about the entirety of the Zion Williamson situation?
17. If you were ranking players on the Lakers in terms of importance, how high would Austin Reaves rank? In other words, how worried are you about the way the depth veteran signings have played outside of Carmelo?
18. The Jazz are averaging the second-fewest passes per possession right now. Two years ago, they were in the top-third of the league. Despite very little personnel change overall, do you think this style of play is more sustainable for them as they try to move toward playoff success?
19. The Wizards are winning with depth. Kyle Kuzma has been good. KCP has been good. Spencer Dinwiddie and Montrezl Harrell have given them more offensive firepower. Are we at the point where we buy the Wizards as a playoff team?
20. Small sample size theatre: which top-10 defense do we buy most so far: Minnesota, Chicago, or Dallas?
21. The all-important No. 1 question comes last: Have you accepted Aleksej Pokusevski as the basketball lord and savior?

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