State of the League | LaMelo out-duels Luka; Lakers lose

State of the League | LaMelo out-duels Luka; Lakers lose Luka Doncic struggles as the Lakers lose their first game after the All Star to LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni react to the the Lakers’ loss and breakdown the defensive issues that will limit Luka and LeBron. Then, the Athletic’s Sam Amick stops by to discuss the fallout from a poorly received All Star weekend, Draymond Green’s comments, and whether broadcast negativity creates more problems for the NBA. Host: Dave DuFour With: Es Baraheni & Sam Amick Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht Audio Producer: Grayson Moody Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/Ua2qrEe7 Read Sam’s story on Draymond’s prediction: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6141143/2025/02/16/draymond-green-jimmy-butler-warriors-nba-championship/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Start your day with The Athletic NBA Daily – a fast, entertaining recap of the most important games and stories from the world of professional basketball with new episodes dropping Monday through Friday. Hosted by Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, and Esfandiar Baraheni with regular appearances by The Athletic’s award-winning NBA reporters. Andrew Schlecht and Alex Spears cap the week with the full-length Saturday Slam n’ Jam episode.