The Underdog previews the entire NBA Eastern Conference for the 2026–27 season, breaking down all 15 teams, every major offseason move, the numbers behind each roster, and the biggest questions heading into opening night.

Chris Horwedel starts in the Atlantic, where the defending champion **New York Knicks** face a radically reshaped landscape. Philadelphia adds LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, Toronto brings Kawhi Leonard back to Canada, Boston adjusts without Brown and Brooklyn continues building around a mix of veterans and young talent.

The Central features a 60-win Detroit team, James Harden alongside Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland, Tyrese Haliburton’s return in Indiana and Milwaukee beginning life after Giannis Antetokounmpo. Chicago’s young frontcourt and roster overhaul also get a closer look.

In the Southeast, **Giannis joins Bam Adebayo in Miami**, Atlanta moves forward without Trae Young, Charlotte begins replacing LaMelo Ball’s creation, Orlando tries to turn strong shot quality into better offense, and Washington builds around Trae Young, Anthony Davis and No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa.

The episode closes by weighing the contenders, challengers, rebound candidates and development teams before making division and Eastern Conference predictions for the new season.

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Chris Horwedel and Matt Crone dig into Ole Miss football and a rough stretch for Philadelphia sports, led by Lane Johnson’s retirement and breaking news that Cam Jurgens is being traded to Baltimore. They also look at the Flyers’ young-player usage, the Phillies’ playoff exit and uncertain future, and the Eagles’ increasingly depleted roster ahead of Jacksonville.

The conversation tracks how those storylines connect across the NFL, NHL and MLB, with added NBA, NFL and travel talk along the way. Listeners will hear the episode move from Ole Miss to the Eagles’ roster questions, then into the Phillies’ postseason disappointment and what comes next for a battered Philadelphia sports scene.

0:25 Opening — Weather, Chris’ upcoming trip and an expensive soccer-jersey purchase.
2:35 Lane Johnson retires — Johnson’s Eagles legacy, elite career statistics, Hall of Fame case and what his departure means for Philadelphia’s offensive line.
7:47 Eagles roster outlook — Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson retirement concerns, running-back depth and the increasingly thin offense.
8:20 Ole Miss/Adidas — Ole Miss leaving Nike, the Vanderbilt matchup and how Florida’s loss affects the Rebels’ season.
10:55 Ole Miss quarterbacks — Austin Simmons, Trinidad Chambliss, Deuce Knight and the program’s future at quarterback.
14:05 Ole Miss-Vanderbilt — Injury updates and touchdown markets from oddsmakers.
15:40 Flyers — Philadelphia’s expectations, playoff outlook and concerns about limited roles for young players such as Porter Martone and Matvei Michkov.
18:20 Travel/clothing — Scotland weather, the London West End trip and Chris needing a new wardrobe for the trip.
24:40 Jeans discussion — Matt’s preferred stretch-jean brand and Chris’ less comfortable recent purchase.
28:35 Phillies — Atlanta eliminates Philadelphia, Don Mattingly’s uncertain future and Alex Cora reportedly declining interest.
29:21 Breaking Eagles trade — Cam Jurgens is traded to Baltimore; Chris and Matt react to the compensation and Philadelphia’s suddenly devastated offensive-line depth.
33:00 Eagles offensive line — Willie Lampkin, Micah Morris and what the possible starting five could look like against Jacksonville.
34:55 Eagles-Jaguars — Philadelphia’s injury list, offensive limitations and the line from oddsmakers.
35:38 Phillies roster game — Which current Phillies could still be on the roster the next time the club plays, including Wheeler, Nola, Realmuto, Bohm, Stott, Turner, Harper and Schwarber.
38:28 Phillies manager debate — Whether Mattingly could return, analytics, bullpen usage and postseason pitching strategy.
42:00 Eagles touchdown market — Hurts, Shipley, Dontayvion Wicks, Darius Cooper and other scoring options from oddsmakers.
43:54 Buccaneers-Cowboys — Baker Mayfield’s status and Dallas’ matchup with Tampa Bay.
45:18 Eagles future — Whether Landon Dickerson will ever take another snap for Philadelphia.

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Chris Horwedel and Matt Crone open with cars, Tesla shopping, StockX mystery boxes, vacations and family stories before getting into a rough week across college football, the NFL and MLB. The sports half centers on Ole Miss–Florida, Oregon–USC, Eagles–Bears, the Phillies’ playoff matchup, the 76ers and the Presidents Cup. They also mix in snow and garage stories, baseball-rule ideas and a few quick NBA, soccer and golf detours.

0:25 Opening — Tesla and EV shopping, dream cars, the Porsche Taycan, rental-car temptation and the cost of luxury ownership.

8:33 StockX mystery boxes — Chris and Matt revisit the changing tiers, prices and value of the boxes.

9:30 Vacation and family talk — Matt’s upcoming trip leads into kids, adoption jokes and other life updates.

12:49 Ole Miss–Florida — The loss in Gainesville, Ole Miss’ offense without Kewan Lacy, Florida’s rise and the SEC schedule/playoff picture.

15:03 Oregon–USC — Dante Moore’s injury leads to a broader discussion of quarterback slides, targeting and player safety.

18:28 Cars, garages and snow stories — Matt works through a Tesla purchase while both hosts trade stories about garage mishaps, snow emergencies, towing and brutal commutes.

25:44 Eagles–Bears — Case Keenum’s performance, Philadelphia’s pass-rush and turnover problems, and an early look at the Rams matchup and the view from oddsmakers.

28:28 Phillies–Braves — Philadelphia’s wild-card series, pitching options and postseason path, plus a hypothetical rule for retiring players joining playoff teams and Justin Verlander’s farewell.

33:20 Baseball rule ideas — Metal bats, extra bases, women’s baseball equipment and ways to make the sport stranger.

34:47 Manchester City — A quick detour into the developing financial case surrounding City.

35:45 76ers and Knicks — The preseason matchup opens a broader look at Philadelphia’s roster, LeBron James, Joel Embiid’s conditioning, bench depth and backup-center concerns.

40:41 PGA/golf calendar — Chris tries to make sense of why the golf season is still going and the Utah Championship comes up.

41:34 Presidents Cup — Team USA’s Sunday comeback, Jackson Koivun, how the event differs from the Ryder Cup and the decision to rest Scottie Scheffler.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.