AI Summary
5 min read“He was putting up monstrous games in the NBA Finals, including a 40-point game in Game 5,” Zach Lowe recalls of Jalen Williams, the player he placed at the very top of his pressure rankings. The Oklahoma City Thunder won a championship, and the conventional wisdom declared the league over. But as Lowe sees it, winning one title is hard; repeating is nearly impossible. And for the Thunder to avoid becoming a one-hit wonder, their health—specifically Jalen Williams’s health—is everything. This is the throughline of Part Two of Lowe’s pressure rankings with Kirk Goldsberry: the players whose seasons will define whether their teams meet their ceilings or collapse under the weight of expectation.
The Pacers Preamble and the Halliburton Ceiling
Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.
Read Full Summary →Free • No credit card required
Never miss an episode of The Zach Lowe Show
Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
What you'll learn
- 1 Part Two: The 10 Players Facing the Most Pressure Next Season
- 2 (01:12) **Intro & Pacers Discussion** - Zach and Kurt set up the pressure rankings format and revisit Tyrese Haliburton's ceiling
- 3 (07:35) **Pressure Rankings #5-4: Jalen Brown** - Kurt picks Jalen Brown as his #4, citing the "I told you so" stakes after Boston traded him
- 4 (15:56) **Pressure Rankings #4: Anthony Davis** - Zach picks AD at #4, arguing his career needs a late-career signature moment
- 5 (21:45) **Pressure Rankings #3: Trae Young** - Kurt picks Trae Young, now on the Wizards after being dumped by Atlanta
- 6 (27:26) **Pressure Rankings #2: Joel Embiid** - Kurt picks Embiid at #2, calling this his "last best chance" at a title
- 7 (33:58) **Honorable Mentions: KAT & Giannis** - Both discuss why Karl-Anthony Towns and Giannis Antetokounmpo are honorable mentions, not top-5
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Zach is once again joined by Kirk Goldsberry as they continue to rank the 10 players under the most pressure next season. They begin by debating Anthony Edwards vs. Tyrese Haliburton, before continuing their rankings and revealing the player they think is facing the most pressure.
(0:00) Welcome to The Zach Lowe Show!
(1:42) Kirk Goldsberry joins the show!
(2:18) Anthony Edwards vs. Tyrese Haliburton
(8:47) Pressure on Jaylen Brown playing without Tatum?
(25:47) Joel Embiid is out of excuses
(38:53) The Lakers are Luka’s team now
(44:22) Jalen Williams has to be more available than last season
Host: Zach Lowe
Guest: Kirk Goldsberry
Producers: Oscar De La Luz, Billy Gil, and Mike Wargon
Social: Keith Fujimoto and Michael Szokoli
The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit https://fanduel.com/playwithaplan to learn more about the resources and helplines.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
More from this podcast
The Zach Lowe Show →