The Zach Lowe Show Playoff Preview, Awards Picks, and Tanking Fixes With Stan Van Gundy
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Apr 9, 2026 Stan Van Gundy, veteran NBA coach and analyst, brings sharp strategic perspective. He previews must-watch playoff matchups and breaks down tactical takeaways from Spurs-Nuggets. He gives his awards picks and defends Nikola Jokic and Cooper Flagg. He also proposes bold anti-tanking fixes and debates Harden versus Dwyane Wade.
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Wembanyama Forces New Defensive Gameplans
- Victor Wembanyama is uniquely disruptive on both ends; teams cannot successfully go small against him and must design specific counteractions.
- Stan notes Denver used inverted pick-and-rolls and zone with Jokic on the wing to temporarily neutralize Wembanyama.
Coaching Defense Against Gobert And Artest
- Stan recalls Rudy Gobert and Ron Artest as the toughest defenders he coached against because they changed offensive plans.
- He contrasts them with Wembanyama, who pairs rim protection with perimeter mobility Gobert lacked.
Do The Homework Before Casting Award Votes
- Vote award ballots with careful study and accountability rather than off-the-cuff judgments to respect players' careers.
- Stan says he watches games, checks numbers, and treats voting as owed work to players.