Overview of The Knicks (and a Crowded East) With Zach Lowe, Plus Anthony Jeselnik on Book Clubs, Roasts, and Stand-Up Comedy in 2026
This episode splits into two major conversations: first, Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe dig into the Knicks’ title outlook and a crowded Eastern Conference; then Anthony Jeselnik joins to talk about his new Jeselnik Book Club podcast, why he’s shifting deeper into books, and how stand-up comedy, podcasting, and roasts have changed over the last decade. The thread connecting both interviews is longevity — which NBA teams can sustain a contender run, and which comics can keep evolving without burning out.
Zach Lowe on the Knicks and the Eastern Conference
Knicks as the East’s team to beat
- Simmons and Lowe are both high on the Knicks as the East’s best bet to reach the Finals.
- They argue that New York has:
- a clear identity,
- strong top-end talent,
- real “hero in New York” value that can help keep the core together,
- and enough depth to survive the regular season.
- Jalen Brunson’s rise is framed as a franchise-changing story, with Lowe calling him a true New York star and comparing his fame growth to a major cultural shift.
The title window may be short
- A big topic is how long an NBA contender window really lasts.
- Lowe argues that modern title cores may only have a two- to four-year runway before wear-and-tear, contract issues, and playoff mileage catch up.
- He uses the Warriors, Celtics, and Tim Duncan-era Spurs as examples of how even great teams eventually run out of gas.
- The Knicks, in their view, may have only a couple of years left in this version of the roster before age and cap pressure become real problems.
OG Anunoby and the playoff moment
- Lowe singles out OG Anunoby’s tip-in as one of the most important single plays in recent NBA playoff history.
- He says Anunoby has gone from respected NBA role player to near-cult celebrity because of one enormous postseason moment.
- Simmons and Lowe also revisit the debate over the greatest momentum-swinging plays in playoff history.
East playoff tiers and the “three teams miss” problem
They spend most of the segment debating the East’s middle class, trying to identify which three teams will miss the playoffs.
Teams they trust most
- Knicks: clear top pick.
- Celtics: still a high-floor team under Joe Mazzulla.
- Cavaliers: talent-rich enough to be solid even if the fit isn’t perfect.
- Pistons: Lowe is intrigued, but there are contract and roster-building questions.
Teams with more volatility
- Orlando: Lowe and Simmons both see them as a plausible playoff team, but the offense and the possibility of roster disruption make them nervous.
- Miami: Simmons is skeptical about the fit if they build around Giannis/Bam-type overlapping skill sets; Lowe is also wary of their shooting and creation.
- Indiana: the big concern is Tyrese Haliburton’s health and how the supporting cast holds up.
- Toronto: Simmons questions how realistic it is to bet on Kawhi Leonard surviving three playoff rounds.
- Charlotte / Atlanta: Atlanta’s defense and Charlotte’s uncertainty make them the early picks to miss.
Big individual roster questions
- Jalen Duren: Lowe and Simmons debate whether Detroit should pay a center a massive deal, especially if he’s more good than great in the playoffs.
- Jalen Duren vs. Alperen Şengün: they compare value, positional fit, and how much of a team’s cap should go to a non-superstar center.
- Joel Embiid / LeBron James: both are used as examples of aging stars who may need extreme load management to stay on the floor.
- Kawhi Leonard: Simmons argues that betting on a healthy multi-round playoff run is still a dangerous proposition.
Broader basketball takeaways
- The modern NBA is increasingly about spacing, pace, and offensive flexibility.
- Lowe gives credit to coaches and teams that advanced spacing ideas early, especially:
- D’Antoni-style offenses,
- Stan Van Gundy’s Magic,
- and Rick Adelman’s underrated tactical influence.
- He also talks about how older eras of basketball looked and functioned differently, making direct cross-era comparisons harder.
Anthony Jeselnik on Jeselnik Book Club, reading, and comedy
What the new show is
- Jeselnik is launching Jeselnik Book Club on The Ringer and Spotify, with the first episode set for September 30.
- The show started as a YouTube project and is now becoming a weekly podcast.
- He says the goal is to get more people — especially men — to actually read books and then talk about them in a fun, accessible way.
The format and mission
- Jeselnik wants the show to be:
- entertaining even if listeners haven’t read the book,
- focused on books that are easy to get through,
- and built around conversation, not gatekeeping.
- He says the hook is that the book becomes a gateway to wider pop culture discussion.
- He plans to keep books relatively short at first, generally around a 250-page cap.
Why books, why now
- Jeselnik argues that books are having a real moment again.
- He likes the idea that books can create a sense of accomplishment that doomscrolling, streaming, and even binge-watching can’t always provide.
- He’s especially interested in fiction, because he thinks novels build empathy and let readers inhabit people very different from themselves.
Reading style and influences
- Jeselnik discusses:
- reading on the iPad/Kindle,
- the value of short books that you can finish quickly,
- and his love of writers like Joan Didion and Raymond Carver.
- He says he’s drawn to books with strong voice, originality, and momentum.
- He also talks about how old magazine interviews, unauthorized biographies, and pre-social-media storytelling had more freedom and edge.
Guests and episodes to come
- He says the show will feature a mix of:
- authors,
- comedians,
- and occasional oddball guests.
- Named or discussed potential guests include:
- Greg Rosenthal
- Andy Richter
- Chad Harbach
- Paula Bomer
- He also jokes about using the show to challenge the Ringer staff to read books with him.
Stand-up comedy, roasts, and the shelf life of comics
- Jeselnik says he’s been doing stand-up for almost 25 years.
- He feels there is a shelf life to stand-up as a career, and he’s increasingly aware of it.
- Key points from his comedy outlook:
- He still loves joke writing and touring.
- He’s moved to doing fewer shows per night to preserve energy.
- He thinks podcasting has been great for comedians financially but can be bad for the art of stand-up.
- He believes too many comics now prioritize clips, virality, and podcast personas over crafting a great hour.
- He revisits the roast era, saying:
- it was a major discovery engine for comics,
- Jeff Ross defined the format,
- and modern Netflix-style roasts often need tighter editing than they get.
- He also reflects on how comedy audiences and the culture around offense, character-based comedy, and “mean” material have evolved.
Notable themes and takeaways
- The Knicks may have a real shot right now, but that window could be shorter than fans want to believe.
- The East is deep but messy: a lot of teams have playoff-level talent and playoff-level questions.
- Player health and contract decisions may matter more than raw talent for teams like Detroit, Miami, Philly, and Indiana.
- Jeselnik’s book club is positioned as both literary and anti-corny — he wants it to feel fun, not preachy.
- Both conversations are about longevity: which NBA teams can sustain success, and which comedians can keep their edge without getting trapped by their own format.