S6 Ep23: Why some teams aren’t built to survive 2026

On this episode of the Hoop Genius Podcast, Mo Mooncey and Coach Brendan Suhr break down the biggest NBA storylines coming out of Christmas and into the new year. The Spurs continue to dominate OKC and look far ahead of schedule, raising serious questions about Thunder matchups in a playoff series. JJ Redick publicly challenges the Lakers, but is calling out veterans like LeBron the right move - or a coaching mistake?We dig into why point differential matters more than record, why the Lakers’ wins may be misleading, and which Western Conference teams are built for playoff basketball. Plus: Jokic’s historic numbers, Steph Curry getting trapped late, Toronto’s big win over Golden State, Giannis’ controversial dunk, the Bucks’ ceiling, Cleveland’s injury spiral, and whether Boston’s culture makes Jaylen Brown an MVP-level force.This episode also looks ahead to 2026 league trends, half-court offense in the playoffs, and which teams are rising or falling as the season settles in. Real basketball talk. No narratives.🎧 Listen to the full Hoop Genius Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & all platforms.📺 Subscribe for new episodes 2x a week.This podcast is brought to you by NBA2K26:https://nba.2k.com/2k26/buy/Join the DISCORD: https://discord.gg/XDTJbVfT