The Ringer NBA Show

Justin, Rob, and Wos are here after another night of game 2 playoff action. They start with the Rockets beating the Warriors and discuss what impact a potentially unhealthy Jimmy Butler could have on the rest of the series (3:52). Then, they take a look at some of the other series with Justin asking the guys one question about Heat-Cavs (21:12), Clippers-Nuggets, Pistons-Knicks, Pacers-Bucks, and Wolves-Lakers. Hosts: Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and Wosny Lambre Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Ben Cruz Social: Keith Fujimoto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kawhi Leonard put on a show in Denver on Monday night to even up the series against the Denver Nuggets. Logan and Raja open up the pod by discussing the greatness that was displayed (1:39). What adjustments can the Nuggets make to get out of the first round? The Pistons took Game 2 in Madison Square Garden thanks to Cade Cunningham, who poured in 33 points and got 12 rebounds. After very close matchups at home, how concerned should Knicks fans be before their road games against Detroit (22:36)? The Lakers lost the series opener to the Timberwolves on Saturday, which essentially puts them in a must-win Game 2 situation. What should their approach be to even up the series (45:33)? Should LeBron defer less to Luka and just attack? The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Hit the mailbag! realonesmailbag@gmail.com Hosts: Logan Murdock and Raja Bell Producer/Audio: Clifford Augustin Video Producer: Victoria Valencia Social: Keith Fujimoto Additional Production Support: Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Justin, Rob, and Wos are here right after the first set of game 1s with their immediate reactions. They start by discussing Denver’s game 1 win in overtime against the Clippers (3:15). Then they talk about the Timberwolves impressive road win over the Lakers (23:55). Then the Knicks comeback victory at home over the Pistons (33:50) before wrapping up with the Pacers comfortable win over the Bucks (54:41). The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Hosts: Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and Wosny Lambre Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Marcelino Ortiz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NBA playoffs will begin Saturday after Friday’s play-in games wrap up. Logan, Howard, and Raja give their thoughts and predictions for what will happen in the opening round. What does Nikola Jokic have to do to overcome a scorching hot Clippers team to avoid a first-round exit (2:46)? Are the Lakers true title contenders? Can Anthony Edwards take over the series and stop LeBron and Luka (19:12)? Will Steph and Jimmy be able to stifle a young and hungry Rockets team without home-court advantage (42:38)? The guys then shift their focus to the east. Can the Bucks win the series without Dame, and could Detroit possibly upset the Knicks (46:02)? Plus, as always, the mailbag! The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Hit the mailbag! realonesmailbag@gmail.com Hosts: Logan Murdock, Raja Bell, and Howard Beck Producer/Audio: Clifford Augustin Video Producer: Victoria Valencia Additional Production Support: John Richter and Ben Cruz Social: Keith Fujimoto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Justin, Rob, and Wos are here to give their instant reactions to the Bulls-Heat and Kings-Mavs play-in games. Then, they preview the rest of the playoffs with another edition of the Verrierables (21:40). They take a look at some of the biggest storylines from each conference and give predictions for each first-round series. Hosts: Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and Wosny Lambre Producers: Isaiah Blakely, Cameron Dinwiddie, and Jessie Lopez Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the regular season and now enter the playoffs as one of the favorites to win the West thanks to MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. For nearly two decades, the Thunder have been one of the unlikeliest success stories in NBA history. In the win-now-at-all-costs superteam era, the Thunder have prioritized building for the future. In the era of superstars dictating their own moves to major media markets, the Thunder have thrived in one of the smallest markets in pro sports. In Blood and Thunder, a special feature from the Ringer Podcast Network, Brian Phillips is joined by his fellow Oklahoma native Tyler Parker to talk about where the Thunder have been and where they’re going, why this year’s team is so fun to watch, and what the franchise means to Oklahoma. We’re also joined by Jordan Ritter Conn, the host of the podcast Sonic Boom: How Seattle Lost Its Team, to talk about the legacy of the team’s move from Seattle and whether a new Sonics franchise could help put the ghosts of the past to rest. Host: Brian Phillips Guests: Tyler Parker and Jordan Ritter Conn Producers: Mike Wargon, Isaac Levy-Rubinett and Vikram Patel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Logan and Raja open the pod with the mess that is the Phoenix Suns (1:50). What led to coach Mike Budenholzer’s firing, and where will Kevin Durant end up this offseason? The Pelicans fired head of basketball ops David Griffin after another injury-ridden, disappointing season (25:22). Should he be at fault for Zion Williamson’s shortcomings as a franchise player? The Grizzlies and the Warriors will face off in Tuesday’s play-in game to determine who’ll play the Rockets in the first round (41:16). Just how important is this year's playoff for the current construction of the Warriors’ roster? The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Hit the mailbag! realonesmailbag@gmail.com Hosts: Logan Murdock and Raja Bell Producer/Audio: Clifford Augustin Video Producer: Victoria Valencia Additional Production Support: Ben Cruz Social: Keith Fujimoto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Justin, Rob, and Wos are here with an action-packed show starting with some of the news around the NBA, including the Suns firing Mike Budenholzer and the Pelicans firing David Griffin. Then, they talk about playoff matchups and preview the play-in games for both conferences. After that, Rob and Wos are tasked with figuring out whether certain names are NBA players who played in Game 82, or names that Justin made up. Lastly, it's the first annual Chatties. The guys present nominees and producer Isaiah picks the winners for a handful of awards, including Best Moment, the Malevvy Leons Award, the All-Hard Hat Team, and much more. Hosts: Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and Wosny Lambre Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Following the shocking firing of Nuggets head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth, Logan Murdock and Howard Beck try to make sense of it all. How long has the tension been building between Malone, Booth, and the Nuggets brass (1:20)? What happened since the championship run the Nuggets had just two years ago to now that caused all of this friction and dysfunction (11:55)? Have the Minnesota Timberwolves underachieved or overachieved based off of the Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle trade (25:28)? Logan has one question for each Western Conference team as we head into the final weekend of the NBA regular season (36:31). Plus, the mailbag! Could a team comprised of foreign stars beat an all-USA team? The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Hit the mailbag! realonesmailbag@gmail.com Hosts: Logan Murdock and Howard Beck Producer/Audio: Clifford Augustin Video Producer: Victoria Valencia Additional Production Support: Ben Cruz Social: Keith Fujimoto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Justin, Rob, and Wos are back to hand out individual awards. But first, Rob was in Dallas for the Lakers-Mavs game, so they get his thoughts on Luka’s impressive return to Dallas and what that environment was like. Then the guys reveal their ballots for MVP (15:15), Defensive Player of the Year (43:55), Coach of the Year (53:50), Most Improved Player (1:00:58), Sixth Man of the Year (1:1315), and Rookie of the Year (1:15:55). Hosts: Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and Wosny Lambre Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Ben Cruz Social: Keith Fujimoto The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In another surprising firing, with roughly a week to go before the playoffs begin, the Denver Nuggets have relieved both head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth of their duties. Logan, Howard Beck, and Raja Bell react to the news and the timing of the firings (1:22). Does firing Malone now give the Nuggets an advantage heading into the playoffs? Logan and Raja are joined by ESPN NBA reporter Tim MacMahon, who just wrote a new book about Luka Doncic and the Mavericks franchise called ‘The Wonder Boy: Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness’ (30:44). Tim details what went wrong with the Mavs and Luka and why they ultimately traded him to the Lakers. The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Hit the mailbag! realonesmailbag@gmail.com Hosts: Logan Murdock, Howard Beck, and Raja Bell Guest: Tim MacMahon Producer/Audio: Clifford Augustin Video Producer: Victoria Valencia Social: Keith Fujimoto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Justin, Rob and Wos are here to usher in awards season, starting with the team awards. The guys make their selections for the All-NBA (5:40), All-Defensive (54:30), and All-Rookie teams (1:07:30). The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Hosts: Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and Wosny Lambre Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Ronak Nair Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Warriors defeated the Lakers Thursday night thanks to Steph Curry dropping 37 and Brandin Podziemski hitting eight 3s. Logan and Raja discuss what this means for both teams and whether they are championship contenders (5:30). Ja Morant was fined $75k for finger gun pointing gestures.—how will his reputation affect his career and image (19:04)? Russell Westbrook had a couple blunders late in the game Wednesday night when the Nuggets fell to the Timberwolves in double OT. Has the criticism for Russ been fair or foul (35:40)? The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Hit the mailbag! realonesmailbag@gmail.com Hosts: Logan Murdock and Raja Bell Producer/Audio: Clifford Augustin Video Producer: Victoria Valencia Additional Production Support: Ben Cruz Social: Keith Fujimoto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Justin, Rob, and Wos are here to talk about their team of the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers! They dive deep into the five reasons why this team was such a success. Then they discuss how the team got made, what-ifs, and any trends the Cavs showed that teams will try to replicate. Finally, they hand out some superlatives, including team MVP, best moment of the season, and more. Then they are joined by the Cavs' All-Star center, Jarrett Allen, and he explains what the key to their improvement this season has been, what it’s been like to have Kenny Atkinson as a coach again, and some of his interests outside of basketball as well. Hosts: Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and Wosny Lambre Guest: Jarrett Allen Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Ben Cruz Social: Keith Fujimoto The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Logan, Raja, and Howard mf’in Beck are back with another Real Ones, and they start the pod off with the Pistons-Wolves scuffle that broke out over the weekend. Was the fight something to be concerned about, or was it overblown (01:48)? Will the suspensions of Isaiah Stewart, Ron Holland II, and Marcus Sasser affect the Pistons' playoff seeding? What’s the fallout for the Grizzlies following the firing of head coach Taylor Jenkins? What is the reasoning behind Jenkins’s firing, and why did they do this just before the playoffs? Howard makes sense of it all (20:42). Plus, the mailbag! (58:16) Should there be new stipulations on the draft lottery to prevent tanking? The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Hit the mailbag! realonesmailbag@gmail.com Hosts: Logan Murdock, Howard Beck, and Raja Bell Producer/Audio: Clifford Augustin Video Producer: Victoria Valencia Additional Production Support: Ben Cruz Social: Keith Fujimoto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Justin, Rob, and Wos are back to discuss the Grizzlies firing Taylor Jenkins. Then they discuss some March trends and decide whether the trends are real or a March mirage. They talk about the Bulls (27:27), Austin Reaves and the Lakers (45:15), and the Timberwolves' resurgence (53:40). Hosts: Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and Wosny Lambre Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Ben Cruz The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NBA champion and Philly hoops legend Rasheed Wallace returns to Real Ones to discuss Detroit Basketball finally playing competitively again (5:05). The Memphis Grizzlies shockingly parted ways with Taylor Jenkins on Friday. Rasheed and Raja react to Jenkins getting fired so close to the playoffs (25:29). Is Nikola Jokic having the same impact on the league that Shaq did (45:02)? Plus, Rasheed reveals his top five trash-talkers, best players out of Philly, and what he thinks of the Sixers’ current situation. Seerat Sohi then joins Logan to discuss the current state of the women’s tourney with Juju out and how women’s basketball can keep capitalizing on the current crop of talented players (1:09). The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Hit the mailbag! realonesmailbag@gmail.com Hosts: Logan Murdock and Raja Bell Guests: Rasheed Wallace and Seerat Sohi Producer/Audio: Clifford Augustin Video Producer: Victoria Valencia Additional Production Support: Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

No Wos today, so Justin and Rob are here to give their thoughts on the bottom of the Western Conference in their annual exercise of finding one nice thing to say about the worst teams in the West: Suns (8:25) Mavs (18:51) Trail Blazers (32:55) Spurs (50:32) Pelicans (58:56) Jazz (1:08:23) Hosts: Justin Verrier and Rob Mahoney Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Ben Cruz Social: Keith Fujimoto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Logan and Howard mf’in Beck are joined by Sam Amick of The Athletic to discuss the Mavericks' recent decisions and the Kings' continuing spiral. Anthony Davis returned for the Mavericks' game against the Nets Monday night in Brooklyn, but should they have just kept him out due to the plethora of other injuries on the team and their standing in the West (4:08)? The Kings are another team clawing for a play-in spot, but the organization has been in disarray for a long time. What steps can they take to finally right the ship (16:20)? Plus, the latest on the MVP race and the mailbag! The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Hit the mailbag! realonesmailbag@gmail.com Hosts: Logan Murdock and Howard Beck Guest: Sam Amick Producer/Audio: Clifford Augustin Video Producer: Victoria Valencia Social: Keith Fujimoto Additional Production Support: Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Justin and Wos are joined by Michael Pina, who just wrote about this final stretch of the NBA season, to discuss the close playoff and play-in races, mostly in the Western Conference. They also talk a little bit about the fourth- to sixth-place race in the Eastern Conference. Hosts: Justin Verrier and Wosny Lambre Guest: Michael Pina Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Ben Cruz Social: Keith Fujimoto The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices