Six Big Questions as the NBA Season Enters 2026 | Group Chat

Logan Murdock, Raja Bell, and Howard Beck are back with another edition of Real Ones, and they dive right into the latest NBA drama between Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young and the franchise. It’s been reported that both sides have agreed to look for a trade partner. Where will Trae end up, and what will the cost be? The Thunder have been going through a little rough patch the past couple of weeks. Is there a problem in OKC, or will the team bounce back to championship form? Plus, Raja revisits AIlen Iverson’s famous step over Tyronn Lue. Hit the mailbag! [email protected] Hosts: Raja Bell, Logan Murdock, and Howard Beck Producers: Victoria Valencia and Clifford Augustin Additional Production Support: Ben Cruz, Conor Nevins, and John Richter The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please check out rg-help.com to find out more, or listen to the end of the episode for additional details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Justin, Rob, and J. Kyle Mann are here after the holidays to answer six of the biggest questions to start 2026. (00:00) Intro (5:45) OKC title challenger rankings (22:23) Trae Young (37:23) Giannis Antetokounmpo (42:53) Clippers (53:47) Lakers (1:04:34) Rookie of the Year race (1:15:23) League Pass re-rankings Hosts: Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and J. Kyle Mann Audio Producer: Isaiah Blakely Video Producer: Victoria Valencia Production Supervision: Ben Cruz Social: Isaiah Blakely and 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

Howard Beck and Raja Bell are back with another edition of Real Ones to examine whether the league should do away with the 65-game minimum rule. But first: Anthony Edwards left the Minnesota bench, then the court, during a timeout late in the Timberwolves' 126-102 loss at the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. Is there trouble brewing in Minnesota? Howard and Raja also discuss the hierarchy in the Eastern Conference and which teams haven’t lived up to their preseason hype. (0:00:00) Intro (2:56) Anthony Edwards leaves the bench (12:01) Examining 65-game rule (21:43) Resetting the eastern conference (27:14) Are the Celtics being slept on? (39:40) Cavaliers disappointment (44:56) Philly’s chances in the East (51:15) Knicks and Pistons headed for the conference finals? (59:44) Real One of the Week Hit the mailbag! [email protected] Hosts: Raja Bell and Howard BeckProducers: Victoria Valencia and Clifford AugustinAdditional Production Support: Ben Cruz and Conor Nevins The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please check out ⁠rg-help.com⁠ to find out more, or listen to the end of the episode for additional details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Logan Murdock and Howard Beck are back on another edition of Real Ones with some NBA resolutions as we head into the new year. But first, Nikola Jokic went down on Monday night with what is believed to be a hyperextension to the knee. He will be reevaluated in four weeks. How will this affect the MVP race and the Nuggets’ standings if he misses the 65-game requirement? (0:00:00) Intro (4:47) FanDuel ad break (0:21) Jokic’s injury (14:53) FanDuel ad break (16:14) Resolutions (59:31) Mailbag Hit the mailbag! [email protected] Hosts: Logan Murdock and Howard BeckProducers: Victoria Valencia and Clifford AugustinAdditional Production Support: Ben Cruz and Conor Nevins The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please check out ⁠rg-help.com⁠ to find out more, or listen to the end of the episode for additional details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Justin, Rob, and J. Kyle Mann are here to wrap up 2025 with an end-of-year mailbag. They answer your listener questions about how to change late-game fouling, old cores in the NBA, James Harden vs. Dwyane Wade, and much more! (00:00) Intro (2:30) FanDuel ad break (3:16) Figuring out a listener’s favorite player (9:55) Spurs playoff outlook (18:16) Fouling late in games (24:18) Old cores (29:43) Player development (42:55) Houston Rockets (54:47) Difficult players/teams to talk about (1:02:18) Hugo González (1:09:21) Harden vs. Wade  (1:19:48) Favorite announcers (1:27:26) Roster-building exercise (1:35:22) Favorite basketball books Send your questions to [email protected]! Hosts: Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and J. Kyle Mann Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Victoria Valencia Production Supervision: Ben Cruz Social: Isaiah Blakely and 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

Howard Beck and Raja Bell are back with another edition of Real Ones to review all the action from the Christmas Day games. The Lakers were blown out by the Rockets at home on Christmas Day 119-96. Is there a LeBron problem that might come to a breaking point before the season ends? The Thunder have lost four of their last six games with three of them being at the hand of the Spurs. Have the Spurs surpassed the Thunder in the West's hierarchy? Howard and Raja then discuss the rest of the action from Christmas Day, including Nikola Jokic’s 56-point outburst and Cooper Flagg’s development. (0:00:00) Intro (2:40) Raja’s playing days on Christmas (7:28) FanDuel ad break (8:43) Lakers’ disappointing Christmas game (28:34) Amazon Prime ad break (29:08) Thunder-Spurs rivalry (43:35) Mavs-Warriors (55:16) Cavs-Knicks (58:07) Wolves-Nuggets (1:00:26) Real One of the Week Hit the mailbag! [email protected] Hosts: Howard Beck and Raja BellProducers: Victoria Valencia and Clifford AugustinAdditional Production Support: Ben Cruz and Conor Nevins The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please check out ⁠rg-help.com⁠ to find out more, or listen to the end of the episode for additional details. Shopping. Streaming. Celebrating. It’s on Prime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Justin, Rob, and J. Kyle Mann are here celebrating their yearly holiday tradition of NBA festivus! The guys are here to first air out some NBA grievances and then they talk about some of their holiday related and otherwise grievances. (00:00) Intro (3:01) FanDuel Ad break (3:53) Draymond Green (9:50) NBA Grievances (20:41) FanDuel ad break (58:18) Holiday Grievances Send your questions to [email protected]! 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 J. Kyle Mann Audio Producer: Isaiah Blakely Video Producer: Victoria Valencia Production Supervision: Ben Cruz Social: Isaiah Blakely and Keith Fujimoto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Logan Murdock and Howard Beck are back with the holiday edition of Real Ones to preview the Christmas slate. But first: Draymond Green and Steve Kerr had a flare-up in the Warriors’ victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday, during which Green left the bench and did not play the rest of the game. Where are things headed with the Warriors, Kerr, and Green? Logan and Howard preview the Christmas slate and give each team a stocking stuffer. Plus, the mailbag! Draymond and Kerr dispute (2:03) Mavs @ Warriors (23:14) Amazon Prime ad Break (30:34) Houston @ Lakers (31:09) Spurs @ Thunder (39:10) Wolves @ Nuggets (44:12) Cavs @ Knicks (51:14) Mailbag (59:20) Hit the mailbag! [email protected] Hosts: Logan Murdock and Howard Beck Producers: Clifford Augustin and Victoria Valencia Additional Production Support: Ben Cruz , Conor Nevins, Belle Roman, and Mike Wargon The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please check out rg-help.com to find out more, or listen to the end of the episode for additional details. Shopping. Streaming. Celebrating. It’s on Prime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Logan Murdock and Raja Bell are back with another edition of Real Ones, and they discuss the orange and blue skies everywhere following the Knicks' victory in the NBA cup. Can the Knicks make a run at the Eastern Conference title and possibly a championship? How did new coach Mike Brown change this team's playing style after how Tom Thibodeau ran things? Dillon Brooks had another controversial moment on Thursday night when he committed a flagrant foul against Steph Curry. But was it as bad as people made it seem? Should the NBA change the location of the NBA Cup final? Plus, Real One of the Week! (0:00:00) I ntro (0:20) Knicks Discussion (2:46) FanDuel ad break (20:55) FanDuel ad break (21:42) Amazon Prime ad break (22:16) Dillon Brooks's flagrant foul against Steph Curry (33:55) Should the NBA Cup move to Cameron Indoor Stadium? (44:38) Real One of the Week Hosts: Logan Murdock and Raja BellProducers: Victoria Valencia and Clifford AugustinAdditional Production Support: Ben Cruz and Conor Nevins Hit the mailbag! ⁠[email protected]⁠ The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please check out ⁠rg-help.com⁠ to find out more, or listen to the end of the episode for additional details. Shopping. Streaming. Celebrating. It’s on Prime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Justin, Rob, and J. Kyle Mann are back for Part 2, where they rank the best young cores in the NBA 15-1. And then at the end, they pick out the 15 best blue-chip prospects in the league going forward. (00:00) Intro (4:06) Pelicans(13:08) Jazz(18:34) Sixers(24:36) Cavs(29:51) Wizards (40:13) Raptors(45:47) Hornets(54:24) Timberwolves(57:46) Mavs(1:03:14) Hawks(1:07:57) Magic(1:17:02) Rockets(1:22:49) Pistons(1:29:52) Thunder(1:35:58) Spurs Hosts: Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and J. Kyle MannAudio Producer: Isaiah Blakely Video Producer: Victoria Valencia Additional Production Support: John Richter Production Supervision: Ben Cruz Social: Isaiah Blakely and Keith Fujimoto The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit⁠ ⁠⁠www.rg-help.com⁠ to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Shopping. Streaming. Celebrating. It’s on Prime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices