Mailbag: Old Cores, Harden vs. Wade, Basketball Books, and More | Group Chat

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

Justin, Rob and J. Kyle Mann give their instant reactions to the Knicks winning the NBA Cup. Then over two parts, the guys are ranking the young cores of the NBA 30-1. In Part 1, they’re ranking and discussing teams ranked 30-16. (00:00) Intro (1:28) NBA Cup (22:39) Clippers(27:09) Knicks(30:32) Lakers(41:45) Kings(47:15) Celtics(51:11) Bucks(55:14) Pacers (1:10:17) Warriors(1:15:44) Heat(1:22:45) Blazers(1:32:28) Suns(1:39:06) Nets(1:48:50) Grizzlies(1:54:17) Bulls Hosts: Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and J. Kyle Mann Audio 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

Logan Murdock, Raja Bell, and Howard Beck are back with another edition of Real Ones, and they examine how the Spurs snapped the Oklahoma City Thunder's 16-game win streak in the NBA Cup semifinals. Victor Wembanyama returned with a vengeance, netting 22 points and nine rebounds in just 21 minutes of action. The guys ask whether the young and up-and-coming Spurs are actually ready to win now. Should the Spurs make a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo if the Bucks are open to trading him? Plus, the mailbag! (0:00) Intro (1:43) FanDuel ad break (2:33) Are the Spurs going to the NBA Finals? (20:28) Amazon Prime ad break (21:01) How the current Spurs compare with teams of the past (44:30) Mailbag https://www.theringer.com/2021/02/17/nba/jeremy-lin-g-league-santa-cruz-warriors-linsanity Hit the mailbag! [email protected] Hosts: Logan Murdock, 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 together in L.A. to welcome everyone to trade season. The guys run through six big trade questions now that recently signed free agents are allowed to be traded. Before they get to that, the guys give their thoughts on the Spurs' upset win over the Thunder, and briefly preview the NBA Cup final matchup between San Antonio and the Knicks. (00:00) Intro (3:19) FanDuel ad break (4:13) Spurs-Thunder (19:36) Spurs-Knicks (25:11) FanDuel ad break (26:32) Amazon Prime ad break (29:22) Chasing stars? (37:42) Giannis trades (48:34) Intriguing non-Giannis trades (1:00:59) Teams that should unload a star (1:06:32) Which team needs to make a trade? (1:16:35) Buy-low players Hosts: Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and J. Kyle Mann Video Producer: Victoria Valencia Audio Producer: Isaiah Blakely Additional 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

Justin, Rob, and J. Kyle Mann are back and here to talk about some players and teams that may have flown under the radar while the frenzy of Giannis Antetokounmpo trade news was going around. Then, they wrap up by previewing the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup. (00:00) Intro (5:43) Ryan Nembhard(18:10) Deni Avdija(33:33) Nickeil Alexander-Walker (44:18) Pat Spencer(56:23) Spurs(1:03:46) Noah Clowney(1:17:20) NBA Cup Hosts: Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and J. Kyle Mann Video Producer: Victoria Valencia Audio Producer: Isaiah Blakely Additional 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