Fri, Apr 29, 2016
Bleacher Report's Howard Beck joins Bill to discuss the ongoing struggles of New York's two teams, Phil Jackson's future, Griffin-Melo trade options, a Lopez reunion in Brooklyn, the dysfunctional Clippers, CP3's prime window, the 2016 playoff picture, Westbrook's Round 2 ceiling, and Cleveland's upset potential.
Fri, May 6, 2016
HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons grabs Tate Frazier on a Friday morning to figure out who's winning OKC-Spurs, whether Kyrie's latest hot streak is legit, why Atlanta and Toronto's backcourt are sputtering, how to beat the Curry-less Warriors, and whether Warriors-Cavs is just plain inevitable.
Thu, May 19, 2016
The Ringer's Chris Ryan and Juliet Litman and Sports Illustrated's Andrew Sharp talk about Kevin Durant buying in with Billy Donovan, Steph Curry's popularity, Dwight Howard's reputation restoration, Pat Riley's Machiavellian moves, the Bucks vs. the Timberwolves, and candidates for the 76ers' top pick.
Tue, Jul 5, 2016
Juliet Litman and Chris Ryan discuss Kevin Durant's move to the Warriors and how players may be feeling about the change. Later, they discuss why Steph Curry and Draymond Green are like Hamilton and Burr, and what it all means for the Thunder. Finally, the two give their predictions for next season's Eastern Conference playoffs and talk Team USA.
Fri, Jul 15, 2016
Bill Simmons moonlights on today's 'Ringer NBA Show' with Ringer executive editor Chris Ryan, with each giving his hometown perspective on the Celtics and Sixers, respectively. Then they offer some broad perspective on the status of the league, including where Russell Westbrook might end up, how to make the NBA season last 12 months, and predictions for the new-look Knicks.
Wed, Jul 20, 2016
The Ringer's Juliet Litman and Chris Ryan discuss the last remaining NBA free agents and where they could end up. Then Juliet gives her Cavs report, including Channing Frye's height and how Kyrie Irving's always ready for the party. Finally they talk about Team USA, including which players they'd enjoy hanging out with.
Wed, Jul 27, 2016
Bill Simmons and Ringer executive editor Chris Ryan drop a special double-feature edition of the 'Ringer NBA Show' to discuss Russell Westbrook's options in Oklahoma City, potential trade suitors, and the best basketball fit moving forward. Then Bill and Chris pay homage to Michael Mann's 'Miami Vice' by reviewing the film's impact 10 years after its release.
Tue, Sep 20, 2016
Bill Simmons is joined by the head coach of the Boston Celtics, "The President" Brad Stevens, to discuss coaching in the NBA vs. college, Brandan Wright's time with the Celtics, Marcus Smart's career arc, success against the Warriors, the efforts to recruit Kevin Durant and Al Horford in free agency, potential NBA rule changes, picking the brains of Popovich and Belichick, and the 3-point shot's impact on positionless basketball.
Thu, Oct 6, 2016
The Ringer's Chris Vernon is joined by the godfather of grassroots basketball and former sports marketing executive for Nike and Adidas, Sonny Vaccaro, to discuss betting his job with Nike on signing Michael Jordan, the first time Kobe showed his true skill, T-Mac's unknownness, Adidas missing out on LeBron, Under Armour's luck with Curry, Dwight Howard vs. Al Horford, and the Knicks' playoff potential.
Tue, Oct 11, 2016
The Ringer's Chris Vernon brings on Washington Post national NBA writer Tim Bontemps to discuss the new-look Warriors, Steph Curry taking a backseat to Kevin Durant, who's the second-best team in the West, the NBA's need to avoid work stoppage, why the Knicks will be horrible this season, the health of the Grizzlies, and the best League Pass team this season.
Thu, Oct 13, 2016
The Ringer's Chris Vernon and Jason Concepcion discuss why the Timberwolves are the top hipster team this season, Chandler Parsons's Instagram, the longest-tenured players on one franchise, the promising Bucks, Devin Booker's trash talk, Boogie's playoff chances, Embiid's media availability, and Dwight Howard's smile.
Tue, Oct 18, 2016
The Ringer's Chris Vernon is joined by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey to discuss the growth of analytics in sports, handling criticism of team chemistry, his beef with Charles Barkley, the additions of Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson, and potential NBA rule changes to increase pace of play.
Thu, Oct 20, 2016
The Ringer's Chris Vernon is joined by former ESPN analytics guru and current Memphis Grizzlies vice president of basketball operations John Hollinger to discuss developing his formula for PER, working for a franchise vs. covering a franchise, the importance of making smart personnel decisions, and the upside of the Grizzlies this season.
Tue, Oct 25, 2016
The Ringer's Chris Vernon and Kevin O'Connor celebrate the kickoff of the NBA season by selecting their top storyline for all thirty teams. Topics include: the Warriors' dominance, Doc Rivers's need for creativity, Boogie's ideal coach, What is Harrison Barnes?, Anthony Davis's eliteness, Emmanuel Mudiay's leap, Oladipo's scoring ability, How good is Dante Exum?, Danny Ainge's many assets, Sixers potential with Embiid and Saric, LeBron as an underdog, Drummond's defensive struggles, Kemba Walker's shooting clip, Winslow's opportunity in Miami, and Brad Beal's massive contract.
Tue, Nov 1, 2016
The Ringer's Chris Vernon brings on NBA writer Zach Harper to run through the early-season story lines and determine if Russell Westbrook's ridiculous tear will continue, if Anthony Davis can continue to score 50-plus and still lose, if the Sixers are better than the Magic, if the Bulls are for real, if the Warriors are taking a step back, and if Kawhi Leonard can become a top-three player in the Association.
Wed, Nov 2, 2016
Juliet Litman welcomes Michael D. Ratner to the show to discuss his new mockumentary series 'The 5th Quarter'. Then they speak with a few stars from the show - the Lakers' Metta World Peace, Courtney Lee of the Knicks, and the Grizzlies' Chandler Parsons - to talk about their experiences in front of the camera.
Tue, Nov 15, 2016
The Ringer's Chris Vernon and Kevin O'Connor discuss overarching themes and intriguing developments 10 games into the season, including the Clippers' bench play, the issue with high-usage players, Luke Walton's Lakers, Willie Cauley-Stein's trade value, Malcolm Brogdon's impressive rookie season, DeMar DeRozan's improved scoring, and the Timberwolves' surprisingly good offense.
Thu, Nov 17, 2016
The Ringer's Chris Vernon is joined by USA Today's Sam Amick to discuss Marc Gasol's Conor McGregor dance, the Clippers' "strength in numbers" model, Klay Thompson's numbers returning to normal, the D.C. catastrophe, the impact of a Boogie trade on Kings fans, and Phil Jackson's "posse" comment.
Tue, Nov 22, 2016
The Ringer's Chris Vernon and Kevin O'Connor discuss Giannis Antetokounmpo's historic statistical feat, tanking advice for the Kings, Mark Cuban vs. Chandler Parsons, Kawhi Leonard's improved shooting, Evan Turner's poor start in Portland, and the expected changes in the upcoming CBA.
Thu, Dec 1, 2016
The Ringer's Chris Vernon and Yahoo Sports senior NBA writer Chris Mannix discuss the state of the MVP race, Sean Kilpatrick's breakout game, the Clippers-Nets fiasco, the Celtics' struggling defense, the impressive Pistons backcourt, and the best plan for the Grizzlies post-Mike Conley injury.
Tue, Dec 6, 2016
The Ringer's Chris Vernon and Kevin O'Connor celebrate the first quarter of the NBA season by handing out awards, including MVP, then they talk Joel Embiid's Rookie of the Year bid, Gregg Popovich vs. Quin Snyder for Coach of the Year, the plethora of Most Improved options, and whether anyone can top Klay Thompson's 60-point explosion.