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On The Ball with Ric Bucher
The best thrice-weekly sports pod for NBA insight and analysis
A weekly sports podcast with inside information and perspective from veteran NBA insider and Fox Sports analyst Ric Bucher, along with NBA players, coaches, executives and media as occasional guests Support this show at
Latest episode
Digging Deeper into the AD-Doncic Trade and the SGA-Joker MVP Debate
29:34|Ric digs into the reports detailing the Los Angeles Lakers' disenchantment with, and willingness to trade, Anthony Davis, as well as the arguments being made for and against the NBA's top two candidates for Most Valuable Player, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
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Resting Stars to Lose: Legit Concern or Crazed Conspiracy Talk?
27:03|Ric discusses the heated reaction to NBA teams resting their star players against certain opponents and whether there is merit to believing teams are intentionally trying to lose specific games against particular opponents.
Quad Shot: Wobbly Celtics, Flat-lining Nuggets, Same Ol' Luka, Stubborn Thibs
27:29|Ric discusses the state of the defending champion Boston Celtics and the importance of Kristaps Porzingis, indications that Nikola Jokic's supporting cast with the Denver Nuggets has plateaued, new Los Angeles Laker Luka Doncic assuming the same form he had in Dallas and why the squabble between the Knicks swingman Mikal Bridges and coach Tom Thibodeau is not the mark of championship-caliber teams.
Takeaways from Lakers-Celtics Tilt and SAS-LeBron Squabble
23:05|Ric discusses what the recent battle between the Celtics and Lakers revealed about the two teams and weighs in on the soap opera involving ESPN host Stephen A. Smith, LeBron James and his son and teammate, Bronny James.
Why The NBA Inspires So Many Debates
25:40|Ric discusses the multitude of disagreements over the NBA currently in vogue: who the greatest player is, the quality of the league and the way in which the league is covered.
Quad Shot: Why Jimmy Buckets is a Great Fit, Nostalgia Catches a Stray, Lakers-Nuggets Takeaway, Knicks' Fatal Flaw
33:47|Ric covers four of the NBA's hottest current storylines: why Jimmy Butler has had such a profound effect on the Warriors since being acquired from the Miami Heat; former NBA forward Channing Frye's assertion that nostalgia is why today's stars are viewed as inferior to their predecessors; how to view the Los Angeles Lakers' surprising, and dominating, win over the Denver Nuggets; and why the Knicks appear not to be living up to expectations this season.
A Much Bigger Concern than the NBA All-Star Game
35:35|Ric discusses -- and challenges -- the criticism heaped upon last week's NBA All-Star Game and points to a much more glaring issue the league faces.