The Ringer NBA Show

NBA All-Star Nikola Jokic and Serbia were upset by a scrappy Argentina team at the FIBA World Cup (3:00). Plus: We go through the Kevin Durant Wall Street Journal article (8:57) and share the ideal Big 3 players for every Western Conference team (34:52).Hosts: Chris Vernon and Kevin O’Connor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We do a little game of "predict the headlines" ahead of the 2019 NBA season: When will Anthony Davis start to get unhappy in L.A.? When will Ben Simmons’s jump shot get called into question? When will we start to worry that Zion is out of shape? And more.Hosts: Chris Ryan and Justin Verrier Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Team USA narrowly defeats Turkey in an unexpectedly competitive OT thriller, as FIBA World Cup action intensifies (0:48). Plus: With the 2019 Big 3 season coming to a close, the guys select a hypothetical Big 3 team for each Eastern Conference team (34:09).Hosts: Chris Vernon, Kevin O’Connor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the beginning of the FIBA World Cup approaches, we run down the most important NBA players competing in the tournament and speculate over what impact their participation might have on their 2019-20 NBA seasons.Hosts: Justin Verrier and Jonathan Tjarks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Brooklyn Nets extends Caris LeVert for $52.5 million over three years (0:43), and the Los Angeles Lakers sign former All-Star (and former Laker) Dwight Howard (8:27). Plus: the first-ever 'Mismatch' mailbag (22:58)!Hosts: Chris Vernon, Kevin O’Connor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We open up the mailbag in the dog days of August and field questions about dark-horse MVP candidates, James Harden’s usage, the 2019 Sixers, future All-Stars about to make a breakout, and more.Hosts: Chris Ryan and Justin Verrier Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

De’Aaron Fox joins the long list of Team USA dropouts for the upcoming FIBA World Cup, so how does the current team stack up against other countries’ squads (0:45)? Plus: The 2019-20 rookie class cast some surprising votes for superlatives among their peers (22:11).Hosts: Chris Vernon, Kevin O’Connor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We go over the news out of Las Vegas that DeMarcus Cousins has torn his ACL—what does this mean for the rest of his career, and what will it mean for the 2019-20 Lakers (1:50)? Then, we bounce around the rest of the NBA and talk about the sale of the Nets and Team USA news (20:46).Hosts: Chris Ryan and Justin Verrier Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NBA just officially announced the 2019-20 regular-season schedule. Which matchups are we most looking forward to?Hosts: Chris Vernon, Kevin O’Connor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We discuss Kevin Durant's first on-the-record interview since his Achilles tear. What is the NBA going to look like in 2020 without its potential best player (1:00)? Then we break down the present and the future of Team USA, including who should and will make it this year, and who we’re most excited to see in 2020 and beyond (31:11).Hosts: Justin Verrier and Dan Devine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices