Read and React

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber discuss James' Harden's recent comments to a gathering of children about his relationship with Daryl Morey and how that connects with Damian Lillard's situation in Portland. Then they react to Jaylen Brown's historic new contract.

On the 250th episode of Read and React, Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber discuss Damian Lillard's reported trade request and what fallout could come from it, the best signings of the NBA offseason, the Rockets' perplexing free agency moves, and more.

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber discuss how Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jordan Poole might fit into their new teams before breaking down the picks they liked the most and least from Thursday's NBA Draft.

Brad Rowland joins Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber to discuss Victor Wembanyama's historic upside, the candidates for the second overall pick, potential sleepers in the late first round, and much more on the 2023 NBA Draft.

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber discuss the Denver Nuggets winning their first championship, the magic of Denver's team construction, the challenges the Nuggets could face keeping this team together, and much more. Then, they bounce around this week's slate of NBA news items.

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber discuss the Heat's adjustments in Game 2, Jimmy Butler's quiet series, the brilliance of Denver's supporting cast, potential ramifications of the NBA lottery, and much more.

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber are back to discuss a riveting NBA Finals matchup between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets, how the current era of basketball affects the way we think about players historically, the Succession finale, and much more.

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber go in depth on the Western Conference Finals, including how Anthony Davis' defensive presence could disrupt Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets' offense, whether an older LeBron can exploit Denver's defense at the rim, who could benefit more from a long series, and much more.

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber discuss an action-packed week in the NBA, including Sunday's Game 7 between the Celtics and Sixers, more coaching changes, what's next for recently eliminated playoff teams, and much more.

On this episode: Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber discuss the Grizzlies' decision finally hold Dillon Brooks accountable, whether the Bucks made the right call letting Mike Budenholzer go, expectations for the rest of Sixers-Celtics, and what the Nuggets-Suns series says about the state of modern offense.

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber discuss the Bucks' collapse against the Heat, expectations for the ongoing first-round series in the West, and the factors that could determine each second-round series.

The NBA playoffs are rolling! Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber discuss the last few days of games, including Brook Lopez's importance on both ends, Karl-Anthony Towns' struggles against the Nuggets, Dillon Brooks' comments about LeBron, and more.

Following an electric first weekend of the NBA playoffs, Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber discuss the implications of Draymond Green's suspension, how Joel Embiid has dominated the Nets, Russell Westbrook's impact as a hustle player, and much more.

Happy NBA Playoffs! Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber dive into the 1-8 and 2-7 matchups, including how the Lakers match up with the younger Grizzlies, whether the Wolves' defense can slow down the Nuggets, and more. Plus: some thoughts on the last episode of Succession and where the series might go from here.

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber wrap up their 2023 (fake) awards ballots with Defensive Player of the Year, All-Defensive & All-Rookie teams, and more.

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber bounce around Sunday afternoon's wild slate of games, then break down what to expect from Sixers-Nets, Cavs-Knicks, Suns-Clippers, and Warriors-Kings. Topics include whether anyone in the East can touch the top four seeds, which matchups and advantages could swing Clippers-Suns, and how Golden State and Sacramento could test each other's defenses. Then they break down the...

It's time to hand out some (fake) awards! In part one of this episode, Ben Ladner an Jon Sauber discuss this year's MVP race and All-NBA teams, including: Does anyone else belong in the MVP conversation with Nikola Jokic & Joel Embiid? Who will fill the bottom of the ballot after LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant missed so much time this season? Which guards deserve the six All-NBA s...

The Sacramento Kings are going to the playoffs! Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber discuss Sacramento's rise in the West, Mike Brown's Coach of the Year case, what the Beam Team's success tells us about modern NBA offense, an much more.

With just a few days left in the NBA regular season, Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber are back to evaluate the constantly-shifting terrain of the Western Conference, including the Grizzlies righting the ship during Ja Morant's absence, the Lakers showing signs of life, and potential playoff matchups. Then they discuss the Discourse around this year's MVP race and the false choice between two of the best...

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber continue last episode's discussion on the teams each NBA contender shouldn't want to see with the Celtics, Bucks, and Sixers' toughest playoff matchups. Then they dive into the state of the East's middle class and the Clippers' recent struggles.

As the NBA season enters the home stretch, Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber break down every angle of LeBron James' foot injury -- where it leaves the Lakers, how it changes the playoff race, and what reveals about the Lakers' mistakes over the last two years. Then they discuss the Hawks hiring Quin Snyder and the teams each playoff team in the West shouldn't want to face in the playoffs.

The All-Star is break finally here! Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber take stock of the new-look Mavericks and Nets, the surging Bucks' championship hopes, and whether the Celtics are the clear title favorites. Then they discuss some of their favorite under-the-radar players in the NBA.

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber discuss a wild trade deadline, including: how the Kevin Durant trade changes the Western Conference landscape, whether the Lakers' improvements around LeBron and Anthony Davis put them in title contention, the most surprising non-moves of the deadline, and much more. Then they reflect on LeBron passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer.

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber react to Sunday's blockbuster trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks, and asses how the move impacts Brooklyn and Dallas this season and beyond.

As the NBA trade deadline rapidly approaches, Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber discuss the biggest questions and storylines of the trade landscape, including how the Raptors could set the direction of the market, which teams OG Anunoby would make the most sense on, whether the Jazz and Bulls will buy or sell, what moves could be available for the Grizzlies and Nuggets, and much more.