Read and React Read and React NBA Podcast

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber discuss the Denver Nuggets' dominant bounceback after falling behind to the Timberwolves, the Thunder's gritty Game 4 win over the Mavericks, and where each second-round series could be headed. Then they touch on the Hawks jumping to the top of the lottery, Trae Young's future in Atlanta, and whether the top pick might pull the Hawks out of mediocrity. 

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber break down and predict every first-round and play-in matchup of the NBA postseason, including how the 76ers might look with a healthy Joel Embiid in the lineup, the high stakes of Mavs-Clippers III, how Giannis' injury impacts the Bucks' chances against the Pacers, whether the Warriors will scrap their way to a playoff spot, and much, much more. 

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber pick and discuss their unofficial awards ballots for the 2023-24 NBA season, including a disagreement on who should win MVP, LeBron James' All-NBA candidacy, whether Victor Wembanyama is already the Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner, which young players improved the most this season, and much more. 

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber discuss the jam-packed races for the 3-8 seeds in the Eastern Conference, which play-in teams pose the greatest threat to the top seeds, the Magic's sudden rise, potential fit issues in Cleveland, and much more. 

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber debate whether the Oklahoma City Thunder's inexperience will matter in the postseason and whether the Nuggets have taken a step back or just taken their foot off the gas. Then they check in on the MVP race and look at the Celtics' potential weaknesses in the playoffs. Plus: the rock-paper-scissors game between the top teams in the West, the biggest threats to those teams, Cleveland's cooling off since the All Star break, and the next wave of NBA superstars.

Ben Ladner and Jon Sauber break down the most impactful trades of a relatively quiet NBA trade deadline. Then they discuss Joel Embiid's meniscus injury, how much the 65-game rule is to blame, and how it affects the MVP race.