Bench Reactions: Recent Episodes
Bench Reactions Productions
Five close friends - a US diplomat, a public defender, an HR guy, a banker, and a content writer - get together to talk basketball. It's a little bit of chaos, a decent number of intelligent takes, and undeniable team chemistry.
Zack, Jason, Patrick, Dan, and Chase share their takes on all the biggest news and happenings in the NBA from the perspective of basketball junkies who are all certain they can each run an NBA front office... or at least make a great reaction from the bench. Join us for new episodes every week. Like, subscribe, drop us a review, and help spread the word!
On this week's episode the boys dive into Team USA's Gold-medal win in the Olympics, including unbelievable crunch-time performances by all-time great players and an otherworldly Steph Curry shooting explosion against France. Then, they jump into their way-too-early preseason prep and talk about the Spurs, Heat, and Nuggets: Just how high is the ceiling of this Wemby-led Spurs team for the 2024-25 season? What is Pat Riley's plan with this Heat team for this season and beyond? Did Calvin Booth close the championship contention window for the Nuggets or will his plan surprise us and end up working? And finally, they wrap up with Dan's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode the boys break down the quarterfinals of the Olympics, including a disappointing showing by Canada and a barn burner between Serbia and Australia. Then, they dive back into their way-too-early preseason prep: After signing and trading for several veteran players, what exactly is the Wizards' plan for this year? Was Indiana's Eastern Conference Finals run a complete aberration, like the 2021 Hawks, or can Haliburton take another step in his development and help them climb to legitimate contention in the East? With Ja back and healthy for the Grizzlies, what can we expect of them this year in a loaded Western Conference? And finally, we wrap up with Jason's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode Zack, Dan, and Patrick hop on to discuss all the recent happenings with Team USA, including victories against both Serbia and South Sudan and DNP-CDs for Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid. Then, they hop into their way-too-early preseason prep to talk about the Raptors looking like they're striving for mediocrity, what the Magic need to vault themselves into true contention in the East, and whether or not the current Suns' roster are considered legitimate contenders this upcoming season before wrapping up with Patrick's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode Zack, Dan, and Patrick get together to talk through Team USA's performance in their exhibition games before the Olympics kick off this weekend before starting their way-too-early-preseason-prep: The Hornets finally have a bright future with all their young talent, but how quickly can they get back into the playoff picture in the East? After landing DeMar, can the Kings be better than expected this season? Just how much are we sleeping on Giannis and the Bucks? And finally, we wrap up with Zack's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode the boys get together to do their second annual Winners and Losers Draft for the 2023-24 season and the offseason so far before diving into hot takes for the upcoming season. Then, they wrap up with Dan's Summer League Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode Jason and Dan do a little pick and roll as they talk through more free agency moves that have happened over the last week, who's still available and what destination makes the most sense for each of them, a check in on Olympic basketball, and some House of the Dragon spoilers. Then, they wrap up with Jason's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode Dan, Zack, and Patrick get together to revisit the draft, talk through the recent trades of Mikal Bridges to the Knicks and Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans, and dive into the start of free agency and moves that have been made so far, including, most notably, PG to the Sixers. And finally, they wrap up with Patrick's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode the Bench Boys reunite to talk through the hottest news of the week: Monty Williams getting fired by the Pistons but getting to keep the $65 million of his remaining contract, JJ Redick being hired by the Lakers as their next head coach, OKC trading Josh Giddey to Chicago for Alex Caruso, and Malik Monk and Pascal Siakam securing the bag from their teams. We then jump into our second annual Mock Lottery Draft where things quickly go off the rails (in a good way) before wrapping up with Zack's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode the guys get together to discuss the 2023-24 season ending with the Boston Celtics as NBA champions before a special presentation of the Benchies. And finally, they wrap up with a beautiful mea culpa Mudpie Moment of the Week from Dan.
On this week's episode we do something we've never done before: a live pod during the second half of Game 3 of the Finals. We break down everything we see during the game as well as other storylines we expect to dominate the NBA landscape in the coming weeks and months. Buckle up for an emotional rollercoaster of an episode!
On this week's episode the guys get together to reflect on Bill Walton's legacy after his passing this week from cancer at the age of 71 before diving into some other news of the week: Mike Brown finally getting the extension he wanted, Troy Weaver being dismissed by new Piston's President of Basketball Ops Trajan Langdon, and the swirling Jimmy Butler trade rumors. Then, they discuss what happened to Minnesota in the Western Conference Finals and what's next for them in the offseason before diving into previewing the Finals (plus Jason gives an impassioned speech to the Dallas Mavericks). And finally, they wrap up with Jason's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode Zack, Jason, and Patrick give their thoughts on the All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams being announced last week, along with the news of J.B. Bickerstaff being fired this week before diving into their analysis of the Conference Finals so far. Then, they wrap up with Patrick's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode the boys get together immediately following game 1 of Boston vs. Indiana to review the outcomes of each Conference Semis series before previewing the Conference Finals. Then, we wrap up with Zack's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode the boys are back to run through Jason's proprietary formula for his annual Lottery Karma Rankings before diving into all four second round series: Boston seems inevitably bound for the Finals despite playing with their food at times, Knicks vs. Pacers feels like it's going the distance, the role players in Dallas are popping, turns out the Timberwolves are, in fact, human and Denver's not dead yet after a reminder in game 3 of their championship chops. Then, we wrap up with Dan's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode Zack, Patrick, Chase, and Jason get together to do a postmortem for the first round of the playoffs before diving into some Burning Burnham Questions and predictions for each second round matchup. Then, Chase brings us home with a very obvious, but still extra sloppy Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode the boys are back to revisit every first round playoff series and revise some of our takes from last week before wrapping up with Jason's star-studded Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode the boys get together to talk about the Warriors getting knocked out of the playoffs by the little brother Kings before diving into their predictions for all eight first round playoff matchups. Then, they wrap up by heading to The Cleve for the Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode Jason, Zack, Chase, and Patrick attempt to craft the perfect collective NBA Awards for this regular season before all sitting down for a giant bite of humble pie as we revisit our preseason over/under predictions. Finally, we wrap up with Zack's Mudpie Moment of the Week where we all take another bite of humble pie.
The Bench Boys are BACK! After a three-week hiatus Jason, Zack, and Patrick (with a few minutes of Dan sprinkled in) reunite to talk through the return of our beloved Joel Embiid, which Western Conference play-in team has the highest potential of going on a deep playoff run, the currently lottery-bound team with the highest chance of jumping into contention next year. We then rank our top current NBA players that are locks to make it to the Hall of Fame after they retire before wrapping up with Dan's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode Chase, Patrick, and Jason visit all of the many injuries that have taken place over the last couple of weeks in the NBA before giving out their confidence meters for top playoff teams. Then, Jason walks us through his thoughts on this year's Oscars before wrapping up with his Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode Dan and Patrick run a little pick and roll action and visit some top questions from both the East and West. They talk about Boston being a juggernaut, playoff predictions, Warriors anxiety watch for Patrick, and revisit the 2021 NBA Draft before wrapping up with Patrick's Mudpie Moment of the Week and giving a mini breakdown of their experience watching Dune: Part Two.
On this week's episode Chase, Jason, and Patrick get together to talk about Wemby's 5X5 game against the Lakers, Mike Conley getting an extension from the Timberwolves, and our beloved Jacque Vaughn getting fired by the Brooklyn Nets. They then go around the league and talk about which of the worst teams has the brightest future, Patrick's level of anxiety with the Warriors rolling again, and what player will be the Paul Atreides of the NBA, in honor of Dune: Part Two hitting theaters this week, before wrapping up with Chase's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode all five of the Goblin Valley Dogs unite to break down all the festivities from All-Star Weekend. Which event was our favorite? Who were the winners from this weekend? Does the All-Star game need to be fixed, and if so, how would we go about fixing it? Then, we dive into our bold(ish) predictions for the rest of the season.
If you're enjoying the pod, don't forget to subscribe, share, and drop us a 5-star review!
On this week's episode the guys talk about Joel Embiid's injury and how much of a role the 65 games played rule might have played in it before breaking down the winners and losers of (real) trade deadline week. How will the new additions in Dallas bolster this Luka-centered Mavs roster? Will Gordon Hayward play a meaningful role in OKC's run this season? What teams that chose not to make a move surprised us the most? We break down all of this and more before wrapping up with Jason's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
It's the most wonderful time of the year: Mock Trade Deadline Extravaganza Week! All five of the guys represent six teams each and break down every fake deal that was made this week. Hilarity, chaos, and plenty of thoughtful takes ensue!
Let us know in the comments which fake trade was your favorite and don't forget to follow, share, and give us a five-star rating!
On this week's episode we cover all the craziness in the league this week: the Bucks firing Adrian Griffin and hiring Doc Rivers, ridiculous simultaneous offensive performances on multiple nights, trades happening across the league, and the announcement of the 2024 All-Star starters. We then debate our own All-Star reserves before handing out our Midseason Benchies and wrapping up with Patrick's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode the guys dish out their midseason NBA awards, including Most Improved Player, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, MVP, and our midseason All-NBA Teams before wrapping up with Zack's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode the guys review Kawhi inking a 3-year, $153 million extension with the Clippers this week, what's causing the legendary blowouts we're seeing this week, a Wizards and Pistons trade, and the Grizzlie's injury woes continuing. Then, they go around the league and talk about the Timberwolves' ability to really compete in the playoffs, whether the Jazz's recent run of wins is sustainable and what Danny Ainge will decide to do this season, where the Nets should go from here after their recent skid, and what's next for the Lakers before wrapping up with Jason's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode Dan and Patrick run a classic pick and roll (slash pick and pop) and visit all the most recent news headlines from this week: the first fan returns on All-Star voting, Draymond being reinstated by the NBA and re-joining the Warriors, and Ricky Rubio retiring after 12 seasons in the NBA. We then go around the league with three questions from each conference; Dan representing the East and Patrick representing the West. Two takesmen. One podcast. No rules.
If you're enjoying the podcast don't forget to follow, share, and drop us a 5-star review!
On this week's episode the guys get together on New Year's Day to rejoice together over the Pistons finally winning a game. Then, we break down the Knicks trading for OG Anunoby before diving into our New Year's Resolutions for the NBA, each bringing two changes we would like to make or things we would like to see within the league from now through the end of the 2023-24 season. And finally, we wrap up with Chase's referee-charged Mudpie Moment of the Week.
If your answer to "all I want for Christmas" is a brand new Bench Reactions episode, we're bringing Christmas to you early with our Christmas extravaganza! The guys get together to talk about Ja's return and his immediate impact on the Grizzlies, the absolute tear Joel has been on recently, and just how bleak things look in Detroit after the Pistons lost their 26th game in a row. They then kick off the Christmas festivities with their letters to Santa and Christmas Day Bonanza where they rank each Christmas day game from best to worst before wrapping up with Zack's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode all of the Bench Reactions boys join to break down a very busy news week in the NBA: Cleveland suffers more injuries to its stars, Daryl Morey gets an extension from the Sixers, game ball drama between Milwaukee and Indiana, Detroit can't buy a win, and Draymond gets suspended indefinitely. Then, we run through our Quarter-Season Superlatives including biggest surprise, best League Pass team, and class clown before wrapping up with Jason's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
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On this week's episode the boys break down all the major storylines from the semis and final of the In-Season Tournament before celebrating the return of the Zack by letting him respond to our takes over the last few weeks with a special edition of "Burning Burnham Responses." We then go around the league by playing a game of "Something or Nothing" before wrapping up with Dan's Shaq-sized Mudpie Moment of the Week.
If you're enjoying the pod please be sure to follow, share, and leave your boys a 5-star review!
On this week's episode Jason, Dan, and Patrick talk through some news of the week, including the Magic's nine game winning streak, Zach LaVine making it very clear he wants out of Chicago, and the quarterfinals of the In-Season Tournament being set. Then, we go around the league to rank our worry levels for currently good, not great Western Conference teams, talk about which players may be currently silently suffering in their situations, and create our own playoff selection committee to debate who we would choose as our top four playoff teams as of today. Then, we review a quick list of players we still believe in despite rocky starts to the season before wrapping up with our Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode Pat and Dan break down the latest NBA news from the last week including some very troubling Josh Giddey allegations, Pop telling Spurs fans to stop booing Kawhi, the Pacers and Hawks offensive combining for 309 points in their game last week, and KD passing Elvin Hayes to move to 11th on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Then, we visit the Hall of Mediocrity by talking about three middle-of-the-pack Eastern conference teams - the Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Toronto Raptors - before moving on to a game of Buy or Sell with Dan. And finally, we wrap up with Pat's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
If you're enjoying the pod, don't forget to subscribe, share, and give us a 5-star review!
On this week's episode the guys talk about Draymond's WWE audition when he put Rudy Gobert in a chokehold two minutes into the Timberwolves vs. Warriors game before revisiting some of our preseason predictions. What takes are we doubling down on, what are we sticking with, and what takes are we already taking back? And finally, we wrap up with Dan's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
If you're enjoying the podcast don't forget to like, follow, share, and drop us a review!
On this week's episode Jason, Dan, and Chase (aka the Rocky Mountain Rollers) break down Tyrese Maxey's incredible 50-point explosion and the Clippers continuing to clip before conducting a league-wide temperature check. Which teams and players are feelin hot, hot, hot, who's meeting expectations, and who should we be mildly and majorly concerned about a few weeks into the season? And finally, we wrap up with Chase's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On today's episode we react to James Harden finally getting his way and getting dealt to the Clippers along with the first games of the In-Season Tournament before going around the rest of the league. We cover teams that didn't make the playoffs last year that we expect to make it this year, Zack's love of Scottie Barnes, Philly's hot start, teams that are off to a sluggish start that we're legitimately worried about, players that have already exceeded our expectations coming into the season, the growing-more-worrisome situation in Memphis, and much more. And finally, we wrap up with Jason's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
If you're enjoying the pod don't forget to follow, give us a 5-star review, and spread the word!
On this week's episode Patrick and Zack bring a little pick-and-roll magic to the pod as they give their very early observations after the first few games of the season. They jump from injuries, to standout players and teams, to favorite League Pass watches, to way-too-early panic teams and more before wrapping up with a "get off my lawn" Mudpie Moment of the Week from Zack.
If you liked this episode (or any other episode we've done) don't forget to follow, share the pod, and drop us a review!
On this week's episode we cook up a delicious three-course meal by bringing you all of our predictions for the 2023-24 NBA season. Will we see any repeat winners from last season? Who will take a leap this year to enter the awards conversation? Which teams will come out of each conference and who will win it all? We also sprinkle in some extra spice with some bold predictions before wrapping up with our Mudpie Moment of the Week.
The NBA is officially back one week from today! On this week's episode we make our way over to the Western Conference and continue our over/unders based on Zack's proprietary formula for power rankings.
See where each of the boys lands with every Western Conference team and don't forget to follow, share, and drop us a five-star review!
On this week's episode our media correspondent, Jason Lamprecht, gives us his favorite quotes from Media Day before we fully (and we mean fully) dive into over/unders for the Eastern Conference based on Zack's proprietary formula for power rankings.
Check it out to see where each of the boys lands with every Eastern Conference team and don't forget to follow, share, and drop us a five-star review (if you think we're worth five stars)!
On this week's episode we talk about the players we're buying low on heading into the new season before diving into our last two preseason prep teams: The Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets. Can Miami bounce back and exceed expectations once again after striking out on Dame? Are the Nuggets now somehow underrated (and if so, can we please not tell Michael Malone)? And finally, we experience a Bench Reactions first as Jrue gets traded to the Celtics while we're recording live!
The boys jump on for an emergency BRAD (Bench Reactions After Dark) episode to break down all the angles of the Dame to Milwaukee trade. Does this make Milwaukee the prohibitive title favorites? How will the Dame and Giannis duo stack up against other past legendary NBA duos? Why didn't Miami or Toronto pull the trigger on trading for him? Where will Jrue end up and what will his impact be on his new team? We talk through all this and more as punchy late-night madness ensues.
On this week's episode Dan, Patrick, and Zack give their thoughts on Toronto emerging as a trade suitor for Dame, Danny Ainge and the Jazz being interested in Tyler Herro, and the Warriors choosing not to sign Dwight Howard before continuing our preseason prep with a trip to San Antonio and Philadelphia. How good should we expect Wemby to be in his rookie season and how will the Spurs front office build around him (and when will Dan be able to pronounce "Wembanyama?")? Can Daryl Morey salvage his relationship with James Harden and convince him to stick around this season in Philly or has that ship sailed, and what impact will all of this madness have on Joel's future in The City of Brotherly Love? And finally, we wrap up with Dan's Mudpie Moment of the Week centered around a former Pacers great.
On this week's episode Dan, Jason, and Patrick head to Toronto, Portland, and Los Angeles as we continue our preaseason prep. We attempt to make sense of what Masai Ujiri's plan is for the Raptors, when the inevitable Dame trade will finally take place and if it's truly Miami or bust, and whether or not the Clippers can finally shed the seemingly unconquerable injury bug to make a real run in the playoffs. And finally, we wrap up with Patrick's thunderous Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode Jason, Zack, and Patrick give a full postmortem on Team USA basketball following their underwhelming performance in the FIBA World Cup. What went wrong, what were our biggest takeaways, and whose stock rose the most as a result of their performance? Then, we head to Indiana and Memphis to continue our preseason prep before wrapping up with Zack's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode Zack, Chase, and Patrick continue our preseason prep by heading to New Orleans, Chicago, and Boston. What can we expect from Zion this season and if he's destined for yet another injury-plagued season, can Brandon Ingram step his game up and carry this Pelicans team to higher heights? Are the Bulls officially the most boring team in the league and what exactly is this front office hoping to accomplish? Is the Celtics' ceiling higher this season with Kristaps Porzingis and will they finally exorcise their playoff demons from the past two seasons? And finally, we wrap up with Chase's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode Patrick, Dan, and Jason do a little three man weave and continue our way-too-early preseason prep by heading to three very sweaty summer cities: Atlanta, Houston, and Phoenix. Will the Hawks continue to be a mediocre playoff team in the East or can Quin Snyder unlock something we haven't seen from Trae? Can the Rockets make immediate improvements with their young talent and new additions under Ime Udoka or are they bound to fall below their own expectations yet again? Phoenix is surprisingly deep and sure to be an offensive juggernaut behind KD, Booker, and Beal, but can Frank Vogel implement a competent defense on their way toward title contention? And finally, we wrap up with a FIBA World Cup-related Mudpie Moment of the Week from Jason.
On this week's episode Jason and Patrick do their best Kobe and Shaq pick and roll impression and Boomshakalaka our way through Detroit, New York City, and San Francisco as we continue our way-too-early preseason prep. Can the Pistons finally make meaningful progress this season behind a hopefully healthy Cade Cunningham? The Knicks seem to finally be a competently-run franchise again after a better-than-expected 2022-23 season, but what's next for them as they play the waiting game for a super-duper star? Do the Warriors have another deep playoff run left in the OG core of Draymond, Klay, and Steph? And finally, Jason gives us a little recommendation station before we wrap up with our Philly breakup Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode we continue our way-too-early preseason prep and try to escape the summer heat by heading to three very cold in the winter places: Minnesota, Utah, and Milwaukee. Will the Timberwolves take a leap from last season and make some real noise in an already crowded Western Conference? Speaking of the crowded Western Conference, what should we actually expect in Utah from the very young, but also competent, but also who-knows-what-Danny Ainge-wants Jazz? Do the Bucks have one last run in them with this core and how much of a difference will a new head coach make? And finally, we wrap up with a Mudpie Moment of the Week from Dan that's jam-PACked full of fun.
On this week's episode Jason, Zack, and Patrick run the triangle offense and continue our way-too-early preseason prep by taking a trip to Charlotte, Brooklyn, and LA. What will development look like for the Hornets' young core and will they be fun to watch again? Can Ben Simmons get back to his 2019 form and what do Brooklyn's short and long-term plans look like? Will this be the Last Dance for the Lebron-led Lakers and how will their rotation shape up? And finally, we wrap up with Jason's patriotic Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode Zack and Patrick run a little pick and roll and continue our way-too-early preseason prep by heading to Washington, Dallas, and Oklahoma City. Will the Wizards end up being more competent than people are expecting heading into the season? What outcomes would we put money on for the Mavericks and how will Luka respond to the brutal end to last season? Will the Thunder take another leap after an exciting 2022-23 season and will there ever become such a thing as too much talent? And finally, we wrap up with Zack's "get off my lawn" Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's bonus Bench Reactions After Dark (BRAD) episode our resident cinephiles, Dan and Jason, reach deep into their film bags to give us their full breakdown on the Barbenheimer experience after seeing both movies twice last weekend. Grab a comfortable recliner and your popcorn and settle in for the biggest summer event of 2023!
On this week's episode we kick off a recurring segment that will see us through until (almost) the start of the 2023-24 NBA season: Way Too Early Preseason Prep. Each week for the next 10 weeks we will deep dive into three teams in the league, revisiting where they finished last season, what offseason moves they've made, what our expectations are for them heading into next season, and, as an added bonus, we'll wrap up each team with a rapid-fire Burning Burnham Question.
This week we assess the Orlando Magic, Sacramento Kings, and Cleveland Cavaliers. Dan just hopes the Magic will be fun again, but can they make a meaningful leap from last season? Will the Kings stay soundly in the Western Conference playoffs or will they make Jason a happy man by backsliding? Can the Cavs overcome the demons they were left with after their brutal first-round playoff exit against the Knicks?
And finally, we wrap with both an NBA and personal Mudpie Moment of the Week from Patrick.
What do you talk about when there’s no basketball to watch? On this week's episode we highlight some Summer League standouts before getting completely unhinged. Barbenheimer, breakfast tacos, music, and churros at Disneyland... this one's got it all.
1:47 Summer League Standouts
18:42 Danalytics Disaster
22:06 The Recommendation Station
33:37 Danalytics Take 2
37:23 Relating I Think You Should Leave Season 3 Sketches to NBA Offseason Storylines
49:52 Mudpie Moment of the Week
On this week's episode we give our reactions to free agency, including moves we liked, moves we disliked, surprises, and what team we feel has won the offseason so far. We then move on to officially wrapping up the 2022-23 NBA season with a winners and losers draft (and show a great mix of pettiness as well as personal growth in the process) before wrapping up with Zack's Mudpie Moment of the Week focused on player empowerment.
If you haven't already, don't forget to like, subscribe, give us a 5-star review, and help us share the pod with your fellow NBA fans (or anyone you know that would enjoy listening to a bunch of dorky friends talk hoops)!
On this week's episode we give some rapid fire reactions to the NBA draft, dive into our summer bucket lists for this offseason and finally, Jason gives us his "it's time to break up" Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode we break down the latest news leading up to the NBA draft on Thursday, including Beal being dealt to Phoenix and Zion stirring up all sorts of drama in The Big Easy before conducting our first ever Bench Reactions Mock Lottery Draft (including Atlanta's pick at the 15 spot). We then wrap up with Chase's Mudpie Moment of the Week centered on new owner syndrome.
On this week's episode we head to Portland and Phoenix to try to figure out what their teams will look like at the start of next season, give our final Finals thoughts, and finally, we wrap up with an Irish Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode we dive into some recent NBA news including the recent head coaching hires across the league and Adam Silver's pre-Finals comments about the Ja situation. Next, we put together our NBA All-Flop First team before giving our thoughts on game 1 of Nuggets vs. Heat. And finally, we wrap up with Zack's Mudpie Moment of the Week centered on recent comments from an NBA legend.
On this week's episode (recorded on the morning of Monday, May 29 before game 7) we talk through our reactions to a wild game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals before diving into some Burning Burnham Questions and wrapping up with Patrick's ref-related Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode brought to you straight from Hogwarts, we talk butterbeer, Viktor Krum, and Gringotts before giving some pretty terrible impressions of Boston accents. Then, we react to the Nuggets beating the Lakers, Miami coming out on fire against Boston, what to expect in the Finals, and finally, we wrap up with Jason's Mudpie Moment of the Week where he calls out all the nonbelievers.
On this BONUS episode we're giving you our after dark takes on the Ja saga before diving into Jason's extremely scientific approach to lottery karma rankings (recorded before the lottery took place).
On this week's episode we dive into some reactions to the Conference Semifinals results, sing some Broadway tunes, preview the Conference Finals matchups, and give an ode to journalistic integrity with Patrick's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode we give out some mid-series superlatives including best player and best game before diving into our keys to each second-round series going forward. Lastly, we get our Mudpie Moment of the Week from Dirty Dan the (Orlando) Magic Man.
On this week's episode we dive deep into our takeaways from all eight round one matchups, what we learned about the winning teams, and what the offseason will look like for the losing teams before giving our predictions for each round two series. And finally, we wrap up with an ode to a Duke legend with Jason's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode we give out our way-too-late collective regular season awards, talk through some key storylines from the playoffs so far, and finally, we wrap up by going on a multi-verse mudpie moment from Zack.
On this week's episode we run through our predictions for all eight first round playoff matchups, from most exciting to least exciting, before wrapping up with Chase's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode, we answer the following questions: Should the NBA rethink the way the lottery is currently constructed? Can you name any of the starting lineup for the game 82 Portland Trailblazers? Is Jeenathan Williams the name of a real NBA player? If Luka ends up asking for a trade, who will have the assets to get him? Do we like the current conference playoff seeding structure or would we prefer going to a 1-16 setup? What are our favorite basketball movies ever? And finally, we wrap up with a Dallas-sized Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On today's episode, we're bringing you a little three-man weave with Jason, Dan, and Patrick. We take a look at our own tiers for the remaining potential playoff teams, completely botch at least one movie title, and bring a little charisma and a lot of heart.
Paul George goes down with an injury, Dallas continues to struggle, daily changes in the Western Conference Play-In race, and Jaylen Brown's recent comments about his future. That, plus: What highly-seeded Western Conference playoff team should the lower seeds want to face? Which of the worst teams in the league will make it back to the playoffs in the shortest amount of time? What should the NBA's premiere individual award be? And finally, we wrap up with a March Madness-themed Mudpie Moment of the Week from Jason.
It's Spring Break for most of the Bench Reactions crew, but Zack and Patrick hop on to talk news of the week, including Joel Embiid catapulting himself into frontrunner territory for MVP, before visiting the current state of play in both conferences: How far can Philly go in the playoffs with how they're currently playing? What exactly happened to the Pelicans this season? Is Boston losing momentum as they head into the playoffs? Can Dallas make real noise in the playoffs with Luka and Kyrie at the helm? Where does Toronto go from here? Are there any legitimate championship contenders in the West? And finally, we wrap up with Zack's mini Mudpie Moments of the Week.
How will KD's injury impact a potential Suns playoff run? Can anyone in the East truly challenge Milwaukee for a Finals spot? Do the Heat have any chance at all to make real noise in the playoffs? What teams have the highest expectations and the most to lose heading into the playoffs? Who is our MVP pick at this point in the season? We also head over to Hollywood for some Oscars talk before crossing the Golden Gate Bridge for our Mudpie Moment of the Week.
On this week's episode we talk about two Eastern Conference teams that have recently been on a tear: the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks, before dedicating the rest of the episode to the wild, wild West, including what playoff seeding would look like if Adam Silver were to fix the matchups based on maximizing TV ad revenue. And finally, we wrap up with Jason's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
After Atlanta dismissed Nate McMillan last week, what impact will the hiring of Quin Snyder have on the rest of this Hawks' season and beyond? Will the Clippers' entire identity shift after bringing Russ on board? We dive into those questions and eight more burning questions for the remainder of this NBA season, before ending with Dan's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
LIVE from Salt Lake City (ok, just Chase is in SLC, but still), it's the Bench Reactions boys! On this week's episode, we give our reactions to all the All-Star Weekend festivities before diving into some boldish predictions for the rest of this season: from how playoff seeding will shake out for some teams, to shattered hopes and dreams for some franchises, to the lottery, and much more. Finally, we wrap up with Zack's Mudpie Moment of the Week, which morphs into yet another take to add to our push to get him a job in the NBA league office.
How will Kyrie and Luka look together? Does getting KD put the Suns over the top as title favorites? Can the new additions in LA help the team with a playoff push or is it too late? What other fringe moves will actually make a difference? As we all recover from the pure insanity that occurred in the NBA over the last week, we do a deep dive into the trades that took place before wrapping up with Chase's poetic Mudpie Moment of the Week.
In this week's episode we attempt to represent all 30 teams in the NBA in a mock trade deadline extravaganza. It's beautiful, it's chaotic, it's ridiculous, but most of all, it's fun. Join us as we walk through all of the fake trades we made with each other over the last week!
On this week's episode we're talking all things All-Star Game: We react to the starters being announced last Thursday, give our own picks to fill out the rest of our ASG reserves, and finally, we wrap up with Jason's impassioned Mudpie Moment of the Week.
How do we feel about the third and final update on fan voting for the All-Star Game? Which teams in the West are starting to rise above the rest of the pack? What will the future in OKC look like? Can Phoenix, Portland, or Indiana turn things around after a rough few weeks? Plus, we walk through the bottom five teams in the league and debate their chances at landing Wemby before wrapping up with Zack's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
With KD reported to be sidelined for about a month with a sprained MCL, how will the Nets respond? Plus, we run through our midseason NBA award ballots, dole out our very first midseason "Benchies" awards, and wrap up with Dirty Dan's Mudpie Moment of the Week.
LeBron went off on his 38th birthday, but what can we do to fix the Lakers this season and beyond? Would you choose the Pacers' or Kings' future? With the entire West separated by just a handful of games, who will represent the West in the Finals? Have the refs been as bad as Twitter thinks this season? And we do some "buy or sell" with Dan before wrapping up with yet another Minnesota Mudpie Moment.
Luka made history this week with the first ever 60 point, 20 rebound, and 10 assist game, but what will the rest of the Mavs season look like? What direction should Orlando take after their recent string of victories? Is Joel being overlooked for MVP? Is it finally time to start taking the Clippers seriously again? And we wrap up with some New Year's Resolutions for the rest of the 2023 NBA season.
Lots of injuries around the league but then recently, Steph and AD go down. What will it mean to GS and the Lakers? Christmas is right around the corner, and although we’re no longer kids (at least age-wise), we still have some things we would like to ask Santa for this Christmas.
Was Zion Williamson out of line to dunk at the end of their last game with the Suns? Are the Nets a real basketball team now? Will Luka stay in Dallas if he can't win a championship there? And we are working with the boys alognside Patrick.
Trae Young didn't seem too happy to have his rehab plans dashed by Head Coach Nate McMillan, we go around the league and share our tops questions about being at the quarter mark of the season, and our resident foreign diplomat Zack breaks down how he would negotiate and orchestrate a trade to turn a team on the bubble into a serious contender.
ZACK FINALLY JOINS THE POD! Tune in as we discuss Pat Bev's shoving Deandre Ayton in the back resulting in a suspension, how it compares to Adam Silver dealing with Kyrie Irving. We each share one under-the-radar player we're keeping our eye on, and we go to work with Chase to analyze and breakdown Kevin Durant's PR fiasco of how he defended asking for a trade in the offseason.
The Cavs are struggling with their clutch minutes, The Laker are strugging... in general. How legit are the Jazz really? We take a walk through the Hall of Mediocrity at all of the mid teams in the NBA, Jason uses his skills as a public defender to practice defending his arch nemesis Rob Pelinka, and Pat's mudpie moment of the week is a deep dive on Tony Jones' deleted tweet...
The Dunder Mifflin Nets continue to clog NBA headlines, confident takes nearing three weeks into the season, not many teams are looking really great, and Jason lets us know his quite surprising hot take for mudpie of the week.
We share our biggest surprises of the season, our under-the-radar players to watch, and the mudpie moments of the week.
What is Rob Pelinka thinking? Why should everyone watch Detroit this year? Ja Morant in the MVP conversation? We dive in.
The inaugural episode!!! Dan, Pat, Jason, and Chase preview the 22-23 season by dishing hot takes about the Draymond/Jordan Poole drama, who should end up with Victor Wembanyama, and our over/unders.