The Ringer NBA Show: "Jimmy Butler Suffers a Torn ACL. Plus, Real Ones All-Star Reserves"

Episode Date: January 20, 2026
Hosts: Logan Murdock, Raja Bell, Howard Beck
Podcast Feed: “Real Ones” — The Ringer NBA Show

Episode Overview

This episode opens on a somber note as Logan Murdock, Raja Bell, and Howard Beck react to the devastating news that Jimmy Butler has torn his right ACL, an injury expected to sideline him for the rest of the season and likely into next year. The hosts unpack the wide-ranging ramifications for Butler, the Golden State Warriors' future, Steph Curry's legacy and window, and the embattled front office. In the second part, the trio debates and selects their All-Star reserves under the NBA's new, somewhat confusing three-team (USA/World) format, sharing strong opinions on selection philosophy, player value, and the process itself.

Key Discussion Points

1. The Impact of Jimmy Butler’s Torn ACL

[00:45 - 33:28]

Immediate Ramifications for the Warriors

• Loss of Hope: Butler’s injury is described frankly as a "death blow" to the Warriors’ season, effectively crushing any hopes of true contention in the West. (Howard Beck, 02:19)
• Thin Roster Exposed: The team's lack of depth is laid bare, with the trio noting that the campaign's success relied heavily on the trio of Jimmy Butler, Steph Curry, and Draymond Green. “They don’t really have much of a bench. They don’t really have much of a front court.” (Logan, 07:09)
• Playoff Prognosis: Without Butler, Howard is skeptical the Warriors can do more than hang on for play-in status, let alone make a run. (02:19-05:27)

Steph Curry's Closing Window

• Obligation to Steph: The hosts repeatedly highlight the duty of Warriors brass to maximize the remaining prime years of Curry’s career. “You have an obligation to the player… to the basketball universe, to history, to your fans.” (Howard, 21:44 & 23:17)
• Steepening Climb: Raja (05:34) empathizes from a player’s perspective and notes that rehab only gets harder with age. There's frustration that yet another injury derails what’s left of Curry’s chasing-championship window. “This just falls right into that bucket… them wasting Steph’s whatever window is left.”

Front Office Moves and Kaminga’s Standoff

• Kaminga Situation: Both sides (Warriors, Kaminga) have “completely mismanaged” the situation. Trading him now, when leverage is lowest, likely yields little. “The negotiating position, their leverage just tanks because now everybody knows they’re… more desperate.” (Logan/Howard, 09:30-10:21)
• Questionable Team Building: The “two timelines” approach is lambasted as misguided hubris—using high lottery picks to draft for the future rather than maximize Steph’s era. “Every young player that they’ve drafted in the last five years to me has been almost a wasted opportunity because… those picks had value.” (Howard, 23:17)
  • Memorable line (Raja, 23:20): “If you don’t know who they will become, I know who they won’t fucking become... They won’t become Stephen Curry.”
• Ownership’s Role: Ownership, notably Joe Lacob, is implicated for meddling and insistence on “winning the draft,” hurting basketball decisions and fostering arrogance. (Logan, 28:28–31:40)

Cultural and Psychological Fallout

• Locker Room Deflation: Raja describes the psychological shell shock—losing a true pillar like Butler is “deflation,” not something a “next man up” can fix. (12:12-13:28)
• Cultural Fractures: The team’s “vibes” and trust have not been good; frustration and cracks in relationships (Draymond incidents, rotations) are now intensified. (14:12-15:08)

What’s Next for Golden State?

• Front Office Dilemma: The Warriors are caught between preserving assets for some imagined future and doing right by Steph in the present. Ownership “speaks out of both sides of their mouth” regarding willingness to deal picks. (Logan, 19:36)
• The Brutal Reality: “There is no post Steph Curry future. If you’re lucky, you may find another star… but you’re not finding another top ten all-time player.” (Howard, 23:37)
• Jimmy’s Future & Legacy: At 37 and coming off a major injury, Butler’s career outlook is in doubt, as is his contract value. “I don’t know what goes forward with this.” (Logan, 07:09)
• Parallels to Dirk and LeBron: The hosts draw connections to Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James’s late-career struggles with team mismanagement stunting their twilight years. (Logan, 34:18; Howard, 21:44)

2. 2026 All-Star Reserves: Roster Debates and Confusing Format

[38:08 - 61:22]

NBA’s New All-Star Game Format - “Needlessly Confusing”

• Three-Team Mess: Howard rails against the format—two USA teams and a “World Team,” but ballots are still East/West, not USA/World. “It’s really fucking confusing… fans don’t want to go to a game and try to do a math problem all the time.” (Howard, 38:08–39:26)
• All-Star as Barometer: All-Star nods are now ever more suspect as measures of greatness or Hall-of-Fame candidacy. “It’s all fucked up. All-NBA… needs to be the barometer.” (Howard, 39:39)

Western Conference All-Star Reserve Picks

(Logan’s, Raja’s, Howard’s lists below)

• Locks/Agreement:
  • Anthony Edwards
  • Jamal Murray
  • Kevin Durant
  • Deni Avdija (“Deni from Portland” — all three, as a nod to Portland’s better-than-expected season)
  • Chet Holmgren (universal inclusion)
• Debated/In the Mix:
  • Devin Booker (Logan and Raja favor for winning, steady production)
  • Sengun (Logan, Raja)
  • Kawhi Leonard (Raja, but not Logan or Howard)
  • LeBron James & James Harden (Howard, arguing for star power and performance despite games missed)
• Selection Philosophies:
  • Logan, on Booker: “I wanted to reward that… Suns are seventh in the West, a feat unto itself.” (44:47)
  • Howard, on LeBron: “He’s still playing at an incredible level and I think he's absolutely worthy… yeah, he’s LeBron. And yeah, he’s 41. And yeah, it’s in LA.” (47:14–47:52)
  • Raja, on games played/tradeoffs: “LeBron came down to me. It was about games played… but games played hurt.” (46:53)

Eastern Conference All-Star Reserve Picks

• Locks (in some form):
  • Jalen Johnson
  • Donovan Mitchell
  • Scotty Barnes
  • Jalen Duren
• Others discussed:
  • Michael Porter Jr (Raja, Howard: big individual jump, “central piece” for Brooklyn)
  • Norman Powell & Pascal Siakam (Howard: Powell kept Heat afloat, Siakam producing despite Pacers’ struggles)
  • Karl-Anthony Towns (Logan, hesitant but in: “He is having a great individual season,” [56:53])
• Difficulty Filling Eastern Spots:
  • “There just aren’t seven worthy guys.” (Howard, 53:55)
  • “It is really difficult… impossible exercise.” (Raja, 49:56)
• Team Success vs. Individual Achievement:
  • “I put the emphasis on winning… I just couldn’t get over the record.” (Logan, 56:53)
  • “All-Star is an individual achievement… team record matters a little…” (Howard, 49:11)
• Humor on League Pass/Wildcards: Discussion of picks like Lamelo Ball or Michael Porter Jr as “League Pass team” rewards; plenty of friendly roasting about obscure or controversial picks.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Warriors’ crisis:
  “This is a death blow to the season. Like, there’s no two ways about it. Any hope the Warriors had of being more than a first round and out team is gone.”
  — Howard Beck, 02:19

• Frustration with the two timelines:
  “If you don’t know who they will become, I know who they won’t fucking become… [They won’t become Steph Curry].”
  — Raja Bell, 23:20

• On the moral basketball duty to Steph:
  “You have an obligation… to do everything possible to make their last years of greatness meaningful… Do whatever you gotta do to make the last years of Steph Curry’s career viable and relevant. Do not relegate him to annual play-in games and or first round and out. Give him a fighting chance. That’s your obligation.”
  — Howard Beck, 23:17 & 25:24

• On the confusion of All-Star formats:
  “It’s really fucking confusing… fans don’t want to go to a game and try to do a math problem all the time.”
  — Howard Beck, 38:08–39:26

• On Steph still being “superhuman”:
  “He’s still out there doing superhuman stuff. And that makes it a harder pill to swallow.”
  — Raja Bell, 33:10

• On Deni Avdija (“Denny from Portland”):
  “He’s hooping… up nine points per game and double the amount of assists… putting the ball in his hands.”
  — Raja Bell, 46:53

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:45 – News of Jimmy Butler’s torn ACL, scene-setting, implications for season
• 02:19 – Howard’s deep dive into Warriors’ playoff prospects, “death blow” quote
• 05:34 – Raja’s veteran/player perspective on Butler’s injury, “window being wasted”
• 07:09 – Deep dive on Warriors’ roster flaws, the “marriage of convenience” with Butler
• 09:30 – Kaminga situation and trade leverage dissolving
• 19:36 – Ownership’s hesitance to move picks, paradox of “doing right by Steph”
• 23:17 – Howard’s historical front office critique of two timelines
• 28:28 – Arrogance, ownership meddling, and missed opportunities
• 34:18 – Parallels to Dirk Nowitzki and Mark Cuban post-championship management
• 38:08 – Shifting to All-Star debate; Howard’s rant on confusing format
• 41:01 – All-Star picks, Western Conference (Logan, Raja, Howard)
• 47:14 – Debating LeBron, Book, Kawhi, Deni
• 49:56 – Raja laments “impossible exercise” of All-Star picks
• 53:10 – Discussion of Eastern Conference locks and snubs
• 56:53 – Struggling to balance individual vs. team success in All-Star picks
• 59:18 – All-Star as individual achievement, entertainment, and defense
• 60:38 – Wrapping All-Star picks; lighthearted banter

Final Thoughts

This episode spotlights the harsh intersection of fate and front office strategy in the NBA. The loss of Jimmy Butler lays bare the fragility of even a storied franchise like Golden State’s title window, especially when hindered by “arrogance” and bet-hedging. The discussion on All-Star selection captures both the love of the game and the mounting frustration with league marketing tactics.

In sum: A must-listen for anyone invested in the fate of Steph Curry, the short-termist vs. long-termist team-building debate, or just looking for sharp, opinionated, and at times hilarious breakdowns of the NBA’s current state of play.