The Ringer NBA Show — Group Chat (April 6, 2026): Team Award Picks: All-NBA, All-Defense, and More

Episode Overview

In their annual end-of-regular-season “team awards” episode, Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and J. Kyle Mann assemble to debate and select the All-NBA, All-Defense, and All-Rookie teams for 2025-26. The conversation is shaped by this season’s tumultuous 65-game eligibility rules, lingering tanking narratives, a historic rookie class, and evolving player archetypes. Lively, candid banter, detailed statistical analysis—and pointed gripes—anchor an episode that’s both a love letter and a roast to this era’s NBA.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Awards Criteria and the 65-Game Rule

• The hosts open by discussing how the NBA’s 65-game eligibility rule has dramatically upended the awards process.
  • Many superstar names (Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker, Steph Curry, etc.) are on the borderline or ineligible due to injury or qualifying minute cutoffs, fundamentally altering the All-NBA field.
  • "The 65 game rule just like completely puts a damper on all this. I feel like half of these guys...wouldn't make it." — Justin [05:01]
  • The “actuary” grind of tracking minute thresholds and technical appeals (e.g., Luka seeking exception for missed games due to the birth of his child) is called “asinine” by the group.

The Luka Doncic Eligibility Saga

• An extended segment (06:33—10:00) details ongoing confusion about Luka’s eligibility: he’s filing a grievance for missed personal games.
  • “I just don’t know why we have to do this in the first place.” — Rob [07:47]
  • The group jokes about potential marketing opportunities (“Can you imagine the fatherhood branding of ‘I'm such a good dad I gave up the potential MVP?’” — Rob [08:48])
  • The mounting influencer/agent PR campaigns for award slots (“This whole thing is silly.” — Justin [09:02])

All-NBA Teams Breakdown

Eligibility Caveats

• Noteworthy players in eligibility limbo: Luka, Cade, Wemby (if he sits out any more), Devin Booker (disqualified for low minutes in two games), Giannis, Steph.
  • This situation results in some All-NBA Third Team slots going to “weird” candidates—highlighting how unusual the current era is.

First Team All-NBA

Unanimous locks:

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

• Nikola Jokic

• Victor Wembanyama

• “No question. And not just easy, but, like, have to be first team, right? There's really no debate about it.” — Rob [11:10]

Key Conversation: Wemby vs. Jokic

• Discussion of their recent matchup as revitalizing the end of the regular season.
  • “Jokic is just a fucking trebuchet that can be leaned and launched at basically any way that he needs to...” — Rob [13:39]

Final Two Spots Debate:

• Candidates: Kawhi Leonard, Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brunson, Luka (pending appeal)
• Rob’s ballot: Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell
• Kyle’s ballot: Jaylen Brown, Luka (pending)
• Justin’s ballot: Jaylen Brown, Kawhi
  • Consensus: Kawhi as a lock; Brown vs. Mitchell discussed at length.
  • Key arguments: Brown (team impact, two-way value, usage), Mitchell (offensive creation, carrying injured Cavs)
  • “As a floor-raising creator, Donovan, you know, inarguably is higher than Jaylen.” — Kyle [20:16]
  • “Team results matter in this context when we're talking about the slimmest of margins.” — Justin [21:33]

Second Team All-NBA

Common selections:

• Jalen Brunson: “Brunson and KD feel pretty matter of fact to me...I think Brunson will make almost everyone second team just based on the load that he carries for the Knicks.” — Rob [25:05]
• Kevin Durant: “The most representative KD season… everything is chaotic around him, and yet he's just like a paragon of efficiency.” — Justin [27:28]
• Jamal Murray: Described as having his best season, finally “available as hell,” and having leveled up his playmaking and reliability. [29:35–30:50]

Spots/Order Debated:

• Tyrese Maxey: Supported by Rob/Kyle for second team due to heavy workload, adaptability, “massive” minutes.
• Jalen Johnson: Justin’s second-teamer for his “Giannis-lite” impact; others have him third.

Third Team All-NBA

Candidates (fragmented due to ineligibility):

• Common picks: Chet Holmgren, Jalen Duren, Karl-Anthony Towns, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey (for Justin), Jalen Johnson, Scotty Barnes.
• Hosts collectively lament the “mess” and how many “best players” are missing entirely.

Hard Choices:

• “When I think of, like, the best players of this season, I am definitely not going to think of Chet Holmgren, Jalen Duren, Karl Anthony Towns...” — Justin [42:02]
• Harden’s “weird, quiet season” is lauded for steady, adaptable play despite external chaos.
• Scotty Barnes considered for immense defensive leap, even with up-and-down team context.

Honorable Mentions:

• Bam Adebayo, Deni Avdija, Evan Mobley (for defense), Lou Dort, Alex Caruso (ineligible due to games played).
• “Bam...worst offensive season of his career, probably at least efficiency-wise… there's something about picking a big for all NBA who's shooting 44%...” — Rob [54:28]

All-Defense Teams

First Team (Core Consensus)

• Victor Wembanyama (lock)
• Chet Holmgren (lock)
• Rudy Gobert (lock)
• Scotty Barnes (universal consensus but discussed at length)
• Fifth spot split:
  • Derek White (Justin/Kyle): Described as the “best defensive player on the Celtics.”
  • Bam Adebayo (Rob): For positional impact, but not an “automatic” over elite perimeter stoppers.

Discussion:

• The tendency for modern defense lists to be “five bigs” is bemoaned, with the group noting many premier perimeter stoppers.
• “He’s not a pure stopper, he's not a pure rim protector, he's just fucking everywhere all the time.” — Rob (on Scotty Barnes) [63:19]
• “I think OG [Anunoby] can be in that category as well. I think Derek White is kind of in that category in his way.” — Rob [63:19]

Second Team

Most notable/consistent names:

• Asar Thompson (“kind of holding that [perimeter stopper] title for me”—Rob [64:13])
• Derrick White (if not on first)
• Cason Wallace
• Evan Mobley (Justin/Rob)
• Stefan Castle (Rob highlights his advanced screen navigation and relentless on-ball defense.)

Other names discussed: Dyson Daniels, Jaden McDaniels, OG Anunoby (not unanimous), Isaiah Stewart, Isaiah Hartenstein, Lou Dort, Kamara.

Honorable Mention Stats:

• Donovan Clingan leads league in contested shots by a margin of 173 (!) [67:38]
• Evan Mobley’s rim protection “minus-11” is cited as elite but possibly overshadowed by uneven team defense.

All-Rookie Teams

Unanimous Praise for the 2026 Class

• “Probably the best crop of all rookie team nominees that I can remember. Like this was not a struggle; if anything, I wanted four teams to put together here.” — Justin [71:40]

First Team (near-consensus):

• Cooper Khan
• Stephon Castle
• Ace Bailey (split with Cowherd)
• Edgecombe
• Dylan Harper

Kurt Cowherd vs. Ace Bailey for 5th spot:

• Case made for both: Cowherd more consistent start-to-finish, Bailey higher “highs” and huge post-All-Star output.
• “I just think his highs being younger could. He could reach higher heights, I think than Coward.” — Kyle [73:08]

Second Team:

• Cowherd/Bailey (whichever left out)
• Maxime Renault (“Magnifique this season”)
• DeQueen
• Colin “Murray” Boyles
• Fears

Other mentions: Cockbrenner (“lunch pail, nose for the ball”), Trey Johnson, Ugo, Will Riley, Sion James.

Honorable mention/what-if:

• “Yanncona Niederhauser does not get injured,” says Rob—could have cooked up an all-rookie case. [78:30]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Jokic is just a fucking trebuchet that can be leaned and launched at basically any way that he needs to to fit the moment.” — Rob [13:39]
• “Team results matter in this context when we're talking about like the slimmest of margins.” — Justin [21:33]
• “It's going to allow some opportunity on the back end. It's going to sound like jv allow us some opportunity to lobby you for your Devin Booker spot.” — Rob [10:00]
• “Yet another assist for James Harden.” — Kyle (on Harden’s impact everywhere) [50:00]
• “Avoid this dude is pretty good, honestly.” — Rob, proposing a new defensive stat category for players like Scotty Barnes [62:35]

Other Segments

Tanking & End-of-Year Vibes

• Episode opens (03:56—05:09) with panel lamenting the record number of blowouts and tanking shenanigans but lauds the playoff excitement brought by games like Wemby vs. Jokic.
• "There was all this talk about tanking, honestly getting worse than we even thought it already had been." — Justin [03:56]

Brief College Hoops Aside

• Mike Malone (ex-Nuggets coach) unexpectedly takes UNC job; group discusses NBA coaches moving to NIL-heavy NCAA, recruiting challenges, and coaching job market. [79:08–83:36]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 05:09 — 10:00: 65-game rule headaches & Luka eligibility saga
• 11:10 — 23:21: First Team All-NBA debate ("locks" + Brown/Mitchell/Kawhi/Luka conundrum)
• 23:31 — 32:00: Second team All-NBA construction (Brunson, KD, Jamal Murray, Maxey/Johnson choices)
• 40:42 — 55:03: Third team All-NBA agony, hard cuts, and honorable mentions
• 56:02 — 70:36: All-Defense teams, foundational logic, perimeter stopper debate, statistical leader oddities
• 71:40 — 78:30: All-Rookie team (stacked class, close calls, future stars)

Tone & Delivery

• Candid, self-aware, and sometimes exasperated tone: “This is so disappointing, but whatever.” — Justin [54:20]
• Frequent, playful roasts (“You fucked up” — Rob [01:19] about Justin’s “juju” hat)
• Frequent sidebars and jokes about NBA fan/online discourse
• Deep dives into stat minutiae (archetype debates, rim protection, plus-minus, etc.)
• Affection for the season’s breakout players and rookies, in spite of rule-induced chaos.

Final Thoughts

This episode is a time capsule reflecting the NBA’s transition era: injuries, new rules, and the rise of young, multi-skilled talent disrupt traditional hierarchies and award processes. The hosts manage to be both deeply analytical and truly irreverent, making this conversation essential both for understanding 2025-26’s best—and for appreciating just how weird “the league” has gotten.