The Ringer NBA Show: Who Really Runs the West? Plus, Steph and Under Armour Part Ways (Nov 15, 2025)

Hosts: Logan Murdock (“LoLo”), Raja Bell, Cliff

Episode Overview

This episode of The Ringer NBA Show’s “Real Ones” dives deep into the shifting hierarchy of the Western Conference early in the 2025–26 NBA season. The crew breaks down where the West’s elite and upstart teams stand—including Oklahoma City, Denver, San Antonio, Houston, the Lakers, and the sliding Clippers—highlighting player development, roster construction, concerns over chasing records, and tactical nuances. The episode concludes with the big business news that Stephen Curry is parting ways with Under Armour to spin off his Curry Brand. The hosts bring their trademark blend of insight, banter, and real talk, offering listeners analysis, behind-the-scenes context, and predictions, with a few shoutouts to random musical releases and more.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Oklahoma City Thunder: Sustained Greatness and the Dangers of Chasing Records

[04:30 – 13:43]

• Thunder’s Hot Start: OKC is “rolling per usual”—12–1, highest net rating in the NBA, 4th in offensive efficiency, 1st in opponent scoring.
• Raja: “I do think they are the best team in the West right now. But I think the gap has closed a little bit from last year… I would say to them about chasing that record—don't do it, don't do it.” (05:13)
• Logan: “The problem with chasing these records is you end up playing playoff basketball for like four or five months straight... by the time you win the record, you’re already exhausted… and then, once you get to the postseason, you have to sustain that. Not only the pressure of winning back-to-back, but finishing the job.” (06:52)
• Defensive Clinic: Thunder’s “master class defensive pressure” against the Lakers highlighted their depth and team defense.
• Multiple Playmakers: Rare among contenders: more than two playmakers who can get their own shot; especially evident when contrasting OKC with teams like the Lakers.
• Youthful Drive: Raja praises the chip on OKC’s shoulder: “They still seem to have this kind of organic, I-have-something-to-prove mentality about them across the roster, like even with their better players.” (15:21)
• Team Youthfulness Enabling Relentlessness: Raja: “They’re pretty youthful. If anyone’s got the legs to do it, it could be them.” (11:07)
• Notable Stat: SGA (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) is 2nd in the NBA, scoring 32.5 ppg, only playing in the 4th quarter in 6 games so far. (20:46)
• Notable Quote: “Dog, how they put the clamps on the Lakers was a sight to behold. That was a master class defensive pressure.” – Logan (10:08)
• Cultural Perception: The youth “love them,” while some older fans see the team as lacking “fun.” (15:00)

2. Denver Nuggets: Deeper, Tougher, Still Jokic-Driven

[22:16 – 30:40]

• Jokic’s Dominance: Continuing MVP form—55 points, 12 rbs vs Clippers; Nuggets on a six-game win streak.
• Logan (re: their sustained viability): “The Nuggets with Jokic [are] like the Spurs with Tim [Duncan], where they’re always in the weeds because he’s there… he seems to be just a great equalizer.” (24:16)
• Raja: “Where they’ve really closed the gap is defensively. They are now defending like a top-tier NBA team.” (23:04)
• Deepened Roster: Addition of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Cam Johnson have strengthened the supporting cast, especially defensively.
• Bench Impact: “Y on/off [stat] is seven points higher than last year, which means they're not losing nearly as much as they did last year when he's off the floor.” (28:47)
• *Logan pokes fun at previous debates on coaching decisions, with both giving credit to David Adelman for improvements.

3. San Antonio Spurs: On the Cusp—But a Step Behind

[31:12 – 36:50]

• Wemby Ascending: Victor Wembanyama is demonstrating MVP-level impact; Spurs are 8–3, riding excellent play from last year’s ROY Stefan Castle.
• Learning Curve: Both hosts agree the Spurs’ biggest hurdles are seasoning and situational awareness: “They need a calming presence… They’re OKC two years ago.” – Logan (32:00)
• Castle’s Next Step: Needs to be that offensive organizer and calming force, especially in crunch time.
• "A Year Away": Raja: “I think they are a year away from really battling for that [top tier].”
• Mitchell Johnson’s Growth: Spurs’ coach receives praise for player relationships, but the hosts emphasize he’ll need to grow as the team matures into contention.

4. Houston Rockets: Beautiful Chaos and the Need for a Point Guard

[39:45 – 48:44]

• Surprising Surge: Rockets started 0–2, now won 7 of 8. ShanGoon and KD thriving (“KD” here refers to Kevin Durant, now on Houston), with improved spacing minus Jalen Green.
• No True PG, No Problem? Raja: “I was maybe wrong, at least early in the season, about how badly I thought they needed a replacement for Fred Van Vleet… I like the Rockets a lot.”
• Beautiful Chaos: Logan: “Their offense is just chaos. It’s beautiful chaos, but it’s chaos nonetheless.” (43:14)
• Offensive Rebounding Power: #1 in league by a full rebound per game.
• Leadership & Stability: Both hosts think the Rockets will eventually need a calm, steadying point guard to survive playoff scrutiny—suggesting names like Derrick White or Kobe White.
• Raja (on Shangoon): “I might even throw him lightweight in the category just below those bigs that we talked about earlier… You could give him the ball and something’s gonna happen.” (42:31)

5. Los Angeles Lakers: Fun Story, But a Defensive Liability

[48:44 – 54:35]

• LeBron’s Return Looms: Lakers are 8–4, but LeBron hasn’t played due to back issues (“sciatica” jokes).
• Defensive Holes: “They have three playmakers [AR, Luka, LeBron] but neither one plays defense… there was a blueprint [in the OKC blowout loss].” – Logan (50:00)
• **Raja: “Their three best players are all targets [defensively]…” (53:09)
• Mid-tier Team: Both put Lakers a tier below the Texas teams (Houston/Spurs)—"middle of the pack offense, bottom third defense."
• Sustainability Concerns: Anthony Davis played well against Wemby, but questions about sustainability and the team’s ceiling persist.

6. Los Angeles Clippers: Aging, Rudderless, and In Decline

[54:50 – 58:14]

• Crumbling Roster: Bradley Beal out for the season, Kawhi Leonard rarely playing, and team is 3–8.
• Logan: “They’re basically the Pelicans with better weather, bro, in a nicer arena. They don’t got their picks…”
• Raja: “They are old. They look old. They are old.”
• Clippers “bottom third offensively and defensively”: No hope for meaningful turnaround.
• Tough Look: Highlighting how social media has turned on Beal (“what they’re doing… is just so disrespectful”).

7. Stephen Curry Leaving Under Armour: The Future of the Curry Brand

[58:23 – 66:44]

• Steph/Under Armour Split: Curry will leave Under Armour and focus on his own Curry Brand. Under Armour will “focus on their core brand” amidst their business turnaround.
• What Next? Logan speculates a Tiger Woods-style path for Curry, creating a standalone Curry Brand, possibly with foreign investment (“Could sell Curry Brand as a standalone entity like Tiger Woods is doing it” (63:58)).
• Legacy & Retros: Due to the Under Armour era, Steph/Nike reconnection (a la Kobe’s late-career Nike move) would offer little “retro” value.
• Memorable Quote: “Nike should have kept Steph. But because he went with Under Armour... they're always going to be tied together. It’s just hard timing for everybody involved.” – Logan (63:58)
• Sneaker Free Agency: Logan is excited to see which kicks Steph rocks during “sneaker free agency.”
• Raja’s Personal Story: His son, an Under Armour kid, loved going to Curry Camp—a community element that could shift with the brand’s new direction.

8. Real Ones of the Week & Cultural Shoutouts

[67:02 – End]

• Raja Bell: Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge—their repeated MLB MVP dominance (“Real Ones of the Week: Two MVPs, multiple times.”)
• Logan: Summer Walker’s long-awaited album and a mention for Meek Mill’s latest drop.
• Playful Banter: Logan jokes about switching baseball allegiances for Shohei; discusses the cultural resonance of Summer Walker’s music.

Notable Quotes

• On Chasing Records: “Don’t chase it, don’t do it… historically, those teams that were really good the year before… and then they come out hot, and they’re playing great—it’s hard to sustain that.” – Raja Bell (06:16)
• On OKC’s Defensive Identity: “They are still like the best defensive team in the NBA… flexibility and versatility makes it pretty cool to watch them play defensively.” – Raja (11:07)
• On Nuggets’ Dependability: “With Jokic, you’re always going to be viable… your floor is really, really high as a team.” – Raja (26:05)
• On Houston Rockets' Style: “I don’t know exactly what they’re doing… It’s beautiful chaos, but that Bucs game was exhilarating.” – Logan (45:48)
• On Lakers’ Defensive Woes: “Their three best players—Luka, Braun, Austin Reeves—are all searchable [defensive liabilities]… tough to be a really good defensive team.” – Raja (53:53)
• On Steph & Under Armour Split: “It’s an all time fumble from Under Armour.” – Logan (61:17)
• On Clippers’ Demise: “What do you want me to say? They’re old. They look old. They are old.” – Raja (57:05)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Thunder’s Hot Start & Dangers of Chasing Records: 04:30–13:43
• Thunder’s Depth & Playmaker Discussion: 10:12–15:21
• Thunder’s Youthful Mentality: 13:43–17:21
• Denver’s Defensive Leap & Jokic’s Influence: 22:16–30:40
• Comparing Jokic to Tim Duncan’s Spurs: 24:16–27:28
• Spurs’ Progress & Wemby’s Maturation: 31:12–36:50
• Houston Rockets: Offense, KD Fit, Need for a PG: 39:45–48:44
• Lakers’ Ceiling With/Without LeBron: 48:44–54:35
• Clippers’ Downfall & Roster Problems: 54:50–58:14
• Stephen Curry x Under Armour Business Split & Sneaker Free Agency: 58:23–66:44
• Real Ones of the Week (Cultural Shoutouts): 67:02–end

Tone and Style

The episode blends analytical and conversational tones, with Logan’s lively fandom and Raja’s steady, ex-player insight. Cliff provides key stats and setup questions, often interjecting with good-natured Philly pride. The hosts frequently reference inside-baseball NBA context alongside jokes and pop culture nods.

Takeaways

• OKC and Denver are still the top dogs, but the gap is narrowing.
• San Antonio and Houston are fun, promising, and maybe a year away—both need a table-setting point guard and more crunch-time seasoning.
• The Lakers are entertaining but may hit a wall defensively despite all their stars.
• Clippers are directionless, aging, and provide little hope for improvement.
• Stephen Curry’s split from Under Armour ends an era; expect a new entrepreneurial phase for Curry Brand, with the future of basketball shoe marketing in flux.
• Hosts don’t shy away from honest, sometimes bracing, assessments—even beloved teams and players get real talk.