On The Ball with Ric Bucher

Ric examines the prospects of Kawhi Leonard returning to the Clippers, their prospects now that he's had knee surgery and speculative answers as to why it took so long to identify his injury. Plus: b…

Ric discusses the Bucks 109-103 win over the Suns to tie their NBA Finals' series at 2 games apiece and the disparate responses by Phoenix stars Chris Paul and Devin Booker on the reasons for the los…

Ric breaks down the places that do and don't make sense for the 76ers' Ben Simmons to land, Team USA's convincing win over Argentina and the tepid appreciation from other NBA players for what Giannis…

Ric discusses comments by ESPN's Stephen A. Smith about MLB star Shohei Ohtani and the Nigerian basketball team and assesses Suns' guard Devin Booker's overall game.

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Ric examines both the dominant Game 3 win by the Milwaukee Bucks over the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals and Nigeria's exhibition upset of Team USA and explains why neither win should be viewed as a …

Ric examines what Giannis Antetokounmpo's virtuoso performance in Game 2 means for his overall growth and pinpoints why it wasn't enough to prevent the Suns from taking a 2-0 series lead in the NBA F…

Ric dives into the debate over where Chris Paul stands among all-time point guards now that he's reached his first NBA Finals and has a chance at his first title.

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Ric examines how the Bucks lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals to the Phoenix Suns despite the return of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the adjustments needed to avoid the same result in Game 2.

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Ric examines how the Milwaukee Bucks could be better off starting the NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo but why they need him to win the series.

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Ric discusses the unsung hero of the Bucks' Game 6 win over the Atlanta Hawks to advance to the NBA Finals and examines whether or not the Hawks would've been better served if star guard Trae Young h…

Ric examines the Bucks' controversy-free win over the Hawks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals and speculates why the NBA hasn't tried harder to eliminate flopping.

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Ric examines how the Phoenix Suns closed out the Los Angeles Clippers to win the Western Conference title and advance to the NBA Finals.

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Ric discusses the recent propensity to elevate stars to legendary status too quickly -- the Bucks' Khris Middleton being the latest example -- and how it overshadows how these playoffs have unfolded …

Ric discusses the performance of the Clippers' Paul George in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, how it was a microcosm of his uneven postseason track record and what might be behind his errati…

Ric examines the lineup changes and strategic twists Clippers coach Ty Lue utilized to win Game 3 against the Phoenix Suns despite the return of All-Star point guard Chris Paul. Also: an update on po…

Ric examines the Atlanta Hawks' win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals and explores the reasons why the Bucks' performance bothered him.

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Ric discusses the impact of Cameron Payne starting in place of quarantined Chris Paul in the Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns, and how Paul's pending return cou…

Ric shares his experience covering John Stockton during his legendary run with the Utah Jazz and the harsh reaction to Stockton's participation in a documentary questioning the response to the Covid-…

Ric looks at the four teams that have reached the conference finals and the key ingredient that has allowed them to advance. Also discussed: the hard reality Ben Simmons has to face if he has any hop…

Ric examines the elements that led to the Bucks' decisive Game 6 win over the Brooklyn Nets, what to look for in Game 7 and provides some insight on Rick Carlisle's decision to leave the Dallas Maver…