What matters in an NBA Playoff series when momentum and homecourt advantage no longer hold as much weight? Which teams in the Eastern Conference want to avoid matching up against one another? Which Western Conference squads have a chance of forcing a play-in series between the No. 8 and 9 seeds, and who could be…
I can feel that familiar rush of excitement coming back. The NBA is coming back, and I can’t wait to see real game action (not to mention, the playoffs!), even if it will be in a uniquely fan-less environment. Now I can zoom back in on the players I love watching the most. In an…
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen and Bryan Toporek discuss the top power forwards in the 2020 NBA free-agent class. What is Anthony Davis’ best contractual option in free agency? Is Brandon Ingram a no-brainer max player? Which teams should go after Danilo Gallinari and Davis Bertans? Should the Denver Nuggets try…
In this 10th episode of TBW’s Basketball by Association podcast, Arky Shea and Joel C. Cordes are joined by Bob Bajek to reminisce about their favorite paint patrollers of the 1990s. Inspired by Bob’s “The NBA I Grew Up Watching: When Centers Ruled the League”, they look back on why they loved (or hated) luminaries…
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the top offseason questions for every team in the Pacific Division. How much should the Los Angeles Clippers pay to re-sign Montrezl Harrell? What should the Sacramento Kings’ walk-away price be for Bogdan Bogdanovic? Is Anthony Davis a lock to…
COVID-19 unexpectedly forced the NBA season to a screeching halt. Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive, and the league and other sports leagues immediately shut down to protect players, coaches, employees and their fans’ health. The coronavirus’ specter continues its spread nationally and abroad, stressing hospitals, economies and communities to the brink. Without basketball,…
The last time Team USA played in an international tournament was an embarrassment. The inaugural FIBA World Cup took place in China this past summer and, after taking home the gold in the previous five events, the Americans finished seventh. They lost back-to-back games against France and Serbia to close out the tournament. It was…
Anthony Davis is one of the best pick-and-roll bigs of this generation. He’s now paired with perhaps the greatest passer of all-time in LeBron James, a special athlete with an insane command of any defense he’s facing. The duo is as vaunted in one action as any in recent memory. But something is also strange…
Early out of the gates, there isn’t much question that the duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis is clicking every bit as well as Los Angeles Lakers fans could have hoped. The Purple and Gold are off to a 10-2 start, perched merrily atop the Western Conference standings. They have the league’s second-best “Simple…
When you think of zone defense, the first thing that comes to mind might be high school or college basketball. The NBA has always been a predominantly man-to-man league, as it’s a more effective long-term antidote to the most prolific offenses on the planet. However, zone defense has crept into many coaches’ game plans during…
