Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert, Kawhi Leonard and Draymond Green are among the first that come to mind when discussing the NBA’s best defenders. But you might want to add Brook Lopez into the mix. The Milwaukee Bucks center primarily is known for scoring as an effective stretch-5, while his twin (Robin) is usually…
A bigger emphasis has been placed on players’ skills as we’ve progressed through the modern age of basketball. Rather than pigeonholing players into spots on the floor because of their size, teams now look to have five on the floor who are capable of dribbling, passing and shooting at all times. With this change, we’ve…
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…
Before the first game of the season, I threw out 50 fairly bold predictions for the NBA season, all of which were rooted in optimism and belief. As always, one subtle action can change how the dominos fall, whether it’s an injury (here’s looking at you, Stephen Curry) or the unforeseen ascension of talent. We’re…
If you didn’t read Part 1, do it now. We hit big trades for the Denver Nuggets, the optimal usage for the Los Angeles Lakers and some thoughts on the race for eighth in the Eastern Conference. So let’s keep this thing rolling and get bolder than before. 18. The Brooklyn Nets do not trade…
For eight straight seasons, LeBron James led a team to the NBA Finals. The reign of terror upon the Eastern Conference began in the 2010-11 campaign when LeBron made the controversial decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and sign with the Miami Heat. After four years and two championships, he left to return home to…
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba), Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) and special guest Brandon Jefferson (@Jefferson_Hoops) of The Basketball Writers preview the 2019 FIBA World Cup. What are the strengths and weaknesses of Team USA’s roster? Which teams pose the biggest threat to the Americans? Is Team USA in legitimate danger of…
Team USA has been the single most dominant team in all of basketball over the last decade. In 2008, the “Redeem Team” won Olympic gold. They dominated the FIBA World Championship during 2010. 2012’s team was arguably more talented than the original 1992 Dream Team. By 2014, they claimed back-to-back FIBA World Championship victories. They…
What does a team with multiple significant free agents do after getting bounced in the Eastern Conference Finals? That was the question facing the Milwaukee Bucks as they trekked into the offseason at the beginning of this month. On one hand, making the Conference Finals signals that your roster is strong. Keeping together a squad…
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) catch up on the latest NBA free-agency rumors and predict where the top non-max free agents might land. How realistic is a Houston Rockets sign-and-trade for Jimmy Butler? Would the Boston Celtics be better off divvying up their cap space rather…
