The 2019-20 season is almost here, so it’s time to be bold about what we think will actually happen. For some, these predictions may not seem incredibly bold while they may be preposterous to others. But basketball is back, and that in itself is worth celebrating: 1. Ben Simmons makes 11 three-pointers Let’s dive right…
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel has some critical decisions to make around his starting lineup. LeBron James and Anthony Davis unquestionably have first-unit spots locked up. Danny Green, a low-usage three-and-D wing who fits perfectly alongside those two, should likewise be guaranteed to start. That leaves the point guard and center spots up…
On Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and The Athletic’s Shams Charania dropped unexpected and unwelcome news about Los Angeles Lakers center DeMarcus Cousins. Lakers center DeMarcus Cousins has suffered a possible knee injury and will undergo further testing today in Los Angeles, league sources tell ESPN. Cousins was working out in Las Vegas on Monday when…
After the Los Angeles Lakers struck out on Kawhi Leonard in free agency, they quickly went out and cornered the market on remaining shooters, bringing in Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Quinn Cook—the first two of whom have earned strong defensive reputations as well. A few days later, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported the…
For the third year in a row, the Los Angeles Lakers are trotting out a new-look roster. And although they didn’t take home the biggest prizes in free agency after the Anthony Davis trade, the latest version of the Purple and Gold should be noticeably better than its immediate predecessors—and not just because the Brow…
The news was devastating to the Toronto Raptors: Kawhi Leonard was heading home to Los Angeles. As their dreams of a repeat championship disappear, the focus must shift onto what the organization can do to replace its Finals MVP. The team’s salary situation dictates either a complete blowup of the roster or replacing Leonard with…
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) give their immediate reaction to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George heading to the Los Angeles Clippers. Are the Clippers now the NBA title favorites in 2019-20? How will the Los Angeles Lakers bounce back after missing out on Leonard? Should the…
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…
It took a public negotiation, a failed Magic Johnson pep talk and a regime change. Months passed, countless Twitter jokes were made and a LeBron-less postseason ensued. It was easy to be down on the Los Angeles Lakers in the midst of their turmoil. But of course, that’s before you remember they’re the Los Angeles…
The Toronto Raptors are one game away from toppling the injury-ravaged Golden State Warriors and winning their first NBA championship in franchise history. But regardless of whether Warriors star forward Kevin Durant returns at some point—he’s questionable ahead of Monday’s Game 5—no one should suggest the Raptors deserve an asterisk if they do win this…
