We’re rounding the corner from the NBA All-Star Break and have less than two months from the playoffs. There’s a multi-team race in the Western Conference for the final postseason spot that figures to go down to the wire. After twenty-two straight playoff berths, six 60-win seasons and five NBA Championships, the San Antonio Spurs…
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…
It has become the stuff of local legend: a glorious annual stretch in the San Antonio Spurs’ season, during which the team will learn a lot about itself, catch its rhythm and build momentum for yet another successful playoff run. Ever since the Spurs went 8-1 during their first Rodeo Road Trip in 2003 (and…
All good things eventually must come to an end. Yes, even the San Antonio Spurs’ 22-year playoff streak. Prior to Tuesday’s double-overtime win against the Houston Rockets—the results of which are now under protest after referees incorrectly failed to count a James Harden made dunk in the fourth quarter—the Spurs were 7-14 and had lost…
Now that the NBA regular season has finally begun, it’s time to continue ranking each and every team’s young prospects. Just to reiterate, these rankings might seem surprising on the surface with some rather unorthodox choices at various slots, but this list’s criteria are weighted heavily toward teams with a high volume of prospects that…
After an entertaining, yet tumultuous pre-tournament schedule, Gregg Popovich’s men’s national squad arrived in China to defend its throne at the 2019 FIBA World Cup. He experimented with a variety of lineups throughout the exhibition slate, and it’s time to hone in on some optimal combinations. While the U.S. hasn’t lost a World Cup or…
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…
So long as head coach Gregg Popovich remains in place, the San Antonio Spurs are a veritable lock to win 45-plus games and make the playoffs. After all, they’ve done so in each of the past 23 years (not counting the lockout-shortened 1998-99 campaign, during which they went 37-13 in the regular season). Although seven-time…
For a team with as low-key a reputation as any in the league, the San Antonio Spurs have had a pair of eventful offseasons in 2018 and 2019. 2018 was dominated by the Kawhi Leonard trade request and eventual deal with the Toronto Raptors, while 2019 brought with it the Marcus Morris commitment and reversal,…
Every year, a select group of media members, broadcasters, and analysts are handed the responsibility of voting for individual and team awards. It’s no small thing. These votes can enhance or limit earning potential, affect Hall-of-Fame resumes, and rob players of bragging rights. (Okay, maybe the last one isn’t super important, but you get my…
