In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) re-pick the 2015 NBA Draft lottery. Is Karl-Anthony Towns still the No. 1 overall selection? Who goes at No. 2, Kristaps Porzingis or Devin Booker? Do real-life top-five picks Jahlil Okafor (No. 3) and Mario Hezonja (No. 5) even stay in…
With fans (hopefully) tucked away safely at home and sporting activity taking a back seat on the global agenda, it’s easy to think that all NBA activity has seized as well. But in tracking all the latest news and behind-the-scenes action, we see that’s actually not the case. Per The Athletic’s Sam Amick, there is…
NBA All-Star weekend is a great time to step back and take stock of the league, its stars and who’s making the biggest impact. The league is loaded with as many young studs as ever. In this two-part series, I’m examining which 25-and-under stars are the absolute best on offense and on defense. This week,…
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…
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss All-Star snubs, the new All-Star Game format and the New York Knicks hitting a new low Wednesday night. Should Devin Booker have gotten into the All-Star Game over Russell Westbrook? Does Bradley Beal have a legitimate gripe as a snub?…
From a young age, basketball players are taught not to get beat backdoor and give up layups, yet this still happens at the highest levels because the art of cutting is emphasized just as heavily. A few months ago, I published an article here regarding The Anatomy of a Backdoor Set, detailing all the necessary…
Simple yet effective. That’s how you describe the Phoenix Suns “blade cut.” New coach Monty Williams and first-year Suns point guard Ricky Rubio have been helpful additions, but so too have competent screeners and improved team chemistry overall. That’s resulted in a better scheme for star Devin Booker and complementary scorer Kelly Oubre Jr. Coach…
When Monty Williams was named head coach of the Phoenix Suns, their defense was due to get on a better track if for no other reason than his history of competency there. But five games into this young season, the Suns sit at 3-2 record-wise and sixth in Synergy’s half-court defense efficiency metrics. A small…
Week 1 of the 2019 NBA season is officially in the books, and it didn’t take long for certain preseason expectations to go up in smoke. The Golden State Warriors opened the campaign with a pair of blowout losses that raised doubt about whether they’d even make the playoffs this season, while the Phoenix Suns…
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) and special guest Gerald Bourguet (@geraldbourguet) of The Step Back preview the Pacific Division ahead of the 2019-20 NBA season. How will D’Angelo Russell fit next to Stephen Curry? Who starts alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the Los Angeles Clippers? Can Dwight Howard…
