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…
Andrew Wiggins is on his way to the Golden State Warriors after spending the first five-plus seasons of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves. It seems to me that most of the talk has been about how Wiggins is a better fit for the Warriors than combo guard D’Angelo Russell, who was traded to the…
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…
Building on their success last season, the Sacramento Kings went into the 2019 offseason with a clear goal to put key veterans around the young players who outperformed expectations last year. This is the next step in their ongoing attempt to put a stop to the league’s longest playoff drought. Rather than take a patient…
The Phoenix Suns find themselves down seven with 32 seconds to go on an electric Saturday night. Their chances are slim, but a quick bucket would tilt the scales more in their favor. Suns guard Devin Booker sprints up the court, then retreats left with Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes on his hip. A pair…
Now that we’re past the trade deadline and All-Star break, NBA teams are positioning into one of two camps: If they’re playing for the postseason, they’re tightening rotations, increasing minutes and going all out. If they aren’t gunning for a playoff spot, they’ll likely begin some chicanery to increase chances of landing more ping pong…
