One of the most exciting aspects of NBA fandom is watching a promising young player tap into his lofty potential. Sometimes it happens in a hurry, but oftentimes it occurs incrementally. Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown falls into the latter category, as he’s gradually grown from a high-upside-yet-erratic teenage rookie into a steady, dynamic scoring…
One of the most amazing things about today’s NBA is how many talented shooters there are. We’ve never seen so many prolific long-range threats in the league at one time. Most young gunslingers coming into the NBA have been practicing the three-ball their entire lives, and it shows. And those who haven’t been working on…
Hey all, back again this week with another check-in on the evolving stories from around the NBA. This week kicked off with an amusing comment from Houston Rockets guard, James Harden, who essentially labeled leading (and rival) MVP candidate Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo ‘a seven-foot-run-and-dunk-guy’. What Harden is defining as “skill” in regards to…
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…
When free agents sign contracts, NBA team PR staffers usually get busy crafting a cocky “look at how good our signing is” press release. But when Jaylen Brown signed his behemoth 4-year, $115 million extension in October, the Boston Celtics’ statement read like one big backhanded compliment. “Jaylen is a true professional who did a…
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) re-select the first 14 picks of the 2017 NBA Draft. Which player goes No. 1 overall? (2:48) Who do you take now when choosing between Bam Adebayo or Jayson Tatum? (12:18) How much does John Collins rise? (25:11) Where does Kyle…
Our rankings of each team’s young prospects conclude with teams 1-5. Remember, we only consider players entering their third season or younger. Players with a proven NBA track record are weighted quite heavily along with those who have strong collegiate production. While some rankings might seem surprising on the surface, this list’s criteria are weighted…
The second-most valuable player on an NBA contender holds a vital and often tricky role. They must be comfortable living in the shadow of the top dog while typically catering to his preferred playing style. When called upon, they must carry the team when the premier star is having an off night. Who are the…
There was a lot of talk heading into the 2019-20 NBA season that, thanks to parity, there would be a newfound interest in the sport. After half a decade of the Golden State Warriors storming / sleepwalking their way to the NBA Finals, this year is supposed to be different. Multiple all-star players changed teams…
