How will the NBA’s rebooted season shake out the standings during its final eight regular-season games, and which first-round matchups should we be especially excited for once the NBA Playoffs begin? TBW staff writer Bob Bajek joins hosts Arky Shea and Joel C. Cordes to break down each of the most fun scenarios for the opening round, including…
Tagged Kemba Walker
How Jaylen Brown Turned His Basketball Weaknesses into Strengths
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…
Olympics 2020: Building a Gold Medal Roster for Team USA Men’s Basketball
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…
Jaylen Brown Has Mastered His Role
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…
NBA Film Study: Scouting for Opponents’ Tendencies
Scouting reports are especially vital at the highest levels of basketball. They prepare players for personnel tidbits, identify an opponent’s best or most frequent sets, and unify the team in a direction for how to attack both. Those reports will have a video and written component most times, so different learners can digest the information…
NBA Team Rivalries to Enjoy in 2019-20
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…
50 Important Predictions for the 2019-20 NBA Season: Part 1
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…
What is Boston Celtics’ Ceiling in 2019-20?
In many ways, the 2019-2020 NBA season marks a new chapter for the Boston Celtics. Thanks to some high-profile free-agent departures and arrivals, coach Brad Stevens will have a noticeably different starting lineup and rotation. They’re past the point of “arriving” as contenders after their 2013-2016 rebuild, but they’re also no longer the young darlings…
Previewing 2019 FIBA World Cup Quarterfinals by Small-Big Pairings
Basketball is a team sport, first and foremost, but it’s also a star-driven game. One or two elite players can often lift a team above an opponent with more collective talent. Such is the case at the FIBA World Cup where depth matters but stars ultimately win games. After the first two rounds of group…
2019-20 NBA Season Preview: Atlantic Division
The 2019-20 NBA season is just around the corner. After an offseason chock-full of player movement, the title race appears as wide-open as it has been in years. Over the coming weeks, we will examine one big question hanging over each team heading into the season. We’ll start today with the Atlantic Division, where the…