The season looks set to continue for 22 of the NBA’s 30 franchises, but competitive play is over for the eight that had zero chance of reaching the 2019-20 playoffs. Sure, not even receiving an invite to Orlando suggests that these teams’ end-of-season grades will be low, but for some, there is light at the…
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba), Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) and special guest K.C. Johnson (@kcjhoop) of NBC Sports Chicago discuss the recent changes the Chicago Bulls have made to their front office. What is new Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas’ vision for the team moving forward? How does…
What does it mean to be aggressive? As with any adjective, too much or too little can be a detriment. Balance is necessary to ensure productivity and health. On a basketball court, the same can be said for a team’s philosophy. Coachspeak gets thrown around without regard for balance. “We want to be the most…
The Chicago Bulls are in the phase of their rebuilding where things either start to pay off or they start to fall apart. They’ve won just 49 games in the last two seasons as they rebuild. To take that next step, they’ll need Zach LaVine to go from “player on the rise” to “franchise player.”…
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba), Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) and special guest Duncan Smith (@duncansmithnba) of Forbes preview the Central Division ahead of the 2019-20 season. How will the Chicago Bulls’ point guard rotation shake out? Are Cleveland Cavaliers guards Collin Sexton and Darius Garland compatible? Will this be Andre Drummond’s…
Although the Chicago Bulls lack a (current) top-shelf superstar or the depth to be an Eastern Conference contender, they have an intriguing stable of young talent. If they stay healthy, these up-and-coming prospects can grow into a legitimate core to build upon. Chi-town has 12 players under contract who are 25-and-under, and some of them…
Team USA has been the single most dominant team in all of basketball over the last decade. In 2008, the “Redeem Team” won Olympic gold. They dominated the FIBA World Championship during 2010. 2012’s team was arguably more talented than the original 1992 Dream Team. By 2014, they claimed back-to-back FIBA World Championship victories. They…
Editor’s Note: This piece originally ran March 5, 2019, but is so awesome we wanted to give more people a chance to read it. It’s a simple equation: tanking = top draft pick = NBA championship. The math satisfies the sensibilities of franchise owners, fans and Spike Lee alike… But what about the players? How much…
If the month of February is any indication of what’s to come, Lauri Markkanen should get ready to represent the city of Chicago in next year’s All-Star game. The seven-foot power forward finished the month averaging 26 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists on a true shooting percentage of 62.0%, an absolute elite number. Markkanen’s…
