George Floyd’s murder last month at the hand of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin appears to have jolted much of America’s collective conscience from an apathetic slumber. People of all ages, races and backgrounds have taken up their First Amendment rights of assembly to redress grievances—namely the extra-judicial killing of unarmed Black men by America’s…
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) re-pick the lottery of the 2016 NBA draft. Is Ben Simmons still the No. 1 overall pick? Does Pascal Siakam leap over Brandon Ingram at No. 2? How high does Malcolm Brogdon jump? Does Jamal Murray now go before Buddy Hield?…
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…
It’s never too early to start looking at NBA All-Star berths, especially considering just how fascinating and wide-open the 2019-20 season has been so far. While the NBA still needs to expand the field to include 15 players—much like how an actual NBA roster is set up—let’s provide a glimpse of players that are making…
During former UVA guard Malcolm Brogdon’s three seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, he ascended from an unassuming second-round pick to a legitimate top option for a contending team. He entered the league with a handful of accolades to boast from his four seasons under accomplished coach Tony Bennett, but the four-year college prospect nonetheless slipped…
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…
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…
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 continue today with the Central Division, where the…
The biggest theme of the 2019 offseason was an unprecedented deluge of blockbuster trades and monstrous free agency moves. Unlike some recent offseasons, this year’s shuffling produced a slew of new dynamic duos rather than trios or superteams. Now that the dust is starting to settle, it’s time to examine exactly how impactful these new…
What does a team with multiple significant free agents do after getting bounced in the Eastern Conference Finals? That was the question facing the Milwaukee Bucks as they trekked into the offseason at the beginning of this month. On one hand, making the Conference Finals signals that your roster is strong. Keeping together a squad…
