When Kawhi Leonard bid au revoir to Canada for Southern California last July, fans and media members thought the Toronto Raptors did the same to their chances of repeating as NBA champions. The math seems pretty simple: NBA superstars are essentially required to winning the coveted Larry O’Brien Trophy. This prevailing thought led both Los…
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) preview the Atlantic Division ahead of the 2019-20 NBA season. Who will the Boston Celtics miss more: Kyrie Irving or Al Horford? Can Caris LeVert become an All-Star this year in Brooklyn? Can the New York Knicks find enough minutes for…
Marc Gasol’s introduction to the NBA was part of what was originally thought of as one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history. He was sent to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for his older brother Pau, who would go on to win two NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers. At the time,…
China just served up one of the most entertaining and unpredictable FIBA Men’s World Cup (formerly “World Championship”) tournaments in recent history. There was a wide-open group of contenders, and a couple of the front-runners were toppled before the medal round. Leading up to Spain’s coronation against Argentina on Sunday, we witnessed aesthetically dazzling team…
Coming out of the first heavy-spending summer since 2016, several teams are locked into their current core and will have trouble generating significant spending power over the next two offseasons. Of course, other teams are still riding out their own bad 2016 contracts and will look to get back in the game in 2020 and…
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…
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…
The rebranded 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup begins August 31, expanding from 24 nations to 32. Said countries are split into eight groups that feature four teams apiece. The two that finish with the best record move on to the knockout round, while the other pair enter a loser’s bracket with fifth place on the line.…
Formally known as the FIBA World Championship, the inaugural FIBA World Cup of Basketball begins on August 31 and has been rebranded in hopes of gaining more popularity—it was also moved from 2018 to 2019 so as not to conflict with the men’s FIFA World Cup. Since 2008, international basketball competitions have been dominated by…
“The NBA is a guard-oriented league.” Modernized spacing concepts lead to wider driving lanes, making it easier than ever to be a guard. The trends are certainly changing towards skill and versatility over size and strength. So, why are teams still investing in high-caliber frontcourt tandems? In a five-part series here at TBW, we dive into…
