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 Nikola Jokic
NBA PODCAST: Re-Picking the 2014 NBA Draft
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen and Bryan Toporek take a mulligan on the 2014 NBA draft class. Who goes No. 1 overall, Nikola Jokic or Joel Embiid? Where do the likes of Zach LaVine, Aaron Gordon and Marcus Smart wind up? How far does Andrew Wiggins fall? Which real-life second-round picks…
BbA 16: Weighing Each Conference Ahead of NBA’s Return
What matters in an NBA Playoff series when momentum and homecourt advantage no longer hold as much weight? Which teams in the Eastern Conference want to avoid matching up against one another? Which Western Conference squads have a chance of forcing a play-in series between the No. 8 and 9 seeds, and who could be…
Evaluating Denver Nuggets’ Most Likely Playoff Matchups
The Denver Nuggets are one of the NBA’s most unique teams. In a league that has migrated to a fast pace, perimeter-oriented style of play, the Nuggets stand out as a group that continues to make their mark with the more traditional, slower half-court game that thrives on a variety of inside looks. Per Advanced…
NBA Podcast: Skinny Jokic, LMA’s Injury, Bubble Concerns, Thibs – Knicks Rumors
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen and Bryan Toporek discuss Nikola Jokic’s dramatic weight loss, LaMarcus Aldridge’s injury, concerns about the NBA’s supposed “COVID-19-proof bubble” and the latest New York Knicks coaching rumors. Will Jokic’s weight loss hurt him more than it helps? Is the San Antonio Spurs’ 22-year playoff streak finally…
BbA 10: Favorite Centers of the 90s; Meet Bob Bajek
In this 10th episode of TBW’s Basketball by Association podcast, Arky Shea and Joel C. Cordes are joined by Bob Bajek to reminisce about their favorite paint patrollers of the 1990s. Inspired by Bob’s “The NBA I Grew Up Watching: When Centers Ruled the League”, they look back on why they loved (or hated) luminaries…
We May be Missing the Greatest Men’s Basketball Tournament Ever
The fate of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo had been hanging in the balance ever since the COVID-19 outbreak began in China months ago. However, pressure truly began to mount on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the virus rapidly spread throughout the world. The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced last weekend that they…
NBA’s Top 25-and-Under Offensive Weapons
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,…
Michael Porter Jr.’s Unabashed Scoring is Key to His Bright Future
If we redrafted the 2018 class today, the Denver Nuggets would have zero chance at picking Michael Porter Jr. Despite playing in just 39 NBA games since his arrival, Porter’s scoring prowess would vault him into the conversation for the fifth pick in a redraft. The Nuggets got him with the 14th a year and…
PODCAST: The Next Steps for Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss recent criticism about Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic not wanting to dominate enough and delve into what’s gone wrong for the New Orleans Pelicans. Why isn’t Embiid having as much fun this year as he has in years past (2:08)?…