The Chicago Bulls don’t have much going for them the past couple seasons, but at least they can always count on Zach LaVine getting buckets. LaVine added to his game this past offseason after the front office told him to start taking more threes instead of long twos. The 6’6” high-flier already could jam and…
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 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…
Many players struggle just to carve out an NBA career during their first season or two. However, once establishing themselves, they unlock new pathways and opportunities depending on their talent and production. Whether it’s earning a max contract, a greater role or even just proving to be a “winning” player, life comes fast before earning…
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…
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the NBA’s possible return and the Chicago Bulls’ ongoing front office search. What will it take for the NBA to return this season? Is the quarantine/bubble solution realistic? What can the NBA learn from MLB’s proposal? When will fans be…
COVID-19 unexpectedly forced the NBA season to a screeching halt. Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive, and the league and other sports leagues immediately shut down to protect players, coaches, employees and their fans’ health. The coronavirus’ specter continues its spread nationally and abroad, stressing hospitals, economies and communities to the brink. Without basketball,…
The best thing about the Chicago Bulls this season has been the jerseys. The colors, the styles, the throwbacks… There is something about the Bulls’ championship heritage mixed with the culture of a great city like Chicago. It just works. But their basketball performance? Meh. Despite some faint postseason hopes among fans at the start…
From a young age, basketball players are taught not to get beat backdoor and give up layups, yet this still happens at the highest levels because the art of cutting is emphasized just as heavily. A few months ago, I published an article here regarding The Anatomy of a Backdoor Set, detailing all the necessary…
We like to get granular here at TBW, digging into the players and trends that help shape the NBA, WNBA, eSports and FIBA games we love so much. We also believe that irresponsible, clickbaity speculation is both out of control over the past few years and also not helping the game in the long run.…
