In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) are joined by former Charlotte Hornets general manager Rich Cho (@bigtimebites) for a behind-the-scenes look at how NBA teams prepare for the offseason.How early do NBA teams begin homing in on particular draft prospects? How much do off-court factors such as work ethic and attitude matter? How do teams balance the short- and long-term consequences of any given free-agent signing? How much influence do team...
Jul 21, 2018•1 hr 8 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss which first- and second-year players stood out at Las Vegas Summer League.Are Jaren Jackson Jr. and Wendell Carter Jr. the two best big men from the 2018 draft class? Did the New York Knicks hit a home run with Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson? Is De'Anthony Melton the steal of this year's draft? How much should we read into John Collins, Josh Hart and Jordan Bell dominating at summer league?Check o...
Jul 18, 2018•1 hr 5 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the Chicago Bulls' decision to sign Jabari Parker to a two-year, $40 million deal, including whether they overpaid for him and how he'll fit with their young core.Seeing as the Milwaukee Bucks were hard-capped, why did the Bulls offer Parker so much money annually? Could they have spent their cap space better elsewhere? How will Parker fit alongside Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr.? Why did Mi...
Jul 15, 2018•58 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the latest free-agent happenings, including Isaiah Thomas signing with the Nuggets and the Brooklyn Nets' savvy salary dumps.Is Thomas a front-runner for Sixth Man of the Year in Denver? Why did the Hawks trade for Jeremy Lin rather than take on Kenneth Faried and Darrell Arthur from the Nuggets? Did the Nets get enough in that salary dump? Will Devin Booker live up to his new max deal?Check out the...
Jul 13, 2018•1 hr 18 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the biggest winners and losers from the first week of 2018 NBA free agency.Is there a glass-half-full way to look at the San Antonio Spurs' offseason so far? Are the Indiana Pacers low-key winning the summer? Should the Houston Rockets still be considered the 1B to Golden State's 1A after losing Trevor Ariza to the Phoenix Suns? Are the Philadelphia 76ers losers for not landing a marquee free agent?...
Jul 09, 2018•1 hr 4 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the Chicago Bulls' decision to match the Sacramento Kings' four-year, $78 million offer sheet for Zach LaVine. Why did the Bulls match LaVine's offer sheet? Was it just about optics, or is there any way he actually lives up to that contract? Why did the Kings offer him that much in the first place? What does that say about their talent evaluation?Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discus...
Jul 07, 2018•46 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss DeMarcus Cousins joining the Golden State Warriors, Rajon Rondo heading to the Los Angeles Lakers and more of Monday's notable free-agent signings.Should the NBA step in to prevent Cousins from joining the Wizards? Why would the Lakers be interested in adding another non-shooter in Rondo? Should the New Orleans Pelicans start Julius Randle alongside Anthony Davis? Did the Utah Jazz and Philadelphia ...
Jul 03, 2018•1 hr 11 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss what LeBron James' decision to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers means for the NBA moving forward.Are the Lakers championship contenders as currently assembled? What other moves might they make this summer? Should we pencil the Celtics in as Eastern Conference champions? Does this reduce the Spurs' leverage in Kawhi Leonard trade negotiations?Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss all...
Jul 02, 2018•1 hr 7 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) give their thoughts on the contracts doled out during the first night of 2018 free agency, including Paul George, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan. Was it a surprise to see George sign a 3+1 deal with the Thunder? Will the Rockets grow to regret giving Paul a four-year max? Which of the signings from the first night were the most questionable? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss all of that ...
Jul 01, 2018•1 hr 9 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) make their predictions for where the top names in the 2018 NBA free-agent class will wind up.Will LeBron James go to the Lakers if they can't get Paul George or Kawhi Leonard? Are the Rockets going to give Chris Paul his full five-year max? How much will the Pelicans spend to retain DeMarcus Cousins? Is DeAndre Jordan the Mavericks' best option at center? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discu...
Jun 29, 2018•1 hr 19 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) break down the pros and cons of each of LeBron James' likely free-agent landing spots this summer.If the Lakers sign LeBron, what other moves would they need to make to become championship contenders next season? Should the Sixers go all-out and trade for Kawhi Leonard to attract LeBron? Is it worth the risk for the Rockets to blow apart their team and trade for LeBron? What can the Cavaliers do to incentiv...
Jun 26, 2018•1 hr 14 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) break down which teams should be thrilled with their draft-night hauls and which teams should be feeling remorseful.Did the Atlanta Hawks get enough in return for Luka Doncic? Was Michael Porter Jr. worth the risk for the Denver Nuggets at No. 14? Did the Los Angeles Clippers reach too far on Jerome Robinson at No. 13? Will the Cleveland Cavaliers regret taking Collin Sexton at No. 8?Check out the episode t...
Jun 22, 2018•1 hr 22 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) are joined by Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) of SB Nation to discuss the top prospects in the 2018 NBA draft class.Would the Phoenix Suns be making a mistake if they take Deandre Ayton at No. 1? How far is Luka Doncic going to fall? Will Trae Young's offensive upside make up for his defensive limitations? Are draft experts sleeping on Wendell Carter Jr.'s ceiling?Check out the episode to hear Morten, Bryan an...
Jun 17, 2018•42 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss possible Kawhi Leonard trade destinations in the wake of the report about him wanting out of San Antonio.If Leonard isn't willing to re-sign anywhere but L.A., how much should other teams be willing to offer for him? Is he destined to go to the Lakers? Would a superteam with Leonard, LeBron James and Paul George be able to defeat the Warriors next year? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan...
Jun 15, 2018•55 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the biggest offseason questions for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics.If LeBron James leaves Cleveland, should the Cavaliers begin a fire sale? How should the Warriors round out their supporting cast? What would it take for the Rockets to land LeBron or Paul George this summer? How much should the Celtics pony up to retain Marcus Smart?Check out the e...
Jun 09, 2018•1 hr 16 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) are joined by longtime NBA editor Spencer Lund (@spencertyrel) to discuss the 2018 NBA Finals, give an update on the Bryan Colangelo saga and ponder why Luka Doncic's draft stock may be dropping.Do the Cavaliers have any prayer of winning Games 3 and/or 4 against the Warriors? What adjustments can they make? If the Warriors win the title this year, have they ruined the competitiveness of the NBA?Why haven't...
Jun 05, 2018•1 hr 9 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) are joined by Jake Kelfer (@jakekelfer), the founder of the Pro Basketball Combine (@probballcombine), to discuss how this year's event went.How did the PBC come into existence? Who were some of the notable standouts from the first year of the event in 2017? Who caught the attention of scouts this year? How did Liangelo Ball fare?Check out the episode to hear Morten, Bryan and Jake discuss all of that and m...
Jun 02, 2018•44 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the report about Sixers team president Bryan Colangelo allegedly using burner Twitter accounts to trash players, coaches and executives around the league.If the Sixers discover Colangelo is behind the accounts, is there any way he keeps his job? What if he isn't the one responsible for the accounts, but someone close to him is? How does this affect the team's offseason outlook?Check out the episode ...
May 30, 2018•53 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) preview the 2018 NBA Finals and predict whether the Golden State Warriors or Cleveland Cavaliers will win.Who can the Cavaliers use to slow down Kevin Durant? How much will they miss Kevin Love if he remains sidelined by a concussion? Would Andre Iguodala's continued absence open the door for an upset? Who on the Warriors will draw the primary assignment on LeBron James?Check out the episode to hear Morten ...
May 29, 2018•47 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) predict who will win Game 7 in the Cavaliers-Celtics and Warriors-Rockets conference finals.Is there a silver lining to Kevin Love missing Game 7 for the Cavaliers? Should the Celtics move Aron Baynes out of their starting lineup with Love sidelined? If Chris Paul can't play, can the Rockets stave off the Warriors with a six-man rotation? Will the Warriors avoid the iso-ball that has plagued them throughout...
May 27, 2018•52 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss where things stand through four games in the Eastern and Western Conference Finals and give updated predictions for each series.Will the Cleveland Cavaliers' supporting cast continue to play well as the series heads back to Boston? How can the Celtics get Al Horford going again? Are the Houston Rockets in danger of running out of gas as the series progresses? How worried should the Golden State Warr...
May 23, 2018•1 hr 10 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) take turns making picks for each of the lottery teams in the 2018 NBA draft.Who should the Phoenix Suns select at No. 1? Should the Memphis Grizzlies prioritize fit next to Mike Conley and Marc Gasol at No. 4? Is Trae Young a lock to go to the Orlando Magic at No. 6? What holes should the Los Angeles Clippers address with their pair of late-lottery picks?Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discus...
May 21, 2018•1 hr 2 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the biggest takeaways from the first two games of each series in the 2018 Eastern and Western Conference Finals.Will the Cleveland Cavaliers' role players perform better at home than they did in Boston? Can the Celtics shake off the road woes that have plagued them throughout the 2018 playoffs? How worried should the Golden State Warriors be about Stephen Curry? Can the Houston Rockets' supporting c...
May 18, 2018•1 hr 2 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and special guest Jason Patt (@Bulls_Jay) of Blog a Bull react live to the 2018 NBA draft lottery.Who were the winners and losers from Tuesday night's lottery drawing? What should the Phoenix Suns do with the No. 1 overall pick?Check out the episode to hear Morten and Jason discuss all of that and more.Follow us on Twitter: @TheNBAPod
May 16, 2018•1 hr 20 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) look ahead to the big offseason questions for the Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz.Should the Raptors blow up their core after being swept in the playoffs? How should the 76ers round out their roster this offseason? Should the Pelicans re-sign DeMarcus Cousins? How much should the Jazz be willing to spend to retain Derrick Favors and Dante Exum?Check out the episode to...
May 14, 2018•1 hr 17 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) debate whether Dwane Casey and Stan Van Gundy deserved to be fired and discuss the latest NBA coaching hires.After a franchise-record 59-win season, was it fair of the Raptors to fire Casey? With Van Gundy out in Detroit, will that bring an end to the dual coach/GM role? How will David Fizdale fare with the New York Knicks? And why is there so much backlash to Becky Hammon getting an interview with the Milw...
May 12, 2018•1 hr 10 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) preview the Houston Rockets-Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics-Cleveland Cavaliers conference finals series.Will the Rockets' wing depth be able to keep up with the Warriors' Big Four? How will Golden State slow down James Harden and Chris Paul? Should the Celtics sell out defensively against LeBron James and dare Cleveland's supporting cast to beat them? Who on the Cavaliers can stop Al Horford?Check...
May 11, 2018•1 hr 3 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the biggest takeaways from the first two games of each series in the 2018 Eastern and Western Conference semifinals.Do the Toronto Raptors have any hope of coming back against the Cleveland Cavaliers? How have the Boston Celtics shut down Ben Simmons? How worried should the Houston Rockets be about the Utah Jazz having stolen home-court advantage? Are the Golden State Warriors back to being commandi...
May 04, 2018•1 hr 18 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) look ahead to the big offseason questions for the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers.Could the Heat trade Hassan Whiteside for anything of value? How much should the Bucks be willing to spend to retain Jabari Parker? Should the Wizards consider trading John Wall before his new contract kicks in? Is Myles Turner deserving of a max extension this summer?Check out the episode to...
May 02, 2018•1 hr 15 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) preview the Raptors-Cavaliers and Celtics-76ers series ahead of the 2018 Eastern Conference semifinals.Will Cavaliers players not named LeBron James play better against Toronto than they did against the Pacers? Does Cleveland have the personnel to slow down Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and the Raptors' Bench Mob? How much of an impact will Jaylen Brown's hamstring injury have against the Sixers? Can Al Horford...
Apr 30, 2018•54 min
