In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the biggest questions for every Central Division team ahead of the 2021-22 season. How will DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball fit with the Chicago Bulls' existing core? Who will the Cleveland Cavaliers start at PF? Could Cade Cunningham have the sixth 20-5-5 rookie season in NBA history? Who should the Indiana Pacers start at the 3 until T.J. Warren returns? How should the Milwaukee Bucks approach the re...
Sep 23, 2021•1 hr 29 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the biggest questions for every Southeast Division team ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season. Who should be in the Atlanta Hawks' starting lineup? Should the Charlotte Hornets start Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington over Kelly Oubre and Mason Plumlee? How will Kyle Lowry fit with the Miami Heat? How will the Orlando Magic distribute backcourt minutes? How will the Washington Wizards divvy up playing time...
Sep 19, 2021•1 hr 30 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the Houston Rockets' attempt to trade John Wall, Aaron Gordon's extension with the Denver Nuggets, the NBA's proposed in-season tournament and COVID-19 protocols for the 2021-22 season. Which teams make sense (if any?) as potential landing spots for Wall? Did the Nuggets overpay for Gordon, and will they regret doing so? Is a $1 million prize enough to incentivize players to care about the in-season...
Sep 15, 2021•1 hr 5 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) preview the biggest storylines for every Pacific Division team ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season. What are realistic expectations for Klay Thompson this season? Who should the Los Angeles Clippers start in place of Kawhi Leonard until he returns? Will Anthony Davis finally embrace playing center more often? Should the Phoenix Suns extend Deandre Ayton or Mikal Bridges by the mid-October deadline? Do the Sacra...
Sep 13, 2021•1 hr 34 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) preview the Northwest Division ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season. Should the Denver Nuggets sign Michael Porter Jr. to a max contract extension? How does Anthony Edwards build upon his promising rookie campaign in Minnesota? Which young player should you be most excited to watch in OKC? Did the Portland Trail Blazers do enough to put Damian Lillard's mind at ease? Should the Utah Jazz be the favorites in the ...
Sep 09, 2021•1 hr 16 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) preview the Southwest Division ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season. How much of an upgrade will Reggie Bullock be for the Dallas Mavericks? Can Jalen Green beat out Cade Cunningham for Rookie of the Year? Should the Memphis Grizzlies consider Jaren Jackson Jr. a franchise cornerstone? How will Jonas Valanciunas fit next to Zion Williamson in New Orleans? What is the San Antonio Spurs long-term plan? Check out t...
Sep 06, 2021•1 hr 36 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss Ben Simmons' holdout threat, the Nets and Lakers' new additions, Clint Capela's extension and Kevin Love's future. Are the Philadelphia 76ers now under more pressure to move Simmons before training camp? Should they call his bluff? How much will Paul Millsap and LaMarcus Aldridge help the Nets? Are the Hawks light-years ahead in their team-building strategy? What's next for Kevin Love if he continue...
Sep 03, 2021•1 hr 14 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the three-team Lauri Markkanen sign-and-trade and the best free agents still on the market. What were the Cavs thinking with regard to their acquisition of Markkanen? How much will Larry Nance Jr. help the Portland Trail Blazers? Could the Chicago Bulls be the biggest winner of this deal? Who are some of the top remaining free agents, and where might they fit best? Check out the episode to hear Mort...
Aug 30, 2021•1 hr 14 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) are joined by special guest Mirin Fader (@mirinfader) of The Ringer to discuss her new book, "Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP." What was Mirin's inspiration to write a book about Giannis? How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect her reporting process? What surprised her the most while writing the book? How did she balance the on-court and off-court details about his life? Did she expect to break the ...
Aug 27, 2021•55 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the recent extensions that Terry Rozier, Robert Williams III and Josh Richardson signed before examining who might be next in line. Did the Charlotte Hornets overpay for Rozier, or could it wind up being a steal? Why were the Boston Celtics in such a rush to extend both Williams and Richardson? Will extensions for middle-tier veterans become more popular moving forward? Who else might sign an extens...
Aug 24, 2021•1 hr 18 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the two recent Patrick Beverley trades, Joel Embiid's new supermax extension, the Boston Celtics extending Marcus Smart and the NBA's Christmas Day slate of games. How much will Eric Bledsoe help the Clippers until Kawhi returns? Can Jarrett Culver turn his career around in Memphis? Will Beverley help the Timberwolves compete for a playoff spot? Did the Sixers take too much of a risk fully guarantee...
Aug 19, 2021•1 hr 14 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Mark Deeks (@MarkDeeksNBA) discuss NBA Free Agency 2021. The guys discuss the revamped Chicago Bulls, the Knicks making some big changes, what to make of Ben Simmons not having been traded yet, and what is going on in Portland. Check out the episode to hear Morten and Mark discuss all of that and more. Follow us on Twitter: @TheNBAPod
Aug 16, 2021•1 hr 11 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the latest free-agent signings, including DeMar DeRozan to the Chicago Bulls, Kemba Walker to the New York Knicks and Spencer Dinwiddie to the Washington Wizards. Did the Bulls overpay for DeRozan? Does it matter? Where does the signing of Walker put the Knicks in the new Eastern Conference hierarchy? Did the Wizards increase their odds of keeping Bradley Beal by adding Dinwiddie and trading away Ru...
Aug 06, 2021•1 hr 35 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the most notable signings from the first day of 2021 NBA free agency. Who did the best job on Day 1? Are the Miami Heat now in the same tier as the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets? Should the Phoenix Suns be favored to win the West again? Did the New York Knicks maximize the value of their cap space? What are the New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs up to? Check out the episode to hear Morte...
Aug 03, 2021•1 hr 42 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) preview the 2021 NBA free-agent class. Are Kawhi Leonard or Chris Paul actual flight risks? How will the point guard carousel shake out? Who are some of the top restricted free agents on the market? Which veterans should contenders be pursuing? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss all of that and more. Follow us on Twitter: @TheNBAPod Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook: https://sportsbook.fanduel...
Aug 01, 2021•1 hr 33 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss their biggest winners and losers from the 2021 NBA draft. Which teams came out as the biggest winners on draft night? Who were some of the best player-team fits? Which teams might regret their moves during the draft? And how will the Los Angeles Lakers' trade for Russell Westbrook work out? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss all of that and more. Follow us on Twitter: @TheNBAPod ...
Jul 30, 2021•1 hr 40 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) speaks with Matt Babock (@MattBabcock11) of Basketball News about some of the potential sleepers and busts in the 2021 NBA draft class. Which prospects in the mid-to-late-lottery range have the potential to outperform or underperform their draft slot? Who are some of the prospects worth targeting later in the first round? Which second-round picks could emerge as steals? Which teams have been active in trade talks? Check out the episod...
Jul 26, 2021•44 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) are joined by Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer, the author of "Built to Lose," to discuss NBA tanking and the latest free-agency buzz. Is tanking as much of a scourge in the NBA as its critics make it out to be? Will the play-in tournament and lottery reform prevent tanking in the future? Why aren't the Oklahoma City Thunder catching as much flak for their rebuild as the Philadelphia 76ers did for theirs? Wha...
Jul 23, 2021•1 hr 7 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) are joined by FanSided's Gerald Bourguet (@geraldbourguet) to discuss top takeaways from the 2021 NBA Finals and what's next for the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks. What do the Finals mean for the legacies of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Chris Paul? What lessons can the Suns take away from the Finals? Will the Suns be able to retain CP3 this offseason? How much should they offer Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridg...
Jul 21, 2021•1 hr 24 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss what the Phoenix Suns need to do to force a Game 7 in the 2021 NBA Finals and come up with Damian Lillard trade destinations. Is Devin Booker isolating too frequently? How can the Suns get Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges more involved offensively? Should the Blazers start listening to Damian Lillard trade offers? Who can put together the most compelling package? Which wild-card teams should get invo...
Jul 18, 2021•1 hr 31 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) are joined by Ti Windisch (@tiwindisch) of the Gyro Step Podcast to discuss the 2021 NBA Finals heading into Game 5 and Team USA's struggles ahead of the Olympics. How did the Milwaukee Bucks get back into the Finals? What adjustments do the Phoenix Suns need to make ahead of Game 5? What should the Bucks do with Brook Lopez moving forward? Who's going to win this year's title? And who should Team USA call ...
Jul 16, 2021•1 hr 26 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss Games 1 and 2 of the 2021 NBA Finals and preview Game 3. What adjustments do the Milwaukee Bucks need to make to get back into the Finals? What have the Phoenix Suns been doing well so far? Is Deandre Ayton the key to the Finals? Who should be the front-runner for Finals MVP? And do the Minnesota Timberwolves have enough to offer for Ben Simmons? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discus...
Jul 11, 2021•1 hr 21 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) are joined by Bleacher Report draft analyst Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) to preview the 2021 NBA draft. Is Cade Cunningham the no-brainer No. 1 pick for the Detroit Pistons? Should the Houston Rockets take Evan Mobley or Jalen Green at No. 2? How will the rest of the lottery shake out? Who are some potential steals later in the first round or in the second round? Check out the episode to hear Morten, ...
Jul 08, 2021•1 hr 14 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) preview the 2021 NBA Finals and discuss the biggest offseason questions for the Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Clippers. Who should start in place of Giannis Antetokounmpo if he can't go in Game 1? How do the Bucks slow down Chris Paul and Devin Booker? Who should the Suns stick on Giannis? Which team will win the Finals? How much should the Hawks spend to re-sign John Collins? Is Kawhi Leonard a flight risk...
Jul 04, 2021•1 hr 32 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the big offseason questions for the Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. Should the Nuggets sign Michael Porter Jr. to a max extension this offseason? How much should the Jazz be willing to spend on Mike Conley? Will the Nets be able to retain Bruce Brown, Blake Griffin and Jeff Green? Should the Sixers try to re-sign Danny Green and Furkan Korkmaz? Check out the episode ...
Jun 29, 2021•1 hr 29 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the Western and Eastern Conference Finals before diving into the latest news on NBA coaching hires. Can the Los Angeles Clippers overcome a third straight 2-0 series deficit? Did the Milwaukee Bucks figure out the Atlanta Hawks in Game 2? How will Rick Carlisle fit with the Pacers' personnel? Do the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers deserve to be catching heat for Jason Kidd and Chauncey B...
Jun 26, 2021•1 hr 21 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss their main takeaways from the 2021 NBA draft lottery and the first two games of the Western Conference Finals before delving into Ben Simmons' future with the Philadelphia 76ers. Is Cade Cunningham a lock to go No. 1 to Detroit? Should the Rockets take Evan Mobley at No. 2, and should they shop Christian Wood if so? Who should the Cavaliers, Raptors and Magic take at Nos. 3, 4 and 5, respectively? A...
Jun 23, 2021•1 hr 28 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the Kemba Walker/Al Horford trade, preview the Western and Eastern Conference Finals and touch on Rick Carlisle and Zion Williamson's future. Which team came out ahead in the Walker/Horford swap? Who should be favored in the Western Conference Finals? Do either the Sixers or Hawks stand a chance against the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals? Where should Rick Carlisle coach next? What should th...
Jun 20, 2021•1 hr 28 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) break down the onslaught of Wednesday's news dump. Can the Clippers beat the Jazz without Kawhi Leonard? How will Chris Paul's positive COVID-19 test impact the Western Conference Finals? Who's to blame for the Bucks' meltdown against the Nets in Game 5? What version of Joel Embiid will the Sixers get moving forward? Who should the Pelicans and Wizards go after to replace Stan Van Gundy and Scott Brooks? Ch...
Jun 16, 2021•1 hr 31 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss how the Clippers, Bucks, Nuggets and Hawks can get back into their respective second-round series. Should the Clippers keep Ivica Zubac in their starting lineup, or should they go back to Nic Batum? Do the Bucks need to go smaller? Are the Nuggets drawing dead against the Suns? Should the Hawks replace Solomon Hill with someone else in the starting lineup? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Br...
Jun 12, 2021•1 hr 28 min
