In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the Cam Reddish trade, the implications of Kevin Durant and Zach LaVine's injuries and what to make of Rudy Gobert's recent comments. Why did the Atlanta Hawks trade Reddish for a heavily protected first-rounder? Are the New York Knicks the clear winner of that deal? Will KD's injury shake up the title race at all? Should LaVine's injury chance the Chicago Bulls' stance heading into the trade deadli...
Jan 17, 2022•1 hr 14 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the latest on the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers, Tobias Harris trade rumors and John Collins' frustration in Atlanta. Should the Blazers hold a fire sale at the trade deadline in the wake of Damian Lillard's surgery. Are the Clippers headed for a gap year in the wake of Paul George's injury? Why are the Philadelphia 76ers trying to include Tobias Harris in Ben Simmons trade talks? Can...
Jan 13, 2022•1 hr 28 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) has Pete Croatto (@petecroatto), author of the book "From Hang Time to Prime Time," on to discuss the NBA's marketing advancements during the David Stern era, and how the late commissioner always had a global mindset. Follow us on Twitter: @TheNBAPod
Jan 10, 2022•42 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss what the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks should do at the trade deadline, how the play-in tournament could alter the landscape of buyers and sellers and what Kawhi Leonard's eventual return could mean for the title race. Should the Bulls be willing to trade Patrick Williams and go all-in? Are the Hawks in need of a consolidation trade to turn their season around? Will the play-in tournament convince...
Jan 08, 2022•1 hr 25 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the imminent returns of Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson, the Cleveland Cavaliers' response to Ricky Rubio's injury and where the Oklahoma City Thunder's rebuild stands. Do the Nets deserve criticism for caving to Kyrie? Should they try to avoid home-court advantage if he refuses to get vaccinated? Will Klay's return make the Warriors the clear title favorites? Can Rajon Rondo help to replace Rubio? H...
Jan 04, 2022•1 hr 23 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss which teams are heading into a make-or-break January. Which direction will the Boston Celtics head over the next month? Should the New York Knicks and Sacramento Kings consider moving into seller mode? Can the Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers overcome their slow starts? What should the Dallas Mavericks do to get more talent around Luka Doncic? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan ...
Dec 30, 2021•1 hr 25 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss trade ideas they'd like to see happen by the NBA's Feb. 10 trade deadline. Where would Norman Powell make sense? Is there a win-win CJ McCollum trade out there? Can anyone outbid the Philadelphia 76ers for Damian Lillard? Which teams should be in on Harrison Barnes? Could the Atlanta Hawks pull off a blockbuster in the next two months? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss all of th...
Dec 27, 2021•1 hr 37 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss early potential All-Star locks and which players might earn their first All-Star nod. Should availability not factor as much into All-Star debates this year because of COVID-19? Which typical All-Stars are in danger of missing out? How many spots seem up for grabs in each conference? Will we see any first-time All-Stars? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss all of that and more. Fo...
Dec 24, 2021•1 hr 29 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the NBA's ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, where Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic belong in the MVP conversation and the latest trade buzz around Ben Simmons and Russell Westbrook. How should the NBA deal with the leaguewide rise in COVID-19 cases? Should Jokic be getting more MVP buzz? Does Steph not deserve to be the MVP front-runner? Can the Philadelphia 76ers afford not to trade Simmons by the deadline?...
Dec 19, 2021•1 hr 34 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the best surprises of the 2021-22 NBA season to date. Could the Cleveland Cavaliers have two All-Stars in Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland? Do the Memphis Grizzlies have three foundational pieces in Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane? How have the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors gotten off to such great starts? How many teams already regret passing on Alperen Sengun in the draft? ...
Dec 16, 2021•1 hr 30 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) make their picks for every Eastern Conference team's over/under. Which teams did Las Vegas miss the mark on? Are the Boston Celtics headed for 60-plus wins? Will the Milwaukee Bucks or Indiana Pacers be legitimate contenders in the East? Can the Philadelphia 76ers top 55 wins? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss all of that and more. Follow us on Twitter: @TheNBAPod Odds via FanDuel Sport...
Dec 13, 2021•1 hr 40 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) make their picks for every major award one-quarter of the way through the 2021-22 NBA season. Is Stephen Curry running away with MVP? Who should be the Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert or Draymond Green? Can Cade Cunningham catch Evan Mobley or Scottie Barnes for Rookie of the Year? Who's the Most Improved Player in a wide-open field? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss all of th...
Dec 09, 2021•1 hr 44 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss which NBA teams are in need of a major shakeup. After firing Neil Olshey, should the Portland Trail Blazers explore trades involving Damian Lillard or CJ McCollum? What should the Indiana Pacers do ahead of the trade deadline? Do the New Orleans Pelicans need to make a move to appease Zion Williamson? Can the Los Angeles Lakers salvage the Russell Westbrook trade? How can the Boston Celtics better b...
Dec 05, 2021•1 hr 32 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the impact of Michael Porter Jr., Bam Adebayo and Damian Lillard's injuries, what's next for Kemba Walker after being benched and the NBA's tampering penalties for the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat. What does MPJ's injury mean for the Denver Nuggets both this year and long term? Can the Miami Heat stay in range for home-court advantage without Bam? Will Dame's injury cause the Portland Trail Blazers ...
Dec 02, 2021•1 hr 20 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the Sacramento Kings' future after firing Luke Walton, Tim Bontemps' report about the Boston Celtics and who might be on the Sixers' list of targets for Ben Simmons. Will Alvin Gentry fix what's ailing the Kings? Is De'Aaron Fox the right player for them to build around moving forward? How concerned should the Celtics be about the reported tension between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown? Which players...
Nov 26, 2021•1 hr 26 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss which teams look like title contenders and which are pretenders one month into the 2021-22 NBA season. Do the Brooklyn Nets still look like the title favorites? Are the Golden State Warriors the favorites to come out of the West? Can the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks turn around their disappointing starts? What should we make of the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nugget...
Nov 21, 2021•1 hr 38 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss which teams should already be in panic mode one month into the 2021-22 NBA season. Do the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks have any real reason to worry about their slow start? Is the organizational turmoil engulfing the Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans cause for concern? Do the Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves need a wake-up call? Should the New York Knicks panic about t...
Nov 14, 2021•1 hr 18 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss their early takeaways about the top rookies from the 2021 NBA draft class and the recent report linking the Boston Celtics to Ben Simmons. Is it too early to panic about Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green and Jalen Suggs? Who should be the Rookie of the Year front-runner, Evan Mobley or Scottie Barnes? Which other first-round picks are making instant impacts for their teams, and how much should we buy int...
Nov 11, 2021•1 hr 32 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss ESPN's blockbuster report about Suns owner Robert Sarver, the Boston Celtics' early-season dysfunction and the latest updates about Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons. Should the NBA force Sarver to sell the Suns in the wake of ESPN's report? How concerned should the Celtics be about Marcus Smart's criticism of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum? With NYC not budging on its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, what shoul...
Nov 07, 2021•1 hr 27 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss players and teams that have gotten off to hot starts in the 2021-22 NBA season, and whether those are sustainable. Are the Miami Heat on the level of the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks? How have the Philadelphia 76ers gotten off to such a good start without multiple starters? Are the Bulls back? Can the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards keep it up? How much is Miles Bridges going to get in f...
Nov 05, 2021•1 hr 27 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss players and teams who have gotten off to slow starts and how concerned to be about them. Have the NBA's new foul rules hurt James Harden? Are Damian Lillard and Joel Embiid being hampered by injuries? How concerned should we be about the Lakers and Suns? Will the Pelicans fall into too deep of a hole before Zion Williamson returns? What's caused the Boston Celtics to be so inconsistent? Check out th...
Oct 29, 2021•1 hr 24 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss all of the extensions signed ahead of last week's rookie-scale deadline. Did the Memphis Grizzlies get good value on Jaren Jackson Jr.? Could Wendell Carter Jr. wind up being a steal? Will the Phoenix Suns regret not extending Deandre Ayton? Will the Jonas Valanciunas and Malcolm Brogdon extensions age well? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss all of that and more. Follow us on Tw...
Oct 26, 2021•1 hr 16 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the biggest surprises and disappointments from the first few days of the 2021-22 NBA season. Is it already time for the Los Angeles Lakers to panic about Russell Westbrook? How concerned should we be about the New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics? Is the New York Knicks' hot start sustainable? How much should we buy the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls? And who were some of the m...
Oct 23, 2021•1 hr 26 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) make their predictions for the 2021-22 NBA season. Which teams will make the playoffs? Which teams will reach the conference finals and the NBA Finals? Will the Los Angeles Lakers fall short of their hype? Could the Atlanta Hawks crash the Eastern Conference Finals? Will the Chicago Bulls be better than expected? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss all of that and more. Follow us on Twitt...
Oct 18, 2021•1 hr 33 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) are joined by Adam Fromal (@fromal09) and Dan Favale (@danfavale) of the Hardwood Knocks podcast (@HardwoodKnocks) to finish up their 2021-22 League Pass rankings. Follow us on Twitter: @TheNBAPod Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook: https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/sports/navigation/830.1/10107.3
Oct 15, 2021•1 hr 8 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) are joined by Adam Fromal (@fromal09) and Dan Favale (@danfavale) of the Hardwood Knocks podcast (@HardwoodKnocks) for Part 1 of their 2021-22 League Pass rankings. Follow us on Twitter: @TheNBAPod Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook: https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/sports/navigation/830.1/10107.3
Oct 12, 2021•1 hr 5 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the Brooklyn Nets' conundrum with Kyrie Irving, Deandre Ayton's extension talks and the latest on Ben Simmons. If Kyrie doesn't get vaccinated, should the Nets consider trading him? Who might they be able to get in return? Should the Phoenix Suns be willing to give Deandre Ayton a max contract extension? Will the Sixers fining Simmons for his holdout lead to a trade sooner than later? Check out the ...
Oct 09, 2021•1 hr 16 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) make their awards predictions for the 2021-22 NBA season. Who will win the wide-open MVP race? Can anyone challenge Rudy Gobert for Defensive Player of the Year? Will Cade Cunningham or Jalen Green win Rookie of the Year? Who are some of the top candidates for Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss all of that and more. Follow us on Twitter: @T...
Oct 04, 2021•1 hr 25 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) answer a number of questions submitted by listeners. Should the NBA work harder to prevent tampering? After implementing the play-in tournament, what other changes should the league make? Which Spurs players have All-Star upside? When will the OKC Thunder stop tanking? Should the Timberwolves blow it up and start over? How can the Heat get into legitimate title contention this year? Check out the episode to...
Oct 01, 2021•1 hr 28 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the biggest questions for every Atlantic Division team ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season. Who should the Boston Celtics start in their backcourt? Is any team capable of beating the fully healthy Brooklyn Nets in a seven-game series? How much can the New York Knicks rely on Kemba Walker? What should the Philadelphia 76ers do about Ben Simmons? How much playing time will Scottie Barnes get for the Toron...
Sep 27, 2021•1 hr 40 min
