The NBA Podcast

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss whether to buy or sell hot starts from the Orlando Magic, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns. How does Markelle Fultz's ACL tear affect the Magic's outlook? Are the Knicks a legitimate playoff threat? Is it too early to call the Sixers a legitimate title contender? Ca...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss teams and players that have gotten off to a slow start in the 2020-21 season. Will the Golden State Warriors struggle to make the playoffs? What's going on with Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors? Should the Miami Heat be worried about their slow start? Are the Denver Nuggets still among the top te...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the impact of some notable early-season injuries. How should the Brooklyn Nets replace Spencer Dinwiddie? Does his injury take them out of the running for James Harden? Are the injury-ravaged Memphis Grizzlies heading toward the lottery? How can the Minnesota Timberwolves stay afloat without Karl-Anth...

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 their annual League Pass rankings. Which teams are must-watch this season? Which should you largely avoid? Which team sits atop our rankings? Check out the episode to hear Morten, Bryan, Dan...

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 2020-21 NBA season. Are the Brooklyn Nets now the team to beat in the East? Is the Golden State Warriors dynasty officially over? Is it too early to panic about the Chicago Bulls or Portland Trail Blazers? Were we too high on the...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the top takeaways from an unexpectedly busy rookie-scale extension deadline. Was Kyle Kuzma's deal a good value for the Los Angeles Lakers? Did the Clippers overpay for Luke Kennard? Were the Magic right to gamble on Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac? Was OG Anunoby's extension an overpay or a steal?...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) make their picks for all of the NBA's major awards ahead of the 2020-21 season. Can anyone stop Giannis Antetokounmpo from an MVP three-peat? Who should be favored for Defensive Player of the Year? Who will win the wide-open Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player races? What about...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the leaguewide ramifications of Giannis Antetokounmpo signing his supermax extension with the Milwaukee Bucks. Are the Bucks now the biggest winners of the offseason? Is the 2020-21 season no longer championship-or-bust for Milwaukee? With Giannis off the board, where do the Dallas Mavericks, Toronto...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) finish their 2020-21 NBA season preview with last year's Eastern Conference playoff teams. Who should replace Jonathan Isaac in Orlando? What are realistic expectations for Kevin Durant and the Nets this year? Will the Sixers' added shooting help fix the Ben Simmons-Joel Embiid pairing? What's the next step i...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss possible landing spots and trade packages for James Harden. Do the Brooklyn Nets have enough to land Harden? How much more should the Philadelphia 76ers be willing to give up beyond Ben Simmons? Can the Milwaukee Bucks cobble together a package that doesn't include Giannis Antetokounmpo? Which other t...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) continue with their 2020-21 NBA season preview by discussing last year's Eastern Conference lottery teams. Are Collin Sexton and Darius Garland compatible long term? What is John Collins' future in Atlanta? Do the Pistons and Knicks have a long-term plan? How will Patrick Williams fit into the Bulls' frontcou...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) continue their 2020-21 NBA season preview with the Western Conference playoff teams from last year. Can the Trail Blazers contend for a top-four seed this year? How will the Mavericks replace Kristaps Porzingis until he returns from surgery? How will John Wall fit next to Russell Westbrook? Can Michael Porter...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the Russell Westbrook/John Wall trade and LeBron James and Anthony Davis signing extensions with the Los Angeles Lakers. What are reasonable expectations for Wall this season? Does he fit better with Harden than Westbrook did? Will Westbrook increase the Wizards' chances of keeping Bradley Beal long t...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) begin their preview of the 2020-21 NBA season with last year's Western Conference lottery teams. How will the Warriors bounce back from Klay Thompson's Achilles injury? What should Timberwolves fans expect from Anthony Edwards? Who will start in the Pelicans backcourt? Are the Suns now a playoff team after ac...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the biggest winers and losers of 2020 NBA free agency. Were the Los Angeles Lakers the runaway winner? Did the Atlanta Hawks hit fast-forward on their rebuild too quickly? Are the Phoenix Suns getting too much credit? Did the Boston Celtics screw up with Gordon Hayward? What are the Detroit Pistons do...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the biggest free-agent news from the past few days. What does Bam Adebayo's impending extension mean for the Miami Heat's chances of landing Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021? Does Marc Gasol joining the Los Angeles Lakers make them overwhelming title favorites? Is Serge Ibaka an upgrade over Montrezl Har...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) break down the biggest deals from a wild first 24 hours of 2020 NBA free agency. Why did the Charlotte Hornets sign Gordon Hayward to a four-year, $120 million deal? Did the Toronto Raptors get good value on Fred VanVleet? Will Jerami Grant regret signing with the Detroit Pistons? Did the Los Angeles Clippers...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) give their live reactions to the first hour of 2020 NBA free agency. Did the Miami Heat overpay for Goran Dragic and Meyers Leonard? Did the Los Angeles Lakers get a steal with Wesley Matthews? Where should the Milwaukee Bucks turn after the Bogdan Bogdanovic debacle? And what on earth are the Detroit Pistons...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the biggest winners and losers of the 2020 NBA draft. How did Daryl Morey fare during his first draft with the Philadelphia 76ers. Did the Charlotte Hornets get their franchise cornerstone in LaMelo Ball? Which teams snagged draft-day steals? Did the Phoenix Suns reach on Jalen Smith at No. 10? Will t...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the Milwaukee Bucks' trades for Jrue Holiday and Bogdan Bogdanovic, Chris Paul going to the Suns and where James Harden should head next. Did the Bucks overpay for Jrue? Would they have made that move without knowing Giannis will sign a supermax? How did the Kings make out in the Bogdanovic sign-and-t...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) walk through a wild week of trade rumors and discuss which are feasible. Should any contender want to trade for Russell Westbrook? Which teams would make sense as Westbrook landing spots? Should the Suns trade for Chris Paul? How would Jrue Holiday fit with the Atlanta Hawks? Do the Boston Celtics have the tr...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss how the NBA's flattened salary cap for the 2020-21 season will affect 2020 free agency. Are the Atlanta Hawks poised to be the offseason's biggest winner? Will the Golden State Warriors now balk at spending their Andre Iguodala TPE? Are sign-and-trades about to dominate free agency? And would the Char...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) are joined by Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) of Bleacher Report to preview the 2020 NBA draft. Who's the No. 1 prospect in the 2020 draft class? Which teams should be after James Wiseman? What are the concerns with Anthony Edwards? Who could emerge as a draft-day steal? Which teams are looking to trade up...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the latest updates on the 2020-21 NBA season. When should the 2020-21 season start, on Dec. 22 on MLK Jr. Day? How will the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic affect the salary cap? Which teams and players will benefit or get hurt by that? And should the NBA keep a play-in tournament next seaso...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) are joined by Mason Ginsberg (@MasonGinsberg) of Bourbon Street Shots and the In the N.O. podcast to discuss Stan Van Gundy joining the New Orleans Pelicans and Daryl Morey joining the Philadelphia 76ers. Was SVG the best person for the Pelicans' job? What does his arrival mean for Zion Williamson and Brandon...