The NBA Podcast

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) do deep dives into the three most competitive first-round series before touching on the remaining five series.  Which version of Russell Westbrook should the Oklahoma City Thunder expect moving forward? Should Jared Dudley or Jimmy Butler face additional discipline for their roles in the Game 4 skirmish? Will...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss their biggest takeaways from the first few games of the 2019 NBA playoffs. Did Jamal Murray save the Denver Nuggets' season in Game 2? Are the Golden State Warriors at risk of an upset? How confident should the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors feel moving forward? Can the Oklahoma City Thunder g...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) preview the 2018-19 NBA playoffs and make their picks for each first-round series. Can the Brooklyn Nets upset the Philadelphia 76ers if Joel Embiid misses time? Are the Denver Nuggets in danger against the San Antonio Spurs? Can the Portland Trail Blazers stave off the Oklahoma City Thunder sans Jusuf Nurkic...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss Magic Johnson's abrupt resignation and what it means for the Los Angeles Lakers moving forward. Was Magic's decision to step down as Lakers president of basketball operations a blessing in disguise? Will general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach Luke Walton survive the fallout? Who should the Lakers...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) make their award picks for the 2018-19 NBA season. Did Trae Young overtake Luka Doncic for Rookie of the Year? Is Pascal Siakam a shoo-in for Most Improved Player? Who should take home Coach of the Year in a wide-open field? Will Rudy Gobert repeat as Defensive Player of the Year? Who's the MVP: Giannis Antet...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) say farewell to the New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings. Where is Anthony Davis going to wind up this summer? If the Lakers whiff on Davis, will they land a superstar sidekick for LeBron James? How can the Timberwolves get more out of Andrew Wiggins? How much...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) say goodbye to the Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies. Does Trae Young have a rightful claim to Rookie of the Year? How should the Dallas Mavericks handle contract negotiations with Kristaps Porzingis this summer? Is it time for the Washington Wizards to trade Bradley Be...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) bid adieu to the New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls. Which of the Knicks' young players are keepers moving forward? How much should the Suns be willing to pay to retain Kelly Oubre Jr. in free agency? Is Collin Sexton the Cavs' point guard of the future? Who should the Bulls...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) welcome special guest Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) of SB Nation to hear which NBA prospects to focus on during the NCAA tournament. How big is the gap between Zion Williamson and any other prospect in this year's draft class? Why have RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish fallen short of the hype? Which prospects could...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss unruly fans, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball's future and the Houston Rockets' chances of knocking off the Golden State Warriors. How can the NBA protect its players from unruly fans? What should fellow fans do? Will Brandon Ingram's health scare affect his trade value moving forward? Can Lonzo Ball rea...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) answer listeners' questions in our first-ever mailbag episode. Does this awful Lakers season negatively affect LeBron James' GOAT chances? Should the Lakers ever consider trading LeBron? Will Andrew Bogut and Isaiah Thomas be liabilities in the playoffs? How good of a chance do the Nuggets have of making it t...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss Eric Bledsoe's extension, Pau Gasol's buyouts and takeaways from the Sloan Analytics Conference. Did the Bucks get good value on Bledsoe's four-year, $70 million extension? Will Gasol make an impact on the Bucks in the playoffs? NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said a majority of players are unhappy; what...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss whether the Lakers and Celtics have enough time to right the ship, the Phoenix Suns' organizational dysfunction and some good players on bad teams who deserve more love. Will LeBron James drag the Lakers to the playoffs, or do they have too much ground to make up? Is there still time for the Celtics t...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) and special guest Josh Eberley (@josheberley) of NBA Canada and HOOP Mag discuss the Zion Williamson injury and its implications for NCAA athletes moving forward. Should Zion play for Duke again this season? Why doesn't the NCAA scrap amateurism and allow student-athletes to profit off their likenesses? Will the NBA accelerate its timet...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the biggest storylines to monitor coming out of the All-Star break. What's the latest update in "As the Brow Turns?" Are the Lakers in real jeopardy of missing the playoffs? Could the Orlando Magic steal the No. 8 seed in the East? Which team should the top Eastern Conference contenders most prefer to...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) make their All-NBA picks at the All-Star break, discuss whether the Golden State Warriors should fear any team and preview All-Star Weekend. With Enes Kanter heading to the Blazers and Markieff Morris going to the Thunder, will any Western Conference team pose a legitimate threat to the Warriors? Who should b...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the standoff over Anthony Davis' playing time and the early returns from major trade-deadline acquisitions. Is it fair for the NBA to force the Pelicans to play Anthony Davis? Should the Pelicans just pay the fine money and bench him? Who's now the favorite in the East after the trade deadline? What's...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the biggest winners and losers from the 2019 NBA trade deadline. Who's the favorite in the East after the trade deadline arms race between the Bucks, Raptors and Sixers? Why is Bryan lukewarm on Philly's moves this week? Where do the Grizzlies and Bulls fall on the winners/losers spectrum? What about...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the Philadelphia 76ers' blockbuster acquisition of Tobias Harris and preview the 2019 NBA trade deadline. Did the Sixers risk too much by going all-in with the Harris deal? How can they round out their roster ahead of the playoffs? Are the Clippers clear winners here, regardless of what happens in fre...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba), Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) and special guest Mark Deeks (@markdeeksNBA) discuss the stunning Kristaps Porzingis trade, the latest trade rumors surrounding Anthony Davis and All-Star Game snubs. If the Knicks don't land a star free agent this summer, will the Porzingis trade go down as an all-time failure? Should the Mavericks be concerned...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss Anthony Davis' trade request and give their 2019 All-Star Game reserve picks. Will the Pelicans pull the trigger on a Davis deal ahead of the trade deadline, or would it behoove them to wait? What should they be seeking in return? Which teams should go all-in to acquire him? And will Luka Doncic be an...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the All-Star starter selections, Victor Oladipo's season-ending injury and the Grizzlies' willingness to shop Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. Which All-Star starter stood out as the biggest surprise? Can the Pacers stay afloat with Oladipo now done for the year? Which teams should try to trade for Conley...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) make their starter picks for the 2019 All-Star break. Is LeBron James at risk of not being named a Western Conference starter? Which Eastern Conference backcourt player will be named a starter alongside Kyrie Irving? Who's in the lead for MVP, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man of the Year, C...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) revise their playoff predictions at the halfway point of the 2018-19 season. Can James Harden carry the Houston Rockets to the playoffs? Are LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in real danger of being left out? Will the San Antonio Spurs have their 21-year playoff streak snapped? How will the seeding shak...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss Dennis Smith Jr. trade rumors, James Harden's supernova run and the Celtics' recent dysfunction. Why are the Dallas Mavericks ready to cut bait on DSJ? Where would he make the most sense? Is Harden now the MVP front-runner? Do the Celtics need to make a deal before the trade deadline? Why are the Chic...