The NBA Podcast

 In the wake of the NCAA's recruiting scandal, should the NBA ditch its one-and-done rule? Can it make the G League more appealing to elite high school prospects? What other steps could it take to reform youth basketball? Has the Los Angeles Lakers' recent surge affected their outlook this offseason? Will they be a more attractive free-agent landing spot to Paul George?  Check out the episode to h...

Are the Philadelphia 76ers a legitimate landing spot for LeBron James? How can they carve out the requisite cap space for him? Is any team going to back up the Brink's truck for Isaiah Thomas? Will Shabazz Muhammad make much of a difference on the Milwaukee Bucks? Can the Blazers hold off the Minnesota Timberwolves for the No. 3 seed in the West? Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@msjnb...

Should the San Antonio Spurs consider holding Kawhi Leonard out even if he declares himself ready to return? Are the Minnesota Timberwolves the third-best team in the West with a healthy Jimmy Butler? How much will Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova help the Philadelphia 76ers? Are the Toronto Raptors the favorites in the East? Could the Houston Rockets upset the Golden State Warriors? Check out t...

How should the San Antonio Spurs proceed with Kawhi Leonard moving forward? Are the Minnesota Timberwolves in danger of falling out of playoff contention in the wake of Jimmy Butler's knee injury? Will the NCAA's recruiting scandal impact draft-eligible prospects? Was the NBA right to fine Mark Cuban for his comments on tanking? Should the league change the way it seeds teams for the playoffs? Che...

Can the Houston Rockets stave off the Golden State Warriors for home-court advantage in the West? Which teams will land the final few playoff spots in the West and the East? Can LeBron James catch up with James Harden in the MVP race? What will determine who wins Rookie of the Year? Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss all of that and more. Fo...

How will the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers mesh? Do they stand a chance against the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors or Golden State Warriors? How will Isaiah Thomas fit with the Los Angeles Lakers? Why did the Orlando Magic sell low on Elfrid Payton? Are the New York Knicks heading in the right direction?  Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss a...

Should any team be willing to give up a first-round pick for Marcus Smart, Tyreke Evans or Lou Williams? What should the Utah Jazz expect to receive for Rodney Hood? If LeBron James were to waive his no-trade clause, what would it take to pry him away from the Cleveland Cavaliers? Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss all of that and more. Foll...

With Kevin Love out until March due to a hand injury, can the Cleveland Cavaliers snap out of their recent tailspin? Did the Chicago Bulls get enough from the New Orleans Pelicans for Nikola Mirotic? With Jabari Parker back, are the Milwaukee Bucks dark-horse Finals contenders? How will Greg Monroe fit with the Boston Celtics? Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek...

With DeMarcus Cousins done for the year due to his torn Achilles, where do the New Orleans Pelicans go from here? Should they be buyers at the trade deadline? Can they still make the playoffs?  How should the Washington Wizards approach the deadline with John Wall sidelined until March? Should the Oklahoma City Thunder look for outside help to replace Andre Roberson? Will the Memphis Grizzlies con...

Did the Los Angeles Clippers get enough for Blake Griffin? Why did they decide to trade him now? Where do they go next? How does the trade impact the Detroit Pistons' short- and long-term outlook? Can they build a championship contender around Griffin and Andre Drummond? Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss all of that and more. Follow us on T...

Who were the notable All-Star snubs? How should LeBron James and Stephen Curry divvy up their picks in the All-Star draft? Should San Antonio Spurs fans be concerned about Kawhi Leonard's reported frustration with the franchise? How can the Cleveland Cavaliers fix what's ailing them? Were the Milwaukee Bucks right to fire head coach Jason Kidd? Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@msjnba)...

In this episode, Bulls HQ host, Mark Karantzoulis, joins Morten to talk all things Chicago Bulls, as well as the upcoming trade deadline. Should the Bulls make a concerned effort to take, or should they stick with their new winning ways? What role will Zach LaVine have in the future? Is Robin Lopez worth more to the Bulls as a player, than as a trade asset? And why does Charlotte want to pair Kemb...

Which players should be selected as reserves for the 2018 All-Star Game in each conference? Who will be snubbed from All-Star consideration? Can the NBA do anything to increase the competitiveness of the All-Star Game? Will scrapping the East-vs.-West format accomplish that goal? Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss all of that and more. Follo...

Halfway through the 2017-18 NBA season, who are the favorites for each of the league's major awards? Can anyone catch Lou Williams in the Sixth Man of the Year race? Is Brad Stevens running away with Coach of the Year? Will anyone challenge Victor Oladipo for Most Improved Player? Is there a front-runner for Defensive Player of the Year? Can Donovan Mitchell supplant Ben Simmons in the Rookie of t...

Which NBA teams should be buyers and sellers at the 2018 trade deadline? Should the Los Angeles Lakers start clearing out cap space for their ambitious free-agent plans? Is it time for the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers to begin a rebuild? Should the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans consider trading Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins, respectively? Check out the episode to...

Is LaVar Ball becoming a legitimate distraction for the Los Angeles Lakers? Should Lonzo tell him to back off? What role does the media play in building up LaVar into a newsworthy story? Is Lonzo worth the headache for the Lakers?  Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss all of that and more. Follow us on Twitter: @TheNBAPod

The first returns from 2018 All-Star Game balloting came out Thursday, complete with some significant surprises. Who should start for each conference? Why doesn't Jimmy Butler have more votes? Can Joel Embiid stave off Kristaps Porzingis? How do Manu Ginobili and Dwyane Wade have so many votes? Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss all of that...

Which NBA team is likely to wind up with the worst record? Should the Los Angeles Lakers be dangling Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline? Will the Memphis Grizzlies host a fire sale? Are the Chicago Bulls screwing themselves out of a top-five pick? Where do the injury-ravaged Orlando Magic go from here?  Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bry...

How will Ben Simmons fare in his Madison Square Garden debut on Christmas Day? Should we take away anything from the Cleveland Cavaliers-Golden State Warriors matchup? Will the Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics still have bad blood? Can Oklahoma City Thunder's Big Three keep up with the Houston Rockets? Will Lonzo Ball and the Los Angeles Lakers upset the Minnesota Timberwolves? Check out the...

Are the Oklahoma City Thunder finally beginning to coalesce? What's holding them back from becoming a legitimate Western Conference contender? Is George Hill justified in feeling wronged by the Sacramento Kings' reported change in direction? Will Tom Thibodeau ever learn his lesson about distribution of playing time? How have the Chicago Bulls started looking like a real NBA team? Check out the ep...

Can Jahlil Okafor salvage his career with the Brooklyn Nets? How will he fit in with head coach Kenny Atkinson's system? Did the Philadelphia 76ers wait too long to trade Okafor? Was Trevor Booker enough to get in return? Does Stephen Curry's ankle injury open the door for the Houston Rockets to run away with the No. 1 seed? Who should the Golden State Warriors fear more: Houston or the San Antoni...

In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the biggest surprises and disappointments from the first quarter of the 2017-18 NBA season. Which teams and/or players have stood out as pleasant surprises through the first 20 games? Who has fallen short of expectations to date?  Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss all of that and...

Should the Memphis Grizzlies have fired head coach David Fizdale? With Fizdale gone, what's Memphis' next step. Should Marc Gasol be on the trade block? With Blake Griffin sidelined for up to eight weeks, should the Los Angeles Clippers sell DeAndre Jordan to the highest bidder? Which teams should be interested in him?  Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btop...

Derrick Rose has taken a hiatus from the Cleveland Cavaliers. If he retires, how will we remember his career? Can the Denver Nuggets survive without Paul Millsap for the next few months? With Patrick Beverley done for the year, should the Los Angeles Clippers consider trading DeAndre Jordan or Blake Griffin? Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discus...

How surprising is the value of Robert Covington's extension? Who should the Philadelphia 76ers target in free agency next summer or in 2019? Are the Boston Celtics now the team to beat in the Eastern Conference? Are the Utah Jazz already in danger of falling out of the playoff race? Why do the Dallas Mavericks hate Nerlens Noel so much?   Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and B...