The NBA Podcast

Nearly one month into the 2017-18 NBA season, has a front-runner emerged for MVP? Which players look like candidates for Most Improved Player? Can anyone stop Ben Simmons from winning Rookie of the Year? Is Rudy Gobert still the heavy favorite for Defensive Player of the Year? Has Brad Stevens taken the lead in the Coach of the Year race? Which reserves are contenders for Sixth Man of the Year? Ch...

 How will Eric Bledsoe fit with the Milwaukee Bucks? What does his arrival mean for Malcolm Brogdon? Does Bledsoe make the Bucks a legitimate championship contender this year? Did the Phoenix Suns get enough for Bledsoe? Should they buy Greg Monroe out? Do they need outside help at point guard now? Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss all of t...

After their respective teams declined their fourth-year options, where should Jahlil Okafor, Mario Hezonja and Rashad Vaughn hope to end up next? How will the Cleveland Cavaliers survive the left calf injury that will sideline Tristan Thompson for the next month? What impact will Larry Nance Jr.'s fractured hand have on the Los Angeles Lakers? Is it time to panic about Lonzo Ball and the other str...

LeBron James says he isn't worried about the Cleveland Cavaliers' slow start. Should he be? Fresh off three straight wins, are the New York Knicks a potential playoff contender? What is fueling the Detroit Pistons' early-season success? Is Victor Oladipo's breakout year for real? Does the Los Angeles Clippers' loss to the Golden State Warriors mean anything long-term? Check out the episode to hear...

Are the Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic for real, or are they taking advantage of soft early-season schedules? Can the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers keep up their hot start? Is it time to be worried about Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves on defense? Should Los Angeles Lakers fans be jumping ship on Brandon Ingram? What's contributing to the Denver Nuggets' early strug...

Eric Bledsoe wants nothing to do with the Phoenix Suns, so where should Phoenix trade him? Why did the Suns fire Earl Watson only three games into the year? Are you surprised Dwyane Wade willingly accepted a move to the bench? Are opposing point guards actively targeting Lonzo Ball because of his loudmouth father? What's going on with Markelle Fultz's shooting stroke? Check out the episode to hear...

How can the Boston Celtics replace Gordon Hayward in the wake of his ankle injury? Should the Chicago Bulls have punished Bobby Portis more severely for punching Nikola Mirotic? Can the Brooklyn Nets rebound from Jeremy Lin's season-ending injury? Should any fanbases already be panicking? Is Giannis Antetokounmpo a legitimate MVP candidate this year? Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@m...

Sure, the Golden State Warriors are overwhelming favorites to win the 2018 championship, but don't let that ruin the 2017-18 NBA season for you. After walking through some preseason takeaways and injury notes, Morten Jensen (@msjnba), Sarah Cilea (@wildhorses65) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss what they're most excited to watch this coming season.   Follow us on Twitter: @TheNBAPod

Did the Philadelphia 76ers make a mistake by maxing out Joel Embiid now instead of next summer? Is Gary Harris' four-year, $74 million extension too little, too much or just right? What about the deals Norman Powell, TJ Warren and Josh Richardson signed in recent weeks? Should Jabari Parker, Aaron Gordon, Dante Exum, Julius Randle or Elfrid Payton receive extensions by the Oct. 16 deadline? Check...

Can Kawhi Leonard stave off Kevin Durant and LeBron James to win MVP this year? Who else might work themselves into the MVP conversation? Is Rudy Gobert the front-runner for Defensive Player of the Year? Will Lonzo Ball run away with Rookie of the Year? Who should we keep an eye on in the Most Improved Player, Sixth Man of the Year and Coach of the Year races?  Check out the episode to hear Morten...

Which team is the second-best in the Western Conference? Are the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets playoff locks? Which teams will lock up the seventh and eighth seeds out West? Can the Toronto Raptors sneak past the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics to land the No. 1 seed in the East? Could the Milwaukee Bucks snag a top-four seed? Where do the Charlotte Hornets fall in the wake of N...

Is Kristaps Porzingis ready for the pressure that comes along with being the face of the New York Knicks? Can D'Angelo Russell resuscitate his career in Brooklyn? Will Kyrie Irving have an MVP-caliber season with the Boston Celtics? Is this the year DeMar DeRozan begins shooting three-pointers? What should we realistically expect from No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz? Check out the episode to hea...

How will the Cleveland Cavaliers adjust at point guard until Isaiah Thomas returns from his hip injury? Can Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond bounce back after their disappointing 2016-17 campaigns? Do the Chicago Bulls currently have their point guard of the future on their roster? Is Myles Turner headed for a breakout year? Will Giannis Antetokounmpo force his way into the MVP discussion? Check...

 How will Anthony fit next to Russell Westbrook and Paul George in OKC? Are the Thunder now the second-best team in the Western Conference? How will Kristaps Porzingis handle being the New York Knicks' No. 1 option? Where will the Knicks finish in the lottery standings? After LeBron James, Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant spoke out against President Donald Trump on Saturday, will more NBA players follow...

How perfect of a fit is Paul Millsap alongside Nikola Jokic? Can Jimmy Butler help Andrew Wiggins round out his game? Will Paul George emerge as a legitimate MVP candidate in Oklahoma City? Can Rodney Hood make Utah Jazz fans forget about Gordon Hayward? Will Jusuf Nurkic be able to sustain his post-All-Star-break surge? Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@msjnba), Sarah Cilea (@wildhors...

Will the Miami Heat grow to regret their offseason spending spree, or could they emerge as a sneaky threat out East? How will Dwight Howard fit with the Charlotte Hornets, and what does his arrival mean for Cody Zeller? Who can the Atlanta Hawks rely on outside of Dennis Schroder? How should the Orlando Magic distribute minutes among their plethora of wings? Did the Washington Wizards upgrade thei...

Is Lonzo Ball the Rookie of the Year front-runner? Who will run the Los Angeles Clippers' offense now that Chris Paul is gone? How will all of the Sacramento Kings' new pieces mesh? What should Phoenix Suns fans expect from Josh Jackson? How can Steve Kerr help the Golden State Warriors combat complacency? Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@msjnba), Sarah Cilea (@wildhorses65), Bryan To...

Will Nerlens Noel regret turning down the Dallas Mavericks' reported four-year, $70 million contract offer? How will Chris Paul and James Harden mesh in Houston? Will the DeMarcus Cousins-Anthony Davis pairing take flight in New Orleans? Is there any hope of Chandler Parsons having a bounce-back season in Memphis? What should the San Antonio Spurs do at point guard until Tony Parker returns from h...

Did the Boston Celtics overpay for Kyrie Irving? How will he fit in Brad Stevens' system? Why did they cash in on Irving rather than Paul George or Jimmy Butler? Are they better or worse than they would have been if they rolled back the same core? How will Isaiah Thomas fit alongside LeBron James and Kevin Love? Does this trade make the Cleveland Cavaliers more competitive against the Golden State...

Which teams will be appointment viewing for NBA fans this year? Which teams can you safely ignore? After losing Chris Paul, are the Los Angeles Clippers more interesting? Will the Utah Jazz be more boring without Gordon Hayward? Are the Nikola Jokic-led Denver Nuggets, Joel Embiid-led Philadelphia 76ers and Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks each must-watch teams? Check out the episode to h...

Which games should NBA fans be most excited about during the opening week of the 2017-18 season? Which matchups are appointment viewing on Christmas Day? For the 2017-18 season, who would you rather have: Nikola Jokic or DeMarcus Cousins? Jimmy Butler or Paul George? Kawhi Leonard or Kevin Durant? Joel Embiid or Karl-Anthony Towns?  Check out the episode to hear Morten Jensen (@msjnba), Sarah Cile...

With Doc Rivers out as Los Angeles Clippers president, is the dual coach/president role going extinct? Can Tom Thibodeau and Stan Van Gundy continue to handle those duties with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons, respectively? Is Michael Jordan right to say Kawhi Leonard is the best two-way player in the NBA? Who belongs higher on all-time rankings, Kobe Bryant or LeBron James? Should...

Can the Cleveland Cavaliers go into training camp with Kyrie Irving on their roster? How will Derrick Rose fit in Cleveland? If the Cavs trade Irving, can Rose be a viable starter for them? Did the Brooklyn Nets err in not receiving a draft pick in their trade for Allen Crabbe? Why did the San Antonio Spurs overpay Pau Gasol? Is there reason to worry about Ben Simmons serving as the Philadelphia 7...

With Kyrie Irving reportedly wanting out of Cleveland, should the Cavaliers trade him before training camp? Which teams make sense as a trade partner? What should Cleveland target in return? As for John Wall, will he live up to the four-year "supermax" extension he just signed with Washington? Does that contract limit the Wizards' ceiling? How can they improve moving forward? Check out the episode...

Is Carmelo Anthony eventually headed to the Houston Rockets? What should they be willing to give up to land him? Which other teams might be involved in this four-team trade? How will the latest free-agent signings fit in with their respective teams? Fresh off a dazzling summer league performance, is Lonzo Ball actually the greatest thing since sliced bread? Which other rookies have dazzled in Las...