Full Court Press | For The Intellectually Curious Nba Fan | National Basketball Association Fans

We complete our offseason updates with the Magic Suns and Kings. The Magic have new front office leadership and are enter their second year under head coach Frank Vogel. Can Aaron Gordon take a step forward? Will Elfrid Payton cement his spot as their current and future starting point guard? The Phoenix Suns are now, unfortunately the new model of franchise dysfunction. Is there any hope for Dragan Bender and/or Marquis Chriss? In Sacramento will the new veterans help? Of course they will. Apart from the rookies will any of the other young players become meaningful players in the franchise trajectory? All of this and more. We are almost done with our offseason updates.  Follow us on Twitter: @willis_glen / @LawtonWillis / @presspodcast Follow us on FaceBook: @fullcourtpressnba Read more at http://fullcourtpress.libsyn.com/podcast#WyEvAozeiPfGYGqV.99Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are almost done with our offseason updates. On this week’s episode we cover the Chicago Bulls (Jimmy Butler’s old team) the Minnesota Timberwolves (Jimmy Butler’s new team) and the Brooklyn Nets. What are we looking to see from the group of young guys on the Bulls roster? What do we think the Bulls should do with Lauri Markkanen? Why the presence of Robin Lopez and Cristiano Felicio makes us feel a little encouraged about how Markkanen’s development might go. The Timberwolves add a lot of talent and veteran presence. They gave Andrew Wiggins a big contract and will certainly do the same with Karl-Anthony Towns next year. The West is stacked; what might the Timberwolves be able to accomplish this season. The Brooklyn Nets have been operating with basically no draft picks the last several years but have been creative situationally to add young guys here and there. Will Kenny Atkinson and company help D’Angelo Russell get his head on straight? What could Caris LaVert, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and some of the o

A couple of quick thoughts on news items: the awful news of the Nic Batum and how it could impact the season for the Charlotte Hornets. The we talk above the Cleveland Cavaliers decision to start Kevin Love at center and play Tristan Thompson off of the bench. The we dig into offseason updates for the Atlanta Hawks and the Memphis Grizzlies. Has the Hawks playoff run come to an end? Where does Dennis Schroder need to improve as to position him to become the player the Hawk need him to be? In Memphis they have adjusted the roster to reflect the modern game. We sing the praises of Mike Conley. Do they have enough 3-point shooting? Can the additions of Ben McLemore and Tyreke Evans help? Then our guest Jeff Siegel joins and tries to forecast the all-star rosters for the 2017-18 season. All of this and more… Follow us on Twitter: @willis_glen / @LawtonWillis / @presspodcast Follow our guest on Twitter: @jgsiegel Follow us on FaceBook: @fullcourtpressnbaLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice

A couple of quick thoughts on news items: lottery reform, Russell Westbrooks commitment to the OKC Thunder in the form of a massive contract. Then we cover the Los Angeles Clippers and the Houston Rockets offseason updates. These two teams had a summer largely shaped around the transition of Chris Paul from the Clippers to the Rockets. Will Blake Griffin, if healthy, get enough help in the form of the Clippers backcourt players to help him move back to being one of the most elite players in the league? Will Danillo Gallinari help him? Will DeAndre Jordan being able to contribute offensively without an elite PG on the court with him? Will Chris Paul and James Harden be able to help one another reach a level of play in the postseason neither of them have been able to reach thus far in their respective careers? The Rockets lost on the Carmelo sweepstakes. Are they done working on this roster? All of this and more.  Follow us on Twitter: @willis_glen / @LawtonWillis / @presspodcast  Follow us on FaceBook: @fu

The New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks each added a young point guard in consecutive picks in the NBA draft. Expectations are higher out of the gate for Dennis Smith Jr than for Frank Ntilikina although he was drafted after for him. Also the organizations could not be in different place. The Mavericks have a ton of stability while Knicks are just looking to emerge in the post Phil Jackson era. What do we expect from each of these teams. How much of his contract value can Tim Hardaway Jr return? What are looking to see from Kristaps Porzingis this season? Are we impressed with the season Harrison Barnes had last season? And which of the young Mavericks players are potential impact players for the franchise down the road? All of this and more.  Follow us on Twitter: @willis_glen / @LawtonWillis / @presspodcast  Follow us on FaceBook: @fullcourtpressnba  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers are two of the most exciting young teams entering this season. The Sixers are clearly ahead in their process (the word has been ruined) as they’ve been accumulating talent at the top if the draft for a number of years now. The Laker just drafted the player the want to build around but have other interesting young players such as Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle. This episode specifically focuses on what the expectations should be from these teams and their players. The number of wins they can realize this season is far less important than other development objectives. We dive into all of this and more. Also Nat Kitaw joins us to share thought on a recent article he wrote about Kyrie Irving and if he sees the result of his analysis any differently now that Kyrie Irving is with Brad Stephens and the Boston Celtics.  Follow us on Twitter: @willis_glen / @LawtonWillis / @presspodcast  Follow Nat on Twitter: @Natsbballstats  Follow us on FaceBook: @fullcourtpress

The Miami Heat had a tale of two seasons, which one was real? What happened to allow them to turn a 10-31 team into a 31-10 team? They chased Gordon Heyward and came up empty. Then they brought the same team back with the additions of Kelly Olynyk and Bam Adebayo. Is this roster good enough to commit to the next three seasons with this group? The Blazers sneaked into the playoffs with a .500 record. They traded Allen Crabbe and brought make the same team also apart from their additions in the draft Zach Collins and Caleb Swanigan. Is there any hope they can be a better team than they were last season? Follow us on Twitter: @willis_glen / @LawtonWillis / @presspodcast Follow us on FaceBook: @fullcourtpressnbaLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Washington Wizards rose in the Eastern Conference in the 2016-17 season but the two teams that finished in the top two seeds, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics, and faced off in the Eastern Conference Finals made a trade, that we discussed on last week’s episode, that shifts the near term and longer-term power structure in the conference. Where does that leave the Wizards? They are bringing back the same core with another modest attempt to add bench depth, will it move the needle in one direction or the other? Also, how does the backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal rank with the other great backcourts in the league. The Denver Nuggets finally landed their marquee free agent Paul Millsap, the roster around him and the emerging Nikola Jokic is deep. But does the roster construction as it stands today make sense from a fit perspective? There is a gap at the wing, is there a way for the Nuggets to use the resources they currently have to address it? Glen Willis and Greg Willis cover all of thi

The Cavaliers and Celtics made a trade that even three months ago would have been unthinkable. Who won the trade? OK we really don’t care. What’s important is this: how is this trade going to work out for each of the teams? The Celtics finally traded a draft asset, will Kyrie buy into what Brad Stevens will ask him to do on offense? Thomas received 94 voters for All-NBA team, Kyrie received just 14. Is Thomas really that much better than Kyrie? The Cavs have nicely set up for flexibility next summer when Lebron will have all the power. But have they improved themselves at all for a potential Finals match up with the Warriors? Are the Celtics better or worse than they were one year ago? How might Gordon Heyward and Al Horford feel about these changes? Glen Willis and Greg Willis cover all of this and more  Follow us on Twitter: @willis_glen / @LawtonWillis / @presspodcast  Follow us on FaceBook: @fullcourtpressnba Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode host Glen Willis is joined by Greg Willis. They discuss the news of the tampering accusation against the Lakers and why this charge might be different from any other tampering charge in the history of the NBA. They provide a review of the offseason transactions and look ahead to the 2017-2018 season for the Golden State Warriors and Detroit Pistons. The Warriors somehow got better this offseason even though they had to pay Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. They are best and most popular sports team in the world, probably. So instead of digging Glen and Greg draft an 8-man rotation from across the league that they think would best challenge the Warriors; there are some rules that prevent just stacking a team. Is there any hope for the Pistons this season in an entirely underwhelming Eastern Conference? How good is Avery Bradley? How is going to help? Who is the best basketball player on the Pistons roster?    Follow us on Twitter: @willis_glen / @LawtonWillis Learn more about your ad choices. Vis

In this episode host Glen Willis is joined by Greg Willis. They provide a review of the offseason transactions and look ahead to the 2017-2018 season for the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs. The Raptors lost four key veteran players. Are the young players ready to step in and handle consistent rotation minutes and the responsibilities that come with them? Will Kyle Lowry and Demar DeRozan get enough help? They have less depth but are playing in a weakened Eastern Conference. Will they be able to prioritize a 7-8 player rotation that will set them up for more success in the postseason? The Spurs are the Spurs. How will Pop handle the absence of Tony Parker at the point guard position? The LaMarcus Aldridge experience has been bumpy. Will it be better this season? How close is Kawhi Leonard to be the single best player in the league? All of this and more on the outlook for the 2017-18 season for the Raptors and Spurs.  Follow us on Twitter: @willis_glen / @LawtonWillis Learn more about your ad choices.

In this episode host Glen Willis is joined by Greg Willis. They provide a review of the offseason transactions and look ahead to the 2017-2018 season for the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder. How bad are the Pacers going to be in their first season in the post Paul George era? Is Victor Oladipo as bad as everyone else is saying? Hint: we don’t think so. Is the Myles Turner hype train out of control? In Oklahoma City is Russell Westbrook going to dial it back a notch with Paul George on his team? Can he dial it back? The science is obvious, we he accept it? Also, would you rather have Myles Turner or Steven Adams over the next 5 seasons?  Follow us on Twitter: @willis_glen / @LawtonWillis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode host Glen Willis is joined by Greg Willis. The provide a review of offseason transactions and look ahead to the 2017-2018 season for the Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans. Do the Bucks have the potential to take another step forward even though they are bringing back largely the same roster? What does Giannis Antentokounmpo need to do to become a real MVP candidate. How much of a role should Than Maker have during his second professional season? Also Greg is pretty excited about this Pelicans team? How can they be over the course of a full season with Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins in the front court? Is Rajon Rando going to help them? And why it makes so much sense for them to add Jason Terry.  Follow us on Twitter: @willis_glen / @LawtonWillis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode host Glen Willis is joined by Greg Willis. The provide a review of off season transactions and look ahead to the 2017-2018 season for the Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz. Does the Dwight Howard addition move the needle in either direction for the Hornets? How good is Kemba Walker? Have the Hornets put the right roster around him to move squarely back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture? How do the Utah Jazz respond to the loss of Gordon Heyward? Is Rodney Hood good enough the lead the Jazz on offense? Is Dennis Lindsey done making improvements to the Jazz roster?  Follow us on Twitter: @willis_glen @LawtonWillisLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode host Glen Willis is joined by Greg Willis. The provide a review of NBA Summer League Action. Who were the best players from the first round of the draft? Who were the players from the second round of the draft? Who were the best players currently without a guaranteed contract? Who disappointed. Among others, players reviewed include Lonzo Ball, Jayson Tatum, Dennis Smith Jr, Donavon Mitchell, Kyle Kuzma, John Collins, Jordan Bell, Jonah Bolden.   Follow us at @willis_glen and @LawtonWillisLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode host Glen Willis is joined by Greg Willis. The provide a recap free agency news thus far starting with Gordon Heyward to the Boston Celtics. The also cover Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Paul Millsap to the Denver Nuggets, George Hill and Zach Randolph to the Sacramento Kings, etc. They also cover the initial summer league performances by Markell Fultz, Jason Tatum,  Donavon Mitchell, Jonathan Isaac, Bam Adebayo, Luke Kennard and others.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Glen and Greg provide a recap of the draft, not focusing on pick by pick analysis. Rather they review the most unexpected things that happened on draft night. How did the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs end up dominating the draft? How Utah Jazz put themselves in position to deal with roster uncertainty heading towards free agency. Have the Sacramento Kings finally figured this stuff out? And more.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode host Glen Willis is joined by Greg Willis. They provide a lot of analysis about organizations heads into draft week. They discuss the big trade between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers and the impact of Markell Fultz landing on the Sixers roster. They discuss what Danny Ainge and the Celtics are up to as a result of the trade. They discuss the report that Paul George has notified the Indiana Pacers that he will not be back with the team after the 2017-2018 season. They review the GM hires around the league including the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic and Milwaukee Bucks. They look at the Oklahoma City Thunder and Russell Westbrook one season removed from having Kevin Durant. They touch on the situation with the Utah Jazz and Gordon Heyward as well as the Miami Heat and free agency right around the corner.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In segment 1 the provide an NBA Finals update Golden State Warriors 3 Cleveland Cavaliers 1; what were the important factors to the Cavs game 4 victory? Will Draymond Green play more minutes at center going forward? What did the Cavs do to get JR Smith and Tristan Thompson going? How huge was Richard Jefferson in game 4?  In segment 2 they cover draft prospects TJ Leaf (Fr UCLA) Tyler Lydon (So Syracuse) Jonathan Motley (Jr Baylor) Justin Patton (Fr Creighton) and Jawun Evans (So Oklahoma St).Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In segment 1 we provide an NBA Finals update Golden State Warriors 2 Cleveland Cavaliers 0; going forward will Lebron James get more help? Are Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant just too much? What is going on with JR Smith and Tristan Thompson.  In segment 2 we cover draft prospects Justin Jackson (Jr North Carolina) Ike Anugbogu (Fr UCLA) Luke Kennard (So Duke) Jarrett Allen (Fr Texas) and John Collins (So Wake Forest).Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices