Tim Duncan never winning a DPOY is so spiritually similar to Spoelstra never winning a COTY award. I can understand voter fatigue in cases like Giannis and Lebron never *really* being in MVP conversations after winning it a few times, but when all-time guys don't even get ONE award in an area they are absolutely elite in- it's so bizzare. It's like having pre-emptive voter fatigue: "Oh yeah we know that guy is great, but *this* is the story this year."
I also feel like this is very similar to what is happening with Luka with MVP including this season, not quite to the same degree as Duncan not winning dpoy obviously and there's reasons he hasn't won it yet and he will definitely get it in the very near future, but it's so weird how in his 6th season he hasn't really come close to winning MVP despite consistently making the playoffs and putting up ridiculous numbers every season, just like you said preemptive voter fatigue
@@imrxcket I actually think that can be entirely attributed to Luka's organization. Like, him getting snubbed for MVP actually has an entirely reasonable explanation behind it. The Mavericks have done an absolutely horrid job of building around arguably the best talent inbetween Lebron and Wemby's drafts (2003-2023). I genuinely believe Luka is gonna get his MVP as soon as his team finishes among the top 3 seeds in the West. But that's far from a given considering he is currently in the godamn play-in while averaging.......... 34/9/10 on 61% TS.
@@imrxcket Luka just live in an era with Giannis and Jokic, and I think people don't realize how all time both these guys are§, especially when come to offensive efficiency, like Jokic is nearly an 25/10/10 guy and Giannis is an 30/10/6 guy with DPOY level every year . That's at nothing to do with Luka. Meanwhile Mutombo or Wallace having like 4 DPOY was BS, when you see there were others guys and they just gave it to the guys with the most blocks and flashier ones
Hot Take: if Houston makes the playoffs Ime Udoka should win coach of the year. The entire point of the award is to coach your team through adversity and surpass expectations. That is everything he’s done for the Rockets this year.
Yeah but daignault did this more so. Most people predicted the thunder in the playin range and I never saw one person who had them as a one seed. They jumped like 10 seeds from last year and are far ahead of pace from rebuilding
@@BDN67 Mazzula being in the COTY race is such a joke, you could put just a passable coach in the position of having a stacked roster like that and they'd still be top 2 in the East on talent alone
Hot take: people underrate a teams staff for winning, as a good head coach is important however a good assistant coach and staff could be just or more important.
This isn’t a hot take, it’s a good smart observation that ppl in the bball world def know, but is extremely hard to quantify unless you’re on the team, part of the FO, or cover the league in depth and know who the good assts are etc. There’s a reason HCs usually demand to hire their own staff when they get a new job. There is so much work, and diff HCs can specialize in diff things. You might be a really good leader, really good on offense, but may need a “defensive coordinator” or whatever. You may not be the absolute best with coming up with plays for sideline OOBs, ATOs, etc. and need an Xs and Os guy for those particular offensive moments. Asst coaches are def the most underrated part of a team I’d say in a lot of situations. I think a lot of it is bc it’s not really public like the NFL where there’s an offensive and defensive coordinator, and you usually know if the HC calls plays etc. For w/e reason it’s not like that in the NBA, and titles vary vastly. So many HCs have a defensive or offensive coordinator though and most ppl have no idea.
Honestly man listen with the Jimmy> Embiid take it may be a casual answer but if it’s the regular season I’m taking Embiid and if it’s the playoffs I’m taking Jimmy🤷
If anything Giannis has just been profoundly unlucky: Raptors build the wall because Giannis had basically no help Jimmy goes off in the bubble Khris getting hurt in the 2021 playoffs killed a likely back to back championship run (they took the Celtics to 7 without him which is insane). The entire heat roster, especially Jimmy Butler go off, nobody on that team could miss for basically a month
Imagine if LeBron was on a team that made the finals and did so winning 2 games in the ECF with him sitting out. Regardless even if he won finals MVP ppl would slander him and say he got lucky or carried by supporting cast. The difference is ppl actually like Giannis so they give him a pass
@@CahlilWessoni feel like if haliburton can solidify that next step he could have the potential to be one of the next great PGs. That run when he was scoring like 30 points a game while also having 12+ assists and almost no turnovers showed where his potential can be
@@CahlilWesson If you play in a team with no other talents yes. But if you have a point forward then there's no point. Also no team has won a title with a player averaging more than 10 APG outside Magic and the Lakers. And traditional PG are historically bad 1st option if you want to win a title
Hot Take: the Bucks always had terrible perimeter defense. Jrue Holiday was just a bandaid on a missing leg. It looked good in the regular season, but every post season guards and wings were killing them.
Kurt Angle is the 🐐. His 5 year peak off the percs from 2005 to 2010 and parts of 2011 was the greatest in-ring run ever. Overall as a guy who started out knowing nothing about how to wrestle, to become as good as we was so quickly is astounding. And his range as a character is also underrated. He got everything over. He was funny as a face and as a heel. He was a dork, he was a sexual degenerate, he was a wrestling machine, he was a mob boss, he was an American hero. Perc Angel is on my mount Rushmore and he makes it very difficult to fill out the other 3 spots. Love the vids, Rusty 🤙🏾
@@Healthy_Toki Taker is also on my mount Rushmore. He had some filler years & poor storyline payoffs, but with that much longevity it's hard to avoid. Foley is somewhere in my top 15. I hadn't seen a lot of his work pre-wwe so I honestly don't have a solid enough study on him. But he is a guy who's had some legendary moments & matches, and pioneered hardcore wrestling while offering a bit more depth as a character than other guys from his time.
Hot Take: Steve Nash is the most underrated point guard of all time, Ik he got 2 mvps but most of the time people deem them as fraudulent, Ik ifs suck but I’d love to see him in the modern game DUDE COULD SHOOT!
Honestly the one who deserves the Most Improved player is Jalen Johson the rise of this kid is the only thing keeping ATL afloat. From barely playing 10 minutes to starting to have an increase of over 10 points, increases at rebounding, increases at passing, his defense is pretty good even having to cover for the atrocious Trae Young defense. Jalen is also shooting 36 from 3PT. He pretty much double all his stats while also playing good defense. In my mind there isn't a player in the NBA who deserves the award more than Jalen Johnson from the Atlanta Hawks. This is kid is so damn good at just 22 y/o he's the future of Power Forward. Dude can pass, can dribble,can shot, can play D, can run, can play slow, can attack in multiple ways off the dribble, of the spot up.
Hot Take: Larry bird and Magic played on superteams their whole career, and were fun to watch which has boosted their all time ranking beyond where they should be (this is more true for magic). If Dr J were born 5 years later he would have been in the same discussion as them if not better than them.
Larry bird really was that guy as a hyper dynamic offensive talent before those were a thing, but his all time standing is hurt by the back injury. I do think from a pure talent perspective he’s under appreciated by modern fans, I think considering how valuable and unique his talent was he would have had a lot of success on any team as he was the best player in the league by a substantial margin and any type of player could slot well into his offense
@@shakespearefan Bird was the best player on the best regular season team for 6 in 7 years. He is an excellent player, but he still had a super team. For me he would be towards the bottom of my top 10
Larry would have done well anywhere with his mentality. He'd have had a better career if he played for a team that were either persuasive or unyielding enough to protect his body from chronic injury. Magic might have been a better player if he wasn't distracted by everything that came from being an LA sports superstar, but it was probably the best landing spot for him career wise.
The "toe on the line" thing is basically the same logic that most people use for "clutch" stuff where they act like stuff that transpires at the end of a game is more important than stuff at the start.
My hot take: Domantas Sabonis on any given night is a top 3 center in the league. What he offers to the Kings is not replaceable. He basically guarantees you 20 points, 13 boards, 8 assists, and high defensive work rate every game he plays. He rarely gets injured, and has a great partnership with Fox. The other thing he must work on is his turnovers per game which is genuinely abysmal.
I don’t know if it’s a hot take, but having highier draft pick is usually overrated in my opinion (by teams and by fans). For about 20 to 30 most talented players entering leage each year the most important thing is development (how well can the team develop young pleayers) and also different circumstances play a role too (radom things in life). Higher draft picks are just given more opoortunities so they turn out better more often. That is the main reason why some teams allways draft well and some allways draft badly, because in reality they can or cannot develop young talents.
That Antetokounmpo argument was dog shit. The injuries point wasn’t valid, Antetokounmpo and Trae Young were injured in the ECF. Antetokounmpo rushed back to the finals, and still cooked with a lingering hyper extension. Antetokounmpo’s legacy was cemented after that historic run/finals.
I hate the idea around leadership if it’s not performative it’s not talked about, the argument for saying someone is a bad leader specifically the kd example is that he couldn’t make kyrie and harden stay on the team… There grown men if you feel like someone or something is intruding on your personal life there isn’t going to be a leader who can change that.
Something to consider on the Harden rings take at the end - if KD didn’t go to the Warriors, the West was still loaded with the Spurs, Warriors, and (presumably) KD and Russ Thunder as well
Really every Denver Nuggets player not named Nikola Jokić. seriously Jamal Murray is one of the best three level scorers in the league. Then we got Aaron Gordon, one of the best slashers and defenders in the league. Michael Porter Junior is one of the best catch and shoot players out there but you’re not gonna see a single person talk about them
@@Drcoconut4777 Murray reminds me a lot of Kyrie. Smooth handles, can score at any spot on the floor, unreal touch around the rim, etc. best part is you don’t get the drama. Aaron Gordon is on of the most versatile defenders and can play the 1-5. On top of that he’s one of the best dunkers in the league and a constant lob threat. His most underrated skill imo is his ability to play make. He’s pretty good in that aspect. People forget MPJ would have been a top 3 pick if he didn’t have the health concerns. Well guess what? He’s been healthy and he shows how valuable his is when healthy. Look at his stats last season in the playoffs, if he just plays up to his normal standards, nuggets coast through the west. If he gets hot in the playoffs it’s going to be a repeat for the nuggets. Not to mention KCP who is a great 3 & D player. IMO hes not as good as he used to be but he’s the 5th best starter and covers the opponent’s best guard while knocking down open 3s. Great luxury to have. Bench is meh but Braun and Watson and developing into good young talent. Reggie is Reggie and sometimes you want to kill him but sometimes he saves the day.
Yeah all true, the bench is just so meh most of the time. Malone is forced to have murray out with the second unit to keep them afloat which leaves less time for murray and joker 2 man. MPJ post all-star is really promising though going into post season.
Hot take: Jalen Brunson is a more deserving MVP candidate than Tatum. The Knicks have had their 2nd, 3rd, and arguably 4th best players miss significant time this year, and Brunson has kept the offense afloat and helped to elevate bench players into a legit playoff contenders even without Randle, OG, and Mitch. Tatum is a great player, but he is not top 5 in the league and without him the Celtics would likely still be top 3 in the east
Hot Take To loosely quote Bill Self, American players are not growing up learning to play basketball the right way. The AAU system of emphasizing sexy numbers and highlights is being rewarded with high ESPN draft projections. Kids are not growing up learning to play team basketball and are abandoning all semblances of fundamentals. It is part of the reason the rest of the basketball world is "catching up" and will only become more apparent as NIL deals in college ball become more lucrative. Amateur basketball is now $100 moves with 10 cent finishes.
@@josh_harrisonIdk man. Point differential and +/- with, and without a person on the field is pretty objective... Nuggets for example have a +19 better point differential per 100, when Jokic is on the field, compared to him off the field. Tatum only 3 points difference btw, idk how ppl can think he is the mvp
Hot take: Gregg Popovhich's true talent is not coaching (although obv he is great at that too) it's his eye for identifying talent in every facet of the basketball process. The man has identified over 15+ NBA coaches and had them on his staff, made some of the best draft decisions ever, identified RC Buford's talent and delegated the role of GM to him, even the shooting coach of the prime era spurs (Chip Engeler, if memory serves) is considered one of the greatest shot doctors of all time. Pop just knows when someone understands basketball and can bring value to the spurs organization. His real skill that seperates him from everyone else is not coaching, it is identifying talent and delegating responsibilities accordingly.
I tired of people trying to put Dame anywhere on the same level as Steph Curry. No dame wouldn’t win multiple chips if he was in Stephs shoes. He is at least 3 tiers below him all time. People gotta realize when the they try and put him on Stephs level they are saying Dame is a 10ish player of all time which is nuts
Hot take: Being effective without the ball is the most important skill (once you reach the threshold of superstar player) to win championships No matter how dominant an on ball scorer or playmaker is if they can't be effective off ball they wont win any chips Examples: every ball dominant PG ever aside from Magic Johnson For instance Nash CP3 Kidd (when he was the focal point of an offense) Houston era James Harden Carmelo Anthony Tmac (although I wouldn't say he ever had a chip level team)
If you look at every championship winning team basically ever, they are comprised of superstar players (or just one superstar player) who are effective without having to keep the ball for most ofthe possession: Jokic 2023 Giannis 2021 KD 2017,2018 Curry 2015, 17,18,22 Lebron 2012, 13, 16,20 Kawhi 2019, 2014 That is the best player(s) on every championship winning team since 2012 (but you can apply this to every decade since 1980, Ive never thought about it pre 80's), all of them are still very effective without the ball and dont need to have the ballfor the whole possession to make something happen.
Hot take: The Mavericks are the team most likely to beat the Nuggets in a seven game series. Theyve got good C cover both of which did very well to defend Jokic. The defence from Kai would be vital for a series win as he would need to defend playoff Jamal
Counter Hot Take: prime Klay (2015-2019) has become an underrated player. Dude was an exceptional defender and one of the most efficient scorers in league history. And he scored almost exclusively within the flow of the offense, which is an undervalued trait
I think Duncan is better, he was a great scorer given the context of being a big and the era, like his 6 year peak scoring was 23 ppg, KG was 22 and dirk was 25. And I think the big difference in Duncan is just the intangibles, like 03 is right up there with 11 and 95 and 98 as the toughest and best rings by an individual player and Kobe not having one like that imo keeps him from being at that level, with that being said I have Duncan 4th and Kobe 5th all time
Hot Take: Tatum is becoming underrrated, with the whole Luka narrative going on rn esp with the Jxmy vid, Tatum has been caught in the middle of the crossfire of the Luka/MVP campaign. Yes he's not "more valuable" or even better than Luka, but people are beginning to forget all his accomplishment before this "superteam" people saying "well hes only in it cause he's on the best team" no shit bruh. He is the 6th best player in the league after Jokic, Giannis, Luka, Curry, Embiid (maybe atp cause Embiid cannot stay healthy for the life of him).
Hot Take: the NBA playoffs should reseed after round 1 in the event of upsets Last year for example round 2 would have given us 76ers/Knicks, Suns/Warriors, and the actual conference finals matchups happen 1 round earlier
Hot Take: If the Nuggets finish as the 2nd seed, it makes sense for the teams in the 7-8 play in game (Suns and Mavs especially) to try and lose it. Playing a healthy Nuggets in the 1st round is a death sentence, and for either of them a 1st round exit would still be a massive disappointment. Risking a game against Warriors, Lakers or Rockets, who are worse teams, to feed into a bracket with Thunder, Clippers and Pelicans, where they would be just as likely as anyone else to get to the conference finals, if not favourites (specifically the Mavs), makes a good amount of sense. I ignore the Kings because for them a 1st round exit would likely be a fine achievement.
@@urbaindelva7869i really don’t think the kings could beat the warriors or the lakers in the playoffs kings defense is just so bad and sabonis last season got dramatically worse in the playoffs
The big 3 miami heat only winning two in a row, the kd warriors only winning two in a row proves that creating super teams isn't that unethical. Winning a championship is really hard, and no amount of realistic talent is going to make it "easy". If anything it creates opportunities for better underdog stories like dallas and Toronto. Significantly improving Dirk and Kawhi's legacies.
Prime Rondo is definitely one of the most underrated players of his time, maybe even all time. Amazing basketball IQ, great defender, top notch facilitator and he’s basically a second coach on the floor. I hope as more time passes, people put more respect on Rondo’s name.
I can't stand takes like "D.Rose would have been a great player if he hadn't suffered so many injuries" because it ignores the main issue: the playstyle that allowed him to dominate is the cause of the injuries. D.Rose's playstyle was not sustainable in the long run and especially not for a first offensive option. If in an alternative timeline he doesn't get injured it's because he's not playing like he did in this timeline, and therefore he's would not dominate the game, it's not like D.Rose was THAT good at shooting the ball or something, that dangerous playstyle is the only thing he was really great at. There's no real substance to that kind of take.
I watched game 7 of the rockets warriors series when I was in highschool and words cannot describe how much I was tweaking the fuck out every time they missed a 3 in that second half
Speaking of Tim Duncan & Jokic, most people don’t appreciate as much their greatness because these players are very lowkey in social media or their game aren’t as flashy like the others. Can you name a starting 5 of players that deserve as much props all time but are not that “popular”? PG - SG - SF - PF - Timmy D for me C - Jokic maybe(?)
Giannis should win the MVP, the only person that you can argue that should win the MVP is Luka, and even then I still think Giannis is better than him, he’s still a very amazing player and one of the best players to play the game right now offensively and defensively, he’s winning a lot even though he’s not winning as much as people want him too, and even though he doesn’t have a narrative(which I think is a lie, just saying for people who think he doesn’t), doesn’t mean he is a worse player than all these other MVP candidates.That’s my hot take and you can’t change my mind🤷🏾♂️
LeBron's 2017-18 season and postseason is the most dominant in NBA history when you factor in supporting cast. The only seasons that come close in my opinion are 1999-2000 Shaq, 2003-04 Kevin Garnett or maybe 1997-98 Jordan.
Hot Take (or maybe a suggestion, idk): Due to the globalization of the game and the amount of foreing players that are good-elite in the NBA. It would be interesting for the NBA and FIBA to organise an intercontinental tournament; something like the Club World Cup in football, but for basketball. The ideological difference between the FIBA and the NBA game would make for some great basketball to watch. I understand that as of now, no league is even comparable to the NBA, however after a few years I´m certain that the FIBA teams would addapt and make the tournament really interesting.
Duncan over Kobe. Duncan was the #1 on his team for 4 (arguably 5) of his rings, while Kobe was only the #1 for 2 of em. Also had some DOGSHIT splits in a couple of finals series.
Mainly because all eyes were on him. Other than giannis nobody is hitting a damn shot. It's like during FIBA where all 5 players focused on defending giannis
Hot take: Besides San Antonio, Trae young in Orlando would be a dream scenario. It’s probably unlikely because ATL wouldn’t want to trade within the division but I personally would like to see him in a magic uni.
If you finish more than 3games below.500 you shouldn’t be eligible for the play in. Currently speaking out west all teams in the P.I are above .500 while only the 7 and 8 out east are. Underachievers shouldn’t be gifted a chance to compete further.
While it would be too unpopular to actually make this move, Warriors should trade Steph next season so they have a shot at getting enough future draft picks to have a better chance at getting a young superstar. If you dont have a superstar (and surrounding talent), you're irrelevant in the NBA, even if you're a decently seeded playoff team. They're not winning with Steph again, so send him somewhere good and hope the return will help you be relevant again at some point in the next decade.
Hot take: I think that coaching plays a big role in why James Harden's playoff career has gone the way it has. Scott Brooks in OKC, Kevin McHale and Mike-D'Antoni in Houston, and Doc Rivers in Philly; they're all known for making poor decisions in the postseason. Steve Nash never should've been a head coach given his lack of experience. Another hot take: I find it ridiculous that KD has been getting slandered for not having won a championship since he left Golden State. A lot of people seem to forget that the Warriors were a damn near perfect situation at the time he went there, and it was gonna be hard to find that type of situation again.
Hot take: Either MVP voting criteria needs to be reevaluated or a new award (Player of the Year?) needs to be introduced. When someone like Luka is putting up the stats he is while his team is awful with him off the court there’s is no way he isn’t the most VALUABLE player, but I wouldn’t necessarily argue he’s the BEST player
Thibs is a great coach but running players to the ground by playing the entire game or if the game is decided is costing his teams reaching true contender status
I don't know if you were talking post-merger, but Oscar Robertson and Jerry West are both PGs and are top-20 all-time. I think SGA can dream about being the 5th best PG ever, but it would require him to be a top-25/30 player all-time
What about jerry west and oscar Robertson, they're both in the 15-17 range for me, would that make you re-evaluate ur point or nah (first take of video)
On Giannis take, the guy should poster should simoly brought up Giannis inadvertently injuring Kyrie. That toe on the three point line is no doubt iconic. But what Giannis did to Kyrie was flagrant.
20/30 teams is too many to make the playoffs and play in. I was originally a big fan of it and I get that last year we saw two play in teams make the conference finals but over all I think it further lessens the value of the regular season and makes the nba playoffs longer than they already are
I think Coach Pop is one of the greatest coaches of all time. Some say he wouldn't be if he didn't have Tim and the big 3. But we could argue the same thing about the success of Tim if they didn't have Pop
Stop the cap Greek Brick is a playoff choker He got swept twice by JV heat team His team won both games without him in ECF He had 1 good game his 50pt game in the finals and thats it Every year he is getting outplayed by other players while he has mad squad
Hot take: The Lakers making it to the Western Conference Finals is more likely than the Clippers this year… we’ve already seen the lakers do it from this exact position just last year, the Clippers have still yet to prove anything over the last 4 years
@1:08 As someone who values rings, mvps, and final mvps, etc; I can't see how you have Chris Paul over Oscar Robertson or Isiah Thomas on the all time point guard list. CP3 is the 5th or 6th greatest point guard at best imo.
As a dame fan myself, that take was ridiculous. Dame literally said that curry is the only one that he sees better than him at his roll. No one else. PLUS take this into consideration, would you rather have dame and Giannis on a team together or chef curry and the Greek freak? I think that explains it enough.
Hot Take: The dynamic of Tatum and Brown as 1A / 1B is due to artificial selection. The Celtics chose to develop Tatum as their 1A, forcing Brown’s development trajectory into a secondary role. If things unfolded more naturally without an agenda from the Celtics, I think brown would have come out on top as the clear #1
Hot Take: If Larry Bird played today he would be significantly better and a Goat candidate. Some of Birds biggest career drawbacks were things like his longevity due to injury, and his 3 point shooting (which was still elite for his time but not up to modern standards) In todays age Bird would have been able to better take care of his body, and have a much longer prime than what we got. He would also obviously be an even better 3-point shooter because he would practice the shot more and actually see it as acceptable to take them. Considering Bird in basically 12 semi healthy years won 3 chips and 3 strait MVPs, who knows how much more he could have accomplished had he had a career length more similar to other greats
Hot take: I don’t think being a superstar has as much to do with your “basketball” ability and more to do with your popularity with fans. Like SGA (idk random pick) is probably better at the game of basketball than someone like Yao Ming but nowhere close to their superstardom. Tbh I feel like TV commercials are almost a better measure of superstardom than stats or league awards. Would love to hear your thoughts
I actually disagree with the Tim Duncan not a great scorer take, in his prime he played on the slowest pace team in the slowest pace era, he was scoring 23ish a game when the spurs would score in the mid eighties and win
The 2022 nuggets would have made the finals with a healthy Murray and mpj. Jokic by himself was a extra layup and 3 falling away from pushing the warriors to six TWICE by himself
@@5stariley it’d be funny if they just voted like that for 5 years or so. You get a few random players like Derrick White or Naz Reid with an MVP to their name
bosh should be a center in the first place. i just sent u a tweet with a screenshot showing his minutes distribution and 74% of the time in toronto was spent at center
I believe Bron could’ve weld that Cavs against the Rockets if they were to match up in The Finals. Even though he got swept, he went god mode against the greatest team of all time.
The stepping on the 3 point like argument is way more legit than the injury argument As injuries happen But that thing that we saw almost never happens We can’t directly say that the injuries would have changed the series But the foot in the line quite literally directly changed the series Yes kd missed all his shots in OT but that shit doesn’t matter since it never happens the bucks are still gonna miss the final shot which btw was taken by Giannis of all people You can’t make a lot of what ifs of if something didn’t happen certain team would One HUNDRED percent win This is one of the rare cases where it would 100 percent alter the outcome of the series There some other outcomes like if horry didn’t hit the game winner vs the kings the lakers even with the refs on their side would have still lost the series You can’t GUARANTEE that lebron would have won 2 more rings if kd was never there But the foot on the line shit is the most valid argument as it just a luck issue rather than a skill issue I don’t view giannis ring up to a high standard or think that he was the best player that year Because 1. The finals was basically in the second round And 2. In what was basically the finals Kd completely outplayed Giannis Not that giannis choked but kd was simply better than him that series And I value that over Giannis finals performance against a weaker team In a finals that he really shouldn’t have ever even reached
The only team in the west that will beat the mavs in a series is the nuggets as long as they’re healthy. They have a very good team, with a mvp candidate, an all nba level player, and an extremely deep team. They have a top 3 offense, and I think they can be a top 10 defense, especially with the moves they made at the deadline. They would even give the nuggets a good series and could win
Steph should be in the GOAT conversation because of the impact he has had on the NBA alone. He proved that you could be the best/most important player in a championship winning dynasty and have your offensive game revolve mainly around shooting 3s. Even in terms of accolades Steph stands up well. Compared to Magic Johnson (someone who often is in the GOAT conversation): Steph has 1 less championship, 1 less all NBA appearence, 1 less MVP, and two less All Star apperences. Compared to Larry Bird (also in the GOAT debate) Steph has 1 more championship, 1 less All NBA, 1 less MVP, 1 less finals MVP, and 2 less All NBA appearences, and Steph's career is still going quite strong, so his resume can still improve. Magic and Bird are in the GOAT debate not just because of their stats and acolades, but because of the place they hold in history, "saving" the NBA as a comercial product in the 1980s. The NBA would not look the same today without Stephen Curry.
Tim Duncan never winning a DPOY is so spiritually similar to Spoelstra never winning a COTY award. I can understand voter fatigue in cases like Giannis and Lebron never *really* being in MVP conversations after winning it a few times, but when all-time guys don't even get ONE award in an area they are absolutely elite in- it's so bizzare.
It's like having pre-emptive voter fatigue: "Oh yeah we know that guy is great, but *this* is the story this year."
I also feel like this is very similar to what is happening with Luka with MVP including this season, not quite to the same degree as Duncan not winning dpoy obviously and there's reasons he hasn't won it yet and he will definitely get it in the very near future, but it's so weird how in his 6th season he hasn't really come close to winning MVP despite consistently making the playoffs and putting up ridiculous numbers every season, just like you said preemptive voter fatigue
@@imrxcket I actually think that can be entirely attributed to Luka's organization. Like, him getting snubbed for MVP actually has an entirely reasonable explanation behind it. The Mavericks have done an absolutely horrid job of building around arguably the best talent inbetween Lebron and Wemby's drafts (2003-2023).
I genuinely believe Luka is gonna get his MVP as soon as his team finishes among the top 3 seeds in the West. But that's far from a given considering he is currently in the godamn play-in while averaging.......... 34/9/10 on 61% TS.
damn didn't know you could miss the playoffs and get an mvp @@imrxcket
What year would you give to Duncan and why
@@imrxcket Luka just live in an era with Giannis and Jokic, and I think people don't realize how all time both these guys are§, especially when come to offensive efficiency, like Jokic is nearly an 25/10/10 guy and Giannis is an 30/10/6 guy with DPOY level every year . That's at nothing to do with Luka. Meanwhile Mutombo or Wallace having like 4 DPOY was BS, when you see there were others guys and they just gave it to the guys with the most blocks and flashier ones
Jimmy is a better playoff performer, that’s not even a question. Regular season you can give it to Embid
How's Jimmy a better playoff performer than Embiid?
Hot take: Rusty sucks for not finishing the Wemby Spurs 2k rebuild 👎🏻
Or any series that’s not the 2k21 Sixers one for that fact
No nba UA-camr finishes their 2k series. They never take into account how much work u gotta put in for it to be fun. Ask funky, rusty, kenny, etc
Hot Take: if Houston makes the playoffs Ime Udoka should win coach of the year. The entire point of the award is to coach your team through adversity and surpass expectations. That is everything he’s done for the Rockets this year.
Yeah but daignault did this more so. Most people predicted the thunder in the playin range and I never saw one person who had them as a one seed. They jumped like 10 seeds from last year and are far ahead of pace from rebuilding
@@BzBuck either him or Udoka, the fact that Joe Mazzula is above Ime in odds to win is hilarious.
@@BDN67 Mazzula being in the COTY race is such a joke, you could put just a passable coach in the position of having a stacked roster like that and they'd still be top 2 in the East on talent alone
@@bryanjerardBoston be even better with Ime
I told my buddy to bet on Daignult to win COTY when it was -160. Wish I would’ve bet more too. He didn’t listen tho 😂. He’s like -500 now.
Hot take: people underrate a teams staff for winning, as a good head coach is important however a good assistant coach and staff could be just or more important.
Jerry Krause didn’t😂
This isn’t a hot take, it’s a good smart observation that ppl in the bball world def know, but is extremely hard to quantify unless you’re on the team, part of the FO, or cover the league in depth and know who the good assts are etc.
There’s a reason HCs usually demand to hire their own staff when they get a new job. There is so much work, and diff HCs can specialize in diff things. You might be a really good leader, really good on offense, but may need a “defensive coordinator” or whatever. You may not be the absolute best with coming up with plays for sideline OOBs, ATOs, etc. and need an Xs and Os guy for those particular offensive moments.
Asst coaches are def the most underrated part of a team I’d say in a lot of situations. I think a lot of it is bc it’s not really public like the NFL where there’s an offensive and defensive coordinator, and you usually know if the HC calls plays etc. For w/e reason it’s not like that in the NBA, and titles vary vastly. So many HCs have a defensive or offensive coordinator though and most ppl have no idea.
OMG YES! Worst problem in sports media right now. "Take away this" or "If this didn't happen." 100% with Rusty on this one
If MJ had missed every single one of his shots in the 1992 finals, the Blazers would have won the ring. Ever think about that?
Honestly man listen with the Jimmy> Embiid take it may be a casual answer but if it’s the regular season I’m taking Embiid and if it’s the playoffs I’m taking Jimmy🤷
that giannis take is so bad lmaoo
If anything Giannis has just been profoundly unlucky:
Raptors build the wall because Giannis had basically no help
Jimmy goes off in the bubble
Khris getting hurt in the 2021 playoffs killed a likely back to back championship run (they took the Celtics to 7 without him which is insane).
The entire heat roster, especially Jimmy Butler go off, nobody on that team could miss for basically a month
Lol
Excuses
Considering that during those years people acted like the bucks were the nba equivalent of Kansas City chiefs with Mahomes
All these hot takes are bad. That's what makes them good hot takes-they get people to engage.
Imagine if LeBron was on a team that made the finals and did so winning 2 games in the ECF with him sitting out. Regardless even if he won finals MVP ppl would slander him and say he got lucky or carried by supporting cast. The difference is ppl actually like Giannis so they give him a pass
I feel like most PGs in the league are just SGs who can average 5 assists a game
Sadly yes Then the sg just turned into a 3and D position
@@CahlilWessoni feel like if haliburton can solidify that next step he could have the potential to be one of the next great PGs. That run when he was scoring like 30 points a game while also having 12+ assists and almost no turnovers showed where his potential can be
@@Other_Robots no pg should ever have less than 8 assists per game in my opinion
@@CahlilWesson If you play in a team with no other talents yes. But if you have a point forward then there's no point. Also no team has won a title with a player averaging more than 10 APG outside Magic and the Lakers. And traditional PG are historically bad 1st option if you want to win a title
@@CahlilWessonyou're one of those ones who say curry isn't a pg
People misevaluate the marketability of Jokic. Dude is actually hilarious, entertaining to watch, and a generational talent
Hot Take: the Bucks always had terrible perimeter defense. Jrue Holiday was just a bandaid on a missing leg.
It looked good in the regular season, but every post season guards and wings were killing them.
I wonder why
Kurt Angle is the 🐐. His 5 year peak off the percs from 2005 to 2010 and parts of 2011 was the greatest in-ring run ever. Overall as a guy who started out knowing nothing about how to wrestle, to become as good as we was so quickly is astounding. And his range as a character is also underrated. He got everything over. He was funny as a face and as a heel. He was a dork, he was a sexual degenerate, he was a wrestling machine, he was a mob boss, he was an American hero. Perc Angel is on my mount Rushmore and he makes it very difficult to fill out the other 3 spots.
Love the vids, Rusty 🤙🏾
Where do Mick Foley and the Undertaker rank for you all time?
@@Healthy_Toki Taker is also on my mount Rushmore. He had some filler years & poor storyline payoffs, but with that much longevity it's hard to avoid. Foley is somewhere in my top 15. I hadn't seen a lot of his work pre-wwe so I honestly don't have a solid enough study on him. But he is a guy who's had some legendary moments & matches, and pioneered hardcore wrestling while offering a bit more depth as a character than other guys from his time.
It’s funny to say “he doesn’t know how to wrestle”, when he won Olympic gold
Hot Take: Steve Nash is the most underrated point guard of all time, Ik he got 2 mvps but most of the time people deem them as fraudulent, Ik ifs suck but I’d love to see him in the modern game DUDE COULD SHOOT!
Steve Nash is truly underappreciated.
The miami heat morph into 3 steph curry's + bam and jim-michael butjordan for a series and somehow thats Giannis's fault
I swear to God the heat got access to space jam like powers for that series, hitting the absurd shots
your greatness is defined by your competition
Honestly the one who deserves the Most Improved player is Jalen Johson the rise of this kid is the only thing keeping ATL afloat. From barely playing 10 minutes to starting to have an increase of over 10 points, increases at rebounding, increases at passing, his defense is pretty good even having to cover for the atrocious Trae Young defense. Jalen is also shooting 36 from 3PT. He pretty much double all his stats while also playing good defense.
In my mind there isn't a player in the NBA who deserves the award more than Jalen Johnson from the Atlanta Hawks. This is kid is so damn good at just 22 y/o he's the future of Power Forward. Dude can pass, can dribble,can shot, can play D, can run, can play slow, can attack in multiple ways off the dribble, of the spot up.
Coby white went up from bieng a bust to near allstar out of nowhere though
If playoff Jimmy Butler is regular season Joel Embiid level does that mean playoff Embiid is regular season Jimmy level 🤔
It does
Hot Take: Larry bird and Magic played on superteams their whole career, and were fun to watch which has boosted their all time ranking beyond where they should be (this is more true for magic). If Dr J were born 5 years later he would have been in the same discussion as them if not better than them.
Larry bird really was that guy as a hyper dynamic offensive talent before those were a thing, but his all time standing is hurt by the back injury. I do think from a pure talent perspective he’s under appreciated by modern fans, I think considering how valuable and unique his talent was he would have had a lot of success on any team as he was the best player in the league by a substantial margin and any type of player could slot well into his offense
@@shakespearefan Bird was the best player on the best regular season team for 6 in 7 years. He is an excellent player, but he still had a super team. For me he would be towards the bottom of my top 10
Larry would have done well anywhere with his mentality. He'd have had a better career if he played for a team that were either persuasive or unyielding enough to protect his body from chronic injury. Magic might have been a better player if he wasn't distracted by everything that came from being an LA sports superstar, but it was probably the best landing spot for him career wise.
Is it really a super team if they were made of homegrown talent?
@@RussellReviewerFJV yes lol
The "toe on the line" thing is basically the same logic that most people use for "clutch" stuff where they act like stuff that transpires at the end of a game is more important than stuff at the start.
Jimmy Butler mental fortitude >>>>> Embid's
cool but thats not the question
i like butler much better than embiid
embiid is an overall better player
@@jac6548 more talented sure but what good is that if when it matters most butler is a far more impactful player.
HOT TAKE: CP3's run to the playoff with OKC is more impressive then KD's two championship (even tough CP3 had a young SGA)
My hot take:
Domantas Sabonis on any given night is a top 3 center in the league. What he offers to the Kings is not replaceable. He basically guarantees you 20 points, 13 boards, 8 assists, and high defensive work rate every game he plays. He rarely gets injured, and has a great partnership with Fox.
The other thing he must work on is his turnovers per game which is genuinely abysmal.
Also he'll play dirty af so opponents get frustrated and commit fouls and are thrown off of their game
I don’t know if it’s a hot take, but having highier draft pick is usually overrated in my opinion (by teams and by fans). For about 20 to 30 most talented players entering leage each year the most important thing is development (how well can the team develop young pleayers) and also different circumstances play a role too (radom things in life). Higher draft picks are just given more opoortunities so they turn out better more often. That is the main reason why some teams allways draft well and some allways draft badly, because in reality they can or cannot develop young talents.
There are exceptions of course, like LeBron or Wembanyama on one side and Kwame Brown or Anthony Bennett on the other, but those are rare outliers
Great take
That Antetokounmpo argument was dog shit. The injuries point wasn’t valid, Antetokounmpo and Trae Young were injured in the ECF. Antetokounmpo rushed back to the finals, and still cooked with a lingering hyper extension. Antetokounmpo’s legacy was cemented after that historic run/finals.
HOT TAKE: Anybody named Jacob is guaranteed to have good basketball takes.
I hate the idea around leadership if it’s not performative it’s not talked about, the argument for saying someone is a bad leader specifically the kd example is that he couldn’t make kyrie and harden stay on the team… There grown men if you feel like someone or something is intruding on your personal life there isn’t going to be a leader who can change that.
Facts. People overestimate “leadership”
Something to consider on the Harden rings take at the end - if KD didn’t go to the Warriors, the West was still loaded with the Spurs, Warriors, and (presumably) KD and Russ Thunder as well
Rusty disrespecting Issah Thomas by putting CP3 at 3 all time
Hot takes is unlimited quality content for rusty, nothing beats that. Although I would say, would love a Q&A series.
Jamal murray most underrated player in the NBA
Facts
Really every Denver Nuggets player not named Nikola Jokić. seriously Jamal Murray is one of the best three level scorers in the league. Then we got Aaron Gordon, one of the best slashers and defenders in the league. Michael Porter Junior is one of the best catch and shoot players out there but you’re not gonna see a single person talk about them
@@Drcoconut4777 Murray reminds me a lot of Kyrie. Smooth handles, can score at any spot on the floor, unreal touch around the rim, etc. best part is you don’t get the drama.
Aaron Gordon is on of the most versatile defenders and can play the 1-5. On top of that he’s one of the best dunkers in the league and a constant lob threat. His most underrated skill imo is his ability to play make. He’s pretty good in that aspect.
People forget MPJ would have been a top 3 pick if he didn’t have the health concerns. Well guess what? He’s been healthy and he shows how valuable his is when healthy. Look at his stats last season in the playoffs, if he just plays up to his normal standards, nuggets coast through the west. If he gets hot in the playoffs it’s going to be a repeat for the nuggets.
Not to mention KCP who is a great 3 & D player. IMO hes not as good as he used to be but he’s the 5th best starter and covers the opponent’s best guard while knocking down open 3s. Great luxury to have.
Bench is meh but Braun and Watson and developing into good young talent. Reggie is Reggie and sometimes you want to kill him but sometimes he saves the day.
Yeah all true, the bench is just so meh most of the time. Malone is forced to have murray out with the second unit to keep them afloat which leaves less time for murray and joker 2 man. MPJ post all-star is really promising though going into post season.
Seems like every Christian Braun play is driving to the rim for a tough lay up then missing, he has good hustle though.
Hot take: Jalen Brunson is a more deserving MVP candidate than Tatum. The Knicks have had their 2nd, 3rd, and arguably 4th best players miss significant time this year, and Brunson has kept the offense afloat and helped to elevate bench players into a legit playoff contenders even without Randle, OG, and Mitch. Tatum is a great player, but he is not top 5 in the league and without him the Celtics would likely still be top 3 in the east
Hot Take
To loosely quote Bill Self, American players are not growing up learning to play basketball the right way. The AAU system of emphasizing sexy numbers and highlights is being rewarded with high ESPN draft projections. Kids are not growing up learning to play team basketball and are abandoning all semblances of fundamentals. It is part of the reason the rest of the basketball world is "catching up" and will only become more apparent as NIL deals in college ball become more lucrative. Amateur basketball is now $100 moves with 10 cent finishes.
Lukewarm take
The Grizzlies and Timberwolves are the same team.
This is actually just me expressing something that is broken in my mind.
The MVP should go to the most valuable player
value can be measured in a number of ways and almost all involve an element of subjectivity
I gets it's Jalen brown then seeing how he had the biggest salary
@@josh_harrisonIdk man. Point differential and +/- with, and without a person on the field is pretty objective... Nuggets for example have a +19 better point differential per 100, when Jokic is on the field, compared to him off the field. Tatum only 3 points difference btw, idk how ppl can think he is the mvp
So the best performance per dollar?
SGA makes 10 million less than Jokic and 7 million less than Luka…
But he has missed too many games
Hot take: Gregg Popovhich's true talent is not coaching (although obv he is great at that too) it's his eye for identifying talent in every facet of the basketball process. The man has identified over 15+ NBA coaches and had them on his staff, made some
of the best draft decisions ever, identified RC Buford's talent and delegated the role of GM to him, even the shooting coach of the prime era spurs (Chip Engeler, if memory serves) is considered one of the greatest shot doctors of all time. Pop just knows when someone understands basketball and can bring value to the spurs organization. His real skill that seperates him from everyone else is not coaching, it is identifying talent and delegating responsibilities accordingly.
I tired of people trying to put Dame anywhere on the same level as Steph Curry. No dame wouldn’t win multiple chips if he was in Stephs shoes. He is at least 3 tiers below him all time. People gotta realize when the they try and put him on Stephs level they are saying Dame is a 10ish player of all time which is nuts
The new content strategy doing wonders for rusty
The Giannis take was your average salty nets fan
Hot take: Being effective without the ball is the most important skill (once you reach the threshold of superstar player) to win championships No matter how dominant an on ball scorer or playmaker is if they can't be effective off ball they wont win any chips
Examples: every ball dominant PG ever aside from Magic Johnson
For instance
Nash
CP3
Kidd (when he was the focal point of an offense)
Houston era James Harden
Carmelo Anthony
Tmac (although I wouldn't say he ever had a chip level team)
If you look at every championship winning team basically ever, they are comprised of superstar players (or just one superstar player) who are effective without having to keep the ball for most ofthe possession:
Jokic 2023
Giannis 2021
KD 2017,2018
Curry 2015, 17,18,22
Lebron 2012, 13, 16,20
Kawhi 2019, 2014
That is the best player(s) on every
championship winning team since 2012 (but you can apply this to every decade since 1980, Ive never thought about it pre 80's), all of them are still very effective without the ball and dont
need to have the ballfor the whole possession
to make something happen.
@@athunderfan nahhh when you think about it pre 3 point era that's not true all the time. 2006 wade, 1994 & 95 hakeem, duncan
Hot take: The Mavericks are the team most likely to beat the Nuggets in a seven game series. Theyve got good C cover both of which did very well to defend Jokic. The defence from Kai would be vital for a series win as he would need to defend playoff Jamal
My personal hot take: Klay Thompson is NOT a top 100 player of all time.
Counter Hot Take: prime Klay (2015-2019) has become an underrated player. Dude was an exceptional defender and one of the most efficient scorers in league history. And he scored almost exclusively within the flow of the offense, which is an undervalued trait
Ridiculous
I think Duncan is better, he was a great scorer given the context of being a big and the era, like his 6 year peak scoring was 23 ppg, KG was 22 and dirk was 25. And I think the big difference in Duncan is just the intangibles, like 03 is right up there with 11 and 95 and 98 as the toughest and best rings by an individual player and Kobe not having one like that imo keeps him from being at that level, with that being said I have Duncan 4th and Kobe 5th all time
Hot Take: Tatum is becoming underrrated, with the whole Luka narrative going on rn esp with the Jxmy vid, Tatum has been caught in the middle of the crossfire of the Luka/MVP campaign. Yes he's not "more valuable" or even better than Luka, but people are beginning to forget all his accomplishment before this "superteam" people saying "well hes only in it cause he's on the best team" no shit bruh. He is the 6th best player in the league after Jokic, Giannis, Luka, Curry, Embiid (maybe atp cause Embiid cannot stay healthy for the life of him).
I think he’s definitely underrated, simply because an overwhelming amount of nba fans genuinely belive he’s a bad - mediocre player.
Hot Take: the NBA playoffs should reseed after round 1 in the event of upsets
Last year for example round 2 would have given us 76ers/Knicks, Suns/Warriors, and the actual conference finals matchups happen 1 round earlier
Playoff Jimmy Butler = Regular Season Joel Embiid
Regular season Jimmy Butler = Playoff Joel Embiid
Hot Take: If the Nuggets finish as the 2nd seed, it makes sense for the teams in the 7-8 play in game (Suns and Mavs especially) to try and lose it.
Playing a healthy Nuggets in the 1st round is a death sentence, and for either of them a 1st round exit would still be a massive disappointment.
Risking a game against Warriors, Lakers or Rockets, who are worse teams, to feed into a bracket with Thunder, Clippers and Pelicans, where they would be just as likely as anyone else to get to the conference finals, if not favourites (specifically the Mavs), makes a good amount of sense.
I ignore the Kings because for them a 1st round exit would likely be a fine achievement.
You do realize that the Kings could realistically beat the Warriors, the Lakers (who they swept in the season series), or the Rockets, right?
@@urbaindelva7869i really don’t think the kings could beat the warriors or the lakers in the playoffs kings defense is just so bad and sabonis last season got dramatically worse in the playoffs
Hot take. If the mavs get into 4th place by seasons end, Luka SHOULD be the mvp.
The big 3 miami heat only winning two in a row, the kd warriors only winning two in a row proves that creating super teams isn't that unethical. Winning a championship is really hard, and no amount of realistic talent is going to make it "easy". If anything it creates opportunities for better underdog stories like dallas and Toronto. Significantly improving Dirk and Kawhi's legacies.
Warriors win 3 in a row if they don’t get injured, and the Dwayne wade aged poorly, use context
Prime Rondo is definitely one of the most underrated players of his time, maybe even all time. Amazing basketball IQ, great defender, top notch facilitator and he’s basically a second coach on the floor. I hope as more time passes, people put more respect on Rondo’s name.
I can't stand takes like "D.Rose would have been a great player if he hadn't suffered so many injuries" because it ignores the main issue: the playstyle that allowed him to dominate is the cause of the injuries.
D.Rose's playstyle was not sustainable in the long run and especially not for a first offensive option. If in an alternative timeline he doesn't get injured it's because he's not playing like he did in this timeline, and therefore he's would not dominate the game, it's not like D.Rose was THAT good at shooting the ball or something, that dangerous playstyle is the only thing he was really great at. There's no real substance to that kind of take.
If they didn't miss Almost 30 straight 3s they would have been in the finals, no excuses
Hot take: Since first passage from bron in the cavs, lukas mavs have been the worst team building
And for the ssme reason as the Cavs, it's that their franchise player got too good too early
I watched game 7 of the rockets warriors series when I was in highschool and words cannot describe how much I was tweaking the fuck out every time they missed a 3 in that second half
Speaking of Tim Duncan & Jokic, most people don’t appreciate as much their greatness because these players are very lowkey in social media or their game aren’t as flashy like the others. Can you name a starting 5 of players that deserve as much props all time but are not that “popular”?
PG -
SG -
SF -
PF - Timmy D for me
C - Jokic maybe(?)
That bucks take has been used by every Giannis/Bucks hater in every arguement loool 😂
Giannis should win the MVP, the only person that you can argue that should win the MVP is Luka, and even then I still think Giannis is better than him, he’s still a very amazing player and one of the best players to play the game right now offensively and defensively, he’s winning a lot even though he’s not winning as much as people want him too, and even though he doesn’t have a narrative(which I think is a lie, just saying for people who think he doesn’t), doesn’t mean he is a worse player than all these other MVP candidates.That’s my hot take and you can’t change my mind🤷🏾♂️
LeBron's 2017-18 season and postseason is the most dominant in NBA history when you factor in supporting cast. The only seasons that come close in my opinion are 1999-2000 Shaq, 2003-04 Kevin Garnett or maybe 1997-98 Jordan.
09 bron is arguably ngl and I might take it over 2018 but it is debatable.
97-98 Jordan is low compared to early three peat Jordan and 96 Jordan.
1999-2000 shaq had kobe though averaging 22 during that season and he also struggled against the blazers. Another example for that is 1994 hakeem
Hot Take (or maybe a suggestion, idk): Due to the globalization of the game and the amount of foreing players that are good-elite in the NBA. It would be interesting for the NBA and FIBA to organise an intercontinental tournament; something like the Club World Cup in football, but for basketball.
The ideological difference between the FIBA and the NBA game would make for some great basketball to watch.
I understand that as of now, no league is even comparable to the NBA, however after a few years I´m certain that the FIBA teams would addapt and make the tournament really interesting.
Duncan over Kobe. Duncan was the #1 on his team for 4 (arguably 5) of his rings, while Kobe was only the #1 for 2 of em. Also had some DOGSHIT splits in a couple of finals series.
Duncan was the #1 for 3 chips. Parker won finals MVP so did kawahi
@@joel8692the was just the finals, Duncan was still the best player the whole season
Giannis did choke in the game where Tatum scored 48. He blew like 8 layups.
Mainly because all eyes were on him. Other than giannis nobody is hitting a damn shot. It's like during FIBA where all 5 players focused on defending giannis
With more consistency, Lauri Markkanen can become the greatest shooting big man of all time
You don't have West or Oscar in your top 20-25 💀
Not to mention Isiah Thomas
@godsonsmart6704 yeah idc about that, he's not in my top 30 either
George Gervin is the most underrated player ever
Hot take: Besides San Antonio, Trae young in Orlando would be a dream scenario. It’s probably unlikely because ATL wouldn’t want to trade within the division but I personally would like to see him in a magic uni.
If you finish more than 3games below.500 you shouldn’t be eligible for the play in. Currently speaking out west all teams in the P.I are above .500 while only the 7 and 8 out east are. Underachievers shouldn’t be gifted a chance to compete further.
While it would be too unpopular to actually make this move, Warriors should trade Steph next season so they have a shot at getting enough future draft picks to have a better chance at getting a young superstar. If you dont have a superstar (and surrounding talent), you're irrelevant in the NBA, even if you're a decently seeded playoff team. They're not winning with Steph again, so send him somewhere good and hope the return will help you be relevant again at some point in the next decade.
9:25 if you teleported a Prius into the 80’s they’d be flabbergasted too.
I would like the nickname jerseys for the all-star game, like it already isn’t that serious so make it nicer.
Hot take: I think that coaching plays a big role in why James Harden's playoff career has gone the way it has. Scott Brooks in OKC, Kevin McHale and Mike-D'Antoni in Houston, and Doc Rivers in Philly; they're all known for making poor decisions in the postseason. Steve Nash never should've been a head coach given his lack of experience.
Another hot take: I find it ridiculous that KD has been getting slandered for not having won a championship since he left Golden State. A lot of people seem to forget that the Warriors were a damn near perfect situation at the time he went there, and it was gonna be hard to find that type of situation again.
If Kevin Durant believes himself s top ten player all time he should be s ble to have anything better than what he has
@@gabrielantunez7642If we’re being honest, Kd just hasn’t had a great situation since leaving. Injuries and drama have really fucked him over.
@@gabrielantunez7642Sure, but not everything works out the way you want it.
@@marcusbrown4933Yeah, but he is partially responsible for all of that drama.
Media hot take: Not sure if you're still doing these, but Beau is Afraid is Ari Aster's best film. Yes, better than both Midsommar and Hereditary
Hot take: Either MVP voting criteria needs to be reevaluated or a new award (Player of the Year?) needs to be introduced. When someone like Luka is putting up the stats he is while his team is awful with him off the court there’s is no way he isn’t the most VALUABLE player, but I wouldn’t necessarily argue he’s the BEST player
Thibs is a great coach but running players to the ground by playing the entire game or if the game is decided is costing his teams reaching true contender status
I don't know if you were talking post-merger, but Oscar Robertson and Jerry West are both PGs and are top-20 all-time. I think SGA can dream about being the 5th best PG ever, but it would require him to be a top-25/30 player all-time
What about jerry west and oscar Robertson, they're both in the 15-17 range for me, would that make you re-evaluate ur point or nah (first take of video)
I mean he's better in the playoffs but not in the regular season😂
Which ome matters more?
On Giannis take, the guy should poster should simoly brought up Giannis inadvertently injuring Kyrie. That toe on the three point line is no doubt iconic. But what Giannis did to Kyrie was flagrant.
20/30 teams is too many to make the playoffs and play in. I was originally a big fan of it and I get that last year we saw two play in teams make the conference finals but over all I think it further lessens the value of the regular season and makes the nba playoffs longer than they already are
I think Coach Pop is one of the greatest coaches of all time. Some say he wouldn't be if he didn't have Tim and the big 3. But we could argue the same thing about the success of Tim if they didn't have Pop
Hot take-Rusty looks like stingray from cobra Kai
Stop the cap
Greek Brick is a playoff choker
He got swept twice by JV heat team
His team won both games without him in ECF
He had 1 good game his 50pt game in the finals and thats it
Every year he is getting outplayed by other players while he has mad squad
Hot take: The Lakers making it to the Western Conference Finals is more likely than the Clippers this year… we’ve already seen the lakers do it from this exact position just last year, the Clippers have still yet to prove anything over the last 4 years
Hot take: People blame young players in bad developmental environments more than a team’s staff for not fostering development in young players better
@1:08 As someone who values rings, mvps, and final mvps, etc; I can't see how you have Chris Paul over Oscar Robertson or Isiah Thomas on the all time point guard list. CP3 is the 5th or 6th greatest point guard at best imo.
As a dame fan myself, that take was ridiculous. Dame literally said that curry is the only one that he sees better than him at his roll. No one else. PLUS take this into consideration, would you rather have dame and Giannis on a team together or chef curry and the Greek freak? I think that explains it enough.
Hot Take: The dynamic of Tatum and Brown as 1A / 1B is due to artificial selection. The Celtics chose to develop Tatum as their 1A, forcing Brown’s development trajectory into a secondary role. If things unfolded more naturally without an agenda from the Celtics, I think brown would have come out on top as the clear #1
Thank you for calling out the revisionist and time traveler bullshit.
Hot Take: If Larry Bird played today he would be significantly better and a Goat candidate. Some of Birds biggest career drawbacks were things like his longevity due to injury, and his 3 point shooting (which was still elite for his time but not up to modern standards) In todays age Bird would have been able to better take care of his body, and have a much longer prime than what we got. He would also obviously be an even better 3-point shooter because he would practice the shot more and actually see it as acceptable to take them. Considering Bird in basically 12 semi healthy years won 3 chips and 3 strait MVPs, who knows how much more he could have accomplished had he had a career length more similar to other greats
Hot take: I don’t think being a superstar has as much to do with your “basketball” ability and more to do with your popularity with fans. Like SGA (idk random pick) is probably better at the game of basketball than someone like Yao Ming but nowhere close to their superstardom. Tbh I feel like TV commercials are almost a better measure of superstardom than stats or league awards. Would love to hear your thoughts
Hot take rusty should rock cornrows in one of the next hot take videos, or the next Ai video.
I actually disagree with the Tim Duncan not a great scorer take, in his prime he played on the slowest pace team in the slowest pace era, he was scoring 23ish a game when the spurs would score in the mid eighties and win
Rusty,( Walt Fairzer),( Earl Monroe),what about them?
Isiah Thomas too
@@michaelokeke5907 Yes him too
The 2022 nuggets would have made the finals with a healthy Murray and mpj. Jokic by himself was a extra layup and 3 falling away from pushing the warriors to six TWICE by himself
The MVP should go to the player with the most valuable contract
If you read the comment, yes, this is absolutely a s**t post
Theoretically, rookies would more or less dominate that award then
Most win shares per dollar of salary? 😂😂😂
It would always go to a sophomore/junior in the nba (I know it’s a joke, but I was just thinking about it)
@@5stariley it’d be funny if they just voted like that for 5 years or so. You get a few random players like Derrick White or Naz Reid with an MVP to their name
bosh should be a center in the first place. i just sent u a tweet with a screenshot showing his minutes distribution and 74% of the time in toronto was spent at center
I believe Bron could’ve weld that Cavs against the Rockets if they were to match up in The Finals.
Even though he got swept, he went god mode against the greatest team of all time.
The Cavs should trade Darius Garland and go all in on Donovan Mitchell as a point guard
Wemby is already the best defender in the league and in only a few seasons he will be in conversations for the best defender of all time.
The stepping on the 3 point like argument is way more legit than the injury argument
As injuries happen
But that thing that we saw almost never happens
We can’t directly say that the injuries would have changed the series
But the foot in the line quite literally directly changed the series
Yes kd missed all his shots in OT but that shit doesn’t matter since it never happens the bucks are still gonna miss the final shot which btw was taken by Giannis of all people
You can’t make a lot of what ifs of if something didn’t happen certain team would
One HUNDRED percent win
This is one of the rare cases where it would 100 percent alter the outcome of the series
There some other outcomes like if horry didn’t hit the game winner vs the kings the lakers even with the refs on their side would have still lost the series
You can’t GUARANTEE that lebron would have won 2 more rings if kd was never there
But the foot on the line shit is the most valid argument as it just a luck issue rather than a skill issue
I don’t view giannis ring up to a high standard or think that he was the best player that year
Because 1.
The finals was basically in the second round
And 2.
In what was basically the finals
Kd completely outplayed Giannis
Not that giannis choked but kd was simply better than him that series
And I value that over Giannis finals performance against a weaker team
In a finals that he really shouldn’t have ever even reached
KD might of out played Giannis but with the game on the line with the ball in his hands KD shot an air ball and lost the game
@@joel8692 with the game on the line
Giannis hit side of the back board to go into OT💀
Hot take, I need to see the Heat make another finals run this year 😂
The only team in the west that will beat the mavs in a series is the nuggets as long as they’re healthy. They have a very good team, with a mvp candidate, an all nba level player, and an extremely deep team. They have a top 3 offense, and I think they can be a top 10 defense, especially with the moves they made at the deadline. They would even give the nuggets a good series and could win
Steph should be in the GOAT conversation because of the impact he has had on the NBA alone. He proved that you could be the best/most important player in a championship winning dynasty and have your offensive game revolve mainly around shooting 3s.
Even in terms of accolades Steph stands up well. Compared to Magic Johnson (someone who often is in the GOAT conversation): Steph has 1 less championship, 1 less all NBA appearence, 1 less MVP, and two less All Star apperences. Compared to Larry Bird (also in the GOAT debate) Steph has 1 more championship, 1 less All NBA, 1 less MVP, 1 less finals MVP, and 2 less All NBA appearences, and Steph's career is still going quite strong, so his resume can still improve. Magic and Bird are in the GOAT debate not just because of their stats and acolades, but because of the place they hold in history, "saving" the NBA as a comercial product in the 1980s. The NBA would not look the same today without Stephen Curry.