"Kyrie Irving Is The BEST SG In The NBA!" | Hot Take Tuesdays

[@ognjenmilosevic4496]

Hot Take: Tim Duncan has a really good argument to be 3rd best player of all time behind Jordan and Lebron. His longevity is underrated, he is arguably the best defender ever and has had a crazy amount of team success along with 2 MVPs. His ring in 2003 might be the "most valuable". Won almost as much as Magic and Kareem while having less help, and had better longevity than both Bird and Magic. His biggest downside is the lack of total stat count, but he sacrificed for the team's betterment. P.S. His streak of never missing the playoffs and his win percentage might be some of the craziest records considering the western conference in 2000's.

[@masterchonk9111]

As a Timmy fan the only other notch if you want to put him that high is that he is the only play to be eliminated as a 1 seed by an 8 seed 2011 against Memphis

[@DarkLobster69]

@@masterchonk9111Dirk also lost to an 8 seed in 07 or 08.

[@fortynights1513]

@@DarkLobster6907

[@WalkoffGrandslam]

Warriors "We Believe" team if i remember correct.​@DarkLobster69

[@sankeerthkoshy61]

Honestly if he pulled it of in 2013-2014 he easily has a case

[@taitecr9471]

ive seen a lot of hot takes that steph is greater than kobe and i just wanted to add that steph's peak was by far and away better than kobe's higher effiency, more on court gravity, much better without the ball ect.

[@dgdcoffin9115]

the obvious thing is defense its not even close

[@voxson11]

im kinda torn on if this is a good or bad take idek

[@igetthosegoosebumpseveyn-rz5hx]

which year for kobe tho?

[@drakous-m8o]

@@dgdcoffin9115 steph's defence is so underrated and over hated not saying he is the best but for a 6,3 guard he isnt a giant liabilty.

[@RedDistrict]

goat shooter vs the goat

[@aa_davi5410]

Hot Take: Embiid is slowly becoming one of the most underrated players in the league, before injury he put up 35,11,6 on 52/39/89 splits on 33 mins a game, and leads the league all time in points per minute. Even tho we lost in the first round he still had a pretty good playoff series on one leg and one eye, and im seeing people put him as the 5th or 6th best player in the league

[@KnowBallsPODCAST]

Cade Cunningham will Take a huge step forward this year,. Last year the pistons had the 25th team in 3P% Which took away the rim for him. Got Blocked 92 times and shot 56 percent at the rim, He also had to settle for a lot more awkward and contested in between shots (3-10 feet) where he shot 40 percent. He was one of five players to average 17+ drives per in 60+ games (SGA, Luka, Zion, Brunson) He had the lowest amount of assists per pass attempt in these spots (still averaged 7.5). 40 percent of his 3PA were pull ups which lowered his percentage. Shot 48 percent from midrange (43 % on long midrange). With better offensive teammates this year he should get more assists, have better spacing to finish around the rim and get better 3 point shot quality while hopefully increasing his volume (5.4 last year). 26ppg 6rpg 9+apg with significantly improved efficiency.

[@dontworryidontknowwhereyou7972]

A lot of reading to do here but i like it

[@alsorustybuckets]

STREAMS: www.twitch.tv/rustybucketsstreams Leave your hot take in the comments and like the ones you wanna see!

[@pinobluevogel6458]

My hot take is that I love this thumbnail. Mavs Kyrie is such a joy.

[@big-fr7hz]

(semi) Hot take: the fact that there was no salary cap before the 1985 season is not talked about enough. There isn't any data I can find about contracts and payrolls for teams in the 1960-70s. But just based on common sense I would assume that larger market teams could afford to pay their players more, especially as the sport became more popular in the 1970s-early 80s. The 1960s Celtics were able to acquire basically all of the talent they could ever want, and having that extra money to throw around when players are working other jobs in the off season is a huge advantage over other teams. This is also very pronounced when you look at the Lakers, who created multiple teams with so much superstar talent that I doubt smaller markets could afford (1968-70 with elgin west and wilt who were all top 5 players of all time to that point, and then again with magic, kareem, worthy and many good role players). I don't think this is talked about enough, and it slightly devalues rings from that era in my eyes and makes me more inclined to look at raw stats and talent/film. I could be totally off on this, I don't know the numbers, but I would love to hear your thoughts.

[@jay.rsingh2530]

There weren't as many teams back then so the talent was still spread out a bit. Still a fair point tho as the top heavy teams dominated everyone else

[@pimpnamedslickback7780]

Kyrie has a massive cult of fans online. You cant engage with them rationally. If you talk to the majority of them they'll tell you kyrie is the 2nd coming of kobe

[@ClareAmel]

On top of that, quite frankly, a lot of the love he gets is for… nonbasketball-related reasons.

[@Yinon776]

​@@ClareAmelYou mean he gets love from antisemitic people and conspiracy lovers? (I'm not saying he's antisemitic, he was just misunderstood like Cuban said)

[@pimpnamedslickback7780]

@@ClareAmel exactly

[@starjbarrett6329]

people that look up to celebs (including ball players) for anything other than basketball itself is just crazy. theyre role models for basketball not for life.

[@ghostaccountlmao]

Mispelt LeBron tbch

[@rossmcewan7204]

one of the best things about the hot take videos in after i have watched the video i can go back through it and ok at some of the most outrages takes you have ever heard. that would be another good series/steam going through the out ragus takes

[@mounderm160]

Hot take: A lot of debates/opinions concerning the NBA would cease to exist if people differentiated between "Better" and "Greater" (eg the Kawhi is the greatest raptor of all time ahead of Lowry. Lowry is clearly the GROAT )

[@tylerfisher9741]

This is literallly my take just on the goat debate, respect

[@richardf.3722]

hot take: the knicks are closer to being the 5th best team in the east than being the 3rd best team. they have a cool squad, play hard and do a lot of the little things right, but a decent amount of their success comes from playing their starters extensive minutes, which leads to injuries and inflates their regular-season success. also, they just lack the star power to be better than the celtics, bucks or sixers. imo they are closer to the cavs than to either of the aforementioned

[@MegaMyown]

Hot Take: If PG had ever played with LeBron, it would’ve been LeBron’s best _fit_ for a teammate. A large, defensive oriented wing who was also highly capable of shooting the 3 ball, can put the ball on the floor, and playmake for himself and others, and doesn’t necessarily need the ball in his hands to be a successful offensive player. The problem with Kyrie and D-Wade is they needed the ball in their hands to be viable threats, especially considering the fact that D-Wade and LeBron’s skill sets were so redundant. And Bosh and AD were good fits, but not the ideal fit for him.

[@urbaindelva7869]

That is assuming that LeBron would have adjusted his game to allow PG to be at his most effective. History has shown us that he does not do that.

[@MegaMyown]

@@urbaindelva7869 but that’s my point, he’s played with players who were better in back-to-basket situations or players that needed the ball in their hands to be successful. PG doesn’t need that nearly as much. His best season was with a ball dominant player who was *_FAR MORE_* insecure with the ball and had far less basketball IQ was Westbrook. Imagine if he had a player who was *_A LOT_* smarter and more trustworthy with the ball, like LBJ? He wouldn’t have to take on the playmaking load like he did with the Clippers, and he can focus much more on being an off ball player which he’s a lot better at. And then with PG’s playmaking ability, it would’ve given LBJ more time to rest and relax both on and off the court because PG’s a capable playmaker while being a lockdown defender. LBJ didn’t change his offensive style as much with those other players because he *_COULDN’T_* because they weren’t great fits. It was always, “your turn-my turn-your turn-my turn,” style of offense that LBJ led teams were able to get away with because he was that great.

[@ineveryuniverse3953]

I initially immediately opposed the take about Paul George having the best 3 point shot for a volume-shooting small forward of all time; but then I thought about it. The two immediate options I could’ve put ahead of them in Kevin Durant and Larry Bird could be tied a bit too much toward the power forward position at this point. PG however has spent almost all of his career playing truly exclusive to the Small Forward position, even though that ended when he was traded to the Clippers and he may just do so as a Sixer. Ultimately, Paul George just might be the greatest volume 3-point small forward of all time.

[@BigSlim4]

People don’t know how to differentiate a player they like more and who’s actually better. Like back in the day when people said Westbrook, Dame, or Kyrie were better than Steph. No you just like them more and they are getting more hate because of that.

[@davidarrington4144]

I feel like Devin Booker is someone who falls victim to this very often. Seems like everyone who knows ball who can speak unbiasedly about it all recognize that he’s the best shooting guard in the league. But anyone who’s got some bias and isn’t a suns fan hates him because he trash talks and has lit up every team

[@MindAndMyth]

​@@davidarrington4144People mostly make fun of booker because of what luka did to the suns. Especially with that iconic picture of them. Like there is no argument you can make for booker that doesnt get responded to with luka going 😃 and the 40 point deficit.

[@JeffersonSteelflexx]

@@davidarrington4144he’s also kinda bitch made. But yeah dude is amazing regardless of that

[@brianduru3753]

The reality of the situation is that Kyrie, Westbrook and Dame are closer to a player like Bradley Beal than they are to Steph Curry. I don't think people realise just how good Curry is. Like we're talking about a player that is in the conversation for top 15 all time. Kyrie, Westbrook and Dame aren't even in the same stratosphere. There's levels to this.

[@BigSlim4]

@@brianduru3753 Man I be trying to tell people, saying those players are better Steph is like saying they are top 10 OAT

[@sclom5676]

I don't think that adding things to the box score would really be a bad thing, while I do think that the casual populace doesn't care as much about those things, a portion of the reason why they don't care is because they are told what is supposedly important by the box score. It may not be immediate, but the way we think about stats affects how we see the value of certain things, especially so for casuals. If it were up to me, I would add screen assists, shots defended (with a percentage next to it for ease of use), and something to better track turnovers caused, because a good number of them don't end up as steals.

[@seiketso6386]

Hot Take the whole disscussion of having a deep bag is overrated. Having a deep bag doesnt neccesarily mean scoring efficiently. People constantly glaze Paul George and Kyrie and call Giannis unskilled. When Giannis has proven to be the better player multiple times, and the other two have only been efficient as second options. At the end of the 2 points is 2 points

[@brianduru3753]

This shouldn't even be a hot take. It is common sense. People value the aesthetics of scoring way more than the actual value it seems. The aim of the game is putting the ball in the hoop; it doesn't matter how. That's why I will aways consider a player like Giannis a better scorer than Melo. Because I know that 'run and dunk' man might have no 'bag', but he can run and dunk his way to 30 points consistently, while Melo will jab-step and fade his way to a lot of 6-19 shooting nights while looking 'cool' doing it.

[@williamroper5422]

​@@brianduru3753Almost everyone has Giannis rated above those guys even though it is a fact they are more skilled. We can acknowledge those guys are more skilled and more fun to watch and that Giannis is the overall more impactful player at the same time.

[@anthonyrosario8210]

You guys love bringing up aesthetic when the guy almost had another 50 40 90 and is extremely efficient his whole career lmao

[@pinobluevogel6458]

Giannis certainly hasn't the best looking overall game in the NBA, but his dunking and finishing around the rim is certainly impressive, as are some of his amazing defensive plays. It becomes a matter personal preference if you want to consider what you think is the best looking style or not. In terms of raw effectiveness though, Giannis can certainly give PG and Kyrie some fits. He just doesn't use ball handling and shooting skill at the same level as PG and Kyrie do, he uses sheer physical dominance instead. Don't forget that Giannis, while not the tallest player in the league, is a massive guy with a ton of strength and explosiveness to back that up. He can brush most players aside and simply use 2 long strides to get to the basket in one quick motion, if you do not consistantly defend him with often multiple players. And having his touch around the basket, after doing such an explosive move, takes a ton of skill and hand-eye coordination, basically only Zion can rival him in that ability. Giannis is a unique player. And while he is often maligned for being 'unskilled' that is a massive misnomer. He simply uses different skills than most players to be effective. He uses amazing footwork, touch, speed and athleticism, ridiculous body control .. even in the air and his hands are simply amazing on both catching and passing balls, as well as making blocks or getting deflections defensively. That is a ton of skill to have in one player and we would be wise to respect that.

[@abtocool6350]

Kyrie only being efficient as a second option is a lie. His first year in Boston as the first option he averaged 24/4/5 on 49/41/89 splits on +5.4 true shooting and the next year in Boston as a first option averaged 24/5/7 on 49/40/87 splits making second team all nba on +3.2 true shooting. In 7 games without luka this season he averaged 31/6/7 on 49/39/92 splits on +4 true shooting. This notion that kyrie still can’t be efficient as a first option isn’t true🤣.

[@finnontrack]

2016 was the best nba season ever! I mean the 73-9 warriors, prime lebron leading the greatest comeback of all time, Kobe’s retirement and last game, 2016 jimmy butler on the bulls. The only bad thing is we didn’t have rusty buckets in 2016, all we had was mike korzemba

[@urbaindelva7869]

Why was so great about 2016 Jimmy Butler on the Bulls?

[@chilldoc9638]

@@urbaindelva7869jimmy butler on the bulls.

[@mcdonalchee]

Hot take: A guy that gets a lot of blocks for a team is nowhere near as important as someone who gets a lot of steals or someone that gets a lot of O boards.

[@JohnJohnson-do3db]

Saying lebron has better handles than Paul George is a disgusting take

[@christopherdino3232]

I think I’m speaking for more than just myself when I say that I am solely relying on your daily uploads for 100% of my NBA news and takes during the NFL season so please keep up the sexy upload schedule

[@colinmccarthy8764]

Tatum averaged 30/10/6 on 56.4ts% against IND. Yes, he was not great in the finals, but don’t throw his ECF in with it to act like just cause JB won ECFMVP, JT was JUST as good against IND.

[@pinobluevogel6458]

Yes, his numbers looked good against the worst defense in the playoffs. Overall though, over the entire playoffs, he was very inefficient. I mean 42.7 FG% is okay, but not considering he went to the rim often and 28.3 3P% is just abysmal, especially if you take over 7 threes a game. You are actively hurting your team if you are bricking so many shots. Now luckily, a lot of teams still defended him like he was the second coming of Steph Curry, which meant he still had gravity and offered spacing and he certainly did offer a ton more than just scoring to get his team to the eventual championship. I just think that as a first option on a team, he is not great. Amazing two-way player, amazing talent and a hard working player on the court for sure, but not a first option scorer for a 'normal' NBA roster. It just happends to be that his team has 5 of those amazing two-way players that all can do a little bit of everything and function very well as a cohesive unit.

[@colinmccarthy8764]

@@pinobluevogel6458 Rusty said JT wasn’t good offensively in both the Finals and ECF, it’s pretty clear he was good against IND. It doesn’t matter than they were the worst defense, what Rusty said was wrong. Not sure why you needed to write paragraphs after agreeing with what I said yet tried to dismiss it cause you hate JT. 😂😂 Also why do you guys always like to dismiss the fact that BOS’ third best player and a top 40 guy either didn’t play, or wasn’t himself the entire playoffs. You probably think the 22-23 team was “normal,” yet replace Brogdon and Smart with just Jrue, and that’s the “super team” Tatum got “carried by.”

[@pinobluevogel6458]

@@colinmccarthy8764 I don't think the Celtics are a super team according to the term. I also don't think JT is getting fully carried, but he does have a really good starting lineup, probably one of the strongest in the league by far. Yes I'm not a fan of his playstyle. I see him as an inefficient shotchucker and the main reason they got out of the pre-championship exits was due to Jrue and White actually being good at setting up the offense at the end of games. In previous seasons, it was JT or JB doing some inefficient isolation in the 4th quarter and they lost often in close games against good opponents. That shit is now gone and they made a championship straight away. Old celtics were really good, but Celtics + KP and Jrue is a massive improvement. Brogdon and Smart are good players, but it is a huge upgrade over them for sure. I was actually pretty mild on Jayson Tatum in my last comment. But people still see him as a top 5 player in the league, which he clearly is not. He was in MVP talks, which blows my mind even more, that stuff should go to the #1 player in the NBA, which is Luka or Jokic.

[@justc1re617]

Hot Take: Embiid has already peaked. Due to his injury prone nature he'll be in and out of the lineup until he retires(likely early for a player in this era). I dont think he'll ever play a healthy season again unfortunately and that will prevent him from fulfilling his potential kr at least getting into true mvp consideration again

[@fortynights1513]

And what sucks for him about this past season in particular is that he could’ve won an MVP that nobody would debate.

[@otimelyofficial8146]

11:50 cj played better than dame in the wcf and dame looks “overrated” cuz he’s getting 2-4 guys thrown at him every time he touches the ball

[@Luckyslicepiza]

Spotify option is goated

[@theg1714]

Hot Take: Kevin Johnson and Penny Hardaway should make the hall of fame both.

[@adamparsons1947]

Always love the content Samwell Tarley

[@zachstolpa6521]

Hot take: Hakeem should be in and around the top 5 conversation more than Shaq and Kareem whose only true counter argument is more rings and longevity stats. If we accept that rings are circumstantial to a real degree I feel the fact that Hakeem just had a more overall impressive skill set than Kareem and Shaq had is a stronger point of argument especially when Hakeem still has a resume that is nothing to slouch at and the legacy of leading the team that made the most success of Jordan’s first retirement.

[@MindAndMyth]

Hakeem is over shaq for sure but not kareem.

[@ViktorTheButcher]

I think the most impressive thing about Hakeem is that the Rockets picked him 2 picks ahead of MJ and nobody ever blames the Rockets for doing so. That should tell everything.

[@willingexile3374]

For Kareem's last three titles, Magic may have had a bigger role, but Kareem was a six-time MVP. He was durable, missing only 79 out of 1640 regular-season games, or less than 5%. You can say his only really bad year was his retirement season, it's just sad that coverage of the league was so poor in the '70s we don't have a lot of video evidence. Better career averages at points and rebounds, better shooter from the field and stripe. Hakeem is a great player no doubt and would be great in today's NBA, but for on-court achievements I'd go with Kareem. Career-wise, I'd say Hakeem over Shaq, but peak Shaq vs. peak Hakeem would be a toss-up.

[@justc1re617]

​@@ViktorTheButcher this guy gets it

[@AngelGee3636]

Missed this series

[@LeSunshine]

BRING BACK MEDIA HOT TAKES!!! Also Trae Young makes an All-NBA team this year and Hawks make the play in

[@LeSunshine]

Also shoutout Rusty for churning out videos left and right bro you’re killing it

[@tiredbasketballfan]

Hot take: Magic Johnson is just as untraditional a PG as Steph Curry if not more, every aspect of his game other than passing was more forward-like, and even his passing benefitted from seeing over the defense with height and length. Even more than that, the 'tarditional = averages a lot of assists' is even more odd since barely anyone ever succeeded doing that, and those who did were built like big forwards. So what is a traditional PG really? Someone small who never succeeds? Someone built like a forward that averages a lot of assists? Maybe the best definition we have really is just whoever is listed as one

[@patrick05Morgan]

Great point

[@brianduru3753]

Lol, I wouldn't go THAT far. Magic was still more traditional in the sense that he was the floor general, and looked to set guys up more than score. BUT, where you are correct is pointing out Magic's physical attributes. Because the reality of the game is that point guard is really not a position that can dominate in basketball the way centre or forward is. It's just a bit too limited in my view. It's no surprise that the two players in the conversation for best point guard ever are outliers in the sense that they tapped into unconventional attributes (Magic's size and Steph's shooting and off the ball movement). Being a traditional point guard kind of puts a ceiling over you: you need to be unconventional to break that ceiling.

[@trollking4058]

The other players on the list are pretty conventional, but it's funny that the 2 best aren't😅

[@brianduru3753]

@@trollking4058 It's not funny; it's inevitable. Point guard is an ultimately 'hard-capped' position. It's typically a small player that isn't a massive scoring threat and isn't as impactful defensively because interior defense is more important than perimeter defense. These characteristics mean that it's difficult for you to have success deep in the playoffs. To really move the needle as a point guard, you have to break convention, and that's what Curry and Magic did.

[@trollking4058]

@@brianduru3753 Chris Paul was on two teams that made the finals doing conventional pg things. Isiah Thomas too. Being a scoring threat has always been implied for a pg.

[@clutchmoney33]

hot take: rudy gobert is not a playoff defensive dropper, his teams were.. this year, it most definitely not true as his defense was the biggest reason they swept the suns and beat the nuggets. People who say "he didn't lock up jokic", well who ever has? Are we forgetting when Jokic cooked Bam in the biggest stage of the offs? The only reason why KAT even gaurded Joker was so Gobert can be used as the help defender/rim protector to stop the Denver nuggets from running offense as fluidly as they do b/c letting Jokic go off for 40 is better than a 25 pt triple double where everyone in the offense gets some. With the Jazz previously, the jazz sucked cause this dude was carrying the worst defense itl without him, they were still far worse without him defensively in the playoffs.. you take gobert out in the perimeter to open up the paint, not b/c he sucks as a perimeter defender, infact he has pretty good feet, defensive stance and agility especially relative to size. Like people bring up mann's 39 pt game, but if gobert were to guard mann, paul goerge, norm, etc. would have free looks to the rim cause bojan fucking bogdonovic and old mike conley is not stopping shit.

[@KrustyKrabPizza22]

I wouldn't even say this is a hot take, it's an intelligent take. You actually know the statistics and context about Rudy and his Jazz teams, most people don't care to do research because they just hate him.

[@LozoStuff]

Hot take: Zaccharie Risacher will end up being the best player from this draft and will have a Jayson Tatum type of progression to his career. Incredible feel for the game, excellent shooter and lethal in transition. He’s a pro-tested, winning player being massively underrated at the moment by the media and fanbase. With his impact, and a better built hawks team, I project a top 6 Atlanta seed and ROY award this season.

[@miocanelo8970]

As Hawks fan, I agree he way better rookie than. Alex sarr

[@unsubstainable9711]

Magic Johnson would translate the worst out of all the “Goats” his lack of shooting, being a good defender let alone an ok one, not a strong finisher, not athletic especially for his size would make his passing and playmaking ability today a lot worse. Some players eras allow them to capitalise on their abilities for their time, whereas others would be significantly better if they were in today’s era. Even though past players love to say “I would do better because there’s more spacing today” that argument can be flawed in many ways, yes there is more spacing and shooting today but if you aren’t a good shooter yourself or an excellent driver/finisher “spacing” becomes useless against you as players today are far more athletic and can guard positions better 1 on 1 than any other era. If magic can’t collapse the defence easily his playmaking becomes useless because players can stay home a lot more, if he can’t shoot you’d treat him like Ben Simmons or Russell Westbrook, if he isn’t a strong finisher than you wouldn’t send help. Now in saying this I do think he’d be a great player it’s just hard pressed to believe he would be “magic” of the 80/90s we knew.

[@unsubstainable9711]

I’d like to add there’s no reasonable reason we should believe a player would develop a said shot just because of todays era, shooting and being a strong finisher has always been prevalent in the game, one of the reason I believe Michael Jordan wouldn’t be a good 3pt shooter today is because in his era he was already a bad 3 point shooter whilst the line was closer which makes me believe he’d still be a bad one today. Magic not having a mid range shot until later on in his career in which was one of the most ugly jumpers ever put together gives reasonable belief that he wouldn’t be a good shooter today.

[@AndrewBuzz]

Luka will retire with 0 MVP's to his name. He's one of my favorite players and hope I'm wrong, but he's unlucky to be in the situation when in the first 6 years of his career Mavs aren't that good and he hasn't reached his prime yet, so the award goes to Jokic or Embiid all the time, and now when it seems like it's finally Luka's moment he's going to be outshined by Victor.

[@pinobluevogel6458]

Victor cannot do what Luka does. (nor can Luka do what Victor does) I think it will be a long time before Victor will average an efficient 32 PPG with a slew of assists to go with it. He will be crazy effective even starting next year, but he has the same problem that Luka had before, that his team is still very mediocre. As another Luka fan, I think he could have won it last season, but this year he has the momentum coming off a great finals run that most people didn't see coming, as everyone always underestimates the Mavs for some reason. (like every year)

[@jay.rsingh2530]

@@pinobluevogel6458 The thing is that victor doesn't necessarily have to win mvp by averaging 32, he just has to dominate on both sides of the floor (which he kinda does already) on a top 1-2 seed. The only thing that'll hold him back is team construction around him. I think Luka has a great chance to win it this year as it'll likely take the spurs another couple seasons to be more competitive

[@pinobluevogel6458]

@@jay.rsingh2530 Yea good point, Wemby would be a 2-way player, he already is that now, albeit not at the level we expect him to go to. I think Luka will have at least one year, maybe two before anyone besides Jokic or Embiid can keep him from becoming MVP.

[@OmarThrive]

HOT Take: Wait so Jamal Crawford not playing well in the playoffs means he isn't "all that good"... fair enough but that means then that Joel Embiid and Harden weren't/aren't superstars in their primes. Since all they do is choke in the playoffs. I'm not disagreeing with the narrative that Jamal isn't the GOAT 6th man, but we need to be consistent here. Similar to how Jayson Tatum is a superstar since he "led" the team to the championship despite not winning Finals or Eastern Conference Finals MVP, that means Joel/Harden aren't superstars since they've been unable to do that (whether it's cause of injuries or any other excuse) right?

[@urbaindelva7869]

Embiid and Harden are/were still superstars despite their playoff struggles because they always put that on display every year (regular season-wise). However, in Tatum's case, he has more good playoff moments on his resumé than either of them. However, he is still a tier below being a superstar; also, being Finals MVP of ECFMVP does not detergent whether or not you're a superstar. Jaylen Brown won both this year, and he is not a suspstar. You can not compare Crawford's playoff struggles to that of Embiid's and Harden's because they had way more responsibility on their shoulders.

[@ArthPedro]

Harden playoff struggles was averaging 28/34.8 against GSW lmao, dumbass trying to compare a Star Player being targeted by the defense to a Roleplayer struggling

[@rylanpike8160]

Hot take: one of the most underrated moves of the offseason is Darvin ham going back to the bucks he was one of the most important parts of their title run

[@urbaindelva7869]

True.

[@juliothom2408]

Hondo won 2 Titles, and an FMVP, in the 70s.

[@justc1re617]

Yea he was the real deal

[@gugga2745]

grading all time offenses by offensive rating is a little dumb when using just numbers. Like i get the greatest offense of all time bc its most efficient thing, but relative offensive and defensive rating is kinda better bc it puts it more into the context of the time. last seasons celtics with the highest offensive rating ever are the 4th best offense ever if u use relative offensive rating behind the 04 mavs, 05 suns, and 16 warriors in that order. That 04 Mavs would be by far the best offense ever with a relative offensive rating of 9.2 when the suns got an 8.4

[@ohGammy]

Hot take: David Robinson in his prime is top three centers of all time

[@BenTevikMusic]

Hot Take: Couldn’t your argument about “true” point guards (Stockton, Payton, Kidd, Nash, Paul) failing to have championship success outside of Magic, also apply to “scoring” point guards (Iverson, Westbrook, Dame, Kyrie as a #1 option) besides Steph? I just think your argument could basically apply to the entire point guard position in the modern era, with Magic, Steph and (to a lesser degree) Isiah being the outliers.

[@MsMrapplepie]

Don’t get me wrong, Kyrie is immensely skilled and we’ll never take away what he did in those finals against Golden State, but for the rest of his career? He’s massively underperformed despite being proclaimed one of the best PGs of this generation.

[@anthonyrosario8210]

That’s false and Who hasn’t lmao

[@pinobluevogel6458]

For how good he is, I do think he underperfomed in terms of how many championships he managed to take. That said though, it is dependant on so many factors, mainly having a team that is capable and healthy enough to get there. Also, there is a bit of luck involved in getting the right (or wrong) matchups and getting less (or more) healthy and strong opponents on the other end. But you are right that for how good he is, he underperformed in terms of result. Individually he was often still amazing though. Unless he is getting Jrue Holiday and and an overperforming Jaylen Brown against him, he generally performs really well in the postseason.

[@MsMrapplepie]

@@anthonyrosario8210 The guy has less All NBA selections than Tony Parker, yet there’s no doubt most fans would say Kyrie Irving is significantly better. That is definitely considered underperforming.

[@MsMrapplepie]

@@pinobluevogel6458 I just expect more from a guy many proclaimed as the most skilled player ever yet he’s barely got any individual accolades to his name. I understand basketball is a team sport, but damn, not a single first team all NBA selection?

[@abtocool6350]

⁠@@MsMrapplepieand kyrie has more all star selections, he’s definitely the better player, the career stats say so and at their peak kyrie was better as well. Tony Parker is worse as a scorer, midrange shooter, three point shooter and people don’t know this but Tony Parker was a detriment to the spurs at the time and got a pop’s nerves and they were looking to trade him. Kyrie was the better defender as well and playmaker due to having more attention and gravity. The rim finishing is probably a wash and Parker might have been the slightly better passer but that’s about it.

[@firestar9650]

People overvalue how important finals LOSSES are to a person's legacy. They treat it as if it shows that they can't perform in the finals, or are chokers. When if they were chokers, they most likely would not have even been to the finals. This is especially relevant when in the "goat" debate, where people bring up LeBron's 4-6 final record as if it is a bad thing. The fact of the matter is that Lebron has 4 championships, and I don't think the finals losses should be a sore spot on his legacy because making it to the finals is HARDER than getting bumped in the first or second round or whatever. In short, I believe you should compare the number of championships not the record of the person's finals appearances

[@tiredbasketballfan]

I've been thinking that maybe the losses are mentioned so much to counter overvalueing of conference championships. Each side takes the extreme when in reality, like most things, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle

[@willingexile3374]

On the other hand, it's really not about the player, it's the team. Furthermore, getting to the dance is not the same as getting it done. Do fans really remember the Buffalo Bills who went 0-4 in four straight Super Bowls? So yes, the losses count, but it shouldn't be the only criterion, and rightfully so.

[@tiredbasketballfan]

@@willingexile3374 A lot of times it does have to do with the player, either a lot or a little. It's very hard to determine in a team sport that has so many variables that affect it's success. Also, like you said, getting there and getting it done is different. It's very possible to get to the Finals through favorable matchups, you only face 3 of the other 29 teams to get there. It's still an accomplishment, and that's the nature of the playoffs, but it goes both ways - If the team is not good enough to win the Finals, then it's possible that the circumstances allowed for them to get there when normally they wouldn't. Again, that could be said for any playoff run, but it's important to recognize.

[@willingexile3374]

Agreed. Basketball is the team sport where a single player can do most to impact team success, because there are less total players on the court and they have to play both offense and defense. Each season brings a new wrinkle into the competitive mix, and it's not just about both appearances and wins, but how a player performs over time. LeBron, for example, broke the mold for this and set a new standard for modern players. A great player, no doubt, but one I don't hold in high regard because he gamed the system. Traditionally, star players are bound to their teams. Of course we have a Barkley, Pippen or Malone who tried to hitch a ride with other players. Sometimes it works out for them (like Gary Payton, Mitch Richmond, or Dwight Howard), and sometimes it doesn't (T-Mac, Grant Hill, Melo).

[@urbaindelva7869]

While I agree with your point about the Finals, I somewhat disagree with your pint about LeBron. Yes, losing in the Finals can depend on multiple variables, and I don't blame LeBron for all of his Finals losses; however, they are held against him probably more than any other all-time great because because he still has a losing record despite playing with many very good players-many of whom were either All-Star, All-NBA, or HOFers-and rosters-most of which he had control over-and the number of times he did not step up when he should have (2007, 2011, OT in Game 1 of 2018). On top of that, he has made excuses for those losses instead of simply accepting responsibility for his part in those failures.

[@mort996]

People say scoring drops off in the playoffs because teams put more emphasis on defense when in reality superstars don't get the same calls they do in the regular season and their numbers usually drop a lot. When a superstar puts up the same or better numbers in the playoffs I respect these players much more than regular season merchants

[@gugga2745]

bubble hate is just retrospect. The hoops were amazing, the stories were interesting, and the no fans made a new experience on certain broadcasts where you could hear the players talking shit. Russ trash talking babies in the bubble is hilarious

[@Yinon776]

The bubble would be more respected if the good teams (Warriors, Nets) were healthy in those playoffs. If LeBron beat the Warriors in the WCF and the Nets in the finals, his ring would be respected. Instead, be beat an injury-depleted Heat team that lost 2 of its 3 best players.

[@rygar3641]

hate to be that guy but that clip of Russ talking shit to babies is fake

[@davis2k1234]

Lowest rated Finals in NBA history nobody care players didn’t want to be there but sure LeBron fan boy tell us how great it was

[@Skizzy_276]

Hot take: it would be easier for LeBron in Jordan’s era than it would be for Jordan in Brons.

[@urbaindelva7869]

I firmly disagree, but please explain.

[@Skizzy_276]

@@urbaindelva7869 thanks for actually conversing instead of just throwing an insult like most people. In my opinion, it would be easier for LeBron to take his game to the late 80s-late 90s than it would be for Jordan to take his game from 04-current. I’m not making an argument for who is greater. I just wanna make that clear real quick. There were some awesome athletes during MJs time, (MJ of course being in that top 1%) but not many that could dominate inside-out. Of course Jordan has a few seasons where he didn’t shoot awful from three, but the main bread getter back then was the ability to drive and finish/ pull up from middy. LeBron doesn’t have the best midrange game, but inside 5ft and outside 18ish he’s damn good. I feel like his physicality with his size and shooting ability would just fit in well with the 80-90s style. MJ would absolutely kill in the paint and midrange in current era like he did in the 80s-90s. But I’m going off of the game I’ve seen, not speculating on what they could have “evolved”. Jordan’s 3pt shot, or there lack of would, keep defenders from having to close out all the way to the 3pt line, plus the ability to play zone would also make things a lot tougher for him on mid range/ layups. I still think MJ would be great in this era, but in my opinion if Lebron would be better in MJs era than Lebrons. I’d love to hear some other takes tho. Like I said, all this is just my opinion.

[@morganendicott1239]

Hot Take: The Knicks will be worse without Isaiah Hartenstein. What he did as a playmaking hub and screener will be missed and also had a knockdown floater and Mitchell Robinson is a bit overrated.

[@matthew.kunovic]

Hot Take: Nico Harrison is the best nba gm/executive at the moment.

[@emersonbessler5686]

Last take about rings and legacy with it being harder to re earn rings makes me think of how this is probably just a continuation of what people may have historically thought with Bill Russel. He won 11, no one will ever win 11, but now we have adapted to consider Jordan and Lebron, and others to be the goats or have surpassed Russel. I understand how the NBA was different in the 60’s than the 90’s, but he game is different now than it was in he 90’s. This also may just be the natural evolution and people will get used to it, but it just feels weirder now while no one can repeat, but it may be the same way people in the 70’s felt before Jordan came along.

[@williamethegod5013]

Hot take magic is one of the 5 most clutch players of all time

[@andreasaslanidis5301]

cedi osman could still be a good rotational piece for a contender

[@Miles_305]

19:49 this take is insane. For example, Giannis is the 2nd most double-teamed player. So, with the ball he automatically makes a team mate open. He is NOT a PG...and neither is Steph😒 Ice cold take: if your a smaller shoot first player that does even bring the ball up or set up the offense you are a SG (e.g Curry). And that's o.k. Only people triggered by this are those trying to put Steoh in goat categories because they know damn well he's not better than MJ...

[@alphabrother6823]

Hot Take: Even if Wilt's 100 point game was real, it's the most blatant example of stat padding in NBA history. Not only was he facing the worst team in the league WITHOUT their starting center, Wilt's teammates refused to shoot and would deliberately foul the other players to stop the clock to get the possession back. Kobe's 81 and even Luka's 73 are WAYYYYY more impressive than this fraud...

[@Luca-yb4sh]

Kobe was also facing one of the worst teams in the league. So was Luka. Those games don't happen against top tier defenses.

[@alphabrother6823]

@@Luca-yb4sh thanks for ignoring literally everything dawg. luv ya

[@mr.crispyfriedchicken3946]

Hot Take: players who get a reputation for "turning it up" in the playoffs often get that reputation off of one run or even one series with crazy shot variance. I'm looking at you Jamal Murray

[@sashasemennikov157]

With Tatum problem also is the team is constructed in a way he doesn’t need to be the hero. While if Luka doesn’t put godlike stats every game, Mavs are not winning

[@MindAndMyth]

Honestly this is just saying "Tatum's teammates are better than Luka's" in other words.

[@shorewall]

Hot take: The shooting guard position isn't dying. Rather, it is the true point guard position that has already died. It doesn't matter what position you play. If you are ball dominant on offense, we expect you to both score and play make. And with all else being equal, it is better to be taller, like LeBron, Luka, and Joker. I wouldn't even call magic or curry true point guards, just like I don't consider Tim Duncan a true power forward. Position names matter less than what a player does.

[@xIpyschoIx]

I think that’s more of lebrons influence that created the perception that your lead scorer/ball dominant player needs to also play make jokic, luka, are prime examples of this but you do have outliers like steph of literally does the opposite of that ideology you also have player like jordan kobe dirk dwade who were super ball dominant and semi play maked while winning

[@willingexile3374]

Tall playmakers have always been around, Magic was the first one to be remembered but Don Nelson always used small forwards like Paul Pressey to bring up the ball. Scottie Pippen, Grant Hill, T-Mac were prime examples of wing players who ran their respective offenses. Larry Bird ran the Celtics offense and led his team in assists. It really depends on the personnel you have on the team and the skills an individual player brings to the table. Tall players have an advantage because they can see over the defender and have a better view of the court. Other than that, it really boils down to the player's skill, and smaller players have every incentive to be playmakers because it's harder for them to dominate physically.

[@xIpyschoIx]

@@willingexile3374 larry bird was the only good example because he actually had a responsibility to play make and score while also being the first option. You weren’t expecting pippen or magic to lead your team in scoring. You didnt expect grant hill or tmac to be the lead play maker for others. Could these guys do it no not every given night like lebron bird Oscar, shid even jokic at times but its not the norm or the requirement to be super high level in both. Kobe was a good passer but i wouldnt say he is a high level passer either same for jordan its just not there play style

[@willingexile3374]

I was not making a comp about LeBron. I am only making a point that tall ball handlers and playmakers existed before LeBron. Roles just vary within a team. What happened with him is the confluence of building a system around a ball-dominant scorer, and he just happened to be tall. Same thing happened with the Big O. He was listed as a forward initially, but he had such a versatile skill set, but he was encouraged to play guard. When he transitioned to the NBA, he was the among the first players of that size to play lead guard. Magic, on the other end of the spectrum, was the ideal tall shot creator and playmaker, because he actually loved setting teammates up. His style of play was really perfect for Showtime, because unlike LeBron's play style, with the Lakers the ball had high energy and kept moving around to find the quickest finisher or the most open shooter. So if you're positing LeBron's "influence," it applies only for scorers who are ball-dominant, like Harden, Westbrook, Luka, Dame, and Trae. LeBron just happens to be taller. Side note: Wade before LeBron's arrival in Miami was likewise a ball-dominant scorer, he just moved aside to accommodate LeBron. Jokic, on the other hand, could, if he wanted, over-handle the ball, but he prefers making the plays from the post instead of bringing it up himself. Another great example of this was Sabonis Sr., and to some extent but without the same court vision, Chris Webber with Sacramento. Draymond, on the other hand, functions as the primary playmaker on the Warriors because of Curry's willingness to play off-ball and to maximize his movement as a shooter.

[@KCB762]

Was anyone else pause the intro to see which player he was talking about 😂😂I love Jcrossover tho

[@gugga2745]

Naz Reid is kinda what the bucks need. Naz is a 4 that plays at the 5 bc of Kat and i think Giannis should start transitioning to being more of a center as brook ages out. They can really do whatever they want with a Giannis and Naz combo. He has a player option for 13 m next year and this is the last year of Brooks 23m contract. idfk if the money is possible or what bc minnesota has his bird rights but i think it would make sense

[@Blim92izy]

You don't want Giannis guarding real 5s like embiid and jokic all season. Giannis is better as a help defender anyway.

[@gugga2745]

@@Blim92izy Naz did a fine job guarding jokic and would definitely be an upgrade on Brook at this point

[@alexlee7129]

Hot take: Victor Wembanyama will go down as 3rd greatest player of all time behind jordan and lebron. He reminds me of kareem but better in terms of build and skillset. He definitely has potential to surpass lebron or jordan but i dont think he will reach that level. End of his career i think he will win 5-6 dpoy(probably go down as best defensive player of all time),4mvps,3rings,3fmvps.

[@fortynights1513]

Hot take: The increase in pace and scoring in the last 15 years is an overlooked reason why the original idea of a shooting guard has been devalued. I.e. The archetype of someone like Jordan Poole would have been seen as a bit more valuable in the 2000’s when there were fewer points scored to begin with.

[@aleksandstrom]

it's weird how in entertainment you become a "superstar" based on how famous you are while sports fans use the word like it's a measurement of how good you are

[@nana-yaw8117]

i commented the kyrie thing! though i do like his game, i am actually not that big of a kyrie fan (as some of the comments seem to assume I am), and I do see your point that shooting with high efficiency is much easier with an elite, MVP caliper player and play-maker like luka. though I still think that kyrie is one of the best sg in the NBA, I concede that the others' ability as number 1 options discern them as a level above, even despite their lower efficiency (especially in the case of ant). thank you for using my comment

[@abtocool6350]

Kyrie as a first option in Boston getting most of the defensive attention was still damn near a 50/40/90 player and 7 games without luka this season averaged 31/6/7 on 49/39/92 splits as well. Kyrie is just going to be efficient no matter what as a first or second option.

[@PxPappy]

How would Peja Stojaković compare to Paul George as a shooter

[@miocanelo8970]

Hot take the knicks will be the most fun to watch this year

[@nattywilx]

Hot take: The rise of “Stocks” rather than steals and blocks is stupid given that both of these stats are completely different and steals are more valuable since it forces a possession change, and blocks necessarily don’t have to (offense can rebound it or it can go out of bounds on the defense). If we go off the logic of “stocks” we should also combine points from scoring and assists into one stat since they both lead to generating points. But obviously that is dumb, similar to stocks.

[@willingexile3374]

Would you pick Paul George for a clutch three, or Larry Bird? Yes, they shot less in three-pointers in the '80s. Three-pointers are being used in offenses more regularly now, that's just the difference. I wouldn't go "best" at three-point shooting alone, but I get your point that there's no comparison because of relative volume. Still, I wouldn't pick Paul George over Larry Bird in a three-point shootout.

[@SilentK4]

Hot take: The league’s refusal to expand since 04 has over saturated the talent pool, made superstars matter less, and dynasties less feasible. Basically it is A (not the) root cause of a lot of the ideas Rusty has been talking about. Basketball being a constantly evolving sport means that players are constantly getting more talented, requiring more dilution than the other big 4 leagues (AKA more teams).

[@a6ty785u]

Hot Take: While Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan are very comparable in terms of talent, I disagree that the Spurs would have been just as good with KG instead of Timmy. Timmy’s “aura-less” personality was the main thing that helped Greg Popovich’s coaching style to flourish while setting a foundation for the other players and allowing continuity for the organization. KG’s personality would clash with Pop as well as David Robinson.

[@tiredbasketballfan]

Any scenario when a player is just dropped into another team is both unrealistic and completely theoretical imo. When it's all happening in someone's imagination, they can decide what happens, which is why most reasonable people stick to reality.

[@urbaindelva7869]

​@@tiredbasketballfanIt's easier for certain people to talk about the reality they prefer than the reality they hate.

[@RobertJandrue]

@@tiredbasketballfanif you can’t compare situations but compare accolades you lack critical thinking skills

[@tiredbasketballfan]

@@RobertJandrue I don't recall saying anything about ignoring situations. There's a difference between taking context into account and making up an alternate reality. I'm simply not a fan of the latter.

[@RobertJandrue]

@@tiredbasketballfan the context would include their situation because it’s a situational sport, it’s not an alternate reality bc it’s a hypothetical to be provocative

[@danielshaltes911]

Regarding Paul George: Peja. You forgot about Peja.

[@michaelcadieux]

"integral" was on this guys word-a-day calendar

[@slimharden4143]

Hot take: I absolutely love the archetype of player that you hate. Guys who’s main talent is to score 1v1, not necessarily from 3 (demar, cam thomas, julius Randle, etc…). I think this is when basketball is at its most entertaining and there will always be a place for it in the league, it’s the main reason why I can’t stand college ball as there is so much less of it. The discussion of how it contributes to winning is completely different, but guys like that will always be relevant in the sport

[@nikosclips.]

This Rusty vs Jamal beef runs deep 😂

[@thekidfromcleveland3944]

Secret Base get on this shit

[@eliwyatt2292]

The grizzlies couldn’t get off the ground in Vancouver and had to relocate, perhaps Vince is the main reason why the raptors took off in Toronto and were able to stay, saving Canadian nba ball

[@afuturemodern]

hot take: one of James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley will "figure it out" and solidify as a starter/borderline all-star. throw-in: Jaxson Hayes will be a 5-year starter in the league

[@MorningSovi]

As a kyrie player fan since I was young , I can tell you I am 100 PERECENT BIAS

[@jons1278]

That Kawhi as GROAT take is ludicrously dumb lmao. It's like saying the cherry on top of the cake is more important than the foundation. It's literally documented that Lowry would hold team get-togethers, that he and Demar would help train the rest of the team. That is all vastly more crucial to building a competent team than a 1 time Mercenary. Go put Kawhi on a G league team and see if he wins a championship. :) It's a casual who doesn't even read box score numbers and doesn't realize how central Lowry is to the team chemistry - and ACCEPTING KAWHI into the existing team hierarchy. If Danny Green doesn't get Lowry and Kawhi to bridge the gap and play nice? No championship. Then who's the best GROAT? Furthermore there's a fundamental lack of understanding of how the rest of the Raptors contributed to the same run. Gasol had to be in good defensive and passing shape. Ibaka had to be a good scoring outlet. Pascal and Fred had to overperform their contracts for the Raptors to have a chance against GS. Kawhi did not score 100+ points a game by himself, and he did not win them the championship by himself.

[@gugga2745]

i got a counter point to the soap opera, thats kinda what makes it fun and makes sense. David Thompson doesnt make sense if u dont know abt the addiction, the reason behind lockouts dont make sense, why some players care more abt certain games than others, its all extremely human and what makes it really interesting. Like yes basketball is cool and I love it but if it was only abt the basketball i wouldnt care when the NBA season ended bc theres always basketball for me to watch somewhere. Its the fact that what is gonna all happen in a few months all connects back to some dude in Massachusetts

[@TheBlackFish]

Is nobody gonna talk about that crazy Trae Young take it the end of the video

[@kingoreo6379]

Hot take: Pascal is the greatest raptor of all time, based on the Kawhi take, what did Kawhi do in Toronto that Pascal didn't? Basically just trying to say that logic is stupid, especially in a team like the raptors where everyone did their part, wasnt a Kawhi carry job like everyone thinks. Lowry, FVV, and Siakam balled out. Pascal did more for the franchise and won a chip, same with Lowry. Stupid logic

[@nestorcortesenthusiast7095]

Idk if this is crazy but I think offensively peak harden was a better regular season player than prime Kobe. Kobe is obviously a better defender and playoff performer but peak harden was such an unstoppable scoring force while also being able to average 11+ assists

[@TVBenSifka]

I think the competitive nature and drama of the nba stems from the fact that it’s by far the smallest teams of any major sport, meaning that nba guys are the 1% of the 1% of the 1% and they know it

[@tiredbasketballfan]

Hot take: If Kyrie fans were even somewhat reasonable, they'd realize that saying KD was the best player on the Warriors is saying that Steph was better than Kyrie both as a 1st option and a 2nd option

[@donmike2810]

A very loud minority thinks that. You can just ignore those.

[@pinobluevogel6458]

KD wasn't the best player on the Warriors. Steph was clearly the most impactful and important. KD just feasted of the open looks and confusion that Steph mostly generated. If you compare KD to Kyrie, the main assets that KD offers is length and defense, I think he is inferior in every other aspect of the game. Luckily for him, length is extremely important in basketball and really helps if you want to shoot a midrange shot.

[@tiredbasketballfan]

@@pinobluevogel6458 I was mostly pointing out that it's funny that there are people who are so intent on looking for any way to discredit a player in order to lift another, that in the process they end up implying the opposite of the narrative they tried to push.

[@pinobluevogel6458]

@@tiredbasketballfan Okay that is a smart idea. I think I missed that subtle part about your comment. Maybe due to not being a native english reader. Also, I got baited into pushing the player I like a lot (Kyrie) over a player I don't really like (KD). At least I know I'm doing it and am not afraid to admit it. Sorry for the confusion.

[@tiredbasketballfan]

@@pinobluevogel6458 No need to apologize, it's not your english, it really wasn't clear at all. I just told you that's what I meant because it explains that I don't really think KD was definitively the best player, and I was just using that opinion in a larger point without saying I necessarily agree with it

[@bluanarchy5052]

Hot take: The MVP trophy has become the most diluted and, frankly, the most obsolete award in the game today. In recent years, MVP selections haven't reflected the most deserving players but have felt more like "oops, my bad" choices. The voters would overlook an obvious candidate one year, only to try to make up for it by awarding them the trophy the next year, regardless of their actual performance. This has especially been the case with players like Jokic and Embiid, where the MVP debate has shifted from recognizing the true best player to simply correcting past mistakes.

[@superQman600]

Hot take: I think we lean too much into the numbers to the point it becomes more about a math equation than a game. Hence the reason current and ex players hate advanced stats now.

[@LuciferMorningstar-ib7ue]

Hot Take: NBA dynasty's WILL return, The NFL is the king of parody and I would say football is still a more unpredictable sport than basketball and yet The Chiefs are potentially about to 3 peat and are a dynasty right now, There will get to a point where an NBA team will retain enough talent with a player great enough to bring about a new dynasty just as the NFL has had multiple over the years, I look at the Spurs and Thunder to potentially win multiple titles in the 2030s.

[@MindAndMyth]

Bird was taller than PG and averaged 50-40-90 as a SF. Not saying he's a better shooter (cuz PG shoots more volume). But I am saying he's a better shooter.

[@garrettmcclure7571]

I don’t think the league has ever that too highly of guys who could only score, think about a guy like Jerry stack house or Adrian dantley, they always put up big gawdy scoring numbers, but nobody ever looked at them as the premier players in the league. As well as the difference is also when guys are exclusively on ball shot creators.

[@patrick05Morgan]

Wait till they find out Kyrie looking cool doesn’t make him the most skilled player

[@Sai4651]

I have to disagree with your take on Cam Thomas while I agree with the general sentiment Right now, it's way too early to classify Cam as just a scorer because of how little development he's gotten because of how weird Brooklyn has been since he's gotten drafted. I think we'll get a legitimate answer on Cam next season under a system where the offense is actually being ran through him instead of him getting the ball in the half court and forcing up shots cause of the team's lack of system. I can see the assists going up and I believe he can be at the very least an average defender with some better conditioning and more experience

[@Brickwilliams]

Mitchell is coming off a playoff run where he averaged 30-5-5 on 48% fg and has averaged 36-5-5 on 52% fg in a 7 game playoff series

[@alxx292]

Hot take: the idea of a player being a playoff riser or dropper gets very overblown. The playoffs are a very small sample size and a drop in 2% in efficiency or points is normal. We’ve also seen numerous players not take the regular season as serious which lowers their stats.

[@ThisThatTheThird]

A shot is a good shot if you practice it and Dame practices that shot he hit over PG. To think he misses that 9/10 times completely takes away from the fact that we can clearly see Dame works on that. He even did an interview from the same spot where he was kinda shocked at how far it was before he proceeds to casually hit the same shot first try.

[@ylew456]

Hot Take: In the previous hot takes video, you talked about how it is harder for Luka to facilitate then it is for Jokic, as Jokic is a center. I vehemently disagree, as only a handful of centers have ever even been average facilitators, while guards, and even large gaurds (such as Magic, Oscar, Penny Hardaway, Jason Kidd, and you might even choose to include LeBron here as a de-facto PG) have been traditionally better facilitators. Jokic is already one of the best passers in history for any position, and point-centers are now starting to get more popular because of him as a trendsetter (however others are not really close to his level). I just can't see how you claim it is easier to be a point center, then a point guard.

[@aaronpeng6020]

Hot take: Deandre Ayton has an EXCELLENT mid range

[@mingloff]

Herb jones also makes a huge impact when he’s not scoring but nobody calls him a superstar

[@cortert103]

Cause Herb doesn’t average 27,8,5

[@nickg5385]

Peja is probably the best shooting Star SF ever but Paul George is definitely like top 3 for star SFs

[@SiccazHD]

The only stat i would add to the box score is true shooting over fg%

[@tiredbasketballfan]

I wouldn't replace it. You could add it, but it's not like it's not flawed in itself. It's really hard to contextualize without shooting splits and attemps from 2/3/ft

[@Take0vaEman]

I was with u with the Paul George take til u said Bron ngl😭

[@alxx292]

Hot take: Russ, cp3, harden, and Pg aren’t bad playoff performers despite them constantly being labeled as one. A few bad moments just gives an illusion that they are.

[@urbaindelva7869]

Actually, they all have multiple moments of bad playoff performances. However, CP3 has much less compared to the rest. I've seen many situations where he played well enough fo his team to win, but it ultimately was not enough.

[@LemonJames-kz1vf]

ivica zubac will be top 10 centers in league this season

[@pinobluevogel6458]

While I think there is a point in ranking Booker, Mitchell and Ant over Kyrie Irving as a player, as a pure offensive option and especially as a shooter, I think he is slightly superior to all of them. The only one that I think can come close is Mitchell, but he is - despite being a more explosive, more athletic player - nowhere near in efficiency, nor is he as efficient as a playmaker. Overall though, especially since they are all younger and bigger (or play bigger, or have longer arms) they are more complete players than Kyrie, especially defensively. Booker is probably the second best playmaker, but he is a full level below Kyrie, while Mitchell is close to Book, but has more speed and athleticism that allows him to create his own shot far better. Ant lastly, is probably by far the most effective defender, but lags behind in team defense. And while he is by far the most limited playmaker, he can basically create his scoring out of nothing and he is the hardest to stop by far. As far as the eye test, I do disagree. It is not favorable to all these younger players, though I have to admit I haven't watched Mitchell even remotely enough to judge based on that, so I'm willing to give him a clear pass. Some invested Cavs fans have insured me that he is also a better defender and playmaker than I'm aware of, but I basically have to take their word for it or watch him in action on old footage or next year. I think it comes down to experience, reps and the fact that Kyrie plays off Luka, probably the most impactful playmaker in the league. (together with Jokic) Kyrie is no slouch on his own though and having seen the entirety of last season's Mavs games, he mostly increased his usage as a playmaker and scorer when Luka was on the bench, where he was often more efficient than when Luka was dominating the ball. Let me just finish with that I don't think Kyrie is far behind these players on overall effectiveness and as a pure offensive option, I think he is comparable or potentially better.

[@gabebennett818]

We’ll see how long it sustains but I think MPJ might end being a better 3pt shooter than PG. PG is somehow always underrated as a 3pt shooter though