I always reach on Wed Am ( I work late shift Wed) first for “ basketball Illuminati”. Yesterday’s Gardrn vs Morey was the best and most entertaining take putting all others to shame. As to
Detroit’s relegation - reason 1 they listened to Ethan
Strauss and drafted Killian Hayes with the first pick. Says it all.
I think the “uncomfortable” talk started with Morey acolytes in the media saying that Daryl is comfortable being uncomfortable and will wait however long until he gets the deal he wants, like he did with Simmons. I think Harden was responding to that salvo with “I’ll show you uncomfortable”
The same generation of sportswriter who understood that LeBron didn't have a post-game wouldn't just shrug and say: "Obviously James Harden is a Hall of Famer."
He's not. Basketball is a game about minimizing your flaws and maximizing your strengths in a competitive team dynamic TO WIN. Harden has never won anything, torpedoes every situation he's ever been in and his legacy is both being perhaps the worst large sample size playoff performer of all time AND ruining the game with unconscionable grifting. Why is that a Hall of Fame player?
I’m mean he has won hundreds of basketball games and dozens of playoff games at the highest level league in the world. Often as the best player on his team.
He took the KD warriors to a game 7. He and the rockets were the only team to try and dethrone the KD warriors and he nearly did it. He won way more than Steve Nash ever won.
I recall a HoS podcast from last year (?) where Ethan or his guest were comparing Harden to another point guard and they mentioned that Harden took a short view of the game (score now my way, win the game) where the other point guard took a longer view (feed the ball to the big man, so as to get buy in from them in the future). And that stuck with me.
I haven't listened to Cowherd much in the past ten years or so but I recall him often comparing high IQ and low IQ players in various sports. Seems like Harden is your prototypical low IQ basketball player.
Interesting episode because I don’t think conspiracy theories about reffing are a big threat to the NBA, guys like James Harden are a bigger threat I think. I don’t really pay attention to the NBA much, but I also live in DC and the Wizards are consistently mediocre. Why would a marginal fan like myself want to invest time in a team that can get blown up by a temperamental superstar?
For comparison I don’t have to worry about that with the Nats or Caps.
Look, it's easy for me to say this since I'm 41 years old and I have a full head of hair but I think if I were to start going bald (unlikely since my mom's dad died at 86 with a full head of hair) I'd rather it occur at 23 then at 40. When you're younger and more carefree it sucks but easier to adapt I think. But when you're older and have life weighing on you the way it does I think it's much harder to deal with.
The Big Number... of chest hairs! Does Tom have a hairy chest and bald head because of testosterone? Or does he have a hairy chest because he has a bald head? No coincidences. Find the clippers and glue, find the truth.
The original True Hoop quartet of Tom, Amin, Wos, and Ethan is the best basketball podcast I've ever heard and I listen to a TON of basketball pods.
Appreciate that, PW. Doing those pods was the most fun I’ve ever had at work, which I think meant we were doing something right.
I always reach on Wed Am ( I work late shift Wed) first for “ basketball Illuminati”. Yesterday’s Gardrn vs Morey was the best and most entertaining take putting all others to shame. As to
Detroit’s relegation - reason 1 they listened to Ethan
Strauss and drafted Killian Hayes with the first pick. Says it all.
The good old days. True Hoop > Ringer
I think the “uncomfortable” talk started with Morey acolytes in the media saying that Daryl is comfortable being uncomfortable and will wait however long until he gets the deal he wants, like he did with Simmons. I think Harden was responding to that salvo with “I’ll show you uncomfortable”
The same generation of sportswriter who understood that LeBron didn't have a post-game wouldn't just shrug and say: "Obviously James Harden is a Hall of Famer."
He's not. Basketball is a game about minimizing your flaws and maximizing your strengths in a competitive team dynamic TO WIN. Harden has never won anything, torpedoes every situation he's ever been in and his legacy is both being perhaps the worst large sample size playoff performer of all time AND ruining the game with unconscionable grifting. Why is that a Hall of Fame player?
>Harden has never won anything
? This just makes your whole post sound brain dead.
Elaborate if you like
I’m mean he has won hundreds of basketball games and dozens of playoff games at the highest level league in the world. Often as the best player on his team.
Are you an idiot or something?
Martin, I didn't attack you.
You interlocked your off hand with my wrist and cast your limbs to the heavens as your lower appendages went limp.
And the foul is on me?
Look if you want to be taken seriously, post something serious.
My guy I think we all agree this is a kinder, gentler comments section. I have no desire to get in some conflict with you.
I demand a trade to a different substack.
He took the KD warriors to a game 7. He and the rockets were the only team to try and dethrone the KD warriors and he nearly did it. He won way more than Steve Nash ever won.
I recall a HoS podcast from last year (?) where Ethan or his guest were comparing Harden to another point guard and they mentioned that Harden took a short view of the game (score now my way, win the game) where the other point guard took a longer view (feed the ball to the big man, so as to get buy in from them in the future). And that stuck with me.
I haven't listened to Cowherd much in the past ten years or so but I recall him often comparing high IQ and low IQ players in various sports. Seems like Harden is your prototypical low IQ basketball player.
Harden may be selfish and myopic but he's definitely not low IQ. Westbrook is an example of a low IQ player.
Interesting episode because I don’t think conspiracy theories about reffing are a big threat to the NBA, guys like James Harden are a bigger threat I think. I don’t really pay attention to the NBA much, but I also live in DC and the Wizards are consistently mediocre. Why would a marginal fan like myself want to invest time in a team that can get blown up by a temperamental superstar?
For comparison I don’t have to worry about that with the Nats or Caps.
Look, it's easy for me to say this since I'm 41 years old and I have a full head of hair but I think if I were to start going bald (unlikely since my mom's dad died at 86 with a full head of hair) I'd rather it occur at 23 then at 40. When you're younger and more carefree it sucks but easier to adapt I think. But when you're older and have life weighing on you the way it does I think it's much harder to deal with.
I have ZERO bald family members and started balding in my 20s. There's no good time. It's traumatic - like losing an arm or a leg.
The Big Number... of chest hairs! Does Tom have a hairy chest and bald head because of testosterone? Or does he have a hairy chest because he has a bald head? No coincidences. Find the clippers and glue, find the truth.