NBA Fans Have Lost Their Mind

Man, I love talking about basketball. And thus, some of my nights are spent sifting through different NBA subreddits when I should be sleeping. But, oh well, you only live once, right? The first hot take of the day here is on the 2016 number one overall pick. It goes like, Ben Simmons will make at least two threes in the next five seasons. At first glance, I'm thinking, this is a joke. And it pretty much is, right? Because I mean, Steph Curry once made like what, over 400 threes within a single season, right? And if he could do that, how hard is it to hit two trays over the course of five seasons when you're averaging at least 30 minutes a game? But then, my mind shifted back to all those missed free throws in the Philly vs. Hawks series, and that got me thinking, how far off from reality was that take? So I did a little research, and here's what I found out. So far in his career, the 26-year-old has played in four regular seasons. In his first season, he shot the three ball 11 times and made, uh, zero. In his second season, where he became an all-star, he shot the three ball six times and again made zero. Are you getting nervous yet? In his third and fourth season, Simmons shot the three ball 17 times and made five of them. Phew. I think if that original hot take said 20 threes over the course of five seasons or two threes over the next five post-seasons, then that'd truly be like a 50-50 take. I mean, as of currently, Simmons has played in a total of 34 playoff games, attempted two shots from beyond the arc, and missed both of them. Next off is about the current 2023 season, and again, it's on Ben Simmons. This time, it's about whether or not he will be an all-star. For this take, I'd say, yeah. I mean, aside from his rookie season when Simmons was healthy, he's been an all-star. We all joke about his inability to shoot threes in a game, but the truth is, the man literally does everything else. Dunks, dimes, blocks, steals. The man stuffs the stat sheet and some. I got Ben Simmons making the all-star team and reminding everyone that you don't have to shoot to dominate a basketball game. Next off, we have a take that the Kings will make the playoffs. Oh, and this is over the course of the next five years. So it's 2022 now going into 2023. That'll mean the Kings have to make the playoffs at least once by 2027. Well, uh, they've already missed like 16 in a row, and on top of that, they haven't had an all-star on their team since DeMarcus Cousins back in 2017. Sheesh, talk about bad. Anyways, they have De'Aaron Fox as their best player, and he's signed onto a max contract up until the end of the 2026 season. And although he's not a bad player, I don't think he's capable of carrying his team into the playoffs in a loaded Western conference, especially if the league is just going to continue getting better and better. Also, earlier, I said you don't have to shoot to dominate a basketball game, but that's only if you're like 6'10 and could guard every position on the floor. De'Aaron Fox is a 6'3 guard who isn't an efficient shooter, and in the league today, guards need to be able to shoot. I think the Kings are going to bring the definition of playoff drought to the next level and miss the postseason for over 21 years. Anyways, next off are two takes on the Golden State Warriors. The first one goes, Steph Curry will match MJ at 6 rings and will be essentially tied with Jordan in the GOAT conversation. The second goes, Steph Curry will pass the torch to James Wiseman in 5 years, then he'll win the 6th man of the year in a reduced role. Alright, starting with the first one here. I do think Steph has a great shot at getting 6 rings to match MJ, but in the GOAT conversation, people will always bring up the fact that MJ also had 6 finals MVPs, so I think Steph will need 7 rings to truly be considered by the majority as the GOAT. As for the second take here, if Wiseman can stay healthy, he'll be learning from greatness If he can one day average about 25 points and 10 rebounds, the keys to the Bay Area will be handed to him. I mean, Klay said it himself that the keys will be handed down to Poole, Wiseman, Kaminga, and Moody. Anyways, Steph will be 39 years old in 5 years, and although I think he'll still be playing in the league, winning the 6th man of the year award might be a bit tough. In saying that though, he is the only unanimous MVP in NBA history, so if there's anyone that can win that award at age 39, it'd be him. The next take here is on LeBron's son, and it goes, Bronny James will be a very good player. I'm going to assume very good means at least a perennial all-star caliber player. Alright, so his dad is one of the greatest to ever play the game, and as a result of that, Bronny will have all the resources he needs to be a great player. With that being said though, I think he plays too much video games like Call of Duty to truly be great at basketball. I mean, he made the front cover of Sports Illustrated not for basketball, but for gaming, right? His dad is also a billionaire, so he won't have that same motivation as some of the hungrier young players who work on their craft day in and day out. Then to compound onto this, Bronny is a 6'3 guard, the height where competition is arguably the greatest. So although I think Bronny does have the potential to be great in the NBA because of his current situation, I wouldn't bet on it. The next take is also on Bronny, and it goes, Someone will definitely draft Bronny to lure LeBron to their team, even if it's the last pick of the draft. Well, to this, I would bet 100% that Bronny is going to get drafted. Currently, he's not in any of the mock drafts of the first round picks in 2024, but he'll definitely get drafted in the second round. LeBron would be like 40 at that time, but I'd bet he'd still be a box office. He would also be the ultimate mentor for any teams that have a young core. Owners would have to be crazy to not draft Bronny in the second round if LeBron is also included in the package. Next off is a take on two young stars in the league, and it goes like, Trae Young will win a chip before Luka. Now, I like Trae Young. I think he's one of the best young players in the league, but the truth is, with Luka, the Mavericks are like one superstar away from becoming championship contenders. If Mark Cuban could get a perennial all-star to play alongside the current franchise player, I can see the Mavericks being a true contender for years to come. Whereas Trae Young seems to still be so far away. I mean, after getting completely blown out by the Miami Heat in that first round series, the Hawks seem really far from being a legit team. Next off here, we have a take that Kyrie will be out of the league before CP3. Although this seems like a joke because Kyrie is like 7 years younger, the truth is, Kyrie is on a one-year contract, whereas CP3 is locked in until the end of the 2025 season. I hope this doesn't happen, but if Kyrie does his usual antics, misses games, then gets injured this season, I don't think any teams are going to want to sign him until he becomes completely healthy. He'll also be turning 31 in 2023, so that ain't helping him out either. With that being said though, I think Kyrie understands the situation he's in, and is Then come the end of the season, he'll sign a big contract with either the Nets or another organization. Anyways, the next take goes, RJ Barrett or Obi Toppin will be multi-time all-stars. To be honest, just the other day I saw a highlight video of RJ Barrett and thought, this dude is crazy good. Then I watched another video, where it had all of his possessions, not just the highlights, and I facepalmed myself. He did just average 20 points, but he shot just 40% from the field, 34% from beyond the arc, and 71% at the free throw line. When it comes to rebounds as well, the 6'7 forward only averaged .6 more rebounds than 6'3 Steph Curry. That doesn't really inspire me to think he can become an all-star, especially with how talented the NBA is these days. Obi Toppin, on the other hand, is a highlight reel, but if a player like John Collins hasn't made an all-star team yet, I don't think Obi Toppin is going to become a perennial all-star anytime soon. Anyway, last off here we have one about the Washington Wizards, and it goes like this. The Wizards will make it to the Eastern Conference Finals within the next 5 years. Well, Giannis and Embiid will be 32 and 33 in 5 years, on the tail end of their primes. Trey Young will be in the middle of his prime, and so will Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown, and uh, let me think, who else is there? LaMelo, Darius Garland, Scottie Barnes, then you have two recent No. 1 picks, Cade Cunningham and Paulo Boncero. Then on the other hand, the Wizards are currently locked with Bradley Beal, who will be a 34-year-old 6'3 guard for another 5 years. Porzingis is injury prone and is also locked in for 2023, and has a player option in 2024, which he'll probably pick up. I honestly see the Wizards going into full rebuild mode soon, so no, I don't see them making the Eastern Conference Finals in the next 5 years. Anyways, what do you guys think of these takes? Which ones was I spot on with, and which ones do you think I was just plain out crazy? Let me know in the comments down below, and as always, I'll see you on the other side.