PMT DB
PMT DB
Kirk Goldsberry on NBA Analytics, Rockets vs. Warriors, and the End of the Pile
We have officially entered May, which means we sleep in May and the NBA playoffs are in full swing. Big Cat and PFT taped this one at 1 a.m. following a wild Game 2 between the Rockets and Warriors that featured James Harden looking like he spent the weekend in Sochi with Bob Costas after getting poked in the eye. While the Warriors took a 2-0 lead, Big Cat isn't ready to call it a wrap for Houston just yet.
Big CatThe Rockets will win at least one game in Houston against the Warriors
Are we thinking sweep? No. No. No chance. They're going to take at least one. I just wanted to throw it out there. At least one in Houston.
Speaking of the Warriors, Draymond Green is back to his usual self, which means he is actively accumulating technical fouls like they're frequent flyer miles. PFT is already checking the calendar for the inevitable.
PFT CommenterDraymond Green will eventually earn a one-game suspension during these playoffs
Draymond [Green] got another technical tonight. So he's on his way to earning a one-game suspension at some point during these playoffs.
The Bucks are Monsters
Hank’s Celtics stole one in Milwaukee, but the Bucks responded in Game 2 by jacking up 47 threes and letting Giannis do Giannis things. PFT is officially terrified of what’s happening in the Cream City, declaring the Bucks the undisputed kings of the East.
PFT CommenterThe Bucks are unbeatable and will dominate the Eastern Conference
But as I've said, these Bucks are unbeatable in this playoff. They are going to dominate the East. Clearly the best team.
While Giannis was busy Euro-stepping from half-court, Kyrie Irving had a night to forget. Hank isn't sweating it, though, banking on the law of averages for the rest of the series.
HankKyrie Irving will not play as poorly for the rest of the Bucks series as he did in Game 2
Kyrie [Irving] will not play that bad for the rest of the series. I'm okay with that because that means, I mean, it's not like you don't have a shitty...
Kirk Goldsberry and Sprawlball
Former Spurs VP of Strategic Research and Harvard professor Kirk Goldsberry joined the show to discuss his new book, *Sprawlball*. He’s essentially the climate change guy for the NBA, warning us that the mid-range jumper is a melting glacier. Kirk broke down how rule changes in 2004 fundamentally altered how the game is played.
Kirk GoldsberryThe NBA essentially made defense illegal in 2004 by outlawing hand-checking
In 2004, after the Pistons beat Kobe and the Lakers, what does the NBA do? They make defense illegal, essentially, by outlawing hand-checking and defense of three seconds.
We also got into the polarizing style of the Houston Rockets. While fans hate the constant whistling and isolation, Kirk pointed out that James Harden is simply the logical conclusion of every math geek's dream.
Kirk GoldsberryJames Harden is the most analytically correct basketball player in history
[James Harden] deserves a lot of credit for being the most analytically correct player our league has ever seen... The shots he takes are the right ones. The shots he doesn't take are the wrong ones.
To save the game from becoming a 3-point contest, Kirk offered some radical "stoner ideas" to fix the geometry of the court, including making the lines different in every arena or letting big men swat balls away from the rim.
Kirk GoldsberryThe NBA should allow defensive goaltending on three-pointers to decrease shooting efficiency
Allowing goaltending on threes is probably the biggest stoner ideas I have. Let's make it fun, dudes. Let's make it a little harder for these guys.
Hot Seat/Cool Throne
The office "pile" is officially dead as the guys prepare to move to a new headquarters. Digging through it was like a Three Mile Island excavation, uncovering ancient relics like Skyline Chili, Jeff Fisher mustaches, and Jared Goff’s senior year calendar.
PFT also put the entire planet on the Hot Seat after NASA announced they are simulating an asteroid collision. While most people would be panicked, Big Cat sees the silver lining in a giant space rock ending it all.
Big CatAn asteroid hitting Earth would be a better way for humanity to end than climate change
Thinking about what the alternative is, is just cooking ourselves alive in the next 200 years. Asteroid, not that bad... I just want the asteroid to hit us. Boom, done.
Guys on Chicks and Urban Development
The show wrapped up with a new segment called Urban Development, tracking Urban Meyer’s three-step plan to inevitably end up at USC or Notre Dame. We also learned some disturbing hygiene habits during Guys on Chicks, where PFT revealed his minimalist approach to showering.
PFT CommenterI don't wash anything below my neck in the shower
I don't wash anything below my neck.
Just remember, if you get hit in the balls, you have at least ten minutes of free sympathy time to milk, even if the pain subsides after two.
Don't forget to check out the Kentucky Derby preview on Friday.
