PMT DB
PMT DB
Nate Silver on NBA Analytics, Political Polling, and the 2016 Election
Big Cat and PFT are playing slightly hurt today after a massive weekend of playoff hockey and hoops. PFT is fresh off a double-overtime heartbreaker in D.C. where the Capitals dropped Game 2 to the Maple Leafs. Despite the panic setting in across the DMV, PFT is leaning on his superior genetics to stay calm.
PFT CommenterI am not worried about the Capitals losing home-ice advantage to the Maple Leafs
I'm not worried at all. It's not time to press the panic button. My overtime genes are still 1-0 in single overtime. I'd just like to point that out.
Speaking of the playoffs, the guys took a look at Draymond Green’s absolute dominance at the rim. While the NBA usually sells itself on posters and highlight dunks, Big Cat thinks the tide is turning toward the defensive end of the floor.
Big CatA block is the new dunk in basketball
Quick embrace debate: is a block the new dunk? [PFT: Yes. I think so, too.] I do think that the way [Draymond Green] was blocking guys, that was better than more momentum than a huge ruckus dunk.
Nate Silver on the Science of Sports and Politics
Nate Silver from 538 joined the show for a two-part interview that immediately became the highest IQ segment in the history of the program. He broke down the 2016 election, explaining that a 30% chance for Trump wasn't an error—it was a real probability that people just didn't know how to read. When comparing recent sports miracles to political ones, Nate pointed out that one specific title stands above the rest.
Nate SilverLeicester City winning the Premier League was crazier than the Cubs or Cavs championships
[Leicester winning] was by far of those four. That's like kind of what we want people to compare... Leicester City, that was freaking weird, especially given how they're not very good this year either.
When the conversation shifted to the hardwood, Nate’s model produced some results that even he had a hard time stomach. The 538 model currently has the Cavaliers ranked below the Celtics, Raptors, and Wizards, mostly because the Cavs spent the last two months of the season looking like they'd forgotten how to play defense.
Nate SilverI would still take the Cavaliers to win the East over the Celtics, Raptors, or Wizards, even though my model ranks them lower
My brain says LeBron is unbelievable every spring. ... No, I would take the Cavs out of that bunch [Celtics, Raptors, Wizards], obviously. ... I would take the Cavs out of that bunch, obviously.
Even with the model's skepticism, Nate is still a believer in the power of superstars. He weighed in on the MVP race, giving the nod to Russell Westbrook while noting that the value of a deep bench tends to evaporate once the playoffs begin.
Nate SilverNBA bench depth beyond the 8th man doesn't matter in the playoffs
The [ten-man depth] does not matter. I'm a big believer in the seven and eight teams. ... If none of these ten guys can beat LeBron, what the hell does it matter?
Who’s Back and Segment Fun
Hank called in from his "basic bitch" vacation to join the guys for Who's Back of the Week. Between doing boomerangs and getting his taxes won at H&R Block, Hank had a realization about the playoffs and the fans who only show up when the stakes are high.
HankIt is okay to be a fair-weather fan
My who's back of the week is fairweather fans... I think it's okay to be a Fairweather fan. I don't like the people that come out of the woodwork being like, oh, you only cheers for the Bruins in the playoffs.
Big Cat fired back by nominating books as his "Who's Back," specifically taking aim at LeBron James’ annual tradition of going "Zero Dark Thirty-23" and pretending to read The Godfather for the cameras.
Big CatLeBron James has never actually read The Godfather book
You read the Godfather book for the 7,000th time in a row, even though I don't think you ever read it the first time.
In a quick round of Talking Soccer, the guys reacted to Tim Howard getting suspended for telling a fan to "f*** your mother." Big Cat thinks this is exactly the kind of energy the sport needs to finally make it in the States.
Big CatSoccer needs scandals like the Kardashians or star players fighting fans to blow up in America
I really do think, though, that soccer, if soccer wants to blow up in America, they need to start just doing the things that are classic American sports. Someone needs to date a Kardashian. Someone needs to maybe tweet a picture of their penis by accident. Go into the stands and fight a guy.
Finally, the guys checked in on the disaster at Madison Square Garden. Phil Jackson is currently in a cold war with Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, leading PFT to believe the Zen Master might have a specific endgame in mind.
PFT CommenterPhil Jackson is actively trying to get fired by the Knicks to get a settlement
Phil Jackson is actively just trying to screw up as much as he can on purpose... Everything that you thought that Phil could do to try to get fired and get a big settlement, he has done it.
If you ever feel useless, just remember that the Knicks have a front office.
