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Takes

Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

LeBron James is likely rooting for Kevin Love to miss time with a concussion so he has an excuse for losing

I feel like LeBron's probably rooting for Kevin [Love] to be out with a concussion because that way he's got something to point his finger at and be like, 'we weren't healthy.' He's got a little excuse there. If you're LeBron, you're making middle notes of all the excuses along the way that you can use.

The Cavs actually played better without Love in Game 3, but they eventually won the title with him, making the 'excuse' narrative moot.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

The Golden State Warriors are better off without Steph Curry

I've seen enough and I know enough that if you take Steph out of the Warriors, they're just as good, if not better. [They haven't said his name] all series because he's been on the bench all series.

Steph Curry is an all-time great and the Warriors are objectively worse without him; they eventually lost the series when LeBron/Kyrie took over.
Loss
Blake GriffinBlake Griffin

The Cavaliers are finished in the 2016 NBA Finals

Cavs, done or finished. It's looking pretty bad, man. I actually thought they were going to win tonight. It's looking pretty bad. I'm going to say they're finished.

Cleveland won the series, making this a classic 'Freezing Cold Take' from an NBA peer.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

LeBron James lacks grit because he peaked in high school

LeBron has no grit, but it's not from his own – it's not his own fault... I think that LeBron's just been screwed over. Like I said, the guy peaked in high school and... he was back in, like, 11th, 12th grade being put in the center of the universe.

LeBron went on to win the 2016 Finals in a historic grit-filled performance, effectively debunking the 'no grit' narrative.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

LeBron James would be a better player if he had gone to college

I think maybe if LeBron James had gone to college, he would be a better player. What do you learn in college? You learn how to make new friends and how to trust other people. LeBron has some trouble with that.

LeBron is widely considered one of the two greatest players ever without college; it is highly unlikely 1-4 years of college would have made him 'better'.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

LeBron James peaked in high school

I'll be the first to say it. LeBron James peaked in high school. There it is. Boom.

LeBron James went on to win 4 NBA championships and 4 MVPs after high school.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

We need to stop talking about Shaun Livingston's knee injury because it was a decade ago

At what point can we just move on from the Shaun Livingston knee issue? It's been, I don't know, six, seven years. He's been totally fine for a really long time... I just want people to stop with Sean Livingston's stuff. He had a knee injury 10 years ago. Knees grow back by then.

Biologically, knees do not 'grow back', though Livingston did play several more healthy seasons.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

The 1996 Bulls are the best team of all time because they hold the record for combined regular and postseason wins

If you add up the regular season and the postseason record, the Bulls already have the title for best team of all time. This chicken is fucked. Put to bed. Tucked in.

In 1996, the Bulls went 72-10 and 15-3 (87 wins). In 2016, the Warriors went 73-9 and 15-9 (88 wins), actually surpassing the Bulls' total wins despite losing the title.
Loss
Michael RapaportMichael Rapaport

The Knicks should sign Joakim Noah because he still has more in the tank

I feel like there's more in the tank for [Joakim Noah]. I feel like he's been injured and I just feel like he's such a team dude and a character dude and the energy... if he came to New York that would be big for New York.

While the Knicks did sign him (correct prediction in spirit), Noah was widely considered one of the worst signings in franchise history and did not have much left in the tank.
Loss
Michael RapaportMichael Rapaport

Warriors in 7 over the Cavaliers

Warriors in 7. In a heartbreaker in Oracle Arena. It's going to be a heartbreaker.

The series did go 7 games, but the Warriors lost at home in Oracle Arena to the Cavaliers.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Kevin Durant is the Dan Marino of the NBA

Is it fair to say that Kevin Durant is potentially like the Dan Marino of the NBA? You got to start having that conversation, though. Like, is he the best player that will never win a championship?

Durant went on to win two championships with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018, shedding the 'Dan Marino' label.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Cavaliers will not lose another home game as long as I leave my wallet in the arena

The Cleveland Cavaliers have not lost a game since I left my wallet in the Q... My wallet's going to be in there until the end of the finals and then I'll get it back because I think my wallet has actually helped the Cavs. So if I keep the wallet there, the Cavs aren't going to lose a home game.

The Cavs lost Game 4 at home to the Warriors (June 10, 2016), so the 'wallet curse' didn't keep them undefeated at home, even though they eventually won the series.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

The Thunder will smoke the Warriors in Game 6

I think the Thunder are going to smoke the Warriors in game six.

The Warriors won Game 6 (the famous Klay Thompson game) and Game 7 to win the series.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

The Warriors are done and will not win the Western Conference Finals

I have the Warriors as done. They are done this season. The Thunder are going to win this series. They are not finished, and the window is half closed.

The Warriors famously came back from a 3-1 deficit to win the series and reach the NBA Finals.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

If the Warriors lose in the playoffs and don't sign Kevin Durant, their championship window is closed

No Kevin Durant plus a Warriors exit this year. Windows closed.

The Warriors did sign Kevin Durant and won two more championships immediately, and even without him, they won another title in 2022.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Warriors' season is over

The Warriors are dead. They're in the grave, man. It's done. It's done. Three to one. They're going back to Oakland. They're not looking like the same team.

The Warriors came back from 3-1 to win the series in 7 games.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Warriors-Thunder series pivoted entirely on Draymond Green kicking Steven Adams in the nuts

This is probably the first series that has ever pivoted entirely based on the kick to the nuts. That lit a spark. That was the spark that sparked the powder keg.

The kick didn't end the series, as the Warriors rallied from 3-1 down to win.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

You don't need an MCL to shoot a basketball

Last time I checked, you don't score with your MCL. You score with your hands and your eyes. What did they teach you when you were learning to shoot? Balance, eyes, elbow, follow through. It's not beef and call. There's no MCL in there.

Biologically, leg strength and stability from the MCL are crucial for jump shots, making the literal claim incorrect.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

Steph Curry's poor performance is caused by a teammate sleeping with his mother

That guy [old college teammate] is probably sleeping with Steph [Curry]'s mom, and it's keeping him up. That's it... Everyone knows that if your NBA team loses, someone's having sex with someone's wife or mom.

This was a satirical claim and Curry eventually led the Warriors to a series comeback.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

I expect the NBA Finals to be Thunder vs. Cavaliers

I think it's going to be Thunder, Cavs in the finals. But if there's two teams that can disrupt that, it's the Raptors and the Warriors.

The Warriors came back to beat the Thunder, so the finals were Warriors vs. Cavaliers.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Steph Curry is too fragile for the NBA and needs to add 30 pounds

The scouts were right. He's too fragile to play in the NBA. Needs to add another 20, 30 pounds to his frame this offseason.

Steph Curry is an all-time great and won four championships; the idea that he is 'too fragile' is a joke.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

The Thunder are the best team in the league when Durant and Westbrook click on the same night

When they [Durant and Westbrook] do that, you can't beat them... They, at some point, will click on the exact same night, and they're the best team in the league.

The Thunder famously blew a 3-1 lead in this series, so while they were dominant for a stretch, they weren't 'unbeatable'.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

LeBron James will eventually injure himself while flopping

He's going to flop at some point and do that extra thing that he does and, like, turn his ankle during the flop. And at that point, is it a flop anymore? It's going to be amazing.

LeBron has continued to flop and has suffered various injuries, but none have been definitively caused by the act of flopping itself.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

LeBron James will dominate Game 4 against the Raptors and rip their hearts out

LeBron is going to come out in game four and he is going to rip the heart out of the Toronto Raptors... what he's going to do is he's going to step on their throats, and Drake is going to be crying at the bench... this is a LeBron James game, game four.

The Raptors actually won Game 4 (105-99) to tie the series 2-2. LeBron had 29 points, but did not 'rip their hearts out' in that specific game.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Cavaliers are Kyrie Irving's team now

I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Cavaliers are Kyrie Irving's team now... Kyrie's awesome. He put up more shots, had more points. I think it's safe to say this is Kyrie Irving's team. And he is the missing ingredient that was not there last year in the finals.

While Kyrie was vital, LeBron James remained the clear leader, winning the 2016 Finals MVP later that season.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

The Raptors are a disgrace to basketball and to Canada

The Raptors are just a disgrace, disgrace to basketball, disgrace to Canada... I don't want to be in the Eastern Conference Finals if you get swept like this.

The Raptors actually recovered to win Games 3 and 4, making this take age poorly within a week.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Miami Heat-Toronto Raptors playoff series did not actually happen

This backs up my theory that the Miami Heat-Toronto Raptors series did not actually happen... I cannot imagine this Raptors team beating anybody in a seven-game series right now. I don't think that the last series happened. I think that it was just something that they sent the stats online and people saw what the final score of the game was.

The series did, in fact, happen; the Raptors defeated the Heat in 7 games.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

The Cavaliers will sweep the Raptors

It's going to be a sweep. I don't think the Raptors can steal one in Toronto even.

The Raptors won Games 3 and 4 in Toronto; the series ended 4-2.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Take the under in the Cavaliers-Raptors series

Word to the wise, take the under in the Cavs Raptors series.

The series had a mix of results; while early games were low-scoring, Game 4 and Game 6 went over the typical totals of the era.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

I am hashtag done with the Cavs vs. Raptors series after Game 1

This series, I'm done with... I'm hashtag done with this series. I don't think I'm going to watch any more of this series. Fuck this series.

The series actually went six games, and Big Cat definitely continued to watch it.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

The Phoenix Mercury will be very tough to beat and the Sky won't beat them if they meet in the finals

I do think that the [Phoenix] Mercury are going to be very, very tough to beat. If the [Chicago] Sky go up against them again in the finals, I'm not liking the Sky's chances.

The Los Angeles Sparks won the 2016 WNBA title. The Mercury were swept by the Lynx in the semi-finals, and the Sky lost in the semi-finals to the Sparks.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Tim Duncan will likely forget to retire and just keep showing up to the gym through inertia

There's a chance that Tim Duncan just forgets to retire and just by like... through inertia, he keeps showing up at the gym. I think that's more likely than him actually retiring.

Tim Duncan did officially retire on July 11, 2016, a few months after this episode.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The 2017 NBA Finals will be the Wizards vs. the Warriors, with the Wizards winning in six games

I got the Wizards because John Wall and Kevin Durant are going to be tough to defend. So I got the Wizards going up again. I'm going to say the Warriors make it back again. Wizards, Warriors, Wizards in six.

KD signed with the Warriors. The 2017 Finals were Warriors vs. Cavs. The Wizards did not make the Finals.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

The 2017 NBA Finals will be the Cavs vs. the Lakers, with the Lakers winning in seven games

I got Cavs, Lakers, Lakers in seven. [Because] KD is going to the Lakers. And Dwight Howard's going back to the Lakers.

The Lakers finished 26-56 in 2017. KD went to Golden State and Dwight Howard went to Atlanta.
Loss
HankHank

The 2017 NBA Finals will be the Celtics vs. the Warriors

I got Celtics and Warriors. Kevin Durant and Isaiah Thomas are going to be a serious force to be reckoned with.

The Celtics lost to the Cavs in the ECF. KD did not join the Celtics.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

Kevin Love is the best player of all time because he is 12-0 in the playoffs

People forget that Kevin Love is undefeated in the NBA playoffs... He's undefeated. 12-0. The Cavs literally never lost with Kevin Love. Kevin Love has literally never lost in the playoffs. He's maybe the best player of all time.

Kevin Love did eventually lose a playoff game later that year in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Raptors.
Loss
Ray RattoRay Ratto

Steph Curry has been a detriment to the Warriors for years

I think Curry has been a detriment to this team for several years now. From the moment that he forced them to trade the eminently superior Monta Ellis.

The Warriors became a dynasty after trading Monta Ellis and building around Steph Curry.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Golden State Warriors offense works better without Steph Curry

Now I'm starting to hear reporters out West saying that the, that the Warriors function in like a more smooth offense. Now that Steph Curry's gone...

Steph Curry is the greatest shooter ever and the Warriors were objectively better with him on the floor.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

LeBron James has been doing steroids since the day he was born

Steph Curry's hurt, Chris Paul's hurt, Blake Griffin's hurt, you know who's never missed the playoff game? LeBron James. But LeBron James has always been huge. ... Always has been doing steroids probably since the day he was born. I've never seen a more clear steroid case in my life than LeBron James.

There is no public evidence to support this claim; it is part of a comedic segment.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

Russell Westbrook is an All-Star, not a NBA Superstar

Westbrook? All-star. I agree with [Mark] Cuban. Not a superstar. My criteria for superstar is a superstar has at least like 10 million Chinese people wearing their shoes.

While subjective, Westbrook went on to win the NBA MVP the very next season (2016-17) and averaged a triple-double for several seasons, making the 'not a superstar' claim look very wrong in retrospect.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

Anthony Davis isn't a superstar because he claimed he couldn't get a date on Tinder

Anthony Davis? He's a bum. He's a bum right now. Did you see him on the thing with Tinder? He was saying he couldn't get a date. Now let me ask this: Does an all-star, a star, a superstar ever not be able to get a date? Anthony Davis is a bum.

The claim that Davis couldn't get a date on Tinder was actually part of a promotional bit/joke, and Davis obviously became one of the biggest superstars in the league.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

Jimmy Butler is a bad leader and a bum

Jimmy Butler is an all-star, but he's also – he's got a couple bum qualities in him that have pissed me off. ... He's an all-star who thinks he's a superstar, which then makes that part of his brain bum-like. ... He is the leader of the Bulls now, yes, but he's a bad leader. ... All right, fine. He's a bum star.

Butler eventually led the Heat to two Finals appearances, widely disproving the 'bad leader' and 'bum' labels, though his exit from Chicago was messy.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Golden State Warriors are better without Steph Curry because Klay Thompson can finally shine

I think the Golden State Warriors are a better basketball team without Steph Curry... Thompson can really shine now. [Clay] will actually get to shoot. And he's actually a better shooter than [Steph].

The Warriors lost in the 2016 Finals, and while they performed well without Curry in early rounds, they were clearly not 'better' without him.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

Stanley Johnson is actually in LeBron James' head by making LeBron think he's crazy

So you're thinking LeBron has probably read this and was like – like laughed it off, like, ha, ha, ha, ha, Stanley Johnson thinks he's in my head. And then there was a quick pause, and he's like, uh – maybe he is. I don't know.

LeBron and the Cavs swept the Pistons 4-0 in this series, and LeBron's performance suggested he was not affected by Stanley Johnson.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Wearing a headband increases an athlete's vertical jump by four inches

I've always had a theory about headbands too, that headbands increase your vertical jump at least temporarily by about four inches.

There is no scientific basis for this claim.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Matthew Dellavedova could make the roster of most NHL teams

I will say that Matt Dellavedova could probably make the roster of most NHL players, but he's probably the only NBA player that I think could cross over into the other sport.

Dellavedova is a professional basketball player with no known high-level hockey experience. Literally incorrect but a great joke.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The NBA's new hustle stats are just a way for Matthew Dellavedova's agent to get him a big payday

Basically it's like—it's Matthew Dellavedova's agent coming up with these stats to try to get Delly a big payday this offseason. Just being in somebody's face for a shot is now a stat.

The stats were released by the NBA, not an agent, making the literal claim incorrect, though it's a comedic observation.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

The 2016 Golden State Warriors will win the NBA title and become an all-time team

The Golden State Warriors won their 72nd game last night against the Spurs. So now they are an all-time team. Unless they don't win the title. If they don't win the title, then it really doesn't matter. But we all kind of assume they will win the title. The Spurs will probably give them a great series. They will be an all-time team.

The Warriors lost the 2016 NBA Finals to the Cavaliers.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The UConn women's basketball team would be a 3-5 point favorite over the Philadelphia 76ers

I think that the – well, yeah, [UConn women] are going to win, and I think that the spread against the Sixers, they'd be like three to five-point favorites, depending if it was in UConn or if it was being played in Philly.

In reality, the worst NBA team would dominate even the best collegiate women's team due to size and speed differences.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

Villanova would beat the Philadelphia 76ers

So yeah, I Villanova, I'd take Villanova over the Sixers.

Professional NBA teams do not lose to college teams under normal circumstances.

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