Background

The NFL is the professional organization for gridiron football in the United States, and one of the largest sporting organizations on the planet. Boasting a yearly revenue of over $16 billion, putting it on par not just with major corporations, but with major industries. And of course it's managed by petty, tiny babies. 31 of the 32 teams are owned by rich individuals who did not make their money through football.

Team History

The year is 1957. The place, Detroit. A booming city, Detroit is a place to be. American factories pump out American cars, the best in the world. Some of them even get seven miles to the gallon. Here, at the center of American automotive manufacturing, sits the best team in football - the Detroit Lions. Having gone 8-4 in the regular season, they defeated the San Francisco 49ers to advance to the Superbowl NFL Championship (Superbowls didn't start until the NFL-AFL merger in '66), then the Cleveland Browns in the Championship, they became the ultimate winners of the National Football League. Although not the American Football League - the NFL-AFL merger would happen in 1966, still many years in the future.
For a Detroit fan, the future looked bright. Until a minor scandal - okay, no, a major scandal happened. The players were betting on games. Amidst the controversy and fines came an angel of salvation - William Clay Ford. Heir to the Ford Family fortunes, he purchased full ownership of the Detroit Lions in 1963 for the sum of $5.4 million.
A rich owner who could afford to pay coaches and staff, no need to scrap for dollars on ticket sales, and the NFL-AFL merger sending the popularity of football soaring. Yes, going in to the 60s, the Detroit Lions were an easy bet. Ford would lead them.

The Playoffs, an interlude

Playoffs in professional sports is interesting. They are constantly expanding - now more baseball teams will make the playoffs than miss them, and have fluctuated in size. But usually it's somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 of the teams in a sport will make the playoffs. There they will play elimination brackets until there's a championship between two teams for the glory.
There have been long championship droughts. The longest in baseballs is the Seattle Mariners, who after being founded in 1977 have never made the world series, only occasionally venturing deep into the playoffs. They are awful. In the NBA, it is the LA Clippers. Founded 50 years ago, they have never made it past the playoff semi-final round. In Hockey, the all time has to go to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Hockey's constant whipping boy, who have gone 52 seasons since they last lifted the Stanley cup. They have lost five conference finals in that time, coming within a single series of that highest stage, and yet never reaching.
So lets just keep that in mind as we come up through 1989. The Lions at this point have never won a playoff game since that 1957 season, spending the 60s, the 70s, and the 80s without winning a post season game. Not a team on the above list of awfulness can match that.

The Rebuilds

In 1989, William Clay Ford stepped down from his role as chairman at the Ford Motor Company, and turned to his true passion - the Detroit Lions. And this is where we see the Detroit Lions fortunes do a swift 360.
Ford made some major changes, immediately ditching their old head coach Darryl Rogers for a new Head Coach, Wayne Fontes. Today known as the winningest coach in Lions history, Fontes is a legendary head coach.
Perhaps more importantly than Fontes, they drafted a name to be feared - Barry Sanders. With their third overall pick in 1989, Sanders was one of the most unstoppable backs ever to live. One of seven backs in the 2000+ yard running club, from the beginning of his career to the end he looked unstoppable. Legendary running backs like Emmitt Smith credit him as one of the best ever to live.
And indeed, the turnaround happened. Coming of a string of 4 and 5 win seasons, in 1989 they scraped together a 7-9, and in 1991 they managed a strong 12-4. They stormed to the Cowboys, crushing them 38-6, only to fall to the [DC Football Gurus] in a 41-10 blowout. That team was unstoppable though, easily winning a superbowl, and Detroit could finally breath easy. A 35 year drought had ended. The Lions had won a playoff game. And with a new coach and the best running back ever, this was only the start of their dominance.
'92 was a setback. They went 5-11, the only bright spot being Barry Sanders breaking the all-time franchise running record in just four seasons. Yeah, Barry was good at football. But in 93, they were back in form, going 10-6 and making it to the playoffs, only to be eliminated by the Packers in a close and heartbreaking game.
In 94 they made it to the playoffs and lost to the packers again, 16-12 this time, and in 95 they made it back only to immediately lose to the Eagles. Then in 96 Wayne Fontes picked up his second 5-11 season. And there his career would end, 67-71 with the Lions overall. 89-96, quite the run.
That's okay though, Ford had fixed things. He had found Bobby Ross. Bobby Ross was going to lead the Lions to victory. With a strong college coaching career, they weren't going to have another 5-11 season. And indeed they went 9-7, losing in the playoffs, before falling to... 5-11.

Goodbye to the GOAT

And here Barry Sanders career ended. Frustrated with ten years of failure, he demanded to be released or traded. The Lions did neither, and sued him instead. Faced with this, Barry Sanders hung up his cleats. In his 10 years he averaged 1500 yards/season, the highest pace ever, and had he played five more years he would have broken records. Had he regularly made it to the postseason he would have broken records. Yet there he went went. Goodbye Barry.

If at first you don't rebuild, build and build again

Marred by the departure of Sanders, Bobby Ross managed an 8-8 season and a playoff loss before getting fired. For... oh hell, lets just blow through some of this fast. In format years coach:wins, we have:

• '01-02 Marty Morhinweg: 5-27
• '03-05 Steve Mariucci, 15-28
• '06-07 Rod Marinelli 10-22

Okay full stop. This needs a header.

2008

This year is special. In 2007 the Detroit Lions drafted a wide receiver named Calvin Johnson. Calvin Johnson a big man. Standing 6'4" and 240 lbs, he was... oh, lightning fast. The combination of speed and size has never been seen before or since in the NFL. He was taller, his arms were longer, and he was faster than anyone on the field. It looked like this.
In 2007 he had done well, but 2008 would be his breakout year. 1331 yards receiving in the regular season, a phenomenal number (anything over 1000 is great). Marinelli had gone 3-13 in 06, but in 07 he improved to 7-9, and with Johnson being better than anyone could have imagined, the Lions were expected to have a good season. Perhaps even make it to the playoffs. They were going to be an 8-10 win team.
Did they get 8? No. 5? No. 2? No. The Detroit Lions were the first team in NFL history to pick up a perfect 0-16 season. Winning not a single game, Rod Marinelli would end his tenure at 10-38.
Primed for a good year, fans were horrified. The Lions had failed like no team had ever failed before. The only option? Complete Rebuild. They scrapped the team. Most would never play in the NFL again. This was it. This was rock bottom.

The final rebuild

Faced with their level of abject failure, they scrapped everything not named Calvin Johnson. Hiring Jim Schwartz to take over the rebuild, everyone knew this would be a process. All new coaches, all new players. Jim Schwartz had lead the Titans to 13-3, and he was given enormous leeway to have bad seasons. Indeed, no one blinked an eye when 2009 was 2-14 - Jim was rebuilding from Calvin Johnson up. Although somehow two players did drown off the coast of Miami.
During this Jim traded away the rest of the players who were still worth something, preparing for a complete rebuild. They selected Matt Stafford for QB with their first round pick, and based around a franchise QB and star WR, they would build a fantastic new team.
Results picked up immediately, with a 6-10 season, and then a 10-6 playoff run. They lost in the first round, but with this new team there was no way they could... go 4-12 then 7-9. And Jim Schwartz leaves, having gone 29-51.

Here we go again

Picking a theme, they stuck with the name Jim. Jim Caldwell decided to make major changes to the team. Deciding Schwartz was a quality improver, Caldwell chose to take the star talent on the team and use new tactics and strategy to take them further. And it worked! They went 11-5 immediately. They lost in the wild card game to the Cowboys, but they were on the road.
2015, goodbye GOAT. 2015 they went 9-7, missing the playoffs, and Calvin Johnson had had enough. His 9 season yardage record was behind only 4 players - Julio Jones, Terry Holt, and Jerry Rice. He set multiple receiving records, and his single-season record of 1,964 yards still stands today.
And the Lions sued him to try and get some money back. He's still bitter about it to this day.
Jim Caldwell would get back to the playoffs with a 9-7 record, losing to the Seahawks, but would then have another 9-7 season in 2017, and leave. His record stands at 35-29, a winning record. You escaped the Lions with a winning record Caldwell. Well done.

A sad milestone

In 2015 William Clay Ford, the man who bought the lions back in 63, passed. Ownership passed to Martha Firestone Ford, his wife, who was committed to reforming the team her husband loved into a winning franchise. She took a few years to understand it, then moved on from Caldwell, and go to

Matt Patricia, and the final rebuild

The year is 2018. A saga that began in 1957 has brought us here. Countless head coaches. One playoff win. Two all-time greats having their careers squandered. This is the Detroit Lions redemption story.
It begins with Matt Patricia. Serving under Bill Belichick, the winningest coach in history (244-92 game win:loss record), Matt Patricia understood the Patriot way. He was going to reorganize the Lions. He understood physical conditioning and mental fortitude like no other, for he served under the best coach ever. Lions fans were stoked. Here was a team that had posted winning records, now with a coach who could bring them that last set. Playoff glory was in their eyes.
Oh I'll spare you the dramatics. The old lady running the football team was not secretly a genius, and Matt Patricia is a pumpkin. From actually posting a winning record under the last coach, Patricia racked up 13-29 record before being unceremoniously fired.

2021, the true final rebuild and conclusion

But good news for the Lions! Sheila Ford Hamp has taken over the family business. She was the one to fire Patricia, and she's going to run the Detroit Lions like her family always dreamed of. She's going to make her mother and father proud, and turn them into a real team. After screaming all season for Patricia's blood, Detroit fans are cautiously optimistic for the future because no one who is still a fan of the team understands basic pattern recognition.
So there you have it. 1957-1989, we had 32 years of abject failure, then from 1989 to 2020 we have had eight rebuilds, two historically skilled players, the worst record in football history, two historically good players sued by the team, and literally countless people fired, hired, fired again, hired again, as the Detroit Lions try to discover what the key to actually playing football is.
This is not a bad team content with their badness. This is a team that has fought and struggled every stage to become good, and at every stage failed harder than any team has failed before. People have fought, lawsuits have been slung, harsh, harsh words have been spoken. This is the drama of the Detroit Lions, the worst professional sports organization on the North American continent.

So this year is the first year I’ve really been betting on sports. Started when sports came back after covid and have had a lot of fun with it. I did okay during the NBA bubble because I watch a lot of NBA and had a good handle on all the teams. I also feel like playoff games are the best games to bet because you can count on your team bringing it to every game no matter what side you’re on.
Then the NFL season started, and got WRECKED until I discovered Wong teasers on here - and had a pretty decent season after that. As the NFL season comes to a close and I start switching my attention to NBA, I’m wondering if there’s any proven betting methods that have worked for you in the past? I’ve been using teasers on the NBA too but it doesn’t seem like as good of a strategy as it is in the NFL.
So far this season I’ve been using 4pt teasers on 3 teams, mostly betting the underdog to give myself a 7-10 point cushion in each game. Haven’t been doing well at all and starting to wonder if teasers are worth playing in the NBA, and if there’s smarter bets out there.
Today I’m looking at this 4pt teaser. Feel free to let me know if this is a terrible bet, and if y’all have a strategy that works for you (ie only bet money line, no parlays, only team total, etc.) id love to hear it!
HOU -.5 CLE +10 NOP +5

No, I didn't bet on one player. That would be crazy, knowing we are in a global pandemic and having a risk of injuries. I will give you my tier system and my picks after that. As you can see below, I bet on 5 players. 1000 total, not 1000 each. Any player winning would give me a nice return.
TIER 1. This tier is for players, who will probably have a great season and their team might be really good. However, I consider that these players will be viewed as a 'failures' by media and fans because of what happened last season.

• Giannis. No bet.

Back 2 back MVP. Last player to win 3 in a row was Larry Bird. Giannis and Bucks got embarrassed in the playoffs. Bucks can finish as a 1st seed in the East easily, but media and fans won't be impressed with the same old story.

• Kawhi. No bet.

A favorite last year before the season. Just like Giannis, failed in the playoffs. Can finish 1st in the West and there would still be doubt.
TIER 2. This tier is the biggest one. It's for players who were in a MVP conversation last year, but didn't get it and still showed out in playoffs. Media and fans will be on their side, it up to their teams to lock up 1,2,3 or in some cases a 4 seed.

• LeBron. +900 or 10.

LeBron was 2nd in MVP voting last season. Lakers improved their roster and LeBron himself has a great run in the playoffs and the finals. This season, there is no more conversations is he still the best player in the NBA. We all saw it in the playoffs. With Giannis out of the picture as a TIER 1 'failure', LeBron needs to average at least 24 PPG and his regular 7 and 7 and Lakers to finish 1st. Finishing 2nd might still be good enough.

• Davis. +900 or 10.

If the Lakers finish 1st, but LeBron opts to rest and the beginning of the season, Davis becomes more realistic candidate to get more votes than James. If AD avoids injuries, plays awesome D like last year and Lebron's media machine pushes his case, Davis might be the winner.

• Doncic. +450 or 5.5.

A favorite by the media, fans and bookies right now. You have to bet him. My concerns are his team. This bet is a bet on Porzingis health too. I have a hard time seeing Mavs finishing in the top 3 of the western conference, however 4th seed might still be good enough, if Doncic goes crazy and averages 34 PPG or a triple double.

• Lillard. +4000 or 41 and +2500 or 26.

My favorite bet. Blazers had a GREAT offseason and improved with defensive minded wings. Last season they were killed by injuries and Dame still got some votes for MVP. If they stay healthy, I see them fighting for a 3rd or 4th seed. I got crazy odds, so this was no brainer and Dame is a fan and media darling.
TIER 3. This tier is exclusive for 1 player. It's a major comeback story and it sells very well on TV, sports sites, etc. Yeah, it's KD.

• Durant. +1800 or 19.

Nets will be a very solid regular season team and playing in the east helps that. I see them finishing in the top 3 of the conference. Durant is already becoming more likeable in the eyes of media and fans, because he plays with Kyrie. It puts him in a better light. I still believe KD can put up 25 PPG in his sleep and a comeback story puts him as a strong candidate to win the MVP.
TIER 4. This tier is for players, who were not in previous MVP conversations. These are young players on a good teams. If these teams somehow finish as a 1st or 2nd seed, they might get some serious consideration. However, players in this tier are NO BET. Well, at least until spring. If you see them going strong in march and their team as a potential 1st or 2nd seed, you can still get a decent odds at that time and hedge your previous bets.

• Tatum. No bet yet.
• Mitchell. No bet yet.
• Embiid. No bet yet.
• Jokic. No bet yet.
• Booker. No bet yet.
• Bam. No bet yet.

EDIT: So the end result looks like this:

• Lillard - 100 to win 3350
• Durant - 200 to win 3800
• Doncic - 350 to win 1950
• James - 220 to win 2200
• Davis - 130 to win 1300

We had a full season to see what he could do, and he didn't exactly prove to do anything at an nba level - this season he is shooting abysmally, and to top it off he has no redeeming quality.
It's one thing to be JJ or even Lonzo, and struggle so far from 3 - AT LEAST, they have shown that they are capable of being consistent (Lonzo with a full season of 38%, even struggling now we have that as proof of what he's capable of).
And even when JJ or Lonzo struggle, they have redeeming qualities, JJ creates pressure on the defense just by being out there - and Zo is a great defender and has vision - not to mention both ARE capable of having great games.
But Meli .. what has he proven? I really don't get it, our team could indeed use a forward / big that can spread the floor, and if we are giving Meli a chance and he is failing continuously - why not try other guys out with similar playstyles?.
So here are my potential Meli replacements, now keep in mind I looked specifically for players like Meli - that means they can have similar weaknesses to meli, but hopefully at least they can hit shots and defend a bit better.
Also I am trying to focus on players I believe are not TOO HARD, to obtain - either because they are free agents, or trade targets that shouldn't require too much asking price.
There are some exceptions but most of the list is focused on POTENTIAL, for cheap - similar to meli basically.
Here we go.
------------------
1.Dragan Bender = The positives over meli? was actually drafted in the nba draft at #4 meaning he impressed a lot of teams and has potential, and guess what? he still does as he is only 23 years old !!.
He is way taller at 7,1 and has similar % to meli from 3 - but unlike meli he has actual potential since meli is 29 ! which is a big difference in age. If meli is older and can't do better than a 23 yo, and to top it off he is smaller which means less potential at the defensive end - I hope you guys get why we don't lose anything giving Dragan Bender a chance as well.
Now listen, the issue is Dragan Bender is signed to a team overseas I believe tied to the euroleague, but it is obvious he would rather play for the nba just didn't get further interest one would assume - so it is still worth looking into giving him a try. His last team were the warriors, if the warriors are interested you gotta be worth something.

1. Thon Maker = He was just waived by the cleaveland cavaliers so he is avaliable, he has nba experience - similar to bender he can shoot the 3, is 7,0 and is also only 23 years old.

Now again, do they have similar weaknesses to Meli? I bet, but at this point Meli hasn't proven to be any better than them and worse as a 29yo.

1. Noah Vonleh = He was waived by the bulls in fear of spreading covid, but that was a month ago - AGAIN, he is 25 and has been shown to shoot the 3, but beyond that he has actually shown to have more of an all around game than the previous candidates .. why are we not giving him a chance?.
   
2. Omari Spellman = At 6,8 he may have the least potential defensively, but here's the thing - he showed more potential at efficiency from 3 as a stretch 4 than any of the other named players above him - with 36% in over 95 games played, with his second season being 39%. He at least deserves a look, as he is only 23 as well !.
   
3. Ersan Ilyasova = Now he is obviously an nba veteran and older than Meli, but if our plan is to make the playoffs .. he is clearly better than meli, just check his numbers compared to Meli .. I literally don't need to say anything else. He is currently playing for turkeys national team, so he is essentially a free agent.
   
4. Jonas Jerebko = Read Ersan, same thing.
   
5. Anthony Bennett = NOW YES, I get it - he is a popular bust, but he actually seemed quite efficient from 3 on the g league so he is worth looking into IMO. He is 27, and shot 42% from 3 on 5 attempts - 68 games total.
   
6. Jarod Uthoff = Now he is mostly a g league player, but he is 6,9 and can shoot the three also seems more mobile than meli ... YET WE WAIVED HIM, I don't understand it ... he is 27 but worth looking into, I guess the pelicans disagree despite meli not being any more impressive.
   

TRADES ?

1. Dean Wade = He is currently a Cleveland cavalier who have 1,000 big man on their roster, they will most likely move one or move dean wade to the g league which he has played in before. This guy is definitely worth looking into IMO, it is worth mentioning that the cavs waived Thon maker OVER Dean wade. And ofc, he is a big that can shoot - that's the point of this post, he is also young only 24.
2. Nemanja Bjelica = Definitely worth looking into, similar to ersan he is a very capable stretch 4 but older.
3. Frank Kaminsky = He is currently signed by the suns, but hasn't played in 5 straight games meaning he clearly isn't fitting their rotation and could be moved - he could definitely do a better job than meli, he is 27 and stands at 7,0 with better career numbers than Meli as a stretch 5.

Other potential names to think of consist of Maxi Kleber, Bobby Portis, Mike Muscala, Meyers Leonard, Kelly Olynyk.
(EDIT= Players mentioned below, Mo Bamba, Saric, Crowder, Harkless.)
Did my best to research some names to consider, feel free to leave any other names I might have missed.
Personally, I feel the guys that should be on the trade block are Eric Bledsoe, Lonzo Ball, Meli and potentially JJ Reddick (don't let him waste his last years if this team is going nowhere this season).
I would rather keep Lonzo over Bledsoe just because I am a fan of age and developing players - and Bledsoe deserves a better team similar to JJ.
I do believe we could use a back up small forward but I believe an efficient shooting big is more valuable to our ISO style of play with BI and Zion.
Thoughts?.

Warning: This is a long post. TLDR at the end.
Or, more accurately, the case against trading Jaylen Brown for James Harden. Lets say the Celtics were to complete a trade for Harden involving Brown, the fundamental tension in that deal is you are trading future value for current value. Brown is 24, Harden is 31, the bet you are making is that by acquiring Harden you are getting good enough in the immediate future to win it all thus negating the likely surplus value in Brown will have over Harden in future years given his age, contract, ect. So any discussion of the deal has to start with Harden's contract situation and age.
Harden is under contract for 2 years with a player option. If he plays at his elite level the next two years at ages 31 and 32 then he's opting out an getting a new contract at age 33 where he'll be eligible for a 5 year max starting at 35% of the cap. A massive deal for his year 33-37. That is almost guaranteed to instantly be one of the worst contracts in the NBA upon signing, even if he's still very good the he's unlikely to be 45+ million dollars good even in the first year of that contract. And if he opts into the third year, it's because something went wrong in the first two (injury, decline, ect) which is not ideal. So really with Harden you're looking at a two year window after which age related decline, burdensome contract, or just plain leaving via free agency decrease his expected value significantly. Whereas after those two or three years Brown will be hitting his prime, likely still be paid less, and have several years where he will likely outperform Harden on the back end.
Now if you can win it all the next two years that might be worth it, but can you? A major factor lost in all this is it will be extremely difficult to build the team year one into a contender. You'll be acquiring Harden during the season where there will be NO practice time due to the game load. Chances to build chemistry off the court will be limited. But also the Celtics are hard-capped. A straight trade of Brown for Harden pushed you VERY close to that hard cap and into the tax. Of course it wont be a straight trade, but every asset you give up in addition to Brown hurts your ability to construct your team. If Marcus Smart is in it you lose a second starter, if he's not then one of Theis/Thompson almost has to go to make the money work (because Harden makes 18 million more than Brown), and you're likely stacking young guys + draft picks. Every player you include opens up room under the hard cap, but not that much because most those guys are making no more than 3 million and you have to replace those guys on the roster in the middle of the season which is REALLY hard to do. You may have the TPE, but again because of the hard-cap you wont have a lot of room to use it and you'll be out assets from the Harden trade making it hard to use effectively anyway. All of this is a long winded way of saying if you think the Celtics bench is bad now its gonna absolutely blow after a Harden trade.
So okay, your bench sucks. Then other problem is as good as Harden is you still arent going to have the best player is a Durant/Nets series (if he looks like he has so far this year), or a Giannis/Bucks series, or a Lakers/Lebron series, or a Clippers/Kawhi series. An you likely have to get through 3 of those 4 to win it all. "Okay, but Jaylen doesn't help you with that either!" you may say. Sure, but a Jaylen for Harden trade is shifting value to now, and the bottom line is given your bench and Hardens inherent shortcomings (i.e he is bad defensively) you arent likely good enough year one. Maybe you are if Kemba is totally healthy, but thats a BIG bet to make. And even if he is there are inherent fit issues with having three ball dominant guys on offense and a defensive backcourt of Kemba/Harden. You're probably best off trying to flip Kemba for pieces, but again that SO hard mid season.
So really your bet is that with a full offseason Ainge can build a championship bench and NEXT year is your year. Of course the team is now VERY expensive with Harden, Tatum (hopefully at the 30 percent max) and Kemba, making it hard to fill out roster (You won't have the full MLE for example). You don't know if Kemba will be healthy. Tatum will be 24 by NEXT years playoffs, so he should be hitting his stride by then but you'll also have a complete CIRCUS all year with Harden facing free agency. The last time the Celtics faced that it... didn't end well. One injury to Tatum/Harden and its complete disaster. Game over.
So what if you don't win the next two years and Harden does leave? We've certainly seen guys leave here a lot the last few years. And its not like Harden would be sticking around for Boston's superior gentlemen's clubs. Well now you have pretty much just Tatum, you've stripped at minimum a fair amount of assets off the team, and thing could get very dark. Like Tatum asking for a trade dark because the roster is now barren.
If all that is too much for you think about it this way, the best chance of winning a title is to have as many elite players peaking at their primes at the same time. The reason Tatum/Harden dont make all that much sense is an eight year difference in age all but assures that wont happen. By the time Tatum is in his prime Harden is well into decline. Tatum may not be good enough the next two years to push Harden over the top while Harden is still in his. The DREAM is to have two high level wing players in their primes at the same time. Teams will draft top 10 for a decade and never even find ONE. It seems kind of silly to me to blow up the Celtics timeline for a guy who doesn't fit it at all.
Now for a Jaylen Brown note. Its been two games, but WHAT IF Brown is closer to the guy he's been in those two games then the guy he was last year? A 6'6 freak athlete who can get his own shot at all three levels, defend 1-5, AND play-make for others. He's been their best player. He's running pick and rolls smoothly, making skip passes to the corner, and juking guys out of their shoes. If he plays at that level he's not only an all star, he'll make multiple All NBA Teams in his career. If Brown's upside in now High Level On Ball Creator and not just a Secondary Complementary Star then honestly, I think it might be crazy to trade him for a 31 year old. We dont know he's that, it's only been two games, but man thats a tantalizing possibility. It closes the gap between Brown and Harden's value in the near term, while further widening it in the longer term making the deal harder to justify.
Now all of this is just basketball reasoning, I think you also have to seriously consider the "intangibles." Harden by all accounts seems like a guy players dont really like playing with all that much. He hasn't exactly showed himself in a good light the last few weeks. Stevens didn't exactly demonstrate an ability to manage guys like that with Kyrie. What if Tatum just hates him, or doesn't like the reduced usage that comes with playing with him? Do we think Harden is truly committed to winning? If we did resign him do we think he will age well given his lifestyle of partying? Remember, we are trading an ELITE character guy for Harden, a guy who gets better every year. And just as importantly a guy we actually like as a human being. Harden can be...hard to root for.
TLDR version: I dont think Harden makes you good enough in the short term to sacrifice the longer term value of Jaylen Brown given factors such as his age, team construction, competition ect. I think there's some chance Jaylen is about to explode this year and become a true On Ball Playmaker which would close the short term value gap. And I think the intangibles make Harden a less than ideal player to make a big bet on. I'd pass.

As the Washington Wizards were finalizing plans to go finish the 2019-20 NBA season in the Orlando bubble, then-Wizards guard John Wall had plans of his own — but needed to make a phone call and a request first.
Technically, Wall says he could have joined the Wizards in the bubble — and even played — but wanted to make sure his body was better than ever before stepping back on the basketball court.
“Well, I was already ready to come back on the court before the pandemic,” Wall told The Athletic in an exclusive interview. “I could have played last season around the All-Star break or even in the bubble. But I wanted to wait until I felt I was 110 percent to be back where I wanted to be. That’s what I did and that’s why I’m getting off to a good start this season.”
Wall had been sidelined since January 2019, getting surgery on his left heel on Jan. 8 before rupturing his left Achilles tendon three weeks later after a fall at home. As part of his rehab process, Wall worked closely with Wizards assistant coach Alex McClean, with the point guard opting to continue his recovery process in Miami, where he spends his offseasons away from his Potomac home. Although Wall and McClean were part of the same organization, the two have a longstanding close relationship dating to McClean’s playing days at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.
Beginning during the Las Vegas Summer League in July 2019 and continuing for the next three months, Wall and McClean worked out, starting with some light activities before slowly ramping up their schedule. At first, Wall could only walk. When McClean first got down to Miami, Wall couldn’t run or jump. Doing anything involving putting weight on his toes was painful, so a lot of emphasis was put on his set shot, essentially the only thing he could do. Wall had to tweak his muscle memory just to get the familiar feeling back. Some months later, Wall could jog again. When training camp and the season rolled around and Wall could do more with his legs, he would workout either at the team facility in D.C. when the Wizards were at home or would find gyms when the team went on the road.
Like Wall, McClean had torn his Achilles before — both, in fact. While he didn’t have the sort of career that Wall had, he still knew the pain and process rehabbing that sort of injury entailed.
Right before the world was hit with the coronavirus pandemic, Wall had actually been working out with some of the Wizards players. A rusty Wall wasn’t in game shape but still shone as the best player on the floor — he just needed fine-tuning. So in the summer of 2020, as the Wizards coaching staff was getting ready to make the trip from Washington, D.C. to Orlando, Wall asked the organization if McClean could join him in Miami instead — to which they happily obliged.
“I had been living there before I got injured,” Wall said of Miami. “The year before, I had built a house there, so that’s why I rehabbed there. I had another guy that I trusted with the PT work and weightlifting process. And then I brought a guy, Alex McClean, who works for the Wizards to come and do my basketball workouts (with me). So bringing that all together, that’s a few that were part of my team and helped me put in the work that I did.”
With the duo in South Beach, it was now time to strategize and come up with the best plan to get Wall back to his best, if not better. For Wall, taking a page out of the LeBron James/Russell Wilson playbook was necessary — cultivating the perfect offseason environment with the right blend of people and programs necessary to keep his body in peak physical condition. There would be monthly benchmarks to reach, seeking a steady increase in all facets of gameplay.
“My primary goal was just to stay healthy but get back as strong as possible,” Wall said. I knew that all the hard work that I put in would pay off when I had the opportunity to step back on the court. I took my time and didn’t rush back.
Wall’s plan to perfection was a six-month, carefully-mapped out course involving a number of individuals and locations:
• There was McClean, the Wizards assistant coach who worked side-by-side with Wall on a daily basis, overseeing all operations.
• There was Dr. Zach Colls, his physical therapist, who joined Wall in Miami and was there to support him during the mental journey that rehab takes you on.
• Andy Luaces, the owner and founder of Core Fitness Miami, a strength and conditioning gym.
• And Stanley Remy, the owner of The Miami Perimeter, a sports performance facility and host of Remy Runs.
“I’ve known John since he first got out of college,” Remy said. “One of my main clients, Brandon Knight — obviously he went to Kentucky — they were good friends.
“When I first connected with him in the offseason, he had a teammate, Jeff Green, who was in Washington with him at one point. They connected and we all worked out together for about a week or two. We became super cool after that. This summer we reconnected. He had his Washington Wizards coach Alex (McClean), who was down also working with him all summer. Obviously not knowing that he was going to get traded from the Wizards, they wanted to keep eyes on him, make sure he was doing what he was supposed to do because this was a big year for him.”
A typical day in Miami would see Wall wake up around 6 or 7 in the morning. Depending on what Wall wanted to do first, his cardio consisted of either running on the Alter-G machine, an anti-gravity treadmill designed for rehab, or he would opt for a bike ride. The latter was more of the competitive side of him, stemming from a bet he and McClean made in February on who would lose more weight. Because the pandemic had closed most things in the nation’s capital, the two had purchased mountain bikes in D.C. and rode them around the city, tracking their distance.
One time, Wall and McClean actually ended up racing for 30 miles before realizing they still had to go back. “That’s 60 miles, fuck,” Wall said.
Down in South Beach, although restrictions were a bit looser, the bike rides had become a big part of their routine so they purchased two more.
After cardio, Wall would head to CoreFit to work with Luaces. Over the years, CoreFit has become one of Miami’s go-to spots for pros across all sports during their various offseasons. Conditioning-wise, Wall was a long way off from his desired shape but he wanted to focus on his agility, lower leg strength and explosiveness. Luaces coordinated those sessions and McClean would join in on the daily workouts to keep Wall motivated. Wall also started lifting weights and at his peak, he was deadlifting 525 pounds.
“Everything,” Wall said of the areas of his body he wanted to work on. “The most important thing for me was my legs. I had just torn my Achilles so I had to get my calf muscle back stronger and do other things that I probably never worked on before in my career. My main focus was getting my legs back stronger and I think it’s paid off.”
Right after, Wall would grab a shake and head to Remy’s gym for on-court drills and to participate in Remy’s infamous NBA pickup runs. In the evening, Wall would wind down with Peloton classes and massages. A full day’s work, from eight in the morning until eight at night, for weeks.
For someone like Wall, a high-level NBA player with a superior IQ, keeping him engaged during on-court drills was of the utmost importance. McClean had to get creative and came up with games to keep Wall’s mind and reflexes sharp.
For example, in one drill, Wall would have to keep his hands on his waist the entire time. He would lose points if his hands came up, even slightly. Players like Rodney Purvis, Alonzo Gee and Angel Rodriguez were brought in to assist, giving Wall more bodies to work with and preventing him from feeling isolated working out alone.
In a lot of these exercises, Wall wanted to work on his shooting, a part of his game that has been maligned for his entire 11-year career.
“Alex trained him every day and also core fitness, but I watched every day,” Remy said. “You can tell he was working on his ability to shoot the ball. Just getting his explosiveness back, which he did, and he’s gotten better at shooting the basketball. Just being in the best shape possible. Those two things, it looks like they were trying to highlight for sure. “
Of course, the main attraction of the day were those Remy Runs. NBA players playing in some organized form of offseason basketball has become a must-watch staple since the 2011 lockout, and the beauty of it is the ability of high-level games to sprout all over the country.
To mentally prepare himself for these games, Wall would watch his old film. Specifically, he watched footage from two playoff series: the 2017 first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks and the 2017 conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics. In those two series, Wall played at a high level, averaging 29.5 points, 10.3 assists and 1.7 steals against the Hawks and 25.1 points, 10.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks against the Celtics.
“Just working on it man,” Wall said. “Working on it and watching basketball. I watch all types of basketball no matter what it is — women’s, men’s, kids — I just love to watch the game.”
It would be unusual for an NBA player to watch film before an offseason pickup game, but because of his competitive drive Wall couldn’t help himself. He wants to win at all times and is a basketball junkie at heart.
“He always participated in my runs,” Remy said. “He was someone who actually made me take those runs seriously because he’s someone that likes to play in the summertime. I think it’s important to play and train, I think they’re equivalent. You don’t want to just lock someone in a gym just do a bunch of drills every single day. Eventually, mentally, they need to see bodies go against people and they need to compete. That’s a big part of their development.”
“We use these runs as a point of development. Being able to utilize a lot of stuff that we’ve been working on, trying to get better at during the summertime. And also the level of competition — we want guys to compete against other NBA guys because it gives you a sense of realness. You get to see yourself against guys that you play against throughout the year. Obviously, guys aren’t going super 100 percent but then James Harden comes in for a week or two, it intensifies everything — everyone’s playing at a high level. They see another superstar in the building and others keep coming. It just creates mentally that competitiveness that you need during the summer. Makes it more serious instead of guys just going through the motions, brings them in and they compete at a high level. It intensifies what they need to be working on. It’s a measuring stick.
During these games, Wall showed out. Names like Andre Drummond, Iman Shumpert, Harden made appearances at the gym, but Wall met every challenge and steadily raised his game.
With every night, the bounce and lift in his legs slowly returned. One of the memorable moments from those runs was the night Wall recreated his signature slam, the exact same dunk he and McClean had watched in their daily highlights sessions. As the entire gym oohed and aahed, Wall looked at McClean and started laughing.
“He was coming down in transition on the left side and he slowed down and went from fast to slow, and back to fast, and just dunked it so hard,” Remy said, recalling the dunk. “I was like, ‘Okay, he’s back’ and the emotion and the whole gym felt it. Everything, he does it with emotion, but he has so much different motivation, different people writing him off. You could tell every day there’s a chip on his shoulder. Practice, workouts, games, it doesn’t matter what it is.
“We had over 50 NBA players coming to these runs in the summer. Wall was our MVP, absolutely,” Remy added. “This is my second year of giving that award. The first thing I look for in giving this award is consistency and attendance. Every week we’re playing two to three times a week and he’s there. First one there, last to leave. I just watched him continue to get better every single week. Once I saw the athleticism and quickness back, I knew it was over. Just working to make shots, becoming a better shooter. I watched him night in and night out work on it after the runs, staying another hour and a half perfecting it. I saw a level of focus that I haven’t seen and it was tremendous. I knew he would have a great year just because of how locked in he was. This was a different type of locked in.”
For Wall’s 30th birthday in September, he spent the week doing charity work. Wall traveled back to the D.C. area and New York with his foundation, helping children out with over 400 back-to-school packages, his seventh annual program.
Because the gym at the Player’s Association was closed, Wall played at Basketball City in Chelsea Piers. That week, Wall played at any and every gym he could find in the area, desperate to get some sort of work done.
After New York, Wall went down to his hometown in Raleigh, N.C., to visit his old high school, Word of God Christian Academy. Wall was accompanied by Carter Whitt, a collegiate player at Wake Forest who’s also from Raleigh.
In October, with the Lakers crowned as champions and the rest of the NBA world in offseason mode, Wall’s rehab circuit took him to Los Angeles — another popular spot for pickup games.
Wall trained every day at the late Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy, an unofficial training camp for him before linking back up with his Wizards teammates. The Brooklyn Nets were also in Los Angeles at the time and worked out at the same gym.
Wall wanted to scrimmage against the Nets conglomerate, which featured Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Caris Levert and DeAndre Jordan. He put his team together, playing with Isaac Bonga, Shelvin Mack and free agents Isaiah Thomas and De’Andre Bembry.
Games took place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The runs were set in playoff-like fashion, a best-of-seven series. It was during these games where those around the gym saw Wall look like the five-time All-Star that he is. In the first series, Wall’s team swept the Nets. It was a pleasurable experience for Durant and Irving seeing a good friend get back to his best.
“For sure,” Wall said. “It’s been a lot of moments. Even before the bubble and the pandemic, I felt like I was back. I think just having an opportunity to play against guys like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving out in L.A. and seeing me play at a high level, knowing how special those two are. They were letting me know I still have a lot of time left in the league and the ability to do what I do.”
Wall’s eyes were watching De’Aaron Fox the entire possession and he had a point to prove.
It was Jan. 2, just the second game of Wall’s new career with the Rockets since a December trade, but he didn’t need any longer to show the Sacramento Kings and the world that he was back.
Wall drove on Kings guard Buddy Hield and put him in the post, backing him down before a quick turn and one-handed hook shot. Swish. Coming down the floor, Wall motioned to the ground, indicating that Hield was too small to guard him. The old, fiery Wall was coming back.
On the next defensive possession, Fox’s pump fake had sent Danuel House flying out of the picture and he was met with his old friend Wall defending him on the left wing. Fox attempted a crossover but Wall’s quick hands beat him to the spot, knocking the ball away from Fox momentarily. Both players immediately dove for the ball on the ground, but Wall’s quickness saw him win the battle, knocking the ball off of Fox and out of bounds.
As the sideline official signaled Rockets ball, Wall jumped up, flexed his arms and screamed to the heavens. It was a moment that would have truly resonated with Houston fans had there been the normal 20,000 instead of a few thousand scattered around Toyota Center, but Wall didn’t care.
Never mind the fact that Wall finished the game with an impressive line of 28 points, six assists, four rebounds, two blocks and three steals. It was a message to the doubters and naysayers. Wall never doubted his ability to return to a high level of play for a second.
“No. Hell no,” Wall said when asked if he’s surprised at his start to the season, which has seen him average 17.1 points, 5.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds per game along with a career best 82.1 percent from the free throw line. “No I’m not surprised. I know how much work I’ve put in and I’ll say the NBA is a lot easier than what it was before. It’s a lot of switching one through four, one through five. And it’s a lot of spacing, all shooters out there and guys that can make one-on-one plays. That’s what I pride myself on being able to make, one-on-one plays, create shots for myself and for my teammates. I knew it would be a lot easier at least compared to when I came in the league where the paint used to be packed and you might have one shooter out there.”
It was the culmination of a journey that has been filled with its triumphs and tragedies. The birth of his sons and the loss of his mother are two things he constantly refers to because those are situations that drive and push him.
“Just my two sons, the passing of my mother, that was more motivation for me,” Wall said. “All the doubters saying I couldn’t be back to my old self and that I was done. That’s all I really need. I don’t need too much, man. I motivate myself because I love to play this game at a high level. Doesn’t matter if we get paid for this or not, I’m just happy to be able to play the game I love. You see me even without fans in the crowd, I play with a lot of passion.”
Wall was put in an awkward situation as soon as he arrived in Houston, forced to become a part of the Harden saga that consumed the franchise for months. However, he wasn’t going to let that serve as a distraction from what he was sent to Houston to do — win basketball games.
“Just sticking to it,” Wall said. “Even though we knew the bubble was going on and we didn’t know when this (next) season would start. I was like, ‘I hope it’s not gonna be another year until I get to play in front of fans or even see me on TV!’ I’m glad we came to an agreement where I have the opportunity to play and fans get to see me and see all the hard work I’ve put into this. A lot of people said it’s only pickup I’m playing against and can’t do it in the NBA anymore, and I’m still finding myself. It’s good to see real pros every time you step on the floor.”
Wall isn’t the only new face in town, as Stephen Silas was hired in late October to be the next Rockets head coach. It’s a relationship that has become incredibly strong from Day 1. The bond between a head coach and point guard is important, but Silas speaks to Wall more than anyone on the team. Whether it’s bouncing ideas off of one another, working through the offense, or taking the lead on defense, those two are in constant communication.
Wall has also become the leader of this team as it heads into a new era. During film sessions, Wall speaks up and points out things that the team is doing on the floor, both positive and what teammates need to improve on. In the games Wall wasn’t playing, he could still be seen on the bench walking around the sidelines having talks with players and coaches.
“I’m a big leader,” Wall said. “I’m very vocal. I like to talk. When I first came in the league, I used to lead by example but now I have years in and I like to speak up on certain things.”