TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott, Jarod Hector, and David Thorpe spent a lot of time talking to each other today, but only about an hour made it onto this podcast! What David sees in the Summer League performances of Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr., Keegan Murray, Jaden Ivey, and Bennedict Mathurin.
I'm compelled to respond to Henry's Eddy Merckx slander. To be sure, the collective performance of professional cyclists is better today than it was in the early 70s. To be sure, Pogacar's average speed for the TDF is higher than Merckx's. But these are not the only objective measurements of excellence. Winning percentage, average victory margin, and total career wins are also objective measurements of excellence. Pogacar and his contemporaries may be faster than cyclists of the 70s because they take an entirely different approach to racing, picking and choosing particular races to make their maximum efforts. This is undoubtedly a smart strategy that maximizes performance. By contrast, Merckx raced virtually every week and tried to win every race he entered. He succeeded at those things to an astonishing degree, and he routinely crushed the entire peloton with solo breakaways. His achievements in all of these respects dwarf the comparable achievements of any other cyclist before or after his career. No-one has ever come close to dominating his contemporaries in the way that Merckx dominated the late 60s and early 70s. Unlike Henry, I don't think it's so easy to conclude that Pogacar is the best ever because his average speed is the highest. In my view, the generational differences in technology, competitive contexts, and strategic approaches warrant caution about cross-generational comparisons. (See this interesting article: https://pezcyclingnews.com/toolbox/comparing-cycling-gerations/). And, with respect to the title of "best ever," I think it's unwise to compare a young rider whose palmares is impressive but brief with another rider whose palmares is incomprehensibly long. In time, Pogacar may prove to be the best ever, but, notwithstanding Henry's insinuations, I don't think that stanning for Merckx means that one is a fusty old fuddy duddy who disdains objectivity and reason.
Coach always talking about the need for patience in regards to player development and projecting young players reminds me of one of my all-time favorite quotes from David Foster Wallace:
"Everything takes time. Bees have to move very fast to stay still.”
I'm compelled to respond to Henry's Eddy Merckx slander. To be sure, the collective performance of professional cyclists is better today than it was in the early 70s. To be sure, Pogacar's average speed for the TDF is higher than Merckx's. But these are not the only objective measurements of excellence. Winning percentage, average victory margin, and total career wins are also objective measurements of excellence. Pogacar and his contemporaries may be faster than cyclists of the 70s because they take an entirely different approach to racing, picking and choosing particular races to make their maximum efforts. This is undoubtedly a smart strategy that maximizes performance. By contrast, Merckx raced virtually every week and tried to win every race he entered. He succeeded at those things to an astonishing degree, and he routinely crushed the entire peloton with solo breakaways. His achievements in all of these respects dwarf the comparable achievements of any other cyclist before or after his career. No-one has ever come close to dominating his contemporaries in the way that Merckx dominated the late 60s and early 70s. Unlike Henry, I don't think it's so easy to conclude that Pogacar is the best ever because his average speed is the highest. In my view, the generational differences in technology, competitive contexts, and strategic approaches warrant caution about cross-generational comparisons. (See this interesting article: https://pezcyclingnews.com/toolbox/comparing-cycling-gerations/). And, with respect to the title of "best ever," I think it's unwise to compare a young rider whose palmares is impressive but brief with another rider whose palmares is incomprehensibly long. In time, Pogacar may prove to be the best ever, but, notwithstanding Henry's insinuations, I don't think that stanning for Merckx means that one is a fusty old fuddy duddy who disdains objectivity and reason.
Coach always talking about the need for patience in regards to player development and projecting young players reminds me of one of my all-time favorite quotes from David Foster Wallace:
"Everything takes time. Bees have to move very fast to stay still.”