Essays

Arguments and Re-examinations

Longform pieces about the roster on this site and the league around it. Most recent at the top.

Players·18 Apr 2026·6 minNEW

LeBron James in Year 23: A Hall of Famer Still Breaking His Own Records

The 2025-26 season was LeBron's 23rd. He spent it passing his own records while already a Hall of Famer.

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History·10 Apr 2026·7 minNEW

The 2026 Hall of Fame Class and the Shape of a Shortened Career

Amar'e Stoudemire was the only male player elected to the 2026 Naismith class. A closer look at his case.

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History·6 Apr 2026·6 minNEW

Mike D'Antoni's Hall of Fame Case Is About Influence, Not Wins

D'Antoni never won a championship. The league he is leaving behind looks more like his teams than anyone else's.

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Rankings·22 Feb 2026·6 min

Counting Rings Is a Bad Way to Rank Players

The ring count is the most-used comparison tool in basketball. It is also one of the least informative ones we have.

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History·18 Jan 2026·7 min

The 1996-97 MVP Vote, Reconsidered

Karl Malone won. Michael Jordan didn't. Thirty years on, the defense of the choice has quietly gotten stronger.

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Game·4 Dec 2025·5 min

Position Labels Since 1975 Have Gotten Softer

Five positions used to describe five real roles. Since the late 1980s, every decade has loosened the meaning.

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Players·9 Nov 2025·5 min

Scottie Pippen's Case Is Stronger Than the Discourse Suggests

The standard Pippen argument focuses on what he did with Jordan. The interesting argument is about what Pippen did when Jordan was gone.

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History·15 Sep 2025·6 min

The Bill Russell Asterisk Is Real, But Smaller Than You Think

The standard era-adjustment argument against Russell's 11 championships overstates its case.

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