One of the main things Mike and I want to do with Fetchland is to try out and showcase new voices. Braden is our first swing on sports content.
For the last few years it has been my pleasure to work with 5th Planet Games President & COO Braden Moulton on a variety of projects and more than a few six-packs while watching sporting events. In addition to being a Chief Operating Officer, Braden is a Hans Gruber impersonator, is on the hunt for the Legend rank in Hearthstone, can chin himself up from girders with his index fingers, and has some similarly strong opinions about all things sports-related. It is my pleasure to ask him eight questions about the NBA Finals on the eve of what could well be the final game of the current NBA season.
In the interest of full disclosure I have to reveal that Braden works in the Bay Area but has no real allegiance to the sports teams from that area. I should further reveal that he is originally from Seattle which from a NBA perspective has no allegiance to its fans so who really knows where his heart lies. Perhaps we can find out with these eight questions.
-bdm
First of all; are you even going to be watching the NBA Finals on the primary screen in your state-of-the-art mancave tonight?
I am going to be eagerly watching both Game 6 and the USWNT in the WWC tonight. Great night of sports awaits!
What is it like to be an NBA fan from Seattle? My dad has psychic wounds over the Dodgers that are older than the Seattle SuperSonics/ OKC Thunder’s entire existence.
I will always have GP throwing crazy alley-oops to Shawn Kemp!
Some things just don’t make sense in life though, and it is hard to rationalize them: Why isn’t there an NBA team in Seattle? Why would you kill off the only remaining hero in your fantasy epic with at least two seasons remaining? Why would anyone think it is a good idea to plan a family vacation to Isla Nublar at this point?
Do you have a dog in the fight? It has to be difficult raising kids in the Bay Area without being a Steph Curry household.
Northern California is Steph Curry territory… And I think that is his shooting range too. I don’t have a dog in the fight other than I enjoy competition and the Finals have been great theater so far.
The big debate has been the MVP discussion — Bill Simmons been sorely missed than during these playoffs — so who do you think should win the MVP? Are you on the Steph Curry bandwagon (assuming they close it out) or are you in the “LeBron James, regardless of outcome” camp?
First of all, Bill Simmons going MIA has been a blow. I don’t care the topic or the medium, I need my Bill Simmons. I’m assuming there is some contractual reason he is flying under the radar right now. If not, we might need Talia Shire to give him a motivational talking-to…
If the finals ended this very moment, the MVP is clearly… Andre Iguodala. It isn’t even a question. You say it is? Just like your penchant for drafting giant green creatures, you’re wrong; but I will enlighten you.
Why it isn’t LeBron: They lose the series. You could lose the series with LeBron or without. Even if he kept it close, you still lost. This game is about winning a championship. If you didn’t do that, I don’t see how you are the most valuable player in a contest to win said championship.
Why it isn’t Steph: He was held mostly in check for the first 3 games. He has been atrocious going left on the high pick-and-roll (something the Cavs kept channeling him to with great success). Finally, his body language reminds me of my 5 year old when I tell him it is bedtime. I want my MVP to inspire my team, lead with intensity, and for my team to feel his will dictating the game. With those criteria, it is an easy choice.
Why it IS Iguodala: His insertion to the starting lineup and increased minutes have turned the series around. I could go dig up fancy stats on PER, or plus-minus, etc. No need, as the numbers don’t show why he is the MVP. Basketball IQ does. He is getting out on the break and speeding up the tempo of the game which impacts everything. The Cavs are running an offensive set that is now focused on switching Iguodala off of LeBron. He has single-handedly changed the Cavs’ approach to the series. If we removed everyone’s names, and I told you I had a player that sparked a series turnaround, changed his team’s offense to be more effective, changed the opposing team’s offense to go out of their way to avoid him, shut down the best player in the world, and showed a will to win that his team had no choice but to rise up to, I would have your vote, right?
Give me your Top 3 in order if the Finals MVP was to be declared today.
- Iguodala. See irrefutable reasoning above.
- Steph Curry (but that is a lie, it is actually Draymond Green). The only way Golden State loses the series is if they get pushed around. Green understood this and took the toughness/aggressiveness factor up to 1980’s Pistons level quality.
- Super-Creepy Rob Lowe. Or any variant. What would you give to have him back instead of Hannah and her ridiculous horse? Who greenlit the ad spend for that campaign at DirecTV? Did they hire the Dolan family to manage their marketing budget?
Poor David Lee! Wouldn’t he be a 40 minute starter on this Cavaliers team?
I think you or I might be a 40 minute starter on this Cavaliers team. Regarding David Lee, it is great to see professionals that stay ready and come in prepared to contribute. I could see Shawn Marion trying on that role in tonight’s Game 6.
What does your all-time Top 5 NBA player list look like?
Let’s agree that nobody cares what happened in sports before ESPN. I think that is a fair window to use. The top 5 are MJ, Bird, Magic, LeBron, and Carmelo (lol, just seeing if you are reading this). Enough shots at the Knicks. The 5th spot narrowly goes to Duncan over Hakeem.
Do you really have under 100 Twitter followers? How did you get in here exactly?
I am the Andre Iguodala of Fetchland. @bradenmoulton. Come battle me on MTGO (Rungup) or Hearthstone (Rungup).
