12-20-2019, 10:23 AM
My understanding of gaslighting in a pop-culture sense is that someone consistently asserts something that both he and the listener know is contrary to the truth, and sets up a narrative that the other person must be losing their mind, because of course it's this way (the lie) and not that way, when all sensory evidence points to the truth.
No, I don't believe that Fif was literally gaslighting me even in that sense. I was using it as a rhetorical device. Fif has said over and over again that 1) I am selling the non-Luka/KP 2019/20 Mavs short by referring to them as a crew of contending team 7th men, 2) that Powell can be an adequate big-man starter on a contending team and doesn't need to be upgraded, and 3) that DFS is a just a superstar (I'm exaggerating his position, but you get my point) and doesn't need to be upgraded.
Regarding #1, I have become convinced in recent games that Curry is 6th-man level. He can create his own shot well enough and play defense well enough, in addition to his fantastic shooting, that you can make him your microwave off the bench. What showed us this, btw, is that he doesn't have to wrestle the ball out of Brunson's hands to do his thing with Luka injured. So Fif was right on a certain level, but he was essentially asserting that no, the Mavs have several non-Luka/KP starter-worthy players. He gets all mad that I dismiss that opinion, because he believes that it is a valid basketball opinion worthy of respect within Mavs fandom. I respect Fif. I will never respect that opinion. I find it gravely intelligence-insulting. I refer to it rhetorically as "gaslighting" because it rings reminiscent of past MBT "we love our boys in blue" drivel which actually meant, "we aren't competent enough to upgrade." But Fif isn't the MBT. He's just a usually-intelligent fan trying to get a completely unfounded and unreasonable opinion to the table of reasonable Mavs-fan opinions. I get his support for our boys in blue and his enthusiasm for the team. I just don’t think he has to be dumb or expect the rest of us to be dumb to do that.
Regarding #2, we all know Powell is a top-flight rim-roller. I watched for the BBIQ/switching ability that was recommended to me (by someone other than Fif, IIRC) in the last couple of games. Yes, Powell is a capable perimeter switcher. He still can’t stop perimeter players as well as Maxi can. No, he is not nearly strong enough (will never have enough leverage in his body) to defend the post. No, he cannot defend the rim. He rebounds extremely poorly for someone playing in the big (four/five) positions. He has never shot the ball well enough consistently from 3 to the point that you actually want him taking that shot, which makes him extremely limited offensively. Those last five realities, especially the latter four, make it, to me, a truly withering, blasting insult to the intelligence to assert that Powell can fill the four or five starting position for a contending team – regardless of who the other four starters are.
#3 – I’ve said I like DFS. I love his effort, his contract, his court-burns, and his offensive rebounds. I need him to shoot over 36% for the length of a season to love his three-pointer. If he can do that, and get a bit better on defense, then yes, he can certainly remain the Mavs’ starting three into Luka and KP’s contention years – as long as THJ and Powell are massively upgraded. Cf. 1 & 2.
I will never accept an intelligence-insulting opinion as a reasonable, conventionally-acceptable opinion. If that makes me a bad poster, so be it. I still like Fif and will enjoy his posts when he isn’t gasl… I mean, shoving intelligence-insulting opinions down my throat.
No, I don't believe that Fif was literally gaslighting me even in that sense. I was using it as a rhetorical device. Fif has said over and over again that 1) I am selling the non-Luka/KP 2019/20 Mavs short by referring to them as a crew of contending team 7th men, 2) that Powell can be an adequate big-man starter on a contending team and doesn't need to be upgraded, and 3) that DFS is a just a superstar (I'm exaggerating his position, but you get my point) and doesn't need to be upgraded.
Regarding #1, I have become convinced in recent games that Curry is 6th-man level. He can create his own shot well enough and play defense well enough, in addition to his fantastic shooting, that you can make him your microwave off the bench. What showed us this, btw, is that he doesn't have to wrestle the ball out of Brunson's hands to do his thing with Luka injured. So Fif was right on a certain level, but he was essentially asserting that no, the Mavs have several non-Luka/KP starter-worthy players. He gets all mad that I dismiss that opinion, because he believes that it is a valid basketball opinion worthy of respect within Mavs fandom. I respect Fif. I will never respect that opinion. I find it gravely intelligence-insulting. I refer to it rhetorically as "gaslighting" because it rings reminiscent of past MBT "we love our boys in blue" drivel which actually meant, "we aren't competent enough to upgrade." But Fif isn't the MBT. He's just a usually-intelligent fan trying to get a completely unfounded and unreasonable opinion to the table of reasonable Mavs-fan opinions. I get his support for our boys in blue and his enthusiasm for the team. I just don’t think he has to be dumb or expect the rest of us to be dumb to do that.
Regarding #2, we all know Powell is a top-flight rim-roller. I watched for the BBIQ/switching ability that was recommended to me (by someone other than Fif, IIRC) in the last couple of games. Yes, Powell is a capable perimeter switcher. He still can’t stop perimeter players as well as Maxi can. No, he is not nearly strong enough (will never have enough leverage in his body) to defend the post. No, he cannot defend the rim. He rebounds extremely poorly for someone playing in the big (four/five) positions. He has never shot the ball well enough consistently from 3 to the point that you actually want him taking that shot, which makes him extremely limited offensively. Those last five realities, especially the latter four, make it, to me, a truly withering, blasting insult to the intelligence to assert that Powell can fill the four or five starting position for a contending team – regardless of who the other four starters are.
#3 – I’ve said I like DFS. I love his effort, his contract, his court-burns, and his offensive rebounds. I need him to shoot over 36% for the length of a season to love his three-pointer. If he can do that, and get a bit better on defense, then yes, he can certainly remain the Mavs’ starting three into Luka and KP’s contention years – as long as THJ and Powell are massively upgraded. Cf. 1 & 2.
I will never accept an intelligence-insulting opinion as a reasonable, conventionally-acceptable opinion. If that makes me a bad poster, so be it. I still like Fif and will enjoy his posts when he isn’t gasl… I mean, shoving intelligence-insulting opinions down my throat.