How Can The Bucks Win Without Giannis?
First, we take one last look at the NBA Finals as they get set to tip off. The Suns are clear favorites, especially in light of the uncertainty around Giannis Antetokounmpos injury. But we wouldnt be surprised if Milwaukee is able to win a game or two without its marquee star. The Bucks have adapted into a team that plays differently without Giannis but still plays well  the Bucks often rely on Khris Middleton to close, anyway. The Suns are also more than just Chris Paul and Devin Booker. By drafting well and building from the middle, theyve been able to put together one of the most complete teams weve seen in a while. Even with all the injuries, we dont think any asterisks are needed for this 2021 Finals matchup. There are always injuries. Its not necessarily surprising that the two teams that have been very adaptable and able to roll out contingency plans are now getting to plan for each other. It should be very fun to watch. Next, we turn our attention to the Olympics  and, unfortunately, to a very bad week of press for the International Olympic Committee. ShaCarri Richardsons 30-day suspension over a positive THC test made the biggest headlines  and in the Hot Takedown teams opinion, including cannabis on a list of banned substances is an outdated, overly punitive decision held over from a different political climate. The justification that cannabis is against the spirit of the sport is meaningless. The IOC should police performance-enhancing substances, but its job should really end outside of that. The world is wide and full of contradictory laws and countries with differing attitudes. But the Olympics dont enforce bans on other things that are illegal in some countries, like alcohol. If we were put in charge of the Olympics, that would be one of the many changes we might make. Wed also take a serious look at distributing the Games across multiple cities, which might cause less disruption to countries and less oligarchic construction boondoggles. Finally, in the Rabbit Hole, Neil uses the news that Shohei Ohtani will be pulling double duty in this years All-Star Game to compare the Los Angeles Angels two-way star to two other legendary pitcher-hitters: Babe Ruth and Bullet Joe Rogan. Ohtani became the first player to be selected as both a pitcher and hitter; Ruth and Rogan both could have beaten him to the punch, but they were well into their careers by the time their leagues instituted All-Star Games. Ohtanis pitching hasnt yet reached Rogans career high of 14.9 WAR in a season, but he is putting up Rogan-like numbers, and hes doing it in a truly combined way neither Ruth nor Rogan managed in their respective eras. What were looking at this week: