Westen

Basketball and soccer nerd.

And I like some other stuff. Also my wife is cool.

[Westen @WestenStats]

@VcuNYU @PistonsThoughts Im talking in the late Joe D era/SVG/Stefanski. Those teams didn't fully bottom out like the Weaver era and thus it was even harder to get lottery luck

[Westen @WestenStats]

@sethdcaldwell @Timodc How big do Christians think God's dick is? Genuinely curious.

[Westen @WestenStats]

@neoliberal_hack This is an odd one to specifically pin on Democrats.

If it's for something dangerous, sure. But I've lived in plenty of conservative towns. There isn't some strong culture of fining those not cleaning up dog poop in parks or downtowns anywhere I've lived.

[Westen @WestenStats]

@Legal_Fil @EmmaVigeland This is just blatantly untrue. The rest of the world is dealing with obnoxious tariffs and a war that is hammering their economy because they couldn't get Trump to stop.

Also, it's tough to suck up to a guy and then tell voters hes awful and you need to vote against him.

[Westen @WestenStats]

@cxl444 @JacksonLloyd Why do you think he is playing so much better with the Pistons in the playoffs? Genuinely curious. He's clearly not afraid of the moment.

[Westen @WestenStats]

@UM__Wolverines @dxwwf3 @PistonsThoughts The only people who believed in the Pistons at the half were Magic fans from everything I've seen tonight. Crazy. They know their team lol

[Derek Thompson @DKThomp]

I'm glad that the author of "Rent Control Is Fine, Actually" calls themself Unlearning Economics, bc it's good to just state things clearly, such as the open animosity that many left economic populists have for the field of economics and economists themselves.

Economists aren't gods, and economics isn't a divine truth, but economists are good--better than most--at something critical for making public policy: They're good at identifying tradeoffs. "Rents are too high, so freeze them" is compelling politics. But in the absence of other pro-supply policies, if you make it illegal to increase rents, landlords will stop upgrading units and convert them to condos, which reduces the supply of units for rent, reduces mobility, and drives up rents for everybody else.

The left econ populists have some clear, and clearly stated, policy ideas:

- Rents are too high, so freeze them.
- Electricity is expensive, so stop rate increases.
- Homes are too expensive, so ban institutional investors.
- Power prices are rising, so ban data center construction.

... All these policies feel like solutions because they're brisk, they name enemies, and they take on the most visible source of frustration. But they are much better as villain-naming exercises than they are as a complete public policy. On their own, each creates other problems: less housing built, less clean electricity built, abdicating energy policy by encouraging AI firms to build data centers abroad in unsavory countries with more emissions, etc.

I can't think of a single economic populist idea that wouldn't be helped with a little dose of economics, which is why it's troubling when I see the left participating in, and even celebrating, the great unlearning of economics.

[Westen @WestenStats]

@mckaycoppins Sure? My point is, you think he just wants to give pro gambling takes because he's sponsored by Fanduel. But his *real* takes can draw out both pro and anti-gambling points. It would not be the one-sided pre determined narrative that your article was.

[Westen @WestenStats]

@Philly_Isaac @PistonsInFoe @Pistons__Talk Ok. But he literally played in a playoffs here and wasn't scared of the big moments at all. Al Horford also had a hard time on your squad. It's clearly a coaching and fit with other stars on the team thing.

[Westen @WestenStats]

@JGRIFFY2020 @MotorCityBanter Dont know if he'd do it for him, but this feels like the best possible year to trade up if its possible.

Odds are, we won't have a pick as high as 21 for quite a while. A lot easier to trade up from there.

[Westen @WestenStats]

@hecubian_devil @GenePark I love when I see an interaction between two people I follow for completely different topics.

[Westen @WestenStats]

@mattyglesias This seems delusional. Regardless of the quality of the writing, most of journalism involves talking to people. It makes me distrust a lot of the other stuff he said.

Also, being the first to realize your job is replaceable will get you ahead in your workplace? What???

[Westen @WestenStats]

@ArmandDoma @shannonrwatts B is so true. I talk to conservatives every day at work. They genuinely believe that 2020 was stolen. Many also believe the NFL is rigged. I view a lot of it as a coping mechanism, but it is sincere, even if it's insane.

[Westen @WestenStats]

@iamrahstradamus Lots of side competions in Europe that have value mostly because of their history. I agree. As long as the NBA stays true to it, it will continue to mean something

[Westen @WestenStats]

@InteriorAngIe @itspouringnow @HappyPunch Francis ended up making more money than he ever would have in the ufc. Tom is my favorite fighter, and I hope he stays, but the smart option is pretty much always to leave if you have the star power. At least if Dana keeps running the show this way.

[Westen @WestenStats]

@JGRIFFY2020 Replace Netflix with Crunchyroll. Then what are you doing? Lol

[Westen @WestenStats]

@JGRIFFY2020 We literally all design our kitchens so they can be easily cleaned too. Insane take