Doug Gottlieb is one of the most puzzling personalities in the entire sports media landscape.
Respect to him for grinding to where he is at this point, and on at least some of his segments and takes, I can understand where he’s coming from. It’s not like he has a .000 batting average. At the same time, there are several incidents that spring up from time to time where the guy just can’t get out of his own way. Beyond the weird incidents in college where he stole credit cards, and had his shorts on inside out for a basketball game, he often shoots himself in the foot by going too far out on a limb. Or, you know, straight-up reporting lies and being sued for libel.
Is it, like, calculated clockwork? We’ll never know for sure. Maybe that’s why Gottlieb continues to stay visible and relevant. There’s something so bizarre, compelling, and hate-inducing to many about the guy that he can’t help but remain a factor in the industry.
Welp. We’ve arrived at another watershed “Gottlieb is a moron” moment. He’s on X/Twitter trying to argue that Indiana Fever No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark, who’s single-handedly lifted up the entire sport of women’s basketball, is not an elite shooter. Nor does she have ideal shooting form.
There are plenty of precise shooters who don’t have “picturesque” fundamentals or the traditional mechanics that are attributed to a so-called prototypical jump shot. Clark is often compared to Steph Curry for her playmaking ability and limitless shooting range. Steph is unlike many of his peers in that he barely jumps when he shoots. Despite being the smallest player on the court most of the time, Chef Curry has had no trouble being the greatest shooter of all-time.
Any of Iowa’s opponents could key in on Clark. She made plenty of contested, long-range shots that were off the dribble. If anything, her transition to the WNBA should be aided by the presence of another No. 1 pick, reigning Rookie of the Year, Aliyah Boston. Clark should be able to flourish and keep defenses more honest by playing pick-and-roll with Boston, whose dominance in the frontcourt will make for a dynamic inside-outside combo for Indiana.
So Gottlieb doesn’t take into account the ridiculous volume or degree of difficulty of Clark’s shots at Iowa when he contends that she isn’t one of the best shooters in the world. Nor does he seem to grasp how more space might actually work to Clark’s advantage given her skill set. Oh, and what about the fact that, in leading the Hawkeyes to the national title game for the second year in a row, she played all 40 minutes in four of the last five of those contests? As reliant as the Fever were on Boston last season, she only averaged 31.2 minutes a night. A little extra rest should go a long way, in my opinion, to aid Clark’s transition to the pro level.
Tripling down and comparing any sort of shooting deficiencies Clark might have to Kevin Durant was a bold by Gottlieb, all the while praising Larry Bird’s unconventional stroke in the same figurative breath.
All this nonsense about Caitlin Clark just makes Gottlieb come across like a contrarian blowhard… nobody is siding with him, and rightfully so.
Speaking of Steph Curry…
Roll the tape:
