Beyond Physical Toughness: Redefining What Makes an NBA Player "Soft"

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We dive deep into what makes an NBA player "soft" after Brandon Jennings called Jason Tatum soft, exploring the subjective nature of this common basketball criticism and whether it's fair to apply to many stars.

• Examining the dictionary definition of "soft" versus how it's used in basketball contexts
• Questioning whether players like Paul George, Joel Embiid, and Anthony Davis deserve the "soft" label
• Proposing that softness should be defined as shortchanging your team in ways you can control
• Analyzing an online list of supposedly "soft" NBA players including surprising entries like Vince Carter
• Challenging the notion that lack of physicality automatically makes a player soft
• Discussing how players like Pau Gasol have changed their "soft" perception through championship performances

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
What's up, everybody?
It's your favorite show.
It's favorite show, get abucket.
I'm your host, trayden, asusual.
Hope you're all having awonderful, wonderful day.
Today we're going to talk aboutwhat's a soft NBA player, but
before we do that, make sure youhit that like and subscribe
button, comment and tell anyonewho's anyone about the show.
I'm trying to get the ratingsup a little bit, you know, just
a little bit.
But, like I said, today we'regoing to talk about what's a

(00:23):
soft NBA player, and this wholeconversation actually spurred
from me listening to BrandonJennings and he said Jason Tatum
is a soft NBA player.
Now, for me I'm like I don'tknow if JT should be viewed as
soft.
Right, jason Tatum, a soft NBAplayer, player that's kind of

(00:45):
tough.
We can also say, well, brandonjennings was a soft player.
I don't necessarily thinkeither were soft players.
I think when we're talkingabout soft, it depends on what
your definition of soft is right.
For example, if we're usingwell, the dictionary's
definition says easy to mold,cut, compress or fold, not hard

(01:07):
or firm to the touch.
Second definition says having apleasing quality involving a
subtle effect or contrast,rather than sharp definition.
So, ladies and gentlemen, I gotto say this, that second
definition, having a pleasingquality that might be what we
talk about when we say, oh, thatperson is too soft.
Because, again, the physicalityaspect, that's what we think

(01:30):
about when we think toughplayers soft is obviously the
opposite of tough.
So, again, jt, he does, he doeslook, he does look like a nice
guy.
So maybe that's what does itfor soft players Like let's use

(01:53):
another example like Paul George, right, we've heard Paul George
, joel Embiid, anthony Davis,ben Simmons, I've even heard
Scottie Pippen, jamal Murray,andrew Bynum.
These players have been viewedas soft.
Right, I've even heard DwightHoward be viewed as soft before.
Keep in mind, dwight Howard wasone of the most dominant
players physically in the game,but yet he was viewed as soft.
A lot of times, ladies andgentlemen, we think players are

(02:17):
soft, again, just becausethey're nice guys.
Well, they might not be themost dominant, but they have a
lot of talent.
Or it just goes back to oh well, they're not be the most
dominant, but they have a lot oftalent.
Or it just goes back to oh well, they're not the most
physically dominant.
Paul George is called soft, butyet didn't Buddy break his leg
and then came back and stillwhooped Like he got a bucket

(02:39):
after the fact, but yet we callhim soft.
Why?
Well, I mean, I guess themental aspect I do.
I do understand that is a partof the game, but I don't want to
call buddy so for real, forreal, joel Embiid.
Okay, joel Embiid is calledsoft because he's not, he's not
there, he's not available.
That's injuries, that is a partof him.

(03:00):
I'm not, I'm not, trust me.
But I've already talked aboutJoel Embiid.
He needs to do better workingout right, I can't call him soft
, end of day, but he is adominant force on the block.
He's just talented, so he canactually do more stuff.
It's not like KD's out theredominating physically, even
though, again, stature is alittle different, but still he's

(03:21):
shoving foot.
Oh, kd, you should be on theblock more.
No, he's able to do otherthings.
Same thing with joelle and beat, and I will say joelle and beat
needs to stop falling on thefloor so much.
But self, I don't know.
Again, ladies and gentlemen, itjust depends on your definition
of self.
Look at anthony davis and bensimmon.
Those are two prime examples.
Injury prone.

(03:43):
Right, we talk about ben simmon, that Ben Simmons.
He was dealing with a backinjury, I can't.
Hey, bro, if you say you have aback injury, I'm going to give
you some grace.
Anthony Davis, he started toget injured when he was on my
Lakers.
Are they really soft?
Like that's tough, ladies andgentlemen, like that's tough,
that term soft, that term softis so subjective it really truly

(04:08):
is.
And again, I hate putting thatterm on certain players because
I understand what that means.
If you're a player that'sbasically saying hey, you don't
want to play hard, and mydefinition of soft is you
shortchanging your team, yourfan base yourself, because,
let's be honest, everybody's notgoing to give 100% effort every

(04:30):
game.
But if you shortchange yourteam in a manner which is now
detrimental and it's somethingthat you can actually control
and you're not trying to worktowards that with your team, I
view that as soft.
That's me personally, becauseeverybody's play style is
different.
Not everyone's going to bephysical.

(04:50):
I can't say Steph Curry is themost physical player, anthony
Edwards is more physical.
Does that mean Steph Curry isless tough than Anthony Edwards?
I think that might be tough tosay.
So again, ladies and gentlemen,just because we're talking
about physicality, let's not saythat's soft.
Now, if that's your definition,cool.
I get it, but that's not mydefinition personally, and I was

(05:11):
actually curious about who aresome players that are actually
viewed as soft.
I was curious if we can get alittle assistance here online,
and I did find a nice littlesurprising answer.
So let's talk about this list,shall we?
So for starters, we did haveAndre Bargnani.

(05:33):
Again, this is the top 10players often considered the
softest.
Andre Bargnani was number one.
Vince Carter at number two.
That sounds stupid as hell.
Like I'm sorry, that soundscrazy.
I get he injury prone if that'sjust the case.
But he played 22 years.

(05:55):
Like I can't say he's soft.
I don't know where that evencame from.
This is just showing you youcan't trust sources everywhere.
Pau Gasol keep in mind buddywas called Pau Gasol.
What was that?
08, right, when he was with us.
After that he turned the cornerbecause we won that
championship then in 2010,.
I think it's solidified.
Hey, he not a punk.

(06:16):
You know what I'm saying.
Like Pau cool, but he did havethat moment where he was called
pal Gasol.
But you are able to change thatmoniker if you do get labeled
that, ladies and gentlemen.
So I do want to keep that note.
So I appreciate pal being onthis list because that was fair.
But again, I don't know if, ifhe, if he was called soft when

(06:37):
he was on the Grizzlies, maybemore abs alone.
But let's talk about Kwame Brownthough.
Yeah, I didn't think Kwame wassoft until you listen to people
like MJ, I guess, gilbert Arenas, people like that, I guess
mentally right.
But Kwame you just typicallyheard anybody wasn't that good
to be a number one pick.

(06:57):
That was the knock on Kwame.
So that's a little interesting.
Charlie Villanueva, ladies andgentlemen Charlie Villanueva,
ladies and gentlemen, that's aninteresting one right there.
Proceeded as soft due to lack ofphysical play and on-court
demeanor.
That's interesting.
Tmac effort and leadershipquestion.

(07:21):
Question criticized for being apoor practice player.
Well, look, based on mydefinition, ladies and gentlemen
, that would be viewed as soft.
If that's the case, gotta befair.
Gotta be fair.
Chris bosh, often labeled assoft due to perceived lack of
toughness and physicality.
Keep in mind, chris Bosh playedthe five when he was supposed

(07:41):
to be a four on that heat team.
He took a lot of slack and heremoved his ego from the team.
Chris Bosh is not soft at allwhatsoever.
I refuse to acknowledge that.
I understand why some peoplemight troll him when they say
that, but I don't view ChrisBosh as soft at all whatsoever.
Kyle Korver criticized for poordefense and perceived lack of

(08:03):
physicality.
I can't call Buddy soft.
I'm sorry dog, he was tough, hewas tough for me.
And Mike Dunleavy there's noway in the world.
There's no way in the worldwe're calling Mike Dunleavy soft
.
Yeah, ladies and gentlemen, Ihope y'all are realizing you
cannot trust all sources online,but you can at least trust me,

(08:26):
to be fair, I promise you.
But again, I'm curious whaty'all think the term soft is.
I'm really curious because,based on the lesson that I just
read, based on the definitionthat I just gave, I got to hear
y'all answers.
So that's all we have for today.
Thank you all for listening.
Please make sure to like,subscribe, comment, tell anyone

(08:47):
who's anyone about the show.
My name is Trey.
I'm the host of Get a Bucket.
Hope you all are having a goodone.
Take care.