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There was a period not long ago in which the Wizards were the NBA’s annual “better-in-the-playoffs” squad. In the postseason, Washington developed a formula reliant upon defense plus the playmaking of John Wall and Bradley Beal, and rode that to three second-round trips from 2014-17.

That backcourt existed as a permanent blur. They turned defense into offense like it was an open gym, and learned to play off one another brilliantly in the halfcourt. As Beal developed and Wall got better as a shooter, either player could drive the car and the offense would still run nicely. A more modern version of the team developed around them as time went on, which culminated in a seven-game series against the Celtics in 2017 with Kelly Oubre and Otto Porter starring alongside the two guards and playmakers like Bojan Bogdanovic and Tomas Satoransky coming off the bench. They lost that series but the next era of Wizards basketball was in sight.

Wall signed a supermax extension a few weeks after the Boston series that quickly became beset with bad luck. He hasn’t played more than half a season since due to various injuries, and in the process the rest of the young core from that 2017 squad has departed aside from Beal. Heading into the 2020-21 season, his rehab is finally over after separate knee, heel, and Achilles’ surgeries over the past three years, but instead of reuniting Wall and Beal on the court in Washington, the Wizards made a deal this week to flip Wall — along with a 2023 first-round pick — to Houston for Russell Westbrook.

In some ways, the on-court fit should be similar to how Beal co-existed with Wall. But in the time since Wall went down, it became clear Beal was a star in his own right, perhaps even better than Wall was at his peak. As the days dwindle on Beal’s contract and the Wizards go into emergency mode to avoid trading their franchise cornerstone, they likely couldn’t afford to wait any longer to get Wall healthy and playing at a high level.

Of course, it’s not even a sure thing Wall will ever do that again. The game has also changed in a way that demands that Wall expand his offensive game more to be a bigger shooting threat, though he’s never shot better than 35 percent from deep in a full, healthy season. The guy replacing him is no marksman either, but Westbrook should be more available than Wall and should operate alongside Beal in much the same way Wall did.

During the time Wall was out, Beal developed into a strong playmaker in his own right, making it less important to have someone like Wall initiate every set. Likewise, as Westbrook has evolved, he’s turned into less of a traditional playmaker and more of a scorer/bowling ball/Tasmanian devil. If the offense was always going to be two stars taking turns isolating and running pick-and-roll, Westbrook is probably better equipped to do that than Wall.

Beal showed us last season that even with a guard rotation of role players like Isaiah Thomas, Shabazz Napier and Ish Smith, he could still perform (at least offensively) at an All-Star level. Most impressively, Beal posted a career high in assists as well as free-throw rate, meaning he created shots for teammates at a higher level in addition to easy points for himself. Washington’s surprisingly good offense was 7.9 points better per 100 possessions when Beal played, backing up a long trend of Beal boosting the scoring efficiency of his Wizards teams. If all those improvements are real, it means Beal and Westbrook could find a nice balance, plus Beal is far more comfortable and accepting of an off-ball roll than James Harden was in Houston.

There are still areas where Westbrook could help Beal more than Wall could. At times, even as he created more foul shots, Beal still got stuck when he met strong defense at the rim. Beal has always been small for a wing, and though he’s grown more elusive and built up a better handle since being drafted, he still is a liability to get stuffed at the basket.

As an isolation scorer in 2019-20, Beal, who didn’t play in the Bubble, was just in the 61st percentile in efficiency, per Synergy. Because of his growth as a passer and foul-drawer, he was a bit better in the pick-and-roll (75th percentile), but still not elite. Now that he’s 27, it may be unrealistic to expect him to become an elite individual shot creator, even if his improvements from last year hold.

Where Beal excelled in 2019-20, as always, was off the catch. Few combine shooting touch, quickness and athletic ability like Beal.

That’s great news when it comes to Westbrook. There should be some comfort between the two as Westbrook goes to work in the pick and roll or isolation while Beal moves around off the ball to get open threes and layups. Few have succeeded in that role next to Westbrook in the past, but he’s also never played with someone whose skills align so well with it the way Beal’s do.

Mostly this is about having a capable, good player in the lineup next to Beal on a consistent basis. Last season was effectively a lost one for Washington, and one such year is probably the limit that a franchise can stomach while their best player is in his prime. There was no certainty Wall would ever be effective or healthy again coming off of an injury as devastating as an Achilles, and while some of those questions exist for Westbrook too (their contracts are the same length), they aren’t as worrisome, and in theory his play style could be a good mix with Beal’s.

After re-signing stretch forward Davis Bertans and adding Deni Avdija and Robin Lopez to the team, the Wizards figure to be a contender for the playoffs once again. If things fall right for them, they could shoot for the sixth seed, even, and avoid a play-in game. That just wasn’t going to be true of a team crossing its fingers that its star point guard can regain his form after such significant time off. There is an obvious emotional side to the Wall trade that is impossible for anyone outside of the nation’s capital to fully understand given his deep connection with that city and its people, and for fans that’s a significant reason for their frustration with this deal and is wholly understandable. From a basketball perspective though, if the Wizards wanted to keep their other star around for his prime, it was a move that gave them more opportunity to do so.

Only Beal knows what has to be done to keep him happy and patient with Washington, but it feels like that limit is approaching. Trading for Westbrook should buy Washington some time and could make them pretty good, too. Barring catastrophe, they should be at least be able to put a competitive squad on the floor on a nightly basis, and hopefully will find themselves on the upswing and with a path forward to start building around the new-and-improved Beal.

There is only one thing we say to Game of Thrones prequel news: Yes, please.

In an industry-shaking statement about Warner Bros.’ entire 2021 theatrical slate having a simultaneous release on HBO Max, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar saved a non-movie surprise for the end. “P.S. Principal photography starts on the next Game of Thrones series, House of the Dragon, in a few months. Look out for dragons overhead!” he wrote, along with the first concept art from the highly-anticipated series.

I am easily distracted by dragons, so this was a good decision.

Cuties!

Created by George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal (who will also act as co-showrunner with Miguel Sapochnik), House of the Dragon stars The Outsider‘s Paddy Considine as Viserys I Targaryen, and takes place 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones. “The Game of Thrones universe is so rich with stories,” HBO programming chief Casey Bloys said earlier this year. “We look forward to exploring the origins of House Targaryen and the earlier days of Westeros along with Miguel, Ryan and George.” House of the Dragon is expected to premiere in 2022. Hopefully, by that point, we’ll safely be enjoying The Batman, another Warner Bros. release, in theaters.

(Via Medium)

With vaccine rollouts for the novel coronavirus on the horizon, humanity is getting its first ray of hope for a return to normalcy in 2021. That normalcy, however, will depend on enough people’s willingness to get the vaccine to achieve some level of herd immunity. While some people are ready to jump in line immediately for the vaccine, others are reticent to get the shots.

Hesitancy runs the gamut from outright anti-vaxxers to people who trust the time-tested vaccines we already have but are unsure about these new ones. Scientists have tried to educate the public about the development of the new mRNA vaccines and why they feel confident in their safety, but getting that information through the noise of hot takes and misinformation is tricky.

To help increase the public’s confidence in taking the vaccine, three former presidents have volunteered to get their shots on camera. President George W. Bush initially reached out to Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx to ask how he could help promote a vaccine once it’s approved. Presidents Obama and Bill Clinton have both stated that they will take the vaccine if it is approved and will do so publicly if it will help more people feel comfortable taking it. CNN says it has also reached out to President Jimmy Carter to see if he is on board with the idea as well.

A big part of responsible leadership is setting an example. Though these presidents are no longer in the position of power they once held, they are in a position of influence and have offered to use that influence for the greater good.

Of course, some will call the former presidents Deep State actors, or puppets for the pedophile cabal, or co-conspirators in Bill Gates’ and George Soros’ evil plot to destroy humanity, or or some other paranoid, tinfoil hat goofiness. But for the folks living in normal reality, such bipartisan examples of leadership and solidarity with the American people will be appreciated.

And for those who doubt that it will make a difference, remember that Princess Diana’s simple act of hugging a child with AIDS sparked a sea change in public perception of people who were HIV-positive. Seeing her fearless compassion, even for a photo op, made a difference in the way society viewed HIV and AIDS.

Vaccine reticence isn’t new, and some of it is understandable. In 1976, a new strain of H1N1 (swine flu) prompted President Gerald Ford to push a mass vaccination program that was halted after it was discovered that the vaccine was associated with a small increase in Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Of the 45 million Americans who received the vaccine, 450 developed the syndrome—a tiny percentage, but enough to undermine public trust.

As Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO’s emergencies program, pointed out early in the pandemic, the only thing worse than a pandemic would be a bad vaccine. But the accelerated development and trialing of the vaccines that are currently being evaluated does not mean they have been rushed or are unsafe. Obviously, scientists have wanted to get a vaccine made and distributed as quickly as possible—but also as safely as possible. And while it’s tempting to assume that a vaccine being rolled out in a little less than a year means it’s risky, since the process usually takes much longer, that really is just an assumption.

The reality is that the virus itself is risky, both in the potential for death as well as long-term health impacts. And while impressively quick, the vaccines we’re seeing will have gone through sufficient trials to put most people’s fears to rest. While people fret about not knowing the long-term effects of the vaccine, Dr. Fauci stated in an interview with the Washington Post that in 90 to 95 percent of the vaccines we already have, long-term adverse effects have revealed themselves in the first 30 to 45 days. While vaccines will continue to be monitored for a year or two to see if anything unexpected pops up, Fauci says he feels confident in recommending everyone get the vaccine once it’s approved by the FDA.

“The speed was based on very exquisite, scientific advances and an enormous amount of resources that were put into Operation Warp Speed to make this happen,” Fauci said. “There was no compromise of safety, nor was there compromise of scientific integrity.”

“I can tell you when my turn comes up and the FDA says that this is safe and effective, I, myself, will get vaccinated and I will recommend that my family gets vaccinated,” he added.

Our understanding of science, immunology, and vaccine development has improved greatly in the past 50 years. So have the protocols, regulations, and approval processes for safety and efficacy. The whole point of having institutions and independent monitoring boards and transparency is to make sure things are being done as safely as possible.

Hopefully, our trust in science, understanding of the risks of COVID-19, and example set by leadership in our country will prompt enough people to get vaccinated so we can finally make our way to the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.

North Carolina artist Toosii has had a breakout year, releasing his February mixtape Platinum Hearts and album Poetic Pain in September, and watching his songs “5 Stars,” “Love Cycle,” “Mercedez,” and “Red Lights” go viral. With each new release, his buzz grows — and that goes for his most recent single from Poetic Pain, “Sapiosexual,” which he brings to the latest edition of UPROXX Sessions. The 20-year-old melodic rapper croons his way through the passionate ballad, expressing his appreciation for his paramour’s thought process as much as her physical attributes.

While he doesn’t have many features out at the moment, that may soon change. Posting his booking email on Instagram, he offered a guest verse to anyone who can pony up a $15,000 fee — which may turn out to be a strong investment, considering how his profile continues to rise.

Watch Toosii perform “Sapiosexual” above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

Making a solid burrito takes a little trial and error. There’s always that phase in everyone’s burrito-making journey where structural integrity is the greatest foe. We’ve all had homemade burritos fall apart in our hands, forcing us to resort to a fork and knife on a plate. And just like that, all the style of the world’s ultimate one-handed meal is lost.

Today, we’re going to help you skip all the messiness and get your burrito rolling game on point — with tips for making a well-built burrito that will stay together every time. Here are the basics you need to know:

1. Use the right size tortilla.
2. Don’t overstuff but don’t skimp on fillings either.
3. Seal your burritos.
4. Toast or heat your burritos before serving.

For a full, meal-sized burrito, go with 12-in./30cm flour tortillas that are at least room temperature. If the tortilla is cold, it’ll break or crack when you roll it. You can also warm up the tortilla in the microwave for ten seconds to help give it a little pliancy.

When it comes to fillings, keep it straight-forward: Rice, beans, protein, cheese, salsa, avocado, maybe some sauce. A good tactic for making a burrito at home is using leftovers. Do you have leftover chicken and rice? You’re already halfway to a rad burrito. For this little tutorial, we’re using leftover carnitas, lime rice, and black beans. We’re also adding a quick pico de gallo (de-seeded tomato, minced red onion, cilantro, chili, salt, and lime juice), cubed avocado, and grated jack and cheddar cheese.

The last two points up there go hand-in-hand. One, using a very simple flour paste to seal your burrito assures its structural integrity throughout the meal. Toasting or grilling the burrito binds that seal — while adding a nice textural element to the final product.

What you’ll need in the kitchen:

• Large heavy pan or skillet
• Second heavy pan or skillet
• Spatula
• Kitchen knife
• Food brush
• Small cup
• Spoon
• Cutting board

A Simple Burrito

Again, go with what you have in the fridge. I’m using carnitas here, simply because that’s what’s in the fridge. You don’t need to spend days making filling for your burrito. Buy one of those rotisserie chickens at the grocer, shred it, toss it in a pan with some garlic and taco seasoning, and boom — shredded chicken burrito.

I know rice in burritos is highly contested, so I’ll say this: If you don’t like rice in your burrito, don’t put it in. That simple.

Ingredients:

• Choice of protein
• Rice
• Beans
• Pico de Gallo
• Avocado
• Cheese
• Hot Sauce
• Butter
• Flour
• Water

Method:

Since this is about burrito construction, we’re forgoing making beans from scratch or anything else. You can use canned beans. No one is stopping you. Grate some cheese, if that’s what you like on your burrito. If not, don’t.

Make a burrito you dig. That’s what I did with this.

Before I start, I make a quick paste for sealing the burrito. This is the exact same one I used for the chimichanga recipe. It’s one part flour to one part tap water. I use one tablespoon to one tablespoon. I mix with a spoon until smooth. That’s it.

Construction:

So, once I set up my mise en place (all my ingredients ready to use), I slightly warm a tortilla and place it on a large cutting board. A quick note, my rice, beans, and carnitas are all hot when I construct this burrito.

I add a small layer of rice, maybe 1/2-inch thick with a valley down the middle. I scoop about 1/4 cup black beans into that little rice trench. Lastly, I add the carnitas. It’s maybe a half-a-cup.

Next, I add the cheese, pico, and avocado in that order.

I test the size of the burrito at this point. You want the bottom half of the tortilla to reach all the way to the bottom of the filling on the opposite side easily. If it doesn’t, simply remove some filling.

Now, it’s time to start rolling. I fold each side in and pinch around the outer edges of the filling. This points the top and bottom flap inward as seen in the image above.

I then take the bottom flap and fold it over the filling. I use the tips of my fingers to just tuck the tip of the flap under the filling and tighten the whole thing as I roll it away from me, while making sure the ends stay tucked in too.

I roll until there’s about a one-inch flap left up top. I use a small brush to paint on a thin layer of the flour paste onto the flap. You don’t need much.

I then roll the burrito over with the seam side down. I seal the flap by gently applying pressure by pressing down. You don’t need to do more than gently pat it down, really.

At this point, you have a sealed burrito ready to eat (as long as all your base ingredients were piping hot when you assembled them). But, there’s one more step to add that extra x-factor to any good burrito.

Toast:

Let’s face it, the best burritos are the ones that are toasted off on a plancha or pressed in a sandwich press before they reach your hands.

I don’t have a plancha or a sandwich press, so I’m using a stainless steel pan that I use like a plancha. I add in about a tablespoon of butter over medium heat and let it just start to brown.

I then add the burrito, seam-side down, and place another heavy pan on top of the burrito. You don’t need to press down at all. The weight of the pan will do all the work.

After one to two minutes, you’ll get a nice browning on the bottom. Remove the top pan and flip the burrito over to brown the top. Put the second pan back on top and let it sit for another minute or two until nicely toasted.

Once both sides have a nice crispy toasted crust, it’s ready.

Serve:

I cut the burrito in half to get a look at the cross-section and serve it with a beer.

As you can see, the burrito is still properly sealed and remains so as I eat it. There’s no overflow, no falling apart, and no mess. Also, the light toasting in butter gives you an incredible crunch, with a brown butter depth to the otherwise very plain flour tortilla.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot the hot sauce. I pour on some Valentina’s and tuck in. This was super filling and very tasty. I was also huge. I may need a nap. I’m sure to sleep like a baby, dreaming of all the people out there whose burritos will hold together from the first bite to the last.

It is never a good idea to come at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter, yet Republicans seem hell-bent on learning that lesson the hard way. This time around, AOC found herself facing criticism for her online store selling “Tax the Rich” sweatshirts for $58. And while that price may seem steep to a lot of people, it’s an example of AOC practicing what she preaches. In a tweet responding to the GOP attacks, AOC pulled off a mic drop defense that shows why her social media skills are the best in the game.

“Republicans are freaking out bc we don’t use slave-wage labor for merch that funds grassroots organizing,” AOC tweeted. “But what’s the difference between Trump’s merch and ours? Ours is made in the US. (& for GOP who joke that we shld give T-shirt for free, we actually do – just volunteer.)”

That’s how you scorch you enemies. You can see AOC’s full tweet below, which also quotes Stephen Punwasi, who offers some interesting insights into the world of manufacturing apparel.

Punwasi expanded on his tweet with some figures on what the sweater would cost if it used sweatshop manufacturing. According to Punwasi, AOC’s price point is evidence of paying fair, union wages, which is just one of the many progressive positions she’s fought for over the years.

AOC’s defense of her “Tax the Rich” sweatshirts arrives on the heels of her firing back at Barack Obama for his criticisms of “Defund the Police.” Twitter is her battleground, and you best come prepared — even if you’re Obama.

(Via AOC on Twitter)

Dave Chappelle’s been enjoying time in Texas lately, including a three-night comedy engagement, along with appearing on an episode of Joe Rogan’s (newly) Austin-based Spotify podcast. They must have enjoyed the mutual vibes (and perhaps mutual questionable judgment regarding live shows?) because they are again joining forces for a December 2020 residency in Austin. The duo’s team-up will last for five engagements, and Chappelle will hold separate “Dave Chappelle and Friends” dates for a total of ten dates.

In doing so, Chappelle will return to Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater, an outdoor venue connected to Stubb’s BBQ restaurant. The press release specifies a number of Covid-19 related precautions, including socially distanced tables that must be reserved by groups of only 4,6, or 8 tickets. Masks will be required (unless people are eating or drinking), and hand-sanitizer stations, along with staggered entry to the venue, will be monitored. “Safety is a top priority” is being quoted in the residency announcement, but of course, any group event (even with declared social distancing) amid skyrocketing cases is probably not the wisest move. Here are those dates:

Dave Chappelle and Joe Rogan
Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Friday, December 11, 2020
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Dave Chappelle and Friends
Saturday, December 12, 2020
Sunday, December 13, 2020
Friday December 18, 2020
Saturday December 19, 2020
Sunday December 20, 2020

Tickets will go on sale beginning on Friday, December 4.

For over a decade, Derrick Rose has partnered with adidas on signature shoes, and the new D Rose 11 takes things back to Rose’s roots with four new colorways inspired by the 2011 NBA MVP’s hometown of Chicago.

The new colorways — called Sweet Home Chicago, Fast Don’t Lie, Brenda, and Family First — maintain the light handle of Rose’s past adidas sneakers but tell different parts of Rose’s story from Chicago on through the NBA.

The Fast Don’t Lie colorway is fully neon, harking back to his first 50-point game and the explosiveness with which he’s always played. Rose wants to show that his shine hasn’t faded, which is why these shoes are so bright.

The Family First colorway is a more subdued black and white with a multicolor outsole, signifying Rose’s commitment to his mother, his brothers and sisters, and his children.

The four initial colorways go on sale this Saturday, Dec. 5, and more colorways of the D Rose 11 are expected to be announced in the future.

Rose will return to the Detroit Pistons this season and plug in as one of the main scorers on a team that will look a lot different in 2021, though he could be a trade candidate before the deadline as he continues to perform well on the court even late in his NBA career.

About a year ago, “Golden” opened Harry Styles’ latest album, Fine Line. Many months later, the track is his latest single, as he dropped a video for it in October. Now he has given fans who want more just that by releasing a behind-the-scenes clip about the making of the video.

It shows typical on-set sort of things, like Styles talking with crew members, getting ready to shoot, alternate angles of scenes that appear in the finish product, and Styles just enjoying the process of making the picturesque visual.

Around a year ago, Styles gave Apple Music’s Zane Lowe a behind-the-scenes look at how the song was written, saying of that day:

“We were all sat in the kitchen at [Rick Rubin’s recording studio] Shangri-La, having dinner, and we played it on one guitar while everyone sang around the table. It just felt really good. Part of the thing with the mushrooms for me is that I never do anything when I’m working. I don’t even drink when I’m working. I don’t drink really at all. And when I was in the band, to me it felt like it was so much bigger than any of us. I felt like, I’m not going to be the one who messes it up. So I thought, now is the time in my life when you go out and experiment. You take this and you do that. Making this record just felt… joyous. I was with my friends and we were in Malibu and I felt so safe. Now’s the time to have fun — we’re 24, and I’m in music. I’m not a politician. We wrote it on day two of being at Shangri-La, and immediately, as soon as we’d done it, it was like, ‘Oh, this is track one.’ I used to drive to the studio, and it’s the perfect PCH [Pacific Coast Highway] song. It’s like driving down the coast is what the song is for. It feels so Malibu to me.”

Check out the behind-the-scenes video above.

The best Christmas movie is, obviously, The Muppet Christmas Carol, followed by Gremlins. (Gremlins is a better movie overall, but it’s a year-round masterpiece; Michael Caine-as-Scrooge dancing with the Ghost of Christmas Present hits differently in December, y’know?) But “Marley and Marley” was nowhere to be found during a practice vote among House Democrats on Thursday. If you want to use this as an example of everything wrong with the Democratic Party, I will not disagree.

“House Democrats voted today on their favorite Christmas movie, as a practice vote before virtual leadership elections, per a person familiar,” Natalie Andrews, the Wall Street Journal‘s Congress reporter, tweeted. “Choices: Love Actually, Polar Express, Home Alone, Die Hard, and Miracle on 34th Street.” And what did they pick? Miracle on 34th Street, presumably the black-and-white version from 1947, not the 1994 version that’s one of only two movies I have ever walked out of. (Seven-year-old was having none of John Hammond as Santa.) Miracle is the safe choice of the five options — it’s the most “real meaning of Christmas” movie, maybe ever, and it doesn’t have stalkers, or Tom Hanks’ uncanny valley eyes, or terrorist takeovers, and it didn’t lead to a sequel with Donald Trump. But just because it’s safe, that doesn’t mean it’s the right choice.

“Typical safe mainstream choice by pols. At least they included the best Christmas movie in the candidates tho,” CNN’s Jake Tapper wrote, along with a GIF of Die Hard‘s John McClane saying, “Got invited to the Christmas party by mistake. Who knew?” At least that’s one debate settled. Other reactions poured in about the vote:

At least include Bad Santa, jeez.

(Via Twitter/Natalie Andrews)