Attack the Week (ATW)
1. December 2024
Sunday Thoughts
Basketball used to be my sport. I would often play at nearby courts every weekend, go to streetball tournaments, and even play a few seasons in a league. I absolutely loved hopping. I was a decent shooting guard, averaging 20 points per game in my best season. I had a good run until I tore my ligaments badly. My game changed from being more physical to just trying to shoot from the outside and provide assists. I have a few records I am quite proud of. I once scored 69 free throws in a row when I was doing some drills by myself. None of my friends believe me, but that’s what happened. I couldn’t believe it myself. Another record I proudly recite is that I scored 5 consecutive shots from the halfway line, and I have witnesses for that one.
As a youngster, I was obsessed with the NBA. I would get up early and watch playoff games deep into the early mornings. My teams were the Bulls and the Seattle Supersonics, and I was lucky enough to see Michael Jordan play. That was in their 95/96 season when they won 72 games and only recorded 10 losses. I was present at one of their losing games away in Toronto.
I haven’t watched an NBA game in ages. I lost interest as the current play is just showboating. Once upon a time, the NBA was a league that celebrated dynamic scoring in all areas of the court. But somewhere along the way, the game shifted. Enter the three-pointer. What began as a strategic weapon for teams like the Golden State Warriors has now morphed into a league-wide obsession. Today, every player on the court seems to have developed a three-point shot, regardless of position or skill set. While the three-point shot has certainly opened up the floor and changed the way the game is played, it has also diminished the depth and variety of offensive strategies. The art of the mid-range jumper is becoming a lost skill. Players no longer need to be versatile—they need to shoot threes.
No wonder that viewing statistics are going down. The shift toward a three-point-heavy game has created a sterile and predictable atmosphere, where games are often decided by who can hit the most long-range shots. What was once an exciting weapon had become the overwhelming norm, leaving fans yearning for the days when big men controlled the paint and point guards orchestrated dynamic offences.
It is even more perplexing to me when playoff-winning teams call themselves “World Champions”. But I guess you can call yourself anything you want these days. This is ever so true on your journey to find reliable and trusted financial bloggers and commentators. There are Macro Gurus everywhere, and a lot of them seem to be hitting three-pointers with astonishing accuracy while never revealing their true statistics. I wonder why. All strategies and technical signals are trackable at Paper Alfa. The asset allocation model (PAAM) is transparent and updated weekly. Our weekly chart and macro updates accompany educational and thought pieces. This place was started 25 months ago today and has published nearly 400 posts. We are counting more than 4000 followers, and that’s just the beginning of the journey to create transparent and educational pieces for everyone to hopefully benefit from. There is no showboating, we try to score from anywhere from the court and its not always easy. We remain humble and hungry to get things right, and the run so far has been great. Long may it last. If you are curious, why not sign up for a 7-day free trial to explore?
Let’s now read Macro D’s latest thoughts before we analyze the upcoming weekly calendar. We then check out the 10 most important charts for the coming trading sessions and finish with the asset allocation model and its latest output.
Let’s go!