The hot take gets something of a bad rap in sports.
Yes, some in the industry will say or write anything that pops into their heads that they believe will get a reaction, without basing that take in reality. They do so because far more often than not it works—getting that reaction (usually a heated one) is rather the point.
But hot takes can be a good thing too. Controversial opinions start conversations that get people both talking and thinking. And given that we have precious few sports to watch (Capital One's "The Match: Champions for Charity" was a nice diversion, but it was just one day), talking about sports is the best we've got.