13 Comments
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Freddie deBoer's avatar

French is the fastest growing language on Earth!

Skytime's avatar

that's weird because I keep reading English is the fastest growing and most commonly used language

Freddie deBoer's avatar

West Africa population explosion

Matt W's avatar

At the same time, fatigue has never been a more fickle variable in any given game because players can get more rest in the modern era, especially in tight fourth quarters, due to replay review and coach’s challenges in chippy series. Did Ausar Thompson FLAGRANTLY teabag Desmond Bane? Let’s take five minutes to find out. Did the ball go off Maxey’s pinky or Brown’s knuckle in a random possession outside of two minutes? Cut to commercial! Getting these cheap-ass breathers, even in the pace-and-space modern era really puts a damper on stamina strategies.

Tom's avatar

This is how the Pacers shocked everyone last year. They never seemed to tire. Completely wore down opponents and took an overwhelming favorite to 7 games.

Elias's avatar

Ethan, your basketball analysis is the best part of the site. Not NBA, not basketball ratings, basketball. More hoops!

Phillip's avatar

Ethan, I'm a also a 4am guy so I don't stay up to watch NBA games. But over the last couple of weeks, the firs tthing I do in the morning is watch Nate and Danny's crunch time calls.

AP's avatar

I think Yao Ming is probably the best comp for Wemby

St Paul Dad Guy's avatar

As a wolves fan, I really hope this strategy continues to pay off.

I don't know anything about basketball, but Wemby just looks so frail compared to everyone else out there. Would bulking up like Rudy help protect him against injury, or would the added weight be more stress on his joints and make falls more dangerous?

Brett's avatar

A lot of this comes down to Mitch Johnson and his rotation pattern. Giving Wemby only 2 minutes of rest in the second half, including playing the final 16 minutes straight was lunacy. Kornet is not a poor backup 5. He can easily defend when Gobert is out there. Sure his minutes were not great last night, but Wemby's minutes when he was gassed at the 10 min mark of the 4q weren't great either.

As we saw from Jokic in G7, the Lakers in last year's series vs MIN, and countless other examples, in today's NBA it is nearly impossible to play 40+ playoff minutes or 22+ in a half. These guys need rest to do what they are asked to do.

And Wemby should be peak in getting rest. He rarely ever plays 30+ minutes let alone 39-40.

I do not really agree that it is a weakness, unless it's a Serbian, Slovakian, American, etc. weakness as well. It was a Mitch Johnson weakness in game 1 that should be rectified in game 2.

Also, it would help if Carter Bryant can play for them as he played some effective 5 versus POR and is a solid rookie backup.

Craig Healy's avatar

My preferred middle school French reference is comme ci comme ça

Tom's avatar

How does thos reconcile with the popular analysis (which seems true) which is that the thing that really mattered was going small on Wemby to drive him into space and away from the rim because his rim protection was so good?

Ethan Strauss's avatar

I think it can be reconciled as, going small and attacking means he has to run back to the rim. More fatigue