196 Comments

For anyone not following Wemby's rookie season...

Victor Wembanyama Is WAY Better Than We Thought He Would Be

JxmyHighroller

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4_XtNi7A08

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“It’s weird not having him here,” Looney said. “But it's also just nice to have your guys that you go to war with every day supporting you. We’re always together. It's not like we are by ourselves. That makes it a little bit easier."

Anyone proposing a trade that includes Loon is going to have to fight me first. Especially MDJ.

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23 FTA is A LOT!

41 FGA is REALLY A LOT!

23 FTA in the same game you had 41 FGA is...WHAT?!?!

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A Klay Thompson wet dream

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That's a year's worth of FTs for Klay

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there’s a dude in a clippers uniform that’s jealous.

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After getting crushed by Embiid tonight: “It would have been more fun in a win, of course, but it’s inspiring, especially offensively,” Wembanyama said. Damn, what a great kid

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One of the bigger surprises of the season for me has not been watching Scoot struggle (although I’m still riding on his generational greatness) its seeing how good Brandon Miller has been. I genuinely thought the gulf between both prospects was pretty wide and so far it has been but going the other way.

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Jan 23·edited Jan 23

The TWolves would have won had Towns's final shot not been blocked by the same Charlotte player who then went down and hit two free throws to win it.

Name that player correctly without looking it up and I will give you $100

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"Kermet Wilts".

I accept gift cards.

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Perfect. The correct answer is Leaky Black which sounds like a stage name but is his name. But I like your answer

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Leaky Black?

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Jan 23Liked by Eric Apricot

I just watched a 6-minute video of 20,000+ fans in Belgrade Arena clapping and chanting Milojevic's name before the game started. It was intense and emotional.

https://streamable.com/5t26cr

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Incredible love. That is beautiful. So much emotion. Seeing Smiley makes me wish we had Deki around when he was here.

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Surprised that Moses Moody will be reevaluated in a week ...and is expected to miss the next 3 games. He missed the last road trip, then this past week, and now another week....I don't remember hearing originally that his injury was that serious. Hope he is recovering fully, as the team will need his steady play.

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That pretty much typifies the Dubs' season thus far. Moody was stuck at the end of the bench, then scores 20+ in two consecutive games before the injury.

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Calf injuries heal slowly IIRC.

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Celebrini = extreme caution 24/7/365. Especially with something like a calf strain that can lead to more serious injuries.

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Jan 23·edited Jan 23

Maybe not enough with Gary Payton II.?.... from NBC Sports Bay Area:

Payton, one of the Warriors' top defenders, has been out three weeks with a grade 2 strain of his left calf after battling for a rebound against the Orlando Magic on Jan. 2. That came in just his second game back on the court after missing 13 games with a left calf injury.

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It was a hamstring the second time…

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Seems like the Wolves got mesmerized by KAT’s chase for 70 and neglected to play defense? Hornets 128-125 in Minnesota.

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Murray has been hot the last few games / upping his trade value

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We'll get another look at him soon against the Dubs. While he is an intriguing possibility for us, he also reminds me of Poole. I do think his defense is light.

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Jan 23·edited Jan 23

KAT also had 7 turnovers, one of which was committed while he was driving to the basket and the ball stripped from his hands in the final seconds of the 4th Q. Turns out that he was actually hit in the arm, but the refs didn't call it.

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I think they actually changed that one to a blocked shot. (The box score showed 8 turnovers for a bit).

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Oh dear

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Hornets beat the Timberwolves in Minnesota 128-125. Hornets outscored the Wolves 36-18 in the 4th Q. KAT had 62 points on 21/35 FGs, 10/15 threes, and 10/14 FTs.

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21-35 FG … but 1-8 down the stretch as the Wolves choked it away. 7 turnovers, too.

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Jan 23·edited Jan 23

https://twitter.com/EvInFour/status/1749617425295757747

The Hornets play by play guys are pure entertainment. This is showing passion for the game lol

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70 pts, 18 reb, 6 ast, 1 tov in 36 minutes. Is that good?

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Sounds like it must have been super fun to watch -- He alone shot 23 free throws. I'd rather watch my dog snore

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Snoring dogs are incredibly cute

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*Against the Spurs

But to answer your question: yes, yes it is.

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Insanely dominant numbers but the player doesn't move me lol. He's just another frontrunner to me until he proves he can at least carry the 76ers to a conference finals appearance

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He’s reportedly tight with Steph, so I’m rooting for him (against the Celtics and Bucks, anyway). But I agree with your general point.

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I don’t mind the bucks but with you on the Celtics

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And KAT currently has 50 in the 3rd quarter! What's the record for combined scoring by two NBA players on a single day? Probably Wilt (100) and some rando.

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BTW - the record for most points by teammates in a game is 117, by Wilt and Al Attles (8/8 from the field, 1/1 from the line, 17 points).

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Cliff Hagan of the Hawks had 43 that night, so 143 points. Which is probably the record, and probably safe?

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What a thing to know off the top of your head. What a baller!

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Haha, “off the top of my head” = Basketball Reference. The Big O had 41 that night (March 2, 1962) as well…

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KAT is going for it. 10 minutes and 14 points to beat Wilt/Cliff.

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Nice! Close game, too. Could happen….

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Joel making his MVP case.

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Per game, I don’t think it’s even a question right now.

On the season … he might not make the 65-game threshold to qualify.

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This is it! This is that moment! Mark it well.

This is the very LAST time that anyone is permitted to use the absurd athlete-name plural, as in "The league is in great shape with young players, you've got your Lukas, your Wembanyamas, the Chet Holmgrens of this world."

I will allow last-chance uses of this phrase in the thread below because I know that so many are attached to it and you deserve your swan song. But the Unspeakable Plural is a sin against all that is holy and I will henceforth excommunicate anyone using it .

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apostasy!

Also ‘’’ ‘ ‘

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What's wrong with the athlete name plural? I find that it's usefull to talk about the Williams' of OKC, or the myriad Porter Jr's of the NBA world.

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Thus spake the Asher’s of this world!

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Also pointless apostrophes

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It’s an apostrophunfun

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Embiid with a regular old 34 point 10 rebound line … in the first half.

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Jan 23·edited Jan 23

Just another moment in the ongoing struggle to find stats that really help us understand impact. We've all learned over the years to take scoring per game a bit less seriously and consider the utility of something like plus-minus. But at the moment I glanced at the box score, in the third quarter, Embiid had 47 and 14 and was a +5; whereas Korkmaz off the bench is 0-2 with one rebound and is + 11. I admit I haven't watched a minute, but I'm ready to boldly conclude that Korkmaz is not more important in their big lead than Embiid.

AKA single game plus minus bleh.

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That's why you want your Korkmaz'esses' on your team

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Nobody takes single-game plus-minus very seriously. It’s only useful in big samples.

I don’t think anyone is struggling to figure out who between Embiid and Korkmaz had a bigger impact on the game. But I could be wrong…

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Some people use single game +/- all the time when trying to prove their perspective. Example " Wiggins +5 in his minutes with 6pts he played great defense! Kuminga -10 in his minutes with 20pts this why he trash!".

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But Furkan Korkmaz is a great name that you have to grant

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His parents weren't Furkan around.

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Not, at least, until they removed the Korkm- you know, I'm at work.

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Embiid and De'Anthony Melton to the Warriors for CP3 and Wiggins. I might even be willing for the Warriors to toss in a pick.

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And his team is only up 4... I get that Maxey is popular, has a winning smile, doesn't turn the ball over that much, scores a bunch, and all... but is he really a budding (or budded) superstar like people seem to suggest? He's not scoring that efficiently, and he's too small to be a good defender...

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Better to trade Steph for Maxey and give Steph another shot at a ring.

Maxey is already an elite player, but not as deadly as Steph from the 3. He's not too small to be a good defender. He's one inch shorter than Steph and a hell of a lot younger and faster.

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Jan 23Liked by Eric Apricot

Kerr spoke after practice:

“I asked (Adams) a couple of days ago, I said, ‘How do we go on from here? What do we do?’ and Ron thought for a second and he said it’s relatively simple,” Kerr said. “You ask the guys, ‘What would Deki want us to do?’ And I thought about it and I literally could picture Deki smiling and laughing, saying ‘You motherf—— need to go win a basketball game’ and then laughing.

“He really embodied the spirit and values that we try to display as a team and as an organization. We are unbelievably competitive but joyful and compassionate to each other and we’re going to do everything we can to win and we’re going to enjoy life no matter what. That’s who he was and that’s how we’re going to continue.”

https://theathletic.com/5220176/2024/01/22/steve-kerr-dejan-milojevic-comments?source=user-shared-article

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to continue this, a powerful tribute to Deki in Belgrade!

https://streamable.com/5t26cr

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This is great.

Ron Adams is more Yoda than Yoda.

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One more quote:

“I just want to get back on the court and try to get lost in my love for the game and think about all the memories and teachings (Milojević) gave me and try and honor him that way,” Looney said. “(It’s) the best way I know how.”

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I just started my second semester of Spanish and we're covering reflexive verbs and comparisons.

Please god, somebody think of more trade ideas to take me away from it. I'm going to need Celebrini to fix my brain sprain.

CP3 for Lionel Messi? Who says no?

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so we would get a “captain of the world”?

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I say no. CP may not be at the height of his powers, but he has proven himself to be a very good basketball player over the years. I have not yet seen evidence that Messi has any skills particular to basketball. I know he's a good athlete, but each sport requires specific skills and I think it's absurd to think that his ability to score a goal will equate to an ability to shoot a ball in a basket. Frankly, I'm surprised at you, I would have thought that you'd know that.

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We'd get a ton of kicked ball violations

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This needs more likes.

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Messi can pass. II envision him as Draymond without the defense, or Steph without the mustard (or maybe more mustard).

The only thing I think can go wrong is that his cleats could leave holes in the court.

I've already talked myself (hablarse) into it. Let's throw in an unprotected 1st to seal the deal!

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but Messi is very good at drawing fouls, even more so that CP3 :-)

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Who woiuld sell more jerseys?

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If Messi wants a job selling jerseys he should apply at Chase like everyone else.

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¿Quíén es más macho?

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Jan 23·edited Jan 23

"Do you want more macho?"

That went whizzing by me, sorry. :)

NVM ... comparisons. See, I'm un idioto.

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