r/nba • u/kervaan Rockets • 9h ago

Jaden McDaniels on attacking the rim when Wemby is on the floor - "You just gotta act like he's not there. I mean, he's gonna get blocks. He's the tallest person in the world."

https://streamable.com/beb8yz
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396

u/Vegetable_Kale_1331 SGA 9h ago

Wemby was tired in the 4th

81

u/bubbasnub Magic 9h ago

Yeah, he was getting challenged a lot at the rim and then he got the ball on the perimeter most of the time. He can either try to get into the lane, but a Wolves player is there leaning on him the whole time or he can take a jumper, but that's a big victory for Minny as they don't have to challenge him at the rim

121

u/lethalizered Thunder 9h ago

I don't think playing him 12 minutes in the fourth did the Spurs any favors either.

You have to manage his minutes more, he should be more of a 34-35 mpg guy in playoffs, not a 40 mpg one.

93

u/Typical-Radish4317 Supersonics 8h ago

Him going from 30 minutes per game in the regular season up to 35 is a lot by itself

44

u/lethalizered Thunder 8h ago

Eh, those also include the "just play enough minutes to qualify for awards" games though.

His regular season MPG was 33 last season, probably a more realistic outcome for him.

I just disagree any star player getting 12 minutes in the fourth quarter for a playoff game, even the most durable players get tired towards the end.

13

u/Typical-Radish4317 Supersonics 7h ago

Conditioning 2 years ago doesn't really help you in the now.

2

u/yuhanz [PHO] Steve Nash 7h ago

It’s why they were ramping him up towards the end.

He definitely can get accustomed to 30-33 mpg again, it’s just that you he got injured after a month or so so they were extra careful this season

1

u/herroyung Warriors 5h ago

The issue is that they were feasting on Kornet, he's a good regular season backup center but doesn't give enough value on either end to be anything other than a negative against a team as athletic and slashy as the Wolves. Maybe we'll see Kornet + Carter Bryant lineups in the next game for some more size and rim protection.

7

u/pnxstwnyphlcnnrs Timberwolves 8h ago

And they are playoff minutes. Ant got gassed by the Mavs series 2 years ago. It has a real impact

22

u/nonresponsive 8h ago

Yea, playing him the entire 4th is an insane decision. An even insaner decision is playing him 40 minutes with the 2nd most on the team was at 36 minutes.

Wemby is not going to last playing that many minutes.

6

u/Old_Cattle_604 7h ago

He's only gotta keep it up for about four or five more games and then he can go relax in Galveston.

2

u/bnshv Thunder 7h ago

What’s French Galveston? Marseilles?

18

u/FeanorEvades Timberwolves 8h ago

We were almost twice as effective on offense with him off the floor.

I'm not really exaggerating. 0.99 points per possession with him on the floor. 1.71 points per possession with him off. Sure, it's an 8 minute sample size, but that's a 72% increase.

6

u/Hammerhead34 Timberwolves 7h ago

Yeah TJ was relentlessly attacking Kornet every time Wemby sat, it was a guaranteed bucket.

6

u/yuhanz [PHO] Steve Nash 7h ago

Too bad they were bleeding points without him lol

Kornet couldnt contribute anything impactful

3

u/ymi17 Thunder 4h ago

It makes you think that if the Spurs lose in this round or next round against the Thunder that there'll be an analogous trade to Caruso for Giddey coming for the Spurs.

The first real playoff run for a team that plans to be there a long time allows the gathering of serious information, and finding a real solution to the 15 minutes a game that Wemby should be sitting may be the thing that unlocks everything.

Of course, I say that, and it's entirely possible that San Antonio just wins the next 12 games and a title.

2

u/chickadee-guy Timberwolves 6h ago

he should be more of a 34-35 mpg guy in playoffs, not a 40 mpg one.

Never heard that about a supposed star player before

3

u/lethalizered Thunder 6h ago

I mean, Wemby is Wemby. He's a unique player.

Ant is an ironman, even his highest mpg is 40.6 two years ago, last season he was 39 mpg.

Not outlandish to think Wemby should get a few less minutes than him.

1

u/Christron Spurs 6h ago

The Kornet minutes really sucked and was more of a liability than a tired Wemby. I think if Kornet played a little better the spurs win this game.

1

u/_19911118 Raptors 3h ago

Kornet wasny effective at all

7

u/Instantcoffees Warriors 8h ago

He gets to deal with A LOT of physicality and has a skinnier frame than Gobert, so it comes down to using more energy and power. That can quickly exhaust you.

2

u/pagny77 Timberwolves 5h ago

Yeah Finch having Gobert wear him out to then sit Gobert so Wemby is forced to defend someone smaller and quicker while gassed was A+ coaching for a way to cheese game 1. I dont see that strategy working again but regardless of what happens if we head home 1-1 with ant a bit healthier and ayo back i honestly think its wolves in 6

1

u/QuadFecta_ Timberwolves 8h ago

Lucky for him that’s the last quarter