It is after all easier to play your deep bench the entire 4Q when up 30+. There were many close games where the starters were pushed close to 40 or over 40 minutes when that is what was needed. Even with all those blowouts we had 4 guys in the Top-50 of most mpg. That being said, like Schilling used to say on the main board…all pitches aren’t created equally as there is much less arm stress being up 8-0 than the score being 1-0. That’s the same for basketball minutes as you aren’t expending nearly as much energy up 20+ as you are in a tie game especially defensively.
Yeah, Brown's #s aren't much different than Luka's. Interesting that only Hauser is near the top of the list for the Celtics, the rest are all Dallas. Boston doing a better job of moving the ball and forcing Dallas to chase might explain that.
Agreed. If I were a Mavs fan I'd look at Kleber and think that a healthy version of him is a big matchup plus in this series---provding more switchable ok rim protection than Lively/Gafford and also spacing at the other end. This version really can't do either of those things well, and he's not a useful player absent those skills.
And for Tillman's father:
Besides poor shooting, JT has been very good in the Finals.
Would make for a much better viewing experience if the whining is reduced. I thought Lebron was bad but Luka, STFU! Also, re: Tatum, when he was fouled by PJW on the dunk, he threw his arms up and in the foreground JB was smacking his forearm, they were double teaming the ref to no avail.
JB’s shots at the end of several games this series has been great.. end of game three he made several daggers.. the long fall away that basically ended the Dallas run was huge.
Obviously one guy has grown into maybe the best all around player in the game, and the other hasn't.
Yes but look at defensive distance. Kyrie is working hard on defense but 4 of top 6 are Jrue, Derrick, JT, and JB. Luka is last with anyone over 23 minutes (1.08 miles at 37.7 minutes); among players with over 19 minutes only Josh Green (.87 in 22.2 minutes) and Tim Hardaway (.61 in 19.4 minutes) are behind him.
I don't think it should be overlooked that Tatum has been asked to take on a different role - one that had the media getting him and which has probably challenged him as a player and a person more than we'll ever know - and with the exception of a few bumps in the road, he has done it. It's not the kind of stuff that wins you MVPs but it's needed to win.
I really hope the Celtics' players just completely unload on the media when it's over.
I imagine Jaylen knows that the job of most in the national media is to get clicks and generate buzz. You don't do that by just picking the favorite and not offering counterpoints, no matter how ridiculous some might be.
Jaylen clearly takes a lot of it very, very personally. The "players half as talented as me getting more recognition" comment was a pretty clear indicator.
I suspect they're going to do something much smarter -- say nothing. I think JB and JT are likely to both give milquetoast responses in the interviews they're obliged to do and otherwise disappear for the rest of the off-season. The worst thing they can do to the machine is refuse to fuel it.
He'll definitely let something slip. Tatum probably too. It won't be too inflammatory but it'll get the point across. How do you like me now, mfers? But I think they will do most of their venting while dousing themselves with champagne in the locker room with Joe, Brad and the rest of the org.
Please. Janos is the best. I love it. I love everything about this run, including Janos.
6 Foul Poem for Fat Guy belongs in the next Norton Anthology of American Poetry.
Dear Moop. Is Coachster.
This is similar to what I've always said about Embiid, another great "big" player who spends way too much time dramatically flopping onto the floor. I've sometimes wondered if that ends up contributing to his aches and pains. Of course there are also conditioning similarities between the two.
I think it absolutely does. It's not fun falling on a basketball hardwood court. We've all probably taken a nasty spill or two on the court during our lifetimes along with plenty of lesser falls. And it takes extra effort going to the ground and getting yourself back up multiple times. And with fatigue a major issue for Embiid, he shouldn't be wasting energy.
Kudos to Derrick for handling that well, but gamblers threatening players has become a real problem.
