Game Thread Spurs (21-7) vs Thunder (26-3) (Tue 12/23/25) [7:30 PM CDT]

[spursparker9]

 

[ambchang]

There aren't enough example of 7'5 for comparisons to make much sense, at least as direct causes (more correlations imo)

Tall people are easier to be injured because the length puts greater strain on the joints. It’s just physics. I doubt they look at a history of similar body types to determine these things.

Now whether wemby is unique and can somehow defy the laws of physics because he has unusually flexible joints or have lighter bones to reduce strain is another question. The spurs medical team is looking at risk mitigation in how they manage wemby. By managing that risk the chances of Wemby having a devastating injury would decrease but not totally eliminated, and by not doing it doesn’t mean wemby will get a career threatening injury, it just increases it.

Long way of saying, I doubt this has anything to do with correlation. I’m surprised a data guru like you who knows data so well that you don’t use it didn’t know.

 

[ambchang]

It is not rocket science.

Barnes is an NBA player no different than wemby. They train, prepare,practice and endure long NBA seasons where anything can happen and it does. Barnes not having the same contract or salary is completely irrelevant.

Kobe used to have the same mentality - that he would have to be in a wheelchair to miss a game (and i hated the pos rapist tbh- but am forced to respect his warrior mentality- RIP)... Barnes has that mentality - as does Mikal Bridges and their consecutive games played is proof before your eyes.

Either you make excuses or you don't and wemby can choose who he wants to be. Of course there are legit injuries but when in doubt - look at Barnes and Bridges and decide if they were just "one in a million lucky freak players"

or if other things contributed to their consecutive games played which span - YEARS AND YEARS.

You have zero idea what pain or injury i have had to endure/work thru/persevere and it is irrelevant anyway.

lol. It’s been years and people still fall for that crap. Kobe didn’t man up. He played 82 games (or the full 50 games in the lock out season) 5 times in a 20 year career. He only played through injuries after the fact when he had bad games, and when he then had good games it’s because he manned up and played through that injury. It’s a narrative he and his team created for branding purposes.

It’s common in those days how players play through minor issues and opt for off season surgeries. Kobe took that risk and got away with it. Players like tmac Iverson and Carter didn’t.

 

[PanameSpur]

Tall people are easier to be injured because the length puts greater strain on the joints. It’s just physics. I doubt they look at a history of similar body types to determine these things.

Now whether wemby is unique and can somehow defy the laws of physics because he has unusually flexible joints or have lighter bones to reduce strain is another question. The spurs medical team is looking at risk mitigation in how they manage wemby. By managing that risk the chances of Wemby having a devastating injury would decrease but not totally eliminated, and by not doing it doesn’t mean wemby will get a career threatening injury, it just increases it.

Long way of saying, I doubt this has anything to do with correlation. I’m surprised a data guru like you who knows data so well that you don’t use it didn’t know.

Rudy Gobert came into the league all skinny, look at him now

Embiid went too far in weight gain but he used to be skinny as well and needed a bulk

Name whatever +7 footer you have in mind a realize who many singularities he has compared to other 7 footers = Their sizes isn't the only thing that defines them despite the appearances.

I'm not saying thee are no correlation, I'm saying you attribute them as causation when you don't have this information.

Obviously it's common sense to be cautious for rational reasons, like gravity etc but treating him like a porcelain doll and a guinea pig is insane to me.

Especially when the people in charge of the decisions admit themselves having no idea about what they're doing but being conservative by default, just in case...

Don't go crazy again and interpret my words as "let's play him 40'..."

 

[PanameSpur]

2011 kinda sucked but I knew none of those teams were true contenders pre-2012 tbh.

08 - Should've gone 6 or 7 at least with the Lakers (Barry got fouled by Fisher tbh) but would've gotten smoked by the Celtics
09 - Tim and Manu were out for the season
10 - Overachieved thanks to Hill and Blair and getting the Mavs in the first round
11 - Worst defense of the Duncan era, though never should've lost to the Grizz even with Manu's injury ( Pop)

08 - I'm not so sure about Boston smoking us, every round is different and it was new for them when Spurs had a lot of experience that could've been key in the Finals.

11 - Pop refusing to ever use TP9 to close during the whole RS in favor of Manu .... who injured his elbow the penultimate game iircc smh. Enough for Memphis to win the first key games (still mad tbh)

 

[PanameSpur]

lol. It’s been years and people still fall for that crap. Kobe didn’t man up. He played 82 games (or the full 50 games in the lock out season) 5 times in a 20 year career. He only played through injuries after the fact when he had bad games, and when he then had good games it’s because he manned up and played through that injury. It’s a narrative he and his team created for branding purposes.

It’s common in those days how players play through minor issues and opt for off season surgeries. Kobe took that risk and got away with it. Players like tmac Iverson and Carter didn’t.

See, we can agree once in a while...

(not related to Wemby tho)

 

[RC_Drunkford]

Try play football sometimes and get your ankles or Achilles tackled and you'll jump and fall to get the call very fast.

You just don't know what you're talking about mate, it's one of the most demanding sports and a lot more risky than basketball health wise, you can end your career in training any day.

It‘s not riskier than basketball. It‘s a little less risky because if you lose your leaping ability in basketball, you‘re toast. Derrick Rose is a prime example of that. Football is not based on athleticism as much as basketball.

Also hand injuries affect you as well as leg injuries. You can always play football with an injured hand unless you‘re a goalkeeper.

Definitely a demanding sport though and NBA players flop just as much to sell calls.

 

[Biggems]

Try play football sometimes and get your ankles or Achilles tackled and you'll jump and fall to get the call very fast.

You just don't know what you're talking about mate, it's one of the most demanding sports and a lot more risky than basketball health wise, you can end your career in training any day.

Enjoy your flopfest mate.

 

[PanameSpur]

It‘s not riskier than basketball. It‘s a little less risky because if you lose your leaping ability in basketball, you‘re toast. Derrick Rose is a prime example of that. Football is not based on athleticism as much as basketball.

Also hand injuries affect you as well as leg injuries. You can always play football with an injured hand unless you‘re a goalkeeper.

Definitely a demanding sport though and NBA players flop just as much to sell calls.

I'm not talking muscle injuries that are at risk in any sports

Football allows (hard) contacts, most dangerous ones (on the ankle or the foot) are rarely even seen by the refs and wouldn't be sanctioned had the player not exaggerate his fall.

Then you have what we all hate, which is flopping without being touched, it mostly comes from latin countries but northern ones like US and UK had to adapt because they got cheated and lost too many times.

People who don't follow or haven't practiced football don't realize how ridiculously physical and risky it is injury wise, even at the amateur level. The size of the pitch, the absence of time out, the accelerations with contact, the contacts in the head etc

I've practiced both sports a lot and I now mostly play basketball only, football only on half court and 5 on 5

 

[spurs10]

Lot of talk about injuries in this thread. Knock on wood.

Go Spurs!!

 

[Kick-Stand]

OKC is kind of broken mentally right now. They won 17 in a row and looked unbeatable. Then we beat them in the NBA Cup game and now they’ve lost 3 out of their last 5.

It’s like us after we won 20 in a row in 2012, then went on to lose 4 straight (against OKC). You’re so used to winning, that when you finally lose again, you lose your sense of invincibility, your confidence.

Don't think I agree with that. Just think the Spurs are a horrific matchup for OKC. Just like that 2012 OKC team was for the 2012 Spurs.

 

[Paramore]

Watching the replay now

Harper came in and impacted the game right away

.................with two steals and two assists.......

 

[O_V]

Chet is one of the most overrated player in the league.

He's good but mostly shines off ball/opened on O and on help defense, he gets crushed 1v1 on both ends

I get why Wemby is mad at being compared at this dude tbh

Yeah. The media doesn't ask Luka or Jokic about Chet. If anyone else's best player was constantly being compared to him I'd agree that he is overrated.

But damn, he's mentioned in the same sentence as Vic far too often. He's a good player. He's nowhere near deserving to be compared to Vic, and you're absolutely right that it's an insult when they do it.

 

[ambchang]

Rudy Gobert came into the league all skinny, look at him now

Embiid went too far in weight gain but he used to be skinny as well and needed a bulk

Name whatever +7 footer you have in mind a realize who many singularities he has compared to other 7 footers = Their sizes isn't the only thing that defines them despite the appearances.

I'm not saying thee are no correlation, I'm saying you attribute them as causation when you don't have this information.

Obviously it's common sense to be cautious for rational reasons, like gravity etc but treating him like a porcelain doll and a guinea pig is insane to me.

Especially when the people in charge of the decisions admit themselves having no idea about what they're doing but being conservative by default, just in case...

Don't go crazy again and interpret my words as "let's play him 40'..."

My previous post had nothing to do with how to manage playing time, but instead your incorrect use of correlations. Tall long people are easily injured because the strain on the joints are far greater due to their length. You don’t need to look at other 7’5” guys with an 8’ wingspan to know this because outs is already covered it. Which is why a draw bridge can only be used up to a certain gap, it’s because if the bridge is too long the mechanics will not be able to support the weight of the bridge.