My belief is that thinnner spokes have value for balancing tensile stress, but not thicker spokes. Here is the simplified answer: If you start with heavy gauge spokes for some reason, you will get better wheel durability by going thinner on the NDS. But if you are already using light gauge spokes all around, there is no advantage except a little stiffness gain to using thicker spokes on the DS. Different gauge spokes on the two sides does not balance spoke tension. It balances the tensile stress which is different. Lighter gauge = higher tensile stress. Higher stress is better because it leades to more spoke stretch. That is better because it protects the spokes from going slack when the rim is compressed. So lighter spokes are always better. That is what I mean when I say it makes sense to go lighter on the NDS if you insist on heavier everywhere else. But it doesn't make sense to go heavier on the DS for any reason except a little stiffness.