lipoli390 wrote:I saw the new owner presser earlier today and was finally able to watch the replay the player, Finch and Gupta interviews. I was impressed by all the players interviewed. Here are my brief thoughts on some of them:
1. Beasley - He said he worked on his game all all-season via work release. What I noticed more than anything in the interview was his intensity. He clearly showed the most intensity of any of the players interviewed. It's definitely a reflection of the way he plays. What also struck me watching him is how big he is - as in wide shoulders.
2. Jake Layman - I confess I got bored and fast forwarded through most of his interview.
3. Taurean Price - He made a great impression on me. He's obviously a really smart deal and serious about basketball. He's a real stand-up guy who doesn't whine about moving around from team to team. When asked his reaction to the news he'd been traded to the Wolves he said surprised and excited. He's clearly excited to be here. He talked about how the surgery he had on his ankle a few months ago has restored him to where he was two years ago before the injury. He said for the last two years since his injury, he'd wake up in the morning and have a hard time just waking to the bathroom. He couldn't run outside with his kids and dogs. It was obviously a struggle for him to play. He mentioned that he's have to get his ankle re-taped at halftime of every game. No wonder he did little more than shoot threes. He's still only 27 years old. Based on what he said in this interview,
4. McKinley Wright - Another impressive young man. Very smart dude. He talked about growing up and going to a lot of Wolves games as a kid. He mostly talked about how thankful he is for this opportunity.
5. KAT - Wow. I've never seem him that unscripted or edgy. He seems pissed about a lot of things, including losing and he really has a chip on his shoulder. I like where he's at now and I'm expecting big things from him. He was already a 25 point/12 rebound by before his string of injuries. He's 25 years old and just entering his prime. All of that combined with some edge and I see him having a tremendous season.
6. Russell - He is one smart dude. I really liked him in this interview. I like that he doesn't tell you what you might want to hear. He's the opposite of a KAT cliche machine. He was asked about his thoughts on his friend Ben Simmons. He said he respects Ben Simmons on and off the court. Regarding Ben's current situation, DLO said, "he could care less." Yep, those were DLO's words and I loved it. They asked him how he reacted when he heard that Rosas had been fired. He said he was on the golf course when he hear the news and his only thought was about his next shot. However, he went on to say he like Rosas and really appreciated what he did here and how he treated him. You can tell he loves Chris Finch. He talked about Finch being smart and having a lot of credibility. He talked about how Finch got the team to play as a team - to share the ball and keep the ball moving.
7. J-Mac -- Another really smart guy. I've been a J-Mac fan since watching him live in Summer League a couple years ago and his interview did not disappoint. I'm excited to have him back on a multi-year contract.
8. Jaden McDaniels -- Not much to say. He's not a great interview. He's amazingly laid back. As others have mentioned, he said he grew a couple inches this off season. He said he's now 6'9 or 6'10. So apparently, he was 6'7 or 6'8 last season.
9. Josh Okogie -- Not much to say about his interview. I've always like him and the way he defends. He talked about his intent to take more perimeter shots rather than driving to the basket. He mentioned that he passed up a lot of open shots because he mindset was always to drive to the hoop.
10. Jaylen Nowell -- No major takeaways from his interview. However, he caught my attention when he said that Chris Finch told him he'd have to cut down on his fouls if he wanted playing time. That's more about Finch than Nowell, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
11. Anthony Edwards -- What can you say about this guy. I could listen to him all day. I don't find yourself laughing and smiling through most of his interview, you have issues. He reflects pure joy. It's all positive. Look up the word charisma and you should see a picture of Anthony Edwards.
12. Gupta -- He is such a soft-spoken guy. Strikes me as very humble, but also confident in an understated way. He's clearly thrilled with this opportunity. He stressed that all the decision-making would be collaborative. That was obviously a clear effort to distinguish his approach from his predecessor even though he had nothing bad to say specifically about Gersson Rosas. You can't help but root for this guy.
13. Chris Finch -- Talk about having a commanding presence. This guy is the anti-Ryan Saunders. Finch has surplus gravitas, but he's not a blowhard or showboat. He's obviously smart and a really good communicator. Nowell's comment about Finch saying he had to cut his fouls down if he wanted playing time was one example of the sort of accountability Finch is bringing to this team.
Overall, I like this team. I like their overall intelligence and seriousness. I sensed a lot of resolve among the players to elevate their play and win. I also sensed excitement about the new owners. I know this was just a media event, so we can't read too much into what it it means for the team's play on the court. However, it was an overall positive for me.
Lip I thought Beasley looked really serious and yeah I thought he looked bigger too. He was kinda slumped over so I filled that way to consider again but I had the same thought as you.
Finch and Gupta could be a great pairing. You can tell Finch is a guy that has no problem talking to people. I think Gupta will talk but that's not his thing. I liked his answer to the question of how to tell if a guy was a competitive or winning player or something like that. He basically said that wasn't something he could tell for himself so he would lean on others. Not everyone would say that as straight out as he did. I would be a little more nervous about whether I thought he was up for the job or not but he has experience and so many articles have been written about how brilliant he is and a super likeable dude.
Edit: Also I just really love Okogie. The guys seems to be really invested in the community and I yes he has flaws as a shooter but I think he could be a guy that you want around for the next few years as long as he is paid approximately to be a bench player.
Also liked how Vando said he basically treated last year as his rookie year. That's a reasonable way to look at it.
