Wolves have the longest 100 point streak in team history

[BloopOracle]

Also the best streak in the NBA this season, however since this is a positive thing we won't be giving Thibs any credit and instead say we did it on talent alone despite/ instead of coaching, just like our win total.

If we're talking about defense we need to give our players a pass and instead say we are playing so bad because of Thibs alone despite/ instead of our "rim protector" being total ass, just like our loss total.

[thedoper]

Also the best streak in the NBA this season, however since this is a positive thing we won't be giving Thibs any credit and instead say we did it on talent alone despite/ instead of coaching, just like our win total.

If we're talking about defense we need to give our players a pass and instead say we are playing so bad because of Thibs alone despite/ instead of our "rim protector" being total ass, just like our loss total.

Nice work Bloop. Often I read this board this year and wonder if I'm looking at the wrong record. Our wins haven't been pretty but we are starting to move in the right direction game by game. Unfortunately many of us have been so abused by this team that we react negatively even when good things are happening.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I generally agree with your sarcastic post. We do have quite a bit of talent on offense and generally offenses are built on your player talent and defenses are built on your coaching talent. So you are correct, Thibs doesn't deserve much credit for an offense filled with multiple scorers - if anything I think he holds it back a bit by allowing crappy shot selection and isolation basketball - but he does deserve a healthy amount of the blame for one of the league's worst defenses.

Happy with the wins thus far, but I'm not seeing 50-win kind of team. May be it will come eventually.

[Wolvesfan21]

Also the best streak in the NBA this season, however since this is a positive thing we won't be giving Thibs any credit and instead say we did it on talent alone despite/ instead of coaching, just like our win total.

If we're talking about defense we need to give our players a pass and instead say we are playing so bad because of Thibs alone despite/ instead of our "rim protector" being total ass, just like our loss total.

Nice work Bloop. Often I read this board this year and wonder if I'm looking at the wrong record. Our wins haven't been pretty but we are starting to move in the right direction game by game. Unfortunately many of us have been so abused by this team that we react negatively even when good things are happening.

I was thinking the same thing. Being a Wolves fan is akin to being a wife who has been beaten physically and mentally by their significant other for years and years. Or similarly PTSD from watching your Brothers in Arms getting their legs blown off by a landmine.

I'm obviously joking here (don't get your PC brain fired up), but we have the longest non-playoff team in the NBA and have had some really dismal results ever since KG has been traded.

We have a winning record!

And even more seriously, this team does have some serious issues still. You're not competing for a NBA title anytime soon with a nearly last defensive FG%.

My thinking in the end is that it comes down somewhat to the starters playing a lot of minutes and them simply being too tired to give max effort on the defensive end. That last 4th quarter, holy crap did they look drained towards the 5 minute mark in the 4th.

Do you think if they are a little more rested they can have a little more energy late in the game?

[KiwiMatt]

Pretty impressive statistic / record considering in my opinion this team isn't firing offensively. Now we need to work on becoming top half in the league defensively and we could win 50 games.

[TAFKASP]

Happy with the wins thus far, but I'm not seeing 50-win kind of team.

Rub it in why don't you.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Also the best streak in the NBA this season, however since this is a positive thing we won't be giving Thibs any credit and instead say we did it on talent alone despite/ instead of coaching, just like our win total.

If we're talking about defense we need to give our players a pass and instead say we are playing so bad because of Thibs alone despite/ instead of our "rim protector" being total ass, just like our loss total.

Yeah, this team has a lot of ways to score...the offensive has been really impressive. And you ask a fair question whether Thibs should be given credit for the great offense. Several of us have pointed out several specific things we don't like about Thibs' coaching approach (including offense, defense and game management), and I would pose this question. What particular specific aspects of Thibs' offensive coaching do you think are responsible for the Wolves' terrific offense this season? The point many of us here are making is this: yes, the Wolves are clicking on all cylinders offensively, but perhaps their success might have more to do with pure talent than coaching. If Thibs were able to coach them in the direction of taking more threes, not dribbling so late into the shot clock, more ball movement, and using his bench more so the players aren't so exhausted at the end of games like the Suns game where their offense completely fell apart down the stretch, they might be better than 8th in the league in scoring...they certainly seem to have the offensive fire power to be top 3 in scoring.

And I also think it's too simple to blame our defensive woes (now last in opponent EFG% by a large margin) on KAT while giving the coaching staff a pass. KAT was considered a very good shot blocker and defender in college, but now ranks among the worst centers in the league defensively. That's a dramatic turnaround to say the least. Is KAT injured, or are there other reasons why he is nowhere near the defender he was at Kentucky? Is it much of a stretch to blame the coaching staff for his defensive ineptitude? Many of us here feel Thibs doesn't hold him accountable, and in a sense enables his poor defensive mentality by continuing to allow him to play big minutes (and pad his terrific offensive stats) despite his terrible defense. We'd like to see him take more of an approach like Pop, and immediately yank him out of the game when he does something cringeworthy on D.

[Monster]

Some of the players that have been doing poor things that make people want to yank their hair out have been doing the same things through 3 coaches now. Some of these guys don't get out and run even if the coach is yelling to do so and the fast supposed fast break wizard Rubio has the ball. Some of these guys are iso players including Butler. Is Thibs telling them to do that or is that partly on the players? I watched Kansas last night who had vet guards against UK who is basically all freshman do the same moronic dribble the ball till like 7 seconds before a screener even made his move and of course the possession was horrible each time and they had empty possessions. Did the coach call for that isolation but it was poorly executed? I'm not saying Thibs and the coaching staff gets a free pass but I've been watching this team and some of these players for years. Some of it IS the players. If we could ever get a wing that is more of a complimentary player like Belly that would go a long way. In THEORY MGH may have that in him as a guy that can do a bit of everything decently. Bazz isn't that guy he is a guy that needs to be complimented.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Some good points, monster, but I would argue that Thibs has been KAT's and Wig's coach for the majority of their careers. I still say it's about accountability, and Mitchell (despite his similar gruff exterior) was not very effective in this area either. Under Mitchell and Thibs, KAT and Wig have been shown that weak effort or bonehead plays will not get you yanked from a game, as long as you are scoring points...and sometimes even if you aren't. Where is the incentive for these guys to improve defensively?

[kekgeek]

Some good points, monster, but I would argue that Thibs has been KAT's and Wig's coach for the majority of their careers. I still say it's about accountability, and Mitchell (despite his similar gruff exterior) was not very effective in this area either. Under Mitchell and Thibs, KAT and Wig have been shown that weak effort or bonehead plays will not get you yanked from a game, as long as you are scoring points...and sometimes even if you aren't. Where is the incentive for these guys to improve defensively?

The incentive should be play defense or you are going to lose games and you will be a loser for your career. But who knows that might not do it. It is hard to bench those guys because they are so important to our offense.

You bring up Kat defense in college and you are right he was solid but you have to put it in perspective. He was playing with 4 other NBA players including playing with 3 other NBA 7 ft players. And in college that is a huge talent and height disparity compared to other college kids.

It's one game but Frank Kaminsky destroyed Kat in the final 4. So even though I think Kat has all the tools to be good defensively, those might have been masked in college because of who he is playing with.

Same with wiggins, even though I think wiggins showed great flashes, he also had embiid cleaning up mistakes