Game Report - Wolves v. Nuggets

[KiwiMatt]

Just looking at the box score tells it all. The Nuggets bench outscored ours 47 - 10. Their bench wouldn't look half out of place as starters in this league. Ours would get beaten by most D League teams.......

I'm starting to think Brewer in the second unit might be a good idea.

[Lipoli390]

I think we all agree the Wolves have a terrible bench. I also think most of us agree the Wolves are a poor defensive team and that includes our starters as well as our bench. But taking a root cause approach to examining the Wolves struggles, I think Kenneth Faried's comment after last night's game was telling. Here's the key part of his comment: "We just attacked them. We knew they had slow feet." Basketball is a certainly a game of skill. But it is even more a game of athleticism, speed, and quickness. And that's particularly true on the defensive end. With the exception of Brewer and to a limited extent, Ricky, the Wolves don't have the quickness or athleticism to be a really good NBA team. The Wolves are largely a team of skilled plodders. That can work to some extent offensively, but it can't work on the defensive end.

A collectively high basketball IQ and good jump shooting can beat other relatively unathletic teams and some more athletic teams that don't play well together either because of poor coaching or a lack of IQ and skills. But over the long haul it won't succeed much in a League loaded with incredible athleticism and speed. And that's especially true today. As I mentioned before, the Wolves have enough to contend for that 8th playoff slot. But it will be a challenge and I don't see this team as currently constituted going further than that.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Well then I guess we're doomed. 20 wins this year. We suck. We're no good. Love is all hype. Rubio's meant to be a Harlem Globetrotter and nothing more. K-Mart's gonna get traded. Pek can't do anything right. Blow it up. Re-start.

I'm being extremely sarcastic.

This is a rough stretch we're in. Denver might be THE most athletic team in basketball. Of course we can't match that, but we don't have to. Skill > Athleticism. It's just when shots aren't falling, it's even tougher. I still 100% believe we have a playoff team.

[thedoper]

I think we all agree the Wolves have a terrible bench. I also think most of us agree the Wolves are a poor defensive team and that includes our starters as well as our bench. But taking a root cause approach to examining the Wolves struggles, I think Kenneth Faried's comment after last night's game was telling. Here's the key part of his comment: "We just attacked them. We knew they had slow feet." Basketball is a certainly a game of skill. But it is even more a game of athleticism, speed, and quickness. And that's particularly true on the defensive end. With the exception of Brewer and to a limited extent, Ricky, the Wolves don't have the quickness or athleticism to be a really good NBA team. The Wolves are largely a team of skilled plodders. That can work to some extent offensively, but it can't work on the defensive end.

A collectively high basketball IQ and good jump shooting can beat other relatively unathletic teams and some more athletic teams that don't play well together either because of poor coaching or a lack IQ and skills. But over the long haul it won't succeed much in a League loaded with incredible athleticism a
and speed. And that's especially true today.

Sounds like we really are too white ;)

[Papalrep]

KIWI MATT wrote:

I am currently in Australia soaking up some sun, so am unable to watch games for the next week.

Happy thanks giving everyone as well!


You live in New Zealand, and you go to Australia for sun?? Aren't the climates identical?

You are dead on on our bench

[Papalrep]

Lip Wrote:

"I think Kenneth Faried's comment after last night's game was telling. Here's the key part of his comment: "We just attacked them. We knew they had slow feet."

Wow, telling. I will continue to hope that the new guy in the Williams trade and Budinger's return will help our depth, spread out some minutes, and help defensively.

But we are set - Klove and PEK, we are going with them, for better or worse

[The Rage Monster [enjin:8010341]]

Good work lip, I've been lurking since the switch but this post finally brought me back.

Your overall assessment of the team after the loss is a bit of an overreaction. We do have talent and we could get the 7th or 8th seed without overachieving. But in terms of being a true contender I agree we aren't significantly closer.

As for your assessment of Love, I think it is spot on. He is an above average player but with limitations which keep him from elevating his game late in games. His best skill set is his rebounding but many times late in games he's unable to secure a defensive board because he is physically limited. His value will never be higher as many people refer to him as the top PF, if the wolves want to become actual contenders they should seriously consider trading him.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

If we're gonna trade Love, I want the first overall pick in this year's draft and then some, which some might say is unrealistic.

[KiwiMatt]

KIWI MATT wrote:

I am currently in Australia soaking up some sun, so am unable to watch games for the next week.

Happy thanks giving everyone as well!


You live in New Zealand, and you go to Australia for sun?? Aren't the climates identical?

You are dead on on our bench

Nah quite different actually. NZ is temperate and a lot of Australia is sub tropical. I'm up in Queensland so lovely and warm atm, as just coming in to summer.

[Lipoli390]

Rage -- I think you're right that.my overall assessment of the team may have been a slight overreaction as to the Wolves chances of getting the 7th or 8th seed. But I think we both agree generally that the 7th or 8th seed is probably our ceiling and that we lack a star player as well as speed/athleticism. And I agree the Wolves may have to consider trading Love before long unless something unexpected materializes -- i.e., Rubio develops a consistently good perimeter shot, and/or Shabazz emerges as a Lance Stephenson type, Deing emerges as an elite center.

Cam -- The Cavs offered us the first overall pick and Waiters for Love last summer. So I think your suggestion is very realistic. But we should wait until the end of the season before we consider dealing him. As of now, the Wolves would have a 2014 lottery pick. Depending on where we end up with our own pick and whether we finally have a good front office, keeping Love might still make sense.