Wolves vs. Thunder GDT

[Q-is-here]

Troy Brown Jr getting all of Shake's minutes is a no brainer at this point.

They may need to make a move though sooner rather than later, especially if Ant is out for more than a few games. They need better guard play off the bench, whether it be shooting and/or play making. We can't expect Kyle Anderson and Mike Conley to hold up for all 82 games at this rate and Little Mac can only do so much when healthy.

[60WinTim]

It's worth noting that TBJ was a PG for much of his life. That is a pretty clear theme in Connelly's pursuit of players -- playing making abilities are essential!

[KiwiMatt]

Huge win.

Game ball goes to Troy Brown Jr. What a solid player he is. His best trait is his rebounding, something we've lacked from our wings in recent memory. Rudy Gobert a very close second, he was huge tonight. And the bench in general was very good tonight. Naz was great. Just wish Kyle Anderson would shoot the open jumpers like he did last year. Defenders are leaving him open knowing he'll pass or dribble drive. Getting too predictable and when paired with Gobert there's no spacing. Shake will come around and may get more game time with a few injuries in the ranks now. More minutes will do him a world of good I believe.

Lets hope that Ants injury isn't too bad and just a bruise from his fall. I just wish the officials would protect him more by giving him fair call. Opposition teams know they can hammer KAT and ANT if they dribble drive and get away with it more often than not.

[Lipoli390]

Huge win.

Game ball goes to Troy Brown Jr. What a solid player he is. His best trait is his rebounding, something we've lacked from our wings in recent memory. Rudy Gobert a very close second, he was huge tonight. And the bench in general was very good tonight. Naz was great. Just wish Kyle Anderson would shoot the open jumpers like he did last year. Defenders are leaving him open knowing he'll pass or dribble drive. Getting too predictable and when paired with Gobert there's no spacing. Shake will come around and may get more game time with a few injuries in the ranks now. More minutes will do him a world of good I believe.

Lets hope that Ants injury isn't too bad and just a bruise from his fall. I just wish the officials would protect him more by giving him fair call. Opposition teams know they can hammer KAT and ANT if they dribble drive and get away with it more often than not.

Matt - I agree with all your takes except the notion that Shake will come around. He’s had enough minutes to show what he can do for this team and giving him more minutes will only hurt the team. I mentioned in another thread that Troy Brown Jr should get Shake’s minutes and will be a key to this team’s success going forward. He adds a level of speed and athleticism this team needs, especially now with Ant out. He was terrific tonight. I also love the way Rudy stepped up tonight.

I share your wish that officials would start protecting Ant and KAT more. Shortly before Ant’s injury he was clearly fouled twice on his way to the basket but got not call other than a technical against him for complaining. I attribute his injury to trying to do too much out of frustration with the officiating. I’m sick of it. And you’re right that KAT gets repeatedly beat up with no calls and they he gets called for little things.

[Lipoli390]

Quick thoughts...

- OKC is legit. That is a damn good team and well coached. Our interior size and strength was ultimately too much for them, but I thought they played a nearly flawless first half. I put this W up there with the wins against Boston and Denver.

- I was disappointed to see how amped up KAT was on offense, as he regressed back to his proclivity for reckless drives that led to six turnovers. But I thought he was really good in the second half defensively during that 3rd quarter stint where Rudy was sitting.

- Rudy may be playing the best defense of his career, which is saying something considering his age and what we saw last year. What I see a lot more of than even his Utah days is his perimeter shot contests. He not only deterred multiple shots in the paint where guys just didn't even try shooting it, but also closed out on multiple outside shooters that led to misses. Impressive stuff.

-Troy Brown Jr. might be better than Shake Milton at almost every facet of the game and they don't even play the same position. I continue to scratch my head at how Shake was so solid with Philly, yet continually looks so out of sorts with the Wolves.

- It's hilarious to think the Conley, NAW, and Ant might be our only true guards in the rotation if TBJ displaces Shake. TBJ will be playing the 2 essentially.

- While it sucks that Ant got hurt, I thought he made a number of poor decisions out there tonight. Sorry, but he is not on the same level as SGA. He may get there in a year or two, but SGA makes it look way easier in his efficiency of shot selection, movement off the ball, and playing within the flow of the offense.

I agree with all you points, Q. No question that SGA is a better player than Ant is right now, but SGA is two years ahead of Ant. I suspect the SGA two seasons ago was no better than Ant is now. Note that SGA’s biggest jump statistically came in his 5th season. I just hope Ant is OK. I always worry about hip injuries. It was a hip injury that ended Jonny Flynn’s career. The Wolves should sit Ant out as long as it takes to make s use he’s fully healed. Let’s hope it’s not a fracture or displacement.

[Phenom]

Quick thoughts...

- OKC is legit. That is a damn good team and well coached. Our interior size and strength was ultimately too much for them, but I thought they played a nearly flawless first half. I put this W up there with the wins against Boston and Denver.

- I was disappointed to see how amped up KAT was on offense, as he regressed back to his proclivity for reckless drives that led to six turnovers. But I thought he was really good in the second half defensively during that 3rd quarter stint where Rudy was sitting.

- Rudy may be playing the best defense of his career, which is saying something considering his age and what we saw last year. What I see a lot more of than even his Utah days is his perimeter shot contests. He not only deterred multiple shots in the paint where guys just didn't even try shooting it, but also closed out on multiple outside shooters that led to misses. Impressive stuff.

-Troy Brown Jr. might be better than Shake Milton at almost every facet of the game and they don't even play the same position. I continue to scratch my head at how Shake was so solid with Philly, yet continually looks so out of sorts with the Wolves.

- It's hilarious to think the Conley, NAW, and Ant might be our only true guards in the rotation if TBJ displaces Shake. TBJ will be playing the 2 essentially.

- While it sucks that Ant got hurt, I thought he made a number of poor decisions out there tonight. Sorry, but he is not on the same level as SGA. He may get there in a year or two, but SGA makes it look way easier in his efficiency of shot selection, movement off the ball, and playing within the flow of the offense.

I agree with all you points, Q. No question that SGA is a better player than Ant is right now, but SGA is two years ahead of Ant. I suspect the SGA two seasons ago was no better than Ant is now. Note that SGA’s biggest jump statistically came in his 5th season. I just hope Ant is OK. I always worry about hip injuries. It was a hip injury that ended Jonny Flynn’s career. The Wolves should sit Ant out as long as it takes to make s use he’s fully healed. Let’s hope it’s not a fracture or displacement.

The Wolves next 4 are against Utah, Charlotte (No LaMelo) and 2 teams that didn't make the quarterfinals. There's a good chance it could be Memphis and San Antonio since the Wolves only have 3 scheduled games agaisnt them. If Ant needs time to heal, it won't get any more ideal.

[FNG]

Quick thoughts...

- OKC is legit. That is a damn good team and well coached. Our interior size and strength was ultimately too much for them, but I thought they played a nearly flawless first half. I put this W up there with the wins against Boston and Denver.

- I was disappointed to see how amped up KAT was on offense, as he regressed back to his proclivity for reckless drives that led to six turnovers. But I thought he was really good in the second half defensively during that 3rd quarter stint where Rudy was sitting.

- Rudy may be playing the best defense of his career, which is saying something considering his age and what we saw last year. What I see a lot more of than even his Utah days is his perimeter shot contests. He not only deterred multiple shots in the paint where guys just didn't even try shooting it, but also closed out on multiple outside shooters that led to misses. Impressive stuff.

-Troy Brown Jr. might be better than Shake Milton at almost every facet of the game and they don't even play the same position. I continue to scratch my head at how Shake was so solid with Philly, yet continually looks so out of sorts with the Wolves.

- It's hilarious to think the Conley, NAW, and Ant might be our only true guards in the rotation if TBJ displaces Shake. TBJ will be playing the 2 essentially.

- While it sucks that Ant got hurt, I thought he made a number of poor decisions out there tonight. Sorry, but he is not on the same level as SGA. He may get there in a year or two, but SGA makes it look way easier in his efficiency of shot selection, movement off the ball, and playing within the flow of the offense.

I agree with all you points, Q. No question that SGA is a better player than Ant is right now, but SGA is two years ahead of Ant. I suspect the SGA two seasons ago was no better than Ant is now. Note that SGA’s biggest jump statistically came in his 5th season. I just hope Ant is OK. I always worry about hip injuries. It was a hip injury that ended Jonny Flynn’s career. The Wolves should sit Ant out as long as it takes to make s use he’s fully healed. Let’s hope it’s not a fracture or displacement.

I agree...terrific takes by Q. And I think it's a positive that Ant was walking much better when he came out of the locker room than when he hobbled off the court.

Did anyone think we were going to win this game when Ant left the game down 4 points? I didn't. OkC is really good, KAT was begin defended well, Bite Bite was uncharacteristically off with his shot, and we were sloppy with the ball (especially KAT and Slomo). But Rudy and TBJ were outstanding, and we came out with a great win against a healthy, really good team despite being down two starters.

So Bite Bite shot poorly, but he was a team-leading +17 because of his 8 assists with no TOs and great close-out defense. And he said he wasn't even tired after the game despite playing 37 minutes. Such an asset for this team.

So we're now a game and a half ahead of Denver with 4 very winnable games coming up...even if Ant can't go. I would love to see us 17-4 in a week!

[Q-is-here]

Quick thoughts...

- OKC is legit. That is a damn good team and well coached. Our interior size and strength was ultimately too much for them, but I thought they played a nearly flawless first half. I put this W up there with the wins against Boston and Denver.

- I was disappointed to see how amped up KAT was on offense, as he regressed back to his proclivity for reckless drives that led to six turnovers. But I thought he was really good in the second half defensively during that 3rd quarter stint where Rudy was sitting.

- Rudy may be playing the best defense of his career, which is saying something considering his age and what we saw last year. What I see a lot more of than even his Utah days is his perimeter shot contests. He not only deterred multiple shots in the paint where guys just didn't even try shooting it, but also closed out on multiple outside shooters that led to misses. Impressive stuff.

-Troy Brown Jr. might be better than Shake Milton at almost every facet of the game and they don't even play the same position. I continue to scratch my head at how Shake was so solid with Philly, yet continually looks so out of sorts with the Wolves.

- It's hilarious to think the Conley, NAW, and Ant might be our only true guards in the rotation if TBJ displaces Shake. TBJ will be playing the 2 essentially.

- While it sucks that Ant got hurt, I thought he made a number of poor decisions out there tonight. Sorry, but he is not on the same level as SGA. He may get there in a year or two, but SGA makes it look way easier in his efficiency of shot selection, movement off the ball, and playing within the flow of the offense.

I agree with all you points, Q. No question that SGA is a better player than Ant is right now, but SGA is two years ahead of Ant. I suspect the SGA two seasons ago was no better than Ant is now. Note that SGA’s biggest jump statistically came in his 5th season. I just hope Ant is OK. I always worry about hip injuries. It was a hip injury that ended Jonny Flynn’s career. The Wolves should sit Ant out as long as it takes to make s use he’s fully healed. Let’s hope it’s not a fracture or displacement.

I agree...terrific takes by Q. And I think it's a positive that Ant was walking much better when he came out of the locker room than when he hobbled off the court.

Did anyone think we were going to win this game when Ant left the game down 4 points? I didn't. OkC is really good, KAT was begin defended well, Bite Bite was uncharacteristically off with his shot, and we were sloppy with the ball (especially KAT and Slomo). But Rudy and TBJ were outstanding, and we came out with a great win against a healthy, really good team despite being down two starters.

So Bite Bite shot poorly, but he was a team-leading +17 because of his 8 assists with no TOs and great close-out defense. And he said he wasn't even tired after the game despite playing 37 minutes. Such an asset for this team.

So we're now a game and a half ahead of Denver with 4 very winnable games coming up...even if Ant can't go. I would love to see us 17-4 in a week!

I feel like we're playing with fire a bit with Conley. Age is going to catch up with him some point in the form of tired legs (which affects his shooting and defense) or injury. We desperately need Little Mac to get healthy and/or go make a move to get another ball handler. We need to start thinking about strategic rest days with Conley, as he is carrying too much of a load too early in the season for this to be sustainable.

The other thing about Conley and his shooting is that they are trying to remake him into more of a volume 3-point shooter. Did you guys notice that they had him playing off ball with NAW doing most of the early initiation? While Conley has always been a fairly accurate 3-point shooter, he's never been a volume guy. I'm not sure he can make the transition without his accuracy taking a big hit even though I know they want him to carry a higher usage, especially if Ant misses games.

[WildWolf2813]

I agree with all you points, Q. No question that SGA is a better player than Ant is right now, but SGA is two years ahead of Ant. I suspect the SGA two seasons ago was no better than Ant is now. Note that SGA’s biggest jump statistically came in his 5th season. I just hope Ant is OK. I always worry about hip injuries. It was a hip injury that ended Jonny Flynn’s career. The Wolves should sit Ant out as long as it takes to make s use he’s fully healed. Let’s hope it’s not a fracture or displacement.

I agree...terrific takes by Q. And I think it's a positive that Ant was walking much better when he came out of the locker room than when he hobbled off the court.

Did anyone think we were going to win this game when Ant left the game down 4 points? I didn't. OkC is really good, KAT was begin defended well, Bite Bite was uncharacteristically off with his shot, and we were sloppy with the ball (especially KAT and Slomo). But Rudy and TBJ were outstanding, and we came out with a great win against a healthy, really good team despite being down two starters.

So Bite Bite shot poorly, but he was a team-leading +17 because of his 8 assists with no TOs and great close-out defense. And he said he wasn't even tired after the game despite playing 37 minutes. Such an asset for this team.

So we're now a game and a half ahead of Denver with 4 very winnable games coming up...even if Ant can't go. I would love to see us 17-4 in a week!

I feel like we're playing with fire a bit with Conley. Age is going to catch up with him some point in the form of tired legs (which affects his shooting and defense) or injury. We desperately need Little Mac to get healthy and/or go make a move to get another ball handler. We need to start thinking about strategic rest days with Conley, as he is carrying too much of a load too early in the season for this to be sustainable.

The other thing about Conley and his shooting is that they are trying to remake him into more of a volume 3-point shooter. Did you guys notice that they had him playing off ball with NAW doing most of the early initiation? While Conley has always been a fairly accurate 3-point shooter, he's never been a volume guy. I'm not sure he can make the transition without his accuracy taking a big hit even though I know they want him to carry a higher usage, especially if Ant misses games.

Ant has a bruised hip. Give him a week and use that time to give Minott an end of the bench role.

Conley is the one who is asking for more of a role, but it's good to have him in this role at the playing time he gets. Conley is the prototype for what we want alongside Ant, so Connelly's goal is to find a younger version of this.

[Phenom]

Bingo. Jonny K reports that the Wolves will get San Antonio and Memphis as the 2 fill in opponents. Wolves catch a break there.