Coming Out Of The Wilderness - Rockets at Wolves GDT

[Q-is-here]

I'm telling you, he has way more room to work with in this kind of spread offense. It's just a beautiful thing because he can hit the 3 or drive. Not so many damn bodies in his way!

[Phenom]

Youngest in NBA history to get 1000 threes.

Not bad for Dion Waiters 2.0

[Phenom]

I'm telling you, he has way more room to work with in this kind of spread offense. It's just a beautiful thing because he can hit the 3 or drive. Not so many damn bodies in his way!

Might need to really stagger Julius and Rudy

[WildWolf2813]

TC might have to hurry up and get Clark a standard deal before he demands a supermax

[Lipoli390]

I'm telling you, he has way more room to work with in this kind of spread offense. It's just a beautiful thing because he can hit the 3 or drive. Not so many damn bodies in his way!

Q - We’ve been making this point for a long time and we’re seeing that point play out on the court in Randle’s absence. That’ shot at Randle; it’s just a recognition of reality. Ant loved KAT and loved playing with him because of how KAT played. Ant loves Naz and also loves playing with him for the same reason.

These last two games have given us a glimpse into the Wolves future and it looks pretty bright. What we’ve seen is a team that plays with space and pace, that optimizes the talents of its star and that at the level necessary be a true contender. Truth is, in today’s NBA, offense wins championships as much as defense does. Sorry Nico. When you have a superstar as we do in Ant, you have to build around him in ways that optimize his talents and his ability to help the team. Randle doesn’t do that for Ant, but Naz does. Actually, I think Naz is an even better fit for Rudy than KAT because of Naz’s tremendous mobility. We’re stuck with Randle for now, but that will have to change after the season ends.

I’ve always been confident that Dilly and TSJ will eventually become really good and possibly great NBA players but now I’m thinking we also have a young gem in Clark. Think about the team we saw tonight with Dilly, TSJ and Clark developing into the players many experts thought they’d become and that they’re just starting to show signs of becoming. Then add in DDV who has a number of prime years left. The West keeps getting tougher but I can now see a path for the Wolves to keep pace and break through to becoming a title contender. Even this season has some promise.

And I can’t comment on tonight’s game without recognizing Jaden’s 8 rebounds. He has become the rebounder I’ve alway thought he should be. He’s scoring in different ways as I’ve always thought he should. He’s a great defender. And Ant loves playing with him.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Abe's "That was so good I had to stay up to watch the TNT highlights" DVR Review:

- Rough start for McDaniels. Yikes. 1 - 6 fg. 3 early TOs. 3 early fouls. And he picked up yet another silly delay of game. 3 straight games. BUT... he didn't let the start keep him out of the game. He played well in the 2nd half. A sign of maturity? Just continuing his recent run of good, solid play.

- Good Conley showed tonight. He was active. He drove TWICE for buckets! And he hit his threes. He has 23 assists and only 1 TO over the past 3 games.

- The Wolves had 6 turnovers in the first 7 minutes... and then only 6 over the final 41 minutes. Might be the hidden story of the game.

- Remember the days when Edwards shot 31 FTAs in December (2.4 per game)? He averaged 8.1 in January. And he's taken 33 FTAs the past two nights. MORE FREE THROWS IN TWO DAYS THAN ALL OF DECEMBER (13 games).

THIS is what Edwards can be. He relentlessly attacked the rim and threes.

- Clark hit his threes. But he does more than that. I think he knows who he is and what his role is more than anyone else on the team. He showed a drive-and-kick game, too. He plays defense. He cuts. He moves the ball. It's early, but he's been a revelation so far.

- I mentioned Naz Reid's surprising passing chops a couple of games ago. Tonight he made a great skip pass to the corner. 10 assists in two nights (after that other game I talked about previously). Naz Stockton has been unleashed.

- Jea'sean Tate had one plan tonight... it was NOT to play basketball. PJ Tucker and Jae Crowder would be so proud.

- Speaking of cheap shot artists... Dillon Brooks. Look, it's easy to see why he plays on winning teams. He's TOUGH. He's a good defender. And he can occasionally get hot. But what an ass. For a while, I thought his antics were working.

- This might not have been the Wolves best game, but it was another good game (a familiar refrain over the past couple of weeks). More importantly, they showed a resiliency we haven't seen often. They took Houston's best punches again and again and threw their own... until they knocked them out in the center of the ring. This is a win that invites a lot of optimism.

Young guys contributing. Edwards playing the superstar role. Reid, Gobert and Conley playing like smart vets. Even Luka Garza played 2 good minutes on defense!

- I've been pessimistic about Dillingham. But his 6 quick points in the 4th were huge with Edwards on the bench. And I feel A LOT better about him than I would about his former college teammate, Reed Sheppard. YUCK. He threw up two horrendous airballs and just doesn't seem to have it. He came in shooting 31.5% overall and only 28% on threes... and both went down. He also didn't seem to have the quickness, bounce or savvy to be a facilitator.

- Houston is so athletic. And they're tough. Even without VanVleet they looked formidable. A good win for the Wolves.

- Seriously, I apologize for my optimism. But the first half of the season was just such a slog.

[thedoper]

Clark is like Pat Bev. Love his game. I said last year that I had hopes he could be a back up PG. I think he can be more than that after seeing those shots go in. What a great game for him.

[Lipoli390]

Abe's "That was so good I had to stay up to watch the TNT highlights" DVR Review:

- Rough start for McDaniels. Yikes. 1 - 6 fg. 3 early TOs. 3 early fouls. And he picked up yet another silly delay of game. 3 straight games. BUT... he didn't let the start keep him out of the game. He played well in the 2nd half. A sign of maturity? Just continuing his recent run of good, solid play.

- Good Conley showed tonight. He was active. He drove TWICE for buckets! And he hit his threes. He has 23 assists and only 1 TO over the past 3 games.

- The Wolves had 6 turnovers in the first 7 minutes... and then only 6 over the final 41 minutes. Might be the hidden story of the game.

- Remember the days when Edwards shot 31 FTAs in December (2.4 per game)? He averaged 8.1 in January. And he's taken 33 FTAs the past two nights. MORE FREE THROWS IN TWO DAYS THAN ALL OF DECEMBER (13 games).

THIS is what Edwards can be. He relentlessly attacked the rim and threes.

- Clark hit his threes. But he does more than that. I think he knows who he is and what his role is more than anyone else on the team. He showed a drive-and-kick game, too. He plays defense. He cuts. He moves the ball. It's early, but he's been a revelation so far.

- I mentioned Naz Reid's surprising passing chops a couple of games ago. Tonight he made a great skip pass to the corner. 10 assists in two nights (after that other game I talked about previously). Naz Stockton has been unleashed.

- Jea'sean Tate had one plan tonight... it was NOT to play basketball. PJ Tucker and Jae Crowder would be so proud.

- Speaking of cheap shot artists... Dillon Brooks. Look, it's easy to see why he plays on winning teams. He's TOUGH. He's a good defender. And he can occasionally get hot. But what an ass. For a while, I thought his antics were working.

- This might not have been the Wolves best game, but it was another good game (a familiar refrain over the past couple of weeks). More importantly, they showed a resiliency we haven't seen often. They took Houston's best punches again and again and threw their own... until they knocked them out in the center of the ring. This is a win that invites a lot of optimism.

Young guys contributing. Edwards playing the superstar role. Reid, Gobert and Conley playing like smart vets. Even Luka Garza played 2 good minutes on defense!

- I've been pessimistic about Dillingham. But his 6 quick points in the 4th were huge with Edwards on the bench. And I feel A LOT better about him than I would about his former college teammate, Reed Sheppard. YUCK. He threw up two horrendous airballs and just doesn't seem to have it. He came in shooting 31.5% overall and only 28% on threes... and both went down. He also didn't seem to have the quickness, bounce or savvy to be a facilitator.

- Houston is so athletic. And they're tough. Even without VanVleet they looked formidable. A good win for the Wolves.

- Seriously, I apologize for my optimism. But the first half of the season was just such a slog.

Abe - I no longer recognize you. In fact, I don’t know who you are but I’m sure you’re not really Abe. I’ve always suspected the League might some day launch a plot to remove all the skeptics and curmudgeons from NBA message boards and replace them with happy-talk optimists. I think that day has finally come. So just know “Abe” or whoever you are - I’m on to you and I’m not going to let the League get away with this.

[DNatagal]

Abe's "That was so good I had to stay up to watch the TNT highlights" DVR Review:

- Rough start for McDaniels. Yikes. 1 - 6 fg. 3 early TOs. 3 early fouls. And he picked up yet another silly delay of game. 3 straight games. BUT... he didn't let the start keep him out of the game. He played well in the 2nd half. A sign of maturity? Just continuing his recent run of good, solid play.

- Good Conley showed tonight. He was active. He drove TWICE for buckets! And he hit his threes. He has 23 assists and only 1 TO over the past 3 games.

- The Wolves had 6 turnovers in the first 7 minutes... and then only 6 over the final 41 minutes. Might be the hidden story of the game.

- Remember the days when Edwards shot 31 FTAs in December (2.4 per game)? He averaged 8.1 in January. And he's taken 33 FTAs the past two nights. MORE FREE THROWS IN TWO DAYS THAN ALL OF DECEMBER (13 games).

THIS is what Edwards can be. He relentlessly attacked the rim and threes.

- Clark hit his threes. But he does more than that. I think he knows who he is and what his role is more than anyone else on the team. He showed a drive-and-kick game, too. He plays defense. He cuts. He moves the ball. It's early, but he's been a revelation so far.

- I mentioned Naz Reid's surprising passing chops a couple of games ago. Tonight he made a great skip pass to the corner. 10 assists in two nights (after that other game I talked about previously). Naz Stockton has been unleashed.

- Jea'sean Tate had one plan tonight... it was NOT to play basketball. PJ Tucker and Jae Crowder would be so proud.

- Speaking of cheap shot artists... Dillon Brooks. Look, it's easy to see why he plays on winning teams. He's TOUGH. He's a good defender. And he can occasionally get hot. But what an ass. For a while, I thought his antics were working.

- This might not have been the Wolves best game, but it was another good game (a familiar refrain over the past couple of weeks). More importantly, they showed a resiliency we haven't seen often. They took Houston's best punches again and again and threw their own... until they knocked them out in the center of the ring. This is a win that invites a lot of optimism.

Young guys contributing. Edwards playing the superstar role. Reid, Gobert and Conley playing like smart vets. Even Luka Garza played 2 good minutes on defense!

- I've been pessimistic about Dillingham. But his 6 quick points in the 4th were huge with Edwards on the bench. And I feel A LOT better about him than I would about his former college teammate, Reed Sheppard. YUCK. He threw up two horrendous airballs and just doesn't seem to have it. He came in shooting 31.5% overall and only 28% on threes... and both went down. He also didn't seem to have the quickness, bounce or savvy to be a facilitator.

- Houston is so athletic. And they're tough. Even without VanVleet they looked formidable. A good win for the Wolves.

- Seriously, I apologize for my optimism. But the first half of the season was just such a slog.

Abe - I no longer recognize you. In fact, I don’t know who you are but I’m sure you’re not really Abe. I’ve always suspected the League might some day launch a plot to remove all the skeptics and curmudgeons from NBA message boards and replace them with happy-talk optimists. I think that day has finally come. So just know “Abe” or whoever you are - I’m on to you and I’m not going to let the League get away with this.

I am with you Lip. I almost reported Abe's last post as being fraudulent.

[FNG]

This was such a great win. Both teams missing 2 key players. The word I would use for tonight's win is resilience. I'm sure all of us were frustrated with the number of times we had a chance to take the lead, missed a shot, and then had the Rockets come down and extend the lead. Games with this kind of pattern usually end up as a loss, but not tonight. The defense showed up, and we held Houston to 4 points in the first 5+ minutes of the 4th quarter! But despite the lockdown defense, we still only led by 1 with 4 1/2 minutes left. And then Ant happened...11 points in the next 2 minutes, and we pulled away for a huge win.

Good job by Finchie tonight. He recognized some of our guys were gassed tonight and he had to use more of his bench. So he gave 39 minutes to our three rookies (including Clark)! We need to point out that as exciting as these guys are, they are rookies and are going to struggle at times...they were a combined -18 in their 39 minutes, and none of our vets were negative. But they gave our regular rotation a blow and allowed them to stay fresh enough to pull this one out.

Red hot Portland next...they and Memphis are the 2 hottest teams in the Association right now with 9 wins in their last 10! But we have to win that one because after that the schedule gets brutal. And the difficult schedule continues for 4 games after the all-star break, but we also may have Donte and Ju back by then. But after that, I think we have the softest schedule in the league with a lot of Utah, New Orleans, and Brooklyn. We should finish very strong.

Edit: Oh, and thanks to Tim for guiding us through this wilderness period...he deserves some credit for our good results! Tim, we're all eager to see how you're going to define the next stretch.