Pacers at Wolves Preseason GDT

[rapsuperstar31]

In my mid 20s I could eat and drink anything and still play BB for 3 hours a day(not at any really competitive level of course), work 8 hour shift and then go out to party all night. Fast metabolism is a real thing. Now I am on the wrong side of 50 and it takes 24 hours to recover from 6 beers after 10pm.
Just saying

Yeah, but everyone is different DN. In my mid 20s I changed my diet radically from my "college diet" because I was noticing a big drop off in athletic performance. And I noticed a positive change right away. My sense is that Ant's situation may be more like mine than yours. Despite not always putting in the effort on the defensive end that guys like Jaden and NAW do, he looks gassed a lot out there...more so than the guys who are working their butts off at both ends of the court. He's been challenged to up his defensive game this season along with quickening his pace on the offensive end. A reporter said that sounded like a lot of running, and asked him if he was going to be up to it. Ant said he didn't know, but thought maybe more sleep might help. I don't disagree, but my experience tells me a better diet could help to. I know we're playing up Chipgate too much, but that's because some of us are concerned that he's still not taking fitness seriously enough. I hope he gets it soon...

Getting held, slapped, and hit every time you have the ball tends to take it's toll on you no matter what kind of shape you're in. Maybe diet could help, and that is what team dietitians, coaches, and trainers are for. If Ant doesn't improve at all the rest of his career, he is already well on pace to being the best Timberwolf in history. KG got out of the first round of the playoffs once.

[Q-is-here]

I watched the 1st half again, and I have a few comments...

On ANT -- he was just fine. I only saw 3 instances of ref-complaining, and that's nothing for stars around the league. None of complaints were tech-worthy and none of them caused him to lag behind the play, so that's new! I saw no sign of indifferent defense. I was a bit surprised how much zone Finch ran -- maybe it was just something to work on in the preseason? And the first play of the game had ANT posting up and splashing a mid-range shot -- one of his off-season areas of focus.

That starting lineup had to be another Finch experiment to try in the preseason. It was ineffective. I doubt we'll ever see it again, at least as a starting lineup, if Jaden were to miss another game. Both NAZ and Randle are bad at defense, although at least Randle has the body to bang down low.

Rob was REALLY bad in the 1st half. He at least had a few positive plays in the 2nd half. Looks like Bones will be on his tail the entire preseason. And you know what? They could be battling for a low-minute 10th spot in the rotation! I say that because Shannon and Clark continue to show they need to play regularly. And adding those two to the seven regulars -- that's a 9-man rotation right there. Where do Bones and/or Rob fit in?!?

Johnny "McDermott" Juzang continues to impress. Spotrac says he signed an Exhibit 10 deal, but I thought Jonny K said he had a chance to earn a roster spot. It'll be interesting to see how his path unfolds.

We gotta be pretty upbeat with our frontcourt in the future. Both Joan and Rocco show signs of being impactful players in the years to come.

Taking a second look often allows for a more sober assessment of things, so this is helpful Tim. Also, your dedication is admirable given it's the pre-season! Love it!

I'm beginning to think that Clark is the one truly pushing Rob out of that 9th man role, as his defense looks profoundly disruptive...he's trending toward that GPIII/Alex Caruso/Dyson Daniels tier of perimeter defender, where he not only can guard guys one on one, but also provides a lot of off ball defense with his steals, blocks, and stepping in for charges.

Finch may give Dilly some rope to start the regular season, but ultimately it's going to be really hard for Finch to leave Clark on the bench or use him as only a spot player.

[FNG]

I agree with both Tim and Q that Rob is in danger of falling behind both TJ and Clark in a 9-man rotation. Rob will get his chances early, but Finchy will not hesitate to move to better options. Clark's defense is definitely a strength, but he has another skill that may get him into the rotation. More than anyone on the roster other than possibly Conley, he has both the ability and instinct to make the pocket pass to whoever is in the dunker spot for an easy 2. His offensive skills may be limited, but a combination of elite defense and adept passing could earn him a rotation spot.

[60WinTim]

I am watching the Blazers at Warriors game. It's 39-25 Blazers after one quarter. The Blazers play a heck of a lot like the Pacers, but with more length. If the Wolves trot out the same lineup and play with the same intensity, they will be toast in the season opener at Portland in two weeks. Hopefully they will make some adjustments heading into that game.

[Q-is-here]

I am watching the Blazers at Warriors game. It's 39-25 Blazers after one quarter. The Blazers play a heck of a lot like the Pacers, but with more length. If the Wolves trot out the same lineup and play with the same intensity, they will be toast in the season opener at Portland in two weeks. Hopefully they will make some adjustments heading into that game.

Everyone saw Indiana and OKC's run to the Finals last season. While both teams excelled in different areas, with Indiana being more offensive-oriented and OKC more defensive-oriented, the big takeaway was just how many players they utilized in their respective regular season and playoff runs and how it allowed them to play with more intensity and effort. Indiana picking up full court nearly 100% of the time is almost unheard of in the NBA (yes, teams have pressed for short bursts, but not entire games) and they were doing it in the playoffs! And we just got a dose of it last night in a freakin' pre-season game!

Then there is Sacramento where new coach Doug Christie wants to use a 10-man rotation on a nightly basis and really push the pace. Then you have the Blazers....

We still need the personnel to battle against teams like the Nuggets, Rockets, and Clippers, but Finch has to show a willingness to be flexible against these more nimble, fast-paced teams that throw a lot of bodies out there. Was it a coincidence that the two times we beat OKC last season was when both Rudy and Randle were out and we got a heavy does of TSJ and Clark? I think not!

[Wolvesfan21]

In my mid 20s I could eat and drink anything and still play BB for 3 hours a day(not at any really competitive level of course), work 8 hour shift and then go out to party all night. Fast metabolism is a real thing. Now I am on the wrong side of 50 and it takes 24 hours to recover from 6 beers after 10pm.
Just saying

Yeah, but everyone is different DN. In my mid 20s I changed my diet radically from my "college diet" because I was noticing a big drop off in athletic performance. And I noticed a positive change right away. My sense is that Ant's situation may be more like mine than yours. Despite not always putting in the effort on the defensive end that guys like Jaden and NAW do, he looks gassed a lot out there...more so than the guys who are working their butts off at both ends of the court. He's been challenged to up his defensive game this season along with quickening his pace on the offensive end. A reporter said that sounded like a lot of running, and asked him if he was going to be up to it. Ant said he didn't know, but thought maybe more sleep might help. I don't disagree, but my experience tells me a better diet could help to. I know we're playing up Chipgate too much, but that's because some of us are concerned that he's still not taking fitness seriously enough. I hope he gets it soon...

I'm not sure if you guys seen the Netflix thing or not, because chips I don't think is a one off thing, in that he was ordering pizza, eating chips (he has said he loves them so much) and staying up really late playing video games.

I actually do think his potentially very sub-optimal diet (can't say for sure because I've only seen a small portion) and lack of sleep has in the past contributed to his tried legs on the court. Especially in the WCF we saw it in the Dallas series. He looked super dead.

We all know you can get away with some shit when you're 24, but maybe others are making the sacrifices like SGA and maybe now Luka too. Can Ant hang with those guys?

[rapsuperstar31]

In my mid 20s I could eat and drink anything and still play BB for 3 hours a day(not at any really competitive level of course), work 8 hour shift and then go out to party all night. Fast metabolism is a real thing. Now I am on the wrong side of 50 and it takes 24 hours to recover from 6 beers after 10pm.
Just saying

Yeah, but everyone is different DN. In my mid 20s I changed my diet radically from my "college diet" because I was noticing a big drop off in athletic performance. And I noticed a positive change right away. My sense is that Ant's situation may be more like mine than yours. Despite not always putting in the effort on the defensive end that guys like Jaden and NAW do, he looks gassed a lot out there...more so than the guys who are working their butts off at both ends of the court. He's been challenged to up his defensive game this season along with quickening his pace on the offensive end. A reporter said that sounded like a lot of running, and asked him if he was going to be up to it. Ant said he didn't know, but thought maybe more sleep might help. I don't disagree, but my experience tells me a better diet could help to. I know we're playing up Chipgate too much, but that's because some of us are concerned that he's still not taking fitness seriously enough. I hope he gets it soon...

I'm not sure if you guys seen the Netflix thing or not, because chips I don't think is a one off thing, in that he was ordering pizza, eating chips (he has said he loves them so much) and staying up really late playing video games.

I actually do think his potentially very sub-optimal diet (can't say for sure because I've only seen a small portion) and lack of sleep has in the past contributed to his tried legs on the court. Especially in the WCF we saw it in the Dallas series. He looked super dead.

We all know you can get away with some shit when you're 24, but maybe others are making the sacrifices like SGA and maybe now Luka too. Can Ant hang with those guys?

A superstar usually doesn't get it all figured out and win their first title until ages 26-28. That is the age range where some of the best players of all time win their first title. It's when Jordan figured out how to get out of the first round of the playoffs and won a title, it's when Joker won his first title, Lebron won his first title, Durant, SGA, Curry and many others. Ant just turned 24 and is working on his body he is in fantastic shape, he's working on his sleeping habits sleeping a lot more. Not that partying and drinking were ever an issue for him, he just liked to stay at home and play video games all night or bang the occasional Instagram model that slid into his dms. He's not in the strip clubs all night like Harden, he's not hitting the cocaine like al the players of the 80's, drinking alcohol like Jordan, toking the cannabis like 80% the players in the league. You mention Luka just got in shape, he's 26 turning 27 this year season right on schedule for when superstars are suppose to figure it out.

[Lipoli390]

Yeah, but everyone is different DN. In my mid 20s I changed my diet radically from my "college diet" because I was noticing a big drop off in athletic performance. And I noticed a positive change right away. My sense is that Ant's situation may be more like mine than yours. Despite not always putting in the effort on the defensive end that guys like Jaden and NAW do, he looks gassed a lot out there...more so than the guys who are working their butts off at both ends of the court. He's been challenged to up his defensive game this season along with quickening his pace on the offensive end. A reporter said that sounded like a lot of running, and asked him if he was going to be up to it. Ant said he didn't know, but thought maybe more sleep might help. I don't disagree, but my experience tells me a better diet could help to. I know we're playing up Chipgate too much, but that's because some of us are concerned that he's still not taking fitness seriously enough. I hope he gets it soon...

I'm not sure if you guys seen the Netflix thing or not, because chips I don't think is a one off thing, in that he was ordering pizza, eating chips (he has said he loves them so much) and staying up really late playing video games.

I actually do think his potentially very sub-optimal diet (can't say for sure because I've only seen a small portion) and lack of sleep has in the past contributed to his tried legs on the court. Especially in the WCF we saw it in the Dallas series. He looked super dead.

We all know you can get away with some shit when you're 24, but maybe others are making the sacrifices like SGA and maybe now Luka too. Can Ant hang with those guys?

A superstar usually doesn't get it all figured out and win their first title until ages 26-28. That is the age range where some of the best players of all time win their first title. It's when Jordan figured out how to get out of the first round of the playoffs and won a title, it's when Joker won his first title, Lebron won his first title, Durant, SGA, Curry and many others. Ant just turned 24 and is working on his body he is in fantastic shape, he's working on his sleeping habits sleeping a lot more. Not that partying and drinking were ever an issue for him, he just liked to stay at home and play video games all night or bang the occasional Instagram model that slid into his dms. He's not in the strip clubs all night like Harden, he's not hitting the cocaine like al the players of the 80's, drinking alcohol like Jordan, toking the cannabis like 80% the players in the league. You mention Luka just got in shape, he's 26 turning 27 this year season right on schedule for when superstars are suppose to figure it out.

Great points, Rap. I’m frustrated that Ant hasn’t yet reached that next level but you’re absolutely right that most superstars that have led their teams to championships didn’t get there until their mid to late 20s. I will take issue with you a bit on MJ. I’m front Chicago and was a big Wolves fan during the MJ era. He was never a big drinker. In fact, early in his career he didn’t drink any alcohol. Eventually, he consumed alcohol but not a lot. His vice was gambling, which wasn’t physically harmful although it may have left him a bit sleep deprived at times. But MJ still obviously got enough sleep to be the best player in League history and lead his team to 6 championships. I don’t think he ever ate a bag of potato chips at half time.

[60WinTim]

I dug thru the archives...

[Wolvesfan21]

I'm not sure if you guys seen the Netflix thing or not, because chips I don't think is a one off thing, in that he was ordering pizza, eating chips (he has said he loves them so much) and staying up really late playing video games.

I actually do think his potentially very sub-optimal diet (can't say for sure because I've only seen a small portion) and lack of sleep has in the past contributed to his tried legs on the court. Especially in the WCF we saw it in the Dallas series. He looked super dead.

We all know you can get away with some shit when you're 24, but maybe others are making the sacrifices like SGA and maybe now Luka too. Can Ant hang with those guys?

A superstar usually doesn't get it all figured out and win their first title until ages 26-28. That is the age range where some of the best players of all time win their first title. It's when Jordan figured out how to get out of the first round of the playoffs and won a title, it's when Joker won his first title, Lebron won his first title, Durant, SGA, Curry and many others. Ant just turned 24 and is working on his body he is in fantastic shape, he's working on his sleeping habits sleeping a lot more. Not that partying and drinking were ever an issue for him, he just liked to stay at home and play video games all night or bang the occasional Instagram model that slid into his dms. He's not in the strip clubs all night like Harden, he's not hitting the cocaine like al the players of the 80's, drinking alcohol like Jordan, toking the cannabis like 80% the players in the league. You mention Luka just got in shape, he's 26 turning 27 this year season right on schedule for when superstars are suppose to figure it out.

Great points, Rap. I’m frustrated that Ant hasn’t yet reached that next level but you’re absolutely right that most superstars that have led their teams to championships didn’t get there until their mid to late 20s. I will take issue with you a bit on MJ. I’m front Chicago and was a big Wolves fan during the MJ era. He was never a big drinker. In fact, early in his career he didn’t drink any alcohol. Eventually, he consumed alcohol but not a lot. His vice was gambling, which wasn’t physically harmful although it may have left him a bit sleep deprived at times. But MJ still obviously got enough sleep to be the best player in League history and lead his team to 6 championships. I don’t think he ever ate a bag of potato chips at half time.

I actually do remember a story I heard of MJ playing golf and having multiple drinks during the golf match and before a game that night, someone he was playing golf with with bet him a large sum he couldn't score 50, and he did. He was supposedly pretty buzzed/drunk, who knows though. Seems like a real story to me.

I think you're right that early on he for sure was more straight and narrow, I think he let things slide some after multiple chips. And he was so good, and the competition wasn't, so... If I was a Bulls fan I couldn't complain.