Around the NBA:2025-6

[WildWolf2813]

Butler went down with a pretty significant knee injury tonight. I wonder what impact this will have on any Kuminga trade?

In any event, the Wolves might be benefactors in their two upcoming home games against the Warriors...

Torn ACL for Butler. Does that change things for the Warriors? They have been in the rumor mill to trade for Giannis

They were never getting Giannis,

but they were considering MPJ. I don't know if that happens now. If I'm Brooklyn I want ALL the post Curry draft capital (so anything after 2028-29)

[Lipoli390]

At the end of last season, the KAT trade looked like a classic win-win type trade where both sides came out feeling good about it without one side clearly feeling better than the other. But lately it feels like we are trending up with two of the guys traded in our starting lineup and producing and KAT starting to go wobbly. Oh, and then there is that young kid named Joan Beringer.

the downside on our end is that we're gonna be super apprehensive to trading Randle even though we should remain open to the idea. Also, DiVincenzo tends to pick really bad times to have bad games. We got him because we thought he had a clutch gene and that hasn't manifested itself yet.

You’re right about Donte. But on the other hand, he brings intensity and intangibles every minute he’s on the floor. That’s especially important for this Wolves team, which has by Finch’s admission, lacked consistent intensity. I also agree with you on Randle. I like what Randle brings to this team and we shouldn’t part with him lightly. But our front office should be open to trading him - especially now (or next summer) when his value will probably be at its peak.

[thedoper]

Boy this NY drama has been fun to watch from a distance. For all the nice guy accolades KAT racks up he's polarizing to players and fans. Brunson hasnt done enough to merit his ego but such is the NBA. Not sure anyone would care that much if this wasnt the Knicks. That KAT salary is going to be hard to recoup any value from. Putting Knicks into the list of players available to be traded certainly makes for more possibilities at the least. Maybe TC can come out of this all with some legit talent?

[Phenom]

OKC lost to the Pacers. They don't seem to be taking the bad teams seriously. They've lost to teams like Portland, Miami, Charlotte and now Indiana. Shai took 28 shots tonight but only had 4 assists, he's just pounding the ball and flailing around the court. Their DPOY, Chet, let Jarace Walker JARACE WALKER!, score 26! The supporting cast can't be trusted to hit shots. They kept losing Nembhard and Nesmith on the perimeter. Daigs rotations and adjustments just aren't up to par.

Is this a parallel universe?

[AussieWolf3]

Can we call the Thunder an unserious team cause they lost a bad team or is that only the Wolves?

[Lipoli390]

Can we call the Thunder an unserious team cause they lost a bad team or is that only the Wolves?

The Thunder are in 1st place with the NBA’s best record (37-9) and best point differential (13.3) after winning the NBA championship last season. The Wolves are in 7th place with a 27-18 record and a 4.9 point differential after getting easily eliminated in the Conference Finals last season. So I’d say the answer to your question is no, we can’t call the Thunder an unserious team after a bad loss. At the same time, I think it’s very fair to reach a different conclusion with respect to the Wolves when you consider both the Wolves’ multiple losses to bad or mediocre teams and the broader context surrounding those losses.

[FNG]

The Thunder are still clearly the best team in the Association, but they clearly have some issues they didn't have last year. Jalen Williams is out again with a hamstring problem, but the real issue is he hasn't been very good this season...last season he was a true Robin to SGA's Batman, but he's not even an Alfred this season. Lu Dort continues to jack up 3's as if he thinks he's Steph Curry...0 for 5 last night. He was a fan favorite last season, but you can hear a groan from the fans this season when he shoots.

Still the best team in the Association, but losing at home to a Pacers team that had only won 10 games before last night is a worse loss than any loss the Wolves have incurred this season. The West is loaded and the Thunder are vulnerable. and the Wolves are part of a group of 5 or 6 teams that could beat them in a series. Zach Harper picked the Wolves as his dark horse to win it all yesterday.

[AussieWolf3]

Can we call the Thunder an unserious team cause they lost a bad team or is that only the Wolves?

The Thunder are in 1st place with the NBA’s best record (37-9) and best point differential (13.3) after winning the NBA championship last season. The Wolves are in 7th place with a 27-18 record and a 4.9 point differential after getting easily eliminated in the Conference Finals last season. So I’d say the answer to your question is no, we can’t call the Thunder an unserious team after a bad loss. At the same time, I think it’s very fair to reach a different conclusion with respect to the Wolves when you consider both the Wolves’ multiple losses to bad or mediocre teams and the broader context surrounding those losses.

I was just being a smartass.

I don't disagree with anything you said, but will add that the Wolves have the 2nd best record against sub .500 teams this year- I don't know where they currently stand- so while the losses have been frustrating they haven't been as frequent as it may seem.

All I was really saying is that bad stretches happen for good teams, even ones as seemingly indomitable as the Thunder.

The Wolves need to figure their shit out. It looked like the Atlanta game was the kick in the rear they needed, but that is very much in doubt right now.

Jake Paynting made a great observation that over the four game skid non Naz bench players have scored 35 total points on 37% shooting. That's a huge problem and in my opinion much more significant than anything going on with the top 6 in the rotation- even if I have concerns or grips with that group as well.

[Phenom]

Aaron Gordon has another soft tissue injury. Booker has a bad ankle injury. JDub has been hurt all year.

Wolves need to add a bench guy and keep on truckin.

[Q-is-here]

Can we call the Thunder an unserious team cause they lost a bad team or is that only the Wolves?

The Thunder are in 1st place with the NBA’s best record (37-9) and best point differential (13.3) after winning the NBA championship last season. The Wolves are in 7th place with a 27-18 record and a 4.9 point differential after getting easily eliminated in the Conference Finals last season. So I’d say the answer to your question is no, we can’t call the Thunder an unserious team after a bad loss. At the same time, I think it’s very fair to reach a different conclusion with respect to the Wolves when you consider both the Wolves’ multiple losses to bad or mediocre teams and the broader context surrounding those losses.

I was just being a smartass.

I don't disagree with anything you said, but will add that the Wolves have the 2nd best record against sub .500 teams this year- I don't know where they currently stand- so while the losses have been frustrating they haven't been as frequent as it may seem.

All I was really saying is that bad stretches happen for good teams, even ones as seemingly indomitable as the Thunder.

The Wolves need to figure their shit out. It looked like the Atlanta game was the kick in the rear they needed, but that is very much in doubt right now.

Jake Paynting made a great observation that over the four game skid non Naz bench players have scored 35 total points on 37% shooting. That's a huge problem and in my opinion much more significant than anything going on with the top 6 in the rotation- even if I have concerns or grips with that group as well.

But in the Thunder's defense, they were missing a couple of key guys (Hartenstein and JDub), while the Wolves shit the bed with literally all of their key guys healthy. In fact, we were sort of encouraged by the Houston and San Antonio losses given that we had a couple guys out for those games, but then on the heels of those two losses you just can't lose to Utah and Chicago with a fully healthy starting lineup no matter how lame the bench plays.