Back at it again! - Spurs at Wolves Game 3 GDT

[AussieWolf3]

For what it's worth I don't think this series is over by a long shot. I'm not sure I'd pick the Wolves to win the series, but as long as they keep don't lose their spirit it can remain a competitive series.

I'll continue to contend that the team played well and generated a ton of good looks that were followed up with good shots, only for them to rim out. There were also wide open looks that shouldn't have been missed, and it's unfortunate that Jaden in particular has really lost his trey ball --- granted he was 3 for 8 last night, so not terrible.
The trouble is, can they follow up a good effort in a loss with an even better effort to win? We all saw game 2.

There's no arguing anymore that Wemby tips the balance massively in the Spurs favor. Ant is actually the perfect answer to the Frenchman, but not in his current state.
Past Edwards, Wemby just presents so many quandaries:
- Rudy is the best answer on defense, but creates a worst case scenario on offense
- Randle should be a good counter punch on offense but he's in his own head and his strengths here are more theoretical than practical
- Ayo's biggest attributes have been erased
- Jaden just had an off night imo and will actually be really important on offense going forward with his mid range
- Naz needs to keep driving to bucket with force and hitting from the corners

For my money I think they need to lean into the Rudy minutes and you tell him he has to dominate the boards. If he can't out muscle the thinner Wemby than he simply isn't doing his job. I think they need to keep driving and kicking and rely on generating a high volume of three's and Gobert, Randle and Naz need to work hard to clean up misses--- either dunk the put back or kick it back out right away --- TJ and Ayo should be the primary initiators with Naz and Ant playing from the corners. Naz should also start over Randle, the spacing is too important right now.

In game one they did a good job of continuing to go at Wemby, getting him in a lot of actions and generally just trying to tire him out but they've gone away from that in the last two games.

Last, I think starting Conley was extremely costly, but so too was not playing him anymore after the start. He can be useful, he just can't be out there against the Spurs starters and this team won't survive just going 7 deep.

[rapsuperstar31]

Fun but frustrating game last night...felt like we were 3-6 points behind the entire second half. A few thoughts:

-opposing fans hate Jaden and Castle...I like them both(despite the Castle flopping). Two tough guys who won't back down from anything.
- the backwards dunk by Wemby is such an intimidating way to start a game...screams "I'm way taller then you and can do that...what are you going to do?"
-as others said, the silver lining tonight was the growth of TJ. His +19 was 16 points better than the only other positive player (Naz) despite only making 2 buckets. Quick decisions, only 1 turnover despite having the ball in his hands so much, and surprising defense. Ant (and our overall offense) is/are so much better when Ant plays off ball. Knee jerk reaction: with Donte likely out to start next season, TJ starts next to Ant.
-Ju and Ant were a combined 8 for 34 (23.5%). Wemby lives rent free in both of their heads
- Terrible box score for Ju, but in his defense he was excellent in driving and kicking to the open man. But what...6 or 7 missed wide open looks?
-Ant with 14 rebounds...had no idea that was happening during the game!
- Gutsy comeback after falling behind 15 so early on the heels of Wednesday's blowout...still feels like Spurs in 5 to me.

I have to imagine our pitch to Ayo will be starting for a contender when trying to re-sign him. TSJ may eventually earn that starting spot, if he stays healthy next season.

[AussieWolf3]

Was curious so I looked up Randle's drb%

It's a paltry 13.6%, a 30th percentile mark for a PF. I find that inexcusable for a person of his stature with his strength

Compare that to Edwards with 12.5% rate which puts him in the 80th percentile for a SG and that number is up to 17% this PS --- Randle is at 15%

It just bugs the shit out of me that he isn't a better rebounder

[rapsuperstar31]

Was curious so I looked up Randle's drb%

It's a paltry 13.6%, a 30th percentile mark for a PF. I find that inexcusable for a person of his stature with his strength

Compare that to Edwards with 12.5% rate which puts him in the 80th percentile for a SG and that number is up to 17% this PS --- Randle is at 15%

It just bugs the shit out of me that he isn't a better rebounder

I was going to respond that Towns rebounds were down next to Rudy, but than I noticed Towns were down in all of his seasons with Finch. I'm not sure if that it is where he is playing on the court. Towns went from 9.8 rebounds to 8.1 and 8.3 next to Rudy, to 12.8 last year in New York. Randle also saw a drop from 10 and 9.2 in his last two years in New York to 7.1 and 6.7 here. I'm not sure what the issue is, sometimes it seems effort based in the regular season.

[Monster]

All in all a good playoff game although I would have liked a different outcome. The Wolves definitely have a chance to win this series.

A couple thoughts.

Terrance Shannon Jr is doing what he is doing against a very good team in the playoffs. I hope he can stay healthy because I'm starting to feel like the upside some were talking about for him around a year ago is there. The passing and playmaking seems real. He still has to put it together but he was also doing little things like drawing offensive fouls.

Ayo did get going but it took a while. He is hurt but it feels like we need more from him.

[AussieWolf3]

All in all a good playoff game although I would have liked a different outcome. The Wolves definitely have a chance to win this series.

A couple thoughts.

Terrance Shannon Jr is doing what he is doing against a very good team in the playoffs. I hope he can stay healthy because I'm starting to feel like the upside some were talking about for him around a year ago is there. The passing and playmaking seems real. He still has to put it together but he was also doing little things like drawing offensive fouls.

Ayo did get going but it took a while. He is hurt but it feels like we need more from him.

TJ has has put together some great defensive minutes as well, something seems to have clicked for him on that end ever since Finch publicly challenged him

[rapsuperstar31]

We are moving the wrong direction in comparison to OKC and SA.

Yep moving to the Eastern Conference in a few years. Clearly SA is only going to get better and better, Harper has barely tapped his potential. We are down Donte, while Ant, Ayo, and Naz are all 60-70%. I don't think we are all that far away, probably need a tinker or two. Long term we do have a lot of eggs in the Joan basket (maybe Rocco too) Rudy isn't going to be great forever, and Joan is going to need to slide in at some point.

[rapsuperstar31]

All in all a good playoff game although I would have liked a different outcome. The Wolves definitely have a chance to win this series.

A couple thoughts.

Terrance Shannon Jr is doing what he is doing against a very good team in the playoffs. I hope he can stay healthy because I'm starting to feel like the upside some were talking about for him around a year ago is there. The passing and playmaking seems real. He still has to put it together but he was also doing little things like drawing offensive fouls.

Ayo did get going but it took a while. He is hurt but it feels like we need more from him.

TJ has has put together some great defensive minutes as well, something seems to have clicked for him on that end ever since Finch publicly challenged him

I had my doubts about TJ after this past season, but he is proving to be a valuable player deserving of the minutes as long as he stays healthy. I do hope he starts attacking the basket a bit more this series, I want to see him dunk it on Wemby before the series is done.

[rapsuperstar31]

I remember Kareem at age 24, and I don't remember him having near the overall impact on the game like Wemby. Every team is going to be looking for a guy that can try to match up with him. Otherwise you have no shot.

Tim foresaw that when he drafted Joan and Rocco for the future.

[AussieWolf3]

We are moving the wrong direction in comparison to OKC and SA.

Remember when Denver or the Celtics were the next dynasty? The Grizzlies?

Things change faster than we anticipate, players don't develop as expected. There is a plausible future where Ant is a better players than SGA in one to two years, Jaden overtakes Jdub and overall their core is too expensive to keep together. Personalities and egos have a way of disrupting even the most well lain plans