And your starting PF for the 26-27 Minnesota TimberWolves is?

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60WinTim
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Re: And your starting PF for the 26-27 Minnesota TimberWolves is?

Post by 60WinTim »

WildWolf2813 wrote: Mon Jun 29, 2026 6:08 pm We might be waiting a while. Plenty of guys are taking deals to stay and the ones who are testing the market are gonna make more than the vet minimum.
There will be more than one that is more interested in the opportunity than the money. And the Wolves have a significant opportunity. At least until TC pulls off a trade that brings in a starting PF...
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Lipoli390
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Re: And your starting PF for the 26-27 Minnesota TimberWolves is?

Post by Lipoli390 »

60WinTim wrote: Mon Jun 29, 2026 7:52 pm
WildWolf2813 wrote: Mon Jun 29, 2026 6:08 pm We might be waiting a while. Plenty of guys are taking deals to stay and the ones who are testing the market are gonna make more than the vet minimum.
There will be more than one that is more interested in the opportunity than the money. And the Wolves have a significant opportunity. At least until TC pulls off a trade that brings in a starting PF...
lol. That’s right Tim. We’re all pouring over the many free agent PF options, and as you said, there will be plenty of quality options that would like to come here for $6M staring on a multi year deal with the chance to play a major role on a championship contender. But we’ve seen this rodeo before. As we’re all debating various sound but not earth-shattering options, TC blows up our debate and shuts us all us with a totally unexpected trade. So stay tuned. Let’s see what he does with Josh and Mo to land a starting caliber PF. Until then, let the debate continue. :)
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DNatagal
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Re: And your starting PF for the 26-27 Minnesota TimberWolves is?

Post by DNatagal »

DNatagal wrote: Fri Jun 26, 2026 2:31 pm Anthony Edwards. He could be our Charles Barkley! He is a great rebounder and likes to bang down low. This keeps him fresh for the other end as well.
"Chris Finch discussed adopting a more flexible approach next season, depending on the matchup. He also said that Edwards could see time guarding some of the more physically imposing power forwards in the league, like Zion Williamson or Jaren Jackson Jr," per @JonKrawczynski.

I called it! Ant as a Power Forward would give him a break from guarding smaller players and allow for a speedy team should press up more. That would be fun to watch for short spurts, with Jaden at the 5, it would be a young fast team. DDV would thrive in that system.
BeenLurkin
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Re: And your starting PF for the 26-27 Minnesota TimberWolves is?

Post by BeenLurkin »

I wonder if the league would protect Ant as a PF defender with a better whistle than he gets in offense? Make up calls would be very easy to make in that scenario. Ant gets mugged going to the hoop with no call, gets bowled over by Zion on the other side and gets bailed out with an offensive foul called?
BeenLurkin
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Re: And your starting PF for the 26-27 Minnesota TimberWolves is?

Post by BeenLurkin »

It’s also extremely MN sports to have the best SG of a generation and play them as a PG one year and a PF the next.
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DNatagal
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Re: And your starting PF for the 26-27 Minnesota TimberWolves is?

Post by DNatagal »

I played all 5 positions in HS. Of course it was due to me growing 5 inches in 3 months and injuries to players, but I did it!

Ant can do it!

LoL
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Monster
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Re: And your starting PF for the 26-27 Minnesota TimberWolves is?

Post by Monster »

DNatagal wrote: Mon Jul 27, 2026 9:41 am I played all 5 positions in HS. Of course it was due to me growing 5 inches in 3 months and injuries to players, but I did it!

Ant can do it!

LoL
So versatile!
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rapsuperstar31
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Re: And your starting PF for the 26-27 Minnesota TimberWolves is?

Post by rapsuperstar31 »

DNatagal wrote: Mon Jul 27, 2026 9:41 am I played all 5 positions in HS. Of course it was due to me growing 5 inches in 3 months and injuries to players, but I did it!

Ant can do it!

LoL
I believe Ant can do almost everything you need out of him (at the cost of something else if he's putting in too much effort). I've seen him defend an older Lebron and push him around in the playoffs. But I've also seen him put full effort into trying to guard Joker, Zion and some other bigs, and be no resistance at all. I can't see it against the bigger teams in the league.
AussieWolf3
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Re: And your starting PF for the 26-27 Minnesota TimberWolves is?

Post by AussieWolf3 »

rapsuperstar31 wrote: Mon Jul 27, 2026 10:35 am
DNatagal wrote: Mon Jul 27, 2026 9:41 am I played all 5 positions in HS. Of course it was due to me growing 5 inches in 3 months and injuries to players, but I did it!

Ant can do it!

LoL
I believe Ant can do almost everything you need out of him (at the cost of something else if he's putting in too much effort). I've seen him defend an older Lebron and push him around in the playoffs. But I've also seen him put full effort into trying to guard Joker, Zion and some other bigs, and be no resistance at all. I can't see it against the bigger teams in the league.
I don't disagree with anything you've said, but I will submit, one of my absolute favorite Ant/Wolves memories was watching Ant shut Jaren Jackson Jrs water off a couple of years ago.
It was a low leverage game and Memphis wasn't good, but JJJ was killing the wolves that game, so Ant said bleep it and matchup up with him and I swear he scored like 2 points the rest of the game.

So he can do it, against some bigs, but it isn't a strategy it's a tactical maneuver.
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FNG
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Re: And your starting PF for the 26-27 Minnesota TimberWolves is?

Post by FNG »

rapsuperstar31 wrote: Mon Jul 27, 2026 10:35 am
DNatagal wrote: Mon Jul 27, 2026 9:41 am I played all 5 positions in HS. Of course it was due to me growing 5 inches in 3 months and injuries to players, but I did it!

Ant can do it!

LoL
I believe Ant can do almost everything you need out of him (at the cost of something else if he's putting in too much effort). I've seen him defend an older Lebron and push him around in the playoffs. But I've also seen him put full effort into trying to guard Joker, Zion and some other bigs, and be no resistance at all. I can't see it against the bigger teams in the league.
One factor we are missing in our discussion of PF possibilities, and especially with respect to Ant, is standing reach. I assume most of us played a lot of basketball and know how frustrating it can be to score on or defend a guy with a much bigger standing reach than you. Analysts talk about height, but you don't block shots with the top of your head...you generally block them with your arms up! And despite having good strength and athleticism, Ant's short arms leave him with a standing reach of only 8-4...almost 8 inches shorter than the average PF. The average PF will have no problem at all getting his shot off against a guy 8 inches "shorter"!

LaMelo and Rudy have great standing reach measures...Rudy at 9-9 is much longer than the average center (9-3) and LaMelo at 8-10 (!) is way longer than the average point guard (8-3). Jaden is long at 8-11, but many of us here are concerned about him not having the necessary bulk to bang with the behemoths. And almost every other rotation player (Ayo, TJ, Clark, Green) have the standing reach of an average NBA SG at 8-4 or 8-5...they would certainly struggle with the length of most NBA PFs.

This one is personal to me because I had to play a position I was undersized for in both high school and college...sometimes giving up the kind of length disadvantage Ant would be giving up defending a PF (without anything close to the athleticism!). All this to say the obvious...TC needs to find someone big enough to defend NBA PFs, and to allow Jaden and Ant to match up against players their size as they are allowed to play the position most suited to them. If not, I think we are going to see a lot more Trey Lyles than I would prefer.
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