Game Report - Wolves v Warriors

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ItsJustSoSab
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Re: Game Report - Wolves v Warriors

Post by ItsJustSoSab »

lipoli390 wrote:
ItsJustSoSab wrote: The win might push us down to #11 or 12 in the draft order, but I'll accept it in return for the great feeling we all had in the arena at the end of the game.

I'll hold ya to it come draft time and you get mad that the Wolves didn't get this year's Collins because he got taken a pick before us.

Some on this Board have fallen prey to a false narrative that the Wolves' players haven't been giving an all-out effort in recent weeks. Last night's game should help correct that narrative. I'd say that last night's game was the culmination of the high level of effort and developement of our young guys that we've seen all along through the Wolves otherwise dreadful stretch run.

It's pretty well documented how bad we've been for a while, not just the record but the point differential in those loses. Not really a false narrative. The Wolves have given up in MANY games recently. I do like how then you mention the "dreadful stretch" thus agreeing with the "narrative" right after haha. I don't know Lip, you're all over the place man

KAT had his second off-game in a row. I can tell you this with absolutely certainty -- KAT is exhausted -- physically and mentally drained. That shouldn't be surprising when you look at the total minutes he's played this season and the load he has had to shoulder on a team with minimal suporting talent. But credit KAT for coming through in the overtime with some big plays, especially that block from behind as he came sprinting down the court.


I mean. Yeah. He needs help for sure, but if we want to get to the promise land he's gonna have to play like this night in night out

Wiggins may have had his best game of the season, even though in typical fashion he disappeared as a scorer by early in the second half. But I loved his defense and hustle - yes, his hustle. His loose handle was on display several times, but I'll live with that if he gives the kind of effort he gave last night.

Uffda, I don't know about that. You did watch the whole game so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. The last 5 minutes of the game plus OT he was horrendous. I'll take the OKC game



Dreadful stretch refers to lots of losses; it doesn't mean a lack of effort. Have you noticed who's been on the court during this time? Did you know Covington hasn't played since Saunders took over? I'm not a Teague fan, but he's a legitimate starting PG and he's been out. There is a distinction between bad play and lack of effort. I just assumed you understood that.

The line that KAT has to "play like that night in night out" is just rhetoric. Even the best players have bad games. The good news is that, in his bad game against the Warriors in which he shot poorly, KAT had 13 rebounds and 7 assists along with some big plays down the stretch. It's ridiculous to expect any player to never had a "bad" game like the one KAT had against the Warriors.

I'll concede that the OKC game was a better one for Wiggins. So I'll rank the Golden State game #2 for him. Keep in mind we're comparing Wiggins to Wiggins and that's a pretty low bar. :)

You can hold me to my comments about being glad we beat the warriors in spite of the harm it does to my tanking strategy. But note that I'll respond by referencing all the other games we won the past month playing veterans like Rose, Gibson, etc. that we might have lost if we had been playing the young guys. Of course, it's not like we've won a lot of games. :)

Let's be clear. The Wolves need another allstar/star to pair with KAT. And the only hope we have of getting that caliber player is the draft - unless Okogie develops into that player. Right now, the only way I see us getting that caliber player is if we get lucky in the lottery and bump up to the 1st or 2nd slot and end up with Zion or Ja. The odds aren't good.


What are you talking about? Other than the last few games, for that (as you put it) dreadful stretch of loses, the wolves were getting massacred. You go to the games, I assumed you knew that. Those god awful, unwatchable, loses had nothing to do with injuries, when the freaking Suns and Grizzlies are putting up competitive games in that time, it says a lot about our effort. Even with the injuries the Wolves have talent, not playoff talent, but not losing by double digits night in and night out talent either. Losing is one thing Lip, getting ass fucked is another

Yes. I think we all realize that even the greatest players don't have spectacular games every night. The night in and night out refers again to effort, and at least trying to contribute to the team. There have been plenty of games this year where KAT has giving little effort in games, especially on defense. My point is that he needs to come with the mentality that he is going to affect the team in a positive way every game. I'm tired of patting Wolves players on the back for what they should be expected to do already, especially Wigs and KAT. People always point out when Wiggins pulls down 6 rebounds, has 4 assists, and a steal, as if that's something super impressive and not something we should just expect from him already.

We just can't agree on the tanking, and that's fine. I really can't wrap my mind around the fact a season ticket holder wants to see the Wolves tank for the 17th time, but to each their own. Maybe this year we'll get our superstar, based on past history though, probably not
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mrhockey89
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Re: Game Report - Wolves v Warriors

Post by mrhockey89 »

I was thinking about Covington and Okogie tonight, and man I'd like to see them play out there together next year on the wings. Okogie needs to work on his outside shot, but that would be a pretty disruptive pair if on the floor together. Okogie's man defense is terrific, and he knows when to take chances to leave his man and double team the unsuspecting ball handler. Covington's overall defensive game is through the roof, always one step ahead of the offense on rotations it seems.

Here's to a good draft and a fun 2019-20 season.
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Lipoli390
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Re: Game Report - Wolves v Warriors

Post by Lipoli390 »

mrhockey89 wrote:I was thinking about Covington and Okogie tonight, and man I'd like to see them play out there together next year on the wings. Okogie needs to work on his outside shot, but that would be a pretty disruptive pair if on the floor together. Okogie's man defense is terrific, and he knows when to take chances to leave his man and double team the unsuspecting ball handler. Covington's overall defensive game is through the roof, always one step ahead of the offense on rotations it seems.

Here's to a good draft and a fun 2019-20 season.


Nice to read a thoughtful positive post. I agree, Hockey. I'd love to see those two as our starting wings. As we both know, whether that happens will depend on three factors:

1. The development of Okogie's shot, which has been better lately;
2. Covington's health, which turns on whether his knee issue is a long-term problem; and
3. What happens with Wiggins, which turns on whether the Wolves are inclined to trade him and, if so, whether the net return is good enough to justify the deal.

Right now, I'm envisioning the following as the ideal scenario for the Wolves by the start of net season (short of getting the #1 pick and taking Zion):

1. Okogie develops a consistent perimeter shot though hard work and coaching this summer while Covington's knee heals completely with no residual issues.

2. The Wolves jump up to #2 in the draft lottery and take Ja Moran or, failing to jump up, Darius Garland is still on the board when the Wolves pick at #10 or 11 and the Wolves take him.

3. Teague opts out of the final year of his Wolves contract in favor of signing a multi-year deal with another team, which would allow the Wolves to use the full MLE on free agents without luxury tax issues

4. The Wolves trade Wiggins without giving up any other assets in exchange for contracts that expire after next season and a draft pick - probably no better than a 2nd round pick.
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AbeVigodaLive
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Re: Game Report - Wolves v Warriors

Post by AbeVigodaLive »

lipoli390 wrote:
mrhockey89 wrote:I was thinking about Covington and Okogie tonight, and man I'd like to see them play out there together next year on the wings. Okogie needs to work on his outside shot, but that would be a pretty disruptive pair if on the floor together. Okogie's man defense is terrific, and he knows when to take chances to leave his man and double team the unsuspecting ball handler. Covington's overall defensive game is through the roof, always one step ahead of the offense on rotations it seems.

Here's to a good draft and a fun 2019-20 season.


Nice to read a thoughtful positive post. I agree, Hockey. I'd love to see those two as our starting wings. As we both know, whether that happens will depend on three factors:

1. The development of Okogie's shot, which has been better lately;
2. Covington's health, which turns on whether his knee issue is a long-term problem; and
3. What happens with Wiggins, which turns on whether the Wolves are inclined to trade him and, if so, whether the net return is good enough to justify the deal.

Right now, I'm envisioning the following as the ideal scenario for the Wolves by the start of net season (short of getting the #1 pick and taking Zion):

1. Okogie develops a consistent perimeter shot though hard work and coaching this summer while Covington's knee heals completely with no residual issues.

2. The Wolves jump up to #2 in the draft lottery and take Ja Moran or, failing to jump up, Darius Garland is still on the board when the Wolves pick at #10 or 11 and the Wolves take him.

3. Teague opts out of the final year of his Wolves contract in favor of signing a multi-year deal with another team, which would allow the Wolves to use the full MLE on free agents without luxury tax issues

4. The Wolves trade Wiggins without giving up any other assets in exchange for contracts that expire after next season and a draft pick - probably no better than a 2nd round pick.



KAT
Saric
Covington or Wiggins
Okogie or Wiggins
POINT GUARD

That's putting A LOT of pressure on the PG to create for everybody else. I'm cautiously optimistic with Okogie. I think he should become a decent rotation guy moving forward. But I see him more of a redundancy with Covington than anything else. I think this team needs more creators.
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thedoper
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Re: Game Report - Wolves v Warriors

Post by thedoper »

AbeVigodaLive wrote:
lipoli390 wrote:
mrhockey89 wrote:I was thinking about Covington and Okogie tonight, and man I'd like to see them play out there together next year on the wings. Okogie needs to work on his outside shot, but that would be a pretty disruptive pair if on the floor together. Okogie's man defense is terrific, and he knows when to take chances to leave his man and double team the unsuspecting ball handler. Covington's overall defensive game is through the roof, always one step ahead of the offense on rotations it seems.

Here's to a good draft and a fun 2019-20 season.


Nice to read a thoughtful positive post. I agree, Hockey. I'd love to see those two as our starting wings. As we both know, whether that happens will depend on three factors:

1. The development of Okogie's shot, which has been better lately;
2. Covington's health, which turns on whether his knee issue is a long-term problem; and
3. What happens with Wiggins, which turns on whether the Wolves are inclined to trade him and, if so, whether the net return is good enough to justify the deal.

Right now, I'm envisioning the following as the ideal scenario for the Wolves by the start of net season (short of getting the #1 pick and taking Zion):

1. Okogie develops a consistent perimeter shot though hard work and coaching this summer while Covington's knee heals completely with no residual issues.

2. The Wolves jump up to #2 in the draft lottery and take Ja Moran or, failing to jump up, Darius Garland is still on the board when the Wolves pick at #10 or 11 and the Wolves take him.

3. Teague opts out of the final year of his Wolves contract in favor of signing a multi-year deal with another team, which would allow the Wolves to use the full MLE on free agents without luxury tax issues

4. The Wolves trade Wiggins without giving up any other assets in exchange for contracts that expire after next season and a draft pick - probably no better than a 2nd round pick.



KAT
Saric
Covington or Wiggins
Okogie or Wiggins
POINT GUARD

That's putting A LOT of pressure on the PG to create for everybody else. I'm cautiously optimistic with Okogie. I think he should become a decent rotation guy moving forward. But I see him more of a redundancy with Covington than anything else. I think this team needs more creators.


Good call Abe. PG is the key. We better find a Gem in the draft because it really seems like it's our only option.
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Coolbreeze44
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Re: Game Report - Wolves v Warriors

Post by Coolbreeze44 »

Josh Okogie averages less than 8 points per game. He shoots 38.5% from the floor, much worse from 3, and has a PER of 9.4. Yet somehow he is the darling of this board and someone we are supposed to pin our future hopes on. Lord help us.
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thedoper
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Re: Game Report - Wolves v Warriors

Post by thedoper »

CoolBreeze44 wrote:Josh Okogie averages less than 8 points per game. He shoots 38.5% from the floor, much worse from 3, and has a PER of 9.4. Yet somehow he is the darling of this board and someone we are supposed to pin our future hopes on. Lord help us.


Yup. Shiny new toy.
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Lipoli390
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Re: Game Report - Wolves v Warriors

Post by Lipoli390 »

CoolBreeze44 wrote:Josh Okogie averages less than 8 points per game. He shoots 38.5% from the floor, much worse from 3, and has a PER of 9.4. Yet somehow he is the darling of this board and someone we are supposed to pin our future hopes on. Lord help us.


Lol. Cool, as you know, there isn't much to get excited about with the Wolves lately. So forgive some of us as we reach for something positive. :)

In any event, you've probably noticed that I've been reacting to what we've seen recently from Okogie. Note that in the last 10 games he's averaged 10.6 points, 3.5 boards, and1.7 steals in 29 minutes and has been shooting 45% from the field. Expand the statistical period to include the entire month of March and you see he's been shooting 44.2% from the field and 32.6% from behind the arc. That's what you want to see from a 20-year old rookie -- late season improvement in the areas where he's weakest. Meanwhile, he's been playing some terrific disruptive defense playing with a high level of energy and activity on both ends of the court all season. And let's remember he's not a blank slate. He's freakishly long for his position and very athletic while also showing consistent intensity and a high-octane motor. So seeing the recent improvement in a player with his obvious gifts as a young rookie is certainly encouraging.
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mrhockey89
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Re: Game Report - Wolves v Warriors

Post by mrhockey89 »

I agree with lip on this. People here are underrating the value of a plus defender when it comes to winning. Clearly he needs to improve his shot, as this was the premise of both our comments. Abe calls it redudency, I call it flexibility. Either could switch onto about any player on the court (or each other's) and still create havoc. Covington is a solid 3 point shooter, and Okogie has a ways to go on his shot but can be a good slasher already. I also agree that we'd need a good distributer at the point, which I think we all can agree on...and I think that's what all of us should want in a PG anyway.

The offense SHOULD run through KAT. He's an instant double team waiting to happen, he's also an above average passer, and our offense is most efficient when running through him.

All of this is just offseason fodder anyway, Okogie's likely going to remain a 6th man next year.
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Lipoli390
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Re: Game Report - Wolves v Warriors

Post by Lipoli390 »

mrhockey89 wrote:I agree with lip on this. People here are underrating the value of a plus defender when it comes to winning. Clearly he needs to improve his shot, as this was the premise of both our comments. Abe calls it redudency, I call it flexibility. Either could switch onto about any player on the court (or each other's) and still create havoc. Covington is a solid 3 point shooter, and Okogie has a ways to go on his shot but can be a good slasher already. I also agree that we'd need a good distributer at the point, which I think we all can agree on...and I think that's what all of us should want in a PG anyway.

The offense SHOULD run through KAT. He's an instant double team waiting to happen, he's also an above average passer, and our offense is most efficient when running through him.

All of this is just offseason fodder anyway, Okogie's likely going to remain a 6th man next year.


Agree with you and most others that PG is key for this team. Walking away from the June draft with Ja Morant or Darius Garland would be just what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately, I think we'll need lottery luck to have a chance at either one.
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