Sundog wrote: ↑Sat Nov 22, 2025 12:23 pm
Yeah, on the one hand, that was back-breaking. And on the other, the Wolves should have won, showing they should be able to hang with the +500 teams.
Connelly bet on continuity being an edge for the Wolves over other teams. But in hindsight, that was a mirage. I agree with Cool — I think it’s pretty clear they need a real point guard that can handle tough defensive pressure. Relying on the mix of players they have for that is unsustainable.
Is it time for a coaching change? Maybe Finch has taken this group of players as far as he can. Hard to move off a coach that’s taken the team to two consecutive conference finals though.
As I said, this team is an enigma.
I prefer not to overreact to one game samples, but this was also a very loud sample. I also prefer not to get too caught up in every win or loss, it's not even Thanksgiving, and a few good wins in future will erase this bad taste - but this team is also running out of excuses/goodwill afforded to them when it comes to beating good teams.
Cause the question is: do the wolves have an existential problem?
Something I can't get out of my head is how weird it is that up and down the starting lineup players are having career years (Jaden and Julius) or settling well into their envisioned roles (Dante and to lesser extent Rudy). Ant has largely been either sensational, hurt or missing entirely - which sounds bad and inconsistent but I think it'll balance out over the season toward sensational.
So why does it feel so discomforting to watch this team. Julius having all-nba caliber start and Jaden taking THE leap are exactly the list items we would have put together a couple months ago as critical. The offense is by every measure elite and over the last few games, including last night, the defense has rounded into what looks like a top 10 unit. But then the last 58 second of last night happens and I just don't what the hell to think. They failed at every single hinge point in that time frame, and I'm entirely convinced it's because they believe they would just win regardless..... That's scary lol.
I'm not convinced they have to shake up the roster. In spite of everything, I think they've earned the chance to prove that this can all work, but I really hated how stubborned Julius was last night- driving into crowds and consistently losing to Brooks. He just doesn't handle teams that have multiple ball stoppers well. He perfectly plays into their hands and gets baited into risky drives and iso possessions. A terrifying proposition when you consider what the likes of the Thunder and the Rockets bring to bear.
On the other side, there's Ant. I'm so impressed with his offensive process for most of the season. It is just so rare to seem someone like him who just so routinely adds layers to his game. He is currently the most threatening 3 point shooter in the game and then decided he was also going to get better at playing in the middle of the defense, breaking them down and playing off two feet instead of over committing on his drives. It's so impressive. But God.... The lazy passes. Why was he even inbounding that pass that led to the 3.... Why? Tell Dante he can't handle pressure and tell him to inbound it. Understand the situation and the stakes and value every possession. It's really concerning that this still hasn't broken in through to him.
Oh well, enough word vomit, on to the next one