The Ascent Begins - Wolves at Pistons GDT

[FNG]

I'm not afraid to say it. He's a dumbass. Tell me one other dumbass in the last 40 years who has led his team to an NBA title. I highly doubt he gets traded anytime soon and totally get why few on this board would even consider it. But therein lies the problem.

I'm generally a rose-colored glasses guy, but I'm sad to say that while I'm open to all the Ant takes here, this is the one that most matches my fears about him. I've been saying this for over a year now. He says dumb things, he does dumb things on the court, and most importantly, he lacks the gravitas to be a champion. Right now, that is...I'm open to the hope that he can someday mature. But it almost makes me sick to my stomach to see him gleefully hugging Brown and Tatum just seconds after missing a potential game-tying shot. I hate that losses seem to impact most of us here more than they seem to impact him. I want to see him commiserating with his teammates after a close loss, not celebrating "being in the NBA" with the stars on his opponent. Cool's question is a fair one, and I can't name anyone like Ant who has led his team to a title. Maybe he'll change...I hope he'll change. But if I had to make a prediction, it would be this. Ant continues to be Ant, and to the extent our coaches allow it, we languish in the middle of the pack for a few years until he gets unhappy and Jimmy Butler's his way out of town. I don't like being a downer after a 53-point performance from our high scorer, but I continue to see Ant as a guy who doesn't do enough to make his teammates better. Rudy has bad hands, Mike isn't the Mike of last year, Randle is a ball stopper, and Jaden is erratic on offense...all true. But all rosters have flaws, and I continue to think our biggest issue is our supposed team leader doesn't improve his teammates. Hope I'm wrong...

[TAFKASP]

I don't think ascent means what Tim thinks it means.

[BeenLurkin]

I didn’t see the game, doesn’t seem like a fun replay to check out. I don’t see minott in the box score. Was he injured?

[FNG]

I didn’t see the game, doesn’t seem like a fun replay to check out. I don’t see minott in the box score. Was he injured?

Good question, cuz I saw nothing in the GDT about Josh. Then I saw in Jon's X that he was out with an illness. I was relieved to see that, because I didn't want to think he was in Finchie's doghouse. One of the joys of the past couple weeks of this potentially lost season has been watching what I now call the "DAMN Ju" lineup...Donte, Alexander-Walker, Minott, Naz and Ju! I'm far from a Randle fan, but somehow that lineup brings out the best in him.

Edit: Um, my moniker for that lineup might be offensive. I'm changing it to the DAMN Julius lineup.

[rapsuperstar31]

I'm not afraid to say it. He's a dumbass. Tell me one other dumbass in the last 40 years who has led his team to an NBA title. I highly doubt he gets traded anytime soon and totally get why few on this board would even consider it. But therein lies the problem.

He may be a dumb ass outside of basketball, but he's not anywhere near low basketball iq in the sense of someone like JR Smith level. Ant was incredibly raw his first season, he's not a conventional star. His strides since his first year are incredible. What he did against Phoenix and Denver was something we have never seen in 35 seasons of Wolves history. Yes we probably win if Casell doesn't hurt himself the one year. Ant may not be able to lead a team to a championship by himself, but I don't think he's guaranteed not to do it with a costar. He could have done it last season had Ant, NAW, Mike, and Kat all gotten hurt over the course of the playoffs which slowed all 4 down. Hell if Kat and Ant both shot average they easily beat Dallas in those 3 close games. If NAW or Mike did anything in the Dallas series we could have won that series, if Gobert didn't lose his edge immediately after having his baby we have a better chance. I get that you don't like his extra curricular activities, but what he does outside of basketball is none of our business, and wouldn't have been in the 80's prior to social media. It's not like he's in the strip club until 4am every night before games like Harden was doing during his career. Hell if this was the 80's this would be Ants 2nd season in the NBA, because he probably would have gone to college for 3 years like most did back than.

[FNG]

I'm not afraid to say it. He's a dumbass. Tell me one other dumbass in the last 40 years who has led his team to an NBA title. I highly doubt he gets traded anytime soon and totally get why few on this board would even consider it. But therein lies the problem.

He may be a dumb ass outside of basketball, but he's not anywhere near low basketball iq in the sense of someone like JR Smith level. Ant was incredibly raw his first season, he's not a conventional star. His strides since his first year are incredible. What he did against Phoenix and Denver was something we have never seen in 35 seasons of Wolves history. Yes we probably win if Casell doesn't hurt himself the one year. Ant may not be able to lead a team to a championship by himself, but I don't think he's guaranteed not to do it with a costar. He could have done it last season had Ant, NAW, Mike, and Kat all gotten hurt over the course of the playoffs which slowed all 4 down. Hell if Kat and Ant both shot average they easily beat Dallas in those 3 close games. If NAW or Mike did anything in the Dallas series we could have won that series, if Gobert didn't lose his edge immediately after having his baby we have a better chance. I get that you don't like his extra curricular activities, but what he does outside of basketball is none of our business, and wouldn't have been in the 80's prior to social media. It's not like he's in the strip club until 4am every night before games like Harden was doing during his career. Hell if this was the 80's this would be Ants 2nd season in the NBA, because he probably would have gone to college for 3 years like most did back than.

Rap, I agree that Ant has made strides since his first year. Heck, his shooting strides this offseason alone is impressive. But this dumbassivity goes far beyond his personal off-court habits. How would you describe the basketball wisdom of a player who claims "there's nothing I can do if they double me"? That quote tells us a lot about his basketball IQ.

[Coolbreeze44]

I'm not afraid to say it. He's a dumbass. Tell me one other dumbass in the last 40 years who has led his team to an NBA title. I highly doubt he gets traded anytime soon and totally get why few on this board would even consider it. But therein lies the problem.

He may be a dumb ass outside of basketball, but he's not anywhere near low basketball iq in the sense of someone like JR Smith level. Ant was incredibly raw his first season, he's not a conventional star. His strides since his first year are incredible. What he did against Phoenix and Denver was something we have never seen in 35 seasons of Wolves history. Yes we probably win if Casell doesn't hurt himself the one year. Ant may not be able to lead a team to a championship by himself, but I don't think he's guaranteed not to do it with a costar. He could have done it last season had Ant, NAW, Mike, and Kat all gotten hurt over the course of the playoffs which slowed all 4 down. Hell if Kat and Ant both shot average they easily beat Dallas in those 3 close games. If NAW or Mike did anything in the Dallas series we could have won that series, if Gobert didn't lose his edge immediately after having his baby we have a better chance. I get that you don't like his extra curricular activities, but what he does outside of basketball is none of our business, and wouldn't have been in the 80's prior to social media. It's not like he's in the strip club until 4am every night before games like Harden was doing during his career. Hell if this was the 80's this would be Ants 2nd season in the NBA, because he probably would have gone to college for 3 years like most did back than.

Rap, I agree that Ant has made strides since his first year. Heck, his shooting strides this offseason alone is impressive. But this dumbassivity goes far beyond his personal off-court habits. How would you describe the basketball wisdom of a player who claims "there's nothing I can do if they double me"? That quote tells us a lot about his basketball IQ.

Or the IQ of a guy who plays one way for 42 minutes, and then changes in the last 6 minutes to hero ball. All this while not being particularly clutch in those situations.

[60WinTim]

So we tripped out of the gate…

[AbeVigodaLive]

I missed last night's game because I was still on my 24-hour drive back to Tucson...don't think I'll watch the replay, although it would be fun to see Ant light it up. But I also see a problem there. Let's review the last three days:

1) The Wolves lose a close one to the world champs with almost everyone except Ant having a good game.
2) Post game, Ant responds with a grumpy answer to Jace's comment about the beautiful basketball in the 3rd quarter when Ant had 5 assists (plus a few hockey assists). Says he doesn't want to play that style of basketball, because he's a scorer not a passer. Says there's "nothing he can do" when he's doubled, as almost every superstar spits out his coffee reading that absurdity. The national media ruthlessly rips Ant for his stupid comments.
3) Ant comes out and proves he's a scorer and not a passer by scoring 53 points with only 2 assists and 6 turnovers.
4) Result: in a mirror opposite from the Celtics game, every other Wolves player other than Ant sucks, and we lose by double digits to a middling East conference team missing it's second best player on the second night of a BTB.
5)Hmm...any conclusions, anyone?

Many interesting comments in this thread, and I'm reluctant to weigh in after a game I didn't watch. I will say I'm intrigued by what Cool is saying though.

5) Yeah. You need to watch the Pistons game.

[DNatagal]

Devils advocate here with a different take on Ant's quote about doubleteams.

What if he wasn't saying HE cannot solo double teams, but that the other 4 players just stand around and watch him get doubled??? In the Pistons game he did pass out of doubles and NOBODY made a shot. Yet he still scored 53 on the night. Randle, Conley, McDaniels, et al just stand there.

This all goes back to coaching.