Rolling out the white carpet? - Knicks at Wolves GDT

[Lipoli390]

Ant also said this last night postgame:

Anthony Edwards asked about fixing the offense: "They not going to like what I say, so I'm just going to keep it to myself"

What was it that he wanted to say, but didn't? I'm guessing he wanted to say Julius was taking too many shots, and they needed to give him more of Julius's shots. I don't necessarily disagree (and if Ant feels that way, there's clearly trouble in paradise...doesn't bode well for the rest of the season). But I would fix the offense differently, and I don't think Ant would agree.

-Mike needs to originate every possession to make sure it is designed correctly.

-If Finchie thinks either Ant or Julius is keeping the ball out of Mike's hands, he needs to pull either out of the game and explain what he wants.

-Ant and Julius need to move without the ball. Neither of them seems to understand there are some willing passers on the roster who will get them the ball if they get open. Both of them seem to want to get the ball after the defense has set themselves and try to beat their defender. There is a much easier way, as the Knicks demonstrated last night. Again, Finchie needs to make this happen. Bench any player who doesn't embrace a motion offense and moving without the ball.

Sorry Ant...giving you the ball at the top of the key so you can go one on one every possession is not the answer for this offense, even is it's all you and Julius know.

Ant is our best player and scorer by far. He’s our only star. He has to dominate the ball for this team to be successful. For the team to be at its best, Ant needs to be at his best and Ant can’t be at his best offensively without adequate spacing and reliable perimeter shooters around him. He also needs another versatile scorer who is mobile and skilled with the ball. Tatum has Brown. Doncic has Kyrie. SGA has Jalen Williams. Who does Ant have? Spacing for Ant wasn’t optimal with Rudy and KAT, but it was far better than it is now with Rudy and Randle. Ant is actually a good and willing passer. He averaged 5.2 assists last season, which was on par with other top scorers like Tatum and Brown on winning teams in the League. His assist numbers aren’t terrible this season but they’re down significantly to 4.0 per game. Ant hasn’t changed; it’s the team around him that’s changed. We had the third best record in the NBA with a ball dominant Ant last season. So Ant’s not the problem. The problem is that the current roster stifles the team’s ability to get the best out of Ant. Having Ant run around to get open for feeds from our PG would be incredibly dumb and isn’t the answer to this team’s profound offensive woes.

Not only did KAT help spread the floor for Ant, he was also close to Ant. When you have a superstar, you accommodate that star by surrounding him with players who maximize that star’s ability to help the team and you also factor in who that star likes. This front office failed on both measures starting with the Rudy deal, which ultimately forced the KAT deal, which in turn led to what we’re seeing now.

Honestly, it isn’t that complicated. This team is back to where it was the first season Rudy was here when KAT was out with an injury. KAT is gone permanently via trade and once again we’re on the outer edge of contention for a playoff spot even though Rudy has been playing well up until last night’s game. It’s about the personnel and this organization’s failure to patiently assemble a team around Ant after winning 46 games when Ant and Jaden were only in their second season. We should have moved forward from that season with KAT or traded him then as Cool suggested for what would have been a huge return. We had assets to improve the team without emptying the coffers for a two-big experiment that was bound to be short-lived based on payroll issues.

The remaining question going forward is whether this organization can pivot effectively and somehow convert their limited tradable assets into a championship contending Wolves 2.0 before Ant wants out near the end of his contract. Can they move forward with Rudy? Is Rudy even tradable with his new contract? What if anything can they get for Randle? What can we count on from Jaden game to game other than his defense and is he someone the Wolves should consider trading? Can or should the Wolves re-sign Naz and/or NAW? Should we trade Donte? Can we improve the team via trade with our draft coffers depleted and the CBA constraints that come with being a second-apron team?

I’ve criticized and praised TC depending on the specifics. But my overall take-away right now is that he has yet to prove he deserved the lucrative deal he received. Right now, we don’t even know who will end up owning this team much less whether TC will want to stay. I’m hoping Lore/A-Rod end up owning the team and that TC stays. I still see TC as a talented NBA executive so I’m not ready to give up on him, but he has a lot of work to do to fix this thing. And make no mistake about it, this thing (the Wolves) is broken.

[FNG]

Girls rushed the court

If only we had seen as much effort from someone on our team (other than NAW) we might have had a chance...sign them up!

[60WinTim]

Ok, I couldn't resist. I went back and watched the first half again to delve into some of the problems. My recommendation is to just flush this game out of your mind. There were just a perfect storm of problems that came together and turned this game into a clusterfuck.

- Randle was a problem. He was hell bent on scoring big time against his former team, and while it started off with a bang, it petered out with a whimper. As Q has noted, he bogs down the offense and it is drain on everyone else.
- Defensive engagement/awareness from both ANT and Randle was pretty poor. With ANT, I can chalk some of it up to emotions. But Randle kind of has this pattern going against him.
- The Wolves should have been up heading into the second quarter 33-30, but Randle coughed up an end of quarter possession gifting the Knicks the final 2 points.
- Old NAZ picked up with quick 3 fouls in the first quarter, taking himself out of the 2nd quarter rotation, which absolutely threw the Wolves out of sync, and that's when the Knicks caught fire.
- Dilly was bad.
- And the non-call against KAT tripping Jaden on a drive to the basket led to the Knicks scoring and a Finchie technical. That was a big swing and the Wolves never recovered.
- The DDV to Rudy playmaking has mostly led to turnovers. DDV is having a tough time figuring out how to fit into the offensive flow.

Anyway, KAT and the Knicks shot the ball really well, and the Wolves were out-of-sorts. Don't let this one game define the entire season. Flush it.

[FNG]

Tim, I agree that we have to flush this last game, and maybe we can do it by attributing the lack of defensive energy to emotions surrounding the KAT homecoming. He was well-liked by his teammates, and perhaps subconsciously they didn't want to spoil his night. The difference in talent in 2 NBA rosters is razor thin, and the slightest difference in effort can result in a disaster like this game. I guess we'll find out tonight against the Warriors. If the Wolves return to the smothering defense they have shown over the past month, we can write off the Knicks game as a Christmas gift to KAT. But if we lay another turd, this forum is going to be full of immediate trade ideas. Let's hope for the former.

P.S. Tim, the board does not hold you responsible for the loss to the Knicks...not your fault. You are welcome to tee up the Warriors GDT as a Pivot 2.0.