Wolves fan commiserate here!
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https://forum.midwestvolleyball.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=31497
I think you’re right, Q. After winning so convincingly I also see Wolves management bringing the team back one more season even if we lose game 7.Q-is-here wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2024 10:48 pm I really think even if we lose Game 7, this win tonight may have prevented a fairly significant set of changes this summer. Because if we had lost four in a row, then those first two wins would seem just meaningless and it would almost feel like being swept.
Wow! I could not be more proud of Finch and the team. What a statement. It would have been so easy to just quit after losing momentum and letting Denver destroy us three times in a row. We were down...but we did not quit. By winning convincingly, we have now flipped the script on Denver (after they flipped it on us). I think that's a 360 or 180 - I'll have to do the calculations later - it's too early for me now.SameOldNudityDrew wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2024 7:42 pmI'm honestly not sure what we should change defensively as much as just try to get back to the execution level we were at in game 2 and try to neutralize Gordon bringing the ball up the floor without taking Rudy out of the paint. I hope Finch has an answer here, but I honestly don't know what it is. If we double him, our execution has to be absolutely perfect.Carlos Danger wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2024 1:28 pm This game will show us a lot about this team. Denver has completely flipped the script and I think many people assume they will now steam roll over us for 4 in a row.
This is where I feel Finch has been great. When the chips are down, the true leaders step up and make a difference. I think Finchy will try something different this game (he has to - right?). And we've already watched Edwards grow up in these playoffs and become a leader. He's averaging 30 points/game for crying out loud! Now we just need at least ONE other guy to get hot and help out. I don't care if that's Towns, Naz, McDaniels or NAW. Somebody else needs to have a big game because Edwards can't do it by himself....or can he?
We win this one and on to game 7. Believe it!
On the offensive end is where I think the team can make some clear changes, particularly when it comes to responding to double teams, which Denver brought all night the other night and we basically had no counter at all for that. More Ant-KAT pick and roll/pop plays seems like an obvious choice. Trying to force switches to have Ant hunt MPJ and Murray more explicitly. The Conley-Rudy two-man game has been pretty good. Finding a way to set picks to spring KAT for catch-and-shoot 3s seems like a no-brainer. Beyond that, let's hope NAW and Jaden can knock down shots and Naz gets going.
It might just come down to execution though. Avoiding fouls. Getting them in fouls. Playing aggressive as hell but careful, precise, and locked in at all time. No ball watching. No complaining. Our backs are against the wall. Time to play like it!
Nice post and I really like your praise for Towns. He still does some maddening things and get into foul trouble but yeah and he is doing this coming off an injury too.AbeVigodaLive wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2024 11:51 pm Abe's 100 seconds behind real-time which sucks during commercials DVR Review:
- You know how we've discussed the reduction in posts this year on this site? When your favorite team does well... we have less to talk about. We're left... well... speechless.
And that's my excuse for having so few things to write about the Wolves in this game.
- Marc Davis has been the lead official in two games this series.
The Wolves have won by an average of 35.5 points.
Jamal Murray is shooting 7 - 36 (19%) in those games.
- Towns is not the easiest guy to root for sometimes. But damn... give that man his flowers. He's become a defensive advantage on the court. He had the main assignment in Round 1 vs. one of the greatest scorers (wing) in NBA history. In Round 2, his main assignment is the three-time MVP who plays center. Like him or not... his willingness to play the part of a good teammate has been equally impressive and overlooked.
- Only 6 TOs.
- The extra pass. It's one of the most beautiful plays in basketball. And the Timberwolves were making that pass over and over again in this game. It just seems like winning basketball, right?
That being said, Edwards' postgame comments about shooting every time he touches it is either an eyebrow-raiser or a great complement to that style.
- Rudy Gobert had a solid, effective, invaluable game. Nobody will really care (outside of Wolves fans).
- The Denver Nuggets are much better at falling down when dribbling after receiving just the slightest bit of contact. Wolves might want to try that approach once. Or 17 times to catch up.
- Mike Conley looked spry (and determined to win) tonight.
- Is it a sign of the times that I think Game 7 hinges on the officials as much as the players? Hoping for a crew that lets them play. Towns staying out of foul trouble will determine the winner...
- This is such an odd, marvelous series. After 5 blowouts... why does Game 7 seem like it's going to be a tight slugfest?
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Yeah McDaniels coming alive offensively was a big deal.Carlos Danger wrote: ↑Fri May 17, 2024 6:01 amWow! I could not be more proud of Finch and the team. What a statement. It would have been so easy to just quit after losing momentum and letting Denver destroy us three times in a row. We were down...but we did not quit. By winning convincingly, we have now flipped the script on Denver (after they flipped it on us). I think that's a 360 or 180 - I'll have to do the calculations later - it's too early for me now.SameOldNudityDrew wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2024 7:42 pmI'm honestly not sure what we should change defensively as much as just try to get back to the execution level we were at in game 2 and try to neutralize Gordon bringing the ball up the floor without taking Rudy out of the paint. I hope Finch has an answer here, but I honestly don't know what it is. If we double him, our execution has to be absolutely perfect.Carlos Danger wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2024 1:28 pm This game will show us a lot about this team. Denver has completely flipped the script and I think many people assume they will now steam roll over us for 4 in a row.
This is where I feel Finch has been great. When the chips are down, the true leaders step up and make a difference. I think Finchy will try something different this game (he has to - right?). And we've already watched Edwards grow up in these playoffs and become a leader. He's averaging 30 points/game for crying out loud! Now we just need at least ONE other guy to get hot and help out. I don't care if that's Towns, Naz, McDaniels or NAW. Somebody else needs to have a big game because Edwards can't do it by himself....or can he?
We win this one and on to game 7. Believe it!
On the offensive end is where I think the team can make some clear changes, particularly when it comes to responding to double teams, which Denver brought all night the other night and we basically had no counter at all for that. More Ant-KAT pick and roll/pop plays seems like an obvious choice. Trying to force switches to have Ant hunt MPJ and Murray more explicitly. The Conley-Rudy two-man game has been pretty good. Finding a way to set picks to spring KAT for catch-and-shoot 3s seems like a no-brainer. Beyond that, let's hope NAW and Jaden can knock down shots and Naz gets going.
It might just come down to execution though. Avoiding fouls. Getting them in fouls. Playing aggressive as hell but careful, precise, and locked in at all time. No ball watching. No complaining. Our backs are against the wall. Time to play like it!
I wrote in my original quote above that we needed ONE other guy to step up. It turned out to be McDaniel's. Yes, others also played well and I'm not trying to take anything away from them. But McDaniel's hasn't been a 20+ guy yet in this league. He rose to the occasion last night and that's what this team needed. Hats off to this team!