Minnesota Sports Forum

Monster wrote: ↑Sun Apr 13, 2025 8:59 pm Gobert needs to dominate in this series and maybe Randle will be able to have his way with some of the guys they might put on him. It's an interesting match up and it's 2 teams that have been on a roll but also playing some of the easiest schedules the past number of weeks.

Monster wrote: ↑Sun Apr 13, 2025 7:17 pm Not really Wolves related and maybe this has been discussed recently on the board but how sad and funny is it that the Suns didn't make the playoffs? Mavs limped in right? Suns finished with the same record as Portland and 3 wins better than the Spurs. The Pistons had 8 more wins than the Suns. To top it off they don't even have their picks this year although it looks they have end of the rounds picks from other teams.

Tyus Jones went there to play as a starter and win. He started most of the season but that didn't exactly work out not that it was his fault. I would guess his stock ($$$) took a bit of a hit from this season with the Suns.

Who is gonna coach there next year? I hear Cool is available to sign a multi year deal.

Coolbreeze44 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 13, 2025 5:32 pm I think in a fair fight we could beat the Lakers. But this won't be. Our only hope is one of their big 2 get injured. Otherwise the NBA will handle this one. It may go 6 or 7 games, but I promise you the Lakers will get the crucial calls when it really matters.

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 14, 2025 9:13 am

Coolbreeze44 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 13, 2025 5:32 pm I think in a fair fight we could beat the Lakers. But this won't be. Our only hope is one of their big 2 get injured. Otherwise the NBA will handle this one. It may go 6 or 7 games, but I promise you the Lakers will get the crucial calls when it really matters.

I wish I could disagree with you on this, Cool. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but the NBA officiating bias in favor of the Lakers is conspiracy fact, not theory. We have the first-round match I was dreading and it will be tough to beat both a very good Lakers team and the officials.

What’s infuriating is that the Wolves put themselves in this position with a lot of inexcusable losses. We’d be the 5th seed facing Denver if we hadn’t lost at home to both the Pelicans AND Wizards or if we had beaten the League’s worst team (Jazz) in Utah on February 28. If we had won all three of those games (which we absolutely should have), we’d be the 2nd or 3rd seed in the West in spite of squandering a 24-point halftime lead against the Bucks last week and the four terrible losses on the road in November to the Spurs, Raptors and Portland (twice). And don’t forget the two home losses to the Kings. Honestly, the Wolves should be the 2nd seed rather than 6th facing Luca again on a very good Lakers team that the NBA’s officials will coddle throughout the series.

The Wolves are talented enough to win the West but all those unacceptable losses tell us there’s something fundamentally wrong with this team that continues to hold it back from at least equaling the sum of its parts. I’m not sure what it is, although I think some of it is Ant’s immaturity in addition to other issues.

OKC seems very vulnerable to me. I think they’ve been playing over their heads during the season, which is something the playoffs will expose. Denver might be back in championship form now that they’re out from under the oppressive presence of Malone but that remains to be seen. I don’t see Houston coming out of the West. Sadly, I think the likely West champion will be the Lakers or Clippers. I can’t stand the Lakers for a lot of reasons but I don’t like the Clippers either because I can’t stand Harden. Overall, I don’t like the City of LA. . Of all the teams in the West, I think the Wolves stand alone as the team with the talent and veteran presence to stop the two LA teams from winning the West.

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 14, 2025 9:13 am

Coolbreeze44 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 13, 2025 5:32 pm I think in a fair fight we could beat the Lakers. But this won't be. Our only hope is one of their big 2 get injured. Otherwise the NBA will handle this one. It may go 6 or 7 games, but I promise you the Lakers will get the crucial calls when it really matters.

I wish I could disagree with you on this, Cool. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but the NBA officiating bias in favor of the Lakers is conspiracy fact, not theory. We have the first-round match I was dreading and it will be tough to beat both a very good Lakers team and the officials.

What’s infuriating is that the Wolves put themselves in this position with a lot of inexcusable losses. We’d be the 5th seed facing Denver if we hadn’t lost at home to both the Pelicans AND Wizards or if we had beaten the League’s worst team (Jazz) in Utah on February 28. If we had won all three of those games (which we absolutely should have), we’d be the 2nd or 3rd seed in the West in spite of squandering a 24-point halftime lead against the Bucks last week and the four terrible losses on the road in November to the Spurs, Raptors and Portland (twice). And don’t forget the two home losses to the Kings. Honestly, the Wolves should be the 2nd seed rather than 6th facing Luca again on a very good Lakers team that the NBA’s officials will coddle throughout the series.

The Wolves are talented enough to win the West but all those unacceptable losses tell us there’s something fundamentally wrong with this team that continues to hold it back from at least equaling the sum of its parts. I’m not sure what it is, although I think some of it is Ant’s immaturity in addition to other issues.

OKC seems very vulnerable to me. I think they’ve been playing over their heads during the season, which is something the playoffs will expose. Denver might be back in championship form now that they’re out from under the oppressive presence of Malone but that remains to be seen. I don’t see Houston coming out of the West. Sadly, I think the likely West champion will be the Lakers or Clippers. I can’t stand the Lakers for a lot of reasons but I don’t like the Clippers either because I can’t stand Harden. Overall, I don’t like the City of LA. . Of all the teams in the West, I think the Wolves stand alone as the team with the talent and veteran presence to stop the two LA teams from winning the West.

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Mon Apr 14, 2025 10:10 am

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 14, 2025 9:13 am

Coolbreeze44 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 13, 2025 5:32 pm I think in a fair fight we could beat the Lakers. But this won't be. Our only hope is one of their big 2 get injured. Otherwise the NBA will handle this one. It may go 6 or 7 games, but I promise you the Lakers will get the crucial calls when it really matters.

I wish I could disagree with you on this, Cool. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but the NBA officiating bias in favor of the Lakers is conspiracy fact, not theory. We have the first-round match I was dreading and it will be tough to beat both a very good Lakers team and the officials.

What’s infuriating is that the Wolves put themselves in this position with a lot of inexcusable losses. We’d be the 5th seed facing Denver if we hadn’t lost at home to both the Pelicans AND Wizards or if we had beaten the League’s worst team (Jazz) in Utah on February 28. If we had won all three of those games (which we absolutely should have), we’d be the 2nd or 3rd seed in the West in spite of squandering a 24-point halftime lead against the Bucks last week and the four terrible losses on the road in November to the Spurs, Raptors and Portland (twice). And don’t forget the two home losses to the Kings. Honestly, the Wolves should be the 2nd seed rather than 6th facing Luca again on a very good Lakers team that the NBA’s officials will coddle throughout the series.

The Wolves are talented enough to win the West but all those unacceptable losses tell us there’s something fundamentally wrong with this team that continues to hold it back from at least equaling the sum of its parts. I’m not sure what it is, although I think some of it is Ant’s immaturity in addition to other issues.

OKC seems very vulnerable to me. I think they’ve been playing over their heads during the season, which is something the playoffs will expose. Denver might be back in championship form now that they’re out from under the oppressive presence of Malone but that remains to be seen. I don’t see Houston coming out of the West. Sadly, I think the likely West champion will be the Lakers or Clippers. I can’t stand the Lakers for a lot of reasons but I don’t like the Clippers either because I can’t stand Harden. Overall, I don’t like the City of LA. . Of all the teams in the West, I think the Wolves stand alone as the team with the talent and veteran presence to stop the two LA teams from winning the West.

I've read a lot of folks talking about OKC's vulnerability in the playoffs (so not just you Lip) and I find it interesting since they just dominate when you look at their overall record and net rating. And they just didn't beat up on the East. They went 4-0 against the Clippers, 4-0 against Memphis, 2-1 against the Lakers, and 3-2 against Houston. They were at or below .500 against Denver, Wolves, and Golden State, but overall they have a winning record against Western Conference playoff teams.

I think they are better than the Phoenix and Utah teams from a few years ago that won the West with 60+ wins and then flamed out in the playoffs.

rapsuperstar31 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 14, 2025 10:16 am

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 14, 2025 9:13 am

Coolbreeze44 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 13, 2025 5:32 pm I think in a fair fight we could beat the Lakers. But this won't be. Our only hope is one of their big 2 get injured. Otherwise the NBA will handle this one. It may go 6 or 7 games, but I promise you the Lakers will get the crucial calls when it really matters.

I wish I could disagree with you on this, Cool. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but the NBA officiating bias in favor of the Lakers is conspiracy fact, not theory. We have the first-round match I was dreading and it will be tough to beat both a very good Lakers team and the officials.

What’s infuriating is that the Wolves put themselves in this position with a lot of inexcusable losses. We’d be the 5th seed facing Denver if we hadn’t lost at home to both the Pelicans AND Wizards or if we had beaten the League’s worst team (Jazz) in Utah on February 28. If we had won all three of those games (which we absolutely should have), we’d be the 2nd or 3rd seed in the West in spite of squandering a 24-point halftime lead against the Bucks last week and the four terrible losses on the road in November to the Spurs, Raptors and Portland (twice). And don’t forget the two home losses to the Kings. Honestly, the Wolves should be the 2nd seed rather than 6th facing Luca again on a very good Lakers team that the NBA’s officials will coddle throughout the series.

The Wolves are talented enough to win the West but all those unacceptable losses tell us there’s something fundamentally wrong with this team that continues to hold it back from at least equaling the sum of its parts. I’m not sure what it is, although I think some of it is Ant’s immaturity in addition to other issues.

OKC seems very vulnerable to me. I think they’ve been playing over their heads during the season, which is something the playoffs will expose. Denver might be back in championship form now that they’re out from under the oppressive presence of Malone but that remains to be seen. I don’t see Houston coming out of the West. Sadly, I think the likely West champion will be the Lakers or Clippers. I can’t stand the Lakers for a lot of reasons but I don’t like the Clippers either because I can’t stand Harden. Overall, I don’t like the City of LA. . Of all the teams in the West, I think the Wolves stand alone as the team with the talent and veteran presence to stop the two LA teams from winning the West.

We'll just have to take care of OKC in the WCF after taking care of the Lakers and Houston.