Wolves fan commiserate here!
https://forum.midwestvolleyball.com/phpBB3/
https://forum.midwestvolleyball.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=31660
He should get a chance at some point this year. The 8th pick last year Jarace Walker played in 33 games last year for a good Indiana team, and ended up playing in 9 of their playoff games. So far he's played in all 4 of the Pacers games this year.
Conley is only playing 24 MPG and is a borderline token starter in that DDV is averaging more MPG and NAW barely plays less. So this isn't an issue of keeping Conley fresh, as we have two very deserving bench guards that Finch is really leaning into right now. Hopefully DDV finds his shot!
My point is a bit more simple. We cant take care of the ball. Mike overall is not the same player. DDV is not a pg and we desperately need one. Dillingham wasnt going to win us that game, but he needs to be getting complicated and intense reps. The earlier the better as far as Im concerned.Q-is-here wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2024 10:01 amConley is only playing 24 MPG and is a borderline token starter in that DDV is averaging more MPG and NAW barely plays less. So this isn't an issue of keeping Conley fresh, as we have two very deserving bench guards that Finch is really leaning into right now. Hopefully DDV finds his shot!
I agree that at some point Conley is going to take a rest day and perhaps then we see Dillingham. But yeah, Dallas is a TERRIBLE matchup for him with the way they do switch-baiting. He'd get absolutely obliterated by Kyrie, Doncic, or even Hardy.
Speaking of switch-baiting, I thought one of the mistakes the Wolves made last night was how frequently they'd switch Randle onto NAW's man Kyrie. It was a blatant swith-baiting tactic and the Wolves lazily let it happen. It was avoidable with a simple hedge by Randle and then getting back to his man as NAW recovered. Most of those screens were weak and we took the bait. Gotta be more disciplined.
Yeah, it's the price we are sort of paying for addressing it with temporary fixes over the past few years (JMac, Morris) and only this past offseason finally getting potentially a longer term fix. I don't think Dillingham will bust, but I do question whether he ultimately can play a passable enough level of defense to be a playoff-caliber starter without cratering the team on that end. He has a lot going against him in that category. The clock is ticking on Conley.thedoper wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2024 10:28 amMy point is a bit more simple. We cant take care of the ball. Mike overall is not the same player. DDV is not a pg and we desperately need one. Dillingham wasnt going to win us that game, but he needs to be getting complicated and intense reps. The earlier the better as far as Im concerned.Q-is-here wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2024 10:01 amConley is only playing 24 MPG and is a borderline token starter in that DDV is averaging more MPG and NAW barely plays less. So this isn't an issue of keeping Conley fresh, as we have two very deserving bench guards that Finch is really leaning into right now. Hopefully DDV finds his shot!
I agree that at some point Conley is going to take a rest day and perhaps then we see Dillingham. But yeah, Dallas is a TERRIBLE matchup for him with the way they do switch-baiting. He'd get absolutely obliterated by Kyrie, Doncic, or even Hardy.
Speaking of switch-baiting, I thought one of the mistakes the Wolves made last night was how frequently they'd switch Randle onto NAW's man Kyrie. It was a blatant swith-baiting tactic and the Wolves lazily let it happen. It was avoidable with a simple hedge by Randle and then getting back to his man as NAW recovered. Most of those screens were weak and we took the bait. Gotta be more disciplined.
Ja Morant’s one of the worst defenders in the league yet his defense was still good enough to be the starting PG on the team with the best record in a West a few seasons ago. If Ant and Jaden would consistently defend up to their capability, then we’d have three elite defenders (Rudy, Jaden, Ant) in our starting lineup with another elite defender as our 6th or 7th man (NAW) and a good defender in DDV as a major part of the rotation. That should be enough to cover for Rob’s defensive vulnerabilities. But Rob will be a work in progress. Would we be a better team with him as our PG rather than DDV or NAW in that role off the bench? I’m not sure. Should we start giving Rob and Minott some significant minutes now so they’re more ready to contribute later in the season? I’m not sure about that either.Q-is-here wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2024 11:29 amYeah, it's the price we are sort of paying for addressing it with temporary fixes over the past few years (JMac, Morris) and only this past offseason finally getting potentially a longer term fix. I don't think Dillingham will bust, but I do question whether he ultimately can play a passable enough level of defense to be a playoff-caliber starter without cratering the team on that end. He has a lot going against him in that category. The clock is ticking on Conley.thedoper wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2024 10:28 amMy point is a bit more simple. We cant take care of the ball. Mike overall is not the same player. DDV is not a pg and we desperately need one. Dillingham wasnt going to win us that game, but he needs to be getting complicated and intense reps. The earlier the better as far as Im concerned.Q-is-here wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2024 10:01 am
Conley is only playing 24 MPG and is a borderline token starter in that DDV is averaging more MPG and NAW barely plays less. So this isn't an issue of keeping Conley fresh, as we have two very deserving bench guards that Finch is really leaning into right now. Hopefully DDV finds his shot!
I agree that at some point Conley is going to take a rest day and perhaps then we see Dillingham. But yeah, Dallas is a TERRIBLE matchup for him with the way they do switch-baiting. He'd get absolutely obliterated by Kyrie, Doncic, or even Hardy.
Speaking of switch-baiting, I thought one of the mistakes the Wolves made last night was how frequently they'd switch Randle onto NAW's man Kyrie. It was a blatant swith-baiting tactic and the Wolves lazily let it happen. It was avoidable with a simple hedge by Randle and then getting back to his man as NAW recovered. Most of those screens were weak and we took the bait. Gotta be more disciplined.