Minnesota Sports Forum

Wolves are now 5-1 when KAT fouls out.

I feel like the playoffs really fit Dlo well. He is able to slow down and be crafty. He played great tonight. The way he gets into the lane and is so patient really gets the defense off guard.


Then there is Kat. A damn bull in a China shop. He gets so damn crazy and out of control. Feels like he can't keep his emotions in check. Then he just let's it affect his game. Also unlike Dlo, Kat doesn't have the ability to slow down and let the game come to him. He speeds up too much and is usually out of control of his body . It's crazy to me he after all this time he doesn't adapt or adjust how they call the game. He just continually does the same thing over and over.


Also one thing I really hated about the game. The damn complaining to the refs like literally after every single foul call. The NBA has to fix this. No matter how blatant the foul you still see guys in shock and yelling to the refs pretty much the entirety of the game.

Other than that awesome win. Bring on Memphis.

It was also cool to have Harlen on the call tonight

Post game interviews:

https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/7GG6CSVdhN26s4x28

Just finished watching and reading this whole thread. What a game!

Bottom line: we need to figure out how to deal with this KAT situation in the playoffs, and the problem of playoff defenses generally.

Lue had a quote after the game that went something like, "They played better when KAT was off the floor." It's hard to argue with that. Part of it was KAT forcing the issue and picking up those fouls. Yes, the refs were quick to blow the whistle on him and slow to call PG for using the elbow on those drives, but KAT really played out of control when he most needed to play poised tonight. To the extent that that's on KAT with an assist from the refs (who we can't control), KAT needs to learn his lesson (play in control and forget about the refs) and also not sarcastically overreact like he did earlier this year after a similar game when he came out the next game and was hyperbolically ignoring the refs--which ironically showed how much they were in his head. Dude needs to grow up and hopefully he'll respond more positively to the cascade of criticism he's probably already getting because of this game.

But it's not only on KAT to deal with this. This was also clearly a result of a really aggressive double-teaming scheme that really rattled KAT and threw off our whole offense. We need to come up with a plan for playoff defenses, including when opponents double KAT--and Ant (and maybe even DLO) and drill the shit out of it, because you can be sure playoff opponents will do that to you, especially after KAT has a game like that. As bad as KAT was and as secretly happy I was that he had to watch his teammates win from the bench, we can't win a series without him. And he's not going to get the same kind of regular-season defense that he's been able to feast on all year. Think of all the wide-open 3 pointers he's had the time to launch this year coming off of simple plays or or just trailing the play. Or the times he could work in the post against a single defender. Playoff defenses are just different. He's not going to get those opportunities as much. So we need to figure out a way offensively to take advantage, probably by practicing cutting when he's doubled to receive a quick pass, or getting ready to swing the ball along the perimeter until we find the open shooter. Those should be instinctive, but clearly we weren't really ready to do that tonight. There's also a good chance opponents will be ready to double Ant, especially if he gets hot. If and when that happens, we need to be ready to respond to that too. I also like the idea of more pick and pops with KAT as the screener (but he needs to practice screening too because he has a tendency to hit the defender while he's still moving, and we can't have him picking up fouls that way either). He can turn those into open threes with a quick step back or a really good pass, but if he's able to more easily get an elbow jumper out of those, I'll take it. He's such a good shooter when he's got an open shot. We should manufacture some pick and pop elbow "jumpers" for him, he'll hit them and that will get us going. It's basically a 2-point free throw if we can get that play working.

We were lucky to dodge a bullet tonight with KAT's performance. He needs to rise above it. But we also need to be more ready for playoff defenses as a team.

Can't wait for Memphis. God, I love watching Ja. Probably my favorite player to watch. This could be really fun. Let's hope we don't blow it.

https://twitter.com/LADEig/status/1514102065282240515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1514102065282240515%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fforums.realgm.com%2Fboards%2Fviewtopic.php%3Ft%3D2183790start%3D140


Pat Bev doesn't seem to mind putting a target on the Wolves. Ahahaha. I usually am not fan of this behavior, but I guess Pat Bev has awoken my own inner troll.

Sagacious Magnanimous wrote:https://twitter.com/LADEig/status/1514102065282240515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1514102065282240515%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fforums.realgm.com%2Fboards%2Fviewtopic.php%3Ft%3D2183790start%3D140


Pat Bev doesn't seem to mind putting a target on the Wolves. Ahahaha. I usually am not fan of this behavior, but I guess Pat Bev has awoken my own inner troll.

Unless Kawhi comes back at 80-90% or better starting in a few days, there's no way we face the Clippers in the playoffs. They'd have to get through the Suns, we'd have to get through the Grizz, and then, I think because of seeding, we'd also both need to win the next series as well.

Of all PatBev's questionable decisions, I think his choice of a postgame beverage was the most objectionable.

Skip ahead to about 2:30 and you can see it in the lower left.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP9H3KIXdWQ

Seriously? A Bud Light? I mean, I guess it's consistent with his blue-collar character, but somebody get that man a decent beer.

Camden wrote:

"D-Lo was the guy I was worried about coming into it. I knew he could score-- because he's aggressive. But D-Lo was the one that I was scared could take over the game, and he did that. So, I should have did a better job adjusting, probably blitz him a little more and get the ball out of his hands. He was pretty aggressive and he was able to carry them home."

This came from Clippers' head coach Ty Lue after tonight's game. I just wanted to add this quote to a passionate, exciting, and [at times] irrational game thread to show how one of the league's best basketball minds talks about D'Angelo Russell... Put some respect on his name.

D-Lo was tremendous and arguably the best player on the floor in the biggest game of the season for Minnesota. His 14 points in the second quarter and that stretch to end the first half was huge. He rode that momentum into the second half, including two massive threes with under 5:00 in the fourth quarter -- one pull-up three in transition and one step-back three that felt like a dagger. We know he's streaky, but he's far more good than not and he deserves a lot of credit for tonight's win and the team's overall success this year.

Anthony Edwards was tremendous as well. He was perhaps the only Wolves player that had it going in the first quarter. Loved that he was in attack mode and balanced his shot chart from the perimeter and in the paint. He also was a force defensively and continues to show massive improvement on that end. He has All-Defense potential and we're seeing glimpses of it every game now. We basically saw the D-Lo and Ant show tonight and they churned out a win when it seemed very unlikely. Superhuman effort from those two.

Ant will rightfully get a lot of the kudos for this win, and tonight will probably spark the conversation about the Wolves being his team now, but the entire game changed when D-Lo began his takeover, in my opinion. He just never got rushed or out of his rhythm. He appeared to have a real calming effect on the rest of his teammate as well. It's a weird leadership dynamic with him and Patrick Beverley, but it just works. One guy is mellow and steady and the other is ferocious and unruly. Hopefully D-Lo keeps this momentum into the upcoming playoff series. Historically, he's killed Memphis -- including the games against them this year.

Welcome back to the fold Cam! Not sure why you disappeared on us, but hey, life gets in the way sometimes! Now we just need to send a search and rescue team out for FNG!

As for your comments above, this is why having a "big three" is so helpful. All you really need are two out of the three on any given night to click and you will win your fair share of games. Last night KAT was awful. The other two guys were brilliant. Game won.

Cam did you leave because Dlo comments?

SameOldNudityDrew wrote:

Sagacious Magnanimous wrote:https://twitter.com/LADEig/status/1514102065282240515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1514102065282240515%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fforums.realgm.com%2Fboards%2Fviewtopic.php%3Ft%3D2183790start%3D140


Pat Bev doesn't seem to mind putting a target on the Wolves. Ahahaha. I usually am not fan of this behavior, but I guess Pat Bev has awoken my own inner troll.

Unless Kawhi comes back at 80-90% or better starting in a few days, there's no way we face the Clippers in the playoffs. They'd have to get through the Suns, we'd have to get through the Grizz, and then, I think because of seeding, we'd also both need to win the next series as well.

Of all PatBev's questionable decisions, I think his choice of a postgame beverage was the most objectionable.

Skip ahead to about 2:30 and you can see it in the lower left.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP9H3KIXdWQ

Seriously? A Bud Light? I mean, I guess it's consistent with his blue-collar character, but somebody get that man a decent beer.

Ahahaha. That's hilarious. I wonder if Budweiser became cool to drink in the NBA after The Last Dance? MJ and Pippen had the excuse of there being hardly any better alternatives. Thanks for that interview clip btw. I liked how Pat Bev didn't fall into the common reaction of ridiculing the glue woman. I didn't care for the prayer part, but the overall message was quite thoughtful.

To be fair... after playing a hard-fought basketball game... I think a watered-down, uber-non-threatening Bud Light would be preferable to a hoppy ale.



[Note: Personally, I think there are better watered-down options out there.]