GDT - Empty Target Center

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

Guess you made more 3s today?

(more fun to repeat it in how you talk to your 2 year old)

[Lipoli390]

Its getting Payneful to watch Payne.

It's always been painful to watch him play from the moment he arrived here.

[TAFKASP]

Guess you made more 3s today?

(more fun to repeat it in how you talk to your 2 year old)

Are you suggesting that the two extra points, and four extra attempts were the difference in the game?

[Lipoli390]

Most of the game I felt like I was setting in a library except for the sound of the ball hitting the hardwood and occasional blurts from individual fans, coaches and players. The crowds get smaller and quieter as the season goes on. And in spite of a decent effort today, the team remained on its downward path.

So here we are - three games shy of the half-way point of the season -- and we have the 5th worst record on the NBA. Does anyone really believe we have bottom 5 talent? And we continue to backslide. Is that what we should be seeing from a young team?

So today's game contained many of the same mysteries or themes we've seen most of the previous 37 games. Here are some of them:

1. Bazz was playing really well today - even fairly well on the defensive end. So why did he play 28 rather than 38 minutes?

2. KAT wasn't having his best game today, but Pek was terrible and Dieng added absolutely nothing on the offensive end. Mitchell complained in his post-game comments that we didn't score enough today and that we generally don't score efficiently. So why did KAT - probably our most efficient scorer and certainly one of our main offensive weapons who can also rebound and block shots - why did he play 25 rather than 35 minutes? And don't point to the fouls. He finished with 3 fouls - 3 more before fouling out. He wasn't going to foul out playing an extra 10 minutes and if he did, so be it.

3. Why Payne??? Enough said. He may be the dumbest player I've ever seen. Watching him repeatedly lose Dirk on the defensive end was unbearable to watch. Payne playing and KAT sitting. Wow!!

4. Mitchell complains after the game as he has the past several games that we don't score enough. Duh! But then he continues to go with a lineup that is seriously scoring-impaired with Prince, KG or Dieng, and Ricky.

5. Players repeatedly passing up good open looks, especially 3-point looks, for extra dribbles and more contested shots or bad passes into traffic. Gosh, I wonder if that might have something to do with what they're drilled to do in practice.

6. Again today it looked like Zach has completely lost his swagger. His good shooting and overall good play the last month of last season had carried over into the first 4-6 weeks of this season, but now the bottom appears to have dropped out. Put a 19-20 year old player in positions not conducive to his talents, fail to fit him into an effective offensive system, constantly scream at him, keep him on a short leash, pulling him for mistakes and eventually you will crush his confidence. And lose your confidence as a player, especially at this level, and you will fail and fail miserably.

[Papalrep]

Thanks for the post Lip. I hope Sam doesn't completely destroy this team before he's done here

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Most of the game I felt like I was setting in a library except for the sound of the ball hitting the hardwood and occasional blurts from individual fans, coaches and players. The crowds get smaller and quieter as the season goes on. And in spite of a decent effort today, the team remained on its downward path.

So here we are - three games shy of the half-way point of the season -- and we have the 5th worst record on the NBA. Does anyone really believe we have bottom 5 talent? And we continue to backslide. Is that what we should be seeing from a young team?

So today's game contained many of the same mysteries or themes we've seen most of the previous 37 games. Here are some of them:

1. Bazz was playing really well today - even fairly well on the defensive end. So why did he play 28 rather than 38 minutes?

2. KAT wasn't having his best game today, but Pek was terrible and Dieng added absolutely nothing on the offensive end. Mitchell complained in his post-game comments that we didn't score enough today and that we generally don't score efficiently. So why did KAT - probably our most efficient scorer and certainly one of our main offensive weapons who can also rebound and block shots - why did he play 25 rather than 35 minutes? And don't point to the fouls. He finished with 3 fouls - 3 more before fouling out. He wasn't going to foul out playing an extra 10 minutes and if he did, so be it.

3. Why Payne??? Enough said. He may be the dumbest player I've ever seen. Watching him repeatedly lose Dirk on the defensive end was unbearable to watch. Payne playing and KAT sitting. Wow!!

4. Mitchell complains after the game as he has the past several games that we don't score enough. Duh! But then he continues to go with a lineup that is seriously scoring-impaired with Prince, KG or Dieng, and Ricky.

5. Players repeatedly passing up good open looks, especially 3-point looks, for extra dribbles and more contested shots or bad passes into traffic. Gosh, I wonder if that might have something to do with what they're drilled to do in practice.

6. Again today it looked like Zach has completely lost his swagger. His good shooting and overall good play the last month of last season had carried over into the first 4-6 weeks of this season, but now the bottom appears to have dropped out. Put a 19-20 year old player in positions not conducive to his talents, fail to fit him into an effective offensive system, constantly scream at him, keep him on a short leash, pulling him for mistakes and eventually you will crush his confidence. And lose your confidence as a player, especially at this level, and you will fail and fail miserably.

You are a trooper Lip!

I have a bit of empathy for Mitchell's plight because it feels like it's nearly impossible to properly balance offense and defense with this roster. For example, without Prince and KG, our defense would be in a total shambles. We literally can't get stops if these guys are both on the bench. On the other hand, they blend in horribly with Wiggins and Rubio because between the four of them, no one is a threat from 3, making the spacing impossible.

Don't get me wrong - Mitchell deserves blame for not getting better performance from one of the healthiest rosters in the NBA. A better coach would get more wins from this squad.....but I still see major problems with how the roster is constructed.

[AbeVigodaLive]

One thing on LaVine (and others... and Sam Mitchell).

We can blame Sam Mitchell for f-ing up all the young guys. Or, we can look at LaVine shooting 9 - 48 (with 4 dunks) over the last handful of games and pin at least SOME of the blame on them too.

That's awful. Terrible. I can guarantee you that Sam Mitchell is not telling LaVine to fadeaway from 22 feet. Or, hesitate when open, then double clutch into a three point shot.

The guy is really struggling. Bad coaching or not...

[AbeVigodaLive]

Guess you made more 3s today?

(more fun to repeat it in how you talk to your 2 year old)

Are you suggesting that the two extra points, and four extra attempts were the difference in the game?

Didn't watch the game. But I think the frustration about three pointers has probably built to a level where it's become a running narrative (kind of like my below 100 points scored thread). At this point, it's sadistic fun to point it out. In fact, three pointers was included in the game headline in the StarTribune. Consider...

"The Wolves (12-26) have made fewer three-pointers than their opponent in a franchise-record 21 consecutive games, according to Elias Sports Bureau, tying the Philadelphia 76ers (2007-08) as the longest shortcoming streak in NBA history."

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

Guess you made more 3s today?

(more fun to repeat it in how you talk to your 2 year old)

Are you suggesting that the two extra points, and four extra attempts were the difference in the game?

Didn't watch the game. But I think the frustration about three pointers has probably built to a level where it's become a running narrative (kind of like my below 100 points scored thread). At this point, it's sadistic fun to point it out. In fact, three pointers was included in the game headline in the StarTribune. Consider...

"The Wolves (12-26) have made fewer three-pointers than their opponent in a franchise-record 21 consecutive games, according to Elias Sports Bureau, tying the Philadelphia 76ers (2007-08) as the longest shortcoming streak in NBA history."

Thank you, I'm don't why TheSP keeps fighting everyone on this. This is pathetic and Rubio is a better 3 point shooter than Zach, Wiggy, Belly, Towns...only Bazz is making a higher percentage for those that have made over 20 (per Brooklyn Wolves' chart). I can barely care enough to type this out, but we suck and I don't know anymore if it's more coaching or our players really aren't that good.

[bleedspeed]

Rubio should only shoot in the middle of the floor and we should have people cutting the hoop off the screen or standing in corners for 3's. Seems simple.