Minnesota Sports Forum

CoolBreeze44 wrote:This notion that Jimmy has to have the ball for every last minute possession drives me nuts. It really has prevented us from winning some games. I'm surprised KAT and Wig put up with it to be honest.

monsterpile wrote:

AbeVigodaLive wrote:I've heard a lot of basketball chatter over the last couple of days since the win. A couple of things have been repeated...

- I know this forum made claims about favorable officiating toward Denver... but that's not necessarily the consensus. Specifically, Gibson's aggressive defense vs. Jokic late. Personally, I thought it was part of the "let them play" mantra the officials had all game and that Gibson did a wonderful job. Funny how things are viewed when disparate preferred outcomes are at stake...

https://www.denverpost.com/2018/04/12/nikola-jokic-nuggets-fouled-by-taj-gibson/

- Denver's execution at the end was as bad (nearly?) as bad as Minnesota's. While I agree that Jokic shooting from 21 feet (the Gibson steal play) isn't much better than Butler's turnaround 20-footer on the previous possession... I thought they had some good looks and just missed them, e.g., Jokic's missed left-handed layup and Barton's 8-foot floater in the lane.

The Dunc'd on guys were not a fan of the way this game was officiated. They felt it was too I consistent. They specifically said Towns was getting mauled in the game. Jokic clearly fouled Towns a couple plays when I started watching. It's a damn hard game to officiate and at least when I started watching it was playoff basketball physically and the officials let them play at least. I did get a kick out of Thibs response to a question after the game about "playoff physicality" and he said something like "playoffs now or from...?" He was making a point but also seemed like he was making a bit of a funny.

Q12543 wrote:Just re-watched the game....You can be a lot more observant when not so damn nervous and emotional!

- Jokic was VERY well guarded throughout the entire game, not just the 4th quarter and OT where Taj locked him down. He was making some ridiculously well contested and difficult shots in the 3rd quarter and even earlier in the game. The dude is a major talent...not sure what else KAT or Gibson could have done on some of those crazy makes.

- That being said, Taj absolutely deserves the game ball. That game alone earned him that contract that myself and others thought we overpaid on. Wrong!

- Teague's pump fake 3's and drives into the paint for floaters was driving J-Pete nuts. Totally messes up our floor balance when he misses those shots. If Teague played for Houston, they would insist he takes the 3 every single time unless covered like a blanket (in which case he really can blow by his guy). He needs to be told to shoot that damn 3 and we don't care if you miss 8 in a row....keep taking them.

- Speaking of Teague.....Thibs the GM has too many guys in that starting lineup that want to get into the painted area. Nothing new here, but you saw how mucked up things get in there. Thank God Wiggins hit those big 3's and was able to play the part of floor spacer. Why oh why can't he do that more consistently!?

- Bjelly got a few steals, but otherwise was terrible on both ends.

- I thought the Rose signing was terrible, but he does bring energy...I'll give him that.

- Thibs really gets obsessed with the mismatch. The 4th quarter was all about trying to get Jokic and Murray to guard the pick and roll and get them in a switch OR we just did Jimmy isolation. If you are going to run a two man game, why on earth wouldn't you do Butler and KAT, by far your two best offensive players on the floor, matchups be damned! Oh well.....we won!

lipoli390 wrote:

Q12543 wrote:Just re-watched the game....You can be a lot more observant when not so damn nervous and emotional!

- Jokic was VERY well guarded throughout the entire game, not just the 4th quarter and OT where Taj locked him down. He was making some ridiculously well contested and difficult shots in the 3rd quarter and even earlier in the game. The dude is a major talent...not sure what else KAT or Gibson could have done on some of those crazy makes.

- That being said, Taj absolutely deserves the game ball. That game alone earned him that contract that myself and others thought we overpaid on. Wrong!

- Teague's pump fake 3's and drives into the paint for floaters was driving J-Pete nuts. Totally messes up our floor balance when he misses those shots. If Teague played for Houston, they would insist he takes the 3 every single time unless covered like a blanket (in which case he really can blow by his guy). He needs to be told to shoot that damn 3 and we don't care if you miss 8 in a row....keep taking them.

- Speaking of Teague.....Thibs the GM has too many guys in that starting lineup that want to get into the painted area. Nothing new here, but you saw how mucked up things get in there. Thank God Wiggins hit those big 3's and was able to play the part of floor spacer. Why oh why can't he do that more consistently!?

- Bjelly got a few steals, but otherwise was terrible on both ends.

- I thought the Rose signing was terrible, but he does bring energy...I'll give him that.

- Thibs really gets obsessed with the mismatch. The 4th quarter was all about trying to get Jokic and Murray to guard the pick and roll and get them in a switch OR we just did Jimmy isolation. If you are going to run a two man game, why on earth wouldn't you do Butler and KAT, by far your two best offensive players on the floor, matchups be damned! Oh well.....we won!

I agree with all your points, Q. Note that Teague isn't the only guy on this team who repeatedly passes up open 3s in favor of driving into traffic and then putting up difficult floaters or mid-range two-pointers in traffic. KAT and Belly do it quite a bit as does Wiggins. It's so pervasive and consistent that it has to reflect what they're coached to do. The 3-point shot is the most valuable shot in NBA basketball today. I think Thibs knows that, but he simply can't seem to adapt his coaching approach to reflect that reality. As a result, we are last, yes dead last, in made 3-pointers and near the bottom in defending the three. That's no accident and it's not solely or even primarily attributable to the make-up of our roster. And to the extent our roster lacks adequate volume 3-point shooters, that's also on Thibs in his role as PBO given the two years, draft picks and cap room he's had to worth with.

WolvesFan21 wrote:

CoolBreeze44 wrote:This notion that Jimmy has to have the ball for every last minute possession drives me nuts. It really has prevented us from winning some games. I'm surprised KAT and Wig put up with it to be honest.

I would also like to see them guard the 3 a lot more aggressively. Make them drive it inside and take the two. The Wolves should be forcing teams into the open long two, not the other way around. We know the rockets won't take that shot so leave it open. Easier said then done.

Camden wrote:The Wolves have been at the bottom of the league in three-point shooting since as far as I can remember, long before Thibs made his way to Minnesota. And there's a strong argument to be made that this roster as its constructed (yes, I realize who put it together) does not have the shooters necessary to be much better than how they've been in that regard. We were even struggling in this aspect while Zach LaVine was here and he was becoming near-automatic from three-point range. Not sure how we'd get any better there with him in Chicago.

But from a pure coaching standpoint, I don't think any of us are clued in enough to know exactly what Thibs is preaching to the team in reference to taking threes. I would assess based on what he's said to the media time and time again that he wants only open threes to be taken -- shot selection and taking care of the ball has always been one of Thibs' things -- and that guarding the three is just as important as guarding the rim, however, the Wolves as a team have struggled to accomplish all of that.

crazy-canuck wrote:

WolvesFan21 wrote:

CoolBreeze44 wrote:This notion that Jimmy has to have the ball for every last minute possession drives me nuts. It really has prevented us from winning some games. I'm surprised KAT and Wig put up with it to be honest.

I would also like to see them guard the 3 a lot more aggressively. Make them drive it inside and take the two. The Wolves should be forcing teams into the open long two, not the other way around. We know the rockets won't take that shot so leave it open. Easier said then done.

considering dieng and kat are both top 5ish among the worst rim protecting c's in the league, we probably dont want to do that either.