Minnesota Sports Forum

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

Q-was-here wrote:

kekgeek1 wrote:Clippers, warriors, pelicans, Grizzlies all lost tonight. Good night for the wolves.

Pelicans have lost 10 straight. Ugh....after such a strong start. I know they are missing Zion (again!), but Ingram has been back for a few games and they still have JoVal and McCollum as well.

It's crazy to think we could be the #4 seed after tonight. But to me it doesn't really mean that much if there are 8 other teams all within a game or two of us. But being 3 games above .500 would be meaningful along with the nature in which we've been winning of late - gritty defense, making some big shots, etc.

Only 11 home games left!

They need as many of these wins as possible, making tonight a "must-have" win.

It feels like the Wolves have had too many stinkers vs. Orlando, so I'm not as confident as I probably should be.

Yeah, I just looked at our remaining schedule for the year......Pppppfffffffftttttt. I mean, if anyone here is optimistic about our recent run of play, don't look at it. It's BRUTAL!!!!

Our only hope is we get lucky with some opponent rest days/injuries/tanking, etc. Just keeping it real. Those earlier losses to Detroit, Houston, etc. are truly going to come back to bite us when we find ourselves losing 7 out of 10 games in one of the upcoming stretches.

Frankly, this team plays better against better competition. It is what it is. The rest of the schedule being tougher might actually be a blessing in disguise.

Camden wrote:Frankly, this team plays better against better competition. It is what it is. The rest of the schedule being tougher might actually be a blessing in disguise.

Disagree, although I appreciate the optimism. Back in December this team had a tough12-game stretch that started with @Utah and ended with @Milwaukee. We went 4-8. Since that stretch, we have had 13 out of 18 games played at home. We've gone 2-3 in those 5 road games.

So how much of our recent good play really been more about home cookin'? Every NBA team plays better at home.

Bottom line....I'm not optimistic that we are going to continue surging up the Western Conference standings and end up with a top 4 or 5 seed and 6 will certainly be a stretch. We need some serious luck along the way to make that happen.

Q-was-here wrote:

Camden wrote:Frankly, this team plays better against better competition. It is what it is. The rest of the schedule being tougher might actually be a blessing in disguise.

Disagree, although I appreciate the optimism. Back in December this team had a tough12-game stretch that started with @Utah and ended with @Milwaukee. We went 4-8. Since that stretch, we have had 13 out of 18 games played at home. We've gone 2-3 in those 5 road games.

So how much of our recent good play really been more about home cookin'? Every NBA team plays better at home.

Bottom line....I'm not optimistic that we are going to continue surging up the Western Conference standings and end up with a top 4 or 5 seed and 6 will certainly be a stretch. We need some serious luck along the way to make that happen.

I had the same cloud of impending doom hanging over me after the Houston loss. And it still has not cleared. The schedule is just brutal. No KAT. No JMac. The only glimmer of hope was the upcoming 6-game homestand that might help right the ship, although even there I figured we would only go 3-3. Well, we have the 3 wins already, with 2 left, not to mention the nice win at New Orleans.

So we just need to take these games one at a time. Let's beat the Magic tonight. Hopefully JMac is getting close to returning. He could make a noticeable improvement on our turnovers. I assume KAT's return will be after the all-star break. Hopefully they can keep the ship afloat until then.

Q-was-here wrote:

Camden wrote:Frankly, this team plays better against better competition. It is what it is. The rest of the schedule being tougher might actually be a blessing in disguise.

Disagree, although I appreciate the optimism. Back in December this team had a tough12-game stretch that started with @Utah and ended with @Milwaukee. We went 4-8. Since that stretch, we have had 13 out of 18 games played at home. We've gone 2-3 in those 5 road games.

So how much of our recent good play really been more about home cookin'? Every NBA team plays better at home.

Bottom line....I'm not optimistic that we are going to continue surging up the Western Conference standings and end up with a top 4 or 5 seed and 6 will certainly be a stretch. We need some serious luck along the way to make that happen.

That 4-8 stretch included four losses decided by two possessions or less -- at Portland, vs. Dallas, at Miami, and at New Orleans. Games that could have, and probably should have, gone the other way for Minnesota.

That tough 12-game stretch was also without Karl-Anthony Towns, Jordan McLaughlin, and Taurean Prince. D'Angelo Russell didn't play in the loss to Los Angeles and Rudy Gobert didn't play in the loss to Milwaukee. I'm not turned off by that stretch of play given the circumstances. I think they're a better team right now with reinforcements on the way -- whenever that may be.

I don't think Minnesota needs any "serious luck" to continue climbing up the standings. They've mostly put up with bad luck all season. They just need to avoid losing any more of their key players. Even this current iteration of the team without Towns is pretty good.

60WinTim wrote:

Q-was-here wrote:

Camden wrote:Frankly, this team plays better against better competition. It is what it is. The rest of the schedule being tougher might actually be a blessing in disguise.

Disagree, although I appreciate the optimism. Back in December this team had a tough12-game stretch that started with @Utah and ended with @Milwaukee. We went 4-8. Since that stretch, we have had 13 out of 18 games played at home. We've gone 2-3 in those 5 road games.

So how much of our recent good play really been more about home cookin'? Every NBA team plays better at home.

Bottom line....I'm not optimistic that we are going to continue surging up the Western Conference standings and end up with a top 4 or 5 seed and 6 will certainly be a stretch. We need some serious luck along the way to make that happen.

I had the same cloud of impending doom hanging over me after the Houston loss. And it still has not cleared. The schedule is just brutal. No KAT. No JMac. The only glimmer of hope was the upcoming 6-game homestand that might help right the ship, although even there I figured we would only go 3-3. Well, we have the 3 wins already, with 2 left, not to mention the nice win at New Orleans.

So we just need to take these games one at a time. Let's beat the Magic tonight. Hopefully JMac is getting close to returning. He could make a noticeable improvement on our turnovers. I assume KAT's return will be after the all-star break. Hopefully they can keep the ship afloat until then.

Agree Tim, one game at a time. I'm certainly not throwing in the towel, but just trying to be realistic as we look ahead.

Just getting JMac back would be huge in my opinion. I mean....WTF is the deal with these calf strains!? You'd think these guys were in traction or something, sheesh.

Camden wrote:

Q-was-here wrote:

Camden wrote:Frankly, this team plays better against better competition. It is what it is. The rest of the schedule being tougher might actually be a blessing in disguise.

Disagree, although I appreciate the optimism. Back in December this team had a tough12-game stretch that started with @Utah and ended with @Milwaukee. We went 4-8. Since that stretch, we have had 13 out of 18 games played at home. We've gone 2-3 in those 5 road games.

So how much of our recent good play really been more about home cookin'? Every NBA team plays better at home.

Bottom line....I'm not optimistic that we are going to continue surging up the Western Conference standings and end up with a top 4 or 5 seed and 6 will certainly be a stretch. We need some serious luck along the way to make that happen.

That 4-8 stretch included four losses decided by two possessions or less -- at Portland, vs. Dallas, at Miami, and at New Orleans. Games that could have, and probably should have, gone the other way for Minnesota.

That tough 12-game stretch was also without Karl-Anthony Towns, Jordan McLaughlin, and Taurean Prince. D'Angelo Russell didn't play in the loss to Los Angeles and Rudy Gobert didn't play in the loss to Milwaukee. I'm not turned off by that stretch of play given the circumstances. I think they're a better team right now with reinforcements on the way -- whenever that may be.

I don't think Minnesota needs any "serious luck" to continue climbing up the standings. They've mostly put up with bad luck all season. They just need to avoid losing any more of their key players. Even this current iteration of the team without Towns is pretty good.

Well, you were optimistic at the time about that stretch too and ended up being wrong. Again, I have no problem with your optimism, but even "pretty good" teams are going to lose a lot of games in a stretch where they are playing "really good" teams mostly on the road. Let's get a win tonight and at least build a little buffer!

Q-was-here wrote:

Camden wrote:

Q-was-here wrote:

Camden wrote:Frankly, this team plays better against better competition. It is what it is. The rest of the schedule being tougher might actually be a blessing in disguise.

Disagree, although I appreciate the optimism. Back in December this team had a tough12-game stretch that started with @Utah and ended with @Milwaukee. We went 4-8. Since that stretch, we have had 13 out of 18 games played at home. We've gone 2-3 in those 5 road games.

So how much of our recent good play really been more about home cookin'? Every NBA team plays better at home.

Bottom line....I'm not optimistic that we are going to continue surging up the Western Conference standings and end up with a top 4 or 5 seed and 6 will certainly be a stretch. We need some serious luck along the way to make that happen.

That 4-8 stretch included four losses decided by two possessions or less -- at Portland, vs. Dallas, at Miami, and at New Orleans. Games that could have, and probably should have, gone the other way for Minnesota.

That tough 12-game stretch was also without Karl-Anthony Towns, Jordan McLaughlin, and Taurean Prince. D'Angelo Russell didn't play in the loss to Los Angeles and Rudy Gobert didn't play in the loss to Milwaukee. I'm not turned off by that stretch of play given the circumstances. I think they're a better team right now with reinforcements on the way -- whenever that may be.

I don't think Minnesota needs any "serious luck" to continue climbing up the standings. They've mostly put up with bad luck all season. They just need to avoid losing any more of their key players. Even this current iteration of the team without Towns is pretty good.

Well, you were optimistic at the time about that stretch too and ended up being wrong. Again, I have no problem with your optimism, but even "pretty good" teams are going to lose a lot of games in a stretch where they are playing "really good" teams mostly on the road. Let's get a win tonight and at least build a little buffer!

Do we need to reference the many other times when I was right? Or perhaps the times where you were wrong? I'm not sure I understand why that comment was made. I'd actually say the optimism this season has been justified given the team's record, place in the standings, and the fact they've done it without their top guns. Excuse me if I'm not on the doomer train.

Also, I'm not actually projecting or predicting anything here. I just don't think they'll need "serious luck" to push for a top-six seed this season. They're already doing that while having bad luck to this point. I also think this team's nature is to play up to their opponents -- as well as down to their opponents -- so having more quality opponents on the slate might bring out the best of this team. Austin Rivers said something similar the other day as well. Not a crazy take.

Camden wrote:

Q-was-here wrote:

Camden wrote:

Q-was-here wrote:

Camden wrote:Frankly, this team plays better against better competition. It is what it is. The rest of the schedule being tougher might actually be a blessing in disguise.

Disagree, although I appreciate the optimism. Back in December this team had a tough12-game stretch that started with @Utah and ended with @Milwaukee. We went 4-8. Since that stretch, we have had 13 out of 18 games played at home. We've gone 2-3 in those 5 road games.

So how much of our recent good play really been more about home cookin'? Every NBA team plays better at home.

Bottom line....I'm not optimistic that we are going to continue surging up the Western Conference standings and end up with a top 4 or 5 seed and 6 will certainly be a stretch. We need some serious luck along the way to make that happen.

That 4-8 stretch included four losses decided by two possessions or less -- at Portland, vs. Dallas, at Miami, and at New Orleans. Games that could have, and probably should have, gone the other way for Minnesota.

That tough 12-game stretch was also without Karl-Anthony Towns, Jordan McLaughlin, and Taurean Prince. D'Angelo Russell didn't play in the loss to Los Angeles and Rudy Gobert didn't play in the loss to Milwaukee. I'm not turned off by that stretch of play given the circumstances. I think they're a better team right now with reinforcements on the way -- whenever that may be.

I don't think Minnesota needs any "serious luck" to continue climbing up the standings. They've mostly put up with bad luck all season. They just need to avoid losing any more of their key players. Even this current iteration of the team without Towns is pretty good.

Well, you were optimistic at the time about that stretch too and ended up being wrong. Again, I have no problem with your optimism, but even "pretty good" teams are going to lose a lot of games in a stretch where they are playing "really good" teams mostly on the road. Let's get a win tonight and at least build a little buffer!

Do we need to reference the many other times when I was right? Or perhaps the times where you were wrong? I'm not sure I understand why that comment was made. I'd actually say the optimism this season has been justified given the team's record, place in the standings, and the fact they've done it without their top guns. Excuse me if I'm not on the doomer train.

Also, I'm not actually projecting or predicting anything here. I just don't think they'll need "serious luck" to push for a top-six seed this season. They're already doing that while having bad luck to this point. I also think this team's nature is to play up to their opponents -- as well as down to their opponents -- so having more quality opponents on the slate might bring out the best of this team. Austin Rivers said something similar the other day as well. Not a crazy take.

I made the comment because you had a sunny outlook on a previous stretch of tough games and we went 4-8 (can't remember the exact games you predicted but I believe it was within that timeframe). And yes, I have been wrong on things plenty of times. And in this case, I hope I'm wrong too and you can come back later and tell me how wrong I was! I hope you are right, but I maintain this team will need some significant breaks along the way to end up with a top 6 seed.

Kyrie has demanded a trade. Now I don't want Kyrie but a Dlo and Naz for Kyrie trade really increases the wolves ceiling for this year.