Minnesota Sports Forum

WallyWorld wrote:I picked the right game to go see in person! Jaden looked good tonight. So did Taurean Prince. So did Naz, we need to figure out a way to re-sign him, excellent back up big. Dare I say Dlo didn't look completely outclassed tonight? I guess this is what you get when you play the Rockets. We could definitely win 60 games if we just played them every night.

Hahaha I really hope we'd be able to beat the warriors record if we played Houston every game!

Q-was-here wrote:

60WinTim wrote:It really sucks that our top two players, KAT and Ant, have displayed little to no basketball IQ this season. I don't know how it gets fixed. I suppose having Rudy gives us the option of trading KAT... :-(

KAT was just abused by Sengun whenever he was one on one in the post against him. That should be a good reminder as to why we went out and got Gobert. But overall KAT has had far fewer mental meltdowns and histrionics than we have seen in the past.

As for Ant, I see nothing in his game this year that is an improvement over last year. And that is not a good sign.

Yes, Sengun's buckets tonight were a reminder of why we went out and got Gobert. But how well this team played overall tonight was a reminder of the downside of getting Gobert. I've maintained all along that we could have tweaked the roster to help mitigate KAT's defensive weakness without giving up nearly as much and without the downside that comes with Gobert's limited mobility and shot-making ability.

I agree with your observation on Ant. I too see no improvement in his game form the end of last season. I see no improvement in his shooting, decision-making, rebounding or ball-handling. If anything, I see a player who isn't as quick or explosive as he was several dozen cheeseburgers ago last season. And yes, that troubling.

I also see the same DLO we've always seen. Tonight he was much better, but you never know what DLO you'll get from game to game. Moreover, even when he's the better version of himself as he was tonight, the TEAM still looks better when JMac is running the point.

I do see signs of improvement from McDaniels. He seems stronger and his handle seems better. He's not as far along as I was hoping he'd be, but I'm still encouraged by what I've seen from him so far this season. He strikes me as someone who's really serious about the game. I'm not entirely sure I can say the same about Ant.

Prince looks like he's about to have a career year. At age 28, he should be at his peak. After a career held back to date by injuries, he looks fully healthy and bouncy. Don't underestimate the positive impact this former #12 draft pick can have on this team.

Tonight's game was the first one this season when SLO MO showed what he can do for this team - and it's a lot. He and JMac are both better that DLO at running the offense. Anderson's quick hands on defense are a sight to behold. And it was great to see him shoot well tonight. Anderson has said previously that he's never gotten his shot back since his shoulder surgery because the surgery seriously altered his motion. But perhaps he's figured it out. If so, that's a big positive for this team.

I expected the Wolves to win tonight. My worry was that the Wolves would allow the Rockets to keep it close. A decisive win was exactly what I wanted to see as a sign of hope that this team can get its act together. But I'm still not sure they'll get it together with the Gobert-KAT combination. I had my doubts before the season and what I've seen so far has increased those doubts.

Q-was-here wrote:McLaughlin with 11 assists and no turnovers. The guy just keeps getting others buckets while limiting his own mistakes to near zero. He hasn't had a turnover since October 24th.....

Yeah, he's been terrific...and not just on offense. His energy level seems to rub off on his teammates, and the pace picks up at both ends of the court the moment he hits the court. JMac has shown very quick hands since the middle of last season resulting in many steals and disruptions, and he closes out on the 3-point line better than anyone else on the roster. And he also seems to get to every loose ball and rebound despite being the smallest guy on the court...he's a much quicker player than I thought he was when I first watched him in summer league.

His deep analytic stats have been outstanding this season. He leads the team in on/off by a substantial amount...the Wolves score an incredible 15 more points per 100 possessions when he is on the court, and they give up 11.9 fewer! And his net rating of +14 on basketball reference is better than anyone on the team except Kyle Anderson and (sorry D-Loser...this isn't helpful for your narrative) Rudy Gobert.

The amazing thing about how potent our offense has been with JMac running the point is that it is happening despite his horrible 3-point shooting...he's made only 2 out of 15 three-pointers this season, and (correct me if I'm wrong, kekgeek) almost all of them seem to have been wide open. He needs to make that shot. But does anyone think a guy with his shooting history isn't going to progress to the mean as the season continues? He was a 40+% 3-point shooter his final three years in college, and his career 3-point average in the NBA before this season is identical to DLo's. I'm not worried about his shooting, although it certainly has been disappointing.

Last night JMac played only 5 fewer minutes than The Pointer. Maybe it was because of Russell's 4 fouls, although Jaden played 35 minutes with his 4 fouls. I think JMac's increased minutes are more a sign that Finchie is beginning to see how much better we look on offense and defense when he in. The two main keys to getting to 50+ wins this season IMO are KAT/Rudy becoming more comfortable next to each other (and I think it will happen) and JMac taking more minutes away from Pointer (I hope it will happen).

D-Mac wrote:
The center fit is the bigger problem and the only reason there's even an Ant problem at all is because this trade was an all in bet on Ant before we knew if he was ready. Towns is a much better 5 on the offensive end... that much should be obvious to everyone by now. It should also be obvious that we're not gonna be able to play these two together for any extended stretches against most teams in games that matter. Milwaukee is actually an exception to that as Kat/Rudy match up well against them... and they still pounded us at home without one of their best players. That loss was on Dlo.

This team had one big problem this offseason (our PG sucks)... rather than addressing that, they decided to double down and create another problem. Now we can't fix either :) I said this trade was dumb from the beginning and it's actually looking worse than I even imagined. At least this trade distracted from me being pissed about the Dlo for Wiggins/kuminga (or wagner) trade.

Also, yes... if anyone will give us 2 firsts and a good player for Gobert, you take it and run.

You know....I didn't know what to make of D-Loser when he first started posting. But this son of a bitch is starting to make a lot of sense to me lately.

D-Mac wrote:

Jester1534 wrote:

lipoli390 wrote:

60WinTim wrote:It really sucks that our top two players, KAT and Ant, have displayed little to no basketball IQ this season. I don't know how it gets fixed. I suppose having Rudy gives us the option of trading KAT... :-(

I think this is the best game for the Wolves so far this season. I know that's not saying much, but it is what it is. It's noteworthy that Gobert, not KAT, is out today. I'd consider trading Gobert long before I'd consider trading KAT.

Well at the end of day Kat and Rudy are who they're. The real problem is what type of player Ant is going to become. If he's not what everyone wants him to be then none of this matters.

I'm sorry but it doesn't bold well that he came into the season fat and out of shape. You can't tell me in the first 10 games this year does it look like he worked on or approved anything in his game? You could say defense but I would argue that was always a mindset thing for him.

The center fit is the bigger problem and the only reason there's even an Ant problem at all is because this trade was an all in bet on Ant before we knew if he was ready. Towns is a much better 5 on the offensive end... that much should be obvious to everyone by now. It should also be obvious that we're not gonna be able to play these two together for any extended stretches against most teams in games that matter. Milwaukee is actually an exception to that as Kat/Rudy match up well against them... and they still pounded us at home without one of their best players. That loss was on Dlo.

This team had one big problem this offseason (our PG sucks)... rather than addressing that, they decided to double down and create another problem. Now we can't fix either :) I said this trade was dumb from the beginning and it's actually looking worse than I even imagined. At least this trade distracted from me being pissed about the Dlo for Wiggins/kuminga (or wagner) trade.

Also, yes... if anyone will give us 2 firsts and a good player for Gobert, you take it and run.

Rudy has been the Wolves best player this year. It's taking time for Ant and DLO to figure things out, but I have no doubts that Ant will figure out the pick and roll eventually. When that happens the Wolves will have both a top 10 offense and top 10 defense with Rudy on the floor by the end of the year.

KAT simply cannot play the 5, not successfully for sure. We've got enough data to know that! Teams are going to be in trouble once the twin towers and more importantly the guards get things going with them. However DLO and his 3-15 nights might be on another team at that time, we hope

It's not about the Wolves matching up against other teams, it's about other teams unable to match up against the Wolves. We will beat them down on the glass both offensively and defensively.

The Wolves are currently shooting 33% from 3P on the year. That cold shooting won't last either. The guys who are cold will get it going as well. The Nowells, KATs, Ants, JMacs and maybe even DLO will get going eventually. Hopefully they decide to start sharing the ball more too (we know who is shot jacking too much).

WolvesFan21 wrote:

D-Mac wrote:

Jester1534 wrote:

lipoli390 wrote:

60WinTim wrote:It really sucks that our top two players, KAT and Ant, have displayed little to no basketball IQ this season. I don't know how it gets fixed. I suppose having Rudy gives us the option of trading KAT... :-(

I think this is the best game for the Wolves so far this season. I know that's not saying much, but it is what it is. It's noteworthy that Gobert, not KAT, is out today. I'd consider trading Gobert long before I'd consider trading KAT.

Well at the end of day Kat and Rudy are who they're. The real problem is what type of player Ant is going to become. If he's not what everyone wants him to be then none of this matters.

I'm sorry but it doesn't bold well that he came into the season fat and out of shape. You can't tell me in the first 10 games this year does it look like he worked on or approved anything in his game? You could say defense but I would argue that was always a mindset thing for him.

The center fit is the bigger problem and the only reason there's even an Ant problem at all is because this trade was an all in bet on Ant before we knew if he was ready. Towns is a much better 5 on the offensive end... that much should be obvious to everyone by now. It should also be obvious that we're not gonna be able to play these two together for any extended stretches against most teams in games that matter. Milwaukee is actually an exception to that as Kat/Rudy match up well against them... and they still pounded us at home without one of their best players. That loss was on Dlo.

This team had one big problem this offseason (our PG sucks)... rather than addressing that, they decided to double down and create another problem. Now we can't fix either :) I said this trade was dumb from the beginning and it's actually looking worse than I even imagined. At least this trade distracted from me being pissed about the Dlo for Wiggins/kuminga (or wagner) trade.

Also, yes... if anyone will give us 2 firsts and a good player for Gobert, you take it and run.

Rudy has been the Wolves best player this year. It's taking time for Ant and DLO to figure things out, but I have no doubts that Ant will figure out the pick and roll eventually. When that happens the Wolves will have both a top 10 offense and top 10 defense with Rudy on the floor by the end of the year.

KAT simply cannot play the 5, not successfully for sure. We've got enough data to know that! Teams are going to be in trouble once the twin towers and more importantly the guards get things going with them. However DLO and his 3-15 nights might be on another team at that time, we hope

It's not about the Wolves matching up against other teams, it's about other teams unable to match up against the Wolves. We will beat them down on the glass both offensively and defensively.

The Wolves are currently shooting 33% from 3P on the year. That cold shooting won't last either. The guys who are cold will get it going as well. The Nowells, KATs, Ants, JMacs and maybe even DLO will get going eventually. Hopefully they decide to start sharing the ball more too (we know who is shot jacking too much).

I like the idea of beating opponents down on the glass. But so far the Wolves have out-rebounded their opponent in only 4 of their 10 games this season and one of those was last night without Gobert. Rudy himself leads the League in rebounding so far this season. But his individual rebounding hasn't significantly upgraded the Wolves team rebounding. That's probably because of the rebounds Rudy gets. He rebounds around the basket, pulling down just about anything in the vicinity of the rim. But a lot of those rebounds were balls that KAT, also an excellent rebounder, used to get. Vanderbilt and Beverley would get rebounds further from the basket - what some might call loose balls. KAT doesn't get a lot of those. So the notion that the Wolves become a dominant rebounding team simply by adding Gobert is a bit misplaced. It fails to take into account KAT's rebounds around the rim as well as the loss of Vanderbilt's 8.5 boards per game and Beverley's 4 boards.

Are we a better rebounding team with Gobert? I don't know. But unfortunately, I don't think the Gobert deal itself makes the Wolves significantly better.

lipoli390 wrote:

WolvesFan21 wrote:

D-Mac wrote:

Jester1534 wrote:

lipoli390 wrote:

60WinTim wrote:It really sucks that our top two players, KAT and Ant, have displayed little to no basketball IQ this season. I don't know how it gets fixed. I suppose having Rudy gives us the option of trading KAT... :-(

I think this is the best game for the Wolves so far this season. I know that's not saying much, but it is what it is. It's noteworthy that Gobert, not KAT, is out today. I'd consider trading Gobert long before I'd consider trading KAT.

Well at the end of day Kat and Rudy are who they're. The real problem is what type of player Ant is going to become. If he's not what everyone wants him to be then none of this matters.

I'm sorry but it doesn't bold well that he came into the season fat and out of shape. You can't tell me in the first 10 games this year does it look like he worked on or approved anything in his game? You could say defense but I would argue that was always a mindset thing for him.

The center fit is the bigger problem and the only reason there's even an Ant problem at all is because this trade was an all in bet on Ant before we knew if he was ready. Towns is a much better 5 on the offensive end... that much should be obvious to everyone by now. It should also be obvious that we're not gonna be able to play these two together for any extended stretches against most teams in games that matter. Milwaukee is actually an exception to that as Kat/Rudy match up well against them... and they still pounded us at home without one of their best players. That loss was on Dlo.

This team had one big problem this offseason (our PG sucks)... rather than addressing that, they decided to double down and create another problem. Now we can't fix either :) I said this trade was dumb from the beginning and it's actually looking worse than I even imagined. At least this trade distracted from me being pissed about the Dlo for Wiggins/kuminga (or wagner) trade.

Also, yes... if anyone will give us 2 firsts and a good player for Gobert, you take it and run.

Rudy has been the Wolves best player this year. It's taking time for Ant and DLO to figure things out, but I have no doubts that Ant will figure out the pick and roll eventually. When that happens the Wolves will have both a top 10 offense and top 10 defense with Rudy on the floor by the end of the year.

KAT simply cannot play the 5, not successfully for sure. We've got enough data to know that! Teams are going to be in trouble once the twin towers and more importantly the guards get things going with them. However DLO and his 3-15 nights might be on another team at that time, we hope

It's not about the Wolves matching up against other teams, it's about other teams unable to match up against the Wolves. We will beat them down on the glass both offensively and defensively.

The Wolves are currently shooting 33% from 3P on the year. That cold shooting won't last either. The guys who are cold will get it going as well. The Nowells, KATs, Ants, JMacs and maybe even DLO will get going eventually. Hopefully they decide to start sharing the ball more too (we know who is shot jacking too much).

I like the idea of beating opponents down on the glass. But so far the Wolves have out-rebounded their opponent in only 4 of their 10 games this season and one of those was last night without Gobert. Rudy himself leads the League in rebounding so far this season. But his individual rebounding hasn't significantly upgraded the Wolves team rebounding. That's probably because of the rebounds Rudy gets. He rebounds around the basket, pulling down just about anything in the vicinity of the rim. But a lot of those rebounds were balls that KAT, also an excellent rebounder, used to get. Vanderbilt and Beverley would get rebounds further from the basket - what some might call loose balls. KAT doesn't get a lot of those. So the notion that the Wolves become a dominant rebounding team simply by adding Gobert is a bit misplaced. It fails to take into account KAT's rebounds around the rim as well as the loss of Vanderbilt's 8.5 boards per game and Beverley's 4 boards.

Are we a better rebounding team with Gobert? I don't know. But unfortunately, I don't think the Gobert deal itself makes the Wolves significantly better.

Lip, what I have noticed is an unusually high number of long rebounds, and long rebounds often result in the offense retaining possession. And it makes sense. Opponents are unwilling to go inside against Rudy and they also likely game plan for our poor perimeter defense. That's going to result in more threes which often result in rebounds by guards. Our guards need to block out when they opponent shoots a three and not allow so many offensive rebounds by their guards. Ant and Russell are particularly week in this area.

lipoli390 wrote:

WolvesFan21 wrote:

D-Mac wrote:

Jester1534 wrote:

lipoli390 wrote:

60WinTim wrote:It really sucks that our top two players, KAT and Ant, have displayed little to no basketball IQ this season. I don't know how it gets fixed. I suppose having Rudy gives us the option of trading KAT... :-(

I think this is the best game for the Wolves so far this season. I know that's not saying much, but it is what it is. It's noteworthy that Gobert, not KAT, is out today. I'd consider trading Gobert long before I'd consider trading KAT.

Well at the end of day Kat and Rudy are who they're. The real problem is what type of player Ant is going to become. If he's not what everyone wants him to be then none of this matters.

I'm sorry but it doesn't bold well that he came into the season fat and out of shape. You can't tell me in the first 10 games this year does it look like he worked on or approved anything in his game? You could say defense but I would argue that was always a mindset thing for him.

The center fit is the bigger problem and the only reason there's even an Ant problem at all is because this trade was an all in bet on Ant before we knew if he was ready. Towns is a much better 5 on the offensive end... that much should be obvious to everyone by now. It should also be obvious that we're not gonna be able to play these two together for any extended stretches against most teams in games that matter. Milwaukee is actually an exception to that as Kat/Rudy match up well against them... and they still pounded us at home without one of their best players. That loss was on Dlo.

This team had one big problem this offseason (our PG sucks)... rather than addressing that, they decided to double down and create another problem. Now we can't fix either :) I said this trade was dumb from the beginning and it's actually looking worse than I even imagined. At least this trade distracted from me being pissed about the Dlo for Wiggins/kuminga (or wagner) trade.

Also, yes... if anyone will give us 2 firsts and a good player for Gobert, you take it and run.

Rudy has been the Wolves best player this year. It's taking time for Ant and DLO to figure things out, but I have no doubts that Ant will figure out the pick and roll eventually. When that happens the Wolves will have both a top 10 offense and top 10 defense with Rudy on the floor by the end of the year.

KAT simply cannot play the 5, not successfully for sure. We've got enough data to know that! Teams are going to be in trouble once the twin towers and more importantly the guards get things going with them. However DLO and his 3-15 nights might be on another team at that time, we hope

It's not about the Wolves matching up against other teams, it's about other teams unable to match up against the Wolves. We will beat them down on the glass both offensively and defensively.

The Wolves are currently shooting 33% from 3P on the year. That cold shooting won't last either. The guys who are cold will get it going as well. The Nowells, KATs, Ants, JMacs and maybe even DLO will get going eventually. Hopefully they decide to start sharing the ball more too (we know who is shot jacking too much).

I like the idea of beating opponents down on the glass. But so far the Wolves have out-rebounded their opponent in only 4 of their 10 games this season and one of those was last night without Gobert. Rudy himself leads the League in rebounding so far this season. But his individual rebounding hasn't significantly upgraded the Wolves team rebounding. That's probably because of the rebounds Rudy gets. He rebounds around the basket, pulling down just about anything in the vicinity of the rim. But a lot of those rebounds were balls that KAT, also an excellent rebounder, used to get. Vanderbilt and Beverley would get rebounds further from the basket - what some might call loose balls. KAT doesn't get a lot of those. So the notion that the Wolves become a dominant rebounding team simply by adding Gobert is a bit misplaced. It fails to take into account KAT's rebounds around the rim as well as the loss of Vanderbilt's 8.5 boards per game and Beverley's 4 boards.

Are we a better rebounding team with Gobert? I don't know. But unfortunately, I don't think the Gobert deal itself makes the Wolves significantly better.

The team played harder last year on avg. thus far. It'll take time but KAT, Ant Jaden and others will have to pick up the intensity. Obviously Rudy is the best rebounder in the NBA, but it's also up to the others to be aggressive and go get the ball too. That they can't just expect Rudy to get it every time.

Just look at the size and length of KAT and Jaden, it's simply unacceptable for them not to outboard others at their respective positions. Sure Rudy will lead the team, but if you are KAT and Jaden you damn well better be above avg at the PF and SF positions too.

WolvesFan21 wrote:

lipoli390 wrote:

WolvesFan21 wrote:

D-Mac wrote:

Jester1534 wrote:

lipoli390 wrote:

60WinTim wrote:It really sucks that our top two players, KAT and Ant, have displayed little to no basketball IQ this season. I don't know how it gets fixed. I suppose having Rudy gives us the option of trading KAT... :-(

I think this is the best game for the Wolves so far this season. I know that's not saying much, but it is what it is. It's noteworthy that Gobert, not KAT, is out today. I'd consider trading Gobert long before I'd consider trading KAT.

Well at the end of day Kat and Rudy are who they're. The real problem is what type of player Ant is going to become. If he's not what everyone wants him to be then none of this matters.

I'm sorry but it doesn't bold well that he came into the season fat and out of shape. You can't tell me in the first 10 games this year does it look like he worked on or approved anything in his game? You could say defense but I would argue that was always a mindset thing for him.

The center fit is the bigger problem and the only reason there's even an Ant problem at all is because this trade was an all in bet on Ant before we knew if he was ready. Towns is a much better 5 on the offensive end... that much should be obvious to everyone by now. It should also be obvious that we're not gonna be able to play these two together for any extended stretches against most teams in games that matter. Milwaukee is actually an exception to that as Kat/Rudy match up well against them... and they still pounded us at home without one of their best players. That loss was on Dlo.

This team had one big problem this offseason (our PG sucks)... rather than addressing that, they decided to double down and create another problem. Now we can't fix either :) I said this trade was dumb from the beginning and it's actually looking worse than I even imagined. At least this trade distracted from me being pissed about the Dlo for Wiggins/kuminga (or wagner) trade.

Also, yes... if anyone will give us 2 firsts and a good player for Gobert, you take it and run.

Rudy has been the Wolves best player this year. It's taking time for Ant and DLO to figure things out, but I have no doubts that Ant will figure out the pick and roll eventually. When that happens the Wolves will have both a top 10 offense and top 10 defense with Rudy on the floor by the end of the year.

KAT simply cannot play the 5, not successfully for sure. We've got enough data to know that! Teams are going to be in trouble once the twin towers and more importantly the guards get things going with them. However DLO and his 3-15 nights might be on another team at that time, we hope

It's not about the Wolves matching up against other teams, it's about other teams unable to match up against the Wolves. We will beat them down on the glass both offensively and defensively.

The Wolves are currently shooting 33% from 3P on the year. That cold shooting won't last either. The guys who are cold will get it going as well. The Nowells, KATs, Ants, JMacs and maybe even DLO will get going eventually. Hopefully they decide to start sharing the ball more too (we know who is shot jacking too much).

I like the idea of beating opponents down on the glass. But so far the Wolves have out-rebounded their opponent in only 4 of their 10 games this season and one of those was last night without Gobert. Rudy himself leads the League in rebounding so far this season. But his individual rebounding hasn't significantly upgraded the Wolves team rebounding. That's probably because of the rebounds Rudy gets. He rebounds around the basket, pulling down just about anything in the vicinity of the rim. But a lot of those rebounds were balls that KAT, also an excellent rebounder, used to get. Vanderbilt and Beverley would get rebounds further from the basket - what some might call loose balls. KAT doesn't get a lot of those. So the notion that the Wolves become a dominant rebounding team simply by adding Gobert is a bit misplaced. It fails to take into account KAT's rebounds around the rim as well as the loss of Vanderbilt's 8.5 boards per game and Beverley's 4 boards.

Are we a better rebounding team with Gobert? I don't know. But unfortunately, I don't think the Gobert deal itself makes the Wolves significantly better.

The team played harder last year on avg. thus far. It'll take time but KAT, Ant Jaden and others will have to pick up the intensity. Obviously Rudy is the best rebounder in the NBA, but it's also up to the others to be aggressive and go get the ball too. That they can't just expect Rudy to get it every time.

Just look at the size and length of KAT and Jaden, it's simply unacceptable for them not to outboard others at their respective positions. Sure Rudy will lead the team, but if you are KAT and Jaden you damn well better be above avg at the PF and SF positions too.

One of Mcdaniels biggest weaknesses. He is 10th out of 10 of all rotation players in rebounding per 36. A whole rebound less than Jmac gets. McDaniels needs to be better in this area.

Just want to remind everyone for how bad this offense has looked at times it has been a whooping 10 pts better this year than at this time last year.

The wolves have been in the 90th percentile on defense this year with Rudy on the floor.

So for how much we like to romanticize last year team it was significantly worse on offense last year 10 games in than this year and if I'm not mistaken the wolves figured it out