GDT: Knicks vs. Wolves

[kekgeek]

ANT adjustments: "I realized the trap was flawed. It was kind of like they'd trap & leave. I started to tell KAT to set the screen & make sure he gets hit. If he gets hit, your man gotta help"

"DV was telling me 'they ain't trapping you for real.'"

"I figured it out."

He's 19

[kekgeek]

Most PPG in a month by a teenager in NBA history (min 10 games):

27.1 -- Carmelo Anthony
26.3 -- LeBron James
24.2 -- Anthony Edwards https://t.co/ibtBhzG5Kr

[Jester1534]

Most PPG in a month by a teenager in NBA history (min 10 games):

27.1 -- Carmelo Anthony
26.3 -- LeBron James
24.2 -- Anthony Edwards https://t.co/ibtBhzG5Kr

Had my fantasy baseball draft tonight so missed this one. Thanks for awesome
GDT guys.

As Jordan would say the ceiling is the roof

[Wolvesfan21]

Jaden is being tasked with guarding the best players in the league night after night, and he is more than holding his own. Randle got some numbers tonight but every shot was contested and he made him work extremely hard. When you consider Jaden's age and then also see him contribute offensively, you're left wondering if we really have something here.

Better version of Scottie Pippen?

[Wolvesfan21]

Without McDaniels playing well we lose this by 15 or 20.

Ant came to play at the end as well.

I was feeling hopeless and depressed about the team after midway through the 2nd they had 21 points. It was a terrible start to the game per usual. Then they somehow came back from the pit of despair. Glad I kept watching.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Minnesota's turning the ball over way too much. Also, New York's defense looks great. No wonder they rank at the top of the league there. Good bounce back for Thibs in that regard after a nonexistent defensive turnaround when he was head coach of the Wolves.

I see you also heard Jim Pete's comments about how it just comes down to the players. And the players' willingness...

Thibodeau worked out well in Boston, Chicago and NY (so far) as a bit of a defensive guru. He did not work out nearly as well in Minnesota.

Is Minnesota the anomaly because Thibs sucked here? Or, is it more on the franchise (and players) that was terrible before he got here... and terrible after he left?

[Wolvesfan21]

Minnesota's turning the ball over way too much. Also, New York's defense looks great. No wonder they rank at the top of the league there. Good bounce back for Thibs in that regard after a nonexistent defensive turnaround when he was head coach of the Wolves.

I see you also heard Jim Pete's comments about how it just comes down to the players. And the players' willingness...

Thibodeau worked out well in Boston, Chicago and NY (so far) as a bit of a defensive guru. He did not work out nearly as well in Minnesota.

Is Minnesota the anomaly because Thibs sucked here? Or, is it more on the franchise (and players) that was terrible before he got here... and terrible after he left?

He said what I said in another post. Wiggins played half ass. He also said Teague was a weak defender.

Thibs the POB was more of a failure then the coach. You need to overpay to bring in FA's to MN. The only way to build a long term winner is through the draft. We're not a destination for the Kawhi's or LeBrons. He tried to take a shortcut and it failed.

We legitimately could have ended up with Doncic if he played the long game instead of bringing in vets on overpays.

[AbeVigodaLive]

- I thought Anthony Edwards played horribly and should have been benched. There was one play highlighted that looked A LOT like the lazy, disinterested-in-defense play he pulled vs. OKC last week where he jogged back without a care in the world while a young promising player on the other team ran full speed right past him making him look bad.
- And then the 4th quarter started.

- Which kind of player is Edwards going to be? It's literally about a $200M question. If he remains a guy who turns effort and intensity on/off, meh. We've seen that before and it didn't lead to sustainable success. But then we see him take over in the 4th... and we're teased. We're intrigued. We're excited. We're hopeful!

I'm ok with rookie mistakes, especially when the talent is so overwhelming at times. BUT... is a lack of effort really a rookie thing? If the Wolves truly think Edwards is legit, they MUST bring in veterans to show him the importance of not giving up possessions through laziness. It's the most important thing for this franchise right now. A brand-new head coach doesn't have that pull. Towns doesn't have that pull, because he's not a great example. Accountability. Accountability. Accountability.

- McDaniels. Ok, ok. Thanks for saving me a seat, even if it's the hump seat. At least I'm still on the Oversteppin Pippen Express. I do like him better at the 3 than the 4. Still not sold on him offensively as more than a catch-and-shoot guy... but if he can continue to do that at above average... that's gonna make for a very valuable player if the D continues.

- Somebody else mentioned Barrett and Payton looking alike. Me too. I was confused all night.

- How can a guy shoot 5 - 8 on three pointers... yet... I felt that I didn't like how Beasley played for most of the game? Maybe it's just me because 5 - 8 is awesome... but it seems like literally the only thing he does well, or even average, is shoot three pointers. Obviously, that's a very important skill to have and much needed for the Wolves. But... does it curb our expectations for Beasley and his role/impact on this team moving forward. (He took only one non three pointer and it was a terrible forced two-point contested runner.)

- The bench is scuffling. I feel bad for Culver. I'm sure it's tough to struggle like this. But he simply does not look like an NBA player.

[FNG]

I only got to watch the 4th quarter and the post game, but it sounds like I got lucky...very entertaining 4th quarter and a terrific win. Some thoughts:

1) Chris Finch may be a first year coach, but his post-game comments are always spot on. I loved his praise of Jaden's game, and his defense of Karl not getting calls. His players are learning they are going to get the hook if they don't put in the effort (or do something really stupid) on defense, but they also know he has their backs. I gotta believe his guys love playing for him.

2) I love watching this Thibs-coached defense, but I had forgotten how ugly his ignore-the-PG offense is to watch. Elfrid Payton averaged 7.4 assists per game his two previous years...this year in the same minutes per game, he's averaging 3.8.

3) Further, it's painful to listen to a Thibs-coached team when there is no crowd to drown him out, and it's even worse listening on the radio. I was never as down on Thibs when he was here as many were, but listening to that raspy voice and watching his histrionics on the sidelines, I sure didn't find myself missing him. It's impossible for me to tune him out, and it detracts from the fan experience.

4) Jim Pete's comment that there is no need to have Ricky on the court in the 4th quarter if Ant is going to be the primary ball handler was true in a very narrow sense. But it ignores the defensive side of the ball. If you replay over and over again the Wolves starters on defense, it becomes painfully clear that only Ricky and Jaden understand how to play team NBA defense...take either one out in the 4th quarter, and the defense becomes absurdly bad. And why was Beasley handling the ball rather than Ricky on the almost game-losing turnover in the final minute?

5) Karl was a warrior in the 4th quarter so I'm giving him a pass on his stupid TO with 5 seconds left. But I do wonder what the most important guy on our team was thinking?

6) Analysts often talk about how the NBA game is too fast for most rookies, and they only start to get it when things slow down for them. I agree. It's interesting to me though that there is nobody on our team for whom the game seems very slow than our 20-year-old rookie Jaden McDaniel. As I watch him, one word keeps popping into my head...cool. He's 180 degrees from what I expected when we drafted him.

7) Q mentioned once that nobody has more ineffective activity on defense than Beasley and he's right. And when Ant is putting in the effort on D, he resembles Beas. But I never question Beasley's effort on defense (although I don't think he will ever "get it"), and I didn't question Ant's last night in the 4th quarter...and his two steals and dunks were huge. Finch obviously noted Ant's effort too, and rewarded him with 4th quarter minutes that have been rare for Ant as of late. Accountability, right?

8) Did anyone else cringe when Dave Benz said after a sneaky Ant steal "Ants have compound eyes!"?

9) Thank god Finch put the reserves out of their misery halfway through the 4th quarter and let the starters win the game.

Wonderful 4th quarter and a much-needed win. Our club is now 5-7 since the break...not something most fans would be excited about, but significant for us. The next game is against a Memphis team which has lost 3 of their last 4 (albeit with all three losses oddly to the very good Jazz), so do we finally get that second consecutive win?

[AbeVigodaLive]

I only got to watch the 4th quarter and the post game, but it sounds like I got lucky...very entertaining 4th quarter and a terrific win. Some thoughts:

7) Q mentioned once that nobody has more ineffective activity on defense than Beasley and he's right. And when Ant is putting in the effort on D, he resembles Beas. But I never question Beasley's effort on defense (although I don't think he will ever "get it"), and I didn't question Ant's last night in the 4th quarter...and his two steals and dunks were huge. Finch obviously noted Ant's effort too, and rewarded him with 4th quarter minutes that have been rare for Ant as of late. Accountability, right?

Your viewing of only the 4th quarter obviously taints your viewing experience. Edwards was mostly abysmal before the 4th quarter, especially on defense. One play in particular where he was 20 feet ahead of Barrett and trotting back guarding nobody as the other young player sprinted right past him... getting a foul at the rim. He also messed up a couple of assignments and was generally poor defensively.

Maybe he was scolded relentlessly on the sidelines. Maybe there's other accountability for these guys that work better than benching them in the middle of the game. There's so much that goes into coaching that none of us can ever fathom.

But I know that I was shaking my head for what SEEMED like a lack of accountability after such a brazen display of laziness. But what do I know... whatever Finch did... it worked for this one game because the Wolves don't win without Edwards in the 4th.



[Note: Are they in that position if he played as relentless for the first three quarters... I dunno.]