Minnesota Sports Forum

I was unable to watch the game today (state cornhole. Haha). Is Minott legit for real?

A few game notes:

- Our starting lineup beat their starting lineup, which is a good thing. They were without Embiid and we were without Randle.

- Ant didn't really look too interested in the game until he went on a heater to close the first half.

- Jaden and Naz looked good overall, although unsurprisingly Drummond swallowed Naz up and spit him out on the boards - 15 rebounds in 24 minutes, including 7 offensive rebounds.

- Minott with another impressive game: 12 points on 7 shots, 4 boards, 3 assts, 1 steal, 0 TOs, +4 in only 17 minutes.

- FNG already documented Dilly's stats. He definitely had some weak moments defensively, but also seems to have a knack for getting to loose balls and being pesky out there. Drew an illegal screen call, rewarding him for trying to fight over it, so it wasn't all bad on the defensive end.

- Garza is just a machine....14 points in 17 minutes. He and Dilly played a decent two-man game.

- NAW with 4 TOs in 16 minutes. Not good for a guy trying to fight for minutes at PG now that DDV is going to take minutes from him at SG.

- Not impressed with TJ Shannon tonight. A little worried about his shot confidence and ability to find people when he puts the ball on the floor.

kekgeek wrote: ↑Fri Oct 11, 2024 8:30 pm I was unable to watch the game today (state cornhole. Haha). Is Minott legit for real?

He looks different to me, you don't see the clumsiness as much. He added good weight it appears. I think there is at least hope.

kekgeek wrote: ↑Fri Oct 11, 2024 8:30 pm I was unable to watch the game today (state cornhole. Haha). Is Minott legit for real?

Good question. I still wonder what happens when the regular season kicks in, but so far so good.

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Fri Oct 11, 2024 8:39 pm A few game notes:

- Our starting lineup beat their starting lineup, which is a good thing. They were without Embiid and we were without Randle.

- Ant didn't really look too interested in the game until he went on a heater to close the first half.

- Jaden and Naz looked good overall, although unsurprisingly Drummond swallowed Naz up and spit him out on the boards - 15 rebounds in 24 minutes, including 7 offensive rebounds.

- Minott with another impressive game: 12 points on 7 shots, 4 boards, 3 assts, 1 steal, 0 TOs, +4 in only 17 minutes.

- FNG already documented Dilly's stats. He definitely had some weak moments defensively, but also seems to have a knack for getting to loose balls and being pesky out there. Drew an illegal screen call, rewarding him for trying to fight over it, so it wasn't all bad on the defensive end.

- Garza is just a machine....14 points in 17 minutes. He and Dilly played a decent two-man game.

- NAW with 4 TOs in 16 minutes. Not good for a guy trying to fight for minutes at PG now that DDV is going to take minutes from him at SG.

- Not impressed with TJ Shannon tonight. A little worried about his shot confidence and ability to find people when he puts the ball on the floor.

Actually Q, we were missing two starters, and Philly only one. And we still outscored them.

I only saw highlights from this one, but the movement without the ball and lack of ball stopping was a completely different look from previous seasons...let's hope that doesn't change much when Randle starts playing. 32 assists is a very good night! One play really stood out to me: Rob was at the top of the key and whipped a quick pass to Ant who was creeping along the baseline for an easy layup. Two takeaways: Ant can be so much more productive if he focuses on moving without the ball, and Rob gets rid of the basketball really quickly...great instincts!

Two pre-season games in, and a lot of reasons for optimism.

FNG wrote: ↑Sat Oct 12, 2024 8:50 am

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Fri Oct 11, 2024 8:39 pm A few game notes:

- Our starting lineup beat their starting lineup, which is a good thing. They were without Embiid and we were without Randle.

- Ant didn't really look too interested in the game until he went on a heater to close the first half.

- Jaden and Naz looked good overall, although unsurprisingly Drummond swallowed Naz up and spit him out on the boards - 15 rebounds in 24 minutes, including 7 offensive rebounds.

- Minott with another impressive game: 12 points on 7 shots, 4 boards, 3 assts, 1 steal, 0 TOs, +4 in only 17 minutes.

- FNG already documented Dilly's stats. He definitely had some weak moments defensively, but also seems to have a knack for getting to loose balls and being pesky out there. Drew an illegal screen call, rewarding him for trying to fight over it, so it wasn't all bad on the defensive end.

- Garza is just a machine....14 points in 17 minutes. He and Dilly played a decent two-man game.

- NAW with 4 TOs in 16 minutes. Not good for a guy trying to fight for minutes at PG now that DDV is going to take minutes from him at SG.

- Not impressed with TJ Shannon tonight. A little worried about his shot confidence and ability to find people when he puts the ball on the floor.

Actually Q, we were missing two starters, and Philly only one. And we still outscored them.

I only saw highlights from this one, but the movement without the ball and lack of ball stopping was a completely different look from previous seasons...let's hope that doesn't change much when Randle starts playing. 32 assists is a very good night! One play really stood out to me: Rob was at the top of the key and whipped a quick pass to Ant who was creeping along the baseline for an easy layup. Two takeaways: Ant can be so much more productive if he focuses on moving without the ball, and Rob gets rid of the basketball really quickly...great instincts!

Two pre-season games in, and a lot of reasons for optimism.

Great take-always, Q. But the reality is that Randle’s presence on the court will substantially change the flow. I’ve always viewed him as a ball-stopper but after talking to a friend who’s a Knicks fan in NY, it’s worse than I thought. He said Randle’s slow decision making and ball stopping are off the charts and infuriating. However, we could use Randle’s rebounding. We shoudn’t underestimate the loss of KAT’s rebounding. Unfortunately, neither Naz nor Jaden have shown any signs of rebounding at a level consistent with their length and athleticism. When it comes to rebounding you either have it or your don’t. Minott is more important that some think if only because of his rebounding.

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 12, 2024 12:57 pm

FNG wrote: ↑Sat Oct 12, 2024 8:50 am

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Fri Oct 11, 2024 8:39 pm A few game notes:

- Our starting lineup beat their starting lineup, which is a good thing. They were without Embiid and we were without Randle.

- Ant didn't really look too interested in the game until he went on a heater to close the first half.

- Jaden and Naz looked good overall, although unsurprisingly Drummond swallowed Naz up and spit him out on the boards - 15 rebounds in 24 minutes, including 7 offensive rebounds.

- Minott with another impressive game: 12 points on 7 shots, 4 boards, 3 assts, 1 steal, 0 TOs, +4 in only 17 minutes.

- FNG already documented Dilly's stats. He definitely had some weak moments defensively, but also seems to have a knack for getting to loose balls and being pesky out there. Drew an illegal screen call, rewarding him for trying to fight over it, so it wasn't all bad on the defensive end.

- Garza is just a machine....14 points in 17 minutes. He and Dilly played a decent two-man game.

- NAW with 4 TOs in 16 minutes. Not good for a guy trying to fight for minutes at PG now that DDV is going to take minutes from him at SG.

- Not impressed with TJ Shannon tonight. A little worried about his shot confidence and ability to find people when he puts the ball on the floor.

Actually Q, we were missing two starters, and Philly only one. And we still outscored them.

I only saw highlights from this one, but the movement without the ball and lack of ball stopping was a completely different look from previous seasons...let's hope that doesn't change much when Randle starts playing. 32 assists is a very good night! One play really stood out to me: Rob was at the top of the key and whipped a quick pass to Ant who was creeping along the baseline for an easy layup. Two takeaways: Ant can be so much more productive if he focuses on moving without the ball, and Rob gets rid of the basketball really quickly...great instincts!

Two pre-season games in, and a lot of reasons for optimism.

Great take-always, Q. But the reality is that Randle’s presence on the court will substantially change the flow. I’ve always viewed him as a ball-stopper but after talking to a friend who’s a Knicks fan in NY, it’s worse than I thought. He said Randle’s slow decision making and ball stopping are off the charts and infuriating. However, we could use Randle’s rebounding. We shoudn’t underestimate the loss of KAT’s rebounding. Unfortunately, neither Naz nor Jaden have shown any signs of rebounding at a level consistent with their length and athleticism. When it comes to rebounding you either have it or your don’t. Minott is more important that some think if only because of his rebounding.

I have no doubt Randle is a ball stopper, we shall see if Finch is able to get the best out of him. If a Knicks fan asked a Wolves fan about Kat, depending on who they asked they would either hear good stuff from the the 50% that loved Kat, or they would hear nothing but complaints about Kat from the 50% that couldn't stand watching Kat play.

rapsuperstar31 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 12, 2024 1:05 pm

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 12, 2024 12:57 pm

FNG wrote: ↑Sat Oct 12, 2024 8:50 am

Actually Q, we were missing two starters, and Philly only one. And we still outscored them.

I only saw highlights from this one, but the movement without the ball and lack of ball stopping was a completely different look from previous seasons...let's hope that doesn't change much when Randle starts playing. 32 assists is a very good night! One play really stood out to me: Rob was at the top of the key and whipped a quick pass to Ant who was creeping along the baseline for an easy layup. Two takeaways: Ant can be so much more productive if he focuses on moving without the ball, and Rob gets rid of the basketball really quickly...great instincts!

Two pre-season games in, and a lot of reasons for optimism.

Great take-always, Q. But the reality is that Randle’s presence on the court will substantially change the flow. I’ve always viewed him as a ball-stopper but after talking to a friend who’s a Knicks fan in NY, it’s worse than I thought. He said Randle’s slow decision making and ball stopping are off the charts and infuriating. However, we could use Randle’s rebounding. We shoudn’t underestimate the loss of KAT’s rebounding. Unfortunately, neither Naz nor Jaden have shown any signs of rebounding at a level consistent with their length and athleticism. When it comes to rebounding you either have it or your don’t. Minott is more important that some think if only because of his rebounding.

I have no doubt Randle is a ball stopper, we shall see if Finch is able to get the best out of him. If a Knicks fan asked a Wolves fan about Kat, depending on who they asked they would either hear good stuff from the the 50% that loved Kat, or they would hear nothing but complaints about Kat from the 50% that couldn't stand watching Kat play.

My friend is originally from MN and remains a Wolves fan. He said Randle’s ball-stopping will make us long for KAT. . Let’s hope Randle’s respect for Finch will cause him to change his ball-stopping ways. I certainly won’t miss KAT’s dumb fouls and silly passes. And I like Randle’s toughness. So we’ll see.

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 12, 2024 1:10 pm

rapsuperstar31 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 12, 2024 1:05 pm

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 12, 2024 12:57 pm

Great take-always, Q. But the reality is that Randle’s presence on the court will substantially change the flow. I’ve always viewed him as a ball-stopper but after talking to a friend who’s a Knicks fan in NY, it’s worse than I thought. He said Randle’s slow decision making and ball stopping are off the charts and infuriating. However, we could use Randle’s rebounding. We shoudn’t underestimate the loss of KAT’s rebounding. Unfortunately, neither Naz nor Jaden have shown any signs of rebounding at a level consistent with their length and athleticism. When it comes to rebounding you either have it or your don’t. Minott is more important that some think if only because of his rebounding.

I have no doubt Randle is a ball stopper, we shall see if Finch is able to get the best out of him. If a Knicks fan asked a Wolves fan about Kat, depending on who they asked they would either hear good stuff from the the 50% that loved Kat, or they would hear nothing but complaints about Kat from the 50% that couldn't stand watching Kat play.

My friend is originally from MN and remains a Wolves fan. He said Randle’s ball-stopping will make us long for KAT. . Let’s hope Randle’s respect for Finch will cause him to change his ball-stopping ways. I certainly won’t miss KAT’s dumb fouls and silly passes. And I like Randle’s toughness. So we’ll see.

Lip, I don't disagree that Randle has a reputation as a ball stopper. But I disagree with your take that adding Randle will significantly change the flow, because I would argue that KAT is even more of a ball stopper. How many times did we see KAT get the ball at the elbow and hold it for several seconds before either driving to the basket or stepping back for a shot? We'll see some of the same with Randle, but I also note that he averaged almost 2 assists per 36 more than KAT last season. That's a significant difference, and more evidence that he is a more willing passer than KAT. You don't average 5 assists per game if ball stopping is a huge issue.

My issues with Randle are different. First, he's not a very efficient scorer...he ranks far behind KAT in 3-point shooting, 2-point shooting, and free throw shooting. Not good. Also, although Randle was quite durable before last season, I don't like hearing that he is still working on coming back from his shoulder injury. Reports are that he is not likely to start in NY Sunday because he is still strengthening it. Randle is an important piece in our rotation, and if he's not close to 100%, it significantly impacts our chances of being a contender this year. Randle's shoulder and inefficient scoring are two reasons My projected wins total this year is relatively low.

I'm not worried about Shannon's ball movement...he did find 4 wide open shooters, they just didn't make their shots. I'm more worried about his off ball movement because he seems to lack purpose on the offensive end