Minnesota Sports Forum

Before we knee jerk the panic button we have 1/3 of our top nine players changed over.
I'd like to see progress.
Finch still doesn't even know what he has..and this is going to take time

All we have to do is avoid Dallas and we're in the NBA finals

Great shooter comes to Minnesota and forgets how to shoot. Tale as old as time.

Abe's Late-Night DVR Review and Next-Day Commentary/Stats Dump:



1. Gafford and Lively shot 8 – 9 fg last night. In the past 6 games vs. Minnesota… Gafford and Lively are shooting 48 – 57 fg (84.2%). They’re also averaging 15 rebs and 4 blks.

Meanwhile, Rudy Gobert is averaging fewer than 8 rebounds and less than 1 blk. He hasn’t had more than 10 rebounds in any game.

The Wolves have won one 1 of those 6 games.

_____________

2. Kyrie Irving has scored at least 30 points in 4 of the past 6 games vs. Minnesota.

He's scored more than 23 points in 1 of the past 13 games against any team other than the Timberwolves.

AbeVigodaLive wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2024 10:08 am Abe's Late-Night DVR Review and Next-Day Commentary/Stats Dump:



1. Gafford and Lively shot 8 – 9 fg last night. In the past 6 games vs. Dallas… Gafford and Lively are shooting 48 – 57 fg (84.2%).
They’re also averaging 15 rebs and 4 blks.

Meanwhile, Rudy Gobert is averaging fewer than 8 rebounds and less than 1 blk. He hasn’t had more than 10 rebounds in any game.

The Wolves have won one 1 of those 6 games.

_____________

2. Kyrie Irving has scored at least 30 points in 4 of the past 6 games vs. Minnesota.

He's scored more than 23 points in 1 of the past 13 games against any team other than the Timberwolves.

I've been saying this since last year's playoffs, but I've never seen a young big man that is so fundamentally good on the defensive end so quickly. I know you cited his dunks, but he absolutely handled Randle with aplomb and is so damn good at walling up and getting rebounds in traffic. He's 20 years old! Normally the learning curve of paint defense for big men takes a few years, even for the best of them.

Unfortunately I couldn't watch the game, but losing at home to the team that just knocked you out of the playoffs is a bad, bad sign in my opinion. Expected better.

Coolbreeze44 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2024 10:49 am Unfortunately I couldn't watch the game, but losing at home to the team that just knocked you out of the playoffs is a bad, bad sign in my opinion. Expected better.

On the second night of a home/away back-to-back.

Now, Dallas returns home for 5 games.

When looking at "good to great" teams... I've looked at that stuff more and more in recent years. It seems to show a tenacity, or fortitude, or just professionalism or something. Overcoming "scheduled" losses shows that a team is serious.

Dallas was 9 - 5 on the backend of back-to-backs last season.

If Ant ( and the rest of the team) make their free throws, this is a different game.
If the Wolves get back on defense, this is a different game.

I think Finch needs to pull a Popovich and pull players that don't get back on defense. Those easy baskets made a huge difference.

At this point I would like to see the young pups get out there and give some effort.

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2024 10:12 am

AbeVigodaLive wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2024 10:08 am Abe's Late-Night DVR Review and Next-Day Commentary/Stats Dump:



1. Gafford and Lively shot 8 – 9 fg last night. In the past 6 games vs. Dallas… Gafford and Lively are shooting 48 – 57 fg (84.2%).
They’re also averaging 15 rebs and 4 blks.

Meanwhile, Rudy Gobert is averaging fewer than 8 rebounds and less than 1 blk. He hasn’t had more than 10 rebounds in any game.

The Wolves have won one 1 of those 6 games.

_____________

2. Kyrie Irving has scored at least 30 points in 4 of the past 6 games vs. Minnesota.

He's scored more than 23 points in 1 of the past 13 games against any team other than the Timberwolves.

I've been saying this since last year's playoffs, but I've never seen a young big man that is so fundamentally good on the defensive end so quickly. I know you cited his dunks, but he absolutely handled Randle with aplomb and is so damn good at walling up and getting rebounds in traffic. He's 20 years old! Normally the learning curve of paint defense for big men takes a few years, even for the best of them.

And I think Gafford is overlooked far too often. The guy makes the most of his 20 mpg.

He's averaged 18+ ppg / 11+ reb / 3+ blk / 75% fg per 36 minutes in Dallas.