Don't hold your breath Blazers @ Wolves GDT

[Q-is-here]

Someone wake me from my all star slumber so I can tee up the next GDT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcQjM7gV6mI

[Phenom]

Someone wake me from my all star slumber so I can tee up the next GDT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcQjM7gV6mI

Very nice

[Leado01]

Loved this win....get some rest gentleman. TJ is back after the break in a period of 2 weeks we've gone from "where's the bench" to "what a bench."

[Lipoli390]

Ayo was a great acquisition and he’s certainly helping. But the main difference these last two games has been effort, especially from Randle. So let’s not overlook the impact of Rudy calling out the team, especially our top two players, publicly for lack of effort.

[Lipoli390]

Ayo diving after a loose ball up 20 with 6 minutes left. Brings a tear to my eye.

As a Bulls fan who grew up in Chicago, this Ayo moment reminds me of a game between MJ’s Bulls and the Cavs late in the Bulls 72-win season. The Bulls had already clinched the best record in the NBA and were ahead of the Cavs in the 3rd when Pippen dove for a ball headed out of bounds off a Bulls player. Later that same quarter, MJ went to the floor to fight for a loose ball. That’s who they were. That’s why they were the best team in the NBA and won 6 championships in their time. The talent gap among NBA teams isn’t huge and in the case of the better teams it’s very small. What distinguishes championship contenders from non-contenders is effort and intensity, which cannot be dependent on context or external stimuli but instead has to come from within. If the Wolves as a team can find that internal intensity the rest of the way, they’re definitely a bona fide championship contender this season.

[FNG]

Ayo was a great acquisition and he’s certainly helping. But the main difference these last two games has been effort, especially from Randle. So let’s not overlook the impact of Rudy calling out the team, especially our top two players, publicly for lack of effort.

So true, Lip...I'm glad Rudy said what he said (even if Finchy wasn't!). Ju has been our best player during this much needed 2-game win streak...brilliant on offense an playing solid defense. And Rudy also seemed to wake Jaden out of the stupor he was in...what he did to Avdija last night was criminal, and he's also been more involved and effective on offense. We beat a team last night that had won three games in a row, and we did it without Ant. He was on the injury list pregame with an illness, and in typical Ant fashion, he played through it. But he was not effective...Finchy knew he had to hide him on defense when he saw a 35 year old guy lighting him up!

The doom and gloom I felt Sunday is gone after 3 decisive wins. Adding Ayo, Ju's and Jaden's resurgence, and the prospect of TJ maybe coming back to contribute, all have me thinking this team can make a deep run. Add in the offensive brilliance Ant brings combined with the more inspired defense he regularly shows in the playoffs, and it's easy to feel optimistic about this team.

[rapsuperstar31]

Ayo was a great acquisition and he’s certainly helping. But the main difference these last two games has been effort, especially from Randle. So let’s not overlook the impact of Rudy calling out the team, especially our top two players, publicly for lack of effort.

So true, Lip...I'm glad Rudy said what he said (even if Finchy wasn't!). Ju has been our best player during this much needed 2-game win streak...brilliant on offense an playing solid defense. And Rudy also seemed to wake Jaden out of the stupor he was in...what he did to Avdija last night was criminal, and he's also been more involved and effective on offense. We beat a team last night that had won three games in a row, and we did it without Ant. He was on the injury list pregame with an illness, and in typical Ant fashion, he played through it. But he was not effective...Finchy knew he had to hide him on defense when he saw a 35 year old guy lighting him up!

The doom and gloom I felt Sunday is gone after 3 decisive wins. Adding Ayo, Ju's and Jaden's resurgence, and the prospect of TJ maybe coming back to contribute, all have me thinking this team can make a deep run. Add in the offensive brilliance Ant brings combined with the more inspired defense he regularly shows in the playoffs, and it's easy to feel optimistic about this team.

Given Ant was sick I thought he was fine, a few late closeouts, but that's what he does now at last in the regular season. Got some steals, got a block, the +19 for those that love on/off. He played the role of the decoy in this game sick. Portland still had it's best defender on Ant the whole game, allowing others to play well. I really think it's Ayo's energy that is inspiring the team more than it was Rudy's words. Ayo's energy is contagious, and you can tell Jaden loves playing next to him. Even though Donte missed his shots, you can tell he doesn't want to lose his starting spot and is playing extra hard. Clark is all of a sudden making his shots now that he has competition in Ayo.

[Q-is-here]

Ayo was a great acquisition and he’s certainly helping. But the main difference these last two games has been effort, especially from Randle. So let’s not overlook the impact of Rudy calling out the team, especially our top two players, publicly for lack of effort.

So true, Lip...I'm glad Rudy said what he said (even if Finchy wasn't!). Ju has been our best player during this much needed 2-game win streak...brilliant on offense an playing solid defense. And Rudy also seemed to wake Jaden out of the stupor he was in...what he did to Avdija last night was criminal, and he's also been more involved and effective on offense. We beat a team last night that had won three games in a row, and we did it without Ant. He was on the injury list pregame with an illness, and in typical Ant fashion, he played through it. But he was not effective...Finchy knew he had to hide him on defense when he saw a 35 year old guy lighting him up!

The doom and gloom I felt Sunday is gone after 3 decisive wins. Adding Ayo, Ju's and Jaden's resurgence, and the prospect of TJ maybe coming back to contribute, all have me thinking this team can make a deep run. Add in the offensive brilliance Ant brings combined with the more inspired defense he regularly shows in the playoffs, and it's easy to feel optimistic about this team.

Given Ant was sick I thought he was fine, a few late closeouts, but that's what he does now at last in the regular season. Got some steals, got a block, the +19 for those that love on/off. He played the role of the decoy in this game sick. Portland still had it's best defender on Ant the whole game, allowing others to play well. I really think it's Ayo's energy that is inspiring the team more than it was Rudy's words. Ayo's energy is contagious, and you can tell Jaden loves playing next to him. Even though Donte missed his shots, you can tell he doesn't want to lose his starting spot and is playing extra hard. Clark is all of a sudden making his shots now that he has competition in Ayo.

I didn't even think his contests on Jrue were all that bad on a couple of 3's he made. I think FNG accuses Ant of poor defense even when guys make tough shots over him that are pretty well defended. Overall, I thought he was fine last night.

The other thing about "sick Ant" and to your point of him being a decoy is that he is such an elite shooter off the catch (may be the best in the NBA this year?), that him simply standing out beyond the arc on the opposite side of the action creates gravity and opens things up for his team mates. And whenever they sagged off him he made the open 3.

[Wolvesfan21]

Ayo was a great acquisition and he’s certainly helping. But the main difference these last two games has been effort, especially from Randle. So let’s not overlook the impact of Rudy calling out the team, especially our top two players, publicly for lack of effort.

That's why I've not been really sold on firing Finch. Is it the coaches job to get these guys to play hard every night in pro sports?

Most if not all of the blame of those poor losses IMO goes to Ant and Ju, along with a thin bench who couldn't score if Naz wasn't blazin (less of an excuse now). If Ant and Ju simply show up every night we're a tough team to play. If your leader/s don't show the effort then the team will follow.

I do think though that they have been put in a tough spot, to cover up for a thin bench many nights. Now with the addition of Ayo and TJ coming back (possibly another nice positive), Ant and Ju don't have to score 30 each every night to win. More energy can go to them defending and overall effort play.

[FNG]

So true, Lip...I'm glad Rudy said what he said (even if Finchy wasn't!). Ju has been our best player during this much needed 2-game win streak...brilliant on offense an playing solid defense. And Rudy also seemed to wake Jaden out of the stupor he was in...what he did to Avdija last night was criminal, and he's also been more involved and effective on offense. We beat a team last night that had won three games in a row, and we did it without Ant. He was on the injury list pregame with an illness, and in typical Ant fashion, he played through it. But he was not effective...Finchy knew he had to hide him on defense when he saw a 35 year old guy lighting him up!

The doom and gloom I felt Sunday is gone after 3 decisive wins. Adding Ayo, Ju's and Jaden's resurgence, and the prospect of TJ maybe coming back to contribute, all have me thinking this team can make a deep run. Add in the offensive brilliance Ant brings combined with the more inspired defense he regularly shows in the playoffs, and it's easy to feel optimistic about this team.

Given Ant was sick I thought he was fine, a few late closeouts, but that's what he does now at last in the regular season. Got some steals, got a block, the +19 for those that love on/off. He played the role of the decoy in this game sick. Portland still had it's best defender on Ant the whole game, allowing others to play well. I really think it's Ayo's energy that is inspiring the team more than it was Rudy's words. Ayo's energy is contagious, and you can tell Jaden loves playing next to him. Even though Donte missed his shots, you can tell he doesn't want to lose his starting spot and is playing extra hard. Clark is all of a sudden making his shots now that he has competition in Ayo.

I didn't even think his contests on Jrue were all that bad on a couple of 3's he made. I think FNG accuses Ant of poor defense even when guys make tough shots over him that are pretty well defended. Overall, I thought he was fine last night.

The other thing about "sick Ant" and to your point of him being a decoy is that he is such an elite shooter off the catch (may be the best in the NBA this year?), that him simply standing out beyond the arc on the opposite side of the action creates gravity and opens things up for his team mates. And whenever they sagged off him he made the open 3.

Ant is such an elite catch and shoot shooter, some of us have been hoping for him to play more off ball...and it seems like it is happening. He's still a terrific shooter creating on his own using Rudy as a screener, but his catch and shoot treys are absolutely elite.

Q, I'm not as positive about Ant's perimeter defense as you are. I like the way he uses his strength to body up his man in the paint, but his close outs usually look lazy to me. Contrast the way he closes out with the way Donte does...there's a huge difference. I think Ant is a far below average perimeter defender this season. The silver lining though is we can count on him to dial the effort up in the preseason.