Re: Clippers at Wolves GDT
Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2024 9:18 pm
Ha, exactly. I think we just saw his playoff rotation. Not surprising assuming there won't be any other moves made.
Wolves fan commiserate here!
https://forum.midwestvolleyball.com/phpBB3/
https://forum.midwestvolleyball.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=31240
Kiwi, why can you see from 8000 miles away what Finchie can't see close up? I love NAW...great defender, and he can hit the wide open 3...but he's a wing, not a PG. In the first half the Clippers went on a 12-0 run, and NAW was in for Conley either all of it or at least most of it. SloMo was in for a lot of it also, I think, but it was NAW "initiating" the offense. Fortunately we thrived in the same scenario in the second half, but only because of some brilliant one on one offense by Ant.
The second unit “PG” situation just comes down to we just don’t have a good option. So the Naw with no Conley or Jmac lineups are in the 27th percentile (below average) offensively so what your eyes are telling you match up statistically. However, Jmac and Naw lineups are in the 5th percentile (trash) offensively and a whole 6 pts worse than Naw at PG lineups. With Conley and Naw they are in the 66th percentile (above average) offensively. (99th percentile net rating)FNG wrote: ↑Mon Jan 15, 2024 8:27 amKiwi, why can you see from 8000 miles away what Finchie can't see close up? I love NAW...great defender, and he can hit the wide open 3...but he's a wing, not a PG. In the first half the Clippers went on a 12-0 run, and NAW was in for Conley either all of it or at least most of it. SloMo was in for a lot of it also, I think, but it was NAW "initiating" the offense. Fortunately we thrived in the same scenario in the second half, but only because of some brilliant one on one offense by Ant.
But I don't want to dampen this terrific win with a criticism of Finchie, because we did what we needed to do in this game. Our perimeter defense was absolutely stifling. We expect to see it from Jaden, and what he did against Paul George was criminal...I'm guessing PG13 had nightmares about Jaden last night. But just as important was the way at least three of our bigs (Rudy, KAT and SloMo) jumped out to defend the perimeter. Most of us have played some hoops, and we know how difficult it is to make an outside shot with length charging at you. The Clippers pulled some three pointers out of their asses to keep the game close at the end, but it was never the fault of our defense. The Clippers announcers raved about our defense all night, and a graphic pointed out that the gap in defensive PPG between us and the second best defense is as wide as the gap between #2 and #13...that is dominance!
So we outrebounded the Clippers and defended very well, and that was enough to offset a night when we didn't get to the magic 27 assist mark and were sloppy with the ball. This team continues to show there are multiple ways to win, and they are finding them.
Good stuff Kek. I think JMac is often seen as an antidote to our turnover problems and I certainly am a big backer of his. But if he's not making the wide open 3's and getting bullied by bigger, more athletic guards, it's hard to justify having him in your top 8 of the rotation.kekgeek wrote: ↑Mon Jan 15, 2024 10:06 amThe second unit “PG” situation just comes down to we just don’t have a good option. So the Naw with no Conley or Jmac lineups are in the 27th percentile (below average) offensively so what your eyes are telling you match up statistically. However, Jmac and Naw lineups are in the 5th percentile (trash) offensively and a whole 6 pts worse than Naw at PG lineups. With Conley and Naw they are in the 66th percentile (above average) offensively. (99th percentile net rating)FNG wrote: ↑Mon Jan 15, 2024 8:27 amKiwi, why can you see from 8000 miles away what Finchie can't see close up? I love NAW...great defender, and he can hit the wide open 3...but he's a wing, not a PG. In the first half the Clippers went on a 12-0 run, and NAW was in for Conley either all of it or at least most of it. SloMo was in for a lot of it also, I think, but it was NAW "initiating" the offense. Fortunately we thrived in the same scenario in the second half, but only because of some brilliant one on one offense by Ant.
But I don't want to dampen this terrific win with a criticism of Finchie, because we did what we needed to do in this game. Our perimeter defense was absolutely stifling. We expect to see it from Jaden, and what he did against Paul George was criminal...I'm guessing PG13 had nightmares about Jaden last night. But just as important was the way at least three of our bigs (Rudy, KAT and SloMo) jumped out to defend the perimeter. Most of us have played some hoops, and we know how difficult it is to make an outside shot with length charging at you. The Clippers pulled some three pointers out of their asses to keep the game close at the end, but it was never the fault of our defense. The Clippers announcers raved about our defense all night, and a graphic pointed out that the gap in defensive PPG between us and the second best defense is as wide as the gap between #2 and #13...that is dominance!
So we outrebounded the Clippers and defended very well, and that was enough to offset a night when we didn't get to the magic 27 assist mark and were sloppy with the ball. This team continues to show there are multiple ways to win, and they are finding them.
So your eyes are right that Naw is not a PG but when the wolves play a natural PG in Jmac the results are actually worse offensively. I just think the wolves don’t have a good option here in general
Q-is-here wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2024 10:19 pm Q's not-so-late night DVR review (eat your heart out Abe!):
- Great win, BUT....they didn't have Zubac. I know that may seem like a quibble, but he's really important to their team. He has legit size and strength and is just a rock-solid Center. Theis is a big step down.
YES. Zubac has been a 13/10/70% fg guy. Personally, I like Daniel Theis. He's much smaller than Zubac which is a big deal... but I've always thought he was a very serviceable backup in the L. He and Olynyk.
- Norman Powell. My God, he was making 3's with guys draped all over his shooting hand and off balance and even banking one in. Then Westbrook goes 2 for 2. It was ridiculous and lucky. We would have won much more comfortably if it wasn't for all that silliness.
Norman Powell is angry. When he makes a shot. When he misses a shot. When he's standing there. Probably when he's sleeping. He's one of those guys who is perpetually mean-mugging. I found it amusing.
- KAT and Ant once again demonstrate why they need grown-up professionals to play with them late in games. KAT with the late offensive foul (had a total of 8 fouls and turnovers this game) and Ant with multiple bad decisions. Just UGGGHHH! Thank God for Rudy's late defensive plays and he made just enough FTs to keep the Clippers at bay.
Not much more to say about Ant that hasn't already been said 39 games this season. I thought Towns did pretty well in this one... sans his a couple of typical careless plays.
- Jaden and Rudy just dominant defensively. Thought Ant did some good things too on that end.
The play that warmed my heart was when the Clippers were throwing the ball in from about midcourt. There was no reason to think anything of it... but Gobert went for the steal and bothered Plumlee enough for him to fumble the ball out of bounds. Brilliant job by Gobert. A hustle play. A smart play.
- I know we had Portland thrown in there, but otherwise 16 out of our last 17 games against .500+ teams including multiple contenders. It truly does start getting easier now.
Maybe easy enough to avoid playing playoff-style rotations. Only 8 players played yesterday. That's just not enough in a long 82-game season with a bunch of back-to-backs coming up. I'm sure it's fine for now... I think it speaks to how much the organization wanted this game though.
Bonus:
Amusing anecdote of the game... the Clippers bench clowning Rudy Gobert for his airball(s). And yet, the big guy was still HUGE in the game and clinched it with 4 free throws. Suck it, Clippers.