Knock on Wood - Nets at Wolves GDT

[Wolvesfan21]

The worst part was we lost our first game where Clark played 14+ minutes. Clark couldn't defend Cam in the first half at all, and it gave Cam a lot of confidence throughout the game to keep torching us.

I kind of think we don't win because he plays 15 minutes plus, we win because he's playing a good game that night which then in turn equals minutes. He has only been getting more minutes WHEN he's been playing well, which means we are probably winning also.

Sure you could almost say that about anyone but can you? Guys like Rudy are generally consistent, same with Ant. Our x factors is our bench who've been very erratic (Naz, Conley, TJ, Clark, Dilly), so I think much of if we win or lose does hinge on those guys.

[FNG]

Okay, FNG, I just finished up quarter #1. I saw nothing from ANT on the defensive end that caused me to blame him for a breakdown. What I did see was a bunch of turnovers and ill-advised shots from Randle. I saw a zero paint protection when Rudy went to the bench (along with Jaden). And NAZ and Clark were giving up And-1s up the wazoo. I'm sure there were defensive lapses from ANT later in the game, but the game was already lost by the shit going on in the 1st quarter.

Randle was acquired in part for his playmaking ability. I am ready to swap out that playmaking ability for some better paint protection. Jaden's playmaking has improved. Donte is good at keeping the ball moving. If TC can move Randle and acquire some paint protection and another playmaker in the backcourt, I think we would be a more consistent team.

I was close to throwing things at the TV a couple times...there were numerous possessions where he just didn't seem to care at all on defense. 32 games into the season, the numbers don't lie if the eye test isn't sufficient. He is such a prolific efficient scorer, it's hard to understand why we consistently get outscored when he is out there. But as I pay more attention to him on defense rather than my usual habit of following the ball everywhere, the answer becomes painfully clear. So much athletic ability, but so disinterested in defense.

As for Randle, I share the board's unhappiness with him currently. After a blazing start to the season, he has reverted to being a far below average 3-point shooter...and he keeps trying them at ill-advised times. But if we move him (and I am not opposed), we had better get a good assist guy in return. Ju had 11 assists last night and continues to lead the team in assists from his PF position. And his assist to turnover ratio is better than 2 to 1 for the first time in his career. Let's move him if it makes us better, but we may find it difficult to replace his 22.7/7/5.7. But similar to Ant, it won't be difficult to replace his defense...the fact that we are still top 10 in DRtg with these two lazy defenders on the court makes me appreciate Rudy, Jaden and Donte all the more!

[FNG]

The worst part was we lost our first game where Clark played 14+ minutes. Clark couldn't defend Cam in the first half at all, and it gave Cam a lot of confidence throughout the game to keep torching us.

I kind of think we don't win because he plays 15 minutes plus, we win because he's playing a good game that night which then in turn equals minutes. He has only been getting more minutes WHEN he's been playing well, which means we are probably winning also.

Sure you could almost say that about anyone but can you? Guys like Rudy are generally consistent, same with Ant. Our x factors is our bench who've been very erratic (Naz, Conley, TJ, Clark, Dilly), so I think much of if we win or lose does hinge on those guys.

I think that is logical, WF. But 15-0 up until last night when he plays 14 just can't be ignored. Finchy is a traditionalist, and Jaden is an unorthodox player...sometimes takes too many chances on defense, and shoots poorly. I get why Finchy doesn't trust him, but I still thinks he needs to embrace the 14-minute positive trend.

[Wolvesfan21]

The worst part was we lost our first game where Clark played 14+ minutes. Clark couldn't defend Cam in the first half at all, and it gave Cam a lot of confidence throughout the game to keep torching us.

I kind of think we don't win because he plays 15 minutes plus, we win because he's playing a good game that night which then in turn equals minutes. He has only been getting more minutes WHEN he's been playing well, which means we are probably winning also.

Sure you could almost say that about anyone but can you? Guys like Rudy are generally consistent, same with Ant. Our x factors is our bench who've been very erratic (Naz, Conley, TJ, Clark, Dilly), so I think much of if we win or lose does hinge on those guys.

I think that is logical, WF. But 15-0 up until last night when he plays 14 just can't be ignored. Finchy is a traditionalist, and Jaden is an unorthodox player...sometimes takes too many chances on defense, and shoots poorly. I get why Finchy doesn't trust him, but I still thinks he needs to embrace the 14-minute positive trend.

What I do love about Clark is he does have a high floor to his game, he generally does a great job on defense and does make an impact on winning. He just kind of got cooked last night to a guy who was on fire. It happens. I still really like him overall and I think he'll bounce back next game.

[AbeVigodaLive]

- As noted by FNG and others, Edwards has some alarming advanced stats that don't match his elite status in the league.

- I HATED that Jaden McDaniels game. A very immature game. (1) Why does he get so many unnecessary delay of games? He's mad about something so he just grabs the ball and takes the delay of game far too often. Those things can add up one point at a time. And so unnecessary.

Then, he gets mad again and takes a silly unnecessary take foul to give the Nets another point. It also adds to his PF total which became a concern. Then, he gets a technical... all the while he's obviously upset and forcing things offensively. It was a meltdown game from an immature player.

- We can complain about Randle or Gobert or no PG or whatever... but this team's bench is the primary problem. It's been very bad, close to worst in the league bad. They have ONE player off the bench who's legitimate... offensively... while being absolutely TERRIBLE defensively (Reid). Everyone else is unproven and wildly inconsistent or in the case of Conley, just old and irrelevant.

Clark can be unplayable. Shannon can be unplayable. Dillingham can be unplayable. Meanwhile, Brooklyn's bench of nobodies shot a combined 23 - 36 (64%). The Wolves bench has shot above 50% only once since Nov. 15 (19 games).

- In entirely unrelated news... I flipped to watch the Wild play in Vancouver for a bit. When did the boards become entirely customizable... complete with ads for away team-based businesses?

[60WinTim]

Another tidbit that surprised me: Finch did not play Conley. Not only that, but Bones, Clark and Rob all got roughly the same minutes. It's like none of them earned Finch's trust to get 7th man type of minutes, so they just split the minutes pretty evenly. And Mike didn't get any run? Is he still kind of injured? Or is he just playing that bad? Or has Finch been given the order to play Rob to assist in building trade interest?

Just another oddity.

[FNG]

Another tidbit that surprised me: Finch did not play Conley. Not only that, but Bones, Clark and Rob all got roughly the same minutes. It's like none of them earned Finch's trust to get 7th man type of minutes, so they just split the minutes pretty evenly. And Mike didn't get any run? Is he still kind of injured? Or is he just playing that bad? Or has Finch been given the order to play Rob to assist in building trade interest?

Just another oddity.

Tim, at one time Mike was listed as questionable with rest, and I think Jace Fredericks tweeted he was not on the bench during the game. Finchy must have given him the night off.

[AussieWolf3]

Okay, FNG, I just finished up quarter #1. I saw nothing from ANT on the defensive end that caused me to blame him for a breakdown. What I did see was a bunch of turnovers and ill-advised shots from Randle. I saw a zero paint protection when Rudy went to the bench (along with Jaden). And NAZ and Clark were giving up And-1s up the wazoo. I'm sure there were defensive lapses from ANT later in the game, but the game was already lost by the shit going on in the 1st quarter.

Randle was acquired in part for his playmaking ability. I am ready to swap out that playmaking ability for some better paint protection. Jaden's playmaking has improved. Donte is good at keeping the ball moving. If TC can move Randle and acquire some paint protection and another playmaker in the backcourt, I think we would be a more consistent team.

I was close to throwing things at the TV a couple times...there were numerous possessions where he just didn't seem to care at all on defense. 32 games into the season, the numbers don't lie if the eye test isn't sufficient. He is such a prolific efficient scorer, it's hard to understand why we consistently get outscored when he is out there. But as I pay more attention to him on defense rather than my usual habit of following the ball everywhere, the answer becomes painfully clear. So much athletic ability, but so disinterested in defense.

As for Randle, I share the board's unhappiness with him currently. After a blazing start to the season, he has reverted to being a far below average 3-point shooter...and he keeps trying them at ill-advised times. But if we move him (and I am not opposed), we had better get a good assist guy in return. Ju had 11 assists last night and continues to lead the team in assists from his PF position. And his assist to turnover ratio is better than 2 to 1 for the first time in his career. Let's move him if it makes us better, but we may find it difficult to replace his 22.7/7/5.7. But similar to Ant, it won't be difficult to replace his defense...the fact that we are still top 10 in DRtg with these two lazy defenders on the court makes me appreciate Rudy, Jaden and Donte all the more!

I'll reiterate that I wasn't able to watch the game last night so I can't over much perspective from this one, however it is without question that Ant's defense has been worse this year- to an unacceptable degree.

It sucks too because just when I was starting to feel encouraged by the last few games since OKC, the consistency still isn't there.

I don't think his on/off numbers are totally a dismissible, but I'm not convinced they paint the whole picture. I realized last night that he has to play nearly the entirety of the minutes Rudy is off the floor- which means he sharing the floor with Naz and Randle and that God awful, untenable defense. When Rudy left the floor last night in the 1st, Ant was at +1 or a 0 I think. Within minutes that went away. Ant isn't entirely absolved of any blame here but it helps to illustrate the gap between these specific stats and the obvious meaning he has to this team- they beat Memphis if he plays, they're not close against Denver if he doesn't play.

I have a hard time believing that this is simply a matter of disinterest on defense, even if there isn't enough seriousness given to that side of the ball by Ant and Julius. The offensive load on his plate is enormous right now and I don't find it at all coincidental that one of Ant's best, most complete games came against the Knicks when Conley both started and played well.

If this team wants unlock his two way brilliance, at least part of the answer lies in finding a real PG.... I don't know how that accomplished but this roster is broken in my opinion, immensely talented, but broken

[Wolvesfan21]

Okay, FNG, I just finished up quarter #1. I saw nothing from ANT on the defensive end that caused me to blame him for a breakdown. What I did see was a bunch of turnovers and ill-advised shots from Randle. I saw a zero paint protection when Rudy went to the bench (along with Jaden). And NAZ and Clark were giving up And-1s up the wazoo. I'm sure there were defensive lapses from ANT later in the game, but the game was already lost by the shit going on in the 1st quarter.

Randle was acquired in part for his playmaking ability. I am ready to swap out that playmaking ability for some better paint protection. Jaden's playmaking has improved. Donte is good at keeping the ball moving. If TC can move Randle and acquire some paint protection and another playmaker in the backcourt, I think we would be a more consistent team.

I was close to throwing things at the TV a couple times...there were numerous possessions where he just didn't seem to care at all on defense. 32 games into the season, the numbers don't lie if the eye test isn't sufficient. He is such a prolific efficient scorer, it's hard to understand why we consistently get outscored when he is out there. But as I pay more attention to him on defense rather than my usual habit of following the ball everywhere, the answer becomes painfully clear. So much athletic ability, but so disinterested in defense.

As for Randle, I share the board's unhappiness with him currently. After a blazing start to the season, he has reverted to being a far below average 3-point shooter...and he keeps trying them at ill-advised times. But if we move him (and I am not opposed), we had better get a good assist guy in return. Ju had 11 assists last night and continues to lead the team in assists from his PF position. And his assist to turnover ratio is better than 2 to 1 for the first time in his career. Let's move him if it makes us better, but we may find it difficult to replace his 22.7/7/5.7. But similar to Ant, it won't be difficult to replace his defense...the fact that we are still top 10 in DRtg with these two lazy defenders on the court makes me appreciate Rudy, Jaden and Donte all the more!

I'll reiterate that I wasn't able to watch the game last night so I can't over much perspective from this one, however it is without question that Ant's defense has been worse this year- to an unacceptable degree.

It sucks too because just when I was starting to feel encouraged by the last few games since OKC, the consistency still isn't there.

I don't think his on/off numbers are totally a dismissible, but I'm not convinced they paint the whole picture. I realized last night that he has to play nearly the entirety of the minutes Rudy is off the floor- which means he sharing the floor with Naz and Randle and that God awful, untenable defense. When Rudy left the floor last night in the 1st, Ant was at +1 or a 0 I think. Within minutes that went away. Ant isn't entirely absolved of any blame here but it helps to illustrate the gap between these specific stats and the obvious meaning he has to this team- they beat Memphis if he plays, they're not close against Denver if he doesn't play.

I have a hard time believing that this is simply a matter of disinterest on defense, even if there isn't enough seriousness given to that side of the ball by Ant and Julius. The offensive load on his plate is enormous right now and I don't find it at all coincidental that one of Ant's best, most complete games came against the Knicks when Conley both started and played well.

If this team wants unlock his two way brilliance, at least part of the answer lies in finding a real PG.... I don't know how that accomplished but this roster is broken in my opinion, immensely talented, but broken

I agree, it's a combo of Ant having to take a bigger load on offense and not really caring about beating a Nets team on a late December night.

It's not like he can't do it either. We've seen him play like the best player in the world in spurts. How he blocked that shot at Indiana last year (hitting head on backboard), how he finished against OKC with a dagger three and defensive stops. He can play elite defense, as good as any guard in the NBA in my mind. But most of the time it's subpar.

[AussieWolf3]

I was close to throwing things at the TV a couple times...there were numerous possessions where he just didn't seem to care at all on defense. 32 games into the season, the numbers don't lie if the eye test isn't sufficient. He is such a prolific efficient scorer, it's hard to understand why we consistently get outscored when he is out there. But as I pay more attention to him on defense rather than my usual habit of following the ball everywhere, the answer becomes painfully clear. So much athletic ability, but so disinterested in defense.

As for Randle, I share the board's unhappiness with him currently. After a blazing start to the season, he has reverted to being a far below average 3-point shooter...and he keeps trying them at ill-advised times. But if we move him (and I am not opposed), we had better get a good assist guy in return. Ju had 11 assists last night and continues to lead the team in assists from his PF position. And his assist to turnover ratio is better than 2 to 1 for the first time in his career. Let's move him if it makes us better, but we may find it difficult to replace his 22.7/7/5.7. But similar to Ant, it won't be difficult to replace his defense...the fact that we are still top 10 in DRtg with these two lazy defenders on the court makes me appreciate Rudy, Jaden and Donte all the more!

I'll reiterate that I wasn't able to watch the game last night so I can't over much perspective from this one, however it is without question that Ant's defense has been worse this year- to an unacceptable degree.

It sucks too because just when I was starting to feel encouraged by the last few games since OKC, the consistency still isn't there.

I don't think his on/off numbers are totally a dismissible, but I'm not convinced they paint the whole picture. I realized last night that he has to play nearly the entirety of the minutes Rudy is off the floor- which means he sharing the floor with Naz and Randle and that God awful, untenable defense. When Rudy left the floor last night in the 1st, Ant was at +1 or a 0 I think. Within minutes that went away. Ant isn't entirely absolved of any blame here but it helps to illustrate the gap between these specific stats and the obvious meaning he has to this team- they beat Memphis if he plays, they're not close against Denver if he doesn't play.

I have a hard time believing that this is simply a matter of disinterest on defense, even if there isn't enough seriousness given to that side of the ball by Ant and Julius. The offensive load on his plate is enormous right now and I don't find it at all coincidental that one of Ant's best, most complete games came against the Knicks when Conley both started and played well.

If this team wants unlock his two way brilliance, at least part of the answer lies in finding a real PG.... I don't know how that accomplished but this roster is broken in my opinion, immensely talented, but broken

I agree, it's a combo of Ant having to take a bigger load on offense and not really caring about beating a Nets team on a late December night.

It's not like he can't do it either. We've seen him play like the best player in the world in spurts. How he blocked that shot at Indiana last year (hitting head on backboard), how he finished against OKC with a dagger three and defensive stops. He can play elite defense, as good as any guard in the NBA in my mind. But most of the time it's subpar.

I believe, with a fair amount of certainty, that if the coaching staff told him- "this is what we need you to do, be the best defender on the court and be a play finisher on offense"- he would respond well to the challenge.
But right now he's being asked to play multiple roles on offense and, in my opinion, is of the belief that he can toggle on elite defense when he needs to but doesn't always have to.
From an energy conservation standpoint, it makes some sense, but he overrates how easy it is for him to just suddenly play great defense and clearly doesn't see how being impactful off the ball can as crucial if not more crucial than great point of attack defense