Wolves/Sixers Game Da...ah,never mind

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

More...

1. Over the final 22 minutes... Philadelphia had 25 points and 13 TOs. That is a bad basketball team. They were horrific in the 2nd half. Yuck.

2. TJ McConnell outplayed Ricky Rubio and Kris Dunn. Philadelphia doesn't have a backup PG right now. Sauce Castillo is the de facto backup PG. Yuck.

3. Check out this sequence in the worst stretch of NBA basketball I've seen in 30 years.
8:22 - Philly missed jump shot.
- MN TO
- Philly TO
- MN missed shot
- Philly TO
- MN TO
- Philly TO
- MN missed shot
- MN TO
- Philly TO
- MN TO
- Philly missed shot. Missed another shot.
6:26 - MN misses layup

I'm not joking. http://www.espn.com/nba/playbyplay?gameId=400899421

4. Last game, Towns was 3 - 15 fg. This game, Wiggins was 2 - 15 fg. The Wolves need all 3 of its Big 3 offensively to win a game... even against the worst teams.

5. You could tell it was a meaningless game between two terrible teams. The officials were just as terrible.

6. MN is now 11 - 24... only ahead of Philly (9 - 24) and Brooklyn (8 - 25).

7. There is nothing redeemable about that game. Don't let anybody tell you differently.

I turned on the TV just in time to watch that woeful segment...I almost had a heart attack. Benz was silent for awhile, and I sensed he and Jim Peterson had their mics off while and were laughing...and then Peterson said "we seem to have a little Keystone Cops thing going on right now", and I laughed out loud.

I went to the home Philly game, and I watched maybe a third of last night's game, and this morning I am grateful I don't have to watch another matchup of these two teams for at least 10 months (unless they meet in June in the finals :)). These are two immensely talented teams with great potential, but they are both sloppy, dumb and poorly coached. Do you think Pop would have allowed that to happen? If he had been in the stands, he would have come down to the court and replaced all 10 players on the court!

[AbeVigodaLive]

More...

1. Over the final 22 minutes... Philadelphia had 25 points and 13 TOs. That is a bad basketball team. They were horrific in the 2nd half. Yuck.

2. TJ McConnell outplayed Ricky Rubio and Kris Dunn. Philadelphia doesn't have a backup PG right now. Sauce Castillo is the de facto backup PG. Yuck.

3. Check out this sequence in the worst stretch of NBA basketball I've seen in 30 years.
8:22 - Philly missed jump shot.
- MN TO
- Philly TO
- MN missed shot
- Philly TO
- MN TO
- Philly TO
- MN missed shot
- MN TO
- Philly TO
- MN TO
- Philly missed shot. Missed another shot.
6:26 - MN misses layup

I'm not joking. http://www.espn.com/nba/playbyplay?gameId=400899421

4. Last game, Towns was 3 - 15 fg. This game, Wiggins was 2 - 15 fg. The Wolves need all 3 of its Big 3 offensively to win a game... even against the worst teams.

5. You could tell it was a meaningless game between two terrible teams. The officials were just as terrible.

6. MN is now 11 - 24... only ahead of Philly (9 - 24) and Brooklyn (8 - 25).

7. There is nothing redeemable about that game. Don't let anybody tell you differently.

I turned on the TV just in time to watch that woeful segment...I almost had a heart attack. Benz was silent for awhile, and I sensed he and Jim Peterson had their mics off while and were laughing...and then Peterson said "we seem to have a little Keystone Cops thing going on right now", and I laughed out loud.

I went to the home Philly game, and I watched maybe a third of last night's game, and this morning I am grateful I don't have to watch another matchup of these two teams for at least 10 months (unless they meet in June in the finals :)). These are two immensely talented teams with great potential, but they are both sloppy, dumb and poorly coached. Do you think Pop would have allowed that to happen? If he had been in the stands, he would have come down to the court and replaced all 10 players on the court!

The thing is... Philadelphia isn't all that talented. At least not the team on the court yesterday.

- Embiid. Legit. Played a career high for minutes last night... 30 minutes.
- TJ McConnell. No. He's not an NBA starting PG. He's not even a good backup PG.
- Nik Staukaus. No. He's not an NBA starting SG. (or even a backup PG)
- Robert Covington. He's shooting 34.9% on the season.
- Ilyasova. NBA player. But there's also a reason he's been traded 3x in 11 months... and 4x in 18 months... usually as a secondary player in those trades.
- I had never heard of Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. He didn't make a bucket and is shooting 31.7% on the season.

The Wolves should not lose to teams like the 76ers... especially after losing to a team like Portland (sans Lillard) at home... especially after being down 26 points after only 28 minutes. Embarrassing.

[Lipoli390]

I agree completely with Abe's assessment. The Sixers are NOT a particularly talented team. They are a team that the Wolves absolutely positively should beat every time they play them.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

More...

1. Over the final 22 minutes... Philadelphia had 25 points and 13 TOs. That is a bad basketball team. They were horrific in the 2nd half. Yuck.

2. TJ McConnell outplayed Ricky Rubio and Kris Dunn. Philadelphia doesn't have a backup PG right now. Sauce Castillo is the de facto backup PG. Yuck.

3. Check out this sequence in the worst stretch of NBA basketball I've seen in 30 years.
8:22 - Philly missed jump shot.
- MN TO
- Philly TO
- MN missed shot
- Philly TO
- MN TO
- Philly TO
- MN missed shot
- MN TO
- Philly TO
- MN TO
- Philly missed shot. Missed another shot.
6:26 - MN misses layup

I'm not joking. http://www.espn.com/nba/playbyplay?gameId=400899421

4. Last game, Towns was 3 - 15 fg. This game, Wiggins was 2 - 15 fg. The Wolves need all 3 of its Big 3 offensively to win a game... even against the worst teams.

5. You could tell it was a meaningless game between two terrible teams. The officials were just as terrible.

6. MN is now 11 - 24... only ahead of Philly (9 - 24) and Brooklyn (8 - 25).

7. There is nothing redeemable about that game. Don't let anybody tell you differently.

I turned on the TV just in time to watch that woeful segment...I almost had a heart attack. Benz was silent for awhile, and I sensed he and Jim Peterson had their mics off while and were laughing...and then Peterson said "we seem to have a little Keystone Cops thing going on right now", and I laughed out loud.

I went to the home Philly game, and I watched maybe a third of last night's game, and this morning I am grateful I don't have to watch another matchup of these two teams for at least 10 months (unless they meet in June in the finals :)). These are two immensely talented teams with great potential, but they are both sloppy, dumb and poorly coached. Do you think Pop would have allowed that to happen? If he had been in the stands, he would have come down to the court and replaced all 10 players on the court!

The thing is... Philadelphia isn't all that talented. At least not the team on the court yesterday.

- Embiid. Legit. Played a career high for minutes last night... 30 minutes.
- TJ McConnell. No. He's not an NBA starting PG. He's not even a good backup PG.
- Nik Staukaus. No. He's not an NBA starting SG. (or even a backup PG)
- Robert Covington. He's shooting 34.9% on the season.
- Ilyasova. NBA player. But there's also a reason he's been traded 3x in 11 months... and 4x in 18 months... usually as a secondary player in those trades.
- I had never heard of Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. He didn't make a bucket and is shooting 31.7% on the season.

The Wolves should not lose to teams like the 76ers... especially after losing to a team like Portland (sans Lillard) at home... especially after being 26 points after only 28 minutes. Embarrassing.

Yeah, they're not as talented as we are...but they are close when you include Saric, Okafor, Simmons and a healthy Noel. Right now they are embarrassingly bad...and we lost to them.

I don't even want to go to games these days...it's just too painful to watch, so I'm giving my tickets away more often than not. Saturday the Fastbreak Foundation is honoring my NFP, giving us a box and having Chris Wright give us the Big Check on the court during a timeout. The kids are excited, but I told our Executive Director to give my ticket to another board member...I can find something better to do on a Saturday night than watch Wolves/Jazz.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

I agree completely with Abe's assessment. The Sixers are NOT a particularly talented team. They are a team that the Wolves absolutely positively should beat every time they play them.

Yep, just like we need to beat the Blazers without Lillard at home...these last two games have me in the depths of Wolves depression. That's why the most compelling talker on this board continues to be "What do they need to do to turn this around". I think everyone is in agreement that this may be the most underachieving Wolves team in history, but there are differing opinions as to what needs to change. Situations like this is where a talented coach can earn his millions, is he is flexible enough to make the necessary changes.

[AbeVigodaLive]

I agree completely with Abe's assessment. The Sixers are NOT a particularly talented team. They are a team that the Wolves absolutely positively should beat every time they play them.

Yep, just like we need to beat the Blazers without Lillard at home...these last two games have me in the depths of Wolves depression. That's why the most compelling talker on this board continues to be "What do they need to do to turn this around". I think everyone is in agreement that this may be the most underachieving Wolves team in history, but there are differing opinions as to what needs to change. Situations like this is where a talented coach can earn his millions, is he is flexible enough to make the necessary changes.

Underachieving thus far... definitely.

But the 2014 squad that finished below .500 despite a top 10 offense AND defense for most of the season will always hold a special place in my heart.

[Note: This squad still could surpass the 2005 team that went from the WCF to the lottery with a disgruntled Sprewell and a surly Cassell leading the way though...]

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Didn't see the game but caught highlights of last two plays. Rubio gets that look every time and I have faith in him making it. Should be used more often. Last play was a combination of our usual woeful defence as well as a great offensive play by Philly.

Exactly, Kiwi...that's why the constant discussion of the Wolves playing 4 on 5 is such a non-starter for me. Ricky doesn't look for his shot throughout the game (only took 3 tonight and made 2) because he is a gifted passer and 3 of the other 4 starters are already gifted scorers (and much better scorers than they were in college, thanks to Ricky)...and the resulting 104 PPG tells me that our offense is not the problem, and that this 4 on 5 discussion is overrated. But there will be times when teams will double one of our scorers and leave Ricky alone at the end of the game, and as Q pointed out in another thread, he appears to have considerably more ice water in his veins than our youngster. I'll let him take that wide open shot with the game on the line any day, and feel confident that he has as good a chance of scoring as anyone...it's interesting that he proved Q's assertion on the very day he made it!

In bold... there are no words. No words. I'm at a complete loss in even how to respond...

Has to be a tongue in cheek comment, just has too.

Actually not tongue-in-cheek at all...I'm sure you guys read Q's post about Ricky's ability to make a big shot at the end of the game, and I don't disagree at all. Ricky is a terrible shooter when the game isn't on the line...there's no other way to spin it. But over the course of his career, he has made as many big shots to either tie or win games in the final seconds as the ENTIRE rest of our starting lineup! Jim Peterson has talked about this...he says Ricky thinks too much during the course of the game and it affects his shooting and he either misses or passes up an open shot. But with time running down and unguarded, and having no other option than to shoot, he has been as reliable as any other Timberwolf. If you guys want to provide specific examples to prove me wrong, I would be happy to listen to them.

Just to be clear, I am not exonerating Ricky from being part of the problem this year. Thibs has reduced his role in running the offense this season and he hasn't been able to adjust. His poor shooting has been exposed more than usual. It's simply an area he has failed to improve upon over the years and it gets exposed further when he is out there as a floor spacer versus running pick and rolls where he has more opportunities to make plays for others and draw fouls for himself (and yes, occasionally knock down a jumper or make a layup).

What I have been defensive about is the idea that he never steps up (Khans' accusation). That's just plain false, and yes, it was timely that on the very day we were having this debate he made a game-tying 3-pointer with barely a second left on the clock! It's unfortunate our poor defensive execution at the end of the game wasted the opportunity to carry the momentum from the comeback into OT.

Thibs is all in on our Big Three based on how he's designed the offense - and the corresponding minutes he's assigned them. We will live and die by how they play.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

Didn't see the game but caught highlights of last two plays. Rubio gets that look every time and I have faith in him making it. Should be used more often. Last play was a combination of our usual woeful defence as well as a great offensive play by Philly.

Exactly, Kiwi...that's why the constant discussion of the Wolves playing 4 on 5 is such a non-starter for me. Ricky doesn't look for his shot throughout the game (only took 3 tonight and made 2) because he is a gifted passer and 3 of the other 4 starters are already gifted scorers (and much better scorers than they were in college, thanks to Ricky)...and the resulting 104 PPG tells me that our offense is not the problem, and that this 4 on 5 discussion is overrated. But there will be times when teams will double one of our scorers and leave Ricky alone at the end of the game, and as Q pointed out in another thread, he appears to have considerably more ice water in his veins than our youngster. I'll let him take that wide open shot with the game on the line any day, and feel confident that he has as good a chance of scoring as anyone...it's interesting that he proved Q's assertion on the very day he made it!

In bold... there are no words. No words. I'm at a complete loss in even how to respond...

Has to be a tongue in cheek comment, just has too.

Actually not tongue-in-cheek at all...I'm sure you guys read Q's post about Ricky's ability to make a big shot at the end of the game, and I don't disagree at all. Ricky is a terrible shooter when the game isn't on the line...there's no other way to spin it. But over the course of his career, he has made as many big shots to either tie or win games in the final seconds as the ENTIRE rest of our starting lineup! Jim Peterson has talked about this...he says Ricky thinks too much during the course of the game and it affects his shooting and he either misses or passes up an open shot. But with time running down and unguarded, and having no other option than to shoot, he has been as reliable as any other Timberwolf. If you guys want to provide specific examples to prove me wrong, I would be happy to listen to them.

Just to be clear, I am not exonerating Ricky from being part of the problem this year. Thibs has reduced his role in running the offense this season and he hasn't been able to adjust. His poor shooting has been exposed more than usual. It's simply an area he has failed to improve upon over the years and it gets exposed further when he is out there as a floor spacer versus running pick and rolls where he has more opportunities to make plays for others and draw fouls for himself (and yes, occasionally knock down a jumper or make a layup).

What I have been defensive about is the idea that he never steps up (Khans' accusation). That's just plain false, and yes, it was timely that on the very day we were having this debate he made a game-tying 3-pointer with barely a second left on the clock! It's unfortunate our poor defensive execution at the end of the game wasted the opportunity to carry the momentum from the comeback into OT.

Thibs is all in on our Big Three based on how he's designed the offense - and the corresponding minutes he's assigned them. We will live and die by how they play.

Way to just not listen to what I say at all. 1 play in a game does not constitute stepping up. He scored 5 fucking points last night and he got 3 of them on our last shot of the game. That's not the stepping up I'm referring to. I'll say it again and maybe this time it will actually sink in instead of bouncing off your thick skull. Nobody outside the Big 3 is stepping up during these games. 5-5-3 is not stepping up. That's a joke of a stat line from a starter who played 30 minutes. If he can't be a part of the offense at all as 3 shots and 5 assists would suggest then he needs to go for someone Thibs does trust to include in the offense more.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Anybody else sensing that this disastrous 2016-7 season is turning many of us into a bunch of curmudgeons? Man, some of the recent posts here are surlier than Thibs during another loss!

[Coolbreeze44]

Anybody else sensing that this disastrous 2016-7 season is turning many of us into a bunch of curmudgeons? Man, some of the recent posts here are surlier than Thibs during another loss!

Guilty as charged. The disappointment of this season so far is a heavy weight on me. Need to see some real improvement soon.