Minnesota Sports Forum

Dang. I think we are figuring out how to use 10 guys.

I don't care that NAW's shots aren't falling. He brings so much energy and disruption. I don't really care that Shake and T. Brown's shots aren't falling. They are also both doing the things necessary to get time.

JMAC looks great and brings a change of pace and I can see him being used the way he was last night.

As great as Naz was last night, I would have given the game ball to Rudy. He had a huge impact on the game last night. They only had one player (BAM) that could get his shot off in the paint last night and Rudy's little move to the left against BAM to get his layup is the most spry I think I've ever seen Rudy!

One more note...Kat (and Ant) were kind of atrocious for portions of the matchup. But I actually thought in the first half when we couldn't stop BAM, KAT's m2m defense on BAM was outstanding...he also kept him of the glass.

Leado01 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 29, 2023 9:58 am Dang. I think we are figuring out how to use 10 guys.

I don't care that NAW's shots aren't falling. He brings so much energy and disruption. I don't really care that Shake and T. Brown's shots aren't falling. They are also both doing the things necessary to get time.

JMAC looks great and brings a change of pace and I can see him being used the way he was last night.

As great as Naz was last night, I would have given the game ball to Rudy. He had a huge impact on the game last night. They only had one player (BAM) that could get his shot off in the paint last night and Rudy's little move to the left against BAM to get his layup is the most spry I think I've ever seen Rudy!

One more note...Kat (and Ant) were kind of atrocious for portions of the matchup. But I actually thought in the first half when we couldn't stop BAM, KAT's m2m defense on BAM was outstanding...he also kept him of the glass.

I think your takes on Milton and TBJ are a bit charitable. Both (especially Milton) have played poorly in these first two regular season games.

Rudy was really good last night, but Naz was by far the main catalyst for the Wolves win. And it wasn’t just Reid’s 25 points and 8 rebounds; it was also his positive impact on the offensively productivity of the players around him. Mike Conley alluded to it, referring to how easy it is to play with Naz. Among other things, he elevates the play of both Rudy and KAT above the level those two are at when they’re together on the court. Reid’s contribution last night didn’t stop at his 25 points and overall positive impact on the offensive production of his teammates. He was also tremendous defensively. Again, Rudy was excellent last night, but neither Rudy nor anyone else on the team had anything close to the impact Naz had on the game.

KAT’s shots aren’t falling the way we know they will based on his history in the league. His shooting will come around. KAT also looks a bit lost and unsure of his role. That’s something the coaching staff and KAT will have to figure out. The good news is that KAT’s half-court defense has been outstanding these first two games.

Ant also looks a bit out of sync. I think he’s trying to do too much individually and needs to work on improving his decision making. Like KAT, he’s missing shots he should make.

I think Milton and TBJ will be fine. They’ve played poorly but they’ve played hard and look like fierce competitors. I like the way Milton attacked the basket after throwing away the ball on an inbounds pass. He was clearly pissed at himself and instead of hanging his head he charged ahead with competitive zeal in an effort to make amends. I’d like to see NAW improve his three-point shooting, but his shooting form leaves me skeptical. But you can’t help but love his effort and his tenacious defense.

Does NAW remind anyone else of Corey Brewer (minus the smile of course)? Rudy looks about 5 years younger this year, I think his back must really have been limiting him more than a lot of us realized last year. Hopefully he can keep up DPOY candidate form and stay healthy. Consistently being able to take a one dribble straight line drive to the basket for a dunk/layup/foul would be amazing for him.

Heat were pretty undermanned, but I don't see them pulling off another late season run like they have in the past with the personnel they've lost and Jimmy seeming to be trending a little downwards on the court and availability-wise. Bam is still so freaking good though - he's definitely a player whose impact is hard to quantify.

davemang wrote: ↑Sun Oct 29, 2023 1:28 pm Does NAW remind anyone else of Corey Brewer (minus the smile of course)? Rudy looks about 5 years younger this year, I think his back must really have been limiting him more than a lot of us realized last year. Hopefully he can keep up DPOY candidate form and stay healthy. Consistently being able to take a one dribble straight line drive to the basket for a dunk/layup/foul would be amazing for him.

Heat were pretty undermanned, but I don't see them pulling off another late season run like they have in the past with the personnel they've lost and Jimmy seeming to be trending a little downwards on the court and availability-wise. Bam is still so freaking good though - he's definitely a player whose impact is hard to quantify.

I get where you’re coming from, but NAW doesn’t remind me of Corey at all. The only thing they share is relentless effort. Otherwise, NAW is different type of defender and I think much better than Brewer. Corey was all over the place and often reckless. NAW is a very disciplined defender who sticks like glue to the guys he’s guarding. Offensively, Corey was was often referred to as the drunken dribbler - a moniker he earned through his relatively poor handle. In contrast, NAW has a very good handle - good enough to hold down PG duties from time to time. Corey reminds me more of Pat Bev but without the salty attitude and theatrics.

I’m watching the replay of last night’s game. I just finished watching the first quarter. A couple of positives I’m noticing that I overlooked last night. First, KAT played some nice full court defense in the first quarter in addition to his good half-court D. I think it was the second play of the game when he raced back and deflected a pass to force a Miami turnover. Second, Naz Reid was even better defensively last night that I thought. On one possession along in the 1st, he guarded both Robinson and Bam, first stifling Robinson who had to give up the ball and then causing Bam to commit a travel. Reid has super quick feet, which have been on display offensively. But it looks like he’s now putting those quick feet to positive use on the defensive end.

davemang wrote: ↑Sun Oct 29, 2023 1:28 pm Does NAW remind anyone else of Corey Brewer (minus the smile of course)? Rudy looks about 5 years younger this year, I think his back must really have been limiting him more than a lot of us realized last year. Hopefully he can keep up DPOY candidate form and stay healthy. Consistently being able to take a one dribble straight line drive to the basket for a dunk/layup/foul would be amazing for him.

Heat were pretty undermanned, but I don't see them pulling off another late season run like they have in the past with the personnel they've lost and Jimmy seeming to be trending a little downwards on the court and availability-wise. Bam is still so freaking good though - he's definitely a player whose impact is hard to quantify.

davemang!!!! You found us! Nice!

I kind of forgot how to link up your new account with your old info, but I'll work on it.

Some other thoughts from my replay review:

1. Among other things I love about Naz, I particularly love how the ball never sticks to his fingers. He has a great instinct to keep the ball moving. it’s indicative of an unselfish, team-oriented attitude but it also reflects a high basketball IQ. All that was on display last night from Naz.

2. Watching the replay confirmed for me that Tyler Herro feasted when NAW was out of the game and struggled when NAW was on the floor. NAW put on a clinic on how to slow down great perimeter shooters, getting in Tyler’s grill and not letting him get his feet set or become comfortable. Troy Brown’s a good defender, but he gave Tyler too much space. He closed out quickly, but that doesn’t cut it when defending an elite shooter. Bottom line is that NAW is a really, really good defender.

3. Kyle Anderson was really important to last night’s win and will be a key to whatever success the team has this season. More than anyone, he’s the team’s glue guy. He has a super high basketball IQ and does a lot of things well. You can also see he’s a vocal leader with his teammates. No one should delude themselves into believing that the Wolves could replace him after this season with a minimum vet player as part of a plan to stay under the second apron without backsliding. Replacing Slo Mo with a vet minimum guy would undoubtedly have a significant negative impact on the team’s performance next season.

4. A nice sequence that showcased the contributions of NAW, Naz, Ant and Rudy occurred when the Wolves were down by 2 with a little over 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. NAW deflected the ball twice on the defensive end, the second time combining with Reid’s quick hands to force a turnover. Naz then brought the ball up quickly with his terrific speed and handle, feeding Ant who then made a terrific lob pass to Rudy for the dunk. That tied the score at 70-70

5. Towns looked better on second look. I knew last night he played well defensively and his 10 rebounds were obvious in the box score. But he also ignited and led one of the Wolves most important runs with about 1:45 to go in the 3rd. The Wolves were up 76-73 in a close back-and forth. KAT came down with a strong rebound on a miss by Robinson and fed Milton who got stripped, but Milton fought to get the ball back and ended up forcing a jump ball. The tip was close and Slo Mo fought successfully to get possession. He fed the ball to Towns who bullied his way down the lane for a bucket. Then Towns rebounded the ball again on the other end and once again he bullied his way down the lane for another bucket on another feed from Slo Mo. At this point the Wolves were up 80-73 with 33 seconds left in the quarter. Then on the next possession, Towns moved quickly to get his body on front of Thomas Bryant, forcing Bryant into a travel violation, which solidified the Wolves 7 point lead and momentum heading into the 4th.

6. Ultimately, it was a lineup of Rudy, Naz, NAW, Ant and Conley that blew Miami away in the last half of the 4th. Rudy and Naz were the two main catalysts in that run, but NAW’s defense was almost as important.

I think you were a little hard on ANT, Lip. After a shot-happy stinker against Toronto, I thought he really looked to facilitate against Miami. He had a team high 17 assists, still shot 3-5 from three, and tied Conley for the 2nd highest +/- at +21.

60WinTim wrote: ↑Sun Oct 29, 2023 11:02 pm I think you were a little hard on ANT, Lip. After a shot-happy stinker against Toronto, I thought he really looked to facilitate against Miami. He had a team high 17 assists, still shot 3-5 from three, and tied Conley for the 2nd highest +/- at +21.

Ant is a scorer that thinks every shot is make-able and every matchup is beatable. So it goes against the core of his being to forgo shots and not take on his guy one on one. But yeah, he made a lot of nice simple passes that were the right plays, but he seemed a bit unhappy about it. Off ball movement, quick passes, finding cutters aren't in his nature....he's a guy that would prefer everyone clear out and just let him go to work.

I thought it was hilarious when late in the 4th, Ant completely dumped the "ball movement" mantra and just put the final nail in Miami's coffin on three straight possessions with a 3-pointer, a mid-range bank shot, and then another 3-pointer.

Finch still has his work cut out for him with this offense. These guys aren't easy to blend.

60WinTim wrote: ↑Sun Oct 29, 2023 3:11 pm

davemang wrote: ↑Sun Oct 29, 2023 1:28 pm Does NAW remind anyone else of Corey Brewer (minus the smile of course)? Rudy looks about 5 years younger this year, I think his back must really have been limiting him more than a lot of us realized last year. Hopefully he can keep up DPOY candidate form and stay healthy. Consistently being able to take a one dribble straight line drive to the basket for a dunk/layup/foul would be amazing for him.

Heat were pretty undermanned, but I don't see them pulling off another late season run like they have in the past with the personnel they've lost and Jimmy seeming to be trending a little downwards on the court and availability-wise. Bam is still so freaking good though - he's definitely a player whose impact is hard to quantify.

davemang!!!! You found us! Nice!

I kind of forgot how to link up your new account with your old info, but I'll work on it.

I did! thanks for getting this migrated to a new space!