Minnesota Sports Forum

Phenom wrote: ↑Thu Jan 02, 2025 9:11 pm

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Thu Jan 02, 2025 9:05 pm

60WinTim wrote: ↑Thu Jan 02, 2025 8:52 pm So many little things that could have made a difference. Oh well. Let’s make the post-brutal-15 something special!

Tough 15-games, but a lot of those teams we played were missing key pieces....

My conclusion is that this is a 40 to 46-win roster with the current rotation and Finch at the helm. I'm not sure what else Connelly needs to see at this point to pull the trigger on something if they are serious about winning even one playoff series. Or may be they just view this as a transition year and ride it out (?).

Not a fun team to watch most of the time unfortunately and Ant has been thoroughly out-shined by the opponent's stars in most of these games lately....and may be him being humbled is a good thing in the long run, IDK.

I think the constant doubles and walls are wearing him down. Teams don't worry about literally anyone else.

We really couldn't afford for Conley to have a drop off along with Jaden so far this season, things can change of course and Jaden played a nice game. Those guys just simply hit shots like they are capable of and we have many more wins and really things look a lot different.

They hit shots more reliably, then teams then can't leave them as open and it opens up more scoring for Ant. It's like a snowball effect. You only double and blitz if it works. We need the other guys to make them pay.

Abe's Two Favorite Teams DVR Review:

- So the Wolves won 6 of the 8 quarters vs. two of the very best teams in the L.

Turns out the one quarter they lost was by 20 vs. OKC and 18 vs. Boston. The Wolves aren't in the same class as either of those teams. It's not even remotely close.

Timberwolves - 38 TOs ... 45 assists
OKC/Boston - 15 TOs ... 55 assists

I doubt there's another person on this forum who digs passing/assists more than me. Heck, I doubt there are many other NBA fans who love passing/assists more than me. That's part of what makes this season so challenging... and unfun.

- When was the last game when Anthony Edwards was the best player on the court? Maybe the SAS game... when he had 26 points on 21 shots? The Golden State win on December 6. And then all the way back to the win vs. POR on November 8. That's only 3x in nearly two months where the ascending SUPERSTAR was the clear best player on the court. That's not nearly good enough. It's alarming.

He has no chemistry with Randle. No chemistry with Gobert. And based on salary, resume and importance... those are the #2 and #3 most important players on the team. This aint good folks.

- Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert (two starters) benched in this one. I think Conley sat the final 18 minutes... and Gobert the final 15 minutes. Conley is cooked. We know this. It's obvious. But that one should be ok. It was always in play, eventually.

But Gobert. How big of a problem is it when one of the team's most important players is also one of its biggest liabilities? It's not just that he has had several no-shows this season and been horrifically outplayed (see the game vs. KAT). It's that he's hindering the team's player of the future. And, there are three more years of this. How can it get better? Gobert isn't getting better at this point.

- I don't like Julius Randle. I never have. I know everyone makes mistakes. And I know that he had a good game statistically. But it feels so empty. Disingenuous or not to point this out in a good statistical game for him... but... I don't care because I hate his style. (1) Later in the 3rd, he grabs a rebound and instead of pushing the ball up the court to Divincenzo he keeps it himself. And isos. And turns it over. Move the ball to the one guy making quick decisions on the court! (2) Game is tied at 98. Tatum is on a heater. The Celtics really don't run any action. Tatum slides to an open spot above the break. And Randle just stands there 15 feet away. At least until he makes an entirely too late, half-hearted attempt to get out to Tatum. Too late. Three pointer. I simply dislike his game. Not my style. I'm eager for him to move on.

- Dumb TOs. The White banked three pointer. The Edwards missed layup. We can lament those plays. But at the same time... I never thought the Wolves had a chance in this one. I felt like the Celtics were doing the Milton Berle thing in this one.

- 17 - 16 as the healthiest team in the league. This is a play-in team. I can't imagine them worse than that... but I've seen much stranger things happen.

Speaking of passing:

https://streamable.com/50ghbm

The Celtics shot only 2 more free throws as a team than Ant (the Wolves shot 22 and Boston 6), and still his focus was on whining to the refs and not getting back on defense (Dane Moore has a telling cut of him on his X page whining instead of getting back, followed by indifferent defense). I'm whining about the 5 for 16 shooting and team-worst -10, not the refereeing, At least Ant got what is most important to him, being able to flash that big smile while hugging Tatum and Brown after the loss. Yes, I'm bitter about a talented guy who just doesn't seem to have the focus, drive, and gravitas to be what he could potentially be...and it's holding this team back. I'm actually not too unhappy about the game...I thought for the most part we played well and kept it close against one of the 3 best teams in the Association. Entertaining game. I thought in general both teams moved the ball well. But oh those turnovers...we had 15 and they had only 4. Ju flirted with a triple double again (27-8-7 and a +10) but turned the ball over 4 times...and it seemed like he was close to turnovers several more times.

I'm not giving up on this team. We may have the best bench in the league and we are playing the best teams very close, and beating some of them. We're in an odd situation of seeming to play much better basketball when our high scorer goes to the bench, and if it continues I agree with Abe that we are a play in team. But if the light bulb ever goes on for this guy and he does the math and realizes that if there are 2-3 guys on him, 1 or 2 other guys are wide open (and every one of those other guys made 50% or more of their 3-point attempts past night), I still think this club could be a top 4 team. Hope springs eternal...but perhaps fading.

thedoper wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2025 2:02 am Speaking of passing:

https://streamable.com/50ghbm

Let's keep him in our thoughts and prayers...