Minnesota Sports Forum

FNG wrote:I can't bring myself to watch the game, so maybe someone who did can answer this question. I 've loved watching Jaden guarding Green this season. It sounds like Finchie opened the game with SloMo on Green, is that right? Why? Did Jaden get a chance to defend Green during the game, and was he also ineffective?

Anderson got switched on him a couple of times (including the possession where the dust up occurred), but McDaniels was guarding him the majority of the time they shared the floor.

Green was simply making his shots - something he hasn't been very good at. He was feeling emboldened and confident from our early sluggishness and that continued throughout the game.

Guys get hot. A defense can only do so much to stop someone that is hot, outside of doubling/trapping them, which we certainly weren't going to do against Green.

Not that it will make folks feel better, but the mighty Celtics have lost three games to Orlando this season, including last night. Boston fans must be besides themselves that 25% of their losses this season is to lowly Orlando.

I tip my cap to Houston because they were making their shots and these weren't all wide open layups from run outs and massive breakdowns (except a couple where Nowell was involved, LOL). Sengun makes shots that most NBA defenses give up willingly with his lethal mid-range push shot. It's one of these weird shots that he just calmly makes every damn time.

The problem with the Wolves isn't that these kinds of losses occur - they just occur too damn much. And you can't point to any one player as the problem, as last night Anderson and McDaniels were NOT good. Yet these same two have been pivotal to big wins recently.

Orlando is 13 - 9 in its last 22 games.

Minnesota is 11 - 11 in its last 22 games.

Houston is 4 - 18 in its last 22 games. (but has been up by at least 11 points in all 3 games vs. MN during that stretch.)

AbeVigodaLive wrote:Orlando is 13 - 9 in its last 22 games.

Minnesota is 11 - 11 in its last 22 games.

Houston is 4 - 18 in its last 22 games. (but has been up by at least 11 points in all 3 games vs. MN during that stretch.)

Boston lost twice AT HOME (Boston is 18-5 at home this year) to Orlando and then got beat badly last night. They are held to a much higher standard than the Wolves given their record and talent. Sorry, but I'd say dropping three to Orlando was equivalent on a relative basis to Minnesota losing on the road to Houston.

I get it - we want to beat up on the Wolves for losing to a team in the midst of an epic losing streak.

The Timberwolves have the Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Kings to finish up the week. Just like they're capable of losing four of six to the Rockets, Spurs, and Pistons, they're capable of winning those three games. It doesn't necessarily excuse the terrible losses, but this who they are. They play up and down to their opponents. Let's see how they battle on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

Camden wrote:The Timberwolves have the Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Kings to finish up the week. Just like they're capable of losing four of six to the Rockets, Spurs, and Pistons, they're capable of winning those three games. It doesn't necessarily excuse the terrible losses, but this who they are. They play up and down to their opponents. Let's see how they battle on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

You're right, Cam. I guess the upshot of all this so far is that the Wolves are a .500 team. They were around .500 before KAT when down and they've been around .500 since. They're .500 with Gobert and .500 without him. We don't know what they'd be without Edwards because he hasn't missed any games, but I think it's very safe to say this team would be well below .500 without him. This is who we 50% into the season. This is probably who we'll be the remaining 50%, but maybe things will change.

I've already moved on to thinking about, not who we are, but what we can, should and will be after this season.

Q-was-here wrote:

AbeVigodaLive wrote:Orlando is 13 - 9 in its last 22 games.

Minnesota is 11 - 11 in its last 22 games.

Houston is 4 - 18 in its last 22 games. (but has been up by at least 11 points in all 3 games vs. MN during that stretch.)

Boston lost twice AT HOME (Boston is 18-5 at home this year) to Orlando and then got beat badly last night. They are held to a much higher standard than the Wolves given their record and talent. Sorry, but I'd say dropping three to Orlando was equivalent on a relative basis to Minnesota losing on the road to Houston.

I get it - we want to beat up on the Wolves for losing to a team in the midst of an epic losing streak.

I'm just saying that Orlando is infinitely better than Houston.

Just about every team is infinitely better than Houston.

There's just no excuse to lose to Houston, especially HOW the Timberwolves lost. These players simply don't deserve any benefit of the doubt when their collective effort and energy continues to be used by team coaches and insiders as the reason for these dispiriting losses.

We're all used to the Timberwolves losing games. Again, no NBA team has ever lost more often than the local squad... and I bet I've watched at least 1,000 of those losses, so this isn't a pile on or kneejerk reactionary beatdown. It's just me ripping lazy players who deserved to be ripped (if the coach, beat writers and our own eyes are to be believed).

In my estimation McDaniels was on Green no more than 50% of the time the two shared the court. Houston was doing some creative things to get Jaden off him. But as someone said he was scoring no matter who was guarding him. Our intensity was lacking again.