monsterpile wrote:Another somewhat surprising win! I still see Denver on the schedule and assume they are a top tier and yet they really are not but still a pretty good one. It's great to see other guys continue to step up. This is another game that shows the Wolves are an actual good team not just a team that looks intriguing some nights.
Yeah, impressive couple of games here. But....there is always a but.....it's almost depressing to be staring up in the standings at Denver and they are without their second best player (Jamaal Murray) and another key piece in Michael Porter, Jr. And they have one of the best big men to ever play the game in Jokic. Last night he practically slept-walked his way to a triple double.
Then you have the Clippers, who are without two HoFers in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
The point isn't to diminish the good play of the Wolves but to highlight the fact we can't let up in trying to find ways to keep improving. A healthy Western Conference is absurdly stacked.
Couldn't you argue those teams are more set up to endure these type of injuries with all there playoff experiences? This wolves team is still super young and I would argue still learning how to win. The two teams you brought up have already been through those growing pains.
May be. Talent trumps experience most of the time in the NBA and we always tend to underestimate the sheer level of talent in the rest of the NBA. I mean, look at Memphis this season. They don't exactly have a bunch of grizzled playoff vets, yet they are in firm control of the 3rd seed in the West and went 9-1 when Morant went down.
I'm just in awe of the sheer level of talent in the NBA. It's a shame we don't see it on full display, as seemingly 20% of the league's stars are out injured on any given night. The fact Denver is cruisin' along without Jamaal Murray - a really key piece for them - just goes to show how damn good Nikola Jokic is.
monsterpile wrote:Another somewhat surprising win! I still see Denver on the schedule and assume they are a top tier and yet they really are not but still a pretty good one. It's great to see other guys continue to step up. This is another game that shows the Wolves are an actual good team not just a team that looks intriguing some nights.
Yeah, impressive couple of games here. But....there is always a but.....it's almost depressing to be staring up in the standings at Denver and they are without their second best player (Jamaal Murray) and another key piece in Michael Porter, Jr. And they have one of the best big men to ever play the game in Jokic. Last night he practically slept-walked his way to a triple double.
Then you have the Clippers, who are without two HoFers in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
The point isn't to diminish the good play of the Wolves but to highlight the fact we can't let up in trying to find ways to keep improving. A healthy Western Conference is absurdly stacked.
Couldn't you argue those teams are more set up to endure these type of injuries with all there playoff experiences? This wolves team is still super young and I would argue still learning how to win. The two teams you brought up have already been through those growing pains.
May be. Talent trumps experience most of the time in the NBA and we always tend to underestimate the sheer level of talent in the rest of the NBA. I mean, look at Memphis this season. They don't exactly have a bunch of grizzled playoff vets, yet they are in firm control of the 3rd seed in the West and went 9-1 when Morant went down.
I'm just in awe of the sheer level of talent in the NBA. It's a shame we don't see it on full display, as seemingly 20% of the league's stars are out injured on any given night. The fact Denver is cruisin' along without Jamaal Murray - a really key piece for them - just goes to show how damn good Nikola Jokic is.
This, and just how deep Denver is. They acquire talent as well as anyone in the league. We should know that especially well considering we took Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley off their hands when they were out of the Nuggets rotation.
monsterpile wrote:Another somewhat surprising win! I still see Denver on the schedule and assume they are a top tier and yet they really are not but still a pretty good one. It's great to see other guys continue to step up. This is another game that shows the Wolves are an actual good team not just a team that looks intriguing some nights.
Yeah, impressive couple of games here. But....there is always a but.....it's almost depressing to be staring up in the standings at Denver and they are without their second best player (Jamaal Murray) and another key piece in Michael Porter, Jr. And they have one of the best big men to ever play the game in Jokic. Last night he practically slept-walked his way to a triple double.
Then you have the Clippers, who are without two HoFers in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
The point isn't to diminish the good play of the Wolves but to highlight the fact we can't let up in trying to find ways to keep improving. A healthy Western Conference is absurdly stacked.
Couldn't you argue those teams are more set up to endure these type of injuries with all there playoff experiences? This wolves team is still super young and I would argue still learning how to win. The two teams you brought up have already been through those growing pains.
May be. Talent trumps experience most of the time in the NBA and we always tend to underestimate the sheer level of talent in the rest of the NBA. I mean, look at Memphis this season. They don't exactly have a bunch of grizzled playoff vets, yet they are in firm control of the 3rd seed in the West and went 9-1 when Morant went down.
I'm just in awe of the sheer level of talent in the NBA. It's a shame we don't see it on full display, as seemingly 20% of the league's stars are out injured on any given night. The fact Denver is cruisin' along without Jamaal Murray - a really key piece for them - just goes to show how damn good Nikola Jokic is.
And Michael Porter Jr.
The guy had a 66.3% TS on 54.2%fg and 44.5% 3fg last season. He played only 9 games this season while injured and was a shell of himself.
In fact, the Nuggets tying up $173M over the next 5 years in a young guy with a chronic bad back might be the closest we get to a great equalizer.
monsterpile wrote:Another somewhat surprising win! I still see Denver on the schedule and assume they are a top tier and yet they really are not but still a pretty good one. It's great to see other guys continue to step up. This is another game that shows the Wolves are an actual good team not just a team that looks intriguing some nights.
Yeah, impressive couple of games here. But....there is always a but.....it's almost depressing to be staring up in the standings at Denver and they are without their second best player (Jamaal Murray) and another key piece in Michael Porter, Jr. And they have one of the best big men to ever play the game in Jokic. Last night he practically slept-walked his way to a triple double.
Then you have the Clippers, who are without two HoFers in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
The point isn't to diminish the good play of the Wolves but to highlight the fact we can't let up in trying to find ways to keep improving. A healthy Western Conference is absurdly stacked.
Couldn't you argue those teams are more set up to endure these type of injuries with all there playoff experiences? This wolves team is still super young and I would argue still learning how to win. The two teams you brought up have already been through those growing pains.
May be. Talent trumps experience most of the time in the NBA and we always tend to underestimate the sheer level of talent in the rest of the NBA. I mean, look at Memphis this season. They don't exactly have a bunch of grizzled playoff vets, yet they are in firm control of the 3rd seed in the West and went 9-1 when Morant went down.
I'm just in awe of the sheer level of talent in the NBA. It's a shame we don't see it on full display, as seemingly 20% of the league's stars are out injured on any given night. The fact Denver is cruisin' along without Jamaal Murray - a really key piece for them - just goes to show how damn good Nikola Jokic is.
This, and just how deep Denver is. They acquire talent as well as anyone in the league. We should know that especially well considering we took Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley off their hands when they were out of the Nuggets rotation.
Right, they spin guys off as throw-ins to trades that end up being valuable contributors to other teams, like Vando. Yet he was just a bit part amongst their embarrassment of riches!
We've been all gaga over Nowell, but the reality is there are a bunch of guys like him in the NBA coming off the bench. We just feel ecstatic because for this franchise, a late pick like Nowell developing into a plus player is a damn near miracle.
The good news is that the erstwhile POBO Gersson Rosas appears to have known what the hell he was doing and perhaps helped change the trajectory of this woebegone franchise! What a shame he was a knucklehead otherwise!
monsterpile wrote:Another somewhat surprising win! I still see Denver on the schedule and assume they are a top tier and yet they really are not but still a pretty good one. It's great to see other guys continue to step up. This is another game that shows the Wolves are an actual good team not just a team that looks intriguing some nights.
Yeah, impressive couple of games here. But....there is always a but.....it's almost depressing to be staring up in the standings at Denver and they are without their second best player (Jamaal Murray) and another key piece in Michael Porter, Jr. And they have one of the best big men to ever play the game in Jokic. Last night he practically slept-walked his way to a triple double.
Then you have the Clippers, who are without two HoFers in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
The point isn't to diminish the good play of the Wolves but to highlight the fact we can't let up in trying to find ways to keep improving. A healthy Western Conference is absurdly stacked.
Couldn't you argue those teams are more set up to endure these type of injuries with all there playoff experiences? This wolves team is still super young and I would argue still learning how to win. The two teams you brought up have already been through those growing pains.
May be. Talent trumps experience most of the time in the NBA and we always tend to underestimate the sheer level of talent in the rest of the NBA. I mean, look at Memphis this season. They don't exactly have a bunch of grizzled playoff vets, yet they are in firm control of the 3rd seed in the West and went 9-1 when Morant went down.
I'm just in awe of the sheer level of talent in the NBA. It's a shame we don't see it on full display, as seemingly 20% of the league's stars are out injured on any given night. The fact Denver is cruisin' along without Jamaal Murray - a really key piece for them - just goes to show how damn good Nikola Jokic is.
This, and just how deep Denver is. They acquire talent as well as anyone in the league. We should know that especially well considering we took Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley off their hands when they were out of the Nuggets rotation.
Right, they spin guys off as throw-ins to trades that end up being valuable contributors to other teams, like Vando. Yet he was just a bit part amongst their embarrassment of riches!
We've been all gaga over Nowell, but the reality is there are a bunch of guys like him in the NBA coming off the bench. We just feel ecstatic because for this franchise, a late pick like Nowell developing into a plus player is a damn near miracle.
The good news is that the erstwhile POBO Gersson Rosas appears to have known what the hell he was doing and perhaps helped change the trajectory of this woebegone franchise! What a shame he was a knucklehead otherwise!
It doesn't hurt to have the same coach in Mike Malone who is actually like good at his job being the coach of the team for over 7 years. Also having the same GM over that time helps too.
It's also worth mentioning that the Nuggets turned Beasley and Juancho former first round picks (all in the same drafted with Murray) into a single first round pick (Zeke Nnaji) and swapped Vanderbilt for KBD...or whatever value you want to put in there. It's not like they really killed it in that deal. If I was gonna value the players in that deal right now between the Wolves and Nuggets I would have Vanderbilt as the most valuable. He would be nice to have for the Nuggets right now right Juancho didn't work out (Rosas somehow moved him in a deal for Beverly) and Beasley was/is a mixed bag but somehow getting Vanderbilt and him developing into a really worthwhile player and signing him to a value contract was a nice win especially since Denver has done a lot of good building up their franchise.
Just finished the replay, and WOW...I think that was the best I've seen these guys play. The way the ball moves around...especially the interior passing... doesn't even remotely look like the way these guys were playing earlier in the season. And this was even with their best passer out injured. I give a lot of the credit to Finch and his offensive design, which the guys are starting to embrace. How different it is to be the team getting the most open corner threes.
I like it when KAT doesn't try to get too fancy with his passing. Last night there were no silly over-the shoulder no-look passes, and the result was 7 assists and only one TO. Terrific game for KAT.
Prince, J-Mac and Vando were all exceptional last night. Ant has been complaining about a sore knee, and that might be the reason he never tried to drive to the basket last night. It might be time to give him a couple games off once DLo is back. And Finchy, let's end the Nowell at PG experiment please...it's not working.
So now we go to a much softer part of the schedule. A few days ago I was thinking we were going to move from playing good teams missing key players to poor teams that are healthy. But our injury luck looks like it might be continuing because Cunningham left the most recent game with a hip pointer and Fox, Davis and Bagley are banged up for Sacramento. The most bizarre injury season continues!
Ahh, more lucky wins! I'll take as many of those as I can get. That makes 26 of them this year. I much prefer these over any sort of unlucky losses or moral victories.
Like I've said before, I wonder if Golden State feels guilty about winning a lucky championship in 2015. My guess is no! Let the good times roll.
LOL, just keep winning baby! I don't care if it's against hurt/sick/hungover opponents. This sorry franchise needs to get some confidence and learn how it feels like to win....even if we are doing it against the B-teams!
FNG wrote:Just finished the replay, and WOW...I think that was the best I've seen these guys play. The way the ball moves around...especially the interior passing... doesn't even remotely look like the way these guys were playing earlier in the season. And this was even with their best passer out injured. I give a lot of the credit to Finch and his offensive design, which the guys are starting to embrace. How different it is to be the team getting the most open corner threes.
I like it when KAT doesn't try to get too fancy with his passing. Last night there were no silly over-the shoulder no-look passes, and the result was 7 assists and only one TO. Terrific game for KAT.
Prince, J-Mac and Vando were all exceptional last night. Ant has been complaining about a sore knee, and that might be the reason he never tried to drive to the basket last night. It might be time to give him a couple games off once DLo is back. And Finchy, let's end the Nowell at PG experiment please...it's not working.
So now we go to a much softer part of the schedule. A few days ago I was thinking we were going to move from playing good teams missing key players to poor teams that are healthy. But our injury luck looks like it might be continuing because Cunningham left the most recent game with a hip pointer and Fox, Davis and Bagley are banged up for Sacramento. The most bizarre injury season continues!
Nowell playing as some sort of PG when he is playing behind guys like Russell and Beverley is a different thing than basically being one of the only PG options. I think he can still play a pseudo PG role but asking him to be an organizer of a team that starts without a higher level guy is asking too much especially at this point of his career when he is just breaking out. A lot of guys that are lead guard types struggle as they try too hard to get other players involved etc instead of playing their game.
Seldom is Jaylen Nowell actually playing point guard anyways. He's usually playing on the wing with at least one of D'Angelo Russell, Patrick Beverley, Anthony Edwards, and Jordan McLaughlin who are then getting the team into their sets. He may dribble the ball up the court on occasion, but the play doesn't typically begin with him. His usage by Chris Finch at this point in time is fine.
