Game Report - Wolves v Rockets
Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 12:16 am
A fun way to start the season with a nearly packed house. It was strange and uncomfortable wearing a mask the entire game, but it didn't stop me from enjoying the game. A few thoughts:
DEFENSE: My wife has gone with me for the vast majority of games over the past five years, but couldn't go with me tonight so I went with a friend. When I returned home I told her that I saw an entirely different Wolves team than the team she's used to seeing. Yes, we played probably the worst team in the League tonight. I get that. Nevertheless, we essentially beat them by 30 points with the smaller margin at the end reflecting some sloppy scrub play late in the 4th. But the point I was making to my wife was about the way they played tonight, not the result. I'm talking about defense. Before this season started, we were all hoping the Wolves could play a little better defensively to support what should be a really potent offense. But what we saw tonight, and in the preseason, was a team with a relentless and truly stifling defense. And it's not just one or two guys, it's most of the team. The Wolves lopsided win tonight against an admittedly bad team was triggered by the Wolves defense more than their offense. I don't think anyone could honestly say that about any prior Wolves victory since the KG era. And Patrick Beverley wasn't even on the court tonight. Okogie, McDaniels and Edwards led the way defensively for the Wolves, but everyone contributed on that end of the floor.
GAME BALL: I have to give out four tonight. One to Okogie for his team-leading relentless defensive effort and hustle rebounds. One to McDaniels for his superb defense, which included 4 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks as well as countless deflections. One to Edwards for his elite play on both sides of the ball with 29 efficient points, 6 rebounds and harassing defensive effort. One to KAT for being the best player on the floor with 30 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, solid defense and minimal whining in spite of some bad calls against him.
BEASLEY: KAT, Edwards, McDaniels and Okogie all had great games. DLO had a good game, but I can't say it was a great one given his poor shooting percentage, tendency to stall the ball at times and his careless turnovers. I thought MJac was very good as well. But I wanted to single out Beasley. He still struggled from behind the arc tonight. But he really impressed me tonight. He looks like he's improved his handle and passing. Moreover, his hustle and effort on the defensive end were fantastic. My favorite play was when he streaked down the court and stripped the ball to stop what would have been a layup or dunk. After he stripped the ball, his momentum carried him into the Wolves bench. His teammates excitedly lifted him in the air and tossed him in celebration of his successful effort on that play. You can tell his teammates really like the guy. Like Beverley, he's got an edge to him and you want guys like that on your team - in fact you NEED guys like that on your team to be successful. Then there was his spectacular block from behind. His 3-point shooting will eventually come around. But in the meantime, as he gets his body in shape, you can see some really encouraging signs that this still young 24-year old is going to be more than a 3-point marksman off the bench.
TEAM CHEMISTRY: I know that there's sometimes a tendency among fans to overrate team chemistry, but it matters. And all I can say is that the positive chemistry and enthusiasm on this team is palpable. The guys on the bench were standing most of the game. They were talking with one another and cheering as hard for their teammates as any fan in the arena. One nice moment was when DLO took Naz aside away from the bench where he appeared to be giving him a pep talk and discussing strategy. It looks like Ant and DLO are pretty close as they were standing and talking together a lot all night. Of course, I noticed that Edwards was talking to just about everyone on both teams. :). That guy just loves to play. He's almost always smiling with an infectious enthusiasm that resonates with teammates and fans. He and KAT are clearly the two best and most important players on this team. But Edwards brings a little something extra - a presence or star power - that KAT doesn't have. That's not a knock on KAT at all; it's just a reflection of how special Edwards is.
NEGATIVES: There weren't many negatives for the Wolves tonight. But you could see some troubling signs that will reveal themselves more fully against the many better teams in the League. One troubling sign tonight was the Wolves half-court offense. I think this team will have trouble scoring in the half-court if KAT can't dominate. I was also troubled by DLO's familiar tendency to commit lazy turnovers, over-dribble and take bad shots. I actually preferred the way the offense flowed when JMac was at the point tonight. DLO got hot in the 3rd and that was great to see, but I was troubled by some of what I saw from him tonight - not alarmed, angry or down on him, but troubled. He played pretty well defensively, but he didn't show the same level of intensity I saw from Ant or even KAT. We'll see how things develop.
OVERALL: I like this team. They're talented and fun to watch. I like the way they played tonight and I expect them to continue playing that way going forward. They should beat the Zionless Pelicans on Saturday, but it will be significantly tougher than tonight's game. I'll note that we've won a lot of openers in recent years and those seasons didn't end well for the Wolves. However, I have a different feeling about this team and tonight did not disappoint.
DEFENSE: My wife has gone with me for the vast majority of games over the past five years, but couldn't go with me tonight so I went with a friend. When I returned home I told her that I saw an entirely different Wolves team than the team she's used to seeing. Yes, we played probably the worst team in the League tonight. I get that. Nevertheless, we essentially beat them by 30 points with the smaller margin at the end reflecting some sloppy scrub play late in the 4th. But the point I was making to my wife was about the way they played tonight, not the result. I'm talking about defense. Before this season started, we were all hoping the Wolves could play a little better defensively to support what should be a really potent offense. But what we saw tonight, and in the preseason, was a team with a relentless and truly stifling defense. And it's not just one or two guys, it's most of the team. The Wolves lopsided win tonight against an admittedly bad team was triggered by the Wolves defense more than their offense. I don't think anyone could honestly say that about any prior Wolves victory since the KG era. And Patrick Beverley wasn't even on the court tonight. Okogie, McDaniels and Edwards led the way defensively for the Wolves, but everyone contributed on that end of the floor.
GAME BALL: I have to give out four tonight. One to Okogie for his team-leading relentless defensive effort and hustle rebounds. One to McDaniels for his superb defense, which included 4 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks as well as countless deflections. One to Edwards for his elite play on both sides of the ball with 29 efficient points, 6 rebounds and harassing defensive effort. One to KAT for being the best player on the floor with 30 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, solid defense and minimal whining in spite of some bad calls against him.
BEASLEY: KAT, Edwards, McDaniels and Okogie all had great games. DLO had a good game, but I can't say it was a great one given his poor shooting percentage, tendency to stall the ball at times and his careless turnovers. I thought MJac was very good as well. But I wanted to single out Beasley. He still struggled from behind the arc tonight. But he really impressed me tonight. He looks like he's improved his handle and passing. Moreover, his hustle and effort on the defensive end were fantastic. My favorite play was when he streaked down the court and stripped the ball to stop what would have been a layup or dunk. After he stripped the ball, his momentum carried him into the Wolves bench. His teammates excitedly lifted him in the air and tossed him in celebration of his successful effort on that play. You can tell his teammates really like the guy. Like Beverley, he's got an edge to him and you want guys like that on your team - in fact you NEED guys like that on your team to be successful. Then there was his spectacular block from behind. His 3-point shooting will eventually come around. But in the meantime, as he gets his body in shape, you can see some really encouraging signs that this still young 24-year old is going to be more than a 3-point marksman off the bench.
TEAM CHEMISTRY: I know that there's sometimes a tendency among fans to overrate team chemistry, but it matters. And all I can say is that the positive chemistry and enthusiasm on this team is palpable. The guys on the bench were standing most of the game. They were talking with one another and cheering as hard for their teammates as any fan in the arena. One nice moment was when DLO took Naz aside away from the bench where he appeared to be giving him a pep talk and discussing strategy. It looks like Ant and DLO are pretty close as they were standing and talking together a lot all night. Of course, I noticed that Edwards was talking to just about everyone on both teams. :). That guy just loves to play. He's almost always smiling with an infectious enthusiasm that resonates with teammates and fans. He and KAT are clearly the two best and most important players on this team. But Edwards brings a little something extra - a presence or star power - that KAT doesn't have. That's not a knock on KAT at all; it's just a reflection of how special Edwards is.
NEGATIVES: There weren't many negatives for the Wolves tonight. But you could see some troubling signs that will reveal themselves more fully against the many better teams in the League. One troubling sign tonight was the Wolves half-court offense. I think this team will have trouble scoring in the half-court if KAT can't dominate. I was also troubled by DLO's familiar tendency to commit lazy turnovers, over-dribble and take bad shots. I actually preferred the way the offense flowed when JMac was at the point tonight. DLO got hot in the 3rd and that was great to see, but I was troubled by some of what I saw from him tonight - not alarmed, angry or down on him, but troubled. He played pretty well defensively, but he didn't show the same level of intensity I saw from Ant or even KAT. We'll see how things develop.
OVERALL: I like this team. They're talented and fun to watch. I like the way they played tonight and I expect them to continue playing that way going forward. They should beat the Zionless Pelicans on Saturday, but it will be significantly tougher than tonight's game. I'll note that we've won a lot of openers in recent years and those seasons didn't end well for the Wolves. However, I have a different feeling about this team and tonight did not disappoint.