Wolves Scrimmage
Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 10:34 pm
Just got back from the Wolves scrimmage.
It was my first time at Target Center since the renovations. The renovations exceeded my expectation. They did a terrific job upgrading the arena without the ability to expand the arena's footprint. Big improvement.
The scrimmage consisted of 4 separate games between a blue and a grey squad, each game the length of a quarter with a half-time in between the first two and second two games. The players allocated between blue and grey differently each game, so you got to see all sorts of different combinations. It was a lot of fun. Everyone on the roster got significant minutes, including Anthony Brown, Trimble, Jefferson and MGH. Aldrich got the fewest minutes by far.
The last game got really competitive with Butler and Teague on one squad, KAT and Tyus Jones featured on the other squad. Tyus hit a 3-pointer with seconds left to tie it and send it to a 2-minute overtime. Then, Tyus hit another three with about 5 seconds left in overtime to tie the game again. Butler then took the ball from his own baseline on the inbound play, dribbled to half court and uncorked a three-pointer that swished through at the buzzer to win the game. The players celebrated like they just one a playoff game. It was fun to see.
The guys who stood out tonight for me were Teague, Tyus, Belly and Bazz. Taj was also very solid. He's a true pro. A few more observations to pass along:
1. Butler guarded KAT most of that final game and really gave KAT a tough time. Yes, Butler really can guard 5 positions. It was great because Butler's relentless defense really got KAT's competitive juices flowing and he hit some big shots in that game. Butler ended the night with 9 or 10 assists to go with about 18 points and a bunch of rebounds. These two certainly looked like our best players, although I've seen both look better.
2. Wiggins was hitting his threes and scoring. But unfortunately, as usual, he didn't do anything else. One play was telling when he and Teague, on opposing squads, both went up for a rebound with no one else around and both in good position. Guess who came up with the ball? Nuff said.
3. Teague was terrific tonight. He's really quick and has great command of the ball with the ability to finish well in traffic. He's also very crafty. He may have me admitting I was wrong about the Ricky/Teague swap. We'll see.
4. Tyus looks quicker and more athletic than before. It's very noticeable. Even my wife noticed it before I said a word. And he's so smart and crafty with the ball. Then there's his big-time mentality. He's one of those guys who wills things to happen. That's what makes him a big-shot maker - something on display tonight.
5. Belly's 3-point shooting was excellent tonight as was his overall play.
6. Bazz was a beast crashing the boards and scoring. But I wish Q had been there because Bazz was dishing the ball in the paint on several occasions tonight. It was a sight to behold. And his passes were generally good.
7. The guys really played hard. There were also some hard fouls. Belly knocked Butler to the floor twice in a row, both times called for a foul. Butler really got physical with KAT. Guys were grabbing and clawing. On the first play of the first game, Gorgui blocked a KAT shot in the paint. Gorgui looked like he was out to send a message. He didn't play the last game, so I'm concerned he may have hurt himself. Anyway, you can see the Thibs effect starting to take hold among these guys.
8. Trimble and MGH both looked good, but I don't see either one sticking with the team. Anthony Brown has a very sweet shot. And he looks like a high IQ player. Keep your eye on him as the season progresses. I see him playing some games with the big club.
That's all for now. I'll be submitting my first real game report a week from today.
It was my first time at Target Center since the renovations. The renovations exceeded my expectation. They did a terrific job upgrading the arena without the ability to expand the arena's footprint. Big improvement.
The scrimmage consisted of 4 separate games between a blue and a grey squad, each game the length of a quarter with a half-time in between the first two and second two games. The players allocated between blue and grey differently each game, so you got to see all sorts of different combinations. It was a lot of fun. Everyone on the roster got significant minutes, including Anthony Brown, Trimble, Jefferson and MGH. Aldrich got the fewest minutes by far.
The last game got really competitive with Butler and Teague on one squad, KAT and Tyus Jones featured on the other squad. Tyus hit a 3-pointer with seconds left to tie it and send it to a 2-minute overtime. Then, Tyus hit another three with about 5 seconds left in overtime to tie the game again. Butler then took the ball from his own baseline on the inbound play, dribbled to half court and uncorked a three-pointer that swished through at the buzzer to win the game. The players celebrated like they just one a playoff game. It was fun to see.
The guys who stood out tonight for me were Teague, Tyus, Belly and Bazz. Taj was also very solid. He's a true pro. A few more observations to pass along:
1. Butler guarded KAT most of that final game and really gave KAT a tough time. Yes, Butler really can guard 5 positions. It was great because Butler's relentless defense really got KAT's competitive juices flowing and he hit some big shots in that game. Butler ended the night with 9 or 10 assists to go with about 18 points and a bunch of rebounds. These two certainly looked like our best players, although I've seen both look better.
2. Wiggins was hitting his threes and scoring. But unfortunately, as usual, he didn't do anything else. One play was telling when he and Teague, on opposing squads, both went up for a rebound with no one else around and both in good position. Guess who came up with the ball? Nuff said.
3. Teague was terrific tonight. He's really quick and has great command of the ball with the ability to finish well in traffic. He's also very crafty. He may have me admitting I was wrong about the Ricky/Teague swap. We'll see.
4. Tyus looks quicker and more athletic than before. It's very noticeable. Even my wife noticed it before I said a word. And he's so smart and crafty with the ball. Then there's his big-time mentality. He's one of those guys who wills things to happen. That's what makes him a big-shot maker - something on display tonight.
5. Belly's 3-point shooting was excellent tonight as was his overall play.
6. Bazz was a beast crashing the boards and scoring. But I wish Q had been there because Bazz was dishing the ball in the paint on several occasions tonight. It was a sight to behold. And his passes were generally good.
7. The guys really played hard. There were also some hard fouls. Belly knocked Butler to the floor twice in a row, both times called for a foul. Butler really got physical with KAT. Guys were grabbing and clawing. On the first play of the first game, Gorgui blocked a KAT shot in the paint. Gorgui looked like he was out to send a message. He didn't play the last game, so I'm concerned he may have hurt himself. Anyway, you can see the Thibs effect starting to take hold among these guys.
8. Trimble and MGH both looked good, but I don't see either one sticking with the team. Anthony Brown has a very sweet shot. And he looks like a high IQ player. Keep your eye on him as the season progresses. I see him playing some games with the big club.
That's all for now. I'll be submitting my first real game report a week from today.