Game Report - Wolves v Spurs

[Lipoli390]

A pretty big Friday night crowd with fairly good energy. The game itself was entertaining with the Wolves and Spurs going back and forth in a close game that came down to the wire. But unfortunately, the result was another disappointing home loss.

I'll live with a 40-point loss on the road to a top team like the Sixers -- don't like it, but I'll live with it. However, if the Wolves expect to make the playoffs this season, they simply can't lose games like last night's game at home to a good but not great Spurs team playing without their second best player. We've had a good record overall at home and I'll even overlook home losses to the Bucks, Celtics, Nuggets and Warriors. But the Wolves have far too many home losses against teams they should have beaten. It's a growing list of losses that includes last night's loss but dates back to the Wolves 13-point home loss to the Grizzlies on Nov. 18. It also includes losses the the Pelicans, Pistons, Mavs and Hawks. If the Wolves had simply won four of those five home games, they'd be in 7th place and a half-game behind the Rockets for 6th. And that's in spite of a horrendous road record and all the early-season drama with Butler.

As for last night's game, there were a number of reasons for the Wolves' loss. Here's my list:

1. KAT fouling out tops the list of reasons. Yes, Towns needs to do a better job of defending without fouling. But I place the blame squarely on the officiating for KAT fouling out of last night's game. Three of his fouls were ridiculously bad calls against any player. A couple others were calls that would rarely be made against allstar players of KAT's caliber. It was absolutely astounding to watch those calls, especially as we watched the Spurs push, hold and batter KAT in the post play after play. The way the officials treated KAT last night adds to my concern with the integrity of NBA officiating.

2. Saric's terrible, ineffectual play. He was 1-5 from the field last night with no trips to the line. It's bad enough that he can't be counted on to hit wide-open three-pointers. But you can see him openly sulk on the court, seemingly daydreaming on the court. He repeatedly missed defensive assignments and failed to go where he was supposed to go in the offense. Ryan and teammates kept having to direct him to places on the court. He looked like a deer in headlights. I'm growing increasingly disenchanted with him. Last night, the Wolves would have won if he had just stepped up a little bit.

3. Wiggins disappearing act. He started out really well and shot better overall last night, but after the first quarter he started to fade away and by the second half he was hardly noticable. With KAT in foul trouble, the Wolves needed Wiggins to step up in a big way, but instead he disappeared. And when he reappeared in the 4th quarter for a moment, he threw the ball away on a drive rather than taking it to the rim and, at worst, drawing a foul. That was a 4-point turnaround mistake.

4. Gorgui arguing with the ref while Cunningham breaks to the rim for a put-back after a missed free-throw. Totally unacceptable!!!

Amazingly, this Wolves still make the playoffs. We're 4 games behind the pack at the bottom of the playoff picture in the West. But I don't see it happening.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

I was there last night too, Lip...nice to have Thibs gone, but tough to enjoy a game that went over three hours because of the long ESPN timeouts and the ridiculous number of fouls...got me home way after my bed time. That's what you get when two of the three referees are among the least experienced in the league, and want to make a name for themselves. They needed to be the show, and we lost KAT, and the game, because of them. I hope their mothers enjoyed watching them on TV.

As I said in the game thread, it was a shame that Pop was without his best offensive player...what a pity. But Ryan was without his best defensive player (and reliable 3-point threat) and a reliable PG that allows Ryan to keep Bayless's butt on the bench where it belongs...not to mention 15 minutes of KAT the referees took away from him. We were clearly missing a lot more than Pop was, and yet we still almost stole this game.

Yes, playoffs are a fading dream, but still a possibility. But it's not going to happen unless we can get healthy.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

I largely agree with your points, Lip, but mostly disagree on Saric. Yeah, we need him to hit the open three, but I still would rather have him putting up threes at 33% than Okogie flailing away at 26%. A rookie only making 26% of his threes simply can't be allowed to put up 4 of them. I think that has a lot to do with Ryan limiting him to 25 minutes, a move I endorsed, and spent time talking to him after another forced 3-point miss. Saric on the other hand contributed 7 boards and 2 steals in his 29 minutes. I agree that he's not going to realize his potential if he can't hit threes at 35% or more, but I wasn't displeased with his play last night overall.

That said, Taj was by far our best PF last night...14-11-3--2 and tough work on the offensive boards all night. I continue to think signing Taj is one of the few positives of the Dark Ages.


Now we need to sweep the home and away with the Suns...not going to be easy with Taj and Tyus out, but necessary if we are going to stay in the playoff hunt.

[Coolbreeze44]

Lip, you are going to get on Wig for last night's performance? They are still running Thib's offense which mostly banishes him to the corner so he can spread the floor while whatever point guard goes one on one or plays PnR with a big. He had an efficient 17 points and 5 boards and never touched the ball in the 2nd half. The only points he gets are those he creates for himself. I'm sorry, but he was the least of our problems last night.

[Duke13]

Lip, I completely disagree with you about Kat's fouls. This a a repeated thing with him, so debating whether one call was a foul or not isn't the issues. He has no sense of the game, he lets himself get involve in these pushing and grabbing matches when he gets emotional. That foul to start the half was so easily predictable based on the previous couple possessions. He's so emotionally immature in the court it's astonishing to me, and that's the larger point verses blaming the refs on one bad call.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Lip, I completely disagree with you about Kat's fouls. This a a repeated thing with him, so debating whether one call was a foul or not isn't the issues. He has no sense of the game, he lets himself get involve in these pushing and grabbing matches when he gets emotional. That foul to start the half was so easily predictable based on the previous couple possessions. He's so emotionally immature in the court it's astonishing to me, and that's the larger point verses blaming the refs on one bad call.

I think there are elements of truth in both Duke's and Lip's comments. KAT has averaged 4.6 fouls per game his last 10, and as a result he has only averaged 28 MPG his last five games...not nearly enough for us to be consistently competitive (although the silver lining is it gives his body a much-needed post-Thibs rest). There are a few reasons for his foul issues. First, he simply can't pick up 2 offensive fouls like he did last night...his offensive fouls are neither helpful or necessary. Second, Ryan said post-game that they are working with KAT on his verticality...challenging shots by going straight up and not dropping his hands into a fouling position after he absorbs contact. Third, I think the referees are generally harder on him than the typical center. Maybe it's because he is still young and hasn't earned referee respect yet...it was pointed out in the GDT how much more Taj got away with muscling Aldrich than KAT. Or maybe it's because of his incessant whining...refs don't like to be shown up out there, and can be vengeful when they are.

Ryan and the other coaches need to be firm with KAT and teach him defensive things he didn't learn from Thibs (not saying this was necessarily Thibs' fault, we don't know) or reverse things he clearly did learn from Thibs (how to whine about every call). KAT is our most important offensive player, and with Rob out, perhaps our most important defensive player too. He absolutely needs to learn how to stay on the court for 36 minutes every night.

[crazy-canuck [enjin:18955461]]

1. Kat got a raw deal from the refs, but I think the constant whining and begging for calls probably had something to do with it. I simply think he doesnt get calls because he isn't liked. As much as we hope that the refs would be impartial, they are human.

2. Saric did some good things out there, but he doesnt take shots in rhythm. I don't think he knows when and where his shots are coming from. Coming from a ball moving offense and a pass first pg, this has to be a tough transition. Our unnel vision pgs + our offensive schemes just dont work for anyone else.

2. Wiggs simply isnt involved in the offense for long stretches. You can blame wiggs for not doing more, but unless hes the pg heds going to need some help. Wiggs role is to spread the offense for teague, rose, kat, and even taj. With cov out, we dont have a floor spacer. Okogie isnt being guarded while saric cant hit the broadside of the barn right now.

4. Dieng. He was brutal. I don't even think you could call that play a missed box out, because he never attempted one because he was too busy whining to the refs. Then he compounded the issue by taking b2b long 2's and silly fouls. He erased a 10 pt lead by himself.

5. Teague is our best pg, but after 2 years, he still can't click with anyone on the floor.

[Monster]

Lip, I completely disagree with you about Kat's fouls. This a a repeated thing with him, so debating whether one call was a foul or not isn't the issues. He has no sense of the game, he lets himself get involve in these pushing and grabbing matches when he gets emotional. That foul to start the half was so easily predictable based on the previous couple possessions. He's so emotionally immature in the court it's astonishing to me, and that's the larger point verses blaming the refs on one bad call.

I think there are elements of truth in both Duke's and Lip's comments. KAT has averaged 4.6 fouls per game his last 10, and as a result he has only averaged 28 MPG his last five games...not nearly enough for us to be consistently competitive (although the silver lining is it gives his body a much-needed post-Thibs rest). There are a few reasons for his foul issues. First, he simply can't pick up 2 offensive fouls like he did last night...his offensive fouls are neither helpful or necessary. Second, Ryan said post-game that they are working with KAT on his verticality...challenging shots by going straight up and not dropping his hands into a fouling position after he absorbs contact. Third, I think the referees are generally harder on him than the typical center. Maybe it's because he is still young and hasn't earned referee respect yet...it was pointed out in the GDT how much more Taj got away with muscling Aldrich than KAT. Or maybe it's because of his incessant whining...refs don't like to be shown up out there, and can be vengeful when they are.

Ryan and the other coaches need to be firm with KAT and teach him defensive things he didn't learn from Thibs (not saying this was necessarily Thibs' fault, we don't know) or reverse things he clearly did learn from Thibs (how to whine about every call). KAT is our most important offensive player, and with Rob out, perhaps our most important defensive player too. He absolutely needs to learn how to stay on the court for 36 minutes every night.

I think some part of Towns fouling issues is him actually being more aggressive on defense...mostly in a good way. His ability onnthat end is getting closer to looking like it's real when he can actually stay on the floor. I'll take that evolution even if it comes with him being in foul trouble this year. He needs to clean some things up AND get some benefit of the doubt/learn how to be a vet. His foul problems are hurting him this year but if he is actually taking a very legit step forward defensively in part because of it...i'll Take it. I thought he was pretty good on LA this game and also last time they faced off and that had been a bad matchup for him in the past.

On the other side of the ball sometimes I'm not sure what he is supposed to do about the offensive fouls. Some are bad and some he is just making his move. It doesn't feel like it gets called fairly and I'm not even talking about just Towns.

I do agree with Duke though sometimes Towns getting himself in trouble because he isn't smart for various reasons. Sometimes he needs to just chill out.

[Duke13]

I hate to be super negative, but Kat has been getting away with using that inside elbow on his post up since his rookie year. I'm surprised he's not called more for it. It's a cheap move and he does it more then most in the league. He gets away with it a lot. Jim Pete calls it the "pork chop", seals his man. He does it constantly.

[crazy-canuck [enjin:18955461]]

I hate to be super negative, but Kat has been getting away with using that inside elbow on his post up since his rookie year. I'm surprised he's not called more for it. It's a cheap move and he does it more then most in the league. He gets away with it a lot. Jim Pete calls it the "pork chop", seals his man. He does it constantly.

It's not just kat, I think alot of bigs use that chicken wing type move. Kat just makes it obvious.