WildWolf2813's Wolves /Nets report from Barclays
Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 12:26 am
First of all, I have no voice left so thankfully I can type this.
Secondly, great game, great win. This team is really showing signs of making that gradual leap. Tonight was a night where you could tell Rick Adelman was not coaching this team. Flip is doing a much better job on the sidelines.
I had 5th row seats right by the Wolves tunnel. Most of them recognized me. David Adelman was surprised to know someone knew who he was. My seats were great enough to see everything up close.
Andrew Wiggins: even in the times where he was overmatched by Joe Johnson (seriously, when Joe Johnson turns into Iso Joe, you realize why he gets paid so much) Wiggins was not fazed. He took in what his teammates told him and didn't drift and didn't back down. Great game to learn and grow from. It will take time and more tough lessons, but this kid is gonna be the real deal.
As for the franchise, Ricky Rubio played HORRIBLY on defense. I was surprised to see that. Deron Williams passed up a lot of easy layups that he didn't notice were there and his teammates had to scramble for the open man Ricky left behind. However, Ricky is showing that Mike Penberthy's teaching is breaking through. That jump shot he took with around 2 minutes left is a shot he would have never taken before. He took it with confidence and knocked it down. Fans were very shocked to see him make shots. Great as a fan to watch. He also knows how to lead his teammates. He and Mo Williams (and Mo had a bad night, but Mo did a good job talking to the young pups like Bennett and Wiggins).
Nikola Pekovic OWNS Brook Lopez. This is where Flip gets all the credit from me. He went to the meat and potatoes of this team: the Pek N' Roll 2 man game between he and Rubio. That sealed the game. Under Adelman, Rubio and Pek would not have even been out there. It would have been Barea and Cunningham with Love holding the ball for 15 seconds jab stepping and pump faking. Flip's running plays, and that's the good quality of this team. The ball was spread around. Martin took shots. Young took shots. Rubio took shots. Pek took shots. There's more than one option to go to, whereas teams only game planned for Love late in games.
Brewer gave us nothing out there. I would have rather seen more Muhammad or even Budinger who has played well at Barclays before. Other than that, Flip had a good feel for the rotations and called time outs at good times. He knew when the game was slipping away and kept the game in check.
Kevin Martin? Let's not be in a rush to move him. He's buying in to the new responsibility he has as the grizzled vet. No need for him to leave yet.
The bench was spirited though they never got too high or low. Zach LaVine looked like a student out there. Didn't play, but he paid tons of attention. I didn't notice any of the stuff Lip used to see with our bench. Everyone was engaged in this outing.
The best moment of the night (besides the Bennett dunk, the almost Wiggins poster and the game sealer from Pekovic). Rubio made a tough layup over Deron Williams late in the game and you saw the swagger of Ricky Rubio finally come out because as he makes the layup, Williams was slow to get up and Ricky starts talking so much trash. Ricky's got A LOT more confidence than he's ever had offensively and it shows. It really does. That is so encouraging because it feels like when Ricky's making shots, everyone else feels like they're throwing a rock into an ocean, like everyone's attributes go up +3 when Ricky's scoring.
Fans were cool. Wolves fans represented well. Too bad we only play them twice a year because Nets /Wolves games are for the most part, awesome. Glad I walked away happy. I guess I'll do this again when the Wolves go to MSG in March. Go Wolves!
Secondly, great game, great win. This team is really showing signs of making that gradual leap. Tonight was a night where you could tell Rick Adelman was not coaching this team. Flip is doing a much better job on the sidelines.
I had 5th row seats right by the Wolves tunnel. Most of them recognized me. David Adelman was surprised to know someone knew who he was. My seats were great enough to see everything up close.
Andrew Wiggins: even in the times where he was overmatched by Joe Johnson (seriously, when Joe Johnson turns into Iso Joe, you realize why he gets paid so much) Wiggins was not fazed. He took in what his teammates told him and didn't drift and didn't back down. Great game to learn and grow from. It will take time and more tough lessons, but this kid is gonna be the real deal.
As for the franchise, Ricky Rubio played HORRIBLY on defense. I was surprised to see that. Deron Williams passed up a lot of easy layups that he didn't notice were there and his teammates had to scramble for the open man Ricky left behind. However, Ricky is showing that Mike Penberthy's teaching is breaking through. That jump shot he took with around 2 minutes left is a shot he would have never taken before. He took it with confidence and knocked it down. Fans were very shocked to see him make shots. Great as a fan to watch. He also knows how to lead his teammates. He and Mo Williams (and Mo had a bad night, but Mo did a good job talking to the young pups like Bennett and Wiggins).
Nikola Pekovic OWNS Brook Lopez. This is where Flip gets all the credit from me. He went to the meat and potatoes of this team: the Pek N' Roll 2 man game between he and Rubio. That sealed the game. Under Adelman, Rubio and Pek would not have even been out there. It would have been Barea and Cunningham with Love holding the ball for 15 seconds jab stepping and pump faking. Flip's running plays, and that's the good quality of this team. The ball was spread around. Martin took shots. Young took shots. Rubio took shots. Pek took shots. There's more than one option to go to, whereas teams only game planned for Love late in games.
Brewer gave us nothing out there. I would have rather seen more Muhammad or even Budinger who has played well at Barclays before. Other than that, Flip had a good feel for the rotations and called time outs at good times. He knew when the game was slipping away and kept the game in check.
Kevin Martin? Let's not be in a rush to move him. He's buying in to the new responsibility he has as the grizzled vet. No need for him to leave yet.
The bench was spirited though they never got too high or low. Zach LaVine looked like a student out there. Didn't play, but he paid tons of attention. I didn't notice any of the stuff Lip used to see with our bench. Everyone was engaged in this outing.
The best moment of the night (besides the Bennett dunk, the almost Wiggins poster and the game sealer from Pekovic). Rubio made a tough layup over Deron Williams late in the game and you saw the swagger of Ricky Rubio finally come out because as he makes the layup, Williams was slow to get up and Ricky starts talking so much trash. Ricky's got A LOT more confidence than he's ever had offensively and it shows. It really does. That is so encouraging because it feels like when Ricky's making shots, everyone else feels like they're throwing a rock into an ocean, like everyone's attributes go up +3 when Ricky's scoring.
Fans were cool. Wolves fans represented well. Too bad we only play them twice a year because Nets /Wolves games are for the most part, awesome. Glad I walked away happy. I guess I'll do this again when the Wolves go to MSG in March. Go Wolves!