Minnesota Sports Forum

60WinTim wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 10:15 pm Yeah, that was a really good win. Orlando, despite their injuries, plays very hard. That same lineup just beat the Knicks at MSG and had 2 days off.

That's 3-0 after moving DDV to the starting lineup. Maybe that loss at Detroit was a blessing in disguise. Not only did it help our odds of getting their draft pick next year, but it forced Finchie's hand in making the starting lineup adjustment.

Up next, Memphis. Let's go!

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 10:36 pm Not that Minott should have a high bar to clear for a decent grade, but I thought he was pretty bad out there. His defensive issues are starting to show up more. Had 3 fouls in just 8 minutes.

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 10:36 pm Not that Minott should have a high bar to clear for a decent grade, but I thought he was pretty bad out there. His defensive issues are starting to show up more. Had 3 fouls in just 8 minutes.

60WinTim wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 10:46 pm

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 10:36 pm Not that Minott should have a high bar to clear for a decent grade, but I thought he was pretty bad out there. His defensive issues are starting to show up more. Had 3 fouls in just 8 minutes.

Yeah, he is not contributing to winning basketball. But I am glad Finch is choosing to let one of the young guys get meaningful minutes so they can start developing for the future. Once Dillingham is back, I wonder if both of them, or just one, will get those "development" minutes?

Finch commented in his presser than he likes bring Conley off the bench because rather than fitting his minutes into a 48-minute window, it is a 36-minute window. So, he can pick and choose more where to fit him in, kind of a "break glass in case of emergency". I gotta chuckle out of that comment. Where would we be without Daddy?!?

But I completely agree. Mike is in the twilight of his career, no longer playing starter minutes. I thought bringing him off the bench to start the season would have been smart. But, at least we finally go there.

FNG wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 7:55 am

60WinTim wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 10:46 pm

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 10:36 pm Not that Minott should have a high bar to clear for a decent grade, but I thought he was pretty bad out there. His defensive issues are starting to show up more. Had 3 fouls in just 8 minutes.

Yeah, he is not contributing to winning basketball. But I am glad Finch is choosing to let one of the young guys get meaningful minutes so they can start developing for the future. Once Dillingham is back, I wonder if both of them, or just one, will get those "development" minutes?

Finch commented in his presser than he likes bring Conley off the bench because rather than fitting his minutes into a 48-minute window, it is a 36-minute window. So, he can pick and choose more where to fit him in, kind of a "break glass in case of emergency". I gotta chuckle out of that comment. Where would we be without Daddy?!?

But I completely agree. Mike is in the twilight of his career, no longer playing starter minutes. I thought bringing him off the bench to start the season would have been smart. But, at least we finally go there.

Where would we be without Daddy, you ask? 0 and 4, baby, 0 and 4! Love how he has gracefully moved into a reserve role...+23 in his 23 minutes last night. I still don't know that DiVo is the answer as our starting PG...it seems to be working so far, but I think it has a lot more to do with Ant's absurdly great shooting early in games. I'm still clinging to the pipe dream that a healed Rob can become our starting PG in the final quarter of the season, moving DiVo and Conley to a very productive unit off the bench. But anyway, nice win against an injured but still hard-working Magic team.

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 8:18 am

FNG wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 7:55 am

60WinTim wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 10:46 pm

Yeah, he is not contributing to winning basketball. But I am glad Finch is choosing to let one of the young guys get meaningful minutes so they can start developing for the future. Once Dillingham is back, I wonder if both of them, or just one, will get those "development" minutes?

Finch commented in his presser than he likes bring Conley off the bench because rather than fitting his minutes into a 48-minute window, it is a 36-minute window. So, he can pick and choose more where to fit him in, kind of a "break glass in case of emergency". I gotta chuckle out of that comment. Where would we be without Daddy?!?

But I completely agree. Mike is in the twilight of his career, no longer playing starter minutes. I thought bringing him off the bench to start the season would have been smart. But, at least we finally go there.

Where would we be without Daddy, you ask? 0 and 4, baby, 0 and 4! Love how he has gracefully moved into a reserve role...+23 in his 23 minutes last night. I still don't know that DiVo is the answer as our starting PG...it seems to be working so far, but I think it has a lot more to do with Ant's absurdly great shooting early in games. I'm still clinging to the pipe dream that a healed Rob can become our starting PG in the final quarter of the season, moving DiVo and Conley to a very productive unit off the bench. But anyway, nice win against an injured but still hard-working Magic team.

We have a surplus of SG/SFs on this roster and a shortage of true PGs. It's an interesting dilemma after Finch "flooded the system" with PGs in the back half of last season with Conley, McLaughlin, and Morris in the rotation. It should be no surprise that those guys had some of the best net ratings on the team.

I think that's the #1 to-do in terms of pure positional needs this offseason for Connelly (unless he can fix it by the trade deadline).

I get that Dillingham might be the future, but he needs to become a capable backup PG before he can become a starter. We need someone that can start for us next season at PG. And it isn't Conley, Dillingham, or DDV.