2020-2021 Minnesota Timberwolves In-Season Thread

[Iceland12]

 

[jamiche]

One 2nd round pick if it is just him. He might have more value as a salary throw in with a bigger deal. In other words....not much.

We don't even have a second this year. I'd take it if they can make the salaries match up.

There's only three players on the roster other teams might want: KAT, Ant and McDaniels. Possibly Beasley, but the guns and (serious) weed problem will scare most teams off.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

Rubio chimes in:

“We have to build good habits from day one, and I don’t think we are in the right way, to be honest,” Rubio said after the 118-99 loss to Phoenix on Sunday night dropped them to 7-28 on the season. “I can be here and be positive like we’re trying to be and it’s OK. But we have the worst record in the league. We lost way too many games by 20-plus, and I don’t feel like this is building something. It’s hard. You always have to take positive things and of course, we want to get better, but at one point we got to start wanting to change something, and it’s not happening.”

Ricky Rubio sounds alarm for Timberwolves: 'I don't feel like this is building something'

Under new coach Chris Finch, the Wolves have been blown out in three of the last four games.

theathletic.com

Howl Wolves!!

Yeah that’s great Ricky you are part of the reason the team is losing. It’s your play in the 4th quarter of games that negatively affects the twolves.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

Well, no surprise here. The Athletic's report card for the Wolves at the halfway point:

Previous first-quarter grade/ranking: F | Ranked 30th

Updated first-half grade: F

The Minnesota Timberwolves were terrible at the quarter mark of the season, and they’re terrible at the halfway point of the season too. Plenty of reasons you can cite for this. Karl-Anthony Towns missed 20 games due to a wrist injury and COVID. D’Angelo Russell has missed 15 games and is out for a couple more weeks following the break. And even when healthy, the Towns-Russell duo has only logged 90 minutes on the court together (out of nearly 1,750 played). Minnesota is plus-0.8 points per 100 possessions in those 90 minutes. Minnesota fired Ryan Saunders to fix the problem by bringing in Chris Finch from the Raptors. But it looks like the roster is still a major problem for the Wolves.

Positive spin? They owe their first-round pick in 2021 — a loaded draft class — to the Warriors. Unless it lands in the top three. They currently have the worst record in the NBA and have a solid chance of retaining that pick.

Halfway point already. Wow. And likely not much drama to happen at the trade deadline in a few weeks for the Wolves.

 

[tmvander]

I think the Wolves need a new positive spin on things. You know those Wipeout shows where the person could in theory complete the obstacle course and win but really all the fans want to watch them fall on their faces? Well, maybe there is your new marketing spin. "Come watch the worst pro sports team ever assembled...literally ever...try their hardest to not be the worst ever."

Fans will come from near and far to watch this wonder of the world do everything in their power to complete the obstacle course but fall flat on our faces while everyone cheers.

Can't believe their marketing department hasn't thought of this...looks like a career change is in order for tmvander.

 

[Iceland12]

Something positive about the Timberwolves?

- They've gone 6 straight days without a loss.

- They are only tied for the fewest wins in an NBA season.

- Generating nearly zero complaints by not allowing fans.

- They're not trying to bring Thibs or Kevin Love back.

 

[Spaulding!No!]

T wolves Lamborghini purchases have increased according the local sales person

 

[tikited]

Something positive about the Timberwolves?

- They've gone 6 straight days without a loss.

- They are only tied for the fewest wins in an NBA season.

- Generating nearly zero complaints by not allowing fans.

I'm glad I can't go.

 

[Wally]

Tibs destroyed this team and he is trying to do it again.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau reportedly thought the team could trade its 2 best young players for veteran upgrades

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau reportedly thought the team could trade its 2 best young players for veteran upgrades

Tom Thibodeau wanted the Knicks to build a roster that could make the playoffs, even if it meant sacrificing two cornerstone players.

www.insider.com

 

[Iceland12]

Tibs destroyed this team and he is trying to do it again.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau reportedly thought the team could trade its 2 best young players for veteran upgrades

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau reportedly thought the team could trade its 2 best young players for veteran upgrades

Tom Thibodeau wanted the Knicks to build a roster that could make the playoffs, even if it meant sacrificing two cornerstone players.

www.insider.com

Story seems suspicious. Why? They didn't mention any former Chicago Bulls...

 

[Iceland12]

Something positive about the Timberwolves?

- They've gone 6 straight days without a loss.

- They are only tied for the fewest wins in an NBA season.

- Generating nearly zero complaints by not allowing fans.

- They're not trying to bring Thibs or Kevin Love back.

- Wolves 8 day non-losing streak on the line tonight against Pelicans

 

[tikited]

- Wolves 8 day non-losing streak on the line tonight against Pelicans

I think they have what it takes to keep it going.

 

[Iceland12]

I think they have what it takes to keep it going.

You have them beating the Pelicans? Bold prediction. Based on Wolves playing as hard as they can to get traded out of here?

 

[tikited]

You have them beating the Pelicans? Bold prediction. Based on Wolves playing as hard as they can to get traded out of here?

Oh, I read your post too quickly. I assumed it was about a losing streak, not a non-losing streak.

 

[gophersfan]

OMG the Wolves are winning in New Orleans. They are up 25 on the Pelicans.

It over Wolves with a 30 point win. Chris Finch get his 1st win as a NBA coach.

 

[Iceland12]

OMG the Wolves are winning in New Orleans. They are up 25 on the Pelicans.

They did. They were down by 16 in the 1st Quarter and won 135-105.

Tikited: Looks like you were right the first time. Their non-losing streak will now be extended to 9 days!

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

Ant Edwards can play, no doubt about it. He shoots a lot, but there are worse sins on a bad team, right.

Some possible hope for Jaylen Nowell? Had a helluva night shooting himself, and on a team devoid of long range shooting, he carve himself out a decent role if he keeps lighting it up.

 

[atsgopher]

Tibs destroyed this team and he is trying to do it again.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau reportedly thought the team could trade its 2 best young players for veteran upgrades

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau reportedly thought the team could trade its 2 best young players for veteran upgrades

Tom Thibodeau wanted the Knicks to build a roster that could make the playoffs, even if it meant sacrificing two cornerstone players.

www.insider.com

The 2nd best coach by winning percentage in team history is whom you blame for the team’s demise?

he got us into the playoffs in a year. No Wolves GM has ever come close to that.

 

[Iceland12]

The 2nd best coach by winning percentage in team history is whom you blame for the team’s demise?

he got us into the playoffs in a year. No Wolves GM has ever come close to that.

True. He took a team that won 29 games in '15-'16 and got them to 31 wins in '16-'17.
He coached them well enough to win two more games. Two. Big part of that lame increase was taking the ball away from Rubio, a guy who can distribute the ball on a high level, defend but cannot shoot anywhere but at the Free Throw line, and sent him into the corners to shoot 3s!

Thibs also drafted Kris Dunn at #5 in '16. Ahead of Jamal Murray and a few spots ahead of Domantas Sabonis and Donovan Mitchell. Then in '17 he did draft Markkanen. However he traded him along with Dunn and Zach LaVine for Jimmy Butler and Justin Patton

With Butler and few other ex-Bulls he won 47 in '17-'18. 1st 40+ win season since '04-'05. they won 40 in '13-'14. Did indeed get them back to the playoffs and that was great! If he would have quit to take another job that June maybe Wolves fans could respect him? But he didn't.

Instead he promised a max deal to Butler, something he couldn't deliver. Then stood around while Butler burned the team. At least what was left of the team after GM Thibs has mostly destroyed it himself.

Thibs was then fired after he took the team to a 19-21 record. They ended-up at 36-46. Winning 7 games more than they did the year before Taylor gave the reigns to the "Destroyer of Futures". Very similar to what happened to the Bulls after TT left there.

Then Rosas took over and destroyed what was left of the team because that's what new G.M. of losing teams do. Like new College Football Coaches, and Thibs 1st year here, they want to get rid of as many current players as they can. That's to get "their guys" in. Fans kinda/sorta give them a pass for it. Like we did with Mason and Thibs himself in his 1st year.

Didn't happen though with Rosas and the Wolves. Why? Mainly because of what you said in your post: "He got us to the playoffs in a year. No GM has came close to that". Most Wolves fans buried their hope for the team after watching Butler and Thibs try to bury it themselves.

Looking back and overall, Thibs isn't a bad Head Coach, but he's a godawful GM.

Just as Wally's post indicated.

But hey! The Wolves won last night!

 

[Iceland12]

Thought I'd look and see how New Orleans looked at last night's game. Bout what was expected.

Pelicans come out flat after All-Star break, get stomped by NBA's worst team​

..The Pelicans lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the NBA’s worst team, 135-105 on Thursday at Smoothie King Center. They jumped out to an early 16-point lead, but from late in the first quarter on, they were thoroughly outplayed...

In the second quarter, the Pelicans gave up 40 points to the Timberwolves, who came into the night ranked third-to-last in offensive efficiency. Star center Karl-Anthony Town scored 16 points. He was the Timberwolves' fourth-leading scorer.

No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards scored 25. Off the Minnesota bench, Jaden McDaniels had 20, Jaylen Nowell had 28 and Naz Reid, the former LSU big man, had 15.

The Timberwolves’ reserves outscored the Pelicans’ 72-43

Pelicans come out flat after All-Star break, get stomped by NBA's worst team

Stan Van Gundy said he didn’t know what to expect.

www.nola.com

 

[BleedGopher]

STrib: Jaylen Nowell is 'break starter' and Jaden McDaniels stands out in Wolves' makeover

Timberwolves rookie Jaden McDaniels said he has been watching guard Jaylen Nowell play basketball since "fourth or fifth grade" as both were growing up in the Seattle metropolitan area.

Nowell said it's actually been longer, and that he knew of McDaniels and his brother Jalen, a member of the Hornets, since Nowell was in "second or third grade."

Whenever they first encountered each other on their basketball journey, it led them to Thursday, as McDaniels and Nowell watched each other put up career highs on the same night in the Wolves' 135-105 victory over New Orleans.

McDaniels had 20 points and three blocks off the bench while Nowell filled in more than capably with the Wolves down two point guards in D'Angelo Russell (knee surgery) and Jordan McLaughlin (COVID protocols) by scoring 28 points on 11 of 13 shooting.

"I've known him for a while and to see his progress … it's literally like watching a little brother come up and make it to the league," Nowell said of McDaniels. "And succeed in this league too. He's going to have a great career and I'm really happy for him."

Said McDaniels of Nowell: "He was just getting to his shots, and that's what he do. I'm not surprised ... That's the Jaylen I know."

Jaylen Nowell is 'break starter' and Jaden McDaniels stands out in Timberwolves' makeover

A pair of Seattle buddies helped the team begin the second half of the NBA season in style.

www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[Iceland12]

"The officials at Target Center on Saturday night must've enjoyed being in the company of the Timberwolves, because they called so many fouls and took their time on so many reviews that the game dragged on for nearly 2½ hours.

It took that long for the inevitable to play out in a 125-121 Portland victory over the Wolves. It was inevitable because the Wolves made their bed for the evening early by recording seven of their 18 turnovers in the first quarter and committing 15 first-half fouls. Portland took advantage of that march to the line by hitting 26 of 30. The Wolves also benefited from the whistle-happy referees early but converted only 23 of their 31 attempts.

In the final minutes, Carmelo Anthony and Damian Lillard refused to let the Wolves back in it, and despite a spirited effort from the Minnesota defense, Anthony, previously thought to be over the hill, hit enough difficult shots and Lillard created enough easy ones for the Trail Blazers to skate by with a victory. Anthony finished with 26 points off the bench while Lillard had 25 and 10 assists...

"Recently the bench has come through big time," Towns said. "Everyone from Naz Reid, JO [Josh Okogie] to Jaylen and Jaden [McDaniels], everyone in between, they've done a great job of holding the starters accountable and picking up the slack whenever we're not doing our job to the fullest of our abilities."

Mistakes at start drag Wolves into loss to Portland

The bench spurred a fourth-quarter comeback, but the damage had been done.

www.startribune.com

 

[Iceland12]

First response? "Hope Rubio doesn't teach him to shoot!" 2nd response? Hope Rubio does teach him that if he's not a star, don't get upset because you don't get a foul call. If you're not a star, they can hit you with a hammer and it's not gonna get called.

Was I surprised? Yeah. That said here's for all the haters, though remember, Ant hasn't been around a lot.

One game out of the all-star break, Timberwolves rookie Anthony Edwards was already a firm believer of the defensive principles new head coach Chris Finch has implemented. He said if his teammates don’t stick to them, “then I gotta go into the locker room and cuss a couple people out.”

“Because if it got us a W, we gotta keep doing it,” Edwards said.

Midway through his rookie season, is the Timberwolves wing ready to lead?

“I would say so, yeah. I hope so. I’m trying to get there,” Edwards said. “I’m growing and learning every day from Ricky (Rubio). Just trying to watch what he does. I feel like he’s a great leader on our team. If I keep learning from Ricky, I feel like I’ll be in a good position.”

Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas specifically had Edwards in mind when he traded for Rubio on draft night in November. Rubio was acquired within the hour of Minnesota selecting Edwards No. 1 overall. The belief was Rubio would aid in Edwards’ transition to the NBA game.

That’s how it’s played out.

“For sure,” Edwards said. “Because when I make a mistake, he’s going to talk to me and tell me what I did wrong and how I can fix it. He’s always trying to get me involved in the game. Even when I was coming off the bench, he would come talk to me, ‘Hey what you want to run here? How can I get you the ball?’ He’s doing pretty (darn) good if you ask me.”

Edwards called Rubio “the best leader I’ve been around all my life.”..

Rubio is the first guy to put his arm around a teammate on the floor when they’re in need of direction or support. Not everyone has that deft touch that can be so beneficial when working with teammates or, more generally, people.

It’s why Rubio’s impact on this young Wolves team extends far beyond his on-court contributions.

“Some leaders, they’re going to lead by example. Some of them lead by talking. But Ricky, he does both,” Edwards said. “I’m taking bits and pieces from Ricky, and he keeps telling me stuff that I don’t know, and he’s helping me grow and learn. … He’s the best leader I’ve been around, and I feel like it’s great for me to be able to learn from him.”

Timberwolves’ Ricky Rubio is ‘best leader’ Anthony Edwards has ever been around

One game out of the all-star break, Timberwolves rookie Anthony Edwards was already a firm believer of the defensive principles new head coach Chris Finch has implemented. He said if his teammates …

www.twincities.com

 

[stocker08]

Well, no surprise here. The Athletic's report card for the Wolves at the halfway point:

Previous first-quarter grade/ranking: F | Ranked 30th

Updated first-half grade: F

The Minnesota Timberwolves were terrible at the quarter mark of the season, and they’re terrible at the halfway point of the season too. Plenty of reasons you can cite for this. Karl-Anthony Towns missed 20 games due to a wrist injury and COVID. D’Angelo Russell has missed 15 games and is out for a couple more weeks following the break. And even when healthy, the Towns-Russell duo has only logged 90 minutes on the court together (out of nearly 1,750 played). Minnesota is plus-0.8 points per 100 possessions in those 90 minutes. Minnesota fired Ryan Saunders to fix the problem by bringing in Chris Finch from the Raptors. But it looks like the roster is still a major problem for the Wolves.

Positive spin? They owe their first-round pick in 2021 — a loaded draft class — to the Warriors. Unless it lands in the top three. They currently have the worst record in the NBA and have a solid chance of retaining that pick.

Halfway point already. Wow. And likely not much drama to happen at the trade deadline in a few weeks for the Wolves.

Team sucks this year. But they've also been in a bad situation due to injuries. Dlo I am not loving. Too much of a ball hog in my opinion. Glad to see Edwards playing so well. I was wary of him as the number one pick and he's proven me very wrong.

Hope that the wolves continue to lose. It would suck to give up the fourth or fifth pick in this draft. Really it would suck to give up just about any pick. But we'll be in line for top five....just can't fall out of the top three.....which isn't a sure thing no matter what due to the lottery.

 

[Iceland12]

Gees..

Timberwolves PR @Twolves_P· 23m


Tonight's @Timberwolves Starters vs. Portland:

Rubio, Edwards, Layman, Vanderbilt, Towns

OUT:

Beasley - League Suspension
Culver - Left Great Toe Strain
McDaniels- Health & Safety Protocols
McLaughlin - Health & Safety Protocols
Russell - Left Knee Surgery

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

Gees..

Timberwolves PR @Twolves_P· 23m


Tonight's @Timberwolves Starters vs. Portland:

Rubio, Edwards, Layman, Vanderbilt, Towns

OUT:

Beasley - League Suspension
Culver - Left Great Toe Strain
McDaniels- Health & Safety Protocols
McLaughlin - Health & Safety Protocols
Russell - Left Knee Surgery

No McDaniels kind of sucks, you'd like to see him get as much run as they can.

 

[Frink]

Gees..

Timberwolves PR @Twolves_P· 23m


Tonight's @Timberwolves Starters vs. Portland:

Rubio, Edwards, Layman, Vanderbilt, Towns

OUT:

Beasley - League Suspension
Culver - Left Great Toe Strain
McDaniels- Health & Safety Protocols
McLaughlin - Health & Safety Protocols
Russell - Left Knee Surgery

Aaaand they beat a playoff team with that lineup.

I will never understand sports.

 

[Iceland12]

The Timberwolves ended a six-game home losing streak and presented newly hired coach Chris Finch with his first Target Center victory Sunday, 114-112 over Portland.

One night after a 125-121 loss to the same opponent and on the same court, the Wolves limited Portland star Damian Lillard to a mere 38-point night, They did so after Wolves No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards himself scored a career-high 34 points, as short as that career might be so far..

The Wolves played without rookie forward Jared McDaniels, who missed Sunday's game because of the NBA's coronavirus health and safety protocols.

Without him, new Wolves coach Chris Finch turned to Juancho Hernangomez for a team whose reserves scored 122 points in their two previous games, 72 in a runaway victory at New Orleanso and 50 in Saturday's loss.

Finch called upon Hernangomez in Saturday's game, looking for some energy after a slow start. Finch found it for a Wolves team that eventually turned a 13-point, first-half deficit into a four-point lead early in the fourth quarter.

On Sunday night, Hernangomez provided pulse – and defense -- that pushed the Wolves to an 86-75 lead with 9 ½ minutes left..

Anthony Edwards scores 34 points as Timberwolves beat Portland 114-112

One night after a four-point loss to Portland, the Timberwolves ended a six-game home losing streak and presented Chris Finch with his first Target Center victory Sunday.

www.startribune.com

 

[Iceland12]

Aaaand they beat a playoff team with that lineup.

I will never understand sports.

Yep, that starting line-up had 4 guys in double figures. Overall the Wolves had 6 guys in double figures.