All Things 2019-2020 Minnesota Timberwolves In-Season Thread

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Nice road win for the Wolves at Utah, this was Utah's first home loss of the season.

KAT with 29 & 13. Kelan Martin with 14 & 6 and a +17 +/-.

Howl Wolves!!
 

While the T-Wolves came into Salt Lake City losers of their previous two games by at least 20 points and without their No. 2 scorer, forward Andrew Wiggins who was out due to illness, they outplayed Utah down the stretch to win their fifth road game of the young season by a score of 112-102.
Minnesota center Karl-Anthony Towns led all scorers with 29 points to go along with 13 rebounds, while Bojan Bogdanovic topped Utah with 18 points.
Jazz forward/center Jeff Green (11 points) said Utah’s inability play good defense late in the fourth quarter or score was the big difference in the outcome of the game.

“We didn’t get stops and we didn’t make shots,” he said in the locker room after the game. “That’s typically what happens. They got the lead and they made plays. Credit to them.”..

Though disappointed in defeat, Green said the chance for retribution comes in the very next game in Minneapolis against these same T-Wolves.
“We competed. We always bring our A game. We’re always there to compete, but things didn’t go our way tonight. That’s basketball,” he said. “We’ve got another one Wednesday (against Minnesota) and I’m really, really positive we’re going to be ready Wednesday.

www.deseret.com

Utah Jazz drop second straight, lose 112-102 to Minnesota Timberwolves

www.deseret.com www.deseret.com
 

Wiggins will play and start tonight according to the Pioneer Press and Salt Lake City Tribune.
 

Wolves shoot 39% from the floor. 14-45 from 3. 11-21 from Free throw line.

So yeah, they lost.
 

As we know, Teague kills ball movement. He hasn't changed his style to fit the new system. It's great that the wolves are putting up forty 3's a night, but very few of them will be good looks if they aren't preceded by rapid passes. Utah's 3's were much more open than ours last night because they move the ball. Teague holds the ball too long and it stagnates the offense.
 


jamiche said:
As we know, Teague kills ball movement. He hasn't changed his style to fit the new system. It's great that the wolves are putting up forty 3's a night, but very few of them will be good looks if they aren't preceded by rapid passes. Utah's 3's were much more open than ours last night because they move the ball. Teague holds the ball too long and it stagnates the offense.
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Was there last night. Teague sucked all of the energy out of the play on the court. He is such an every other game type of player.
 

Ryan Saunders uses Wolves' timeouts to get players rested and reorganized

Timberwolves coach Ryan Saunders has seven timeouts to use during the course of a game, and there is a method to how he wants to use them.

As one might assume, Saunders uses some of his timeouts to try to stop an opponent’s run.

But Saunders uses a few of them per game solely to steal some rest at opportune times for his players. This goes hand in hand with the analytical approach the Wolves are taking toward every facet of the organization, even down to how Saunders uses his timeouts.

“On the road it might be a little bit different where you try to save an extra timeout to stymie a run,” Saunders said. “Then, I try to save an extra timeout before I lose it in the fourth quarter to possibly [rest] a guy like [Karl-Anthony Towns] and Andrew [Wiggins], a higher-minutes player who might be playing over 10 minutes at one time.”

The Wolves have data that can analyze how players respond as their minutes increase. So if Saunders wants them to keep playing at a high level, he has to find as much rest during the game as he can. It’s also why, when looking at the Wolves’ top players, they are playing fewer minutes than they were under Tom Thibodeau. Wiggins clocks the most at 34.6 per game — that ranks just 19th in the league. Towns is at 32.8 (No. 43). That total could be higher if not for foul trouble that has depressed Towns’ overall minutes in some games.

www.startribune.com

Ryan Saunders uses Wolves' timeouts to get players rested and reorganized

Saunders saves a few to ensure rest for Wolves' key performers.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Howl Wolves!!
 

Are the Wolves a legitimate playoff contender, or is their start a mirage?

It’s a good time to stop and ask the question: Are the Wolves really a legitimate contender for a playoff spot, or is this better-than-expected start to the season a mirage? To do that, let’s weigh some of the good and the bad.

Three signs point to yes, this is sustainable

1 The Wolves have survived stretches without key players.

Sure, every team is going to have to survive at times without important players. But the Wolves have already had to deal with Karl-Anthony Towns missing two games for a suspension, Andrew Wiggins missing three games for personal reasons/illness and four games during which neither of their top two point guards were available.

The KAT and Wiggins absences are particularly big given that before last season, they had combined to miss just ONE game in their entire careers (and even last year they only missed 14 combined — five for KAT and nine for Wiggins). They went 1-1 without Towns, 2-2 without a preferred point guard and 1-2 without Wiggins. Their record might be even better had they been closer to full strength.

2 They’re taking the right kinds of shots, and they will make them more going forward.

A full 71.2% of Wolves shots are coming either at the rim or from three-point range, a dramatic improvement from last season (60.3%).

Yeah, the bad news is that the Wolves are shooting just 31.3% from three-point range (No. 27 in the league) and and dead last in three-point percentage when their shooters are wide open (30.9%).

But that’s actually good news in the context of room to improve and sustainability of success. They’re winning despite not shooting the lights out from long distance, and if they nudge closer to league average (35.3% this season) from three, they will add points every game.

3. The West maybe isn’t as daunting as it seemed.

It’s early, but we can draw some hard conclusions and guess about some others. Golden State, for instance, is awful. The Warriors went from perennial championship favorites to “likely 45-50 win team” to lottery-bound with a string of bad luck. They are the worst team in the West, at least until Stephen Curry gets back.

www.startribune.com

Are the Wolves a legitimate playoff contender, or is their start a mirage?

The phrase "if the season ended today" is kind of terrible because it inherently leads to the truth that a season does not, in fact, end today — often far from it. But let's look ahead, anyway.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Howl Wolves!!
 

per STrib:

Ryan Saunders’ excitement has been growing for the looming matchup between his former school, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Saunders and Gophers coach P.J. Fleck are good friends.

“I was just texting with Heather, P.J.’s wife, because I want to make sure to give him some space right now,” Saunders said. “I know it’s a big one. I’m rowing the boat. They got our full support.

Saunders and the Wolves are in talks with ESPN currently to see what kind of role Saunders may have on ESPN's "College GameDay," which is coming to campus. The Wolves do have a practice scheduled for noon Saturday.

“I’m hoping that it works out timing-wise where I at least get to be around for part of the festivities … ” Saunders said. “We love them and I love what [Fleck] is doing. He’s a great ambassador for the U of M.”

www.startribune.com

Timberwolves coach Ryan Saunders: 'I'm rowing the boat'

www.startribune.com www.startribune.com
 



Wolves break an 11 game losing streak at San Antonio, we finished really strong the last 4-5 minutes.

We are now 7-2 on the road, our best road start in franchise history.

Howl Wolves!!
 


bottlebass said:
Wiggs is making a lot of people eat crow.


Me currently: Tastes like chicken...
Click to expand...

Not really. He's been bad for years. His current level of play should make him tradeable though. Let's get rid of him now while we can get something good in reurn.
 




QUOTE="bottlebass, post: 1853793, member: 6709"]
Wiggs is making a lot of people eat crow.


Me currently: Tastes like chicken...
[/QUOTE]
Don't you mean, tastes like squirrel?
 

TruthSeeker said:
Not really. He's been bad for years. His current level of play should make him tradeable though. Let's get rid of him now while we can get something good in reurn.
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I have been brutal in regard to Wiggins in the past, but he has been really good overall this season. Playing defense, passing the ball, not dribbling off of his feet, etc. With that said though....he is still untradable. Maybe next year if he continues.
 


RandBall: FSN analyst Jim Petersen offers spot-on critique of Jeff Teague in Wolves loss

Teague is making $19 million in the last year of his three-year deal, and during Wednesday’s game Wolves analyst Jim Petersen offered a blunt but honest assessment of Teague’s production relative to his contract — giving voice to what is plain to see.

“Jeff Teague needs to start playing like a veteran player, and he needs to start producing,” Petersen said late in the second quarter after a bad pass by Teague led to a turnover. “Because he is being paid like a top-level point guard in this league. … He turns down way too many open jump shots. I just think Jeff has the talent to do it. I don’t know if he’s injured, but you can’t turn down open shots. When you turn down open perimeter jump shots, you hurt your team. … He’s too talented to settle for what he’s settling for right now. He needs to do more and this team needs him to do more.”

None of Teague’s five attempts came at the rim (0-3 feet) in the loss to Dallas, while Napier’s 0-for-3 night included just one attempt at the rim — a fact that Petersen might have been referencing late in the game after Mavericks backup point guard Jalen Brunson drove for a key layup to put Dallas up seven.

“What a difference to have point guards that can attack and score,” Petersen said.

To that end, Russell might not be the perfect fit here — just 9% of his attempts this season have been from the rim. But he’s not afraid to let it fly and lead an offense. Last year in Brooklyn, Russell had the fifth-highest usage rate in the league.

But this much is clear: It would be nice to see the Wolves’ offense run by a point guard more suited to run it, particularly next to the version of Wiggins we’ve seen so far this year.

www.startribune.com

FSN analyst Jim Petersen offers spot-on critique of Jeff Teague in Wolves loss

Point guard Jeff Teague is making $19 million in the last year of his three-year deal, and FSN analyst Jim Petersen offered a blunt assessment of Teague's production during Wednesday's game.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Howl Wolves!!
 

BleedGopher said:
RandBall: FSN analyst Jim Petersen offers spot-on critique of Jeff Teague in Wolves loss

Teague is making $19 million in the last year of his three-year deal, and during Wednesday’s game Wolves analyst Jim Petersen offered a blunt but honest assessment of Teague’s production relative to his contract — giving voice to what is plain to see.

“Jeff Teague needs to start playing like a veteran player, and he needs to start producing,” Petersen said late in the second quarter after a bad pass by Teague led to a turnover. “Because he is being paid like a top-level point guard in this league. … He turns down way too many open jump shots. I just think Jeff has the talent to do it. I don’t know if he’s injured, but you can’t turn down open shots. When you turn down open perimeter jump shots, you hurt your team. … He’s too talented to settle for what he’s settling for right now. He needs to do more and this team needs him to do more.”

None of Teague’s five attempts came at the rim (0-3 feet) in the loss to Dallas, while Napier’s 0-for-3 night included just one attempt at the rim — a fact that Petersen might have been referencing late in the game after Mavericks backup point guard Jalen Brunson drove for a key layup to put Dallas up seven.

“What a difference to have point guards that can attack and score,” Petersen said.

To that end, Russell might not be the perfect fit here — just 9% of his attempts this season have been from the rim. But he’s not afraid to let it fly and lead an offense. Last year in Brooklyn, Russell had the fifth-highest usage rate in the league.

But this much is clear: It would be nice to see the Wolves’ offense run by a point guard more suited to run it, particularly next to the version of Wiggins we’ve seen so far this year.

www.startribune.com

FSN analyst Jim Petersen offers spot-on critique of Jeff Teague in Wolves loss

Point guard Jeff Teague is making $19 million in the last year of his three-year deal, and FSN analyst Jim Petersen offered a blunt assessment of Teague's production during Wednesday's game.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Howl Wolves!!
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JT is just one last parting gift from Thibs
 

Did anyone see that ending to the 4th qtr. Wolves get a questionable delay of game T. Then Towns trying to missed a FT and it goes in. OKC then throw it down the court and lay up goes in. We're in OT right now.
 
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gophersfan said:
Did anyone see that ending to the 4th qtr. Wolves get a questionable delay of game T. Then Towns trying to missed a FT and it goes in. OKC then throw it down the court and lay up goes in. We're in OT right now.
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What an embarrassing end. They did everything wrong. The T was the worst called I've ever seen especially at the end of a game. Teague couldn't have been worse in OT after having a great game. Can't make it up how it went down.
 
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tikited said:
What an embarrassing end. They did everything wrong. The T was the worst called I've ever seen especially at the end of a game. Teague couldn't have been worse in OT after having a great game. Can't make it up how it went down.
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If Towns really was trying to miss that on purpose, what a sorry attempt.

Teague is not a smart player. Why Sanders had him inat the end of regulation is beyond me.

And the team just gave up in OT.

Sanders needs to step up his coaching or it might be time for him to go.
 

Lebron can take 4-5 steps without dribbling and that's not a violation but this was?
 

How to you accidently make that FT? And the defense on that full court pass? What the hell was that?
 

JimmyJamesMD said:
If Towns really was trying to miss that on purpose, what a sorry attempt.

Teague is not a smart player. Why Sanders had him inat the end of regulation is beyond me.

And the team just gave up in OT.

Sanders needs to step up his coaching or it might be time for him to go.
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And thats what I get for posting at 455am. It's SAUNDERS!
 

stocker08 said:
How to you accidently make that FT? And the defense on that full court pass? What the hell was that?
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Probably because you have to hit the rim on a Free Throw attempt or the clock doesn't start. Then the Thunder would get the ball without having to rebound it. Which would have defeated the whole purpose of missing the shot in the first place.

The Wolves played without Wiggins and Towns played on a bad knee. They were down significantly in the 2nd Half, came back and took the lead.

That was all taken away because the got a technical for an untucked shirt. Reports had Chris Paul yelling "Untucked shirt! Untucked shirt!"

The cliche is wrong. In the NBA you can make it up. Their officials do all the time.
 

Iceland12 said:
Probably because you have to hit the rim on a Free Throw attempt or the clock doesn't start. Then the Thunder would get the ball without having to rebound it. Which would have defeated the whole purpose of missing the shot in the first place.

The Wolves played without Wiggins and Towns played on a bad knee. They were down significantly in the 2nd Half, came back and took the lead.

That was all taken away because the got a technical for an untucked shirt. Reports had Chris Paul yelling "Untucked shirt! Untucked shirt!"

The cliche is wrong. In the NBA you can make it up. Their officials do all the time.
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You don't aim for the front of the rim. You shoot to the left or the right. That should have been a very simple task.
 



That's hardly the first time someone has tried to miss a free throw and made, and it won't be the last. Towns could have bricked it harder though.

Shit call on the T and I do not understand why we didn't have a bigger player back playing free safety.
 

The Wolves are at the "team meeting" portion of their schedule:

“Adversity hits. How are we going to react? What are we going to do?” said Andrew Wiggins, who had 23 points. “That’ll show our character, and that’ll show us as basketball players who we are. Are we going to sit down and fold or are we going to fight?”

It led to some soul searching — the Wolves had a team meeting before media entered the locker room following the game.

“We talked to each other and addressed a few things,” forward Robert Covington said. “Just got to move forward. Got another game Wednesday. Can’t let things linger. … we told each other we got to just get back to ourselves, back to the fun we were having in the beginning of the year.”

www.startribune.com

Wolves fall to Suns 125-109, come home with winless road trip

A second-half meltdown leads to a frustrating loss at Phoenix.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Howl Wolves!!
 

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