All Things 2021-2022 Minnesota Timberwolves In-Season Thread

[BleedGopher]

I just got back from the Wolves game in Phoenix. Amazing atmosphere, packed crowd and I was very impressed with how many Wolves fans were there, I didn’t expect that. My son, who’s obsessed with ANT, got a selfie with him before the game.

I was shocked at how open Suns got from 3 after 3 after 3. Every time we’d make a run they’d hit back to back 3s. Yet we still had chances down the stretch.

Really hope we can get and stay above .500

Howl Wolves!!

 

[Iceland12]

I don't know if it's effort or lack of talent, but the wide open threes are ridiculous. Whoever catches it could eat a sandwich before shooting it. We just don't have the length to stop anyone. Interior or on the perimeter.

No DLO against Golden State and Phoenix. We can score, we just can't defend. Ben Simmons, come on over. Talk about perimeter defense.

I just got back from the Wolves game in Phoenix. Amazing atmosphere, packed crowd and I was very impressed with how many Wolves fans were there, I didn’t expect that. My son, who’s obsessed with ANT, got a selfie with him before the game.

I was shocked at how open Suns got from 3 after 3 after 3. Every time we’d make a run they’d hit back to back 3s. Yet we still had chances down the stretch.

Really hope we can get and stay above .500

Howl Wolves!!

All good points, IMHO at least. Glad your son got that picture too.

As kg21 noted Russell, was out. They've been WAY better all year when Russell plays with Edwards and KAT. When he left in the 3rd Quarter against Golden State Thursday night, the Wolves were right there with the Warriors.

With all that said, the Wolves were playing the best team in the NBA, in Phoenix, on the second night of a back-to-back without two starters, Russell and Beverly. Thy have been solid defenders all year. Don't know what the spread was but for the last 20 years, 2018, aside, we would have expected the Wolves to get blown-out. The legs of the Wolves had to be feeling damn heavy by the middle of the 3rd Quarter last night.

Instead it was a 4 point game at the 6:22 mark of the 4th and they lost by 10.

That to me is some real progress. Particularly with the Suns having Paul and Booker playing 37 and 37 minutes. None against Russell or Beverly.

Now if, as mentioned above, they can get a shooter and a rebounder, more moral victories will become real ones.

 

[kg21]

All good points, IMHO at least. Glad your son got that picture too.

As kg21 noted Russell, was out. They've been WAY better all year when Russell plays with Edwards and KAT. When he left in the 3rd Quarter against Golden State Thursday night, the Wolves were right there with the Warriors.

With all that said, the Wolves were playing the best team in the NBA, in Phoenix, on the second night of a back-to-back without two starters, Russell and Beverly. Thy have been solid defenders all year. Don't know what the spread was but for the last 20 years, 2018, aside, we would have expected the Wolves to get blown-out. The legs of the Wolves had to be feeling damn heavy by the middle of the 3rd Quarter last night.

Instead it was a 4 point game at the 6:22 mark of the 4th and they lost by 10.

That to me is some real progress. Particularly with the Suns having Paul and Booker playing 37 and 37 minutes. None against Russell or Beverly.

Now if, as mentioned above, they can get a shooter and a rebounder, more moral victories will become real ones.

While it's true that the wolves were missing DLO and Beverly, the suns were missing basically the whole interior defense on their team.

 

[Iceland12]

While it's true that the wolves were missing DLO and Beverly, the suns were missing basically the whole interior defense on their team.

Probably why the Wolves outscored them in the paint last night.

The Suns starters though, outscored the Wolves starters 104-71. Doesn't appear that the Suns missed those guys at all. Unlike Minnesota, they have a dependable bench.

 

[Iceland12]

D’Angelo Russell went down with a shin injury in Thursday’s first half against the Warriors, and the heavy-legged Wolves couldn’t keep up with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and Chris Paul and Devin Booker. The two losses are just that, losses to really good teams in a long season. They happen. The Wolves battled on both nights and were within a possession or two in the fourth quarter against both teams. But Timberwolves coach Chris Finch is trying to set a higher standard than just keeping it close.

After spending almost all of January on the road, the Wolves, who lost 134-124 to the Suns on Friday, play three of their next four at Target Center. As they return home, there are things to examine to try to get back on track after falling short against the best of the best. If they are going to make the playoffs for just the second time in 17 years, there are some things to clean up..

The Timberwolves have hovered in the top 10 in defensive efficiency all season, a minor miracle for a team that has been an abject embarrassment on that end of the floor for the better part of a decade. But the Timberwolves have surrendered at least 110 points in eight of the past 10 games, including 120-plus in six of them..

Phoenix exposed the Wolves’ struggling defense in a more straightforward manner. The back cuts weren’t as exotic. The off-ball movement wasn’t as dizzying. It really came down to Paul, who had 21 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds, driving and dishing, collapsing the Wolves’ defense and making easy passes for corner 3 after corner 3. And when Paul wasn’t finding shooters on the perimeter, he was hitting Bismack Biyombo for easy dunks on the pick-and-roll..

Missing Patrick Beverley and Russell, surprisingly one of the keys to their defensive connectivity this season, did not help. Jaylen Nowell, who has played very well with the increased minutes over the past month, got his first career start at point guard, but Finch ended up playing him only 15 minutes because of his defensive struggles. And as the game wore on, the Wolves could not catch their breath against the relentless Suns.

“I could tell we were tired. I felt the whole game we looked tired,” said Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 23 points on 8-for-20 shooting with nine rebounds and five assists. “I thought before the game we looked tired. We looked really expended.”

Towns was quick to say that this was no excuse, that they had to find a way to make defensive adjustments when they were facing top-flight competition. That won’t ease up as they come home to play Utah and Denver.

“I get that we played a really tough opponent (Thursday night) on TV, everyone was juiced to play, lights, camera, action, expended a lot of energy, flew in late last night,” Towns said. “I understand. I get it. But we’ve just got to find ways to win.”..

Two big tests reveal some areas the Timberwolves need to address

As the Wolves return home after back-to-back losses to the Warriors and Suns, there are things to examine for them to get back on track.

theathletic.com

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

While Andrew Wiggins shouldn’t be an All-Star starter, he has found his place as a supporting player on the Warriors and just had an impressive 1Q against the Nets - with 14 pts., 5 boards and 2 blocks/good D.

Amazing how good the Warriors front office is at finding pieces who fit that style of play.

 

[Iceland12]

While Andrew Wiggins shouldn’t be an All-Star starter, he has found his place as a supporting player on the Warriors and just had an impressive 1Q against the Nets - with 14 pts., 5 boards and 2 blocks/good D.

Amazing how good the Warriors front office is at finding pieces who fit that style of play.

Good point. They've done a fine job putting that team together. Though it was a Thai K-pop star that made him a starter.

Some digging by The Athletic's Anthony Slater gives us a clue. According to Slater's report, the Warriors' social media team leveraged their partnership with Thai singer BamBam, a massive star in the K-pop world. The NBA allows fans to vote using hashtags on Twitter, so Golden State enlisted BamBam to solicit votes for players like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Green.

But when it came to the tweet promoting Wiggins, the Warriors specifically asked BamBam to send it out on Jan. 7, according to Slater, when the NBA ran a "2 for 1" special in which any votes on that day counted double.

The tweet went out to BamBam's 9 million-plus global followers, garnering nearly 37,000 retweets, 69,000 likes and 3,000 replies. That's not even counting the potential fans who saw BamBam's post and tweeted #AndrewWiggins #NBAAllStar from their own accounts. According to Slater, the tweet became Thailand's No. 1 trending topic, and considering every vote counted as two, the strategic push could have gotten Wiggins hundreds of thousands of votes, enough to eclipse George in the fan vote and edge out Green overall.

Given injuries to Green and George, it's certainly possible that Wiggins would have been selected as a Western Conference All-Star reserve given his impressive play and the Warriors' success this season. As our Brad Botkin wrote, his merits have been considerable. But he'll start in his first All-Star Game next month partly thanks to some shrewd strategy from the organization and the massive reach of a K-pop star.

Huge voting push from K-pop star helped Warriors' Andrew Wiggins earn spot as NBA All-Star starter

The fan vote was the determining factor in the Warriors forward starting his first All-Star Game

www.cbssports.com

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Good point. They've done a fine job putting that team together. Though it was a Thai Pop star that made him a starter.

ThanksI had no clue and Grundy was talking about how they need to change the All Star voting for players as it affects the bonuses they receive and it also their legacy.
Basically a 5 way split -
Players
Coaches
Fans
Refs
And an analytic group

He didn't mention iWiggins by name, but I like giving more stakeholders a voice and spreading it out so you can’t “K Pop” your way in

Some digging by The Athletic's Anthony Slater gives us a clue. According to Slater's report, the Warriors' social media team leveraged their partnership with Thai singer BamBam, a massive star in the K-pop world. The NBA allows fans to vote using hashtags on Twitter, so Golden State enlisted BamBam to solicit votes for players like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Green.

But when it came to the tweet promoting Wiggins, the Warriors specifically asked BamBam to send it out on Jan. 7, according to Slater, when the NBA ran a "2 for 1" special in which any votes on that day counted double.

The tweet went out to BamBam's 9 million-plus global followers, garnering nearly 37,000 retweets, 69,000 likes and 3,000 replies. That's not even counting the potential fans who saw BamBam's post and tweeted #AndrewWiggins #NBAAllStar from their own accounts. According to Slater, the tweet became Thailand's No. 1 trending topic, and considering every vote counted as two, the strategic push could have gotten Wiggins hundreds of thousands of votes, enough to eclipse George in the fan vote and edge out Green overall.

Given injuries to Green and George, it's certainly possible that Wiggins would have been selected as a Western Conference All-Star reserve given his impressive play and the Warriors' success this season. As our Brad Botkin wrote, his merits have been considerable. But he'll start in his first All-Star Game next month partly thanks to some shrewd strategy from the organization and the massive reach of a K-pop star.

Ah, the Law of Unintended Consequences - my favorite law of the land - they found a loophole and used a savy approach and bingo Wiggins is an All Star Starter - too be far, I can see him as a reserve.



Reminds me of The Points Guy (travel expert who has an excellent travel website of the same name). General Mills IIRC had an insane promo for miles and this guy bought thousands of dollars of yougurt and redeemed them for what turned out to be millions of miles and flew all over the world/lodged for free. The kicker is he donated the yogurt and got a charitable deduction and made out like a bandit and launched a new career 2 boot.

Huge voting push from K-pop star helped Warriors' Andrew Wiggins earn spot as NBA All-Star starter

The fan vote was the determining factor in the Warriors forward starting his first All-Star Game

www.cbssports.com

 

[Iceland12]

MINNEAPOLIS -- — Karl-Anthony Towns had 31 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, Jaden McDaniels scored a season-high 22 points off the bench, and the Timberwolves routed the shorthanded Utah Jazz 126-106 on Sunday night.

Towns caught fire in the third quarter, scoring 16 straight points as the Wolves pushed their four-point halftime lead to 17 entering the fourth quarter. McDaniels' 22 points came on a perfect 9-of-9 shooting, including 3 of 3 from deep.

Utah didn't have much of an answer for Towns. The Wolves' big man picked up his 10th assist late in the fourth quarter on a corner 3-pointer by Jordan McLaughlin. It was his second career triple-double.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 23 and Mike Conley 22 for Utah, which lost its fifth straight.

Playing without Donovan Mitchell (concussion) and Rudy Gobert (left calf strain), the Jazz suffered another setback when veteran forward Joe Ingles exited the game in the second quarter with a left knee injury. Ingles' left leg buckled as he drove to the basket with 5:52 remaining. The Target Center crowd went silent as Jazz teammates and staff surrounded Ingles.

Ingles eventually was helped off the court but wasn't putting any weight on his left leg. The seven-year veteran was averaging 7.4 points per game for Utah this season. The team announced he will have an MRI on his knee on Monday in Salt Lake City.

Mitchell, Utah's leading scorer, missed his seventh straight game and Gobert was out for his fourth in row. Plus, Jazz coach Quin Snyder wasn't on the sidelines because he has entered the league's health and safety protocols. Assistant coach Alex Jensen served as Utah's head coach.

Minnesota was also without a few key players: Point guard D'Angelo Russell missed his second game with a left shin contusion, and Patrick Beverley remained sidelined with a right ankle sprain.

Jazz vs. Timberwolves - Game Recap - January 30, 2022 - ESPN

Get a recap of the Utah Jazz vs. Minnesota Timberwolves basketball game.

www.espn.com

 

[Iceland12]

Denver Nuggets

NAME, POS	STATUS	DATE
Michael Porter Jr., SF	Out	Jan 31
DeMarcus Cousins, C	Out	Feb 1

Minnesota Timberwolves

NAME, POS	STATUS	DATE
D'Angelo Russell, PG	Out	Feb 1
Josh Okogie, SF	Out	Feb 1
Leandro Bolmaro, SG	Out	Feb 1

Nuggets 115-130 Timberwolves (Feb 1, 2022) Final Score - ESPN

Game summary of the Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves NBA game, final score 115-130, from February 1, 2022 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

 

[BleedGopher]

No DLo, little production from ANT, no worries...Wolves with a nice win over a good Denver squad.

This season has been fun.

Howl Wolves!!

 

[kg21]

No DLo, little production from ANT, no worries...Wolves with a nice win over a good Denver squad.

This season has been fun.

Howl Wolves!!

The ball moves better without DLO. I keep picturing us with Ben Simmons and his ability to set people up and play all world defense on the perimeter.

I just can't stop thinking about it.

 

[tikited]

Finally got to see a win in person. Been a while... Prince went insane in the first half.

 

[Iceland12]

No DLo, little production from ANT, no worries...Wolves with a nice win over a good Denver squad.

This season has been fun.

Howl Wolves!!

It really was. Denver came in on a five game winning streak, ending with a beat down of the Bucks in Milwaukee Sunday night. Tonight the Wolves shut them down 130-115. While Towns and Vanderbilt had great games, the bench probably won this one.

Wolves bench gave them 68 and the Nuggets got 49 out of theirs. Nowell had 10, Beasley & Reid each got 12 and Prince had 23. Yes, Prince had 23!

Nice to see the bench come through like that.

 

[jamiche]

The ball moves better without DLO. I keep picturing us with Ben Simmons and his ability to set people up and play all world defense on the perimeter.

I just can't stop thinking about it.

You can stop thinking about it. Even at the reduced asking price they would have to give up too many current and future assets and he can't shoot.

They need a banger coming off the bench to get to the sixth seed and maybe scare somebody in the first round. Not very sexy, but impactful.

 

[kg21]

You can stop thinking about it. Even at the reduced asking price they would have to give up too many current and future assets and he can't shoot.

They need a banger coming off the bench to get to the sixth seed and maybe scare somebody in the first round. Not very sexy, but impactful.

He can't shoot, but will still put up 16 points, 7 boards, and first team perimeter defense. The key would be if Philly would accept some first round picks.

I know the odds are slim.

 

[Iceland12]

That did not happen Tuesday night. Minnesota’s bench blitzed Denver in the second quarter to pave the way for the Wolves’ 130-115 blowout victory at Target Center. The reserves combined for 68 points.

There were times earlier this season where it would’ve been Minnesota’s reserves sinking the ship. The Timberwolves’ bench has been volatile. Naz Reid, Malik Beasley, Jaden McDaniels, they’ve all been up and down.

Jordan McLaughlin and Taurean Prince struggled so mightily earlier in the season that both at one point exited the rotation.

But that unit is starting to take shape and find its way. It looks like a cohesive group that wants to and will play the right way and is capable of not only maintaining leads, but extending them.

“It was fun to watch. They made all the right plays offensively, they really kind of guarded their tails off, in the first half in particular,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “Were really physical out there, even when they were undersized. I just thought they made the right play. As soon as there was traffic, they got off of it. They weren’t trying to be cute or anything like that, and the ball did all the work, and we threw in a bunch of shots.”

Prince was the star of the show. He finished with 23 points and nine rebounds while drilling six triples. He said the reserves are playing with a lot of confidence. All of them feel as though they’re the best players on the floor, and that they can start in the league.

“So, I think the fact that you have guys that feel highly about their game and actually put in the work on a daily basis. And then to see it all happen how it’s happening, it’s just a testament to the every day work that we consistently put in,” Prince said.

He noted the Wolves’ bench unit is structured to move the ball. Lately, without D’Angelo Russell available, Finch has turned to a bench unit that doesn’t feature a starter. That’s led to a pass-heavy, move-the-ball approach that’s allowing everyone to succeed and find their rhythm...

“They play quick, and they get out in transition and they really spread the floor,” Finch said. “It’s super hard to guard at times.”

So hard that the coach almost has no choice but to stick with the approach, even when Russell returns. It can be hard to allocate minutes with too many players in the rotation, but Finch did try to play 11 guys at the season’s outset.

“Played 13 tonight,” he joked.

Jaylen Nowell’s entrance into the unit has helped turned the tide. He finished with 10 points Tuesday. Malik Beasley could be what truly unlocks the reserves if he finds his way. He found his stroke in the fourth quarter to finish with four made 3-pointers. Reid added 12 points. McLaughlin’s resurgence looks as though it has earned him a spot back in the rotation..

Timberwolves’ bench continues to roll in win over Denver

Minnesota’s bench blitzed Denver in the second quarter to pave the way for the Wolves’ 130-115 blowout victory at Target Center. The reserves combined for 68 points.

www.twincities.com

 

[kg21]

The schedule now lightens up. This is a chance to make a push for the 6th seed. Don't bleep this up, wolves.

 

[jamiche]

He can't shoot, but will still put up 16 points, 7 boards, and first team perimeter defense. The key would be if Philly would accept some first round picks.

I know the odds are slim.

I wouldn't give up the future for him. What if he becomes unhappy again and decides to sit out another season? If it happened in Philly, it can certainly happen here.

His lack of ability to shoot just means defenses can play off of him which reduces the impact of his passing skills and makes it harder for everybody else to get open looks.

He's a good defender and a good distributor. That's not worth breaking up a team that's starting to jell, taking on about $75M of additional payroll and giving up future first round picks (cost efficient talent).

 

[Iceland12]

Reading about a possible Beal for Simmons trade and saw this:

13

Timberwolves

The Wolves lost to the Suns to start the week (just like everyone else), before bouncing back to beat the Jazz and Nuggets at home. They played all three games without D'Angelo Russell, with players like Jordan McLaughlin, Jaylen Nowell and Malik Beasley stepping in to fill the guard minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns has been masterful, averaging 26 points, 10 rebounds and 7.3 assists for the week on 43 percent 3-point shooting. With Anthony Edwards struggling from the field, Taurean Prince picked up the slack with 15.7 points per game on 63 percent 3-point shooting, making 6 of 9 from deep in the win over

NBA Power Rankings: Unstoppable Suns stay No. 1; Nets plummeting without Kevin Durant; Celtics on the rise

Phoenix has separated itself from the rest of the league so far this season

www.cbssports.com

 

[kg21]

I wouldn't give up the future for him. What if he becomes unhappy again and decides to sit out another season? If it happened in Philly, it can certainly happen here.

His lack of ability to shoot just means defenses can play off of him which reduces the impact of his passing skills and makes it harder for everybody else to get open looks.

He's a good defender and a good distributor. That's not worth breaking up a team that's starting to jell, taking on about $75M of additional payroll and giving up future first round picks (cost efficient talent).

The wolves as constructed are a .500 team.

Simmons takes us to the next level. Now we are serious. Simmons is a phenomenal setup guy. Ant and KAT would be many free buckets from him.

And again, his all world defense does not exist on the perimeter.

 

[jamiche]

The wolves as constructed are a .500 team.

Simmons takes us to the next level. Now we are serious. Simmons is a phenomenal setup guy. Ant and KAT would be many free buckets from him.

And again, his all world defense does not exist on the perimeter.

Not sure how KAT gets all of those free buckets with the defenders sagging off of Simmons.

So here's your trade, maestro. Layman, Knight, J-Mac, JO's expiring, a $20M trade exception that the wolves promise to get at some point, plus a 2038 first round top 20 protected pick for a guy so stupid and immature that he pisses away $30M because his boss and co worker sort of said mean things about him (for which they later apologized multiple times).

That's basically what the league is telling Morey what Simmons is currently worth.

Enjoy what's going on in front of you. This team, as currently constructed, is becoming one of the top dozen teams in the NBA. We've waited a helluva long time for this. This wolves team is an oasis for those of us who've been wandering in the NBA playoff desert. Simmons is a mirage.

 

[Iceland12]

The wolves as constructed are a .500 team.

Simmons takes us to the next level. Now we are serious. Simmons is a phenomenal setup guy. Ant and KAT would be many free buckets from him.

And again, his all world defense does not exist on the perimeter.

Daryl Morey has held firm that he wants an All Star and another starter for Simmons. Otherwise he'll wait until this Summer to trade him. And with Simmons not being paid there really is no hurry. So Unless you want to send KAT or Edwards to Philly there will be no trade.

 

[Iceland12]

The Wolves are 22-14 when Russell plays. They are 4-9 when he doesn't. Make that 5-9.

Tonight they beat Detroit 128-117. No style points, but they don't count anyway. The Wolves are now 27-25 with a rematch coming with Detroit at Target Center Sunday afternoon.

 

[kg21]

Daryl Morey has held firm that he wants an All Star and another starter for Simmons. Otherwise he'll wait until this Summer to trade him. And with Simmons not being paid there really is no hurry. So Unless you want to send KAT or Edwards to Philly there will be no trade.

The longer Morey waits, the more his value drops. Let's see if he's that stupid in the next week.

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

I didn't really like trading for him, but Prince is absolutely scorching right now. Bench play was my biggest concern going into the season, but if they can consistently get 35 points or so off the bench from some combination of Prince/Beasley/Nowell, they're going to win plenty of games in the 2nd half of the season.

 

[Iceland12]

Towns joins Wiggins on the All Star Team. So do Ex-Wolves Jimmy Butler and Zach LaVine.

DETROIT – Karl-Anthony Towns is back in the All-Star game.

NBA coaches selected the Timberwolves center to his third game as a reserve, the league announced Thursday.

The game is Sunday, Feb. 20, in Cleveland.

Towns will be making his first appearance at the game since 2019. The past two seasons, he suffered injuries that hampered his availability and diminished his candidacy. The Wolves' miserable record the past two seasons also didn't help his case. This season, Towns has led the Wolves to the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference as of Thursday with 24.4 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.

"He's had an absolutely incredible year," coach Chris Finch said. "He's faced probably more defensive looks than he's ever faced in his past and he's been able to still have an incredibly efficient season to date."

Towns is shooting 52% from the field, 41% from three-point range for a true shooting percentage of 63%, his highest mark in five seasons..

Former Wolves guards Jimmy Butler and Zach LaVine were named as Eastern Conference reserves..

Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns chosen for NBA All-Star Game

The Minnesota center will play in his third midseason classic, this one Feb. 20 in Cleveland.

www.startribune.com

 

[Iceland12]

DETROIT – Anthony Edwards told the media to pause a moment before they asked him questions following the Timberwolves' 128-117 win over Detroit. He had his reasons. He was finishing a mobile McDonald's order on his phone of McChickens from the $1 menu.

"Cheap dude," Edwards said, before realizing he's not exactly thrifty. "I ain't even going to say cheap dude, because I like cars and jewelry. But yeah, cheap dude."

Edwards earned the extra caloric intake in part because he didn't stop attacking the rim in scoring 25 points. He didn't earn it because of his defensive play.

"Our defense wasn't there at all," Edwards said. "We let this team score way too much and way too easy. Even myself, a couple times I let guys go right past me and that's not like me."

That summed up the Wolves' defensive effort against the lowly Pistons, but the Wolves still came away with their third consecutive victory. They had too much firepower offensively even without D'Angelo Russell (left shin contusion) for the fourth consecutive game, and even on a night they allowed the league's second-worst offense to hit shots and have the lead through most of the third quarter.

But late in the third, the Wolves turned it on and their bench sprinted past Detroit thanks in part to 23 points from the scorching-hot Taurean Prince and 18 from Malik Beasley. The bench helped build a 16-point lead in the fourth.

"Our second unit in the third gave us a big enough gap," Edwards said. "Because we [the starters] came out and stunk it up in the fourth."..

Timberwolves shake off defensive inconsistencies to beat Detroit

The Wolves on Thursday had more trouble with the Pistons than they probably expected coming into the night, but they left Detroit with a 128-117 victory. Anthony Edwards scored 25 points.

www.startribune.com

 

[Mountaineer Gopher]

Not sure how KAT gets all of those free buckets with the defenders sagging off of Simmons.

So here's your trade, maestro. Layman, Knight, J-Mac, JO's expiring, a $20M trade exception that the wolves promise to get at some point, plus a 2038 first round top 20 protected pick for a guy so stupid and immature that he pisses away $30M because his boss and co worker sort of said mean things about him (for which they later apologized multiple times).

That's basically what the league is telling Morey what Simmons is currently worth.

Enjoy what's going on in front of you. This team, as currently constructed, is becoming one of the top dozen teams in the NBA. We've waited a helluva long time for this. This wolves team is an oasis for those of us who've been wandering in the NBA playoff desert. Simmons is a mirage.

No way would I include J-Mac in any trade!

 

[Mountaineer Gopher]

J- Mac lost several pounds after contacting the virus, so he is back to being extra skinny. If he gains some muscle in the future....watch out. I would hate to watch him flourish on another team. I am in the standing pat thinking regarding the trade deadline. The Wolves have become a real team.......you cannot over value team chemistry! You heard Pete say last night that this is the tightest T-Wolf team he has seen in 24 years! Prince said the same. We could use a bruising rim protector, but, I hope we stand pat. Kat's defense is getting better every game, although I wish he would cut back on the over switching at the top of the key!