All Things 2021-2022 Minnesota Timberwolves In-Season Thread

[Iceland12]

Wolves 64 - 51 at the start of the 2nd Half.

Edit: 72-66 Wolves now. Five technical called so far Four of them on the Wolves.

 

[skiumah1]

I like our wolves, but oh man do they complain a lot

 

[Iceland12]

They've tried, Towns aside, to just shut-up and take it for years. That didn't work out either.

 

[skiumah1]

They've tried, Towns aside, to just shut-up and take it for years. That didn't work out either.

I agree, they've got that edge this year. Just play basketball here though. Go win the game.

 

[kg21]

I agree, they've got that edge this year. Just play basketball here though. Go win the game.

Well, we aren't saying shit now.

It's an embarrassment what we are inside defensively. Powell, the center for Dallas, the other night went 8-8 for 22 points.....he averages 8

Tonight Ayton has a career high with 35, he averages 16. He didn't even break a sweat doing it.

This offseason a big who can defend is A MAJOR NEED. It's all that matters.

They won't do it, but Mr. 30 million at point guard was complete trash again tonight and needs to go. For 30 million, there is way better out there or could be traded for.

We are going to get killed inside in the playoffs. They need to learn what the playoffs are about and see it this year. Fight hard and see it. Then they need to go fix the inside of this defense for next year.

Oh, and to that one poster, yes, we weren't going 82-0

 

[coolhandgopher]

On an unrelated note, Jimmy Butler’s charming personality is showing itself in Miami:

 

[Iceland12]

Another night, another quality opponent, another playoff-like atmosphere.

But, most importantly, another loss for the Timberwolves.

Minnesota entered into this stretch of the schedule knowing it’d be in for a battle every night against playoff opponents. That’s what it’s gotten this week, with a true battle to the finish in a loss to Dallas that didn’t go its way in the end.

Then came Wednesday, where the Wolves stuck with the top team in the West for the first three quarters, before getting a college-level course on what being a championship-level team is all about..

The Suns outscored Minnesota 42-31 in the final frame to down the Wolves 125-116 at Target Center.

Minnesota entered the final quarter leading by five, but Phoenix got whatever shot it wanted over the final 12 minutes, while the Wolves had to work for everything. The Suns won their sixth straight game, with each of those coming sans star point guard Chris Paul.

The game was littered with technical and flagrant fouls. Chris Finch, Jarred Vanderbilt, Karl-Anthony Towns and Patrick Beverley received techs for Minnesota, while Booker, Jae Crowder and Ayton were “T’d” up for Phoenix.

Crowder received a flagrant foul for making forcible contact to Beverley’s head before the half, while Towns got called for a flagrant for delivering a blow to Landry Shamet’s head on a Towns’ drive in the fourth quarter..

Phoenix blows past MN in 4th quarter to hand Wolves their second straight loss

Another night, another quality opponent, another playoff-like atmosphere. But, most importantly, another loss for the Timberwolves.

www.twincities.com

 

[jamiche]

The wolves could/should have won the game. Their lack of composure forced the refs to start calling it real tight, which work to the Suns' advantage. PatBev is a tightrope for any team in high pressure situations. He can't control himself and that can be costly. Towns is now two techs away from a one game suspension. He hasn't shown enough self control to make the next eight high intensity games without two techs a safe bet, especially with other teams now bodying him like crazy and the refs mostly ignoring it.

Even with their roster deficiencies, the wolves have the talent and drive to be a surprise team in the post season. However, their immaturity could cause a very ugly implosion led by PatBev and Towns. This will be a very interesting coaching challenge for Finch.

 

[kg21]

The wolves could/should have won the game. Their lack of composure forced the refs to start calling it real tight, which work to the Suns' advantage. PatBev is a tightrope for any team in high pressure situations. He can't control himself and that can be costly. Towns is now two techs away from a one game suspension. He hasn't shown enough self control to make the next eight high intensity games without two techs a safe bet, especially with other teams now bodying him like crazy and the refs mostly ignoring it.

Even with their roster deficiencies, the wolves have the talent and drive to be a surprise team in the post season. However, their immaturity could cause a very ugly implosion led by PatBev and Towns. This will be a very interesting coaching challenge for Finch.

It would also help if one could get the same calls. If you so much as breathed on Booker last night, it's a foul and 2 shots. You can literally assault Ant many times and it's ho-hum, swallow the whistle.

 

[skiumah1]

Edwards also just needs to be better. So much ability. Shot selection needs to get better and effort defensively isn't sustained. I'm sure McDaniels woulda been on Booker last night over Edwards if he was playing.

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

Beverly is your tough minded cousin that teaches you to stand up for yourself in the neighborhood.

He's also that cousin that leads you down that dark alley to your demise because hes cocky.

You have to take the good, but then not listen to the bad stuff. Beverly gives this team an edge, but hes not the alpha dog. He's a role player. Towns/Edwards needs to be the alpha dogs and lead by example.

 

[kg21]

Edwards also just needs to be better. So much ability. Shot selection needs to get better and effort defensively isn't sustained. I'm sure McDaniels woulda been on Booker last night over Edwards if he was playing.

I don't know. I thought Edwards was playing hard on him last night. Booker had 28 points last night. 16 of them from the free throw line. I'd say at least 6 of those free throws were from phantom calls.

 

[kg21]

Edwards also just needs to be better. So much ability. Shot selection needs to get better and effort defensively isn't sustained. I'm sure McDaniels woulda been on Booker last night over Edwards if he was playing.

Booker would easily go by McDaniels.

 

[skiumah1]

Booker would easily go by McDaniels.

I don't think so, Jaden is the lock down guy. I'm sure Booker would go by him a couple times because he does everybody, but I'm going Jaden over Ant.

 

[jamiche]

Edwards also just needs to be better. So much ability. Shot selection needs to get better and effort defensively isn't sustained. I'm sure McDaniels woulda been on Booker last night over Edwards if he was playing.

I think Edward's defense has improved substantially. Booker would have fouled McDaniels out of the game. I agree with you on shot selection.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

The wolves could/should have won the game. Their lack of composure forced the refs to start calling it real tight, which work to the Suns' advantage. PatBev is a tightrope for any team in high pressure situations. He can't control himself and that can be costly. Towns is now two techs away from a one game suspension. He hasn't shown enough self control to make the next eight high intensity games without two techs a safe bet, especially with other teams now bodying him like crazy and the refs mostly ignoring it.

Even with their roster deficiencies, the wolves have the talent and drive to be a surprise team in the post season. However, their immaturity could cause a very ugly implosion led by PatBev and Towns. This will be a very interesting coaching challenge for Finch.

I mostly agree with you on this minus the fact that they should have won. They could have, yes, but the Suns are the better team and dominated the 4th. Most of those T's were so cheap last night. Including the one on Towns.

 

[Iceland12]

Booker was terrible in the first half. That was even with the benefit of two terrible non-calls. That changed in the 2nd Half.

No shame losing to the Suns. The best team in the NBA by a wide margin. A team that came in on a 5 game winning streak. Having won 7 out of their last 8. All without Chris Paul. Hope they stretch that record to 9 out of 10 tonight in Denver.

But losing to them the way they did last night? By disappearing in the 4th Quarter? That really did hurt. Only disclaimer would be that it's hard to be physical with a team when the Refs decide to call everything closer than they did in the 1st Half.

Still, that one really hurt.

 

[BleedGopher]

D'Angelo Russell explains why he sat away from Timberwolves bench in fourth quarter​

D'Angelo Russell sat a few feet away from the bench and in front of the media seating during the fourth quarter of the Timberwolves' 125-116 loss to Phoenix.

While teammates were huddling during multiple timeouts, Russell stayed away from the bench and out of the huddles. There was a reason Russell was doing so, and he explained in his postgame comments.

"Just depends on how the game goes, if I'm mad or something," Russell said. "I might be airing out some steam. If I didn't like the rotation or something, I'd rather get my space and re-evaluate and try to stay locked into the game."

Wednesday wasn't the easiest game for Russell, who had six points on 3-for-9 shooting, so perhaps the flow of the game for him was causing the steam to rise. The time away from the bench wasn't about disengaging from the team, he said, but instead can be about needing to mentally regroup during tough moments.

"You're a player and you feel like you're hot and you get subbed, you're not going to like that. It might be that or it might be not playing well," Russell said. "Don't take it out on your teammates, regroup, bounce back. Things like that, little mental notes. I don't think it's anything more than that."

Sometimes, being away from the game in that situation and removing himself from the heat of the moment can help Russell recalibrate before going back in, which he did with four minutes remaining.

"You get to watch it from a position of not being in the game," Russell said. "You get to see things, see how they guard, see what they're trying to do. It's almost like [being] a sixth man, not starting. You're watching how they play so when you step in you know how to attack. It's more or less things like that, what plays can I run, how they were guarding me, if you're trapping … just how am I seeing it from over here."

D'Angelo Russell explains why he sat away from Timberwolves bench in fourth quarter

Russell said sometimes during a rough night he needs some space to regroup so he doesn't take frustration out on teammates.

www.startribune.com

Howl Wolves!!

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

D'Angelo Russell explains why he sat away from Timberwolves bench in fourth quarter​

D'Angelo Russell sat a few feet away from the bench and in front of the media seating during the fourth quarter of the Timberwolves' 125-116 loss to Phoenix.

While teammates were huddling during multiple timeouts, Russell stayed away from the bench and out of the huddles. There was a reason Russell was doing so, and he explained in his postgame comments.

"Just depends on how the game goes, if I'm mad or something," Russell said. "I might be airing out some steam. If I didn't like the rotation or something, I'd rather get my space and re-evaluate and try to stay locked into the game."

Wednesday wasn't the easiest game for Russell, who had six points on 3-for-9 shooting, so perhaps the flow of the game for him was causing the steam to rise. The time away from the bench wasn't about disengaging from the team, he said, but instead can be about needing to mentally regroup during tough moments.

"You're a player and you feel like you're hot and you get subbed, you're not going to like that. It might be that or it might be not playing well," Russell said. "Don't take it out on your teammates, regroup, bounce back. Things like that, little mental notes. I don't think it's anything more than that."

Sometimes, being away from the game in that situation and removing himself from the heat of the moment can help Russell recalibrate before going back in, which he did with four minutes remaining.

"You get to watch it from a position of not being in the game," Russell said. "You get to see things, see how they guard, see what they're trying to do. It's almost like [being] a sixth man, not starting. You're watching how they play so when you step in you know how to attack. It's more or less things like that, what plays can I run, how they were guarding me, if you're trapping … just how am I seeing it from over here."

D'Angelo Russell explains why he sat away from Timberwolves bench in fourth quarter

Russell said sometimes during a rough night he needs some space to regroup so he doesn't take frustration out on teammates.

www.startribune.com

Howl Wolves!!

Russell had a great February, but has struggled in March. It hasn't really mattered until the last two games. They need him to figure it out and step up now.

 

[jamiche]

I mostly agree with you on this minus the fact that they should have won. They could have, yes, but the Suns are the better team and dominated the 4th. Most of those T's were so cheap last night. Including the one on Towns.

No question the Suns are better than the wolves, even at their best. Last night the wolves had enough firepower to hold a 13 pt lead against a Suns team playing on the road w/out CP. Except they got distracted. PatBev got stupid. Towns got stupid. DLo sulked. Ayton got anything he wanted, especially once Towns got in foul trouble. The refs weren't going to give the whiny wolves anything. Booker got serious. Game over.

This is how the playoffs will be. I think the wolves have enough talent to steal a series, especially against the warriors or Utah. I don't think they have the composure to actually pull it off.

 

[Iceland12]

No question the Suns are better than the wolves, even at their best. Last night the wolves had enough firepower to hold a 13 pt lead against a Suns team playing on the road w/out CP. Except they got distracted. PatBev got stupid. Towns got stupid. DLo sulked. Ayton got anything he wanted, especially once Towns got in foul trouble. The refs weren't going to give the whiny wolves anything. Booker got serious. Game over.

This is how the playoffs will be. I think the wolves have enough talent to steal a series, especially against the warriors or Utah. I don't think they have the composure to actually pull it off.

Agree with a lot of that except for a couple of things.The inference behind the "playing on the road w/out CP." They've been a damn good team without him.

As mentioned earlier, the Suns had been playing without Paul and had won 5 in a row and 7 out of 8 before last night. Overall, they are 11-4 since Paul broke his thumb.

The other? "Whiney" or not seems to be immaterial for the Wolves. Would like to see them try not complaining. Though, much like the Wolves teams in the past who played that way, doubt that their gonna get the calls anyway.

 

[Iceland12]

"I don't think we were on much of that talking until they started it, to be completely honest," said Booker, who is a close friend of Towns and Timberwolves point guard D'Angelo Russell. "It's a long game. We've seen that situation plenty of times before — a team comes out, gets hots and gets comfortable. We just stuck with what we do."

Towns was called for a Flagrant 1 foul with 8:35 to go on Shamet, who gave the Suns their first lead at 95-94 with a pair of free throws. They stayed ahead the rest of the way.

"I think that changed the game, unfortunately," Towns said..

BACK AND FORTH

Towns drove to the basket late in the second quarter and delivered a one-handed dunk on Jae Crowder complete with a stare-down, igniting the crowd and irritating the Suns. Just a few seconds later, a double technical foul was called on Towns and Crowder. Then Timberwolves coach Chris Finch got one, too, for his protest.

Crowder later clipped Timberwolves pest Patrick Beverley in the head to draw a Flagrant 1 foul after the video review, putting Beverley at the line after time in the first half expired.

Ayton and Booker both got technicals in the second half.

"Both teams was crying a lot. The refs got it for sure," Ayton said, laughing. "They didn't hear a word after that. I shut up after that."..

The (Wolves) bench had a 55-28 scoring edge on the Suns. The Timberwolves fell to 21-10 this season when their reserves score 40-plus points.

Suns 125-116 Timberwolves (Mar 23, 2022) Game Recap - ESPN

Expert recap and game analysis of the Phoenix Suns vs. Minnesota Timberwolves NBA game from March 23, 2022 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

 

[jamiche]

Agree with a lot of that except for a couple of things.The inference behind the "playing on the road w/out CP."

As mentioned earlier, the Suns had been playing without Paul and had won 5 in a row and 7 out of 8 before last night.

The other? "Whiney" or not seems to be immaterial for the Wolves. Would like to see them try not complaining. Though, much like the Wolves teams in the past who played that way, doubt that their gonna get the calls anyway.

Memphis had a nice run this year without Ja. I'm pretty sure they feel like they are a better team when Ja plays. Same for the Suns and CP.

Not getting calls wasn't much more than an irritant when the wolves weren't good. Now they are good to potentially very good it's much more than that. Constantly daring the refs to work against them becomes very costly.

 

[Nax5]

Never been to a T-Wolves game. Wanna bring my youngest brother before he heads off to college. So right now I'm eyeing the last game of the season against the Bulls. My only fear is by then the playoff picture will be settled and the Wolves may just sit their best players. Is that a thing?

 

[jamiche]

Never been to a T-Wolves game. Wanna bring my youngest brother before he heads off to college. So right now I'm eyeing the last game of the season against the Bulls. My only fear is by then the playoff picture will be settled and the Wolves may just sit their best players. Is that a thing?

Yes.

 

[tmvander]

Never been to a T-Wolves game. Wanna bring my youngest brother before he heads off to college. So right now I'm eyeing the last game of the season against the Bulls. My only fear is by then the playoff picture will be settled and the Wolves may just sit their best players. Is that a thing?

At the same time there's a real possibility that things won't be settled and it will be a super important game for both teams.

 

[Iceland12]

Denver led Phoenix last night at the Half, but the Suns went on to win by 10.

Means the Wolves are a game back of Denver going into tonight's game against Dallas.

Dallas Mavericks

NAME	POS	DATE	STATUS	COMMENT
Trey Burke	PG	Mar 24	Out	Burke (illness) is out Friday against the Timberwolves.
Davis Bertans	SF	Mar 24	Out	Bertans (knee) remains out Friday at Minnesota.
Theo Pinson	G	Mar 22	Out	Pinson (finger) has been ruled out for Wednesday's contest against the Rockets.
Tim Hardaway Jr.	SF	Mar 22	Out	Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said Tuesday that Hardaway (foot) would unlikely be able to return for a potential playoff run, NBA writer Marc Stein reports.

Minnesota Timberwolves

NAME	POS	DATE	STATUS	COMMENT
Karl-Anthony Towns	C	Mar 24	Day-To-Day
Jaden McDaniels	PF	Mar 16	Out	Coach Chris Finch said Wednesday that McDaniels is dealing with a high-ankle sprain, Jace Frederick of St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

 

[Iceland12]

Chuck Cooperstein
@coopmavs
Given the chippiness of Monday night vs MIN, and T-Wolves picking up 4 technicals on Wed vs PHX, NBA has assigned Scott Foster to lead the officiating crew tonight for Mavs-MIN. He’s not going to allow this to get out of hand – 9:22 AM

Mavericks vs. Timberwolves: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest

The Dallas Mavericks (45-29) play against the Minnesota Timberwolves (43-32) at Target Center The Dallas Mavericks are spending $2,765,848 per win while the Minnesota Timberwolves are spending $3,1…

hoopshype.com

 

[Nax5]

At the same time there's a real possibility that things won't be settled and it will be a super important game for both teams.

That's what I was thinking. High risk, high reward if I buy now. Could end up basically being a playoff game for the Wolves.

 

[Iceland12]

At the 6:30 mark of the 3rd, Wolves are up 70-55. Wolves have taken 23 FT to 9 for Dallas. Refs are looking at a possible Flagrant Foul on Dwight Powell for Dallas.