All Things 2023-2024 Minnesota Timberwolves In-Season Thread

[Frink]

True but so far tonight it's been all about Gobert and Towns.

Absolutely. Watching gobert tonight was like watching a game among third graders were one of them had gone through a giant growth spurt. He simply went over them.
I was just thinking about it because of the monster two-hander that Naz had. One of a number like that this season

 

[tikited]

Absolutely. Watching gobert tonight was like watching a game among third graders were one of them had gone through a giant growth spurt.

 

[golf]

Tomorrow's game will be interesting. Clips have been coming on like a freight train.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

The 1st, 2nd and 4th trade scenarios don't work because you can't trade first round picks in consecutive years. The wolves already gave up 1sts in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029 in the Gobert trade. They basically can't trade another 1st outright until 2031.

This is effectively The Joe Smith Rule - I believe it was put in place after the aforementioned trade, as Kevy gutted us by trading multiple first round picks in consecutive years (IIRC).

 

[Iceland12]

Took years but Glen Taylor finally admitted that the trade was his idea, not McHale's. Though doesn't make any difference. Everybody thinks it was McHale's idea anyway. If there is anything that the NFL and MLB has taught us this past couple years is that owners have way more say in personnel matters than General Managers do.

Makes sense. They do own the team. They just shouldn't be so cowardly about it.

 

[Iceland12]

Tomorrow's game will be interesting. Clips have been coming on like a freight train.

They certainly have. The Clippers have won 8 out of their last 9 games. Looks like the Wolves will be playing without Edwards or at least a hobbled one. Know why Finch didn't, but they should have set him down when he first got hurt.

https://www.si.com/nba/timberwolves/news/anthony-edwards-questionable-for-timberwolves-clippers-clash

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Took years but Glen Taylor finally admitted that the trade was his idea, not McHale's. Though doesn't make any difference. Everybody thinks it was McHale's idea anyway. If there is anything that the NFL and MLB has taught us this past couple years is that owners have way more say in personnel matters than General Managers do.

Makes sense. They do own the team. They just shouldn't be so cowardly about it.

Thanks for the info!

I always thought a Ranger wouldn’t be that dumb.

 

[jamiche]

This is effectively The Joe Smith Rule - I believe it was put in place after the aforementioned trade, as Kevy gutted us by trading multiple first round picks in consecutive years (IIRC).

Nope. It's the Ted Stepien Rule. He's the former owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers who traded multiple consecutive first round picks in the 1980's for some forgettable player, hobbling the franchise for years.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Nope. It's the Ted Stepien Rule. He's the former owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers who traded multiple consecutive first round picks in the 1980's for some forgettable player, hobbling the franchise for years.

Thanks for the correction, I conflated my crappy Front Offices.

Here’s a refresher on the Smith hijinks-

The bizarre saga of Joe Smith's illegal Minnesota Timberwolves contract

If an NBA team planned to sign a player to an illegal contract that could cost them a ton of money and future draft picks, they’d better be sure the player is worth it. That’s a risk you take to br…

ftw.usatoday.com

After the 1999 NBA lockout, he became a free agent, and was highly sought after. He signed a one-year, $1.75 million deal in Minnesota, well below market value, to allow the team to make other moves that offseason. It was a curious decision to say the least, especially considering he had turned down an $80 million extension with the Warriors prior to being traded, only to find that free agency wasn’t as friendly as he had hoped.

As it turns out, Smith and the Timberwolves had an under-the-table agreement in place, where Smith would sign three one-year deals for very little money, allowing the Timberwolves to acquire his Bird rights, which would allow them to go over the salary cap to re-sign him. He would have then been rewarded with a lucrative contract that would have paid him up to $86 million. This arrangement, of course, was highly illegal, and sanctions came down hard on the Timberwolves when the league found out.

 

[kg21]

Ant may be out tonight. OUCH

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

I'd sit Ant tonight. This is a weird week. Sunday night game, don't play until Wednesday at Detroit, right back home for a 9pm tilt vs. what's left of the Grizzlies on Thursday before OKC comes to town Saturday night.

 

[Iceland12]

Ant may be out tonight. OUCH

Yep, see post #696

 

[tikited]

Law Murray: Anthony Edwards will start tonight vs Clippers, was questionable due to knee contusion https://hoopshype.com/rumor/2607075/ via @hoopshype

 

[Iceland12]

Law Murray: Anthony Edwards will start tonight vs Clippers, was questionable due to knee contusion https://hoopshype.com/rumor/2607075/ via @hoopshype

Looked and they pulled the GTD status. Is 65 the number of games he has to appear in to qualify for post season awards? Including the big contract extension money?

LA Clippers

NAME, POS	STATUS	EST. RETURN DATE
Xavier Moon G	GTD	Jan 14

Minnesota Timberwolves
No injured players

 

[Slim Tubby]

Looked and they pulled the GTD status. Is 65 the number of games he has to appear in to qualify for post season awards? Including the big contract extension money?

LA Clippers

NAME, POS	STATUS	EST. RETURN DATE
Xavier Moon G	GTD	Jan 14

Minnesota Timberwolves
No injured players

Yup...65.

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

Rudy horrible at the line tonight, including a couple airballs.

 

[fan of Ray Williams]

Rudy horrible at the line tonight, including a couple airballs.

But then it all turned around for him. Nice win.

 

[Iceland12]

Rudy horrible at the line tonight, including a couple airballs.

Gobert: 15pts, 4-5 from the floor, 7-14 from the line, 18 rebounds, 4 blocks and a single turnover. Probably because he knew you were pulling for him.

 

[Iceland12]

Clippers (25-14) came in as the hottest team in the NBA, having won 8 out of their last 9 and three in a row. The Wolves (28-11) beat them 109-105. They were led by Anthony Edwards. Who had 33 pts. by shooting 10-16 from the floor and 11-12 from the line.

Guess that contusion didn't bother him that much did it?

Timberwolves 109-105 Clippers (Jan 14, 2024) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. LA Clippers NBA game from January 14, 2024 on ESPN. Includes all points, rebounds and steals stats.

www.espn.com

T-wolves hold off Clippers 109-105 with big help from Edwards and Gobert​

MINNEAPOLIS -- — Anthony Edwards scored 20 of his 33 points in the third quarter and Rudy Gobert had 15 points and 18 rebounds to help the Minnesota Timberwolves cool off and beat the Los Angeles Clippers 109-105 on Sunday.

Norman Powell's corner 3-pointer — his sixth of the game — capped a 20-6 surge by the Clippers over a four-plus-minute stretch that sliced their deficit to 103-100. Gobert, who missed seven free throws including earlier back-to-back airballs, made four foul shots in the final minute to nudge the Wolves to the finish line on a night when they had 19 turnovers and allowed 37 points in the fourth quarter.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 17 points for the West-leading Wolves (28-11), who held Clippers stars Paul George (16 points) and James Harden (14 points) to a combined 9-for-33 shooting from the floor. The Wolves, who lead the NBA in scoring defense, are 16-2 at home and 20-6 against their conference.

Kawhi Leonard had 26 points and nine rebounds to steer the Clippers (25-14), who had won 17 of their last 20 games and eight of nine before arriving in Minnesota. The Clippers made Ivica Zubac a last-minute scratch with tightness in his right calf muscle, and the 7-foot Croatian was clearly missed in his first absence of the season.

Gobert had four blocks for the Wolves and took a two-handed shove to the neck from Terrance Mann after the Clippers guard reacted to a high screen in the third quarter. Their staredown didn't escalate beyond that, but the tension of a potential preview of two postseason opponents was apparent in the packed arena on a frigid evening

Powell scored 24 points and Russell Westbrook had 12 points and 13 assists for the Clippers off the bench to help offset the off night for George and Harden..

 

[tikited]

Got a bit scary at the end, but the Wolves get a big win.
Rudy!

 

[coolhandgopher]

Nope. It's the Ted Stepien Rule. He's the former owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers who traded multiple consecutive first round picks in the 1980's for some forgettable player, hobbling the franchise for years.

Some day, I've got an epic post to write about Stepien's wheeling and dealing that set up the Mavericks with what should/could have been a dynasty through the '80s. I gotta set some time aside for that though

 

[jamiche]

Some day, I've got an epic post to write about Stepien's wheeling and dealing that set up the Mavericks with what should/could have been a dynasty through the '80s. I gotta set some time aside for that though

Looking forward to it! Stepien was an idiot.

 

[Iceland12]

Some day, I've got an epic post to write about Stepien's wheeling and dealing that set up the Mavericks with what should/could have been a dynasty through the '80s. I gotta set some time aside for that though

Looking forward to it! Stepien was an idiot.

Ted Stephen, Bill Mussellman, The Gund Brothers, Timberwolves, Cleveland Barons, California Golden Seals, Norm Green, Harv and Marv, Dallas Mavericks, San Jose Sharks; definitely a tangled web.

 

[tmvander]

Denver, OKC, and Sacramento all lose last night. I watched some of the Nuggets and the Clippers/OKC games and man...the fact that the Timberwolves have a better record than those three teams is impressive. They all looked very good.

 

[Iceland12]

Denver, OKC, and Sacramento all lose last night. I watched some of the Nuggets and the Clippers/OKC games and man...the fact that the Timberwolves have a better record than those three teams is impressive. They all looked very good.

We watched the Denver/Philly game an half the LA/OKC. Great games to watch. And Phoenix had a 23-4 run to end the game and overcome a 22pt deficit in the fourth quarter to beat those Kings.

"The Kings led by 22 points with 8:22 to play, but Durant sparked a comeback with a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Eric Gordon later made consecutive 3-pointers to tie it at 115. He scored 13 points off the bench..

“We have seen firsthand that in the modern NBA teams are never out of a game. We looked at the small lineup. We were going five 3-point shooters. We finally got Eric in there and he hit some big 3s. All of those guys really stepped up.”

 

[tikited]

Denver, OKC, and Sacramento all lose last night. I watched some of the Nuggets and the Clippers/OKC games and man...the fact that the Timberwolves have a better record than those three teams is impressive. They all looked very good.

Paul George just took over last night's game. Unstoppable at the end. He was terrible against the Wolves. We have a few guys that can do that to All-Stars. Soooo strange to have that all of a sudden.

 

[fan of Ray Williams]

Edwards threw one down at about 4:04 of the 1st, WOW!

 

[Iceland12]

The Wolves (29-11) did what they had to and beat the lowly Pistons (4-37!) by beating them 124-117. They host Memphis tomorrow night. The game tips off at 9:00 and is on TNT.

DETROIT -- — Anthony Edwards had 27 points and eight assists to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 124-117 win against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

The Pistons, who beat the Wizards on Monday, are 2-35 after winning two of their first three games, including a 28-game losing streak that matched the NBA record.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27 points for Minnesota, which has won three straight. Jaden McDaniels had 23 points and Rudy Gobert added 19 points and 16 assists.

Jaden Ivey scored 32 points for the Pistons, who were starting a six-game homestand without Cade Cunningham (knee). Bojan Bogdanovic had 20 points and Jalen Duren added 16 points and 11 rebounds..

Timberwolves 124-117 Pistons (Jan 17, 2024) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Detroit Pistons NBA game from January 17, 2024 on ESPN. Includes all points, rebounds and steals stats.

www.espn.com

 

[jamiche]

I was kind of nervous about this game. Glad it's over and it's a win.

 

[coolhandgopher]

I was kind of nervous about this game. Glad it's over and it's a win.

Feels like a game last year's Wolfies would have lost. Have to start thinking about "best Wolves team ever", but getting through the buzzsaw that will be the West will be one tall order. Seems like it will be really important to stay at the one slot for the West playoffs.