All Things 2023-2024 Minnesota Timberwolves In-Season Thread

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GopherWeatherGuy said:
They also couldn't get a stop most of the game.

107 was more than they scored in games 1 and 2.

On top of that the 8 points they gave up in the 20 seconds before half was the difference in the game.
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This is correct. The Wolves aren't the Pacers. They don't have the offensive players to outgun people.

The Wolves need to change their defensive scheme and get more stops. The offense tonight was fine. The Wolves couldn't stop them because they gave up open shots the entire game. Wide open shots.

Denver shot 57% for the game. Hold them to 47%, and that's 8 less makes. Assume Denver gets a couple second chance points off those 8 misses. The Wolves still win by 4-7 points.

It's that simple.
 



Per Jon K:

The clock ticked down on another deflating Minnesota Timberwolves performance at home, and a rejuvenated Jamal Murray appeared to be having some fun at the Wolves’ expense. Anthony Edwards saw it the whole way, and he started clapping his way toward Murray on his way off of the court.

There was a part of Edwards that hated to see Murray yapping at the moment after his Denver Nuggets had just evened their playoffs series at 2-2 with their second straight win at Target Center. There was another part of him that loved it.

Edwards loves a fight. And that’s exactly what the Timberwolves have now after squandering a 2-0 lead in the series by dropping both of their home games, including a 115-107 loss in Game 4 on Sunday night. Edwards didn’t take kindly to Murray’s end-of-game theatrics, but Murray earned the right to preen with the punches he threw in Minneapolis after being bottled up in Denver. That left Edwards with a taste of blood in his mouth and a smile on his face as he chirped right back at him.

“I just told his ass we love that,” Edwards said. “Keep talking that. That’s what we like. Well, I loved it.”

theathletic.com

Anthony Edwards has a message for Denver Nuggets: This series is not over

"They beat us up tonight," Edwards said. "The last two nights, they beat us up in the fight. That’s OK. we’re going to be all right."
theathletic.com theathletic.com

Howl Wolves!!
 



I realize Rudy has won 4 DPOY awards, but he is a big liability late in games, when we need to score. He should not have been on the court late in the game, last night.

When KAT stops passing and tries to barrel toward the basket and flops to the ground, we are completely screwed. If KAT can play like a good unselfish teammate, and not commit dumb fouls, we can still win this series.
 

LakevilleBro said:
I realize Rudy has won 4 DPOY awards, but he is a big liability late in games, when we need to score. He should not have been on the court late in the game, last night.

When KAT stops passing and tries to barrel toward the basket and flops to the ground, we are completely screwed. If KAT can play like a good unselfish teammate, and not commit dumb fouls, we can still win this series.
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Yes, when they send Rudy to the free throw line he's a liability. Towns? He needs to quit forcing drives to the basket. He won't get any of the foul calls he should anyway. Instead he needs to start firing up more 3's. He''s proven he can make them know he needs to shoot them. That'll open things up for Edwards and hopefully Reid.

Quit chasing the ball on defense and have KAT fire-up the 3's and they'll be okay. Even if the bench doesn't show-up again.
 

Iceland12 said:
Yes, when they send Rudy to the free throw line he's a liability.
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He's also a liability because Denver knows that he has no role in the offensive. Jokic can play 20 feet away from him. Where do you put him on offense where he isn't clogging the lane? The defense doesn't bother to follow him out or if he does, slumps off to effectively double Ant.
 

swede2 said:
He's also a liability because Denver knows that he has no role in the offensive. Jokic can play 20 feet away from him. Where do you put him on offense where he isn't clogging the lane? The defense doesn't bother to follow him out or if he does, slumps off to effectively double Ant.
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Sort of. They don't need to follow him out to the perimeter. That's true. Rudy does though have a role on offense. He's there to get offensive rebounds, put backs and take passes when others drive to the basket. That all works more often than it doesn't.

Problem is when the Wolves aren't hitting from 12ft out than the Nuggets can just sag back and then you're right. Gobert just becomes another guy clogging the area around the basket.
 



LakevilleBro said:
not commit dumb fouls
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lol-spit-take.gif
 


The wolves need to make Denver pay for having Aaron Gordon bring the ball up. Since Denver took the ball out of Murray’s hand on the inning the wolves defense has been terrible. I am not sure Rudy can contribute in this series anymore.
 

From the Parkinglot said:
The wolves need to make Denver pay for having Aaron Gordon bring the ball up. Since Denver took the ball out of Murray’s hand on the inning the wolves defense has been terrible. I am not sure Rudy can contribute in this series anymore.
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Yeah, just read Gordon’s touches went from 41 in game one, 48 in game two, 60 in game three and 69 in game four. Claims with Gobert on him doesn’t get any full court pressure like they were able to do in games one and two with Murray and Jokic bringing the ball up. Says it saves on the energy those two have to expend. Guess we will see how they adjust.
 



Dooody Eeeeebeeeee. You’ll have to forgive me. I had no real idea if this guy until whenasota posted a comment.
 

I was at the game last night and, oddly enough, I feel cautiously optimistic. As good as Denver is, and as smart as Denver is, they have been pulling shots out of their ass for the last two games. They are due for rims instead of nets.

Defensively, the wolves need to pull the chair out from under Jokic two or three times. He's expecting to get bumped and he's a master at selling those calls. I know the strategy is to not double him so that he doesn't kill the wolves with his passing, but he's been getting every single shot he wants. They do need a second guy, preferably coming from different directions.

I think Rudy's minutes need to be cut back to 25-28 minutes and Slo-Mo needs to sit. Both guys are too slow for this match up.

I'd give J-Mac ten minutes because of his quickness.
 

jamiche said:
I was at the game last night and, oddly enough, I feel cautiously optimistic. As good as Denver is, and as smart as Denver is, they have been pulling shots out of their ass for the last two games. They are due for rims instead of nets.

Defensively, the wolves need to pull the chair out from under Jokic two or three times. He's expecting to get bumped and he's a master at selling those calls. I know the strategy is to not double him so that he doesn't kill the wolves with his passing, but he's been getting every single shot he wants. They do need a second guy, preferably coming from different directions.

I think Rudy's minutes need to be cut back to 25-28 minutes and Slo-Mo needs to sit. Both guys are too slow for this match up.

I'd give J-Mac ten minutes because of his quickness.
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I've been calling for Slo mo to take a seat all season. Dont know why TJ Warren can't play a few minutes.

Rudy has been so slow. Naz needs to play a lot more than Rudy
 

jamiche said:
I was at the game last night and, oddly enough, I feel cautiously optimistic. As good as Denver is, and as smart as Denver is, they have been pulling shots out of their ass for the last two games. They are due for rims instead of nets.

Defensively, the wolves need to pull the chair out from under Jokic two or three times. He's expecting to get bumped and he's a master at selling those calls. I know the strategy is to not double him so that he doesn't kill the wolves with his passing, but he's been getting every single shot he wants. They do need a second guy, preferably coming from different directions.

I think Rudy's minutes need to be cut back to 25-28 minutes and Slo-Mo needs to sit. Both guys are too slow for this match up.

I'd give J-Mac ten minutes because of his quickness.
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Make sure J Mac has a don’t shoot order; his 2 three attempts in that game were comically bad.

SLO Mo had a good game 2, when Rudy was out. Check the box score if you already forgot.
 
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Jokic is outworking Gobert. It's been embarrassing. Rudy and KAT had better pull their heads out of their asses. This time of year, it's about who shows up and plays at the top of their game.
 

OKC beat Dallas last night 100-96 to even the series at 2 a piece.

Why? Maybe free throws.

OKC was 23-24 at the line Dallas was 12-23.
 



Gopher_In_NYC said:
Make sure J Mac has a don’t shoot order; his 2 three attempts in that game were comically bad.

SLO Mo had a good game 2, when Rudy was out. Check the box score if you already forgot.
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He did have a good game because there was enough quickness and shooting on the floor to compensate for his slowness and accentuate his strengths, which is court vision, awareness and anticipation.
 


jamiche said:
He did have a good game because there was enough quickness and shooting on the floor to compensate for his slowness and accentuate his strengths, which is court vision, awareness and anticipation.
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Not sure what your post actually is communicating as he had the same teammates for both games. Warren isn’t a better option than Anderson; there’s a reason he was available for a ten game contract towards the end of the season.
 





tikited said:
Of course... Conley is iffy for tonight. Can't make it up.
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I ain't touching this game tonight from a betting standpoint. No way. Can't make myself take one side or the other. Too tough to call

EDIT: From the Action Network, they like the following:

Wolves. (+4.5)
Over (205.5)
Jaden McDaniels Points + Assists. (10.5)
 

JimmyJamesMD said:
I've been calling for Slo mo to take a seat all season. Dont know why TJ Warren can't play a few minutes.

Rudy has been so slow. Naz needs to play a lot more than Rudy
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I hate to do this to you, but this minor piece of analysis from VSiN (the betting website) tells a different story.

"(Those who believe Rudy Gobert is at fault for the Timberwolves’ woes in this series might want to stop reading)

Gobert needs to see a minutes increase tonight, and he should probably match Jokic’s rotations. The Timberwolves’ center was a team-best +9 in the loss to the Nuggets on Sunday. With him on the floor in this series Minnesota has a +3.4 net rating and a 114.0 defensive rating.

The oft-desired Naz Reid sports a -17.5 net rating in his time on the floor in this series, and the Timberwolves allow 115.8 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor. He has the second-worst plus-minus in this series for Minnesota (-32), surpassed only by Nickeil Alexander-Walker (-49). It seemed that Chris Finch made note of Reid’s struggles on Sunday, as he did not see the floor for a minute in the fourth quarter.
 

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