All Things 2024-25 Minnesota Timberwolves In-Season Thread

[jamiche]

They're both 7 footers. G/F are effective for longer in their careers than centers. Only 5 of the top 36 oldest players in the NBA currently are centers. Big men break down much faster.



You're forgetting playoffs. Tatum played in 339 vs Ant's 329.

And it'll be 2 more seasons until Ant is the same age as Tatum when he won his first championship.

The last sentence is irrelevant.

Jamal Murray, another top tier guard, played virtually every game his first three years in the league. Since his fourth year he's played in about half the Nugget's games. There are more Murrays than Tatums.

I decided to drill down a little more on your contention that smalls last longer than bigs. The average height in the league is now slightly over 6'6". In 2023-2024, of the 25 oldest players in the league, 16 were 6'8" or taller.

 

[jamiche]

Gafford is an oddity. His numbers have gotten better every year since he was 23!

Maybe because he splits his time with Lively.

 

[Oneoldgopher]

Maybe because he splits his time with Lively.

Curiously, after reading about splitting the atom, your post inspired me to think creatively about physics. What could happen if we could split time? Fascinating.

Okay, my brain is now bent in a pretzel shape. Thanks for that. I blame you.

Carry on. Good morning. I'll go back to bed now.... not that I'll get any sleep. I just had to read the message board!

 

[jamiche]

Curiously, after reading about splitting the atom, your post inspired me to think creatively about physics. What could happen if we could split time? Fascinating.

Okay, my brain is now bent in a pretzel shape. Thanks for that. I blame you.

Carry on. Good morning. I'll go back to bed now.... not that I'll get any sleep. I just had to read the message board!

Now you've taken me back to the playoffs last year. All those alley oop passes from Doncic or Kyrie to Gafford and Lively with Rudy standing idly by.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

The last sentence is irrelevant.

Jamal Murray, another top tier guard, played virtually every game his first three years in the league. Since his fourth year he's played in about half the Nugget's games. There are more Murrays than Tatums.

I decided to drill down a little more on your contention that smalls last longer than bigs. The average height in the league is now slightly over 6'6". In 2023-2024, of the 25 oldest players in the league, 16 were 6'8" or taller.

You're just cherry picking players here and there to try and convince yourself of some irrational fear you have of Ant getting hurt. Murray's injuries started in year 4 and got worse from there. Yet his last 3 years have been his best years as a player, from the age of 25-27.

My last sentence is not irrelevant. Worrying about Ant being injured when he hasn't missed any significant time due to injury is irrelevant.

It has taken nearly every championship level NBA superstar until they are 26-28 years old to win their first title, and then they go on to win several more after. It takes time to develop to that level. Thinking Ant and the Wolves need to win one before he's 25 is again just stupid.

 

[jamiche]

You're just cherry picking players here and there to try and convince yourself of some irrational fear you have of Ant getting hurt. Murray's injuries started in year 4 and got worse from there. Yet his last 3 years have been his best years as a player, from the age of 25-27.

My last sentence is not irrelevant. Worrying about Ant being injured when he hasn't missed any significant time due to injury is irrelevant.

It has taken nearly every championship level NBA superstar until they are 26-28 years old to win their first title, and then they go on to win several more after. It takes time to develop to that level. Thinking Ant and the Wolves need to win one before he's 25 is again just stupid.

Murray’s first three years in the league he averaged 80 games/year. His last three seasons, 57 games/year. Not really his best years as a player when he’s available less than 70% of the time.

You are citing examples in an attempt to prove a point. I can as well.

I never said Ant had to win a championship now. My point is that his period of peak production is now. In the coming seasons he’s going to start missing games due to wear and tear. He may win a title when he’s past peak production if he has the right surrounding cast.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Murray’s first three years in the league he averaged 80 games/year. His last three seasons, 57 games/year. Not really his best years as a player when he’s available less than 70% of the time.

You are citing examples in an attempt to prove a point. I can as well.

I never said Ant had to win a championship now. My point is that his period of peak production is now. In the coming seasons he’s going to start missing games due to wear and tear. He may win a title when he’s past peak production if he has the right surrounding cast.

And Denver won a title 2 years ago despite less availability from Murray because he was also a better player than he was between the ages of 19-23.

Ant will be in peak production for the next 7-10 years. Thinking this is the best Ant will ever be is nonsense.

And the team is being built with that in mind.

 

[jamiche]

And Denver won a title 2 years ago despite less availability from Murray because he was also a better player than he was between the ages of 19-23.

Ant will be in peak production for the next 7-10 years. Thinking this is the best Ant will ever be is nonsense.

And the team is being built with that in mind.

Denver won the title because Jokic was the best player in the league and they had a talented and deep roster. Murray was available less than 80% of the games and it wasn’t statistically his best year.

Ant staying at his peak for 7-10 more years is based on wishful thinking. I hope you are right but there is no statistical basis for your prediction.

 

[kg21]

Denver won the title because Jokic was the best player in the league and they had a talented and deep roster. Murray was available less than 80% of the games and it wasn’t statistically his best year.

Ant staying at his peak for 7-10 more years is based on wishful thinking. I hope you are right but there is no statistical basis for your prediction.

They peak at 23

LMAO

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Denver won the title because Jokic was the best player in the league and they had a talented and deep roster. Murray was available less than 80% of the games and it wasn’t statistically his best year.

Ant staying at his peak for 7-10 more years is based on wishful thinking. I hope you are right but there is no statistical basis for your prediction.

There is absolutely statistical basis for my prediction, I literally laid out that yesterday that nearly every NBA superstar doesn't win their first title until they are 26-28 years old.

Denver only further proves my point. Jokic and Murray have played together their entire careers. Jokic has been one of the best players in the NBA since he was 23. Yet Denver didn't win a title until Jokic was 28 and Murray was 26.

 

[jamiche]

There is absolutely statistical basis for my prediction, I literally laid out that yesterday that nearly every NBA superstar doesn't win their first title until they are 26-28 years old.

Denver only further proves my point. Jokic and Murray have played together their entire careers. Jokic has been one of the best players in the NBA since he was 23. Yet Denver didn't win a title until Jokic was 28 and Murray was 26.

Murray hasn't been consistently available since his third year. The reason Jokic is still playing well is he didn't play as many games when he was young. You keep talking about titles. That depends on an entire roster. There are many great players who have never won a title. I'm talking about availability.

I debunked your "statistical basis" in an earlier post.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Murray hasn't been consistently available since his third year. The reason Jokic is still playing well is he didn't play as many games when he was young. You keep talking about titles. That depends on an entire roster. There are many great players who have never won a title. I'm talking about availability.

I debunked your "statistical basis" in an earlier post.

You haven't debunked anything. And what are you talking about Jokic not playing as many games when he was young? He's been in the NBA since he was 20 and hasn't missed any significant time due to injury. He played in Serbian pro leagues for 3 years before that. According to you he should be cooked by the age of 25, yet his best years have all been at 25 and older.

We're talking about titles because you keep saying the Wolves are in win now mode. If they're not competing for and winning a title, then who cares? What are they trying to 'win now'?

This continues to be a laughably ridiculous argument by you. There isn't anyone on the planet that thinks this is the best Ant will ever be other than you.

Maybe you should revisit another one of your hot takes that Dillingham is too small to make an impact on this team this year because it's 'football without pads'.

 

[fan of Ray Williams]

Looks like Trae Young and Jalen Johnson are out for tomorrow’s game against the Hawks.

 

[Slim Tubby]

Looks like Trae Young and Jalen Johnson are out for tomorrow’s game against the Hawks.

Johnson is one (1) of the best young players in the league that nobody talks about.

 

[kg21]

Looks like Trae Young and Jalen Johnson are out for tomorrow’s game against the Hawks.

We are perfectly capable of playing down to whoever is out there, unfortunately.

 

[fan of Ray Williams]

Johnson is one (1) of the best young players in the league that nobody talks about.

Nothing to do with what you said, but I watched the final quarter of OKC vs Portland and kept thinking how valuable an addition Hartenstein was for them. And only 26. They keep rolling without Holmgren.

 

[Slim Tubby]

We are perfectly capable of playing down to whoever is out there, unfortunately.

For sure. We even did it last year when we were humming on all cylinders.

 

[Slim Tubby]

Nothing to do with what you said, but I watched the final quarter of OKC vs Portland and kept thinking how valuable an addition Hartenstein was for them. And only 26. They keep rolling without Holmgren.

Hartenstein might even challenge Jalen Williams as their most important player besides SGA. Toughness, rebounding and his assist #'s are incredible for a big guy.

 

[fan of Ray Williams]

Hartenstein might even challenge Jalen Williams as their most important player besides SGA. Toughness, rebounding and his assist #'s are incredible for a big guy.

Announcers were saying the Thunder are the best team in the history of the NBA in their, ( I guess it would be called) turnover ratio. They lead the league in turning you over and lead in not being turned over.