All Things Minnesota Timberwolves 2022-2023 In-Season Thread

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Held them to 76 first half points.

A few said we are athletic, though.
 

From the Parkinglot said:
I can’t believe what this trade has done to stop the progress of ANT. The guy has no clue what he is supposed to do or where he is supposed to be. He is not driving the ball to the basket and is taking too many 3’s which is the worst part of his game.

I am not sure what to think of this mess, but is KAT the cancer of the locker room? This is his 9th year and besides some person accomplishments there is not much to show for his career.
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Go right down the list.

JR Rider Junior plays like ass. He's a hi-lite reel once in a while, but he doesn't play defense, turns the ball over, and many nights just kills you. He just plays stupid. He literally plays losing basketball.

McDaniels is supposed to be this all world defender. He doesn't rotate and people blow by him. fouls out in 17 minutes on the court.......WTF? He was a trash can tonight and has been all season.

DLO, worthless in every facet. Gawd, just boring and worthless.

KAT.......horrific defender, damn good scorer

Slo Mo........I was so excited to get him....what a waste.

No first round picks for years, and I'm saying no playoffs.

And I couldn't wait for this season. The joke is on me again.

Have a great night.
 
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Ant isn't playing well and his attitude and body language are different from his first two seasons. There's a poster who has started calling him JR Rider Jr. The only similarity is they are both black, athletic and about the same size. Ant has played better, more consistent basketball in two seasons than JR has played in his life.
 



There is a lot of fault to allocate in this situation. My ranking:

1. Tim Connelly: He made a move that will impact the franchise for a decade before he found the break room. He pulled off a big balls move, egged on by two guys who don't own the team, without proper assessment of much of anything. Rudy isn't a fit and twenty minutes of YouTube vids would have told him why.
2. DLo: The leader of a pack of guys who are playing for their next contracts. A pg, who doesn't move the ball, plays defense once a week, playing for his own future and who shoots hot and cold, playing the most important position on the floor, is toxic.
3. ARod and Lore: They should probably be at the top of the list. Let them intern in the marketing department until they come up with the cash to buy the team. I'd rather have Glen Taylor and his sleepy ways running the show. At least he has skin in the game.
4. Finch: He looks miserable. There must be some bad shit in the locker room. Hi ability to get his guys to do what he wants them to do has been significantly compromised.
5. Rudy: It's not really his fault. He didn't ask to come here. I know he has big rebounding numbers. When was the last time he secured a contested rebound?
6. Ant: He's playing passive aggressive ball. He's not the same guy.
7. KAT: I think he's trying a lot harder than most of his teammates. I just wish that he would grow up.
 

jamiche said:
There is a lot of fault to allocate in this situation. My ranking:

1. Tim Connelly: He made a move that will impact the franchise for a decade before he found the break room. He pulled off a big balls move, egged on by two guys who don't own the team, without proper assessment of much of anything. Rudy isn't a fit and twenty minutes of YouTube vids would have told him why.
2. DLo: The leader of a pack of guys who are playing for their next contracts. A pg, who doesn't move the ball, plays defense once a week, playing for his own future and who shoots hot and cold, playing the most important position on the floor, is toxic.
3. ARod and Lore: They should probably be at the top of the list. Let them intern in the marketing department until they come up with the cash to buy the team. I'd rather have Glen Taylor and his sleepy ways running the show. At least he has skin in the game.
4. Finch: He looks miserable. There must be some bad shit in the locker room. Hi ability to get his guys to do what he wants them to do has been significantly compromised.
5. Rudy: It's not really his fault. He didn't ask to come here. I know he has big rebounding numbers. When was the last time he secured a contested rebound?
6. Ant: He's playing passive aggressive ball. He's not the same guy.
7. KAT: I think he's trying a lot harder than most of his teammates. I just wish that he would grow up.
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Pretty much this across the board. You nailed #1 very early in this situation. What a poorly run franchise. I hope we can all be proven wrong.
 

jamiche said:
Ant isn't playing well and his attitude and body language are different from his first two seasons. There's a poster who has started calling him JR Rider Jr. The only similarity is they are both black, athletic and about the same size. Ant has played better, more consistent basketball in two seasons than JR has played in his life.
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JR Rider in year 3 for the wolves, 20 ppg, 47% shooting, 37% from 3, 4 rebounds per game, 3 assists per game, and lackadaisical play on the defensive end.....not playing winning basektball

Ant in year 3, 22 ppg, 46% shooting, 35% from 3, 6 rebounds per game, 3 assists per game, and lackadaisical play on the defensive end..........not playing winning basketball.

Both had basically the same stats their first two years, also. Both were physical specimens who could make you jump out of your chair on a play. Look them up. They look identical to me so far.

Ant needs to pick it up on both ends. It's year three and I know the year is early. I am not liking what I am seeing. I'd take Ant over JR, but believe me, you are seeing basically the same thing. We just get mesmerized by the talent.
 
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The "they just need a tougher interior defense and better rebounding" approach isn't working.

Biggest problem for most of last few seasons is still here. They can't shoot. Particularly the 3. That won't work. Either will that damn "chase the ball" defense of theirs. They're also way too lackadaisical with the ball and on the court.

“Right now, I think we have to find a combination of guys that are going to play much harder, give themselves up to what we’re trying to do, and we’re always looking for what we can try to do a little bit better,” coach Chris Finch said. “I need to give them some solutions right now. It’s on me.”

Listen to those words from Edwards and Finch. Speaking openly of their hearts being taken and not playing hard enough. That is not a matter of a schematic element that just isn’t clicking or a shooting slump in a small sample size. That is what is inside this group at the moment, and it starts with their backcourt.

And if that’s not enough, how about assistant coach Micah Nori during his halftime interview with Bally’s Sports North after the Wolves gave up 25 points to the Knicks off 12 turnovers while scoring none themselves. That was indicative of a team that not only was sloppy on offense and lazy in getting back to defend in transition but also a group that didn’t get into the Knicks with any effort to create their own turnovers.

“We need to find five guys that are going to compete, especially on the defensive end of the floor. … At the end of the day, it’s not about scheme, it’s not about this. It’s just about competing,” Nori said. “It’s a shame when you’re 11 games in and talking about competing and playing hard.”..

theathletic.com

The Timberwolves haven't found the heart they had last season

The tension is palpable, as it should be. So what is wrong with these Minnesota Timberwolves?
theathletic.com theathletic.com
 

Iceland12 said:
The "they just need a tougher interior defense and better rebounding" approach isn't working.

Biggest problem for most of last few seasons is still here. They can't shoot. Particularly the 3. That won't work. Either will that damn "chase the ball" defense of theirs. They're also way too lackadaisical with the ball and on the court.

“Right now, I think we have to find a combination of guys that are going to play much harder, give themselves up to what we’re trying to do, and we’re always looking for what we can try to do a little bit better,” coach Chris Finch said. “I need to give them some solutions right now. It’s on me.”

Listen to those words from Edwards and Finch. Speaking openly of their hearts being taken and not playing hard enough. That is not a matter of a schematic element that just isn’t clicking or a shooting slump in a small sample size. That is what is inside this group at the moment, and it starts with their backcourt.

And if that’s not enough, how about assistant coach Micah Nori during his halftime interview with Bally’s Sports North after the Wolves gave up 25 points to the Knicks off 12 turnovers while scoring none themselves. That was indicative of a team that not only was sloppy on offense and lazy in getting back to defend in transition but also a group that didn’t get into the Knicks with any effort to create their own turnovers.

“We need to find five guys that are going to compete, especially on the defensive end of the floor. … At the end of the day, it’s not about scheme, it’s not about this. It’s just about competing,” Nori said. “It’s a shame when you’re 11 games in and talking about competing and playing hard.”..

theathletic.com

The Timberwolves haven't found the heart they had last season

The tension is palpable, as it should be. So what is wrong with these Minnesota Timberwolves?
theathletic.com theathletic.com
Click to expand...

Shooting and not playing hard enough are easily the top 2 issues. It's not roster construction, it's not talent, it's those two things. Spacing on offense has also been terrible. The offensive mined Finch needs to figure out what is supposed to be his specialty, and how to motivate these guys to play harder.
 


kg21 said:
JR Rider in year 3 for the wolves, 20 ppg, 47% shooting, 37% from 3, 4 rebounds per game, 3 assists per game, and lackadaisical play on the defensive end.....not playing winning basektball

Ant in year 3, 22 ppg, 46% shooting, 35% from 3, 6 rebounds per game, 3 assists per game, and lackadaisical play on the defensive end..........not playing winning basketball.

Both had basically the same stats their first two years, also. Both were physical specimens who could make you jump out of your chair on a play. Look them up. They look identical to me so far.

Ant needs to pick it up on both ends. It's year three and I know the year is early. I am not liking what I am seeing. I'd take Ant over JR, but believe me, you are seeing basically the same thing. We just get mesmerized by the talent.
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How many times did you see JR play live. Tell the truth.
 




a few more games like NY, and the front office may be forced to do something.

I don't see any way that Finch gets canned right after signing a contract extension.

my guess is some kind of trade to shake up the lineup....and the locker room.

at this point, I would trade DLo for a bag of balls, but with the salary cap rules, you have to take salary back. best hope is find a team that wants DLo for his expiring contract and take back somebody with a pulse in return.
 

The Timberwolves haven’t found the heart they had last season​

The tension is palpable, as it should be. Players seethed and simmered in the locker room after the game, some misdirecting their frustration at media looking for answers that the players do not appear to have.

“We were losing to the New York Knicks by 30,” Edwards said to Naz Reid and Taurean Prince as he headed to the showers, a tone of exasperation in his voice.

The Wolves have trailed by at least 18 points in five of their 11 games. The clunky play they have exhibited offensively with Gobert in the lineup has been expected and understandable given massive adjustments they have had to make to accommodate him on both ends of the floor. But Gobert wasn’t there to blame on Monday night, sitting out his second straight game while in health and safety protocols. The Timberwolves have yet to deploy any sense of urgency or desperation — the hallmarks of last season’s playoff team — to compensate for the uneven execution that comes with newness.

“We just play soft, man,” Edwards said later at his locker after missing six of his seven 3s and finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds. “Like, every bump, we flying all over the place, including myself. Teams just coming in like, ‘We’re going to take their heart,’ and that’s what’s going on. We’re down 20 every game. We’ve got to figure it out.”

That word — “soft” — carries such a heavy connotation in Minnesota. Towns has heard it for years, ever since Jimmy Butler burned the whole place down on his way out of town. Last year, the Wolves were anything but soft. They fought you tooth and nail, from the opening tip to the final horn, inspiring a long-suffering fan base and achieving more together than any of them would have apart.

This year’s team has outrebounded its opponent twice, given up double-digit offensive rebounds eight times and delivered two truly lethargic performances at home — against San Antonio on the second night of a back-to-back and Monday night against the Knicks.

theathletic.com

The Timberwolves haven't found the heart they had last season

The tension is palpable, as it should be. So what is wrong with these Minnesota Timberwolves?
theathletic.com theathletic.com

Howl Wolves!!
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
Shooting and not playing hard enough are easily the top 2 issues. It's not roster construction, it's not talent, it's those two things. Spacing on offense has also been terrible. The offensive mined Finch needs to figure out what is supposed to be his specialty, and how to motivate these guys to play harder.
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In fairness the two biggest issues come from how the roster was constructed. It amazes me that in a team that has failed to draft good players when they finally do they ship them all off for an old 7 footer who has no offense.
 

From the Parkinglot said:
In fairness the two biggest issues come from how the roster was constructed. It amazes me that in a team that has failed to draft good players when they finally do they ship them all off for an old 7 footer who has no offense.
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The only players they drafted in that trade were Vando and Kessler and Bolmaro. Vando is a wonderful player, but if he's starting for you there is a real ceiling to how good you can me. Kessler and Bolmaro were complete question marks. So this statement doesn't make sense at all.
 

I would honestly like to see what the team looks like with JMac starting and DLo leading the bench unit. Unfortunately there isn't a point guard they can trade for that really makes sense. They need someone to initiate the offense who isn't going to really want a ton of shots. Brunson would have been perfect. The only guy that may be available that kind of makes sense is Tre Jones.
 

mnvballdad said:
The only players they drafted in that trade were Vando and Kessler and Bolmaro. Vando is a wonderful player, but if he's starting for you there is a real ceiling to how good you can me. Kessler and Bolmaro were complete question marks. So this statement doesn't make sense at all.
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So they traded 5 players and 3 of them were guys they drafted. I agree two of them are question marks, but all draft picks are question marks.
 

From the Parkinglot said:
So they traded 5 players and 3 of them were guys they drafted. I agree two of them are question marks, but all draft picks are question marks.
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You said they shipped out all of the good players they drafted. And actually, they didn't even draft Vando. He was a trade from Denver. The only players they traded that they had drafted were Bolmaro and Kessler. So your statement really makes no sense. Now had McDaniels been involved you would be onto something.
 

Another Minnesota team that doesn't disappoint me. But then my expectations are only matched by their pass successes and ownerships basketball acumen.
 

PhiloVance said:
Another Minnesota team that doesn't disappoint me. But then my expectations are only matched by their pass successes and ownerships basketball acumen.
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Lucky you. I've been so thoroughly gaslit by this franchise that I don't know up from down.
 

mnvballdad said:
The only players they drafted in that trade were Vando and Kessler and Bolmaro. Vando is a wonderful player, but if he's starting for you there is a real ceiling to how good you can me. Kessler and Bolmaro were complete question marks. So this statement doesn't make sense at all.
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The Wolves didn't draft Vando. He came with Beasley in the trade with Denver.

Oops. I see that mnvdad already mentioned that.
 

Gobert is back tonight. Can they get him to just sit in the dunker spot offensively so the lane is more open for the drives? At least on the possessions where he isn't involved in a PnR?
 


mnvballdad said:
Gobert is back tonight. Can they get him to just sit in the dunker spot offensively so the lane is more open for the drives? At least on the possessions where he isn't involved in a PnR?
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He would be a hell of a half court player unless everyone had to clear outside the 3 point line after misses.
 



There is a fighting chance that the Gobert trade will over take the Herschel Walker trade as the all time worst trade in Minnesota history.
 

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