All Things Minnesota Timberwolves 2022-2023 In-Season Thread

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I'm sorry, none of you deserve this shit!

And JR Rider Junior........can you pull your head out of your ass. My gawd.

I will be taking a break from here. Can one of you get this to at least be watchable sometime?

Good Night!
 
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The Suns would still be kicking our ass without the NBA referee caste system.

Really sucks entertainment value from the game.
 

The wolves are just simply losing a math problem game in and game out. They take and make less 3’s than their opponents and it makes winning very difficult as you have to be perfect in every other facet of the game.

Tonight wolves are 6-19 for 18 points from 3. Suns are 14-28 for 42 points from 3. That’s a 24 point difference and while it’s not the main reason they are losing tonight it’s an issue.
 


From the Parkinglot said:
The wolves are just simply losing a math problem game in and game out. They take and make less 3’s than their opponents and it makes winning very difficult as you have to be perfect in every other facet of the game.

Tonight wolves are 6-19 for 18 points from 3. Suns are 14-28 for 42 points from 3. That’s a 24 point difference and while it’s not the main reason they are losing tonight it’s an issue.
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The Wolves are in the top third of the league in 3PA. We just aren't making them. Specifically, our high volume PG is shooting 5.5 per game and shooting under 30%. Nowell is also shooting a high volume and right around 30%.

We are taking enough 3's, we just aren't making them.

As far as our defense on the perimeter. . . woof. Our guards are horrific on the defensive side of the ball including Ant.
 

Just zero effort again last night. How you can you as a player coming off of a promising season with high expectations this season, just go out and give zero effort every night? DLo has been the worst, but it's not just him, it's the whole team.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
The Wolves are in the top third of the league in 3PA. We just aren't making them. Specifically, our high volume PG is shooting 5.5 per game and shooting under 30%. Nowell is also shooting a high volume and right around 30%.

We are taking enough 3's, we just aren't making them.

As far as our defense on the perimeter. . . woof. Our guards are horrific on the defensive side of the ball including Ant.
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That’s the problem and the Rudy trade was not a positive trade to help their shooting percentage from 3.
 




Again, they couldn't hit the 3, even the open ones. And that "chase the ball" defense just leads to open shots for Phoenix.

Can't talk about the whole game. Quit watching early in the 3rd to watch the Wild and MAC Football.

Yep, MAC Football..
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
Just zero effort again last night. How you can you as a player coming off of a promising season with high expectations this season, just go out and give zero effort every night? DLo has been the worst, but it's not just him, it's the whole team.
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There thinking, instead of reacting. Which will always manifest as zero effort. I’d also expect that to decrease shooting. IMHO.
 

Last night was my second in person game this season. I left two minutes into Q4, which is two minutes longer than I lasted during the first game. I suppose that's progress.

I'm shocked by how bad they are.

The problems are systemic and a hoops writer who gets paid to, well, write hoops would easily need 1,500-2,000 words to diagnose this organization's problems and throw out potential solutions. I'll share a few observations over a few sentences:

1. To the people who say talk about a shooting slump, I suggest it's because they are well defended. They don't move the ball and their offense is super predictable, so almost no open looks.

2. They don't defend, particularly on the perimeter. Any team that moves the ball will have multiple open looks at the 3 pt line on any possession. That's a lack of hustle, not a lack of scheme.

3. I read someone (non local) before the season critiquing Rudy for never working on his game during the off season. The writer (don't remember who) was correct. Rudy sets very effective screens on the perimeter and either rescreens or rolls to the basket. He never, ever does a pick and pop. Because he can't. If he was any kind of a three point threat, like many big men are today, it would open so many things up. Rudy should have been putting up 500 3's/day during the summer over the last ten seasons. (BTW, Rudy was one of the better players last night. He didn't look so clumsy.)

4. It's not all DLo's fault at all, but he's the first one who needs to be traded. Whatever they can get for him is what they should get. His value is solely his contract, not his play. Given the performance and body language on the court, it's easy to predict that one or more of the wolves key players will demand a trade in the off season or, possibly, at the trade deadline. Rudy is a sunk cost so the wolves will have to accommodate the demand(s) to try to recreate a future for this franchise. That's a damn shame.

5. In the highly unlikely event that there is some kind of an out clause in Connelly's contract, it should be exercised. What he has done is indefensible.
 

Does it happen often that a player isn’t on the court. Leaving it a 4 on 5?
 



atsgopher said:
There thinking, instead of reacting. Which will always manifest as zero effort. I’d also expect that to decrease shooting. IMHO.
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I think there is plenty of truth to this. Towns especially looks like he's constantly overthinking. And he's still been their best player.
 

jamiche said:
Last night was my second in person game this season. I left two minutes into Q4, which is two minutes longer than I lasted during the first game. I suppose that's progress.

I'm shocked by how bad they are.

The problems are systemic and a hoops writer who gets paid to, well, write hoops would easily need 1,500-2,000 words to diagnose this organization's problems and throw out potential solutions. I'll share a few observations over a few sentences:

1. To the people who say talk about a shooting slump, I suggest it's because they are well defended. They don't move the ball and their offense is super predictable, so almost no open looks.

2. They don't defend, particularly on the perimeter. Any team that moves the ball will have multiple open looks at the 3 pt line on any possession. That's a lack of hustle, not a lack of scheme.

3. I read someone (non local) before the season critiquing Rudy for never working on his game during the off season. The writer (don't remember who) was correct. Rudy sets very effective screens on the perimeter and either rescreens or rolls to the basket. He never, ever does a pick and pop. Because he can't. If he was any kind of a three point threat, like many big men are today, it would open so many things up. Rudy should have been putting up 500 3's/day during the summer over the last ten seasons. (BTW, Rudy was one of the better players last night. He didn't look so clumsy.)

4. It's not all DLo's fault at all, but he's the first one who needs to be traded. Whatever they can get for him is what they should get. His value is solely his contract, not his play. Given the performance and body language on the court, it's easy to predict that one or more of the wolves key players will demand a trade in the off season or, possibly, at the trade deadline. Rudy is a sunk cost so the wolves will have to accommodate the demand(s) to try to recreate a future for this franchise. That's a damn shame.

5. In the highly unlikely event that there is some kind of an out clause in Connelly's contract, it should be exercised. What he has done is indefensible.
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1. B.S. They are getting plenty of open 3's and they're missing those too. Though maybe you're too busy taking notes to notice.

2. Mostly b.s. They chase the ball which always leaves a man open. That's math not "a lack of hustle or scheme".

Look at the bright side. Once they leave , no more Taylor, A-Rod or Lore and you won't have to pay to see them.
 


jamiche said:
5. In the highly unlikely event that there is some kind of an out clause in Connelly's contract, it should be exercised. What he has done is indefensible.
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While I agree with some of your post, I'll disagree with this. I said as soon as the offseason started that they needed to trade Towns and rebuild around Ant, which was scoffed at on here. If that was off the table and they were going to give Towns the max extension, the only option was to add a defensive center to play next to him. That's the path they chose.

This team is not that different than last year's team. Swapping Gobert, Anderson, and increasing Nowell's PT for Beasley, Beverly, and Vando should be a positive for the Wolves. That's the only changes from last year's team. It's not like the entire roster was turned over.

Defensively this team is in the middle of the pack which is about where they were last season. The biggest difference is they have gone from 12th in 3 point percentage to 26th. Nowell's stats have been pretty comparable to Beasley's this season, and Vando and Beverly are not 3 point shooters.

Something needs to change with the offense, which is the #1 issue. The spacing and ball movement is terrible, and KAT, Ant, and DLo are not shooting 3's the way they are capable of shooting them. That's on those players and Finch, who were all here last season.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
I think there is plenty of truth to this. Towns especially looks like he's constantly overthinking. And he's still been their best player.
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Agreed. He’s always been a player that “got his.” So he’s never really tried unselfish ball. I’ve seen it a few times, where he looks to trying to force himself to get it to Rudy. I have also thought he has improved a little at times, but it’s really inconsistent.

From coaching experience, it seems like to these guys are confused. When that happens it zaps their energy, and normal skills diminish (i.e. shooting).

If it is correct, it might be actually good pain. Really depends on the guys responses to it.

Imagine if they were shooting really well from 3. We’d be in games, but the stuff they need to really excel wouldn’t be highlighted.
 

Iceland12 said:
1. B.S. They are getting plenty of open 3's and they're missing those too. Though maybe you're too busy taking notes to notice.

2. Mostly b.s. They chase the ball which always leaves a man open. That's math not "a lack of hustle or scheme".

At least you're consistent.

Look at the bright side. Once they leave you won't have to go see them.
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Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

Nope. Comparative few open three's. Especially in the corner, the easiest ones. KAT does get some decent looks when he parks himself 4-5 feet behind the line up top. Most teams will concede those, even for KAT. When he's right at the three pt line, they are up on him.

I don't know what games you watch, but "Wolves" and "chase the ball" don't belong in the same sentence this year. J-Mac is the exception.

Sorry, ice. The wolves getting blown off the court by teams that move the ball, play defense, hustle and break them down quickly and easily. The differences are obvious.

Your trope that I'll be happy when they leave is as stupid as it is stale.
 

jamiche said:
Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

Nope. Comparative few open three's. Especially in the corner, the easiest ones. KAT does get some decent looks when he parks himself 4-5 feet behind the line up top. Most teams will concede those, even for KAT. When he's right at the three pt line, they are up on him.

I don't know what games you watch, but "Wolves" and "chase the ball" don't belong in the same sentence this year. J-Mac is the exception.

Sorry, ice. The wolves getting blown off the court by teams that move the ball, play defense, hustle and break them down quickly and easily. The differences are obvious.

Your trope that I'll be happy when they leave is as stupid as it is stale.
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Slept pretty well. Thanks for asking. As for your response?

You talking about stale tropes! Thought you just copied and pasted your epistles.

By the way, didn't say you'd be happy when they leave, just that you won't have to pay to see them.

Understandable. Doubt you ever read to understand, you're too busy planning on your response to do that.
 
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GopherWeatherGuy said:
While I agree with some of your post, I'll disagree with this. I said as soon as the offseason started that they needed to trade Towns and rebuild around Ant, which was scoffed at on here. If that was off the table and they were going to give Towns the max extension, the only option was to add a defensive center to play next to him. That's the path they chose.

This team is not that different than last year's team. Swapping Gobert, Anderson, and increasing Nowell's PT for Beasley, Beverly, and Vando should be a positive for the Wolves. That's the only changes from last year's team. It's not like the entire roster was turned over.

Defensively this team is in the middle of the pack which is about where they were last season. The biggest difference is they have gone from 12th in 3 point percentage to 26th. Nowell's stats have been pretty comparable to Beasley's this season, and Vando and Beverly are not 3 point shooters.

Something needs to change with the offense, which is the #1 issue. The spacing and ball movement is terrible, and KAT, Ant, and DLo are not shooting 3's the way they are capable of shooting them. That's on those players and Finch, who were all here last season.
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I thought it was a good trade because it made so much sense on paper. I was squeamish about the draft picks but I bought into the rationale about the price for keeping McDaniels.

As I've said, I never paid much attention to Gobert until after the trade. I started looking at videos of his game this summer, particularly the Euro tournament. I thought he looked really slow. I still thought it was a good trade because I figured that Connelly and Co. had figured it out and knew how to fully maximize his strengths. I also assumed there would be an adjustment/integration period.

The roster is a lot different than last year. Vando, Beasley and Beverly are quicker than Gobert and Anderson. Vando and Beverly hustled like crazy last year and provided defensive intensity that we haven't seen this year. I haven't looked up the wolves' three point defense numbers, but I would be surprised if it is middle of the pack this year. That's where they are getting killed.

I don't know if there are stats for this, but I'll bet the wolves lead the league at complaining to the refs about non calls while the other team speeds down the court with the ball that's a four on five defensive scheme. Open looks.

Offensively, Ant stands in the corner when he doesn't have the ball. That's enables a five on four defensive scheme. DL over dribbles. Rudy isn't here for his passing. KAT's trying to move the ball, but he's also not a great passer. All in all, not a lot of open looks.

You can look at the whole picture and break it down. It's not one or two things. There are a lot of repairs to make and the players have to buy in.
 


Souhan chimes in:

D'Angelo Russell's lacking play has been a problem for too long​


We know now what we should have known then. The Timberwolves never should have made the big trade.

They took a chance on upgrading their size and productivity at a position of need, which sounded like a good idea but became a disaster.

If you think this is about Rudy Gobert, you haven't been watching closely.

With most of the precincts reporting, it's clear now that former general manager Gersson Rosas blew it when trading Andrew Wiggins and a first-round draft pick for D'Angelo Russell.

D-Lo has gone D-Lower.

www.startribune.com

Souhan: Russell's lacking play has been a problem for too long

The guard is an anchor on a Timberwolves team in disarray to start this season. Wednesday brought another example.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Howl Wolves!!
 

Iceland12 said:
Slept pretty well. Thanks for asking. As for your response?

You talking about stale tropes! Thought you just copied and pasted your epistles.

By the way, didn't say you'd be happy when they leave, just that you won't have to pay to see them.

Understandable. Doubt you ever read to understand, you're too busy planning on your response to do that.
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You keep reading my "epistles," ice.
 







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