All Things Minnesota Timberwolves 2022-2023 In-Season Thread

Donate To GopherHole

Surprisingly it's Wolves 60 Nuggets 55 at the Half.

Reid and the starters got Jokic into foul trouble and he played only 14 minutes. Still got 19pts. 5 rebounds and 6 assists.

Doubtful they can keep him to 14 minutes in the 2nd Half.
 

Iceland12 said:
Surprisingly it's Wolves 60 Nuggets 55 at the Half.

Reid and the starters got Jokic into foul trouble and he played only 14 minutes. Still got 19pts. 5 rebounds and 6 assists.

Doubtful they can keep him to 14 minutes in the 2nd Half.
Click to expand...
Not on a national tv game. The nba wants there stars on the court so I am sure the refs will take notice of that in the second half.
 

Up 5, and went the last 2:51 without a point. Couldn't run an offense or get a good look.

Then, on the other end, they couldn't hope to get a stop on them.

Lather, rinse, repeat!
 



CBS Sports handed out their midseason grades. Anyone want to venture a guess as to how the Timberwolves rated?
 


From the Parkinglot said:
D+
Click to expand...

Minnesota Timberwolves: F​

Yuck. This whole Rudy Gobert trade, which I was enthusiastic about when it happened, has been the complete and total bust that most everyone else predicted. Disgusting fit, and Gobert doesn't even look like the same player himself. He isn't moving the same way he did in Utah. It's hard to put my finger on the difference, but you can just tell when you see it. This season, especially with Donovan Mitchell going nuts, is something of a championship parade for all the people who have long maligned Gobert as overrated and a principal culprit in Utah's shortcomings during his tenure there. I don't want to make the absolutely average results of the Wolves so far all about Gobert, but in the context of what they gave up to get him, and how committed they are to him long term, that's really what this team is all about until a drastic move of either selling Gobert at a significant loss or dealing Karl-Anthony Towns is made. D'Angelo Russell thinks he's way better than he is; he is either going to sign for way too much in Minnesota, walk for nothing this summer, or fetch an underwhelming trade return at the deadline. Worst of all, none of this is set up for Anthony Edwards to thrive. Spacing. Clear offensive vision. Team-wide focus and effort. Just the general vibes around the team. It all stinks in Minnesota right now. The Wolves were supposed to be a contender for a top-four seed and a potential postseason disruptor. Instead, they are a nothing burger. Just another date on the schedule of teams that matter.
 

No Gobert, no Towns and Edwards playing on a bad hip? That is a bad basketball team. They held the line last night for 3 quarters against a much better team and then lost.

The only surprising part was how well they did for those 3 quarters. Two of them with Jokic playing only 14 minutes but still getting 19/5/6. He ended the night with 31/11/13.

Reid and Garza got 17 pts, and Garza got 16. They got 7 rebounds and 2 assists between them. Though without Gobert or Towns gave up 72 points in the paint.

We found out again, that Reid is a power forward and Garza is an asset on offense and abysmal on defense.

Tonight they host Toronto.
 



Breakin' The Plane said:

Minnesota Timberwolves: F​

Yuck. This whole Rudy Gobert trade, which I was enthusiastic about when it happened, has been the complete and total bust that most everyone else predicted. Disgusting fit, and Gobert doesn't even look like the same player himself. He isn't moving the same way he did in Utah. It's hard to put my finger on the difference,..
Click to expand...

And yet there are people that are shocked, shocked when they lose.
 
Last edited:

Iceland12 said:
And yet there are people on here that are shocked, shocked when they lose.
Click to expand...
I’ll say it again I’m only surprised when they win.

Can they just move this crap franchise to Seattle and be done with it. No one has the appetite for a billion dollar new stadium for them to play in in the next 4-5 years.
 






Your right there are a lot of redundant posts. Mine expanded yours using Barkley's own voice.
 




Yep, quite the victory and one heck of a 4th Quarter.

MINNEAPOLIS -- — D’Angelo Russell scored 16 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, Anthony Edwards had 23 and the Minnesota Timberwolves rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors 128-126 on Thursday night.

Kyle Anderson added 20 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, which was down Rudy Gobert and Austin Rivers and playing the second game of a back-to-back after a fourth-quarter collapse a night earlier in Denver.

The Timberwolves erased a 14-point deficit midway through the fourth with a defensive effort not typically seen from Minnesota, particularly without Gobert making an impact down low. Toronto scored just seven points in the final 9:46..

Fred VanVleet added 25 points and 10 assists for the Raptors. Toronto scored 62 points in the paint without Gobert to protect the rim and added 23 fast-break points...

www.espn.com

Timberwolves 128-126 Raptors (Jan 19, 2023) Game Recap - ESPN

Expert recap and game analysis of the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Toronto Raptors NBA game from January 19, 2023 on ESPN.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
 


It's scary to have to count on DLo getting magical in the 4th quarter to get a win against a very average team at home, but I'm happy to take it. Of course, he's still our DLo. He mixed in a couple of "I'm too cool to care" lazy, errant passes in the 4th that nearly killed the comeback.

The wolves' interior defense is nearly helpless without Gobert and Towns. Hopefully, the wolves can get two against Houston and get Gobert back before the schedule gets super nasty again.
 


From the Parkinglot said:
I’ll say it again I’m only surprised when they win.

Can they just move this crap franchise to Seattle and be done with it. No one has the appetite for a billion dollar new stadium for them to play in in the next 4-5 years.
Click to expand...
I have the appetite. I'll take the worst NBA franchise over no NBA franchise. Eventually, somebody is going to get this thing right and I'd like to see it happen here. Once the franchise leaves, it will take 15-30 years to get another one and the arena will cost $2B.

The wolves are never going to Seattle or LV. Those markets are slotted for expansion and will generate at least $3B each for the NBA. However, there are several other places the wolves could move and pay the league a nice "relocation fee."

It's probably a pipe dream but I'm still hoping the Wilfs step in and take over the purchase from ARod and Lore. (A/L stay in as limiteds.) The Wilfs are practically one of us now, the team is more likely to stay, an arena is more likely to be built and operating funds won't be an issue. I'm dreaming, I know.
 

This team was suppose to start Towns, Gobert, Russell, McDaniels and Edwards. With Reid, Prince, McLaughlin, Anderson coming off the bench. That team had a chance to win 50+ and be a Top 4 team in the West.

That team hasn't been available for a long, long time.

With Towns and/or Gobert not available, they have zero interior defense. And any rebounding that's done is almost a fluke.

Last night the Raptors had 62 Points in the paint. Nuggets got 72, the Jazz had 60. That changes with a healthy Gobert. Probably changes a lot more adding Towns alongside of him.

It was a bad trade and this presently is a mediocre team. The last 2 games were decided because a couple of players on the Nuggets got hot in the 4th Wednesday and Russell got hot in the 4th last night.

We've learned that Russell should not be the primary ball handler, but can be a valuable, but streaky shooter. Nowell is very streaky player. There's a reason why teams keep getting rid of Rivers and Garza is a useful Offensive player but he can't play Defense and get a contested rebound.

We've learned that teams are now smart enough to play their defense to limit passes inside to Gobert and force the Wolves to make shots from the outside to beat them. Most often the Wolves can't but when they do they can win.

Wolves won't win more than half the time if they can't get Gobert some help inside and get another dependable ball handler. Hope when they trade Russell they can at least get the latter.
 
Last edited:

Trade deadline rumors from The Athletic. Trade rumors in the NBA virtually never happen as rumored. Though still fun to look at.

The Athletic has 25 players on their "speculation" list. Two involves the Wolves. The Naz Reid rumor REALLY sounds like a stretch. A number of sources have speculated on a Conley or even a Kyle Lowry trade for the Wolves.

Naz Reid​

The fourth-year big might be this trade deadline’s version of Vizzini’s Riddle (no, not Vecenie’s). With Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert hurt, the Minnesota Timberwolves can clearly not afford to trade him. However, with around $270 million committed to Gobert and Towns through the 2025-26 season (and after that, some really expensive years remaining on Towns’ yet-to-kick-in extension), the Timberwolves can clearly not afford to keep Reid. The thing is, were the Wolves in a position to deal, Reid should have value, having emerged as a solid if unspectacular two-way center who can space the floor a little, rebound and protect the rim. Certainly a few contenders — LA Clippers and Brooklyn Nets come immediately to mind — could do with a player of that profile, but with Reid making only $1.9 million and entering unrestricted free agency, getting a decent return could prove challenging. — Partnow

Mike Conley​

The 35-year old point guard is still a wonderful pick-and-roll operator who has been key for the Jazz offensively. Conley has one more year remaining on his contract; the team holding his rights can either pay $24.4 million to have him on the roster or $14.3 million to waive him, so Jazz president Danny Ainge would presumably seek out a trade partner that wants Conley on its roster for 2023-24. More significant assets could be on the table in a potential Conley trade if the Jazz are willing to take on salary for 2023-24 and possibly beyond – a distinct possibility, as moving Conley would indicate the Jazz are not pushing for wins over the next two seasons. A reunion with Gobert on the Timberwolves makes a lot of sense because it’s hard to see the Wolves to add an offensive player as good as Conley using their modest upcoming cap space or via a sign-and-trade involving free-agent-to-be D’Angelo Russell. Keep an eye on those negotiations. — Leroux
 

Iceland12 said:
Trade deadline rumors from The Athletic. Trade rumors in the NBA virtually never happen as rumored. Though still fun to look at.

The Athletic has 25 players on their "speculation" list. Two involves the Wolves. The Naz Reid rumor REALLY sounds like a stretch. A number of sources have speculated on a Conley or even a Kyle Lowry trade for the Wolves.

Naz Reid​

The fourth-year big might be this trade deadline’s version of Vizzini’s Riddle (no, not Vecenie’s). With Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert hurt, the Minnesota Timberwolves can clearly not afford to trade him. However, with around $270 million committed to Gobert and Towns through the 2025-26 season (and after that, some really expensive years remaining on Towns’ yet-to-kick-in extension), the Timberwolves can clearly not afford to keep Reid. The thing is, were the Wolves in a position to deal, Reid should have value, having emerged as a solid if unspectacular two-way center who can space the floor a little, rebound and protect the rim. Certainly a few contenders — LA Clippers and Brooklyn Nets come immediately to mind — could do with a player of that profile, but with Reid making only $1.9 million and entering unrestricted free agency, getting a decent return could prove challenging. — Partnow

Mike Conley​

The 35-year old point guard is still a wonderful pick-and-roll operator who has been key for the Jazz offensively. Conley has one more year remaining on his contract; the team holding his rights can either pay $24.4 million to have him on the roster or $14.3 million to waive him, so Jazz president Danny Ainge would presumably seek out a trade partner that wants Conley on its roster for 2023-24. More significant assets could be on the table in a potential Conley trade if the Jazz are willing to take on salary for 2023-24 and possibly beyond – a distinct possibility, as moving Conley would indicate the Jazz are not pushing for wins over the next two seasons. A reunion with Gobert on the Timberwolves makes a lot of sense because it’s hard to see the Wolves to add an offensive player as good as Conley using their modest upcoming cap space or via a sign-and-trade involving free-agent-to-be D’Angelo Russell. Keep an eye on those negotiations. — Leroux
Click to expand...

I would love to add Mike Conley to this team.
 


Fun game last night. I turned to my friend and offered up a $100 bet when he said the Wolves would get it under 10 at some point in the game (We just got down by 18). I'm glad he chickened out.
 

KAT chimes in on his injury:

"It was never a Grade 2 [strain], it was never going to be a Grade 2, unfortunately," Towns said on his livestream. "I prayed to God almighty that it was a Grade 2, but I knew it wasn't. It was a Grade 3."


Towns took issue with a reported timetable of four to six weeks for giving fans "false hope" he might return sooner than anticipated.

"I wish it was four to six weeks. I knew then it wasn't going to be four to six," Towns said. "The team was trying to say four to six. There was no way with the injury I sustained, it's a very significant injury. I don't know if they were trying to give false hope to the fans or what the case may be."

The four- to six-week timetable stemmed from an ESPN report that cited sources saying Towns could return in that time. It was also used in the headline of the piece.

That timetable was never offered publicly by the team. The team, in a news release after Towns had further testing following the injury, said Towns would be sidelined "indefinitely." Finch, when asked many times about Towns' recovery, has never put a firm timetable on Towns' return, often repeating that it would take many weeks.

www.startribune.com

As Timberwolves strive to stay afloat, Karl-Anthony Towns speaks up

On a Twitch stream, Towns indicated frustration about a too-optimistic timeframe for recovery.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Howl Wolves!!
 

It was enough to prompt veteran Kyle Anderson to conjure images of Will Smith hollering at Martin Lawrence in “Bad Boys II.”

“‘From now on, that’s how you shoot!’” Anderson said, mimicking the famous line with a wide smile. “I’d say when he’s knocking down shots like that, that’s the Lo we know and the Lo we love.”

In 22 games since Dec. 1, Russell is shooting 49.8 percent from the field, 42.0 percent from 3 and 93.1 percent on free throws, the hallowed 50/40/90 club. It has been exactly what the Wolves needed, especially after Karl-Anthony Towns went down with a calf strain at the end of November.

So, the question becomes: Do the Timberwolves really want to trade him?

Russell has settled into an offensive role that is more off the ball, trying to give more opportunities to Edwards to run the show. The result has been one of those shooting runs that Russell has become known for in eight seasons in the league, with the Wolves trying to ride the wave as long as it lasts. For a team that has been short on shooting and needs to scratch and claw its way back into the playoff conversation, Russell’s reliability from the perimeter has been important..

Since acquiring him in a trade with Golden State in 2020, they have seen the highs and the lows..

For as great as Russell was in the fourth quarter Thursday, the Wolves have also seen him when he doesn’t have it going. In the first three quarters, he was 1-for-6 from 3 with two turnovers and four assists in 22 minutes. The previous night in Denver, Russell had a bad turnover and shot a corner 3 off the side of the backboard in the closing minutes as the Wolves let a five-point lead slip away. He was benched at the end of Game 6 of the playoff series against Memphis because he was ineffective, and Finch has closed games without him this season as well, primarily because of his lack of effort on defense..

Russell has also struggled to build a chemistry with Rudy Gobert in the pick-and-roll game, leading fans to wonder if a more traditional point guard would better fit the Timberwolves going forward..

So the Wolves could consider trading him to preserve his salary slot and, perhaps, find a more consistent player, if not one who is capable of taking over a game the way Russell did against the Raptors. Miami’s Kyle Lowry and Utah’s Mike Conley are among the names being mentioned in the always-thirsty NBA rumor mill, but no deal appears close to being completed.

While the market does not appear to be particularly hot for Russell, a night like Thursday could entice a playoff team to take a chance on a player with legitimate crunchtime credentials. Other teams could look to move players with multiple years on their deals and take on his expiring contract as a means of creating cap space this summer.

theathletic.com

As trade deadline nears, D'Angelo Russell gives us something to think about

Russell's game and impact is known to fluctuate, and we saw both sides of the coin Thursday night against the Raptors.
theathletic.com theathletic.com
 
Last edited:

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom