All Things Minnesota Timberwolves 2022-2023 In-Season Thread

[From the Parkinglot]

4-23 from 3 through 3 quarters is an amazing feat in todays nba.

 

[kg21]

4-23 from 3 through 3 quarters is an amazing feat in todays nba.

layup after layup after layup after layup

and we start 6'10, 6'10, and 7'1

There would be very little at the rim. LMAO

I said after the first game we have the slowest feet in the NBA, and it may not even be close.

 

[kg21]

4-23 from 3 through 3 quarters is an amazing feat in todays nba.

We don't have shooters. Not surprised at all. KAT is hit or miss. JR Rider is all over the place as usual.

McDaniels, I'm sorry! What was the big deal in keeping him. Invisible, but picking up fouls 30 feet from the basket is aggressive defense I guess.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

So the twin towers or local defense allowed 60 points in the paint while only scoring 46 is amazing.

 

[atsgopher]

We don't have shooters. Not surprised at all. KAT is hit or miss. JR Rider is all over the place as usual.

McDaniels, I'm sorry! What was the big deal in keeping him. Invisible, but picking up fouls 30 feet from the basket is aggressive defense I guess.

If they started to play 3 minutes earlier….

 

[kg21]

If they started to play 3 minutes earlier….

We had a hell of a time keeping players in front of us last year, and that's with Vanderbilt and Beverly, far better defensive players than anything we have now.

I believe the sky is falling.

 

[kg21]

So the twin towers or local defense allowed 60 points in the paint while only scoring 46 is amazing.

Yes, and a huge part of that is getting beat down the floor. KAT and Ant are busy arguing with the refs and DLO is jogging back.

I thought with Gobert, the middle would be shut down, but I didn't think it through with the putrid defense around him.

They go past us on the perimeter as if I were guarding them. It's just unreal.

 

[kg21]

Minnesota Sports!

I thought the gophers would win the west, and I thought the wolves could finish top 4 in the west.

Yes, Minnesota Sports. And when they do it to you, they leave absolutely no doubt.

Finch seems pissed in the postgame.

 

[tikited]

This just in! The Wolves are a lazy team. No interest in playing defense at all. I hated the big trade when it happened and hate it more now.

 

[kg21]

This just in! The Wolves are a lazy team. No interest in playing defense at all. I hated the big trade when it happened and hate it more now.

In thinking ahead, they won't sign DLO, and will trade Towns. You heard it here first. Towns will be traded for some athleticism.

 

[tikited]

In thinking ahead, they won't sign DLO, and will trade Towns. You heard it here first. Towns will be traded for some athleticism.

I hope so.

 

[jamiche]

I was at the game and I left after the third quarter. That might be the earliest I've ever left a sporting event.

I should have left sooner.

Rudy and the Rudy trade is even worse than I thought. As I said earlier, I never paid that much attention to his game. Whatever he was, he ain't that now. He's incredibly slow and he has hands of stone. Something named Jacob Poetl dominated him on both ends of the floor. The guy who backs up Poetl (Collins), dominated Rudy. The Spurs players were just flying at him all game long and they owned his paint.

Chris Finch needs to spend a year sitting by Greg Popovich. No matter how much or how little talent Pop has, his teams always play the same. They move the ball, play amazing team defense and they work super hard. They made the Iso Wolves look silly. The wolves supposedly have three of the top 30 players in the league on their roster and they were down by 35 to the Spurs on their home floor when I left.

I didn't see Tim Connelly sitting where the wolves' POBO's traditionally sit. He would be wise to keep a low profile around Target Center this year. It looks like he just completed the NBA version of the Hershel Walker trade.

 

[jamiche]

In thinking ahead, they won't sign DLO, and will trade Towns. You heard it here first. Towns will be traded for some athleticism.

You aren't the first person to figure that one out. They are going to have to trade Towns to recoup some of the sunk cost from the Rudy trade. That was always a possibility. Unfortunately, it's going to happen much soon than Connelly ever anticipated. They may also have to trade Edwards. He has always played with a big smile on his face. So far this year he has looked super unhappy.

 

[kg21]

You aren't the first person to figure that one out. They are going to have to trade Towns to recoup some of the sunk cost from the Rudy trade. That was always a possibility. Unfortunately, it's going to happen much soon than Connelly ever anticipated. They may also have to trade Edwards. He has always played with a big smile on his face. So far this year he has looked super unhappy.

He was smiling all night tonight. Even down 30.

I can live with the Gobert trade if they trade McDaniels. Then we don't give up near as much.

I am not a McDaniels fan. What did you see from him tonight? He is little threat to score. He tries to guard 30 feet out and either picks up a foul or the guy goes by him, because he is so far out. He is stick thin and has no physicality. I just don't see it. You'll get the hi-light dunk or spin move every so often, but at the end of the day, what did you get? He had something like 4 points tonight and 3 boards(PUKE)

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

I thought the gophers would win the west, and I thought the wolves could finish top 4 in the west.

Yes, Minnesota Sports. And when they do it to you, they leave absolutely no doubt.

Finch seems pissed in the postgame.

You days of being quoted as a source on the internet are over

 

[tikited]

You aren't the first person to figure that one out. They are going to have to trade Towns to recoup some of the sunk cost from the Rudy trade. That was always a possibility. Unfortunately, it's going to happen much soon than Connelly ever anticipated. They may also have to trade Edwards. He has always played with a big smile on his face. So far this year he has looked super unhappy.

Reality says we resign D-Lo and keep Kat. Ant then demands out.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

I was at the game and I left after the third quarter. That might be the earliest I've ever left a sporting event.

I should have left sooner.

Rudy and the Rudy trade is even worse than I thought. As I said earlier, I never paid that much attention to his game. Whatever he was, he ain't that now. He's incredibly slow and he has hands of stone. Something named Jacob Poetl dominated him on both ends of the floor. The guy who backs up Poetl (Collins), dominated Rudy. The Spurs players were just flying at him all game long and they owned his paint.

Chris Finch needs to spend a year sitting by Greg Popovich. No matter how much or how little talent Pop has, his teams always play the same. They move the ball, play amazing team defense and they work super hard. They made the Iso Wolves look silly. The wolves supposedly have three of the top 30 players in the league on their roster and they were down by 35 to the Spurs on their home floor when I left.

I didn't see Tim Connelly sitting where the wolves' POBO's traditionally sit. He would be wise to keep a low profile around Target Center this year. It looks like he just completed the NBA version of the Hershel Walker trade.

Rudy for Senate!

 

[kg21]

Reality says we resign D-Lo and keep Kat. Ant then demands out.

DLO plays absolutely NO DEFENSE. None.......if they resign him, I may have to cheer for another team.

Ant is not demanding out, but this guy is so inconsistent, I still question what they have with him. It's year 3 now.

 

[Go4]

this is a bad and disappointing start to the season. sure hope this isn't herschel walker 2.0

 

[howeda7]

Rudy for Senate!

I hope he goes on to a career in law enforcement...

 

[HitMeAgainIAmStillMoving]

I wonder if we could put a package together for Westbrook.

 

[atsgopher]

I wonder if we could put a package together for Westbrook.

Yes we do have extra basketballs.

 

[tmvander]

I'll say this...last year we started like 4-9 and really turned it on as the year went on. I'm hoping this is the same thing and we're just starting slow. Look around the league at some of the unusual slow starts.

Finch needs to give half of his salary to have a demonologist, hype man, or whatever come in at half time and figure out this team before a 3rd quarter starts. These guys coming out after halftime is making Finch look like a total dink.

 

[BleedGopher]

The Athletic: The Timberwolves have a mess on their hands after wipeout by the Spurs

The Timberwolves fully expected to have their struggles early in the season. They made a sea change trade for Rudy Gobert and set out with an ambitious plan to zag with a super-sized frontcourt while so much of the league was zigging with smaller lineups. It is still far too early to make any judgments one way or the other. The Wolves are just four games in and still learning each other and adapting to a style of play that is far different from last season.

But the totality of San Antonio’s victory on Monday night was enough to put the Wolves on notice for the first time in this young season. They are 2-2 in what was supposed to be a soft opening to the schedule, with home losses to Utah and San Antonio and both wins coming against lowly Oklahoma City. The Jazz (3-1), who also have wins over Denver and New Orleans, and the Spurs (3-1), who also won at Philadelphia on Saturday, have punched above their expected weight so far this season. But losing a game wasn’t the main issue for the Wolves on Friday night.

This performance was about more than a team that is still getting to know each other. It was about more than learning how to play with two bigs or even about running into a team on an unexpected hot streak.

The problems that the Timberwolves had on Monday night against San Antonio seemed more deeply rooted, and thus more concerning. Playing a team with nowhere near the talent that they have, they allowed the Spurs to run circles around them all night long, a bigger indictment on their hearts than on their ability.

“We knew they’re a hard playing team and this is two hard-playing teams that have come in here and played the game the right way and made more efforts than us,” Finch said. “Those aren’t things that we certainly can tolerate.”

There are plenty around the league with doubts that a Karl-Anthony Towns-Gobert frontcourt pairing can work from a schematic standpoint. In this wipeout, there were plenty of systematic breakdowns. It generally took the Spurs no more than two passes to get a wide open shot against the slow-footed halfcourt defense. The Wolves were even worse in transition, getting outscored 24-2 through the first three quarters. And they were 8-for-31 (.258) from 3-point range, including 4-for-21 (.190) through the first three quarters before padding their stats in garbage time.

Those things can be ironed out with time. It wouldn’t be a surprise if it took the Wolves 15 games or more to get on the same page both offensively and defensively. Remember, they started last season 4-9 before finding themselves and putting together a highly enjoyable run to the playoffs.

What is more concerning is just how lifeless the Timberwolves looked in their third home game of the season. They did not get back on defense. They did not share the ball. Anthony Edwards spent most of the first half standing in the corner and the rest of the game missing layups. Towns couldn’t score against Tre Jones in the post. D’Angelo Russell couldn’t stay in front of the Spurs guards or get his teammates involved in the offense.

The Timberwolves have a mess on their hands after wipeout by the Spurs

'They kicked our ass and we felt it,' coach Finch said. So what is wrong with this Wolves team that has such high expectations?

theathletic.com

Howl Wolves!!

 

[jamiche]

The Athletic: The Timberwolves have a mess on their hands after wipeout by the Spurs

The Timberwolves fully expected to have their struggles early in the season. They made a sea change trade for Rudy Gobert and set out with an ambitious plan to zag with a super-sized frontcourt while so much of the league was zigging with smaller lineups. It is still far too early to make any judgments one way or the other. The Wolves are just four games in and still learning each other and adapting to a style of play that is far different from last season.

But the totality of San Antonio’s victory on Monday night was enough to put the Wolves on notice for the first time in this young season. They are 2-2 in what was supposed to be a soft opening to the schedule, with home losses to Utah and San Antonio and both wins coming against lowly Oklahoma City. The Jazz (3-1), who also have wins over Denver and New Orleans, and the Spurs (3-1), who also won at Philadelphia on Saturday, have punched above their expected weight so far this season. But losing a game wasn’t the main issue for the Wolves on Friday night.

This performance was about more than a team that is still getting to know each other. It was about more than learning how to play with two bigs or even about running into a team on an unexpected hot streak.

The problems that the Timberwolves had on Monday night against San Antonio seemed more deeply rooted, and thus more concerning. Playing a team with nowhere near the talent that they have, they allowed the Spurs to run circles around them all night long, a bigger indictment on their hearts than on their ability.

“We knew they’re a hard playing team and this is two hard-playing teams that have come in here and played the game the right way and made more efforts than us,” Finch said. “Those aren’t things that we certainly can tolerate.”

There are plenty around the league with doubts that a Karl-Anthony Towns-Gobert frontcourt pairing can work from a schematic standpoint. In this wipeout, there were plenty of systematic breakdowns. It generally took the Spurs no more than two passes to get a wide open shot against the slow-footed halfcourt defense. The Wolves were even worse in transition, getting outscored 24-2 through the first three quarters. And they were 8-for-31 (.258) from 3-point range, including 4-for-21 (.190) through the first three quarters before padding their stats in garbage time.

Those things can be ironed out with time. It wouldn’t be a surprise if it took the Wolves 15 games or more to get on the same page both offensively and defensively. Remember, they started last season 4-9 before finding themselves and putting together a highly enjoyable run to the playoffs.

What is more concerning is just how lifeless the Timberwolves looked in their third home game of the season. They did not get back on defense. They did not share the ball. Anthony Edwards spent most of the first half standing in the corner and the rest of the game missing layups. Towns couldn’t score against Tre Jones in the post. D’Angelo Russell couldn’t stay in front of the Spurs guards or get his teammates involved in the offense.

The Timberwolves have a mess on their hands after wipeout by the Spurs

'They kicked our ass and we felt it,' coach Finch said. So what is wrong with this Wolves team that has such high expectations?

theathletic.com

Howl Wolves!!

I think it's a pretty accurate assessment. Ironically, KAT is the guy who has done the best job of getting Rudy the ball at the rim (and it really has to be at the rim) through the first four games.

Whoever wrote that Ant was smiling the whole game last night was watching a video from last year. Ant hit his first two shots late in the second and he perked up a little bit, otherwise he was a plate face for the three quarters that we were there.

I noticed last night that Rudy was taking to the other wolves players quite a bit during breaks in the action. It appeared that he was trying to provide information/advice. It also appeared that the convos were mostly one way.

So far this feels like Thib's Jimmy Butler year. A bunch of unhappy guys stuck together.

 

[tikited]

I think it's a pretty accurate assessment. Ironically, KAT is the guy who has done the best job of getting Rudy the ball at the rim (and it really has to be at the rim) through the first four games.

Whoever wrote that Ant was smiling the whole game last night was watching a video from last year. Ant hit his first two shots late in the second and he perked up a little bit, otherwise he was a plate face for the three quarters that we were there.

I noticed last night that Rudy was taking to the other wolves players quite a bit during breaks in the action. It appeared that he was trying to provide information/advice. It also appeared that the convos were mostly one way.

So far this feels like Thib's Jimmy Butler year. A bunch of unhappy guys stuck together.

I miss Vando and Pat Bev already.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

In thinking ahead, they won't sign DLO, and will trade Towns. You heard it here first. Towns will be traded for some athleticism.

They have to resign DLo. We are so over the cap that we gain nothing but not signing him. Even if you hate him as a player, you need to sign him to keep that salary slot (for future trades). If we let him walk, we don't gain anything.

 

[HitMeAgainIAmStillMoving]

They have to resign DLo. We are so over the cap that we gain nothing but not signing him. Even if you hate him as a player, you need to sign him to keep that salary slot (for future trades). If we let him walk, we don't gain anything.

Do you some bleach? I am thirsty for some bleach.

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

They have to resign DLo. We are so over the cap that we gain nothing but not signing him. Even if you hate him as a player, you need to sign him to keep that salary slot (for future trades). If we let him walk, we don't gain anything.

I care more about ownership having luxury tax savings than I do DLO getting resigned

 

[BleedGopher]

KAT chimes in:


Howl Wolves!!