All Things Minnesota Timberwolves 2022-2023 In-Season Thread

[Iceland12]

"From the looks of it, it's telling me that when we're in the game, we're losing. And when they're in the game, we've got a better chance of winning," Edwards said. "I don't like the sound of that, so we're going to figure it out. That's crazy, bro. We're all in the minus, and y'all all positive."

He directed that last part at McLaughlin, who again was one of the catalysts for a strong bench performance that, with help from Edwards' 24 points, cut an 18-point Phoenix lead to 87-85 with 8 minutes, 35 seconds remaining in the game.

The Wolves look like two different teams at the moment, and Tuesday's loss to Phoenix showed a stark contrast that carried over from Sunday's loss to the Spurs. When the bench is on the floor, the Wolves look like the group that had so much success last year. Players such as McLaughlin (nine points, three assists) and Naz Reid (13 points, plus-10) run coach Chris Finch's offense the way it's supposed to look, the way it looked for the second half of last season.

"They're sharing the ball," Edwards said. "They don't care who scores. That's the biggest thing. They don't care who scores. They all want to see each other shine in that second group."

Timberwolves reserves rally team, but Suns pull away from starters to win 116-107

Asked after the game what improvements he had seen from the Timberwolves starters, coach Chris Finch offered a sobering analysis — and he's facing a dilemma is solving the team's current troubles.

www.startribune.com

 

[Iceland12]

"They're sharing the ball," Edwards said. "They don't care who scores. That's the biggest thing. They don't care who scores. They all want to see each other shine in that second group."

Timberwolves reserves rally team, but Suns pull away from starters to win 116-107

Asked after the game what improvements he had seen from the Timberwolves starters, coach Chris Finch offered a sobering analysis — and he's facing a dilemma is solving the team's current troubles.

www.startribune.com

The Wolves bench not only shared the ball they had a grand total of 1 turnover to the starters 15.

The Suns by the way have two Ex-Wolves. Saric, played for 5 minutes and Okogie who didn't play.

Of course they shouldn't have been brought here in the first place..

 

[tikited]

This just in!!! This year's Wolves squad is not very good.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Its same old stupid TWolves, led by DLO, Kat, and Ant. Wolves might have had a lot of roster turnover, but we know who the main culprits are of the dumbest team in basketball (per Barkley)

One of our main guys doesn't seem to care (DLO) and another one doesn't know who he is (KAT). Watching KAT try to chase assists and then complain after every play is tough.

 

[TruthSeeker]

One of our main guys doesn't seem to care (DLO) and another one doesn't know who he is (KAT). Watching KAT try to chase assists and then complain after every play is tough.

Yeah. They need a pass first PG who plays defense. DLO is a very poor fit.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Yeah. They need a pass first PG who plays defense. DLO is a very poor fit.

I actually think DLO should be a good fit. He spaces out the floor, he can run the pick and roll, etc. However, he is just absolutely not engaged and playing terrible.

I think he is a fit (in terms of style), he has just been atrocious.

 

[TruthSeeker]

I actually think DLO should be a good fit. He spaces out the floor, he can run the pick and roll, etc. However, he is just absolutely not engaged and playing terrible.

I think he is a fit (in terms of style), he has just been atrocious.

Or that

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

I actually think DLO should be a good fit. He spaces out the floor, he can run the pick and roll, etc. However, he is just absolutely not engaged and playing terrible.

I think he is a fit (in terms of style), he has just been atrocious.

Contract year. Showing his true colors.

 

[tikited]

Or that

Naw...He is a bad fit for any team cause he sucks.

 

[Iceland12]

Naw...He is a bad fit for any team cause he sucks.

Yep, he's reverting to form.

He's been in the league for 8 seasons. He's had one great year, another pretty good one and a couple of decent ones. That's a bad percentage. He's never been much of a shooter either. Bet that the Wolves desperately tried to trade him but who would be dumb enough to take him and give a shooter in return?

Was pretty p.oed when they traded for him. Not happy about being right about it either. Got a little hopeful when in the middle of last season he became a good defender. Guess it was an illusion.

Here's a question. As was mentioned again and again on here last season the Wolves biggest problems were rebounding and interior defense along with shooting. Wolves decided to act on that and sent a ransom for Gobert. A guy who can rebound and guard the post and feast on putbacks.

So why do you take Gobert, stick him in the corner on Offense. Then on Defense allow him to try to help double team the ball handler taking him away from the basket?

The first is idiotic. As shown by what's happening with the 2nd unit. The second? It only works if the other team focuses on hero ball too.

Problem is very few teams still do.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Naw...He is a bad fit for any team cause he sucks.

If they let him walk, are they able to sign someone for his existing pay, or would they be stuck with offering something less?

 

[tikited]

If they let him walk, are they able to sign someone for his existing pay, or would they be stuck with offering something less?

Bob Loblaw described the situation earlier in this thread, but we are screwed is kind of the answer. The way the salary rules go, we don't get $32 million to spend if he walks.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Bob Loblaw described the situation earlier in this thread, but we are screwed is kind of the answer. The way the salary rules go, we don't get $32 million to spend if he walks.

Rats. He's a stranded asset.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

happened to catch some of the halftime show on TNT the other night.

the gang was really down on the Wolves. Kenny Smith was doing a tele-strator segment showing the Wolves' problems guarding the pick-and-roll on defense. and Barkley just ripped them. said the trade was a bad idea and two big men can't play together in the modern NBA.

if the Wolves don't figure some things out fairly quickly, this could get ugly.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Rats. He's a stranded asset.

If we want to bench the guy, we should see if the Nets are still interested in a Simmons plus 2 1sts for a Russell swap.

Why Nets do it? They would have a ton of salary coming off their books next season (Kyrie and DLo), so they could move for a max salary to play with KD. Russell's best year was there and they have nothing but headaches.

Why we do it? We can plop Simmons into a roll of the bench where he's just a defender type of player until (if ever) his offense returns. We get some picks back. If he can get back to 75% of what he was, we had a ton of pieces.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

If we want to bench the guy, we should see if the Nets are still interested in a Simmons plus 2 1sts for a Russell swap.

Why Nets do it? They would have a ton of salary coming off their books next season (Kyrie and DLo), so they could move for a max salary to play with KD. Russell's best year was there and they have nothing but headaches.

Why we do it? We can plop Simmons into a roll of the bench where he's just a defender type of player until (if ever) his offense returns. We get some picks back. If he can get back to 75% of what he was, we had a ton of pieces.

I would rather watch the Wolves lose with DLo than trade for Ben Simmons. He's the last guy you want to improve team chemistry, plus he's a dud on the court.

He's also under contract for 2 more seasons after this season for 38 and 40 million. How would you re-sign Ant, with Simmons, Gobert's, and Towns massive deals?

I get that people are frustrated, but I think it's good for this team to lose right now. If they are going to do anything in the playoffs, it's better to lose now then figure it out as the season goes on. I'll start getting worried if they're still .500 and not looking good at Christmas.

 

[tmvander]

i've said it before...they were 4-9 to start the year last season. There are obvious flaws but there have been flaws with a lot of the teams in the west. They probably aren't a team that can contend to be the 1 seed in the west like some thought but that's a pretty bold thing to expect i think.

 

[tikited]

i've said it before...they were 4-9 to start the year last season. There are obvious flaws but there have been flaws with a lot of the teams in the west. They probably aren't a team that can contend to be the 1 seed in the west like some thought but that's a pretty bold thing to expect i think.

This team is very unathletic. This experiment will never work defensively imo.

 

[tmvander]

This team is very unathletic. This experiment will never work defensively imo.

i mean currently we're 10th in the NBA in defensive rating...23rd in offensive rating...it's the lack of outside shooting and sloppy half court offense that's been hurting us more than defense according to the numbers.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

This team is very unathletic. This experiment will never work defensively imo.

Unathletic? That’s not even remotely true.

 

[Iceland12]

This team is very unathletic. This experiment will never work defensively imo.

Respectfully disagree. Their shooting is their biggest problem. As for Defense? It's the scheme that's at fault not the players

 

[tikited]

Unathletic? That’s not even remotely true.

Yes it is. That is why San Antonio was able to drive by our defenders at will. It is also why they can't get back on defense.

Towns and Rudy are slow for their positions. D-Lo is very, very unathletic. That's three starters right there. McDaniels is athletic overall but playing against much quicker players at the 3. That leaves Ant.

The bench is led by Prince and Anderson. Neither is known for their athleticism. I'll give Naz the nod for being more athletic for most back up 5's. Nowell is average in this category. J-Mac is not known as a super quick PG.

 

[tikited]

Respectfully disagree. Their shooting is their biggest problem. As for Defense? It's the scheme that's at fault not the players

Yes, the shooting has been very bad. The defense was supposed to be the biggest change. That hasn't happened the way it was supposed to. Faster teams have exposed them.

 

[kg21]

Unathletic? That’s not even remotely true.

they don't jump or move their feet overly well. DLO is unathletic, Rudy is huge, but not overly athletic.

KAT can't rotate or move that well ........not overly athletic.

They basically have one high flier and that's Ant. The bench isn't overly athletic. I'd say for the NBA, they are quite unathletic.

 

[tikited]

i mean currently we're 10th in the NBA in defensive rating...23rd in offensive rating...it's the lack of outside shooting and sloppy half court offense that's been hurting us more than defense according to the numbers.

Agree with the offense, but I have hope the shooting will improve

. But... The defense has not been what it was supposed to be so far. I just don't think it will get to the level it needs to be.

 

[tmvander]

Agree with the offense, but I have hope the shooting will improve

. But... The defense has not been what it was supposed to be so far. I just don't think it will get to the level it needs to be.

I mean that's fair...I think we were like 15th in defense last year and if we're currently 10th its a small improvement but maybe we were thinking it would be a huge impact? Can see that.

Personally I thought we'd be better at defending the perimeter knowing Rudy is in the lane but meh...i guess if the numbers say we're 10th in defense that's not that bad and moving forward i'll be looking to see if we can improve at making shots.

 

[kg21]

Yes it is. That is why San Antonio was able to drive by our defenders at will. It is also why they can't get back on defense.

Towns and Rudy are slow for their positions. D-Lo is very, very unathletic. That's three starters right there. McDaniels is athletic overall but playing against much quicker players at the 3. That leaves Ant.

The bench is led by Prince and Anderson. Neither is known for their athleticism. I'll give Naz the nod for being more athletic for most back up 5's. Nowell is average in this category. J-Mac is not known as a super quick PG.

McDaniels gets a free pass, and I'm not sold at all.

For some reason, he is on his man some 30 to 35 feet out all the time. The guy who he is guarding is always going past him, and always creating. He then reaches, and gets a foul all day long.

He really can't drive the basketball, and he's averaging a whopping 3 rebounds per game.

I think this guy is killing us, also. You'd basically call him a three. Those players need to be able to score and slash and rebound. He does none of those things. He would be a great to bring off the bench. I'm not seeing it as a starter.

 

[kg21]

I mean that's fair...I think we were like 15th in defense last year and if we're currently 10th its a small improvement but maybe we were thinking it would be a huge impact? Can see that.

Personally I thought we'd be better at defending the perimeter knowing Rudy is in the lane but meh...i guess if the numbers say we're 10th in defense that's not that bad and moving forward i'll be looking to see if we can improve at making shots.

With Rudy, the thought was we would guard better on the perimeter. We would guard the 3 much better, because he has got the paint.

Nothing has been further from the truth. We can't guard anyone on the perimeter.

 

[Iceland12]

It's the offense and that stupid try and that damn "double team the ball handler"on defense.

But mainly, no matter how many times people say it's not, it's their offense that's doing them n.

The five-man starting group has played the third-most minutes in the league, a combination of the Wolves playing a league-high eight games together and an effort by Finch to cram as much experience as possible into these games to make up for a lack of time together in training camp. They have a net rating of minus-5.3 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com. The lineup is scoring an average of 97.4 points per 100 possessions, which would be almost three points worse than the Los Angeles Lakers’ full team rating for worst in the league.

The Wolves’ 6.6 turnovers per game are the fourth-most of any five-man lineup in the league, but their 15.4 minutes per game together is only 12th, and they turn the ball over almost once every time they assist a basket (1.17 turnovers per assist, to be exact).

Their 53.2 true-shooting percentage would be tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder for 28th in the league.

Why the Timberwolves' vaunted starting lineup is playing so poorly

The Wolves' starting five hasn't lived up to its true potential just yet. The numbers show there's more work to do than anticipated.

theathletic.com

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Yes it is. That is why San Antonio was able to drive by our defenders at will. It is also why they can't get back on defense.

Towns and Rudy are slow for their positions. D-Lo is very, very unathletic. That's three starters right there. McDaniels is athletic overall but playing against much quicker players at the 3. That leaves Ant.

The bench is led by Prince and Anderson. Neither is known for their athleticism. I'll give Naz the nod for being more athletic for most back up 5's. Nowell is average in this category. J-Mac is not known as a super quick PG.

No it's not. Are they a little slower because they are a taller team compared to smaller teams? Yes. That doesn't mean they are unathletic. Gobert, Towns, and McDaniels are all extremely athletic for their size. So is Ant obviously.

As others have already mentioned, our offense has been far more the issue than our defense. Our bench doesn't play a lot, but they have been very good when they do play despite being 'unathletic' according to you.