RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (Full Version)

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Karl Juhnke -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/6/2023 9:56:59 PM)

McDaniels great second half. He listened to me!




David Levine -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/6/2023 10:04:12 PM)

Sadly, the big turning point was KAT fouling out.

103-103 at that point and we immediately went on a run to put it away.




David Levine -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/6/2023 10:05:20 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Karl Juhnke

McDaniels great second half. He listened to me!


McDaniels has ice water in his veins.

Completely unfazed by starting 1-9. Didn't let it bother him or change his mindset and he went 7-9 the rest of the way - including some massive shots.




Phil Riewer -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/7/2023 7:54:55 AM)

Phil Mackey 🎙
@PhilMackey
·
10h
Karl-Anthony Towns is a child. Teammates spend half the game trying to calm him down.

All Things MN
@allthingsmn
·
9h
It has to kill him watching many big games like this from the bench. Homie needs to wear a selfie stick with a mirror attached to it so that he can see how much of a fool he looks like in real time. Grow the **** up:
Quote
TwolvesBlog
@TwolvesBlog
·
10h
“Karl has to learn to control his emotions” JimPete muses here in year 9.




TJSweens -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/7/2023 9:31:07 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

Sadly, the big turning point was KAT fouling out.

103-103 at that point and we immediately went on a run to put it away.

KAT doesn't have it between the ears. He just doesn't and he likely never will. Edwards has 1,000x the maturity at 21 years old. With Ant, it's all about personal accountability, while Towns continues to whine and throw temper tantrums.




David Levine -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/7/2023 12:19:25 PM)

Player Ratings: Game Six | Boston Celtics
Wolves win an overtime barnburner.

JAKE PAYNTING

Anthony Edwards: 10/10
Words don’t do it justice. Words are fickle and he is concrete solid. Only feelings can encapsulate what he just did.

Not just the sheer joy, but the relief. The relief of finally having a mythical monster in our backyard, ready to tear limbs off anybody the league shoves in his domain. He inspires belief that Timberwolves fans lost long ago, he inspires excitement that sets a fire in the cockles of our collective heart, and, above all, he inspires wins. He grabs this game by the short and curlies and tramples it until it stops twitching.

The whole thing was nutty. He wasn’t alone in the heroics, but he strapped the team to his back from minute one and never let them down. As a scoring machine gun, as a defending basilisk spraying venom all over the helpless Celtics, and as an improved and impactful playmaker.

Then, overtime comes around, the biggest moments of the biggest night this season has offered up, and he takes it to another level. He buries the Celtics beneath an avalanche of ****ing awesomeness. Playoff heroism aside, he’s never played better than this. That’s a statement worthy of a statement game.

Jaden McDaniels: 9/10
Told Joe Mazzulla to sit on it and ****ing spin. Boston needed to give something up if they were going to stop Minnesota’s other weapons and they chose McDaniels. They begged him to punish them for leaving him open. Sit on it and ****ing spin, Mazzulla, Minnesota’s spidery freak just sent you home emptyhanded.

Most importantly, he did so after stumbling and faceplanting early. He could have shrunk back into his low-usage crevice and allowed Boston to out-scheme his team, but instead he just did what needed to be done. He kept jacking open shots up after limping into 3-of-12 shooting in the first three quarters. He held the faith. And then he repaid it in spades. He showered us all in the faith.

He scores 10 points (4-of-5 shooting) in the fourth quarter and then he douses any chance of a smash-and-grab Celtics victory with a buttery mid-range jumper in the final minute. Oh yeah, and he wraps his gangly dragon wings around Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday on defense all night. He torches them with his golden defensive flames. He laughs at Joe Mazzulla’s stupid ****ing glasses and goes home victorious.

Karl-Anthony Towns: 1/10
All night he was a vacuum, sucking the fun from the building and the game relentlessly. When he wasn’t jacking up bad shots or turning the ball over without a care for the game state or momentum of his comrades, he was fouling with braindead predictability. When he did commit those blatant fouls, he pissed and moaned like the world was conspiring against him. He consistently launched his toys out of the stroller in an attempt to make an all-time night about himself.

He ended the game on the bench and it was a godsend for a team who needed maturity and composure on the hardwood. He brings neither. He never has. And, while he is clearly a supreme talent, he can no longer be trusted to turn up in any capacity when the lights are searing down at their brightest.

On nights like this one, it’s all too tiring to endure.

Rudy Gobert: 9/10
He’s the best defender in the league. He’s the best defender on the planet. He’s the best ****ing defender in the galaxy. Maybe he is a galaxy. He’s his own cosmos. He is time and space and math and science. He can’t shoot free throws to save his ****ing life, but he’s such a remarkable impact guy elsewhere that even that can’t stop him from governing an entire night.

If Boston, with their band of explosive and aggressive scoring options, doesn’t want to even bother testing him at the rim then nobody does. When they did, he deterred their shots or batted them away. When they dragged him out on switches or to contain Kristaps Porzingis, he did everything you could ask him to do. Sure, he got postered the hell out of by Jaylen Brown, but that’s what it takes to score on him right now. Come spectacular or don’t bother at all.

The free-throwing was a downer on what was otherwise an efficient and compact night offensively, but it felt more like an anomaly than an alarming trend. Even so, his impact was remarkably profound. In fact, the team often couldn’t survive when he was off the floor.

What a difference a year makes.

https://howlsandgrowls.substack.com/p/player-ratings-game-six-boston-celtics




David Levine -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/7/2023 12:19:46 PM)

Finch on Ant:

“Guys who like the moment are oftentimes few and far between,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “We’re lucky we have one on our team.”




David Levine -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/7/2023 1:06:30 PM)

Star Turn: Anthony Edwards is slaying behemoths

The defending champion Denver Nuggets entered the past week undefeated. The Boston Celtics went into last night undefeated. Both were dealt their first respective losses of the season. Why?

Anthony Edwards. That’s why.

Down the stretch of Minnesota’s recent 110-89 win over Denver, Ant was an absolute menace on both ends of the floor. During last night’s 114-109 overtime thriller against the NBA’s only remaining undefeated team? He single-handedly took over in overtime and ended Boston’s run.

He survived the fourth quarter with five fouls and didn’t commit a foul in overtime against the Celtics either. Instead, Edwards used his passing in the fourth quarter to counteract some bad shooting decisions down the stretch, before scoring eight of the Wolves’ 13 points in the extra period. He even assisted on a 3-pointer by Mike Conley.

Edwards orchestrated a 9-0 run in overtime to give the Wolves breathing room. He clamped Jayson Tatum despite foul trouble. They were talking trash at the overtime jump ball. Edwards was never deterred by the task of defending one of the world’s best players and scoring on an elite defense.

Afterward, he said he told Tatum, “I play defense. I just got five fouls.”

The Wolves have been much-maligned for almost their entire existence, wasting a dozen years of Kevin Garnett’s Hall of Fame career and misfiring on Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns as franchise guys.

But Edwards is the real deal, though. He’s quickly made it clear building around him is how the Wolves dig out of their decades-old hole of irrelevance. Ant is so good, I’ve often referred to him as Wolves-proof. He’s got the highest-scoring six-game start in team history (28.2 per game) while sporting a 62.2 true shooting percentage. Only 11 players have done that over an entire season.

At just 22 years old, Edwards is leading a team with the NBA’s best defense in this early season, slaying giants and ascending into superstardom. If you’re suddenly wondering why the Wolves look good, look no further.

https://theathletic.com/5039685/2023/11/07/anthony-edwards-timberwolves-james-harden-clippers-nba-the-bounce/




wrh -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/7/2023 1:22:57 PM)

Wow was that fun! Yeah its early, but who'd have thought we would have the best defense in the league and have beaten the best teams in each conference after 6 games. And they are doing it as a team. OK, I know KAT is still getting his head all screwed up. And he is still throwing elbows and hooking his way to terrible offensive fouls. Things that need to improve, but I will give him credit for still being committed to being a team player -- not getting mad at the team, blaming team mates etc.

Anyway, here is pulling for Finch's thought, they have to make it their habit to play that intense, not just an occasional event. Should be a fun season!




Phil Riewer -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/7/2023 4:05:40 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine
Finch on Ant:
“Guys who like the moment are oftentimes few and far between,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “We’re lucky we have one on our team.”


Finch in the ear of Connelly, whispering softly, "trade Kat"




Phil Riewer -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/7/2023 4:08:26 PM)

Punch-Drunk Wolves
@PDWolves
·
5h
Towns for Gordon Hayward (expiring contract) & 2 future 1sts who says yes




David Levine -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/8/2023 12:36:57 PM)

6. Minnesota Timberwolves

2023-24 record: 4-2

Previous ranking: 20

Next games: vs. NO (Nov. 8), @ SA (Nov. 10), @ GS (Nov. 12), @ GS (Nov. 14)

Anthony Edwards put up 38 points, including eight in overtime, as the Timberwolves handed the Celtics their first loss. Minnesota has won three straight, owns the league's best defense and is 4-0 at home for the first time since 2002-03. Edwards is playing like a star, averaging 28.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists on 52% shooting. Owners of the NBA's toughest schedule so far, the Wolves round out this road trip against the Pelicans on Wednesday. -- Jamal Collier

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/38833948/2023-24-nba-power-rankings-james-harden-entered-chat-wolves-make-big-leap




JT2 -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/8/2023 1:27:24 PM)

Tonight's game should be a breeze. No Williamson and McCollum and Jones is questionable.




David Levine -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/8/2023 1:45:00 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: JT2

Tonight's game should be a breeze. No Williamson and McCollum and Jones is questionable.


Just the type of game we'd lose last year.




Karl Juhnke -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/8/2023 3:33:14 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

Finch on Ant:

“Guys who like the moment are oftentimes few and far between,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “We’re lucky we have one on our team.”


I think KAT likes the moment. That’s not the entire issue. Performing in the moment is. The more crucial the situation, the more he becomes a frustrated lummox. Meanwhile Ant’s response is to play smarter more effective, aggressive basketball.




wrh -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/8/2023 3:46:02 PM)

I believe I recognize many of his limitations, that said I still hate to see Jordan McLaughlin out for at least a month. My guess is his bad play last year was directly related to his injuries and trying to play too soon. His game needs full speed. I expect he realizes his career is tied to being available when needed, applying pressure to be back early. I hope he heals well and quickly.

I do agree tonights game is the type that was a real challenge last year. Hopefully their new defensive identity/mentality will carry the day tonight.




Phil Riewer -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/8/2023 4:26:22 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: wrh

I believe I recognize many of his limitations, that said I still hate to see Jordan McLaughlin out for at least a month. My guess is his bad play last year was directly related to his injuries and trying to play too soon. His game needs full speed. I expect he realizes his career is tied to being available when needed, applying pressure to be back early. I hope he heals well and quickly.

I do agree tonights game is the type that was a real challenge last year. Hopefully their new defensive identity/mentality will carry the day tonight.


Milton can handle the Point




David Levine -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/8/2023 4:48:03 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

quote:

ORIGINAL: wrh

I believe I recognize many of his limitations, that said I still hate to see Jordan McLaughlin out for at least a month. My guess is his bad play last year was directly related to his injuries and trying to play too soon. His game needs full speed. I expect he realizes his career is tied to being available when needed, applying pressure to be back early. I hope he heals well and quickly.

I do agree tonights game is the type that was a real challenge last year. Hopefully their new defensive identity/mentality will carry the day tonight.


Milton can handle the Point


We'll see. He's been a huge disappointment so far. He looks really slow on the ball and has really struggled off it. He got benched for McLaughlin last game.

I think its more likely NAW and SloMo share back-up PG duties.

If Shake continues to struggle, I wouldn't be shocked if Daishen Nix gets a quick look.




JT2 -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/8/2023 6:06:43 PM)

Herb Jones also out. This should be interesting. Wouldn't be surprised to see Hawkins launch 25+ shots tonight.




Phil Riewer -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/9/2023 8:09:31 AM)

Punch-Drunk Wolves
@PDWolves
·
3m
It's too early to draw anything from the on/off stuff yet, but if you did wanna analyze it just a bit:

the Ant on/off differential (+37.4) is probably the most striking thing going. Total domination when he's on the court, total disaster when he's off, through 7 games.




wrh -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/9/2023 11:31:05 AM)

Nice game last night. Just wanted to say, I like KAT and hope he permanently learns to play under control on drives and with his emotions. That said, I wonder if Jim Pete was leaned on after Monday's game to not be so critical of KAT. KAT had a much better game last night (hard not to) and seemed to keep his complaints to himself. While he didn't have as many wild drives he did get at least, I believe, 3 offensive fouls and no one including Jim Pete didn't mention it. On any of them. Several seemed very ticky-tacky but they didn't show a replay of any of them. That surprised me. How real were the fouls? How much is it KAT just getting a bad reputation with the Refs? And I guess I really want Jim Pete's analysis even if critical.

Anyway, anyone else have better perspective on those fouls?




David Levine -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/9/2023 12:28:41 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: wrh

Nice game last night. Just wanted to say, I like KAT and hope he permanently learns to play under control on drives and with his emotions. That said, I wonder if Jim Pete was leaned on after Monday's game to not be so critical of KAT. KAT had a much better game last night (hard not to) and seemed to keep his complaints to himself. While he didn't have as many wild drives he did get at least, I believe, 3 offensive fouls and no one including Jim Pete didn't mention it. On any of them. Several seemed very ticky-tacky but they didn't show a replay of any of them. That surprised me. How real were the fouls? How much is it KAT just getting a bad reputation with the Refs? And I guess I really want Jim Pete's analysis even if critical.

Anyway, anyone else have better perspective on those fouls?


The offensive fouls are legit. He hooks his defender's arm with his off arm almost every time. And lately he's been coming with the above the neck swinging elbows as well.

I think the big issue is that when teams used to guard him with Centers, he was quick enough to just blow past them, but teams soon realized if you put a big wing, or athletic 4 on him, he loses that advantage and he doesn't have the lower body strength to bully those guys.

Hell, Boston guarded him with Holliday most of the game.




David Levine -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/9/2023 2:16:17 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

quote:

ORIGINAL: Phil Riewer

quote:

ORIGINAL: wrh

I believe I recognize many of his limitations, that said I still hate to see Jordan McLaughlin out for at least a month. My guess is his bad play last year was directly related to his injuries and trying to play too soon. His game needs full speed. I expect he realizes his career is tied to being available when needed, applying pressure to be back early. I hope he heals well and quickly.

I do agree tonights game is the type that was a real challenge last year. Hopefully their new defensive identity/mentality will carry the day tonight.


Milton can handle the Point


We'll see. He's been a huge disappointment so far. He looks really slow on the ball and has really struggled off it. He got benched for McLaughlin last game.

I think its more likely NAW and SloMo share back-up PG duties.

If Shake continues to struggle, I wouldn't be shocked if Daishen Nix gets a quick look.


Sounds like the plan is to play Shake more off the ball.

Finch said postgame. “One thing we’re learning is Shake is probably a little better off the ball and getting him involved in stuff off the ball where he can really trigger his aggressiveness.”

That is exactly what happened on Wednesday, with Kyle Anderson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker handling most of the bench on-ball reps. The pair combined for 13 assists to four turnovers, in what was a great night for Wolves guards.

“Nickeil has been really good at running our stuff out there in a different way than Mike does it and a different way than Kyle does. So I like that, we have three different guards that all lean into different parts of our offense,” Finch added.

https://www.canishoopus.com/2023/11/8/23953322/wolves-vs-pelicans-final-score-anthony-edwards-dunk-karl-anthony-towns-rudy-gobert-nba




Phil Riewer -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/9/2023 3:48:47 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

quote:

ORIGINAL: wrh

Nice game last night. Just wanted to say, I like KAT and hope he permanently learns to play under control on drives and with his emotions. That said, I wonder if Jim Pete was leaned on after Monday's game to not be so critical of KAT. KAT had a much better game last night (hard not to) and seemed to keep his complaints to himself. While he didn't have as many wild drives he did get at least, I believe, 3 offensive fouls and no one including Jim Pete didn't mention it. On any of them. Several seemed very ticky-tacky but they didn't show a replay of any of them. That surprised me. How real were the fouls? How much is it KAT just getting a bad reputation with the Refs? And I guess I really want Jim Pete's analysis even if critical.

Anyway, anyone else have better perspective on those fouls?


The offensive fouls are legit. He hooks his defender's arm with his off arm almost every time. And lately he's been coming with the above the neck swinging elbows as well.

I think the big issue is that when teams used to guard him with Centers, he was quick enough to just blow past them, but teams soon realized if you put a big wing, or athletic 4 on him, he loses that advantage and he doesn't have the lower body strength to bully those guys.

Hell, Boston guarded him with Holliday most of the game.


I also noticed a little Karl Malone knee comes into play also...




JT2 -> RE: Timberwolves 2023 - 2024 Season (11/9/2023 6:45:43 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

quote:

ORIGINAL: wrh

Nice game last night. Just wanted to say, I like KAT and hope he permanently learns to play under control on drives and with his emotions. That said, I wonder if Jim Pete was leaned on after Monday's game to not be so critical of KAT. KAT had a much better game last night (hard not to) and seemed to keep his complaints to himself. While he didn't have as many wild drives he did get at least, I believe, 3 offensive fouls and no one including Jim Pete didn't mention it. On any of them. Several seemed very ticky-tacky but they didn't show a replay of any of them. That surprised me. How real were the fouls? How much is it KAT just getting a bad reputation with the Refs? And I guess I really want Jim Pete's analysis even if critical.

Anyway, anyone else have better perspective on those fouls?


The offensive fouls are legit. He hooks his defender's arm with his off arm almost every time. And lately he's been coming with the above the neck swinging elbows as well.

I think the big issue is that when teams used to guard him with Centers, he was quick enough to just blow past them, but teams soon realized if you put a big wing, or athletic 4 on him, he loses that advantage and he doesn't have the lower body strength to bully those guys.

Hell, Boston guarded him with Holliday most of the game.


It's really kind of sad how he has really not progressed in the way it seemed like he would/should. He's getting worse at almost every aspect of the game. And even the 3's (short sample) aren't falling so far this season.

Unfortunately, he has had more than his share of personal tragedies in his life.

You have the GM knowledge, how and what could we get for him?




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