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*** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

A place to discuss the MN Timberwolves
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somuchyummy
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by somuchyummy »

Rudy was great and so impactful. Time marches on though, and I think it’s unrealistic to expect this every time out. Was this a three day rest we had before this game today? Sorry for the sand in the vaseline.
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by A$$MAN »

somuchyummy wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 6:31 pm Rudy was great and so impactful. Time marches on though, and I think it’s unrealistic to expect this every time out. Was this a three day rest we had before this game today? Sorry for the sand in the vaseline.
Maybe it's as simple as cutting Rudy's minutes to keep him fresh? I believe he's at about 33 minutes per game. Would he be more effective at 25-26 minutes? Naz could easily absorb another 5 minutes or heaven forbid you give Garza a handful each game.
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weimy froob
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by weimy froob »

somuchyummy wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 6:31 pm Rudy was great and so impactful. Time marches on though, and I think it’s unrealistic to expect this every time out. Was this a three day rest we had before this game today? Sorry for the sand in the vaseline.
two day rest.
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weimy froob
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by weimy froob »

weimy froob wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 6:01 pm it was an impressive win Dane. I bet Denver fans don't want anything to do with the wolves in the post-season right now.

Dane Moore
@DaneMooreNBA
It's been a while since the Wolves have beaten a fully-healthy team that has record over-.500.

If they close this one out against Denver (up 16 as I type this), that will meet that criteria. I've also caught a good amount of Denver's games recently, and it's not like they're slumping.

This would be an impressive win. Haven't felt that way much this season.
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by weimy froob »

A$$MAN wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 6:39 pm
somuchyummy wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 6:31 pm Rudy was great and so impactful. Time marches on though, and I think it’s unrealistic to expect this every time out. Was this a three day rest we had before this game today? Sorry for the sand in the vaseline.
Maybe it's as simple as cutting Rudy's minutes to keep him fresh? I believe he's at about 33 minutes per game. Would he be more effective at 25-26 minutes? Naz could easily absorb another 5 minutes or heaven forbid you give Garza a handful each game.
one of the reasons why I liked your Chicago trade idea. I read where he can't be traded until some time into the next season, and he could be here for a couple more years. probably another situation where less is more with Rudy. anyways, unlocking quality minutes from Gobert could be the key to the rest of the season.




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Timberwolves have sorely missed this version of Rudy Gobert, pretty clear translation when he’s impacting the game to this degree
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by aztimberwolves »

weimy froob wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 6:29 pm
aztimberwolves wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 6:22 pm
weimy froob wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 6:19 pm yep. the Rudy response to his last few games is what this team needed. hoping that he can maintain a semblance of this play for the rest of the season. things look a lot more hopeful for the team if he can.

This team is so much better when Rudy plays well. Night and day difference.
yep. he might be the barometer player for this team this year more than Jaden or bite bite. when he plays like this it's garbage time in the last five minutes, not clutch time. not going to get play at this level too often, but 80 percent of it will work. if you can count on him being a positive force again in the 4th quarter then lots of problems go away for the wolves.
It should t be too hard to ask for minimum 12/10 from him each game. Even 10/10 would be great from him every night.
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by witljon »

Didn’t see the game, but it looks like the Wolves played one of their best offensive games of the year. Let’s just hope this is more than just one of those games teams will have over the course of an NBA season. Let’s hope the we play like this going forward. Go Wolves!
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by A$$MAN »

witljon wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 8:09 pm Didn’t see the game, but it looks like the Wolves played one of their best offensive games of the year. Let’s just hope this is more than just one of those games teams will have over the course of an NBA season. Let’s hope the we play like this going forward. Go Wolves!
I believe the final tally was 72 points in the paint. Nice change from the "live by the 3, die by the 3" mentality we usually go with. Jokic is a terrible defender and they didn't let him off the hook.
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by Bullazin »

I saw the game today and the Nuggs played zero defense. We had open 3’s and a ton of layups and bunnies in the paint. We played well overall.
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by YBBR »

Missed this game. Glad they pulled out a W
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somuchyummy
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by somuchyummy »

aztimberwolves wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 8:08 pm
weimy froob wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 6:29 pm
aztimberwolves wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 6:22 pm

This team is so much better when Rudy plays well. Night and day difference.
yep. he might be the barometer player for this team this year more than Jaden or bite bite. when he plays like this it's garbage time in the last five minutes, not clutch time. not going to get play at this level too often, but 80 percent of it will work. if you can count on him being a positive force again in the 4th quarter then lots of problems go away for the wolves.
It should t be too hard to ask for minimum 12/10 from him each game. Even 10/10 would be great from him every night.
He's averaging 10.2/10.3 this year - so he's there by your metric. Last year, it was 14/13 - so it's taken a dip. i think more so than just the numbers, it's the competitive nature of his play. Today he went after rebounds - he gave second and third efforts trying to control possessions, and that's usually not his MO. That extra effort is likely why he went 14/14 today against Jokic. At any rate, we need that firey activity from him - I don't worry so much about the overall rebounding numbers - especially if Jaden/Randle combine for 18 per game, as they have over the past 5 games. But we need Rudy to be more than just a big body - we need activity from him. If the best way to do that is by limiting his minutes and keeping him fresh, let's do it. I do think though, that we should start scouting for another backup big to help make this happen over the long haul.
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somuchyummy
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by somuchyummy »

Getting that good look today of all our young bucks out there together - did anyone else have the impression that they all look like skinny college sophomores? Even Clark (maybe because of his bushy do) and even Luka (who has slimmed down so much since his brute force days at Iowa). But I did get the feeling that most of them could use a bunch of hamburgers, milkshakes and regular sessions with the weight trainer.
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weimy froob
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by weimy froob »

somuchyummy wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 9:25 pm
aztimberwolves wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 8:08 pm
weimy froob wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 6:29 pm

yep. he might be the barometer player for this team this year more than Jaden or bite bite. when he plays like this it's garbage time in the last five minutes, not clutch time. not going to get play at this level too often, but 80 percent of it will work. if you can count on him being a positive force again in the 4th quarter then lots of problems go away for the wolves.
It should t be too hard to ask for minimum 12/10 from him each game. Even 10/10 would be great from him every night.
He's averaging 10.2/10.3 this year - so he's there by your metric. Last year, it was 14/13 - so it's taken a dip. i think more so than just the numbers, it's the competitive nature of his play. Today he went after rebounds - he gave second and third efforts trying to control possessions, and that's usually not his MO. That extra effort is likely why he went 14/14 today against Jokic. At any rate, we need that firey activity from him - I don't worry so much about the overall rebounding numbers - especially if Jaden/Randle combine for 18 per game, as they have over the past 5 games. But we need Rudy to be more than just a big body - we need activity from him. If the best way to do that is by limiting his minutes and keeping him fresh, let's do it. I do think though, that we should start scouting for another backup big to help make this happen over the long haul.
I think finch would be satisfied if that was the consistent floor for him with the 2 point, 4 rebound games at an ultra minimum, if not a thing of the past. low energy, low impact performances should put him on the bench in the fourth quarter too. you can't expect him to hit a switch and be a presence in clutch time when he hasn't for the first three and a half quarters. if he doesn't have it, sit him on the bench and go small.
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by weimy froob »

Jace's take. I don't think he has an anti-Ant agenda. he's not afraid to criticize, but he'll also point out dominant play when he sees it.

Anthony Edwards dominates as Timberwolves explode to trounce Denver
The Nuggets still don’t have a defender who can stop the Wolves guard, who had 34 points and 9 assists

Anthony Edwards caught the ball out near midcourt, both feet firmly planted on the logo.

Jamal Murray dropped way back. Denver was getting killed by Edwards all day. There was no sense in trying to contest the 23 year old that far out from the hoop.

With no one around him, Edwards decided to rise up and fire.

Splash.

What better way to become the franchise’s all-time leader in 3-point makes? Edwards now has 976 for his career, one more than Karl-Anthony Towns made in a Timberwolves’ jersey.

It was that kind of day for Minnesota, which trounced Denver 133-104 in one of the Wolves’ most impressive performances of the season.

Edwards finished with 34 points and nine assists. As has been the case in recent history, the Nuggets didn’t have an answer for the star guard. If they overcommitted resources, someone else made Denver pay. If the Nuggets allowed Edwards space to cook, he cooked.

As a team, Minnesota 56 percent from the field and 47 percent from deep. Seven players scored in double figures. The Wolves dropped 40 points in the first frame alone.

Twice this season they’ve beaten Denver. Minnesota has been stellar offensively on both occasions. It all stems from Edwards. Denver simply doesn’t have an answer for the guard. The Nuggets don’t have a premier perimeter defender to deter Edwards, nor do they have a rim protector to make him think twice about being aggressive.

So, the Nuggets either have to sell out with Edwards, or roll the dice. Edwards correctly diagnosed Denver’s approach and attacked accordingly. No matter what the Nuggets did, Edwards exploited the plan’s weakness.

In the first quarter, that meant using his gravity against Denver, which created opportunities for others. At the end of the frame, Edwards strung out a pick and roll, dragging multiple defenders with him on the perimeter before zipping a pass down low for an easy Rudy Gobert finish.

“Heck of a pass,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “That’s the type of connectivity that we’ve not always had this season.”

As the game wore on, Denver’s defense loosened. By the third quarter, Nikola Jokic — who simply cannot expend the consistent energy needed to defend Edwards at the level of the screen — started to drift back further and further into the paint on pick and rolls, which allowed Edwards to fire away freely. That led to a couple drained triples that got the Target Center crowd on its feet.

“As the game goes on, you know he plays a lot of minutes,” Wolves guard Mike Conley said of Jokic. “We all have been there, and you get tired. So the more you run those pick and rolls and keep him active in them, the more chances you get breakdowns, the more chances you get Ant getting downhill (and) Julius, whoever has the ball, creating good situations for us.”

When Edwards is that patient within the game and reads it to the degree he did, Conley said Minnesota “can play at a whole different level.”

“I think it allows the other guys on the court to find a good rhythm, specifically early in the game where you get guys some easy looks, easy baskets,” Conley said. “I think that gives people confidence moving forward, and Ant’s doing a good job of just finding guys when it’s available, and splitting that with finding his opportunities offensively.”

And that’s what could allow Minnesota’s offense to ascend toward the top-10 level the Wolves envisioned at the season’s outset.

“If he continues to see that they won’t double me the whole game if I get off the ball a little bit quicker, or make an early read where my teammate can make a play, now I can finally show what I can do. He’s going to continue to be able to do that,” Conley said, “continue to be comfortable and continue to be patient, so hopefully he just keeps building that momentum, and our team will be a lot better for it.”
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witljon
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by witljon »

A$$MAN wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 8:14 pm
witljon wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 8:09 pm Didn’t see the game, but it looks like the Wolves played one of their best offensive games of the year. Let’s just hope this is more than just one of those games teams will have over the course of an NBA season. Let’s hope the we play like this going forward. Go Wolves!
I believe the final tally was 72 points in the paint. Nice change from the "live by the 3, die by the 3" mentality we usually go with. Jokic is a terrible defender and they didn't let him off the hook.
I’d love to have that terrible defender on our team. There are several great players whose weakness is defense.
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by aztimberwolves »

somuchyummy wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 9:25 pm
aztimberwolves wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 8:08 pm
weimy froob wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 6:29 pm

yep. he might be the barometer player for this team this year more than Jaden or bite bite. when he plays like this it's garbage time in the last five minutes, not clutch time. not going to get play at this level too often, but 80 percent of it will work. if you can count on him being a positive force again in the 4th quarter then lots of problems go away for the wolves.
It should t be too hard to ask for minimum 12/10 from him each game. Even 10/10 would be great from him every night.
He's averaging 10.2/10.3 this year - so he's there by your metric. Last year, it was 14/13 - so it's taken a dip. i think more so than just the numbers, it's the competitive nature of his play. Today he went after rebounds - he gave second and third efforts trying to control possessions, and that's usually not his MO. That extra effort is likely why he went 14/14 today against Jokic. At any rate, we need that firey activity from him - I don't worry so much about the overall rebounding numbers - especially if Jaden/Randle combine for 18 per game, as they have over the past 5 games. But we need Rudy to be more than just a big body - we need activity from him. If the best way to do that is by limiting his minutes and keeping him fresh, let's do it. I do think though, that we should start scouting for another backup big to help make this happen over the long haul.
I should have said consistently 10/10. Like that’s his bad game. When he can give us 12-16 points a game it’s so impactful to us. We can’t live with the 6/6 games he’s been throwing up a lot of times. Sorry for the confusion.
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by aztimberwolves »

witljon wrote: Sun Jan 26, 2025 8:50 am
A$$MAN wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 8:14 pm
witljon wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 8:09 pm Didn’t see the game, but it looks like the Wolves played one of their best offensive games of the year. Let’s just hope this is more than just one of those games teams will have over the course of an NBA season. Let’s hope the we play like this going forward. Go Wolves!
I believe the final tally was 72 points in the paint. Nice change from the "live by the 3, die by the 3" mentality we usually go with. Jokic is a terrible defender and they didn't let him off the hook.
I’d love to have that terrible defender on our team. There are several great players whose weakness is defense.
I don’t think he was bagging on Jokic. Just saying that we didn’t let him sag off of Rudy like we let Luka do in last years playoffs. They went right after him and exploited a weakness. Of course Jokic is incredible but you can’t let him play on just one end and not the other.
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by weimy froob »

reading the comments in a Denver story about the game and there's talk of some of their fans wanting a coaching change. the following is an example: A new coach with a system and someone who can adjust is also on my mind

someone posted "fire finch" tweets in response to show that some fans want him replaced. this is what followed: Idc about Chris Finch, Ime Udoka or Mark Daigneault. What I care about is them having their teams ready to whip our ass. We have Nikola Jokic, the best player in the world. It’s embarrassing and becoming unacceptable. Anything less than an extremely close competitive WCF loss, Malone needs to go.

also, found this comment interesting: what happened earlier in the game was MPJ being way outplayed by Randle
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by A$$MAN »

aztimberwolves wrote: Sun Jan 26, 2025 9:18 am
witljon wrote: Sun Jan 26, 2025 8:50 am
A$$MAN wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2025 8:14 pm

I believe the final tally was 72 points in the paint. Nice change from the "live by the 3, die by the 3" mentality we usually go with. Jokic is a terrible defender and they didn't let him off the hook.
I’d love to have that terrible defender on our team. There are several great players whose weakness is defense.
I don’t think he was bagging on Jokic. Just saying that we didn’t let him sag off of Rudy like we let Luka do in last years playoffs. They went right after him and exploited a weakness. Of course Jokic is incredible but you can’t let him play on just one end and not the other.
Exactly the point I was making. Passing the ball around the perimeter and hunting 3's allows Jokic to just stand around on defense. Attack him and make him work. He puts up minimal resistance at the rim. I don't know if it's laziness or he's trying to avoid fouls, but you have got to exploit that all game.
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by Jimi_Thing »

If the Wolves don’t move NAW, how does Dillingham get the same minutes when DD is healthy? Is it as simple as shaving 5 minutes from several other players?
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

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Jimi_Thing wrote: Sun Jan 26, 2025 11:21 am If the Wolves don’t move NAW, how does Dillingham get the same minutes when DD is healthy? Is it as simple as shaving 5 minutes from several other players?
Mike is more than likely gone/retired after next season and possibly the summer if they need top open some cap space.
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

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Jimi_Thing wrote: Sun Jan 26, 2025 11:21 am If the Wolves don’t move NAW, how does Dillingham get the same minutes when DD is healthy? Is it as simple as shaving 5 minutes from several other players?
Let’s not assume there won’t be other injuries.
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by Jimi_Thing »

witljon wrote: Sun Jan 26, 2025 12:08 pm
Jimi_Thing wrote: Sun Jan 26, 2025 11:21 am If the Wolves don’t move NAW, how does Dillingham get the same minutes when DD is healthy? Is it as simple as shaving 5 minutes from several other players?
Let’s not assume there won’t be other injuries.
Let’s assume there’s isn’t any other injuries. Does Dillingham go back to 6 minutes per week?
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by witljon »

Jimi_Thing wrote: Sun Jan 26, 2025 12:16 pm
witljon wrote: Sun Jan 26, 2025 12:08 pm
Jimi_Thing wrote: Sun Jan 26, 2025 11:21 am If the Wolves don’t move NAW, how does Dillingham get the same minutes when DD is healthy? Is it as simple as shaving 5 minutes from several other players?
Let’s not assume there won’t be other injuries.
Let’s assume there’s isn’t any other injuries. Does Dillingham go back to 6 minutes per week?
Most definitely, if everything is going well.
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Re: *** Official Wolves vs. Nuggies Game Thread 01/25 ***

Post by Ask Not »

Jimi_Thing wrote: Sun Jan 26, 2025 11:21 am If the Wolves don’t move NAW, how does Dillingham get the same minutes when DD is healthy? Is it as simple as shaving 5 minutes from several other players?
I frickin' love NAW, but they have to get Dillingham minutes. He can be a game changer - not every night, but the skill set is in there.

I've also come to enjoy McDaniels' rebounding prowess. He could be a 10 rebound guy later in his career when he's no longer chasing point guards around.
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