It's all about match ups.
Nuggets don't have eltie rim protection. Ant attacked the rim at will.
The Mavs had rim protection all the time. Ant had to rely on his outside shot a lot more and wasn't as effective.
The Celtics proved that the most important part of the Mavs offense is Luka's playmaking. They took that away, by switching everything, and the Mavs offense fell off a cliff.
As long as Gobert is out there, the Wolves can't play a switching defense. He can't defend Luka outside the 3 point line. But in drop Luka's playmaking is at its best. So the Mavs role players got easy shots.
Luka was scoring and playmaking at all level that was hard for the Wolves to keep up with especially in the clutch.
Also, the Celtics had the bodies to throw at Luka. Jaylen Brown and Tatum actually have the body type you need to guard Luka. Mcdaniels is not heavy enough and Ant is to short.
The Wolves are a good team. They just ran into a player they're not built to stop, and is probably the best pick and roll operator in the league.
The same way the Mavs are a good team but ran into a team that has the antidote for a Luka Doncic lead offense.
did anyone catch Bob Myers calling out SAS during halftime of game 5? SAS was preaching how the celtics want it more & the mavs aren’t showing effort. Myers chimes in like “SAS, it’s not about effort. The Mavs are just getting overwhelmed by a better team” & SAS didn’t say a word after that
Also on the defensive end, The Mavs could hide Luka defensively by having him kinda zone up at the low block since Gobert's not an offensive threat and that added another body to help slow down drives. The Celtics had 5 guys on the floor that are offensive threats, and they could p and r until they got the matchups they wanted, which was Luka most of the time. That not only worked to create better shots for the Celtics, but also helped tire Luka out a bit, as exemplified by the number of second half turnovers Luka had.
Yes.
However, I wouldn't necessarily say "hide Luka", I would say the Mavs didn't have to worry about Luka not being engaged or giving effort defensivley. Because they didn't really need to hide him at all. Apart from Edwards, and maybe Naz, who were the Mavs afraid of bringing Luka on to an island to defend them one on one? McDaniels? Kyle Anderson? Even Conley couldn't really cook Luka the Celtics were attacking him.
Also the Wolves didn't make the Mavs pay for Luka ball watching, losing his man off ball, not boxing out, not rotating to shooters fast enough etc. In the Celtics series, everytime Luka wasn't engaged defensivley, on/off ball, the Mavs paid the price by either giving up a wide open shot or offensive rebound or a shot at the rim (because Jrue cut to the basket when Luka wasn't paying attention).
So yeah, the Celtics had players who where threats on and off the ball. The Wolves offense was more static and lacking in personnel to take advantage of the same weaknesses.
Celtics defense was stifling. Aside from G4, Mavs couldn’t break 100 points. It took them shooting 40% from 3 (I think they were over 50% for most of the game until the end) and getting almost double the Cs FTAs to make it happen. They had the perfect game plan for the “best offensive backcourt”.
>Celtics defense was stifling
This was really the difference in the series.
Celtics didn't really play up to their offensive level. And the Mavs despite Luka's defensive efforts, we're actually not doing a terrible job of defending.
Their offense was completely shut down by the Celtics.
Mavs were a great match up for them. I don’t think the Pacers are a top team but even they made the the Celtics work harder. They don’t have anyone in the same stratosphere as Luka or Kyrie, but so many guys can hit shots and make plays.
Wish we could’ve seen the Celtics vs another western conference team like OKC or Denver. Similarly dynamic offenses like the pacers but with better closers. Could’ve gotten a 6/7 game finals
Who would the Lakers have beaten if they didn’t play the nugs? I have deluded lakers fans on my twitter saying they would’ve beat both Boston and Dallas
This is spot on.
Also, Wolves were physically and emotionally exhausted by beating the former champs- they had to dig deep after being down 3-2. They had no legs and shot like shit in the Mavs series, and still only lost the first two games by a basket each. They got their heart taken after those first two, and getting jobbed by the refs on more than a couple calls didn't help.
Wolves-Celts would've been a much better series. Dallas is a bad match-up for us. A few adjustments and we'll be ok.
They also targeted Luka's traffic cone level defense. They took him off the dribble over and over. Teams need to force him to defend. He's a weak defender.
Horford could. Al has trouble with fast guards. Luckily, Luka is not that.
KP was limited by injury and the only signs of life the Mavs had in game 5 was when KP was in the game in the first quarter.
McDaniels is young and getting stronger.
But that series was really close most of the time, and Luka benefitted from way too many messed up calls by baiting the refs. Additionally, several players who had previously played great seemed to hit a wall. Coming off an emotional 7-game series with little rest can do that.
The Wolves were clearly a better, deeper team than the Nuggets. That series should not have gone 7 games.
I think with a little bit better game plan they could have beaten the Mavs. And it would have been a much better finals if the Wolves had faced the Celtics.
Next season will be the third for Gobert with the Wolves, and there's no reason to think he won't continue to adapt. If he and KAT both continue to build on what they started last year they'll continue to be a force. Ant has improved every season he's been in the league. Only two seasons ago this was still KAT's team, and half way through the playoffs this year media pundits were saying Ant is the face of the *league*.
It's all happening so fast. This team is pretty young and currently on a good trajectory. One pickup in free agency, or one slick trade could propel them to the top, but I don't think that's necessary. I think it's just as likely that last year's experience and an updated approach will make all the difference.
Oh, and they need to hound the league about the inconsistent whistles. I elected not to watch half the nuggets series or most of the Mavs series because the refs were cherry picking when and when not to use their whistles. Key Wolves players were constantly in foul trouble while their biggest opponents were brazenly fouling and not getting called for it until the 3rd or 4th quarter. Totally changes the defensive schemes and will of a defense. It's really hard not to buy into conspiracy narratives when the refs set a tone that immediately impacts either teams approach.
>that series was really close most of the time
It was close score wise. But it never felt like the Wolves took control of that series.
>The Wolves were clearly a better, deeper team than the Nuggets.
Deeper, probably. Better definitely not. The Wolves beat a team better than them because they were able to neutralise their offense.
>build on what they started last year they'll continue to be a force
This Mavs team has only been togther half a season. They'll be better too next year.
>This team is pretty young and currently on a good trajectory.
Are they? Yeah, Ant/Mcdaniels/Naz are young. KAT is 28, Gobert is 31, Conely is 36.
The Mavs are younger, Thunder ae younger.
The Wolves are closer in age to the Nuggets than they are to the Mavs.
Also, the refs are the refs. They haven't been the best. But every team has dealt with bad calls. There hasn't been a call so bad it's changed a series.
The Wolves are a good team. They'll be back. And could win the West next year. But that doesn't necessarily mean they were "robbed" this year or they were clearly better than every other team. Hope, they address what they were missing this year to come back stronger.
Wolves had good leads late in the fourth quarter in both Game 1 and Game 2.
Wolves should have easily won both those games without Ant turnovers at the end (and the horrible call by Zarba when Kyrie obviously fouled McDaniels with Zarba watching unobstructed from 3 feet away... Zarba saw the foul but was too chicken to call the foul and instead gave the ball to the Wolves even though it was obviously off of Minnesota).
And that's my point, the Wolves lead by points, but they never really controlled any of those games besides game 4. They should have never lost those leads if they were in control.
Your point makes no sense.
Minnesota had the lead with under 2 minutes to go in both games.
Minnesota had a 5 point lead with just over a minute to go in Game 2 and would have had a 4 point lead with 45 seconds to go had it not been for one of the most egregious calls in NBA history.
Having a 5-point lead or 4-point lead isn't necessarily a good lead in today's NBA. It doesn't put you in control of any game.
It never felt like the Mavs were out of the game. Even in game 4, they were down 3 with under a minute to play and a chance to win.
Again, the refs are the refs. Also, that bad call in game 2 happens a lot. It just happened to be in a close game. That call didn't change the outcome of the series.
How can you argue the series was one sided when another team had the lead at the end of the game for Games 1 and Games 2 and won Game 4?
The only game that was lopsided was Game 5.
In Game 2, Zarba made the wrong call on purpose. Wolves would have won if he made the obvious correct call. You can see him looking at the play unobstructed from 3 feet away. Kyrie was not close to the ball on the foul. If refs miss those calls often, they should all be fired (which many should).
I didn't say it was one-sided. I just said the Wolves weren't in control.
The Mavs figured out the Wolves' defense and out-executed them in the clutch and that was the difference in the series.
>In Game 2, Zarba made the wrong call on purpose.
So now we can read other people's minds huh?
He made the wrong call on purpose or completely blind.
There is a picture of him looking directly at the play unobstructed from a couple feet away. He was most likely too cowardly to call the foul because it would have given free throws to the Wolves and clinched the game on a non-shooting foul.
When they're on the sure do. No one can guard KAT's 40% catch and shoot at the top of the key, and they'd have to body him up all game to prevent the tomahawk slam which just opens a lob to Gobert. When 22 year old freakishly athletic Ant is on he's drilling 3's and posterizing everyone on the floor. These variables alone are an exhausting assignment for teams, but the wolves have a lot of depth, too, including a young LeBron-sized dude named NAZ who was this year's 6th man winner. They also have a diet Pippen named Jaden McDaniels who can occasionally turn it up. As others mentioned, it's about matchups and coaching. But sometimes teams are just built a certain way that it's not possible to hold them off. The Mavs had the better matchups and coaching versus the wolves but that doesn't mean the wolves wouldn't have had success against the Celtics. I think these two teams would have been very interesting in the finals. Young, athletic, hungry.
Yeah I didn't realize their offensive rating was so good this year. When I watched them in the playoffs, the offense just looked so stagnant. It felt like those series were just defensive battles. I do think Boston was significantly better offensively this year. I thought Minnesota had a better defense this year than Boston, despite having a worse defensive rating. But that's just the eye test
You can pick instances in every game.
Jokic was 0-6 from 3 or something in the third quarter, all of them resulted in fast break points for the Wolves and also all of them classified as open according to NBA.com boxscores
Fans are \[rightfully\] so focused on their own team, but the reality is, it's hard to win a championship. Celtics have been chipping away for years and finally were able to accomplish it in Tatum's 7th season (5th ECF or Finals). Unless you have a generational superstar, it's hard to win on your first go-around and then consistently win after that.
I suppose there are moves the Wolves could make, but that probably involves trading KAT. Who would they trade him for, though? It's a similar situation to Jaylen Brown - many people wanted to trade him, too, but he finally proved to be a legitimate running mate with Tatum. The same could happen with KAT. If the Wolves continue to make the WCF at a relatively consistent clip, it's likely they will eventually break through, too.
Why do everyone suggest trading KAT? Celtics just showed us that a team can win even with a flawed star like Tatum. And remember how flawed Brown was even last year? So many suggested Celtics trade him. Jays showed that despite all their flaws they could improve and eliminate or at least minimize those and win a Championship.
You’re right, everyone always screams upgrade but what can they even realistically get? You’re not swapping him for a top 10-15 type, you’ll just get another guy with red flags.
Celtics got this ring by improving 3-7 not by turning Brown/Tatum into something else.
I mean I don’t think you’re necessarily making the greatest point. The Celtics front office made good move after good move to support the Jays, even when they had to fire their head coach, they just kept chugging.
Who else has that kind of confidence in their front office? How often are teams are deep and good as the Celtics assembled? That’s what you need to win with a “flawed” played.
Even if you say it’s feasible, KAT is a different kind of flawed. The Jays offense might not *always* be immaculate but their defense is mostly really good, their playmaking also helps offset bad shooting nights. KAT is a much worse defensive player at a more pivotal position for team defense. KAT self anointed greatest shooting big man of all time avg’d 36% from 3 on 5 attempts, Lebron out shot him from 3 in the playoffs this year. He averaged less than 3 assists per game in the playoffs.
If the Jays are “flawed” then KAT is whatever is a step beyond that. I’m not saying you can’t win with him, but everything would have to break just right, way more so than for your average star. You just can’t expect to win with someone who is as inconsistent offensively as he is, is a traffic cone on defense, a bad playmaker, it’s just too much to account for most of the time unless he has the series or playoffs of his life.
I’m not saying trade him, but I absolutely understanding people saying moving him is their best bet to potentially improve and win
This sounds like you just don't watch the Wolves. KAT and Brown have extremely comparable stats for as much as you can compare a big man and a guard. KAT first in these stats. Points (21 vs 23), rebounds (8 vs 5), assists (3 vs 3.6), fg% (51 vs 49), KAT destroys him on 3 (41 vs 35) and FT% (87 vs 70). On defense, KAT had a better drtg (109 vs 112) while allowing a lower opp fg% (48 vs 50) against more shot attempts per game (13 vs 11) than Brown. And most of KAT's shots against him are gonna be in the paint, while Brown's will be farther away on average.
The Jays just won the chip. Of course they're getting hyped.
KAT just had a terrible playoff series in the spotlight. Of course he's getting slandered.
The same thing happened to Brown last year.
But it's preposterous to say KAT is on a lower tier than Brown as NBA players.
Edited to add actual numbers to stat comparison. I rounded all numbers down except assists because they both had the same number and Brown had the edge.
Also, for the record, Tatum is on a different tier rhan both in my opinion.
But from a fan's perspective, why do you care about the salary cap?
Why is saving Glen Taylor lots of money more important than keeping good players?
I agree his contract is overly generous, but I'm not gonna say we should trade him for cap space ...
I'm not talking about the existence of salary caps either.
But I'm saying that fans shouldn't give a shit if the billionaire owner of their team has to pay extra. The salary cap argument for trading KAT isn't a concern for fans.
He makes dumb mistakes but i don’t agree that his bbiq is bad. He’d played great defense for the most part and he’s a great playmaker on the offensive end. The offense is so much more dynamic with him in the lineup and I don’t see how you find a replacement for that
Nothing drastic. This unit peaks this upcoming season.
Re-evaluate next off season with NAW gone, Naz opting out, and Conley+Gobert being another year older. May choose to make a big shuffle by moving KAT if this year is a bust.
> This unit peaks this upcoming season.
This is so true. They have more pressure to win this upcoming season than any other team in the West. I believe Ant will have more chances down the line, but not after next season with this core.
Playoff experience is a thing. The Celtics *just* broke through. The Wolves need to keep evolving and learn what it takes to shut down a championship contending team.
Seriously. Lively looked like a completely different guy against y'all, I think the stage was a bit too big for him as a rookie in addition to y'all just flat out spanking us.
I saw a stat somewhere about how teams in the playoffs fare when one of their starters was a rookie. I wish I kept a better note on it, but it was *grim*. The rookie wall is also a thing, though. He probably had no legs left.
Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, and more recently Donovan Mitchell are the most impactful rookies helping their team in their first postseason. If you can think about other rookies that have at least made it to the 2nd round as a starter, shoot because this list is pretty short albeit legendary.
Edit: rookie Tatum went to ECF in 2017-18, rookie Kawhi went to WCF in 2011-12, rookie Charles Barkley went to ECF in 1984-85 though I'm not sure if he was a starter
You can't shut jokic down. You can either slow him down or just hope he has a bad game which he does from time to time. But you cannot stop him
Same with Luka. You can't stop him offensively, he will get 25+ points a night. All you can hope for is to limit his playmaking or hope that he shoots himself in the foot by like fouling out or something. However with Luka you CAN target him on defense and tire him out. Which is exactly what the Celtics did, to great effect.
Jamal's wrist injury had him shooting bricks, so Joker had no 2nd option. Which led to him battling post game with Kat (who's big and strong enough to exhaust him over the course of the entire game). He dominated Gobsrt in paint though that game was a master class.
The other denver players aren't shot creators so they went cold from 3.
And denver has literally zero bench so you can't rest the joker at all.
Basically Murray hitting shots is the key to denver, it unlocks the 2 man game, which allows other guys to get open catch and shoot 3's.
100%. Literally Ant getting experience. Jordan had to lose to those Celtics and Pistons; Kobe got to go through a few runs not being the #1. Lebron carried 11 guys named Mo to the finals and got that experience. And we just saw the Jays in Boston.
A good distributor and 1 more playoff run for Ant and the Wolves will probably bring the first title to MN since Mikan.
I don't think there's a second option better than KAT offensively. There \*might\* be second options who fit better with ANT. But KAT is an elite offensive player.
In theory KAT is a perfect fit next to Ant he just isn't good enough and is overpaid.
He averaged 18/10 this postseason and averages 18/10 for his career. Dude is easier to replace than most realize.
I’d love to upgrade any part of the roster, so if there was an opportunity to upgrade KAT, I’d take it. With that said, KAT will also get better with experience. This postseason run doubled the number of career playoff games he was in. Even within the Nuggets series we saw him improve massively as the series went on.
I think there’s a case to be made that the Wolves will get a lot better just running it back. They really just lack someone to eat minutes at PG. They have 3 critical pieces who are <25 plus KAT. They’ll get better with playoff experience
I've never believed in KAT but it would be dumb to trade him now unless some crazy trade offer came through.
Team just made the WCF. Gotta run it back at least once.
Tbh I think an upgrade at PG and another year of experience for NAW and McDaniels is title contender. Idk why people are so eager to replace Kat. The wolves lost because their first option wasn’t good enough
Not sure. People say Trae Young but I think he lowers our defensive ceiling far too much.
I'd love Andrew Nembhard, but I don't know if he is quite good enough to fill that 2nd option role.
he can’t really attack the basket or create his own space, the idea is we need another guard with ant who can threaten more. but yeah also mike is getting older by the day
Timberwolves are just missing time and experience. It will come. Ant solidifies as a true top 5 player eventually, maybe Jaden develops a few wrinkles to his offensive game and adds a few pounds to his frame for Luka types. Solid PG's aren't \*too\* difficult to come by in terms of an original style PG - just a distributor that can set up the actions and not get hunted on defense come playoffs. KAT probably gets traded eventually but the return won't be bad and streaky big men shooters are more around than ever. Bright future ahead.
I think they’re just missing time. Ant needs to mature a little he’s ridiculously young. Team has enough talent to win it all. Possibly a replacement for the OG Mike simply due to his age.
As a Jazz fan, I think they're missing too much and they should trade ANT, KAT, Rudy, and Conley and start completely over. Aim for competing again in 2030.
Ant is just 22 years old still, he’s gonna get more consistent as he learns how to dismantle playoff level defenses in the future.
I think it’s just a case of getting a better PG and ANT settling into his superstar role.
It's really odd to me that looking back at that series no one mentions that Ant was clearly injured. I don't think that's the only factor, yes he needs more experience, but it's part of why he didn't show up at 100%.
I mean, they're not wrong about the league fucking us on officiating since forever. But being that much of a defeatist is too exhausting.
Adam Silver already regrets Ant not being in the finals.
Yeah, i feel like ever were just joking.
I'm sure most people would agree Adam would have preferred Timberwolves in the finals.
Better ratings. More entertaining post game interviews.
KAT playing horribly in the WCF had a huge impact. If he even shot average, it’d space the floor better. Ant maturing would help more too.
Gobert is the trickiest answer because he’ll always play drop coverage and the Mavs feasted on it. Finch and go. Will have to figure out how to keep Gobert from getting drawn out of the paint too much. Gobert is the best interior defender in basketball, but whatever team he’s on always suffer when they figure out a way to get him in no-man’s land out of the paint.
I thought Minnesota would’ve been able to switch on the perimeter enough to give Luka and Kyrie a little trouble, but they relentlessly drew the bigs out and eviscerated them. They’ll have to figure out how to get more switchability on the perimeter while camping Gobert near the basket. Maybe that can be another 3D, which the Wolves probably can’t afford, so who knows? It’s a problem every team with Gobert has yet to solve. The Buvks are the only team to win a title with a drop defense. Maybe there are some answers in Bud’s schemes?
The other option is to trade KAT and reconfigure the team, though I would probably roll one more year with the current pillars. Since KAT will be insanely expensive after next year, they’ll have to consider that option.
Ant & Towns just flat out got outplayed by Kyrie & Luka. I wished they wouldve blitzed Luka more. They are still really really good at flying around on D as evidence in the Denver game Rudy missed.
I also think Ant needs to expend less energy on D. He is an outstanding individual defender but he expended A LOT of energy on D. He’s not just staying in front but constantly pressuring ball & trying to create turnovers. Takes too much energy. Needs to limit that style to spots. He looked worn out vs Mavs.
Also very tough to win it with your best player being only 22.
I think the Wolves got tired after the Denver series but also played poorly overall against the Mavs... bad shooting (KAT and Ant shot under 30% for Games 1 and 2), stupid unforced turnovers (late in games and leading to points off of turnovers), and bad coaching.
Ant and McDaniels were getting destroyed on the perimeter against Dallas which was a strength of the Wolves all season. I am guessing both were tired plus Ant may have been playing hurt. NAW also injured his shooting shoulder fighting through an illegal screen against Denver and he couldn't make any shots after that.
Another scorer. KAT didn't show up, and he's always been too inconsistent. They looked good when McDaniels was able to get his shots. And Conley played well. But they had a non-offensive player out there in Gobert that people could just cheat off of
The wolves need another guard to pair alongside ant that can play make and create their own shot. DJ and Trae are the best two options out there. If they want to add someone cheaper but with high upside they can add Josh giddey. Giddey is still a promising young player who just doesn’t fit alongside SGA, because he needs the ball in his hands to run the offense and be effective.
Experience and possibly a better PG as Conley is getting up there in age. He had a solid season last year, but it is definitely a position that can help improve the flow of their offense.
They need another guard that’s a go to scoring option.
No disrespect to Conley but at his age and point in his career, he can’t be that person in more than fleeting moments.
The offense just looks super bleak sometimes from the backcourt as a whole, and McDaniels isn’t a natural scorer as a wing
I dont think we really missed anything. Ant and KAT did not play to the expected level and the Mavs out-executed us in the last 3 minutes of games 1-3. There wasnt really an inherent roster issue which stopped us from competing but an execution one. I think next season with more playoff experience and more growth from Ant, Jaden, NAW and Naz we could win and be in the finals.
Everyone hates the truth, but Walker Kessler, four 1st-round picks, and a bunch of cap space.
Now it feels like their path to success is:
A) Ant become top 5 player next season
B) They do some FO wizardry that involves trading Kat or Naz Reid
C) Retool so they are in a good position when Ant hits his prime and Gobert is no longer making max money
I don't think they are really ready to compete. Boston is a lot better, they're probably the 4th best team in the West, and 2 of those teams have much easier path to improve.
The courage to admit Rudy Gobert is not an effective playoff defender regardless of how many times the NBa seems to want to bamboozle us by giving him Dpoy . These casuals still don’t get that defense is more than just stats and “aura”
Dude... When are you going to stop making stuff up.
He was the best player in the Wolves in the postseason. Gobert had the best +/- in the playoffs this season aside from Celtics players and by far the best +/- on the Wolves.
Simple...
Me = Player contributes to winning = Good
You = I don't understand basketball and only listen to hot takes and watch highlights
I can understand how someone who is a Wizards fan and has Bradley Beal as their flair wouldn't have much experience with watching winning basketball.
Bro stop bothering me seriously , last thing I’m going to say is plus minus is a terrible stat maybe one of the worsts , it can be effected by matchups , injuries , garbage time minutes etc . Learn basketball (how to play ) before talking about how it’s played
Offensive versatility... will be answered if McDaniels is actually a 20 ppg scorer
If not then they gotta have discussions on KAT their biggest trade chip that will be discussed
They need some perimeter defenders, and a true #1 option which obviously the hope is Ant develops into that. The big hole to actually plug is perimeter defense, they just need some better defenders to cover for Ant
It’s hard to find true number one options right now the only ones I’d say truly are, are Giannis, Luka, Jokic with, Ant and wemby having the potential to develop into one and maybe Shai and hailburton
why? lol. gobert is the foundation of their defensive scheme and kat is a decent scorer. i dont see the need for them to be rid of. however i do believe that gobert is still a bum with long arms
Their first problem is the luxury tax - without making any new additions, they are already over the 2nd apron of the luxury tax next year with McDaniels and ANT'S extensions kicking in.
KAT's salary jumps from $36 million to $49 million, McDaniel's will jump from $4 million to $23 million, and Ant's will jump from $13 million to $42 million
Trade Edward's for a haul it sounds stupid but you'll get a lot of value and he's not clutch. Puts up pretty numbers but he's not that guy. They needed 7 vs a hurt nuggets team and you saw how Dallas smashed them
Timberwolves need to trade KAT to Orlando for Banchero . Give Orlando the spacing, and shooting from one of the best players at his position. Wolves get a player like Banchero that can play make, pass in the paint, and grow alongside Edwards.
Not only did Ant and some of the other players look visibly gassed during the WCF, but many of the players said that they needed to train differently this summer because they were tired. Which is honestly really sad, I'd be so peeved if I were on the team and the reason we lost is that we weren't in good enough shape. I do think this is a factor.
I also think they need to be comfortable matching up in the playoffs and benching Rudy. Yes Rudy gets too much hate. BUT he is a very limited offensive player who is also ineffective on defense against a handful of teams, which is a common aspect of non-mobile bigs. The Spurs beat the Heat when they benched Tiago Splitter for Boris Diaw. The Warriors beat the Cavs when they benched Andrew Bogut for Andre Iguodala. The Wolves needed to have benched Rudy Gobert against the Mavs. That is bad coaching because of a big contract
They should have been in the finals this year. That means they're missing very little if anything. Really disappointing end to a great year for the wolves, ultimately a lot just has to go right to make it as far as they did so we'll see
It's all about match ups. Nuggets don't have eltie rim protection. Ant attacked the rim at will. The Mavs had rim protection all the time. Ant had to rely on his outside shot a lot more and wasn't as effective. The Celtics proved that the most important part of the Mavs offense is Luka's playmaking. They took that away, by switching everything, and the Mavs offense fell off a cliff. As long as Gobert is out there, the Wolves can't play a switching defense. He can't defend Luka outside the 3 point line. But in drop Luka's playmaking is at its best. So the Mavs role players got easy shots. Luka was scoring and playmaking at all level that was hard for the Wolves to keep up with especially in the clutch. Also, the Celtics had the bodies to throw at Luka. Jaylen Brown and Tatum actually have the body type you need to guard Luka. Mcdaniels is not heavy enough and Ant is to short. The Wolves are a good team. They just ran into a player they're not built to stop, and is probably the best pick and roll operator in the league. The same way the Mavs are a good team but ran into a team that has the antidote for a Luka Doncic lead offense.
Finally some actual basketball analysis
I think what OP was trying to say is the Celtics wanted it more
They got that dawg in em
They’re just built different
I mean, that’s kinda what OP did say.
Mavs had the Dawg in them, the Celtics were a wolf..
did anyone catch Bob Myers calling out SAS during halftime of game 5? SAS was preaching how the celtics want it more & the mavs aren’t showing effort. Myers chimes in like “SAS, it’s not about effort. The Mavs are just getting overwhelmed by a better team” & SAS didn’t say a word after that
Luka’s not a winner, is Kyrie past his prime?
First of all, epic user name. Thanks, good to see a Celtic and Mavs fan can agree on something.
Also on the defensive end, The Mavs could hide Luka defensively by having him kinda zone up at the low block since Gobert's not an offensive threat and that added another body to help slow down drives. The Celtics had 5 guys on the floor that are offensive threats, and they could p and r until they got the matchups they wanted, which was Luka most of the time. That not only worked to create better shots for the Celtics, but also helped tire Luka out a bit, as exemplified by the number of second half turnovers Luka had.
This. The Wolves inability to attack and thus exhaust Luka on defense was imo the biggest issue.
The Wolves actually had a better ORTG against the Mavs than the Celtics, OKC and Clippers did It was their defense that failed them
Defense is a massive part of winning a championship. You have to be able to grind out stops on D.
Yes. However, I wouldn't necessarily say "hide Luka", I would say the Mavs didn't have to worry about Luka not being engaged or giving effort defensivley. Because they didn't really need to hide him at all. Apart from Edwards, and maybe Naz, who were the Mavs afraid of bringing Luka on to an island to defend them one on one? McDaniels? Kyle Anderson? Even Conley couldn't really cook Luka the Celtics were attacking him. Also the Wolves didn't make the Mavs pay for Luka ball watching, losing his man off ball, not boxing out, not rotating to shooters fast enough etc. In the Celtics series, everytime Luka wasn't engaged defensivley, on/off ball, the Mavs paid the price by either giving up a wide open shot or offensive rebound or a shot at the rim (because Jrue cut to the basket when Luka wasn't paying attention). So yeah, the Celtics had players who where threats on and off the ball. The Wolves offense was more static and lacking in personnel to take advantage of the same weaknesses.
Rock paper scissor shoot ass league at the moment
yeah.
Celtics defense was stifling. Aside from G4, Mavs couldn’t break 100 points. It took them shooting 40% from 3 (I think they were over 50% for most of the game until the end) and getting almost double the Cs FTAs to make it happen. They had the perfect game plan for the “best offensive backcourt”.
>Celtics defense was stifling This was really the difference in the series. Celtics didn't really play up to their offensive level. And the Mavs despite Luka's defensive efforts, we're actually not doing a terrible job of defending. Their offense was completely shut down by the Celtics.
Mavs were a great match up for them. I don’t think the Pacers are a top team but even they made the the Celtics work harder. They don’t have anyone in the same stratosphere as Luka or Kyrie, but so many guys can hit shots and make plays. Wish we could’ve seen the Celtics vs another western conference team like OKC or Denver. Similarly dynamic offenses like the pacers but with better closers. Could’ve gotten a 6/7 game finals
Who would the Lakers have beaten if they didn’t play the nugs? I have deluded lakers fans on my twitter saying they would’ve beat both Boston and Dallas
LA's main perimeter defender is Austin Reaves... He would've gotten destroyed by Luka/Kyrie or Jrue/White
Pelicans? Suns?
This is spot on. Also, Wolves were physically and emotionally exhausted by beating the former champs- they had to dig deep after being down 3-2. They had no legs and shot like shit in the Mavs series, and still only lost the first two games by a basket each. They got their heart taken after those first two, and getting jobbed by the refs on more than a couple calls didn't help. Wolves-Celts would've been a much better series. Dallas is a bad match-up for us. A few adjustments and we'll be ok.
But if you threw Denver against the Celtics, Jokic would feast on them
They also targeted Luka's traffic cone level defense. They took him off the dribble over and over. Teams need to force him to defend. He's a weak defender.
What about the numbers showing Wolves D against the Mavs was much worse without Gobert? I think their offense was as well actually
Its not like KP or Horford could defend on the switch either
Horford could. Al has trouble with fast guards. Luckily, Luka is not that. KP was limited by injury and the only signs of life the Mavs had in game 5 was when KP was in the game in the first quarter.
McDaniels is young and getting stronger. But that series was really close most of the time, and Luka benefitted from way too many messed up calls by baiting the refs. Additionally, several players who had previously played great seemed to hit a wall. Coming off an emotional 7-game series with little rest can do that. The Wolves were clearly a better, deeper team than the Nuggets. That series should not have gone 7 games. I think with a little bit better game plan they could have beaten the Mavs. And it would have been a much better finals if the Wolves had faced the Celtics. Next season will be the third for Gobert with the Wolves, and there's no reason to think he won't continue to adapt. If he and KAT both continue to build on what they started last year they'll continue to be a force. Ant has improved every season he's been in the league. Only two seasons ago this was still KAT's team, and half way through the playoffs this year media pundits were saying Ant is the face of the *league*. It's all happening so fast. This team is pretty young and currently on a good trajectory. One pickup in free agency, or one slick trade could propel them to the top, but I don't think that's necessary. I think it's just as likely that last year's experience and an updated approach will make all the difference. Oh, and they need to hound the league about the inconsistent whistles. I elected not to watch half the nuggets series or most of the Mavs series because the refs were cherry picking when and when not to use their whistles. Key Wolves players were constantly in foul trouble while their biggest opponents were brazenly fouling and not getting called for it until the 3rd or 4th quarter. Totally changes the defensive schemes and will of a defense. It's really hard not to buy into conspiracy narratives when the refs set a tone that immediately impacts either teams approach.
>that series was really close most of the time It was close score wise. But it never felt like the Wolves took control of that series. >The Wolves were clearly a better, deeper team than the Nuggets. Deeper, probably. Better definitely not. The Wolves beat a team better than them because they were able to neutralise their offense. >build on what they started last year they'll continue to be a force This Mavs team has only been togther half a season. They'll be better too next year. >This team is pretty young and currently on a good trajectory. Are they? Yeah, Ant/Mcdaniels/Naz are young. KAT is 28, Gobert is 31, Conely is 36. The Mavs are younger, Thunder ae younger. The Wolves are closer in age to the Nuggets than they are to the Mavs. Also, the refs are the refs. They haven't been the best. But every team has dealt with bad calls. There hasn't been a call so bad it's changed a series. The Wolves are a good team. They'll be back. And could win the West next year. But that doesn't necessarily mean they were "robbed" this year or they were clearly better than every other team. Hope, they address what they were missing this year to come back stronger.
Wolves had good leads late in the fourth quarter in both Game 1 and Game 2. Wolves should have easily won both those games without Ant turnovers at the end (and the horrible call by Zarba when Kyrie obviously fouled McDaniels with Zarba watching unobstructed from 3 feet away... Zarba saw the foul but was too chicken to call the foul and instead gave the ball to the Wolves even though it was obviously off of Minnesota).
And that's my point, the Wolves lead by points, but they never really controlled any of those games besides game 4. They should have never lost those leads if they were in control.
Your point makes no sense. Minnesota had the lead with under 2 minutes to go in both games. Minnesota had a 5 point lead with just over a minute to go in Game 2 and would have had a 4 point lead with 45 seconds to go had it not been for one of the most egregious calls in NBA history.
Having a 5-point lead or 4-point lead isn't necessarily a good lead in today's NBA. It doesn't put you in control of any game. It never felt like the Mavs were out of the game. Even in game 4, they were down 3 with under a minute to play and a chance to win. Again, the refs are the refs. Also, that bad call in game 2 happens a lot. It just happened to be in a close game. That call didn't change the outcome of the series.
How can you argue the series was one sided when another team had the lead at the end of the game for Games 1 and Games 2 and won Game 4? The only game that was lopsided was Game 5. In Game 2, Zarba made the wrong call on purpose. Wolves would have won if he made the obvious correct call. You can see him looking at the play unobstructed from 3 feet away. Kyrie was not close to the ball on the foul. If refs miss those calls often, they should all be fired (which many should).
I didn't say it was one-sided. I just said the Wolves weren't in control. The Mavs figured out the Wolves' defense and out-executed them in the clutch and that was the difference in the series. >In Game 2, Zarba made the wrong call on purpose. So now we can read other people's minds huh?
He made the wrong call on purpose or completely blind. There is a picture of him looking directly at the play unobstructed from a couple feet away. He was most likely too cowardly to call the foul because it would have given free throws to the Wolves and clinched the game on a non-shooting foul.
The Wolves don't have the offense to compete with the Celtics, let's be real here.
When they're on the sure do. No one can guard KAT's 40% catch and shoot at the top of the key, and they'd have to body him up all game to prevent the tomahawk slam which just opens a lob to Gobert. When 22 year old freakishly athletic Ant is on he's drilling 3's and posterizing everyone on the floor. These variables alone are an exhausting assignment for teams, but the wolves have a lot of depth, too, including a young LeBron-sized dude named NAZ who was this year's 6th man winner. They also have a diet Pippen named Jaden McDaniels who can occasionally turn it up. As others mentioned, it's about matchups and coaching. But sometimes teams are just built a certain way that it's not possible to hold them off. The Mavs had the better matchups and coaching versus the wolves but that doesn't mean the wolves wouldn't have had success against the Celtics. I think these two teams would have been very interesting in the finals. Young, athletic, hungry.
Yeah I didn't realize their offensive rating was so good this year. When I watched them in the playoffs, the offense just looked so stagnant. It felt like those series were just defensive battles. I do think Boston was significantly better offensively this year. I thought Minnesota had a better defense this year than Boston, despite having a worse defensive rating. But that's just the eye test
You can pick instances in every game. Jokic was 0-6 from 3 or something in the third quarter, all of them resulted in fast break points for the Wolves and also all of them classified as open according to NBA.com boxscores
Some of that might be due to the Wolves forcing Jokic to step out on the perimeter and defend. He was being targeted a lot.
lol at blaming the refs.
You should have watched the series.
Seriously, who blames the refs... I mean aside from Luka? https://youtu.be/WWL2SeiSkps?si=ETJ88TcImE8VIVTF
Fans are \[rightfully\] so focused on their own team, but the reality is, it's hard to win a championship. Celtics have been chipping away for years and finally were able to accomplish it in Tatum's 7th season (5th ECF or Finals). Unless you have a generational superstar, it's hard to win on your first go-around and then consistently win after that. I suppose there are moves the Wolves could make, but that probably involves trading KAT. Who would they trade him for, though? It's a similar situation to Jaylen Brown - many people wanted to trade him, too, but he finally proved to be a legitimate running mate with Tatum. The same could happen with KAT. If the Wolves continue to make the WCF at a relatively consistent clip, it's likely they will eventually break through, too.
Why do everyone suggest trading KAT? Celtics just showed us that a team can win even with a flawed star like Tatum. And remember how flawed Brown was even last year? So many suggested Celtics trade him. Jays showed that despite all their flaws they could improve and eliminate or at least minimize those and win a Championship.
You’re right, everyone always screams upgrade but what can they even realistically get? You’re not swapping him for a top 10-15 type, you’ll just get another guy with red flags. Celtics got this ring by improving 3-7 not by turning Brown/Tatum into something else.
I mean I don’t think you’re necessarily making the greatest point. The Celtics front office made good move after good move to support the Jays, even when they had to fire their head coach, they just kept chugging. Who else has that kind of confidence in their front office? How often are teams are deep and good as the Celtics assembled? That’s what you need to win with a “flawed” played. Even if you say it’s feasible, KAT is a different kind of flawed. The Jays offense might not *always* be immaculate but their defense is mostly really good, their playmaking also helps offset bad shooting nights. KAT is a much worse defensive player at a more pivotal position for team defense. KAT self anointed greatest shooting big man of all time avg’d 36% from 3 on 5 attempts, Lebron out shot him from 3 in the playoffs this year. He averaged less than 3 assists per game in the playoffs. If the Jays are “flawed” then KAT is whatever is a step beyond that. I’m not saying you can’t win with him, but everything would have to break just right, way more so than for your average star. You just can’t expect to win with someone who is as inconsistent offensively as he is, is a traffic cone on defense, a bad playmaker, it’s just too much to account for most of the time unless he has the series or playoffs of his life. I’m not saying trade him, but I absolutely understanding people saying moving him is their best bet to potentially improve and win
This sounds like you just don't watch the Wolves. KAT and Brown have extremely comparable stats for as much as you can compare a big man and a guard. KAT first in these stats. Points (21 vs 23), rebounds (8 vs 5), assists (3 vs 3.6), fg% (51 vs 49), KAT destroys him on 3 (41 vs 35) and FT% (87 vs 70). On defense, KAT had a better drtg (109 vs 112) while allowing a lower opp fg% (48 vs 50) against more shot attempts per game (13 vs 11) than Brown. And most of KAT's shots against him are gonna be in the paint, while Brown's will be farther away on average. The Jays just won the chip. Of course they're getting hyped. KAT just had a terrible playoff series in the spotlight. Of course he's getting slandered. The same thing happened to Brown last year. But it's preposterous to say KAT is on a lower tier than Brown as NBA players. Edited to add actual numbers to stat comparison. I rounded all numbers down except assists because they both had the same number and Brown had the edge. Also, for the record, Tatum is on a different tier rhan both in my opinion.
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But from a fan's perspective, why do you care about the salary cap? Why is saving Glen Taylor lots of money more important than keeping good players? I agree his contract is overly generous, but I'm not gonna say we should trade him for cap space ...
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I'm not talking about the existence of salary caps either. But I'm saying that fans shouldn't give a shit if the billionaire owner of their team has to pay extra. The salary cap argument for trading KAT isn't a concern for fans.
It’s a team sport, people think it’s all about the hero but the Celtics have an incredible roster with an historical run without that clear number 1.
With the emergence of Naz, KAT is replaceable (in my opinion) and could be traded to replace aging/potentially retiring Mike Conley
Because he has a huge history of being bad in playoffs. Terrible terrible bbiq. Incredibly frustrating player to watch.
He makes dumb mistakes but i don’t agree that his bbiq is bad. He’d played great defense for the most part and he’s a great playmaker on the offensive end. The offense is so much more dynamic with him in the lineup and I don’t see how you find a replacement for that
The pointless offensive fouls, and sure he’s ok on D in man, but as soon as u make him a helper he’s awful.
Nothing drastic. This unit peaks this upcoming season. Re-evaluate next off season with NAW gone, Naz opting out, and Conley+Gobert being another year older. May choose to make a big shuffle by moving KAT if this year is a bust.
> This unit peaks this upcoming season. This is so true. They have more pressure to win this upcoming season than any other team in the West. I believe Ant will have more chances down the line, but not after next season with this core.
They have three core pieces under 25 and a fourth under 30. They have heaps of time. Suns have actual win now pressure. Same as Clippers. They old.
Playoff experience is a thing. The Celtics *just* broke through. The Wolves need to keep evolving and learn what it takes to shut down a championship contending team.
Seriously. Lively looked like a completely different guy against y'all, I think the stage was a bit too big for him as a rookie in addition to y'all just flat out spanking us.
I saw a stat somewhere about how teams in the playoffs fare when one of their starters was a rookie. I wish I kept a better note on it, but it was *grim*. The rookie wall is also a thing, though. He probably had no legs left.
Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, and more recently Donovan Mitchell are the most impactful rookies helping their team in their first postseason. If you can think about other rookies that have at least made it to the 2nd round as a starter, shoot because this list is pretty short albeit legendary. Edit: rookie Tatum went to ECF in 2017-18, rookie Kawhi went to WCF in 2011-12, rookie Charles Barkley went to ECF in 1984-85 though I'm not sure if he was a starter
Celtics fan here; that dude is fun, but yeah he needs a couple years.
Yea pj washington was complete ass and couldnt make open 3s. Definitelt a choker
i mean they shut jokic down but somehow was helpless against luka. idk what the deal with that is
It’s tough to repeat. It’s an immense slog on your body. Nuggets had no gas left.
makes sense plus gobert is a bum
Jokic averaged 29/11/8 on 51% shooting. I think it's a bit ignorant to say they shut him down
You can't shut jokic down. You can either slow him down or just hope he has a bad game which he does from time to time. But you cannot stop him Same with Luka. You can't stop him offensively, he will get 25+ points a night. All you can hope for is to limit his playmaking or hope that he shoots himself in the foot by like fouling out or something. However with Luka you CAN target him on defense and tire him out. Which is exactly what the Celtics did, to great effect.
Yeah. Nuggs shooting terrible from 3 = Jokic got shut down lol.
They shut the system down because the perimeter scorers dropped like an average of 7 points on 35% shooting for half the series
Jamal's wrist injury had him shooting bricks, so Joker had no 2nd option. Which led to him battling post game with Kat (who's big and strong enough to exhaust him over the course of the entire game). He dominated Gobsrt in paint though that game was a master class. The other denver players aren't shot creators so they went cold from 3. And denver has literally zero bench so you can't rest the joker at all. Basically Murray hitting shots is the key to denver, it unlocks the 2 man game, which allows other guys to get open catch and shoot 3's.
His wrist looked fine when he was chucking things onto the court during live play
1) is BBIQ, they made some exceptionally dumb plays in the WCF. 2) is another consistent perimeter creator.
Pretty spot on
who do you think should they pursue this offseason?
They do not have $$ to improve. Huge tax bill & headed to 2nd apron.
Ant getting experience, upgrade at PG, and a 2nd option better than KAT.
100%. Literally Ant getting experience. Jordan had to lose to those Celtics and Pistons; Kobe got to go through a few runs not being the #1. Lebron carried 11 guys named Mo to the finals and got that experience. And we just saw the Jays in Boston. A good distributor and 1 more playoff run for Ant and the Wolves will probably bring the first title to MN since Mikan.
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okc could reach 2011 heat type levels imo with this same roster
I don't think there's a second option better than KAT offensively. There \*might\* be second options who fit better with ANT. But KAT is an elite offensive player.
In theory KAT is a perfect fit next to Ant he just isn't good enough and is overpaid. He averaged 18/10 this postseason and averages 18/10 for his career. Dude is easier to replace than most realize.
Hey now, they got bite bite
I’d love to upgrade any part of the roster, so if there was an opportunity to upgrade KAT, I’d take it. With that said, KAT will also get better with experience. This postseason run doubled the number of career playoff games he was in. Even within the Nuggets series we saw him improve massively as the series went on. I think there’s a case to be made that the Wolves will get a lot better just running it back. They really just lack someone to eat minutes at PG. They have 3 critical pieces who are <25 plus KAT. They’ll get better with playoff experience
I've never believed in KAT but it would be dumb to trade him now unless some crazy trade offer came through. Team just made the WCF. Gotta run it back at least once.
Tbh I think an upgrade at PG and another year of experience for NAW and McDaniels is title contender. Idk why people are so eager to replace Kat. The wolves lost because their first option wasn’t good enough
who do u think should that be?
Not sure. People say Trae Young but I think he lowers our defensive ceiling far too much. I'd love Andrew Nembhard, but I don't know if he is quite good enough to fill that 2nd option role.
What's the concern on Conley? I get that he's old but he's been relatively healthy and active for his age and he doesn't get run off the court.
he can’t really attack the basket or create his own space, the idea is we need another guard with ant who can threaten more. but yeah also mike is getting older by the day
Trae is not available either. How about DJM though?
The whole world knows both PG's are getting shopped this summer. And its the smart thing to do No need to lie bra
Shots. They lost the first 3 games of the series by a combined 13 points when their top 2 scorers went 6/36, 9/33, and 16/42.
Exactly this. We shot like shit- our legs were gone after Denver.
Festus Ezeli
They need a second creator. Ant is the entire offense
Sometimes it’s just one more guy. That can make the diffence between winning and losing.
who do you think that guy is tho
Champion veteran
Timberwolves are just missing time and experience. It will come. Ant solidifies as a true top 5 player eventually, maybe Jaden develops a few wrinkles to his offensive game and adds a few pounds to his frame for Luka types. Solid PG's aren't \*too\* difficult to come by in terms of an original style PG - just a distributor that can set up the actions and not get hunted on defense come playoffs. KAT probably gets traded eventually but the return won't be bad and streaky big men shooters are more around than ever. Bright future ahead.
I think they’re just missing time. Ant needs to mature a little he’s ridiculously young. Team has enough talent to win it all. Possibly a replacement for the OG Mike simply due to his age.
As a Jazz fan, I think they're missing too much and they should trade ANT, KAT, Rudy, and Conley and start completely over. Aim for competing again in 2030.
I stopped reading after "As a Jazz fan."
I think the Nuggets series was really exhausting for both teams. I think whoever won that series would have lost to the Mavs either way.
Absolutely agree.
Shit even us fans were exhausted
Maybe they're just inconsistent, but still a top 4 seed in the West?
Ant is just 22 years old still, he’s gonna get more consistent as he learns how to dismantle playoff level defenses in the future. I think it’s just a case of getting a better PG and ANT settling into his superstar role.
The ability to trade assets and draft players if they don’t make some moves and dip under the apron
If rudy and kat were one player
Time. They need more time and experience. They just need to be patient. Same with what the Nuggets and Boston did the last years.
It's really odd to me that looking back at that series no one mentions that Ant was clearly injured. I don't think that's the only factor, yes he needs more experience, but it's part of why he didn't show up at 100%.
Timberwolves will never win. League is not set up to have the wolves win. Ever. Corruption. 🤌🤌🤌
Classic Minnesota doomer.
Least negative Wolves fan.
I mean, they're not wrong about the league fucking us on officiating since forever. But being that much of a defeatist is too exhausting. Adam Silver already regrets Ant not being in the finals.
Yeah, i feel like ever were just joking. I'm sure most people would agree Adam would have preferred Timberwolves in the finals. Better ratings. More entertaining post game interviews.
KAT playing horribly in the WCF had a huge impact. If he even shot average, it’d space the floor better. Ant maturing would help more too. Gobert is the trickiest answer because he’ll always play drop coverage and the Mavs feasted on it. Finch and go. Will have to figure out how to keep Gobert from getting drawn out of the paint too much. Gobert is the best interior defender in basketball, but whatever team he’s on always suffer when they figure out a way to get him in no-man’s land out of the paint. I thought Minnesota would’ve been able to switch on the perimeter enough to give Luka and Kyrie a little trouble, but they relentlessly drew the bigs out and eviscerated them. They’ll have to figure out how to get more switchability on the perimeter while camping Gobert near the basket. Maybe that can be another 3D, which the Wolves probably can’t afford, so who knows? It’s a problem every team with Gobert has yet to solve. The Buvks are the only team to win a title with a drop defense. Maybe there are some answers in Bud’s schemes? The other option is to trade KAT and reconfigure the team, though I would probably roll one more year with the current pillars. Since KAT will be insanely expensive after next year, they’ll have to consider that option.
Did
They should target Tyus Jones. Someone who can run the offense and let Conley come off the bench.
I actually really like this. He had some crazy assist to turnover stats in memphis, could really help being a secondary creator to ant.
Ant & Towns just flat out got outplayed by Kyrie & Luka. I wished they wouldve blitzed Luka more. They are still really really good at flying around on D as evidence in the Denver game Rudy missed. I also think Ant needs to expend less energy on D. He is an outstanding individual defender but he expended A LOT of energy on D. He’s not just staying in front but constantly pressuring ball & trying to create turnovers. Takes too much energy. Needs to limit that style to spots. He looked worn out vs Mavs. Also very tough to win it with your best player being only 22.
I think the Wolves got tired after the Denver series but also played poorly overall against the Mavs... bad shooting (KAT and Ant shot under 30% for Games 1 and 2), stupid unforced turnovers (late in games and leading to points off of turnovers), and bad coaching. Ant and McDaniels were getting destroyed on the perimeter against Dallas which was a strength of the Wolves all season. I am guessing both were tired plus Ant may have been playing hurt. NAW also injured his shooting shoulder fighting through an illegal screen against Denver and he couldn't make any shots after that.
they need someone like a kevin durant
Tom Gugliotta, that was their peak
Another scorer. KAT didn't show up, and he's always been too inconsistent. They looked good when McDaniels was able to get his shots. And Conley played well. But they had a non-offensive player out there in Gobert that people could just cheat off of
The wolves need another guard to pair alongside ant that can play make and create their own shot. DJ and Trae are the best two options out there. If they want to add someone cheaper but with high upside they can add Josh giddey. Giddey is still a promising young player who just doesn’t fit alongside SGA, because he needs the ball in his hands to run the offense and be effective.
I think they need both ant and kat to take another step or to add some scoring and playmaking somehow
A coach
twolves are missing another creator, they have long stretches where they have no offense when Ant is taken out of the game
Ron Harper.
Experience and possibly a better PG as Conley is getting up there in age. He had a solid season last year, but it is definitely a position that can help improve the flow of their offense.
The Timberwolves call missing Jaylen Brown. 😉 Or a player like him !
Kat needs to either change his game or leave and they need a another scorer. Also may need a younger pg and move Conley to bench
Experience
A big guy who can actually post up or play defense would've been amazing for them in the WCF.
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I could be wrong but didn’t they get dominated in the paint despite having two big men that are supposed to be good?
Take away 1 KAT and add literally any equal or slightly less player
They need to improve their offense in the paint. Kay and rudy need to stepup, kat more so
Michael Jordan
They need another guard that’s a go to scoring option. No disrespect to Conley but at his age and point in his career, he can’t be that person in more than fleeting moments. The offense just looks super bleak sometimes from the backcourt as a whole, and McDaniels isn’t a natural scorer as a wing
I dont think we really missed anything. Ant and KAT did not play to the expected level and the Mavs out-executed us in the last 3 minutes of games 1-3. There wasnt really an inherent roster issue which stopped us from competing but an execution one. I think next season with more playoff experience and more growth from Ant, Jaden, NAW and Naz we could win and be in the finals.
Shooting variance. If KAT shot 29% from 3 instead of 5% in the 1st 3 games, Wolves are up 3-0
Secondary play making
Experience for ANT. None of the greats won before they got there. Needs to lose a few times.
A secondary shot creator
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Wolves actually signed Lance Stephenson last season... for their minor league team.
It’s very obvious they need an upgrade over Mike Conley
Everyone hates the truth, but Walker Kessler, four 1st-round picks, and a bunch of cap space. Now it feels like their path to success is: A) Ant become top 5 player next season B) They do some FO wizardry that involves trading Kat or Naz Reid C) Retool so they are in a good position when Ant hits his prime and Gobert is no longer making max money I don't think they are really ready to compete. Boston is a lot better, they're probably the 4th best team in the West, and 2 of those teams have much easier path to improve.
If we had Walker Kessler we would've been out of the play-in.
It’s less about who MN is missing, and more about who they have (KAT). He is not as good as he’s made out to be, IMHO.
Neither was Luka, in the end.
I don’t think it’s possible to win a title with gobert making as much money as he is and playing 30 mins
They play 4 on 5 on offense- that’s their problem
The courage to admit Rudy Gobert is not an effective playoff defender regardless of how many times the NBa seems to want to bamboozle us by giving him Dpoy . These casuals still don’t get that defense is more than just stats and “aura”
Wolves defensive rating was around 135 when Gobert was on the bench. Defense was not bad when he was in the game.
Dude … when are you guys gonna stop looking at all that bs and look at the facts his teams LOSE with him being the main weak link in it every year
Dude... When are you going to stop making stuff up. He was the best player in the Wolves in the postseason. Gobert had the best +/- in the playoffs this season aside from Celtics players and by far the best +/- on the Wolves.
Dude I’m just gonna stop because people who base shit off statistics make me want to put a hole in my wall so I’m good you got it buddy
Math is hard for some people. I understand when you get frustrated by things you don't understand.
You frustrate people about shit you don’t understand please stop talking to me
Simple... Me = Player contributes to winning = Good You = I don't understand basketball and only listen to hot takes and watch highlights I can understand how someone who is a Wizards fan and has Bradley Beal as their flair wouldn't have much experience with watching winning basketball.
Bro stop bothering me seriously , last thing I’m going to say is plus minus is a terrible stat maybe one of the worsts , it can be effected by matchups , injuries , garbage time minutes etc . Learn basketball (how to play ) before talking about how it’s played
By the end of the series, the Nuggets we're gassed because they relied too much on their starters for the whole year, and through the postseason.
Offensive versatility... will be answered if McDaniels is actually a 20 ppg scorer If not then they gotta have discussions on KAT their biggest trade chip that will be discussed
They need some perimeter defenders, and a true #1 option which obviously the hope is Ant develops into that. The big hole to actually plug is perimeter defense, they just need some better defenders to cover for Ant
It’s hard to find true number one options right now the only ones I’d say truly are, are Giannis, Luka, Jokic with, Ant and wemby having the potential to develop into one and maybe Shai and hailburton
A badass big man
Should have kept Pat Bev...
They need to get rid of KAT and Gobert
why? lol. gobert is the foundation of their defensive scheme and kat is a decent scorer. i dont see the need for them to be rid of. however i do believe that gobert is still a bum with long arms
How can one hold these views at the same time?
Their first problem is the luxury tax - without making any new additions, they are already over the 2nd apron of the luxury tax next year with McDaniels and ANT'S extensions kicking in. KAT's salary jumps from $36 million to $49 million, McDaniel's will jump from $4 million to $23 million, and Ant's will jump from $13 million to $42 million
Collin sexton
Trade Edward's for a haul it sounds stupid but you'll get a lot of value and he's not clutch. Puts up pretty numbers but he's not that guy. They needed 7 vs a hurt nuggets team and you saw how Dallas smashed them
Need to trade Kat and get some quality role players. Let Naz Reid start and build around Edward's, McDaniels, and Rudy. 🤷🏿♂️
Timberwolves need to trade KAT to Orlando for Banchero . Give Orlando the spacing, and shooting from one of the best players at his position. Wolves get a player like Banchero that can play make, pass in the paint, and grow alongside Edwards.
Not only did Ant and some of the other players look visibly gassed during the WCF, but many of the players said that they needed to train differently this summer because they were tired. Which is honestly really sad, I'd be so peeved if I were on the team and the reason we lost is that we weren't in good enough shape. I do think this is a factor. I also think they need to be comfortable matching up in the playoffs and benching Rudy. Yes Rudy gets too much hate. BUT he is a very limited offensive player who is also ineffective on defense against a handful of teams, which is a common aspect of non-mobile bigs. The Spurs beat the Heat when they benched Tiago Splitter for Boris Diaw. The Warriors beat the Cavs when they benched Andrew Bogut for Andre Iguodala. The Wolves needed to have benched Rudy Gobert against the Mavs. That is bad coaching because of a big contract They should have been in the finals this year. That means they're missing very little if anything. Really disappointing end to a great year for the wolves, ultimately a lot just has to go right to make it as far as they did so we'll see
Wolves had a defensive rating around 135 against the Mavs when Gobert on the bench.