Game 54: Minnesota Timberwolves @ Portland T-Blazers (9 CST)

Post #1 » by **Klomp** » Tue Feb 13, 2024 11:16 pm

Big takeaway from last night: Our rotation didn't burn itself out on the front end of a back-to-back. That's great load management right there!

Gobert 33 minutes
Edwards 32 minutes
Towns 27 minutes
Reid 27 minutes
McDaniels 25 minutes
Conley 24 minutes
Alexander-Walker 24 minutes
Anderson 20 minutes
Morris 18 minutes

winforlose · Post #2 » by **winforlose** » Tue Feb 13, 2024 11:19 pm

Klomp wrote:Big takeaway from last night: Our rotation didn't burn itself out on the front end of a back-to-back. That's great load management right there!

Gobert 33 minutes
Edwards 32 minutes
Towns 27 minutes
Reid 27 minutes
McDaniels 25 minutes
Conley 24 minutes
Alexander-Walker 24 minutes
Anderson 20 minutes
Morris 18 minutes

Morris is gonna do wonders for Mike.

Post #3 » by **Klomp** » Tue Feb 13, 2024 11:28 pm

Last two games before break in Portland are the last road games until March 7. Obviously the all-star break is worked in there but still that's crazy.

winforlose · Post #4 » by **winforlose** » Tue Feb 13, 2024 11:34 pm

Klomp wrote:Last two games before break in Portland are the last road games until March 7. Obviously the all-star break is worked in there but still that's crazy.

Our last Home game was February 4th. Our next home game is February 23rd. That is crazy.

KGdaBom · Post #5 » by **KGdaBom** » Tue Feb 13, 2024 11:58 pm

Ant and McDaniels Questionable, but Portland is really bad. This should be a win. Take care of business.

life_saver · Post #6 » by **life_saver** » Wed Feb 14, 2024 12:04 am

Blazers are not good currently but just looking at their last 5 games, games seem to be close even though they lost all 5. Not going to be a gimme game

KGdaBom · Post #7 » by **KGdaBom** » Wed Feb 14, 2024 12:07 am

life_saver wrote:Blazers are not good currently but just looking at their last 5 games, games seem to be close even though they lost all 5. Not going to be a gimme game

They're never a gimme game, but we take care of business we will win. Simple as that.

Post #8 » by **Klomp** » Wed Feb 14, 2024 12:14 am

"Gimme games" are less of a thing than "hot hands"

winforlose · Post #9 » by **winforlose** » Wed Feb 14, 2024 12:18 am

Klomp wrote:"Gimme games" are less of a thing than "hot hands"

Gimme games are a misnomer. What they really are, are trap games!

KGdaBom · Post #10 » by **KGdaBom** » Wed Feb 14, 2024 12:25 am

winforlose wrote:
Klomp wrote:"Gimme games" are less of a thing than "hot hands"

Gimme games are a misnomer. What they really are, are trap games!

Losing these type of games is what hurts the most to me. I want us to be a mature, reliable team that takes care of business and wins the ones we should. Then we can go out and win our fair share of the tough games and be a top team in the NBA. I have faith in us taking care of business almost all the time from here on out. Nobody wins every one of the should win games. I just ask that we win 9 out of 10 of those.

Post #11 » by **Calinks** » Wed Feb 14, 2024 2:58 am

We blow either of these two games and they essentially erase that Clippers win.

winforlose · Post #12 » by **winforlose** » Wed Feb 14, 2024 3:01 am

OKC is 10-4 against our division. They have 1 game against Portland and one against Utah and that is it for division games. We have 3 against Denver, 3 against Portland, and 2 against Utah. This means, that when we play Portland and Utah, not only are we playing for the W, we are playing for a very important tie breaker over OKC that might decide seeding in the West. Finch needs to harness that and raise the stakes for his team ahead of the All Star Break, as well as after it.

Loaf_of_bread · Post #13 » by **Loaf_of_bread** » Wed Feb 14, 2024 3:09 am

We should take care of business with Mike back.

TimberKat · Post #14 » by **TimberKat** » Wed Feb 14, 2024 3:10 am

I hope the Wolves remember what happened last year and take these two games seriously

KGdaBom · Post #15 » by **KGdaBom** » Wed Feb 14, 2024 3:15 am

Loaf_of_bread wrote:We should take care of business with Mike back.

We should, but we start out with a 0-7 deficit. :banghead:

Post #16 » by **Domejandro** » Wed Feb 14, 2024 3:17 am

My unpopular take is that I think the shift towards bank shots is probably not great for Anthony Edwards' shooting development.

KGdaBom · Post #17 » by **KGdaBom** » Wed Feb 14, 2024 3:18 am

I would so love for KAT to finish the season as a 50-40-90 guy, but he will need to shoot 93% the rest of the season to get it. Probably fall just short.

TimberKat · Post #18 » by **TimberKat** » Wed Feb 14, 2024 3:18 am

The game so much easier when the opponent turns over the ball. Turn over kills.

Guest84 · Post #19 » by **Guest84** » Wed Feb 14, 2024 3:23 am

I sure hope the wolves move away from Bally’s next season. Feed is terrible…what are we paying for??

KGdaBom · Post #20 » by **KGdaBom** » Wed Feb 14, 2024 3:23 am

Domejandro wrote:My unpopular take is that I think the shift towards bank shots is probably not great for Anthony Edwards' shooting development.

Bank shots have been scientifically proven to be more likely to go in than straight on shots. They give you a greater margin of error to make the shot. John Wooden taught this at UCLA and his players were excellent bank shooters. Modern players have gone away from the bank shot and it is becoming a lost art. Ant is one of the few modern players good with bank shots.

Rick Barry used to shoot underhand free throws. He was about the best Free Throw shooter in the history of the game. I believe those are scientifically more likely to go in as well, but you look lame doing it so nobody does.