WCQ Game 1: Phoenix at Minnesota, 2:30 pm Saturday

[Klomp]

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[Note30]

I think obviously they'll put Jaden on kd for as long as they're both out there. But if your going to play Jaden 35-40 minutes, he has to be an offensive factor. He has to be a 40 percent on 3s on high volume if the wolves are gonna win

I guess that puts Ant on Booker and Conley on Beale.

That's gonna be tough for the two of them. Mostly because Ant should be focusing on offense and instead most of his energy will be focusing on stopping Booker.

Yep, this is part of what I come back to when looking at what went wrong in the regular season series.

I think we either need to lean heavily into the "big" thing by having Towns or Gobert cover Durant, or we need to scheme differently and play more with only one of them on the court, instead running a lot of NAW. I think they'll do the first option before considering the second.

Durant will have 35 every game if we do that, and if you put Gobert on him that will be worse, because Towns is bad in drop coverage, so he'll get exploited on pick and rolls and every two man action know to man. If Gobert is on him it'll be an easy W for the Suns. Towns or Naz could theoretically work if you plan to ignore Nurkic and let him get his. Let Durant drive by you and hope Gobert meets him there, stay on his hip so he can't shoot, I think Towns could manage that. It's risky though.

[Klomp]

I'm so glad we have the Play-In for the national talking heads to discuss before we get to our series. The Zion dialogue in the TNT pregame is similar to what we would normally be hearing about Towns in years past.

[Klomp]

Durant will have 35 every game if we do that, and if you put Gobert on him that will be worse, because Towns is bad in drop coverage, so he'll get exploited on pick and rolls and every two man action know to man. If Gobert is on him it'll be an easy W for the Suns.

I think this is the national narrative, but not really what we've seen on the court.

[Loaf_of_bread]

Let's try it, gobert on Durant, Towns in goberts normal role. If it doesn't work, it doesn't, but we cannot do what's been tried and expect a different result. Insanity.

[TimberKat]

This is gonna sound dumb, but it is a fair and legit question, so please treat it accordingly. If the Suns go super small and play Durant at the center, can Rudy guard KD?

It depends on who does the Suns have for the other 4 players. If there is one none shooter than Gobert could guard that guy (Okogie) and be the weak side help. In general, this is one team we need to play One big vs their starters. In some way, Bulls are the poor man's Suns and we don't play well again that team either.

[winforlose]

Let's try it, gobert on Durant, Towns in goberts normal role. If it doesn't work, it doesn't, but we cannot do what's been tried and expect a different result. Insanity.

I was toying with matchups and I could imagine KAT on Nurk, Rudy on Durant, Ant on Beal, Jaden on Booker, and Mike on Allen. If Rudy uses his length and strength to disrupt Durant and Karl can hold his own, it would create a more dynamic switching situation.

[Klomp]

Let's try it, gobert on Durant, Towns in goberts normal role. If it doesn't work, it doesn't, but we cannot do what's been tried and expect a different result. Insanity.

I was toying with matchups and I could imagine KAT on Nurk, Rudy on Durant, Ant on Beal, Jaden on Booker, and Mike on Allen. If Rudy uses his length and strength to disrupt Durant and Karl can hold his own, it would create a more dynamic switching situation.

Exactly! This is what I'd be curious to see.

[thinktank]

This is gonna sound dumb, but it is a fair and legit question, so please treat it accordingly. If the Suns go super small and play Durant at the center, can Rudy guard KD?

It depends on who does the Suns have for the other 4 players. If there is one none shooter than Gobert could guard that guy (Okogie) and be the weak side help. In general, this is one team we need to play One big vs their starters. In some way, Bulls are the poor man's Suns and we don't play well again that team either.

That’s very astute to think of Bulls. Well done. Another midrange team.

I do feel like we have to have about three different defensive looks to fall back on. One of them has to be Rudy playing high wall, I would guess. Roll the dice with Nurkic and other center guy.

[Domejandro]

Rudy Gobert on Kevin Durant is not a good call, it would lead to a ton of cross-matches if the pace is high and in ball-screen action.

[thinktank]

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Four absolute snipers. They’re scary as hell.

[thinktank]

Rudy Gobert on Kevin Durant is not a good call, it would lead to a ton of cross-matches if the pace is high and in ball-screen action.

We made need to use it at the end of shot clocks, etc.

[thinktank]

Sacto used Monk to hunt Rudy down. Phoenix will do the same, I would guess.

[TimberKat]

Gobert on 3 days darkness retreat: "When you blow out that little candle on the first night and it’s just you and your own mind, it’s real. All of the crutches that you rely on to distract you and to feed your ego aren’t there anymore. There’s a little slot in the door of your room that they slide a tray of food through for breakfast and dinner, and that’s it. It’s basically meditation times 1,000"

I guess the entire team should head up to the woods of Southern Oregon before the Suns series start on Saturday. Coming back down feel refresh to Taking Care of Business or Blinded by the Light.

[Note30]

This is gonna sound dumb, but it is a fair and legit question, so please treat it accordingly. If the Suns go super small and play Durant at the center, can Rudy guard KD?

It depends on who does the Suns have for the other 4 players. If there is one none shooter than Gobert could guard that guy (Okogie) and be the weak side help. In general, this is one team we need to play One big vs their starters. In some way, Bulls are the poor man's Suns and we don't play well again that team either.

I'd be surprised if Okogie plays in anything other than garbage time if it's available.

[Note30]

Sacto used Monk to hunt Rudy down. Phoenix will do the same, I would guess.

Could you explain what that would look like?

[Loaf_of_bread]

Rudy Gobert on Kevin Durant is not a good call, it would lead to a ton of cross-matches if the pace is high and in ball-screen action.

What is your suggestion? We will lose in 5 without a scheme change.

[MN7725]

Sacto used Monk to hunt Rudy down. Phoenix will do the same, I would guess.

Could you explain what that would look like?

they use whoever Gobert is guarding to set screens for their main guys
at worst for them it draws Gobert away from the rim

[Domejandro]

Rudy Gobert on Kevin Durant is not a good call, it would lead to a ton of cross-matches if the pace is high and in ball-screen action.

What is your suggestion? We will lose in 5 without a scheme change.

Anything other than the suggestion that functionally puts Karl-Anthony Towns into drop or switch coverage against Devin Booker or Bradley Beal; respectfully, it is just a really poor one as a primary strategy

Realistically, I would probably roll with the current starting line-up and just focus on limiting turnovers. Seems like key problem is pretty obvious, the turnovers lead to fastbreaks and cross-matches; Anthony Edwards needs to stop tunnel-visioning into a shell defensive concept.

[thinktank]

Sacto used Monk to hunt Rudy down. Phoenix will do the same, I would guess.

Could you explain what that would look like?

Whoever Rudy is guarding (has been Nurkic), that player will set the pick for Durant, Booker, or Beal.

Then we have a decision:

McDaniels, NAW, or Edwards can fight over the top of Nurkic, or failing that, Rudy has to immediately SWITCH onto one of the three all-star wings.

Phoenix, right now, wants that. I guarantee you they think they can cross and hesi Rudy to high heaven and get whatever they want outside and driving to the rim.

The timing and communication of that PnR decision is CRITICAL.

Therefore, Finch can say in advance at practice SWITCH EVERYTHING. That way Rudy is READY to step out onto the perimeter immediately and McDaniels, NAW, or Edwards can concentrate in advance on guarding Nurkic.

If we don’t figure that decision process out, we’re toast.

Somewhere in the “don’t switch if you can—fight over” to “switch everything” dynamic is the current solution—I say current because like football, there should be opportunities to suprise Phoenix with different D looks in some situations.

Hopefully Finch has some punches / D looks to throw.



Another thing I want to see us do is push them toward the baseline. Make them have to operate on those baselines where at least you have more predictability, and maybe force a miss. It was too easy for them to mess around on the baseline and then end up in the key. Keep that middle strong. Shade up toward the FT line extended and push them to the baseline side. Should be possible.