WCQ Game 2: Phoenix at Minnesota, 6:30 pm Tuesday (Wolves lead 1-0)

[Klomp]

The series is over in my mind.

Phoenix might win a game or two, but as Dane and Kyle talked about postgame, I'm not sure what other wrinkles they can add to the gameplan that would completely derail us. Booker and/or Durant and/or Beal can go nuclear and shoot their way to taking a game, but honestly I think that's their best opportunity. Especially with Grayson Allen likely down and out.

We won Game 1 with Mike Conley and Naz Reid struggling. Last night, Towns, Ant, Reid, etc. didn't do a whole lot. And still we won both convincingly. The biggest worry is that Towns and Edwards start to play with their food, but I don't see Gobert and Conley allowing it to go very far.

Between their own playoff narratives (Ant wants to build his legend and Karl wants to fix his reputation,) and the Mike Conley plea, I cannot imagine them playing with their food. They have a real incentive to win in four. Those extra days aren’t just rest days, they are game plan and practice days. They are days they can spend in Denver adjusting to the altitude. I wouldn’t even wait for the LAL vs DEN series to end. I would hop a plane straight from the Phoenix airport (assuming we win in 4,) and get to Denver early. Rent a private gym and get to work in altitude. If LAL steals it, great. If not, you have the jump on the Nuggets. Whoever wins the Wolves vs Nuggets series will be NBA champions!

I said it on the General board, but Allen's ankle injury is a major source of my optimism. Allen averaged 19 ppg in the regular season. Can they replace that if he misses more time?

[Worm Guts]

Allen averaged 13.5 in the regular season, 19 is a pretty significant round up.

[Klomp]

Allen averaged 13.5 in the regular season, 19 is a pretty significant round up.

Against Minnesota...

[winforlose]

I was thinking about adjustments that the Suns could try. Do you guys think we see the Suns abandoning small ball in favor of big ball? Start Eubanks at the 4, KD at the 3 and adding Bol Bol to the rotation as the backup 5? It would be very interesting and I still think we win, but it really is the last thing they can try.

[Loaf_of_bread]

I've been watching a lot of reaction vids today and it seems to be so hard for them to give the wolves credit without some sort of backhanded compliment.

Numerous videos downplaying the importance of Rudy to this team specifically. They all think he couldn't guard in space and thought he was overrated. They think it's all about blk/stl and don't understand the "nvm" and how much of a deterrent he is. Admittedly, it took me watching him regularly to understand this better.

Rachel Nichols described it perfectly, basically saying because some of the top guys talk down about Rudy, the rest of the league followed suit...kind of like mean girls. Ridiculous

Completely agree, also now seeing guys say all of a sudden that the suns just aren't any good.

Betting public has been hating on us all year as well. Can't complain, Ant has shown in the past that adversity motivates him.

The entirety of the team itself has displayed a completely different look of professionalism and best man up. Minimized foul complaints to refs. Buying into finch. And a motivated Rudy, mike...

[BlacJacMac]

I was thinking about adjustments that the Suns could try. Do you guys think we see the Suns abandoning small ball in favor of big ball? Start Eubanks at the 4, KD at the 3 and adding Bol Bol to the rotation as the backup 5? It would be very interesting and I still think we win, but it really is the last thing they can try.

Vogal clearly doesn’t trust Bol.

[winforlose]

I was thinking about adjustments that the Suns could try. Do you guys think we see the Suns abandoning small ball in favor of big ball? Start Eubanks at the 4, KD at the 3 and adding Bol Bol to the rotation as the backup 5? It would be very interesting and I still think we win, but it really is the last thing they can try.

Vogal clearly doesn’t trust Bol.

Finch has been saying the Wolves don’t need to adjust away from big ball, small ball teams need to go big. I wonder if Vogal paid attention.

[BlacJacMac]

Bol is the biggest small there is.

[TimberKat]

I was thinking about adjustments that the Suns could try. Do you guys think we see the Suns abandoning small ball in favor of big ball? Start Eubanks at the 4, KD at the 3 and adding Bol Bol to the rotation as the backup 5? It would be very interesting and I still think we win, but it really is the last thing they can try.

I won't talk about adjustments until the series is over ( don't want to jinx what we have). We hold serve, now is their turn. They are still a very good team with the big 3 and could go nuts on 3pt shots.

[winforlose]

I was thinking about adjustments that the Suns could try. Do you guys think we see the Suns abandoning small ball in favor of big ball? Start Eubanks at the 4, KD at the 3 and adding Bol Bol to the rotation as the backup 5? It would be very interesting and I still think we win, but it really is the last thing they can try.

I won't talk about adjustments until the series is over. We hold serve, now is their turn. They are still a very good team with the big 3 and could go nuts on 3pt shots.

Adjustments is how the Suns try to turn the table. As for the Suns coming back, they need to find a way to crack 100 before I worry about them. Finally, no Allen will hurt their 3 point shooting.

[Guest84]

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