2024 NBA Playoffs - West 1st Round: #3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. #6 Phoenix Suns (MIN SWEEPS 4-0)

[CodeBreaker]

This is my fave first round series, together with the Clippers/Mavs

Can't wait for Game 2

[NyKnicks1714]

This is the playoffs and KD is out there with that goofy grin clapping and cheering Antman on while he is getting destroyed. Not only is he beyond soft, but I also think he just doesn't care about winning anymore.

I can promise you he does.

[nzd07]

People are sleeping on Antman. Somehow one of the most hyped players isn't being hyped enough. It's all in the eye test. I was high on him when he was drafted. I didn't see him becoming this good. Everyone saying oh he's going to be the face of the league/best player in a few yrs is in for a big surprise this postseason as he's ready now

Adam Silver must be beside himself with Ant in MIN and SGA in OKC

[Drakeem]

KD has 2 finals MVPs. Keyboard warriors determining what's impactful and what isn't has always made me cringe.

You can continue to cringe that’s fine. All he was asked to do in GS was be a safety release for pressure and do whatever Draymond told him to defending weakside. Even he doesn’t value those MVPS, he knew Draymond was 100% correct in saying they didn’t need him as they undoubtedly proved as much.

Now his finals MVPs don't count because it undermines your narrative. Impressive mental gymnastics. I don't like KD the person anymore than you do, presumably, but saying he doesn't impact the game is an absolutely aburd take.

Oh, and what happened in the finals when KD was injured with the calf and then achilles? That's right, GS lost.

I mean, all it took was a Wiggins level replacement to win another ring. Before he came, they won with Harrison Barnes. I would hope KD would be able to live up to that standard.

[Michael Jackson]

People are sleeping on Antman. Somehow one of the most hyped players isn't being hyped enough. It's all in the eye test. I was high on him when he was drafted. I didn't see him becoming this good. Everyone saying oh he's going to be the face of the league/best player in a few yrs is in for a big surprise this postseason as he's ready now

Adam Silver must be beside himself with Ant in MIN and SGA in OKC

Hmmmm New York and Chicago (#1 and #3) have been without a big name in a long time. San Antonio has had talent and rings. LA will always have a star. I don't think Silver is too upset with this as it covers more middle america.

[spanishninja]

People are sleeping on Antman. Somehow one of the most hyped players isn't being hyped enough. It's all in the eye test. I was high on him when he was drafted. I didn't see him becoming this good. Everyone saying oh he's going to be the face of the league/best player in a few yrs is in for a big surprise this postseason as he's ready now

Adam Silver must be beside himself with Ant in MIN and SGA in OKC

Hmmmm New York and Chicago (#1 and #3) have been without a big name in a long time. San Antonio has had talent and rings. LA will always have a star. I don't think Silver is too upset with this as it covers more middle america.

yeah, Silver most likely likes this result because those guys are helping him greatly with marketing. LA and NY people will always tune in even if Elden Campbell and Eddy Curry are playing for those teams.

[Rubio9Guy]

I hate 2 days off in between games.

[Klomp]

The Suns have options and have firepower. There's no way the Wolves contain Booker like that for a full series. I think the more concerning thing for the Suns was the bench scoring and rebounding, because those things feel more or less sustainable without the Suns doing something serious about them. Royce O'Neale and Eric Gordon are the only guys who you really expect to score off that bench. Nurkic is the only guy you expect to hold his own on the boards against giant Wolves lineups.

The Suns played into this advantage by trying to go small in the second half, and in the 4th quarter specifically. The Suns went small, so when their guys were missing shots, they had no one inside to grab rebounds. Minnesota outrebounded Phoenix in the 4th quarter 13-6, while Nurkic played just 2:13 in the frame. Nurkic was +3 in the second half, the only positive half for a Suns player in the game, and they went away from him.

[Klomp]

An underrated aspect of that performance from Edwards: In the second half, he sat for just 43 seconds before the white flag was waived by Phoenix and both sides put in the reserves with roughly 3:30 remaining.

In those 20 minutes, he scored 23 points (without a single free-throw attempt) and grabbed six rebounds with three assists.

[shrink]

Throw the damn towel!

Read on Twitter

Yeah. This towel.

Read on Twitter

[enigmatics]

This is the playoffs and KD is out there with that goofy grin clapping and cheering Antman on while he is getting destroyed. Not only is he beyond soft, but I also think he just doesn't care about winning anymore.

Nothing is more irritating than watching the Suns getting obliterated and seeing that crap. Like how can I get behind a team and a player like KD when he's out there fapping on court to Ant. It's absolutely not the time - especially considering all that's riding on this little window they've cornered themselves into.

Save the best buds act for the clubs in the offseason.

[Djoker]

Read on Twitter

[B-easy]

Minny is the 17th best offense. They won't be close to this good all series.

[Chuck Everett]

I expect the Suns to try and punch Minny in the mouth in the first quarter, but we should be in for a barnburner. Eric Gordon needs to have a big game.

[cupcakesnake]

Minny is the 17th best offense. They won't be close to this good all series.

We don't need to be this good on offense if our defense can hold Phoenix down like that for a few games.

We held Phoenix to a 99 Ortg, so it's not like we needed mindblowing offense to win that game. Our regular season offensive rating was 115.6. We could have played worse on offense than usual and still won this game.

Phoenix has the tools to overwhelm our defense. They proved that in the regular season. Wolves fans aren't comfortable or counting our victories.

You're citing our 17th best offense in the regular season but anything can happen in a series. All that matter is how well we score against Phoenix's defense- which is pretty mid- and how well they score against us (9th ranked +2.3 rOrtg vs. our 1st ranked -6.3 rDrtg). If we just play the offensive and defensive rating as the expectation (which is what your post suggests), the Minnesota will win because we're a +6.6 net rating team and Phoenix is a +3.1 net rating team. Obviously playoffs don't work like that and it's about matchups and what the team can do to get a team to play worse than expected.

[shrink]

I would also add that MIN’s rebounding advantage means extra possessions, so they don’t need the offensive efficiency that the Suns will require. It might not be 52-28 again, but MIN’s size is a problem for PHX. The Suns are going to need to create turnovers (I expect a lot of charges/flops), so officiating will be very important.

[thinktank]

Read on Twitter

How good is the Wolves defense?

Generational.

[cupcakesnake]

I would also add that MIN’s rebounding advantage means extra possessions, so they don’t need the offensive efficiency that the Suns will require. It might not be 52-28 again, but MIN’s size is a problem for PHX. The Suns are going to need to create turnovers (I expect a lot of charges/flops), so officiating will be very important.

I wonder if Phoenix tries to go small like that again, unless they figure out a new way to do it. Twice they tried a Beal/Booker/Gordon/O'Neale/Durant lineup, specifically when Gobert was still on the floor (the first time Towns was too).

I think the idea is they're going to go bananas from 3, but the Wolves were funneling those 3-attempts towards Royce O'Neale. He went 4-8 from 3, but that didn't turn into Phoenix going on a run, especially with zero ability to get stops on the other end. They lost of those minutes both times.

Vogel has always been a coach who loves to go big in the playoffs, but this roster doesn't give him that option. Nurk is the only really big guy on the roster. Eubanks is a little undersized and after that the big options are... Bol Bol and Thaddeus Young. I want to say Phoenix will be reluctant to try going small again, but the reality is they have no choice. They're going to try to find a way to make going small work. They have the shooting to really go off, but it's hard to go on a run when your opponent keeps scoring and getting offensive rebounds.

It will be super interesting to see what Phoenix tries. I will remain terrified of their offensive potential until further notice.

[Djoker]

Read on Twitter

How good is the Wolves defense?

Generational.

It's really good. The last team to have a rDRtg better than this year's Wolves were the 2020 Bucks.

[thinktank]

Read on Twitter

How good is the Wolves defense?

Generational.

It's really good. The last team to have a rDRtg better than this year's Wolves were the 2020 Bucks.

I think this D is better than that.