Timberwolves vs Warriors - Game 4 - Do or Die

[powerball1373]

Was it a coincidence that the bench mob closed the gap with both Houston and Minny? They bring so much scrambling and frantic energy, causing opponent turnovers and creating those rare easy baskets, I wonder if you might want to get guys like Gui and Pat Spencer a few more minutes in this series. Maybe even put that whole unit out there for a couple minutes to see what happens. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

It wasn't coincidence - it was garbage time when the other team stopped going full throttle (even if starters were in). This type of thing frequently happens in sports, especially basketball. If you put the bench mob in against the Wolves starters when they're fully engaged, they're going to get absolutely destroyed.

[HiRez]

Podz struggles with his shot but part of it that we miss athletic wing with quick feet (= Moody) so there is insufficient spacing.
Also Dray would get more options with Moody on the floor.
I see Loon too limited to bring positive value to the team with Steph out. Too slow to help or score.
Also GP2 value is too diminished with Steph on sidelines. I would even play Moody at point guard to get more juice in the backcourt.
Santos is worth few minutes as well.
Zone defense seems to be often good solution.
My rotation for Game 6:
PG Podziemski 36 Moody 12
SG Hield 36 Moody 12
SF Butler 36 Moody 6, Kuminga 6
PF Green 12 Kuminga 24 Santos 12
C Jackson-Davis 24 Green 24
Athletic, outside and inside threats.

Your 3 "outside threats", Podz, Moody, and Hield, are 31-107 from 3 for the series, 29%. Most of that is Hield (38%) and the Wolves can play on him more with Steph out and no other threat. And inside, JK is the only one who can do much damage at the rim, and then mostly when he gets out in transition, which we haven't had a lot of. Jimmy, Dray, TJD, and Loon (and Podz) have been smoking layups left and right.

[vvoland]

Podz struggles with his shot but part of it that we miss athletic wing with quick feet (= Moody) so there is insufficient spacing.
Also Dray would get more options with Moody on the floor.
I see Loon too limited to bring positive value to the team with Steph out. Too slow to help or score.
Also GP2 value is too diminished with Steph on sidelines. I would even play Moody at point guard to get more juice in the backcourt.
Santos is worth few minutes as well.
Zone defense seems to be often good solution.
My rotation for Game 6:
PG Podziemski 36 Moody 12
SG Hield 36 Moody 12
SF Butler 36 Moody 6, Kuminga 6
PF Green 12 Kuminga 24 Santos 12
C Jackson-Davis 24 Green 24
Athletic, outside and inside threats.

Your 3 "outside threats", Podz, Moody, and Hield, are 31-107 from 3 for the series, 29%. Most of that is Hield (38%) and the Wolves can play on him more with Steph out and no other threat. And inside, JK is the only one who can do much damage at the rim, and then mostly when he gets out in transition, which we haven't had a lot of. Jimmy, Dray, TJD, and Loon (and Podz) have been smoking layups left and right.

Yeah, I'm not sure what tjd does that jk does not. He and Jimmy need to play 40+ mins each while scoring 60+ combined. If podz can shoot well for one game, we'll have a chance. Otherwise, well need 80+ from jk/butler

[Onus]

Jimmy apparently felt sick in game 4. Here’s to hoping game 5 we get a playoff Jimmy performance.

[vvoland]

Jimmy apparently felt sick in game 4. Here’s to hoping game 5 we get a playoff Jimmy performance.

I was hearing those whispers after game 4 but dismissed them as hopium.

If true, we have a bigger shot to win game 5 than i thought and I already thought it was >0.

[jozef]

Podz struggles with his shot but part of it that we miss athletic wing with quick feet (= Moody) so there is insufficient spacing.
Also Dray would get more options with Moody on the floor.
I see Loon too limited to bring positive value to the team with Steph out. Too slow to help or score.
Also GP2 value is too diminished with Steph on sidelines. I would even play Moody at point guard to get more juice in the backcourt.
Santos is worth few minutes as well.
Zone defense seems to be often good solution.
My rotation for Game 6:
PG Podziemski 36 Moody 12
SG Hield 36 Moody 12
SF Butler 36 Moody 6, Kuminga 6
PF Green 12 Kuminga 24 Santos 12
C Jackson-Davis 24 Green 24
Athletic, outside and inside threats.

Your 3 "outside threats", Podz, Moody, and Hield, are 31-107 from 3 for the series, 29%. Most of that is Hield (38%) and the Wolves can play on him more with Steph out and no other threat. And inside, JK is the only one who can do much damage at the rim, and then mostly when he gets out in transition, which we haven't had a lot of. Jimmy, Dray, TJD, and Loon (and Podz) have been smoking layups left and right.

Buddy Hield is 15 of 31 from 3. Just great. This season Moody made 3+ treys in 21 games. Podz scored 3+ treys in 15 games (including 8 vs LAL and 7 vs SAS). They all shot .370+ in reg season (league average is .360). GP2 shot just .326 and made 3+ treys only in 2 games - that's why he is out of rotation.
TJD is 15 of 17 in the playoffs. Jimmy and JK average 7 FT per 36 mins in the playoffs - only SGA, Brunson, Porzingis and Mitchell Robinson left in the playoffs with higher rate.
This 8-man rotation is athletic and balanced enough to beat Wolves.