Game 4 - Denver Chicky Nuggies vs Minnesota Timboowolves 8:30pm Minnesotan Time

[Calinks]

If by some miracle you beat Denver in game 5, it will be a nightmare for the Nuggets. They screw up all of their rest, they have to fly back to Minnesota, and now you are pretty much in a must win scenario in a hostile environment surrounded by people who believe they can win.

There is almost no chance we win this series but man, that would be such a turn around if that happens. If the Wolves could find a way to get Rudy or KAT playing at a high level, it could be a problem.

[Battletrigger]

With this 34 point game, Ant is the second player with more 30pt games in PO under 22. Only behind Bron.

[Worm Guts]

McLaughlin is getting destroyed on both ends

He just can't play this series, all the DEN guards are too big and fast for him. Unfortunately, we don't have another guy to bring it. Maybe WM Jr. for 3 mins.

Wolves need to take the ball directly at Joker

This series has shown that we really need to upgrade the bench. If we trade Towns or Gobert I would really be interested in getting assets who can add to the team's depth. We need better rebounds, better guards, and shooters. Replace Jmac, Nowell, Rivers with grittier guys who can shoot and we look a lot better. If we have Gobert and KAT still we have totally rework our spacing and style of play.

We obviously could use another guard, but we are missing two significant rotation players in Reid and McDaniels, and I think really affects the dynamic of the team.

[Baseline81]

Thrilled for the Wolves to not have been swept.

Unfortunately for me, once I saw Finch's weaknesses, I see them everywhere.

Here is but a few:
- No timeout taken during Denver's 12-0 run -- Malone has given Finch a masterclass this entire series on how to use timeouts to stop opposing team runs
- McLaughlin and Nowell over Rivers -- Rivers last night had 5 points in 11 minutes vs. Nowell's last 3 games combined of 2 points in 32 minutes
- Towns, instead of Gobert, on Jokic in the fourth quarter

[Dalvin]

AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! No sweep! Wolves in 7

[Dalvin]

Maybe the plan is to get this to game 7 so Naz and Jaden can come back for the next series

[moss_is_1]

Thrilled for the Wolves to not have been swept.

Unfortunately for me, once I saw Finch's weaknesses, I see them everywhere.

Here is but a few:
- No timeout taken during Denver's 12-0 run -- Malone has given Finch a masterclass this entire series on how to use timeouts to stop opposing team runs
- McLaughlin and Nowell over Rivers -- Rivers last night had 5 points in 11 minutes vs. Nowell's last 3 games combined of 2 points in 32 minutes
- Towns, instead of Gobert, on Jokic in the fourth quarter

Finch definitely is clueless when to use a timeout. I don't understand, some of that has to be with our other coaches too. Like cmon.

Can't fault him too much for Rivers. He's been bad generally too, he benched Jmac for 2 games, Nowell had been needed since he can actually create a shot. Rivers earned some more chances though.

I thought Towns played well, and it allowed Rudy to roam where he's elite. He got 2 ticky tack fouls that hurt, but he also drew a couple on Jokic. Towns was real good offensively for the most part as well.

[SSUBluesman]

Thrilled for the Wolves to not have been swept.

Unfortunately for me, once I saw Finch's weaknesses, I see them everywhere.

Here is but a few:
- No timeout taken during Denver's 12-0 run -- Malone has given Finch a masterclass this entire series on how to use timeouts to stop opposing team runs
- McLaughlin and Nowell over Rivers -- Rivers last night had 5 points in 11 minutes vs. Nowell's last 3 games combined of 2 points in 32 minutes
- Towns, instead of Gobert, on Jokic in the fourth quarter

Finch definitely is clueless when to use a timeout. I don't understand, some of that has to be with our other coaches too. Like cmon.

Can't fault him too much for Rivers. He's been bad generally too, he benched Jmac for 2 games, Nowell had been needed since he can actually create a shot. Rivers earned some more chances though.

I thought Towns played well, and it allowed Rudy to roam where he's elite. He got 2 ticky tack fouls that hurt, but he also drew a couple on Jokic. Towns was real good offensively for the most part as well.

I really, really don't get the timeout issues. It's such basic a thing that you get just from watching games and is coded into the 2K series yet somehow an NBA head coach hasn't figured it out.

While it's obvious how much we miss McDefense this series I think not having Naz to be able to throw at Joker really hurts, especially with the awful officiating towards KAT/Rudy. SloMo's just not big enough, as seen when Joker immediately got a bucket at the rim on the block.

[Calinks]

The Towns charge was one of the greatest plays Towns has made ever because it was exactly the type of thing that happens to him all the time and it was a big play lol. I wish he could do stuff like that more often. I hope for his sake he gets a mental game mentor or something summer. Even if he's not here next year, he has years of NBA basketball ahead of him, he would go to another level if he could just be more disciplined, its something he really needs to work on for his own game.

I could see him pulling a Kevin Love or Chris Bosh. Going from being the top guy on a bad team to being a really good 2nd or 3rd guy on a contender. He has to be able to mentally play with more discipline though and really commit to a defined role. On this team, in this series, I think we need him to be a sniper and floor spacecr. That's really reduced from his normal, offense from anywhere go to role but Denver has totally taken him out of his game.

If he could spring around, space the floor, and attack in limited, key moments, he could still be just as valuable as the volume-scoring KAT just in a different way. He may have nights where he only gets 16 points but they would probably be really effective 16 points. Like big corner 3's that are badly needed. Some nights he could get hot and drop 35 because he has his stroke going and then that opens up his ability to attack.

He could still be a huge factor if took the right role and with Gobert and Ant needing space, I think that role is to be our Michael Porter Jr. Hit the corners, bomb away, tryo to get boards when he can.

[Klomp]

If he could spring around, space the floor, and attack in limited, key moments, he could still be just as valuable as the volume-scoring KAT just in a different way. He may have nights where he only gets 16 points but they would probably be really effective 16 points. Like big corner 3's that are badly needed. Some nights he could get hot and drop 35 because he has his stroke going and then that opens up his ability to attack.

He could still be a huge factor if took the right role and with Gobert and Ant needing space, I think that role is to be our Michael Porter Jr. Hit the corners, bomb away, tryo to get boards when he can.

I absolutely believe this can be the case. The biggest thing is if he can accept that. And not in a "look at me sacrificing for the team" way but a this is what I need to do if I want to stay with this group.

[Klomp]

He just can't play this series, all the DEN guards are too big and fast for him. Unfortunately, we don't have another guy to bring it. Maybe WM Jr. for 3 mins.

Wolves need to take the ball directly at Joker

This series has shown that we really need to upgrade the bench. If we trade Towns or Gobert I would really be interested in getting assets who can add to the team's depth. We need better rebounds, better guards, and shooters. Replace Jmac, Nowell, Rivers with grittier guys who can shoot and we look a lot better. If we have Gobert and KAT still we have totally rework our spacing and style of play.

We obviously could use another guard, but we are missing two significant rotation players in Reid and McDaniels, and I think really affects the dynamic of the team.

I wish people could grasp this. It matters so much. Without two frontcourt guys, backcourt guys have to slide down the lineup into the frontcourt and other backcourt guys have to take their place.

[Neeva]

Thrilled for the Wolves to not have been swept.

Unfortunately for me, once I saw Finch's weaknesses, I see them everywhere.

Here is but a few:
- No timeout taken during Denver's 12-0 run -- Malone has given Finch a masterclass this entire series on how to use timeouts to stop opposing team runs
- McLaughlin and Nowell over Rivers -- Rivers last night had 5 points in 11 minutes vs. Nowell's last 3 games combined of 2 points in 32 minutes
- Towns, instead of Gobert, on Jokic in the fourth quarter

Finch is by far the weakest head coach in the entire playoffs and it’s really noticeable.

[Klomp]

The biggest thing this series is showing me is that we need more backcourt/perimeter size. Not just length, but girth as well. More guys like Ant. Look at Denver's backcourt, they really don't have any stick figure guards. I'm not worried about Conley, but I'd like to see NAW add muscle for example. TP and Kyle are fine in this area, but could improve. Even Moore as a development piece is fine, but could imrove. Minott needs to get way bigger.

Nowell, Rivers, McLaughlin are just too small for playoff basketball (Rivers borderline) and their skill sets and production don't overcome that lack.

[Calinks]

If he could spring around, space the floor, and attack in limited, key moments, he could still be just as valuable as the volume-scoring KAT just in a different way. He may have nights where he only gets 16 points but they would probably be really effective 16 points. Like big corner 3's that are badly needed. Some nights he could get hot and drop 35 because he has his stroke going and then that opens up his ability to attack.

He could still be a huge factor if took the right role and with Gobert and Ant needing space, I think that role is to be our Michael Porter Jr. Hit the corners, bomb away, tryo to get boards when he can.

I absolutely believe this can be the case. The biggest thing is if he can accept that. And not in a "look at me sacrificing for the team" way but a this is what I need to do if I want to stay with this group.

Yep. I don't know if he will accept that here though or at least right now. I think for this series it would make him way more effective, at least on offense. I could see him also swooping in and getting some O boards and such like Porter does because of where he will be. Its a very different game than he has always played and it is asking him to do a lot less but at the same time its a very skilled job and it would be hard to do with little experience.

If he went in with the mindset of this is what he needs to do and if he had an off-season and camp to work on it, I think he could grow into that role. Doesn't mean he can never have a regular KAT game either, he could when the matchup calls for it but most nights, he would probably be most effective doing this with this kind of squad.

He could also really get traction of that "Best shooting big man ever." title he claimed. He could be if he got that role down. He needs to take way more threes, 2 is not enough by half.

[Klomp]

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