Game 1: Wolves at Lakers, 9 p.m. on TNT

[Colbinii]

Game 1 and we have…

1. Finch looking in over his head
2. McD looking blah
3. Ant with no discipline
4. Connelly looking washed up
5. Randle uninterested
6. 2 1st round picks benched

List goes in … unprepared, lack of motivation, lots of excuses

We started 1-2 last year with a losses against Toronto and then the meltdown against Atlanta.

[frankenwolf]

I disagree ! When Rudy sit, we can't put Randle or Naz at 5. Not rebounding well, not enough defense. I hope i'm wrong and they show better than tonight at the C position. Garza and Minott for me deserve to play , and maybe even more than Joe!
I look the replay as i did not look data much but i got shocked by our PG play, Ant 0 assist-4 TO, Mike 2 Assist- 3 TO !

Let's also remember that AD is a top 10 NBA player, so any 2nd string C is going to get roasted. I am not worried about the performance overall. Randle has to get the rust out and the Wolves need that extra time to figure it out. I'm looking back at Rudy's first year here. I expect it will go better than that, but there will be an adjustment period that they didn't get in preseason.

[BlacJacMac]

I vaguely remember that one team I didn't want to play in the playoffs last season Lakers. It seems like they had our number last season as well. So you can consider that into this loss as well.

We beat them 3 out of 4 games.

The one loss was by 11 points - and we didn't have Gobert or KAT for the game.

[Klomp]

I vaguely remember that one team I didn't want to play in the playoffs last season Lakers. It seems like they had our number last season as well. So you can consider that into this loss as well.

I think more accurately, Davis always has Gobert's number.

Read on Twitter

[Dewey]

Game 1 and we have…

1. Finch looking in over his head
2. McD looking blah
3. Ant with no discipline
4. Connelly looking washed up
5. Randle uninterested
6. 2 1st round picks benched

List goes in … unprepared, lack of motivation, lots of excuses

We started 1-2 last year with a losses against Toronto and then the meltdown against Atlanta.

As I mentioned … lots of excuses

[Klomp]

Donte shot 2-8 on 3s. Only 9 times last season did he attempt 8 or more 3s in a game and make 25% or fewer.

Also interesting: In his first 11 games last year, he shot just 32% on 3s. By game 22, his season percentage was up to 43%.

[Neeva]

When games matter wolves will spank these lakers.

[Klomp]

I expect the Naz/Randle pairing to work okay in most matchups, but it can't be paired with Conley. Conley needs that backline rim protector at this point of his career.

Also, I think that most of the time it will be the pairing along with Jaden McDaniels. However, last night it was entirely with McDaniels on the bench in foul trouble.

Here were the Naz/Julius stints last night:
2:12, 1st to 8:33, 2nd (5:39) - Lakers 16-12
3:00, 3rd to 0:00, 3rd (3:00) - Timberwolves 9-6
8:36, 4th to 5:02, 4th (3:34) - Lakers 8-7

[Araxen]

When games matter wolves will spank these lakers.

We are in the West. The games matter game 1 of the season.

[FrenchMinnyFan]

Too many overreaction here. Randle bad, Mike washed. Rudy slow..... just one game come on guys!
Randle will need at least 10-15 games before he can be comfortable here. Mike is 38, he need almost every year a cpl of games to warm up before being at this normal level, DDV need time as well..... nothing to worry. Yesterday , we play badly but with 4 or 5 more 3 pts ( we miss a lot), we would have beat Fakers easily. As i say nothing to worry....

[Slim Tubby]

2024 Crazy Take #1

Bring Jaden off the bench and start Minott. Josh is hungry to prove what he can do. He's our new version of a better shooting Vando. He's active, can defend, rebound a little and brings an abundance of energy to the court.

Jaden is still young and very good defensively but he's also immature, undisciplined and an ineffective rebounder for a guy his length and agility.

C Gobert/Naz
PF Randle/Naz
SF Minott/McDaniels
SG Ant/DDV
PG Conley/NAW

We went from having a very big team to playing like a very small one after trading KAT.



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[FrenchMinnyFan]

2024 Crazy Take #1

Bring Jaden off the bench and start Minott. Josh is hungry to prove what he can do. He's our new version of a better shooting Vando. He's active, can defend, rebound a little and brings an abundance of energy to the court.

Jaden is still young and very good defensively but he's also immature, undisciplined and an ineffective rebounder for a guy his length and agility.

C Gobert/Naz
PF Randle/Naz
SF Minott/McDaniels
SG Ant/DDV
PG Conley/NAW

We went from having a very big team to playing like a very small one after trading KAT.



Sent from my N152DL using RealGM mobile app

Not a bad idea on my opinion. I would probably wait 8-10 games and do that if Jaden still so immature at some part of the game. Yesterday, 2 of his 5 fouls were totally stupid and avoidable. And it's hurt the team as he is our best defender with Rudy.

[shangrila]

2024 Crazy Take #1

Bring Jaden off the bench and start Minott. Josh is hungry to prove what he can do. He's our new version of a better shooting Vando. He's active, can defend, rebound a little and brings an abundance of energy to the court.

Jaden is still young and very good defensively but he's also immature, undisciplined and an ineffective rebounder for a guy his length and agility.

C Gobert/Naz
PF Randle/Naz
SF Minott/McDaniels
SG Ant/DDV
PG Conley/NAW

We went from having a very big team to playing like a very small one after trading KAT.



Sent from my N152DL using RealGM mobile app

Nah, that's too much.

Josh needs to play though, otherwise he'll rightfully ask for a trade/won't resign. He's done everything he needs to earn playing time and last night was a perfect time to inject his brand of energy...but still nothing.

[Devilzsidewalk]

Personally, I think it's a bad message to play Jingles instead of Minott. Why work hard if none of it matters and seniority trumps everything?

[Biff Cooper]

That shooting - especially in the first half was bad. DDV and Conley were especially bad. It felt like they both had multiple air-balls. And the second half you had Ant giving up on the rest of the team on offense and playing hero ball.

One game is not a trend. We will be better once we get settled in to the season.

Personally, I think it's a bad message to play Jingles instead of Minott. Why work hard if none of it matters and seniority trumps everything?

Probably true. I guess like Popovich says, the players job is to play so well that he looks bad by not playing them. Finch looks bad by not giving Minott any PT in the game. I expect that to change against Sacramento.

[Klomp]

2024 Crazy Take #1

Bring Jaden off the bench and start Minott. Josh is hungry to prove what he can do. He's our new version of a better shooting Vando. He's active, can defend, rebound a little and brings an abundance of energy to the court.

Jaden is still young and very good defensively but he's also immature, undisciplined and an ineffective rebounder for a guy his length and agility.

C Gobert/Naz
PF Randle/Naz
SF Minott/McDaniels
SG Ant/DDV
PG Conley/NAW

We went from having a very big team to playing like a very small one after trading KAT.



Sent from my N152DL using RealGM mobile app

Nah, that's too much.

Josh needs to play though, otherwise he'll rightfully ask for a trade/won't resign. He's done everything he needs to earn playing time and last night was a perfect time to inject his brand of energy...but still nothing.

I agree with shangrila.

I do think think the opener is the perfect example of where Josh needs to play. Jaden was in foul trouble. His role needed to be filled better than it was. And Finch said after the game that it was a mistake to not play Josh.