Game 27: Minnesota Timberwolves (7-19) vs Phoenix Suns (8-19) - 7PM - Target Center FSN/NBATV

[Nick K]

Most teams don't have two 20 ppg scorers on the wing and a third in the post.

That has nothing to do with what I'm saying. It's a flat out luxury/necessity to have strong PG play.

Which is it? Luxury and necessity are two very different things.

And it's simple math...if you're getting 60% of your points from other positions on the floor, it means your PGs probably aren't going to provide much offense compared to teams where the other starters only score 50% of the points.

OK. So you don't want to add a dynamic PG to our mix. If you asked 100 people, most would say we'd be better off but you're entitled to your opinion.

[Nick K]

Yes, but you're still bitching about the scorers we lack.

I'm just saying it's nice to have a PG who can break a defese down. Are you saying it isn't?

I'm saying you're quite a bitchy fan.

You've reduced yourself to name calling. How big of you. Says it all.

[KG_Wolves]

Dunn gave us some lively play good to see him coming along slowly.

Tough results but we look like we have taken a step int he last week or so.

[minimus]

Dieng earned us several posessions by pure hustle. Appears in no standard statline; several tap outs, hustle play at out of bounds, taking charges. I'm impressed.

Yes, Dieng has been doing it this season. Hustle, screens. He needs to find his midrange game and start fouling smart and hard. The problem is that he is assigned to the best frontcourt opponent too often and there is no way he can stop them. So his defense is getting exposed. He is weak defender in the post and bad PnR defender. But man, he is trying.

[Klomp]

OK. So you don't want to add a dynamic PG to our mix. If you asked 100 people, most would say we'd be better off but you're entitled to your opinion.

Who's taking a step back? If you want to add a more dynamic PG, you won't be getting 64 ppg from Towns, Wiggins and LaVine. It's not like adding a more dynamic PG will improve this team's production from 103 ppg to 115 ppg. Someone's taking a hit....and probably everybody.

Golden State got a more dynamic SF this year, but their top three guys from last year have dropped a total of 9.5 ppg. And they didn't get better as a result. 28 games in, they're worse than they were at this point last year.

[Vindicater]

77 pts for Wigs, Zach, and Towns tonight. Pretty amazing. They do it night after night.

Yes, but you're still bitching about the scorers we lack.

I'm just saying it's nice to have a PG who can break a defese down. Are you saying it isn't?

We have two wing scorers who can break a defense down.

What we need is a point guard who can hit open shots when he is open.

It would be great to have a Derek Fisher type.

[Nick K]

OK. So you don't want to add a dynamic PG to our mix. If you asked 100 people, most would say we'd be better off but you're entitled to your opinion.

Who's taking a step back? If you want to add a more dynamic PG, you won't be getting 64 ppg from Towns, Wiggins and LaVine. It's not like adding a more dynamic PG will improve this team's production from 103 ppg to 115 ppg. Someone's taking a hit....and probably everybody.

Golden State got a more dynamic SF this year, but their top three guys from last year have dropped a total of 9.5 ppg. And they didn't get better as a result. 28 games in, they're worse than they were at this point last year.

Once again they have the best guard play in the world.

[LesGrossman]

OK. So you don't want to add a dynamic PG to our mix. If you asked 100 people, most would say we'd be better off but you're entitled to your opinion.

Who's taking a step back? If you want to add a more dynamic PG, you won't be getting 64 ppg from Towns, Wiggins and LaVine. It's not like adding a more dynamic PG will improve this team's production from 103 ppg to 115 ppg. Someone's taking a hit....and probably everybody.

Golden State got a more dynamic SF this year, but their top three guys from last year have dropped a total of 9.5 ppg. And they didn't get better as a result. 28 games in, they're worse than they were at this point last year.

Once again they have the best guard play in the world.

because the only thing that defines good guard play is being able to score. Right. This on a night where Ricky scores 12 assists (and yes it could have been 15 if some guys were able to finish a layup). Best timing to complain about lack of scoring from PG position.

I think we win this with ease and everyone will walk around and brag about our great "core" and pretend everything is just fine in wolves land.

Lets see wether we actually have some IMPROVEMENT regardless of the outcome of the game. Things i want to see:
- keep moving the ball through 48 minutes. No more sticky hands, no ball stoppers (mainly Lavine, Wiggins)
- no selfish dumb "me first" low percentage ego ball plays (mainly Towns)
- get back on defense, try hard to stay in front of your man (Lavine, Towns)
- dont hesitate to take open shots even if the first few dont fall (Rubio, Bjelica)
- If players dont comply, take them out regardless of their role, let them sit and think (Thibs)

partial improvement. Could have been a lot better. Why we continue to have Wiggins or Lavine set up the offense in crunch time is simply beyond me; it doesnt work, we dont get good open shots, and often end up with costly turnovers. I'm glad Ricky took over in the end. Also glad KAT finally went inside and fought like a man. Its so dumb to give away the advantage he has inside, just to have him throw bricks from the outside.

[Note30]

Going to check the game now, but considering someone is bitching about Rubes I guessing we lost. And that the thread is only 9 pages. Lol

[Note30]

Nice to see I was wrong. So what did we do right and wrong?

[NewWolvesOrder]

Nice to see I was wrong. So what did we do right and wrong?

let's say if there were only 2 teams in the NBA : us and Phoenix. We would be a dynasty

[Calinks]

Was at the game. Sparse crowed to start but it did fill up decently as people came in late for some reason. Loudest cheer of the night was when we had a chance to get free cherry berry, almost got deafening. Was happy to get the win, this time we did put the other team down when we got up after they pushed back.

Got say, visually the suns looked ahead of us on defense. Every time we had the ball in the second half it was a struggle it seemed to score. They were on us, pushing, being physical. On their end it seemed like we were always getting beat, Booker burned Wiggins several times but he didn't always finish.

It looks like we have to work harder than the other team to get shots and we still make a lot of them just because of talent.

[thinktank]

Was at the game. Sparse crowed to start but it did fill up decently as people came in late for some reason. Loudest cheer of the night was when we had a chance to get free cherry berry, almost got deafening. Was happy to get the win, this time we did put the other team down when we got up after they pushed back.

Got say, visually the suns looked ahead of us on defense. Every time we had the ball in the second half it was a struggle it seemed to score. They were on us, pushing, being physical. On their end it seemed like we were always getting beat, Booker burned Wiggins several times but he didn't always finish.

It looks like we have to work harder than the other team to get shots and we still make a lot of them just because of talent.

When the defense gets tight in crunch time, Thibs goes back to his Isolation offense, with a capital "I".

It seems like we either get foul calls or turnovers.

It either works or it doesn't.

If it works, Wiggins and LaVine eventually start getting the offense running again, like tonight.



But Thibs' exclusive usage of this "Isolation" offense in crunch time makes it hard to tell if the "Rubio" offense would be better.

[Calinks]

Oh a side fan anectodte. Where I sat this guy and his GF and a couple of kids came in and say behind us. As soon as the game started the guy was shouting and stamping his feet really hard at everything we missed or messed up. The game JUST started and he was like "COME ON WIGGINS! *stomp stomp* "Aw man!". I was like oh boy, this is going to get annoying.

Anyway he and his GF got into some minor argument. He got quiet and I thought he just shut up. Like 40 minutes later I hear the GF on the phone and she's like "Where are you?" You left!?"' "That's ****ing stupid! Why would you leave when you brought us the **** here?" "What are we going to do!?" "**** you I am going to call my brother and have him pick us up!"

the hell? Dude just straight up abandoned them. Paid tickets for a game presumably and just walked out after apparently driving them there. He seemed supper into the game so he will probably be mad he missed a win. Oh man, just weird stuff.

[Klomp]

This is the start of a very winnable 10-game stretch.

vs. PHX - W
at ATL (14-14)
vs. SAC (10-17)
at OKC (16-12)
vs. ATL (14-14)
at DEN (12-16)
vs. MIL (13-12)
vs. POR (13-16)
at PHI (7-20)
at WAS (12-15)

[theGreatRC]

This is the start of a very winnable 10-game stretch.

vs. PHX - W
at ATL (14-14)
vs. SAC (10-17)
at OKC (16-12)
vs. ATL (14-14)
at DEN (12-16)
vs. MIL (13-12)
vs. POR (13-16)
at PHI (7-20)
at WAS (12-15)

The current 8th seed is POR at 13-16. These next 10 games are HUGE

[Tirion]

Yep, make or break time. Looks like the Hawks are missing Howard (although they may play better without him), Kings are doing their usual December imploding and Westbrook might be slowing down a little bit.

[minimus]

Go, get them!

[Tirion]

Lotsa 2-on-1 fastbreaks were botched in this game. Shabazz was the main culprit, but both LaVine and Wiggins were guilty too. How can you **** up those so often?

[Kuwolves12]

Reading back through the posts after the game it amazes me how 95% of the posts are about offense. Whether it's bad shots or poor spacing etc. nobody seems to focus on our defense which is by far the biggest weakness we have. We don't need a damn "dynamic" point guard (whatever the **** that means), we don't need to worry about wiggs playing hero ball or towns taking to many outside jumpers, we need to get tougher and more disciplined on defense and make a strong effort to shut teams down. This teams growth isn't going to be on the offensive side of the ball, they're already a very good team there, we need some toughness on d.