Preseason thread

younggunsmn · Post #241 » by **younggunsmn** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 1:30 am

We'd be leading if they werent trying to play PJ Dozier at PG.
My word he makes NAW look like Chris Paul he's so bad handling the ball.

younggunsmn · Post #242 » by **younggunsmn** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 1:32 am

Strawther is going to be at least a really good shooter for them, it won't be long and he will be starting.

Denver's regular starters are giving about 35% effort though.

younggunsmn · Post #243 » by **younggunsmn** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 1:35 am

Who needs KAT when Luka can hold Jokic scoreless for a whole half!

minimus · Post #244 » by **minimus** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 1:44 am

Can't wait to see first Jaylen Clark steal in regular season!

wolves_89 · Post #245 » by **wolves_89** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 1:44 am

Nix, Clark, Shannon, and Minott have all shown good to elite defense.

wolves_89 · Post #246 » by **wolves_89** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 1:55 am

Miller has all the tools in the world, he just needs to slow down and play smarter.

wolves_89 · Post #247 » by **wolves_89** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 2:04 am

Dillingham is going to be impossible to defend once his jumpshot starts to fall.

wolves_89 · Post #248 » by **wolves_89** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 2:07 am

Nix and Clark looking like better players than Dozier and KBD.

Post #249 » by **Klomp** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 2:10 am

wolves_89 wrote:Miller has all the tools in the world, he just needs to slow down and play smarter.

I will say though, watching Minott "get it" this preseason gives me much more hope for Miller going forward. Josh was in a very similar situation a year ago, heck 3 months ago.

winforlose · Post #250 » by **winforlose** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 2:15 am

So I missed the first half and most of the 3rd (I have it on my DVR.) What I find interesting is that Minott was limited to 23. It suggests his spot in Finch’s pecking order is set. Everyone else is being given the chance to establish their spot.

minimus · Post #251 » by **minimus** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 2:31 am

Klomp wrote:
wolves_89 wrote:Miller has all the tools in the world, he just needs to slow down and play smarter.

I will say though, watching Minott "get it" this preseason gives me much more hope for Miller going forward. Josh was in a very similar situation a year ago, heck 3 months ago.

Miller just had a couple of good offensive possessions and defensive rebounds

wolves_89 · Post #252 » by **wolves_89** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 2:40 am

minimus wrote:
Klomp wrote:
wolves_89 wrote:Miller has all the tools in the world, he just needs to slow down and play smarter.

I will say though, watching Minott "get it" this preseason gives me much more hope for Miller going forward. Josh was in a very similar situation a year ago, heck 3 months ago.

Miller just had a couple of good offensive possessions and defensive rebounds

I think that was more an example of great tools than smart play. Over the course of a game Miller still needs a lot of work on being in the right place on defense and learning how to find his opportunities in the flow of the offense.

winforlose · Post #253 » by **winforlose** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 3:22 am

wolves_89 wrote:
minimus wrote:
Klomp wrote:I will say though, watching Minott "get it" this preseason gives me much more hope for Miller going forward. Josh was in a very similar situation a year ago, heck 3 months ago.

Miller just had a couple of good offensive possessions and defensive rebounds

I think that was more an example of great tools than smart play. Over the course of a game Miller still needs a lot of work on being in the right place on defense and learning how to find his opportunities in the flow of the offense.

Whoever helped Minott hopefully helps Miller next. A good player development coach can go a long way.

Neeva · Post #254 » by **Neeva** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 4:15 am

winforlose wrote:
wolves_89 wrote:
minimus wrote:Miller just had a couple of good offensive possessions and defensive rebounds

I think that was more an example of great tools than smart play. Over the course of a game Miller still needs a lot of work on being in the right place on defense and learning how to find his opportunities in the flow of the offense.

Whoever helped Minott hopefully helps Miller next. A good player development coach can go a long way.

Hell hopefully they help TJ and Clark also. if these cheap guys can develop and help wolves will be deepest team in the league.

winforlose · Post #255 » by **winforlose** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 7:11 am

Neeva wrote:
winforlose wrote:
wolves_89 wrote:
I think that was more an example of great tools than smart play. Over the course of a game Miller still needs a lot of work on being in the right place on defense and learning how to find his opportunities in the flow of the offense.

Whoever helped Minott hopefully helps Miller next. A good player development coach can go a long way.

Hell hopefully they help TJ and Clark also. if these cheap guys can develop and help wolves will be deepest team in the league.

I kinda think they already are.

minimus · Post #256 » by **minimus** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 12:07 pm

minimus wrote:Can't wait to see first Jaylen Clark steal in regular season!

I think he can collect five steal one day in regular NBA game

Norseman79 · Post #257 » by **Norseman79** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 12:26 pm

I know this is not how it works, but if we were being completely honest based off of preseason regarding backups...

PG - Conley, DD, Nix, Dilly (Conley is locked in. If they insist on keeping NAW, DD is the better back up PG. I think Nix is ahead of Dillingham, due to his build and ability to get to the basket plus defense. Dillingham could be electric, but I think he needs a year hitting the weight room and playing in Iowa to build confidence and adjust to physicality.)

SG- Ant, NAW, Shannon Jr, Clark (no real discussion here. Some might wonder why I have Shannon Jr as a two guard, I think it's as better position. The gap between him and Clark is very small.)

SF- McDaniels, Minott, Ingles (If our goal is to win, there's no way this isn't the answer. No one can tell me that the way Minott has played this preseason that it is even a competition for backup small forward. Situationally there are definitely going to be times where Ingles is the smart play, and I'm not saying don't play him at all, but Josh is ahead of him on the depth chart).

PF - Randle, Naz, Miller (for a while I figured Naz and Julius were interchangeable, after watching the Chicago game, I think this is probably reasonable. I still think Naz has a claim to equal to more minutes based on his ability to play some five. Miller still needs a lot of work and a lot of weight room. Hopefully whoever beefed up Minott can do the same for him.)

C - Rudy, ???, Garza (I will die on this hill, we need another big. I like Garza, I do. But if you watched the game last night with the nuggets, he is not big. If Rudy goes down right now we have nothing that shuts down the paint and can bang against bigger centers. We need to find one.)

Colbinii · Post #258 » by **Colbinii** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 2:00 pm

Guys, positions are, for the most part, a thing of the past. Focus more on skill-set and defensive ability [who a player can defend] rather than the labels themselves.

NAW, DDV and McDaniels are going to take the lions share of POA defensive responsibilities.
Conley will guard either a small guard or, more likely, a weaker offensive player at the guard or wing position.
Randle will burden a lot of the playmaking you typically see from back-up PG in the past, which allows Minnesota to play larger guards like NAW/DDV as pseudo-backup PG since the playmaking is being provided by Randle.
Expect a lot more switching defensively when Rudy/Conley isn't in the game. DDV/NAW/TSJ/ANT/McDaniels/Minott/Randle/Reid can all defend multiple positions and Finchy will lean into that in certain matchups.
The first couple weeks will be rough as Randle/ANT learn to play with and off of each other, along with the fact that Randle hasn't played since January 2024 [10 months].

KGdaBom · Post #259 » by **KGdaBom** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 3:19 pm

I'm just about to watch last nights game using my league pass. I love LeaguePass so much. Just looking at the box score Luka is such an offensive beast and Joker on 4 points in 28 minutes. Freaking Strawther with 33 against us???? Dilly, Clark, Nix and Miller all with good lines.

BlacJacMac · Post #260 » by **BlacJacMac** » Fri Oct 18, 2024 4:01 pm

KGdaBom wrote:I'm just about to watch last nights game using my league pass. I love LeaguePass so much. Just looking at the box score Luka is such an offensive beast and Joker on 4 points in 28 minutes. Freaking Strawther with 33 against us???? Dilly, Clark, Nix and Miller all with good lines.

He did not want to play in the game. It was the most passive-aggressive performance I've ever seen.