Preseason Game 4: Minnesota vs. Guangzhou Loong-Lions, 7 pm

KGdaBom · Post #41 » by **KGdaBom** » Tue Oct 14, 2025 4:58 am

I've been sick and fell asleep when watching at first. Woke up about 11:30PM Minnesota time and I'm watching now.

KGdaBom · Post #42 » by **KGdaBom** » Tue Oct 14, 2025 5:02 am

The game was 18-16 then in the blink of an eye it was 42-21.

KGdaBom · Post #43 » by **KGdaBom** » Tue Oct 14, 2025 5:19 am

Bones couldn't shoot straight, but 7 assists in 16 minutes kind of impressive. Some of those assists looked real good.

KGdaBom · Post #44 » by **KGdaBom** » Tue Oct 14, 2025 5:33 am

Was Deonte Burton a training camp or G league player for us?

minimus · Post #45 » by **minimus** » Tue Oct 14, 2025 6:36 am

Domejandro wrote:Leonard Miller has a lot of really bad habits. Waiving off the Rob Dillingham to clumsily fumble the ball up the court (even without a turnover) is giving shades of Anthony Randolph repeatedly waiving off Ricky Rubio.

He's had an efficient game, so I don't want to bash him too hard, but I keep noticing "the little things" being missed that are cause for coach's not trusting him to play NBA minutes.

That's why I think Freeman can get more minutes than Miller.

minimus · Post #46 » by **minimus** » Tue Oct 14, 2025 7:28 am

Domejandro wrote:I am impressed with Rocco Zikarsky's decision making off of the roll.

This is a quality of five-out bigman.

FrenchMinnyFan · Post #47 » by **FrenchMinnyFan** » Tue Oct 14, 2025 7:29 am

KGdaBom wrote:
FrenchMinnyFan wrote:Rob play well but against a weak team. Hope he can translate the way he play tonight against NBA team. He just need to take out the pressure he put on himself which make him rush and overplay at times and he will be fine, he got the talent for it. I still firmly believe he will contribute 12-15 min every night in a positive way.

I'm very hopeful of this myself. What a shooting night and 9 assists with only 1 TO. I think he's getting out of his head and just reacting. Hopefully all the people who have wrote him off already are going to look very foolish a few weeks into the season.

Agreed. Few peoples here have a tendency to put definitive judgment after few games or minutes on many players... i'm still believe that Rob need at least 20-30 regular season games and after that, everyone will be convinced.

minimus · Post #48 » by **minimus** » Tue Oct 14, 2025 7:39 am

Well, our g-league players (Rocco, Freeman, Newton, Bernard) looked mostly good:

- Rocco has good hands, which allows him to catch the ball, pass the ball and hopefully shoot the ball. If he keeps improving his mobility and stamina his size alone will allow him to make difference on rebounds and rim protector

– Freeman's three point shot looks LEGIT. This combined with his decision making and selfishness his game is a major contrast with Miller's who play selfish

– if we can sign Bernard and Pullin to our g-league team, then I am more confident that Pullin, Newton and Bernard can install a decent ball movement. I wish we sign a 3PT shooter to stretch the floor for Rocco though.

Post #49 » by **Klomp** » Tue Oct 14, 2025 6:30 pm

KGdaBom wrote:Was Deonte Burton a training camp or G league player for us?

I think he was on our Summer League team once?

KGdaBom · Post #50 » by **KGdaBom** » Tue Oct 14, 2025 6:37 pm

Klomp wrote:
KGdaBom wrote:Was Deonte Burton a training camp or G league player for us?

I think he was on our Summer League team once?

Thanks. If he is who I think he is he is physically very impressive and can attack the rim like a monster.

Post #51 » by **Klomp** » Tue Oct 14, 2025 6:49 pm

If anyone has a chance to go back to watch/listen the game, I thought it was noteworthy towards the end of Matt Lloyd's time on the broadcast, he talked about how the front office believes he can develop into a better playmaker for the team. I thought it was noteworthy, considering all of the PG-related talk that goes on here.

KGdaBom · Post #52 » by **KGdaBom** » Tue Oct 14, 2025 8:44 pm

Klomp wrote:If anyone has a chance to go back to watch/listen the game, I thought it was noteworthy towards the end of Matt Lloyd's time on the broadcast, he talked about how the front office believes he can develop into a better playmaker for the team. I thought it was noteworthy, considering all of the PG-related talk that goes on here.

I presume you mean Dilly.

Post #53 » by **Klomp** » Tue Oct 14, 2025 8:58 pm

KGdaBom wrote:
Klomp wrote:If anyone has a chance to go back to watch/listen the game, I thought it was noteworthy towards the end of Matt Lloyd's time on the broadcast, he talked about how the front office believes he can develop into a better playmaker for the team. I thought it was noteworthy, considering all of the PG-related talk that goes on here.

I presume you mean Dilly.

Whoops....no it was actually Shannon he was talking about. (he is high on Rob too, but I also thought it was interesting he specifically mentioned TJ's playmaking)

BlacJacMac · Post #54 » by **BlacJacMac** » Tue Oct 14, 2025 9:10 pm

Klomp wrote:
KGdaBom wrote:
Klomp wrote:If anyone has a chance to go back to watch/listen the game, I thought it was noteworthy towards the end of Matt Lloyd's time on the broadcast, he talked about how the front office believes he can develop into a better playmaker for the team. I thought it was noteworthy, considering all of the PG-related talk that goes on here.

I presume you mean Dilly.

Whoops....no it was actually Shannon he was talking about. (he is high on Rob too, but I also thought it was interesting he specifically mentioned TJ's playmaking)

Its clearly something they've been working on. He averaged 5 assists in Summer League, and he's averaging 3.5 in preseason (in 22 MPG).

Turnovers have been too high, but its part of the growth process and figuring out what he can and can't do.

Post #55 » by **Klomp** » Tue Oct 14, 2025 9:17 pm

BlacJacMac wrote:
Klomp wrote:
KGdaBom wrote:I presume you mean Dilly.

Whoops....no it was actually Shannon he was talking about. (he is high on Rob too, but I also thought it was interesting he specifically mentioned TJ's playmaking)

Its clearly something they've been working on. He averaged 5 assists in Summer League, and he's averaging 3.5 in preseason (in 22 MPG).

Turnovers have been too high, but its part of the growth process and figuring out what he can and can't do.

Just like we often have Mike playing off Ant, I think we are grooming the kids to have Rob be able to play off TJ on the second unit. I actually think it will better suit both of them too. Most primary defenders are big and physical, which Rob will likely always struggle with. On the weak-side ball reversals, he'll be better equipped to use his strengths to his advantage.

Post #56 » by **Klomp** » Tue Oct 14, 2025 10:23 pm

"I do think TJ might be a a guy who can help us get the ball up the court a little more creatively at times, whether it be with his raw speed....he's a good playmaker. He's an under-valued playmaker." - Chris Finch

Watch on YouTube

younggunsmn · Post #57 » by **younggunsmn** » Wed Oct 15, 2025 1:27 am

I would not take a single thing from this game given the sub-G League level of competition.

I clicked some of those highlights Klomp posted and some of those just looked like bad basketball plays that succeeded against really bad competition.
2 spinning twisting layups in traffic and a 25 foot cross court pass to the corner from Rob.
Try those against OKC and get humiliated. Is Finch actually promoting those kinds of plays?

I need to see some new and better sets and wrinkles from the offense this season before I believe this team can take the next step.
1. Ant needs more spce and movement before he gets the ball.
Even as great as Steph Curry is GS rarely asks him to just go out there and create a shot for himself.
They set endless screens and actions from all kinds of angles for him.

2. Jaden McDaniels is a matchup nightmare when he gets the ball moving towards the basket and that is an underutilized weapon.

3. STOP trying to force feed Gobert.
Gobert needs to embrace the role of GARBAGEMAN on offense.
Do the dirty work, space properly, and take the found money easy dunks as they come along.
Opposing coaches are absolutely BEGGING Gobert to try to post up in the lane and gum up the offense.
The only mismatch when Gobert has got a little guy on the block is that Gobert has hands of stone and the guy guarding him doesn't.
It's the pride of every big man to want to punish a smaller player, but to help your team you need to be smart and KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

Post #58 » by **Klomp** » Wed Oct 15, 2025 1:57 am

younggunsmn wrote:I clicked some of those highlights Klomp posted and some of those just looked like bad basketball plays that succeeded against really bad competition.
2 spinning twisting layups in traffic and a 25 foot cross court pass to the corner from Rob.
Try those against OKC and get humiliated. Is Finch actually promoting those kinds of plays?

Yep he totally told Rob, "once you drive into the lane, do a couple of dipsy-doo twirls"....

younggunsmn · Post #59 » by **younggunsmn** » Wed Oct 15, 2025 2:04 am

Klomp wrote:
younggunsmn wrote:I clicked some of those highlights Klomp posted and some of those just looked like bad basketball plays that succeeded against really bad competition.
2 spinning twisting layups in traffic and a 25 foot cross court pass to the corner from Rob.
Try those against OKC and get humiliated. Is Finch actually promoting those kinds of plays?

Yep he totally told Rob, "once you drive into the lane, do a couple of dipsy-doo twirls"....

No need to be a Klomp.
Honest question about what kind of coaching he is getting and how much of Rob's struggles have been him trying to do things he isn't capable of and how much is lack of structure and instruction given to him. Because dipsy-doo twirls are garbage time basketball, not rotation player basketball.

And dangerous cross court home run passes seem to be a feature not a bug of the Finch offense because we see them all the time from Ant, Julius, and Naz as well.

minimus · Post #60 » by **minimus** » Wed Oct 15, 2025 8:38 am

younggunsmn wrote:I would not take a single thing from this game given the sub-G League level of competition.

I clicked some of those highlights Klomp posted and some of those just looked like bad basketball plays that succeeded against really bad competition.
2 spinning twisting layups in traffic and a 25 foot cross court pass to the corner from Rob.
Try those against OKC and get humiliated. Is Finch actually promoting those kinds of plays?

Well, IMO this is EXACTLY how you beat OKC, if you are Rob Dillingham. By being creative and aggressive.

younggunsmn wrote:I need to see some new and better sets and wrinkles from the offense this season before I believe this team can take the next step.
1. Ant needs more spce and movement before he gets the ball.
Even as great as Steph Curry is GS rarely asks him to just go out there and create a shot for himself.
They set endless screens and actions from all kinds of angles for him.

I think the trick here is that Curry is BY FAR the best screener among guards. I actually saw multiple stats highlighting his ability to free teammates. While Ant has physical tools to be a very effective screener he has not shown it yet.

younggunsmn wrote:2. Jaden McDaniels is a matchup nightmare when he gets the ball moving towards the basket and that is an underutilized weapon.

Yeah, he should get more opportunities as smallball PF