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Hi, guys!
Last year I was unable to watch as many Timberwolves games as I can this year, so I was just checking boxscores and watching highlights. And the thing I noticed is: Kevin Love passing had went down a bit this season. Last year per36 he had 3 assists, while this year that number is 2.4. Also, last year, I remember a couple of 9-7 assists nights from him, while his season-high at the moment is 5, and his ATS% is also down by 1.5.

If to be true in off-season I was waiting from him 3.5-4 dishes per night at the end of 2010-11 season, as his teammates will not be D-Leaguers anymore, his role will expand and his PT will rise also. And being more on the perimeter (+1 3PTA, compared to last season) will also help with his passing.

His outlet pass is still with him for sure, but with his passing in half-court? What changes from previous season have you noticed? Is that because now he more concerned about his shooting/scoring or it is major changes in team gameplans, schemes and combinations?

Probably has a lot to do with Darko getting a lot of the post passing responsibilities

Passing isn't really a one man responsibility. I think he's just looking to score more.

What Worm said

This is where having more cutting would help. Let Love have the ball in the high post and players backdoor or go through screens around him.

He and Darko seem to work really well in that regard but like Worm said it seems like he's just more of a scorer now.

I count 2 games last year w/ more than 5 assists, one w/ 6 and one w/ 9. Mostly just a fluke, looking to score more, no Big Al inside to dish off too, everybody playing disjointed rookie offense off the ball

Well Minnesota is having bad numbers in assists all season long. If i recon well the team ranks last in assists in the NBA. The turnover ratio is also high. So it is not just K-Love. I remember Rambis saying during the off seazon. Move the ball, move the ball... The team at times looks really static. The number of fast breaks is also low compared to the rebounds as a ratio.

I think Minnesota should have a faster tempo.

Greco21 wrote:Well Minnesota is having bad numbers in assists all season long. If i recon well the team ranks last in assists in the NBA. The turnover ratio is also high. So it is not just K-Love. I remember Rambis saying during the off seazon. Move the ball, move the ball... The team at times looks really static. The number of fast breaks is also low compared to the rebounds as a ratio.

I think Minnesota should have a faster tempo.

I think the long-term plan is to play at a faster tempo. I lot of that starts with defense, though. Once the players get to know each other better and get use to the defensive schemes, that should improve. Get some defensive stops to fuel a running game.

As for Love's assists, I think, as others have said, he just has a different role this year and some different teammates.

We're the fastest paced team in the league. we run, we just suck at it.

I believe a big factor in our league-leading pace is that we get a lot of extra possessions off of misses and Love's rebounding. It's not necessarily because of being up-tempo. Or am I wrong on how pace is calculated?

C.lupus wrote:I believe a big factor in our league-leading pace is that we get a lot of extra possessions off of misses and Love's rebounding. It's not necessarily because of being up-tempo. Or am I wrong on how pace is calculated?

Sounds about right. Also, the turnovers don't really slow us down at all. I hardly ever see us run.

Greco21 wrote:Well Minnesota is having bad numbers in assists all season long. If i recon well the team ranks last in assists in the NBA. The turnover ratio is also high. So it is not just K-Love. I remember Rambis saying during the off seazon. Move the ball, move the ball... The team at times looks really static. The number of fast breaks is also low compared to the rebounds as a ratio.

I think Minnesota should have a faster tempo.

Isn't Minny 1st in pace at 99.3 in the NBA. I think Minny pace isn't an issue, they lack a talented PG. Luke is not starting quality and Flynn is too raw.

CoffeeJanitor wrote:

C.lupus wrote:I believe a big factor in our league-leading pace is that we get a lot of extra possessions off of misses and Love's rebounding. It's not necessarily because of being up-tempo. Or am I wrong on how pace is calculated?

Sounds about right. Also, the turnovers don't really slow us down at all. I hardly ever see us run.

You guys do play kinda fast from the games I seen on LP, it's not like the Suns but it's faster than most.

Worm Guts wrote:We're the fastest paced team in the league. we run, we just suck at it.

I think the problem is that we don't run but we still play at a ridiculous pace. Mostly because our guys like to jack up crap shots with 20+ seconds left on the shot clock (I'm looking at you, Luke).

AQuintus wrote:

Worm Guts wrote:We're the fastest paced team in the league. we run, we just suck at it.

I think the problem is that we don't run but we still play at a ridiculous pace. Mostly because our guys like to jack up crap shots with 20+ seconds left on the shot clock (I'm looking at you, Luke).

Like Lupus said a lot of it is probably the offensive rebounds Love gets. They don't seem to get out in transition much and those early jump shots are even rarer at this point but if those offensive boards, and especially the tip ins that Love and Darko excel at, are included in possessions per game then I think they'd have a fairly large impact on the pace.

shangrila wrote:but if those offensive boards, and especially the tip ins that Love and Darko excel at, are included in possessions per game then I think they'd have a fairly large impact on the pace.

I'm not positive, but I don't think they do. It doesn't count as a new possession unless the other team gets control of the ball (a change of possession) and then the Wolves get it back. I could very easily be wrong, though.

On the other hand, if pace is based on FGA (which I thought it was), then the offensive rebounds would have a big impact.

Well statistics lie sometimes. It is not just how fast you launch or make your shot or the raw number of fast breaks. Always remember that Minnesota is really good in rebounds. Offensive and defensive. They launch quick shots of offensive rebounds and have (or should have) fast breaks through a ton of defensive rebounds. My major concern talking about tempo is on the 5 on 5 plays. Bad movement off the ball, no good angles, poor passes, lots of turnovers and guys stuck in a area on the floor. There the tempo should be faster. The ball does not move fast.