*** Wolves @ Jazz - Saturday Night - 8pm CT FSN ***

[Note30]

Weird, I was told we need to get rid of our offense-only franchise because they can't play any defense

Stop it

Yes, I know the snark was probably over the top on that one and I'll dial it back.

I just think it's a dangerous territory to try to sell off dynamic offensive pieces in order to get a little better on defense. I think a big thing in this league is being tough to defend. In years past, you really only had one or two options to stop in order to beat us. When that happens, your defense needs to be on point all of the time in order to make up for it.

I also look back at the fact the best defenses this franchise had without Garnett were the Adelman years. It wasn't because we were built around great defenders. In fact, I'd argue the opposite. Our big three were Love/Pekovic/Martin, three negative to maybe average defenders. But they were all plusses on offense. The defenses didn't have just one option to slow down for us. So on the other end of the court, the defense wasn't under a ton of pressure to be perfect on every possession.

Yeah, those years Adelman years were also our best offense.

I broke this down in another post but you are more likely to be a playoff team with an above-average defense and below-average offense than you are with an above-average offense and below-average defense.

That being said when it came down to it our best year outside of the Jimmy Butler year was 2013-2014, the year before Love got traded for Wiggins. With MJ Barea, Pek, Love, Martin being our best scorers.

We couldn't close but that's because we had zero playmakers on the team outside of Rubio and Love both of whom couldn't create their own shots. (We don't talk about MJ Barea)

Edwards and DLo can create their own shot, even KAT can, but we also need a stellar defense around three of those guys. Which you can't do with two more pieces.

One of the three will have to go if we want to be able to compete defensively.

[Klomp]

I broke this down in another post but you are more likely to be a playoff team with an above-average defense and below-average offense than you are with an above-average offense and below-average defense.

That being said when it came down to it our best year outside of the Jimmy Butler year was 2013-2014, the year before Love got traded for Wiggins. With MJ Barea, Pek, Love, Martin being our best scorers.

We couldn't close but that's because we had zero playmakers on the team outside of Rubio and Love both of whom couldn't create their own shots. (We don't talk about MJ Barea)

Edwards and DLo can create their own shot, even KAT can, but we also need a stellar defense around three of those guys. Which you can't do with two more pieces.

One of the three will have to go if we want to be able to compete defensively.

"Be a playoff team" maybe, but most of the time I feel like great offense beats great defense in a 7-game series. Everybody points to Detroit, but I think that's an outlier.

Why hasn't Utah had playoff success if defense is the most important? No-defense Houston made quick work of them two years ago when they won 50 games.

And yes, I know we need to get to the playoffs before really worrying about playoff success, but I just hesitate to break up our core 3/4 guys in the process unless it's a can't miss deal.

[Calinks]

It can be done but your offense has to be really good. You really don't need great defense to make the playoffs but you need to at least be ok most of the time. The Blazers are not a good defensive team but they continually make the post-season. I think us getting a really good defensive big would shore up a lot of issues. KAT has been solid this season defensively, some of the stats will say otherwise but a lot of that is because of terrible team defense. I don't really consider KAT a terrible defender, and I think if he was playing next to a great big, he would look even better on defense.

Beasley could manage to be ok too IMO, he has the energy, he just doesn't have the IQ yet but I think he wants to be a solid defender. Russell seems more hopeless but even he had a good night on defense yesterday. Ant is the most clueless but he's still young enough to build on.

I think defensive big, defensive bench vets, and we can go from like 29th to 17th which would be enough to make a run at the post season.

[Calinks]

Quotes from Jazz fans

Minnesota could have a top five defense if they wanted to. How frustrating that they play like ass all season except for the games that they play us.

I really don't want to play the Wolves again next game.

Good news is we won’t play the Wolves in the playoffs! Lol

The Timberwolves are our kryptonite, I have fully accepted this fact

[Mattya]

Weird it’s almost like the Wolves are finally having some games where they are healthy and they aren’t horrible.

[life_saver]

Quotes from Jazz fans

Minnesota could have a top five defense if they wanted to. How frustrating that they play like ass all season except for the games that they play us.

I really don't want to play the Wolves again next game.

Good news is we won’t play the Wolves in the playoffs! Lol

The Timberwolves are our kryptonite, I have fully accepted this fact

I mostly agree...maybe not a top5 defense but they can definitely be an abv avg defense...the effort on defense yesterday was a total contrast to what we see from this team usually. It's extremely frustrating to see them not playing with same effort on defense consistently

[Nick K]

Stop it

Yes, I know the snark was probably over the top on that one and I'll dial it back.

I just think it's a dangerous territory to try to sell off dynamic offensive pieces in order to get a little better on defense. I think a big thing in this league is being tough to defend. In years past, you really only had one or two options to stop in order to beat us. When that happens, your defense needs to be on point all of the time in order to make up for it.

I also look back at the fact the best defenses this franchise had without Garnett were the Adelman years. It wasn't because we were built around great defenders. In fact, I'd argue the opposite. Our big three were Love/Pekovic/Martin, three negative to maybe average defenders. But they were all plusses on offense. The defenses didn't have just one option to slow down for us. So on the other end of the court, the defense wasn't under a ton of pressure to be perfect on every possession.

Yeah, those years Adelman years were also our best offense.

I broke this down in another post but you are more likely to be a playoff team with an above-average defense and below-average offense than you are with an above-average offense and below-average defense.

That being said when it came down to it our best year outside of the Jimmy Butler year was 2013-2014, the year before Love got traded for Wiggins. With MJ Barea, Pek, Love, Martin being our best scorers.

We couldn't close but that's because we had zero playmakers on the team outside of Rubio and Love both of whom couldn't create their own shots. (We don't talk about MJ Barea)

Edwards and DLo can create their own shot, even KAT can, but we also need a stellar defense around three of those guys. Which you can't do with two more pieces.

One of the three will have to go if we want to be able to compete defensively.

Yep. Adelman was the best coach in Wolves history. Kirilenko when healthy was fabulous. He made things work. Maybe McD can be somewhat like AK47.

[LesGrossman]

Stop it

Yes, I know the snark was probably over the top on that one and I'll dial it back.

I just think it's a dangerous territory to try to sell off dynamic offensive pieces in order to get a little better on defense. I think a big thing in this league is being tough to defend. In years past, you really only had one or two options to stop in order to beat us. When that happens, your defense needs to be on point all of the time in order to make up for it.

I also look back at the fact the best defenses this franchise had without Garnett were the Adelman years. It wasn't because we were built around great defenders. In fact, I'd argue the opposite. Our big three were Love/Pekovic/Martin, three negative to maybe average defenders. But they were all plusses on offense. The defenses didn't have just one option to slow down for us. So on the other end of the court, the defense wasn't under a ton of pressure to be perfect on every possession.

Yeah, those years Adelman years were also our best offense.

I broke this down in another post but you are more likely to be a playoff team with an above-average defense and below-average offense than you are with an above-average offense and below-average defense.

That being said when it came down to it our best year outside of the Jimmy Butler year was 2013-2014, the year before Love got traded for Wiggins. With MJ Barea, Pek, Love, Martin being our best scorers.

We couldn't close but that's because we had zero playmakers on the team outside of Rubio and Love both of whom couldn't create their own shots. (We don't talk about MJ Barea)

Edwards and DLo can create their own shot, even KAT can, but we also need a stellar defense around three of those guys. Which you can't do with two more pieces.

One of the three will have to go if we want to be able to compete defensively.

I agree with most, but not the last sentence. As a former coach i will say it is extremely hard to hide one weak defender on the team once the other teams have spotted him and game plan for it. The fan perspective of bringing in a stellar defender to compensate for a guy with no effort is just nonsense, today you can screen guys in and out at will. To hide two weak defenders is impossible imho. To think you can compensate for three (i'll call it Klomping ) ...i understand you are loyal to the wolves' management for whatever reason, i understand you are also a fan of the players not only the franchise, but that is not a winning recipe. Personally i'd cut ties with everyone who consistently runs his lungs out on one end and trots back on the other (or only gambles for highlight plays). Gotta buy into the teams success and forget about your own numbers. If a guy consistently is more busy conserving energy for the other end he doesnt buy in. Simple as that. I dont remember any team winning it all, or even be largely successful, with multiple such guys as your key players.

[Klomp]

Quotes from Jazz fans

Minnesota could have a top five defense if they wanted to. How frustrating that they play like ass all season except for the games that they play us.

I really don't want to play the Wolves again next game.

Good news is we won’t play the Wolves in the playoffs! Lol

The Timberwolves are our kryptonite, I have fully accepted this fact

I mostly agree...maybe not a top5 defense but they can definitely be an abv avg defense...the effort on defense yesterday was a total contrast to what we see from this team usually. It's extremely frustrating to see them not playing with same effort on defense consistently

Part of having a young team

[Foye]

Weird, I was told we need to get rid of our offense-only franchise because they can't play any defense

Stop it

Yes, I know the snark was probably over the top on that one and I'll dial it back.

I just think it's a dangerous territory to try to sell off dynamic offensive pieces in order to get a little better on defense. I think a big thing in this league is being tough to defend. In years past, you really only had one or two options to stop in order to beat us. When that happens, your defense needs to be on point all of the time in order to make up for it.

I also look back at the fact the best defenses this franchise had without Garnett were the Adelman years. It wasn't because we were built around great defenders. In fact, I'd argue the opposite. Our big three were Love/Pekovic/Martin, three negative to maybe average defenders. But they were all plusses on offense. The defenses didn't have just one option to slow down for us. So on the other end of the court, the defense wasn't under a ton of pressure to be perfect on every possession.

How often did the Timberwolves reach the playoffs under Adelman? How often did they win 50% of their games?
Not once.

The game against the Jazz was actually encouraging. I'll give you that.
Need more of that. Not once a month, every other night.

Add a defensive minded C in the offseason, move Towns to PF. The team will at least be somewhat respectable next year with fairly limited room to grow (no cap flexibility, significant internal improvement only from McD and Edwards to be expected). Rosas more than likely still screwed up big time by giving away this years pick.

[Note30]

Stop it

Yes, I know the snark was probably over the top on that one and I'll dial it back.

I just think it's a dangerous territory to try to sell off dynamic offensive pieces in order to get a little better on defense. I think a big thing in this league is being tough to defend. In years past, you really only had one or two options to stop in order to beat us. When that happens, your defense needs to be on point all of the time in order to make up for it.

I also look back at the fact the best defenses this franchise had without Garnett were the Adelman years. It wasn't because we were built around great defenders. In fact, I'd argue the opposite. Our big three were Love/Pekovic/Martin, three negative to maybe average defenders. But they were all plusses on offense. The defenses didn't have just one option to slow down for us. So on the other end of the court, the defense wasn't under a ton of pressure to be perfect on every possession.

How often did the Timberwolves reach the playoffs under Adelman? How often did they win 50% of their games?
Not once.

The game against the Jazz was actually encouraging. I'll give you that.
Need more of that. Not once a month, every other night.

Add a defensive minded C in the offseason, move Towns to PF. The team will at least be somewhat respectable next year with fairly limited room to grow (no cap flexibility, significant internal improvement only from McD and Edwards to be expected). Rosas more than likely still screwed up big time by giving away this years pick.

I'd rather just get a really mobile 4.

How many players outside of AD who is elite at defense are as big as KAT and play the 4
/;