RealGM

Starters:
** Brooklyn **
James Harden
Patty Mills
Deandre Bembry
Kevin Durant
Lamarcus Aldridge

** Wolves **
D'Angelo Russell
Anthony Edwards
Tauren Prince
Malik Beaeley
Karl Anthony Towns


Injuries:
Kyrie Irving - OUT (Bro....)
Joe Harris - OUT (Ankle)
Pat Beverly - OUT (Hip)
Karl Anthony Towns - QUESTIONABLE (Back)

Towns might be out but I like our chances alot better if he plays. Dlo/Edwards have found Chemistry and Beasley is a real player. I like that trio playing team ball with defense inside vs. Towns black hole and negative defense.



Lets gooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

I've been really encouraged by the team recently. We have some weaknesses - mainly back up 4 / 5 - but we're starting to show some good signs. Bembry has been awesome. HUGE pickup by Marks. Last year and even early this year - it felt like we had to play Bruce Brown to get some defensive energy in the game. Now we have another option. Bembry plays with this chaotic energy on both ends. Really gets us going.

1. Our new starting lineup has been really good:

Mills/Harden/Bembry/KD/LMA
49 minutes
+19

Mills/Harden/Harris/KD/LMA
30 minutes
+15

Small sample still but those are crushing numbers. Just blowing teams out in those minutes. Just watching it - the team looks a lot better. The paint is open which was a huge problem with Blake.

Our starting lineup before that was OK.

Harden/Bruce/Harden/KD/Blake
171 minutes
+20

Part of it was Blake shooting so bad that he was dragging the lineup down but that number isn't good enough for an elite team. The change was 100% necessary.

2. LMA has been a beast.

LMA stats:
PER 36 - 21 PPG, 9 RPG, 2 BPG
57% FG 37% 3FG
62% TS

He's shooting 58% on shots outside of 10 feet. Including a ridiculous 72% when he's wide, wide open.

Lots of people are saying it's unsustainable or whatever but my favorite part of LMA's resurgence is that we're not treating him like he's prime All Star LMA. Everything is in the flow of the offense. 77% of his 2 point FGs are assisted. We're not bogging down the offense with post ups. Say what you want about regression to the mean but if you consistently give an elite mid-range shooter wide open catch-and-shoot and in rhythm looks, he's going to make A LOT of them. Some of these are basically like free throws.

If we can get Claxton playing like he did last year + this version of Aldridge, we're going to be VERY VERY good.

3. We badly need Claxton to get to last year's level at least. If we can play him against teams where we need to switch, we're in business. Teams like the Warriors and Suns just force you to be PERFECT if you don't switch. We're not that kind of team and we'll never get there. Claxton is our only truly switchable big. Blake, JJ, and Millsap can do it but they're not actually good at it. We also need to figure out a way to play him next to 4 shooters. Harden's probably thrown 1 lob this year. I know he's itching to get that rolling again.

I don't believe in Minnesota at all. They're at .500 because somehow they're at 7th in Defense. I don't buy it for a second.

KD has shot under 50% in 3 of the last 4 games. I think he goes off tonight.

I dont think anyone has issue starting LMA over blake. he earned it. i think the issue is blake sitting so we can go ultra small with milsap at center. your point about Claxton is true, but i think even more true is if we can get blake shooting like he did last year, him and LMA makes us even deadlier.

the new rules make it so you dont have to switch everything, which lowers claxton value and removes something blake doesnt do great. id still like a lob threat though

MGrand15 wrote:I've been really encouraged by the team recently. We have some weaknesses - mainly back up 4 / 5 - but we're starting to show some good signs. Bembry has been awesome. HUGE pickup by Marks. Last year and even early this year - it felt like we had to play Bruce Brown to get some defensive energy in the game. Now we have another option. Bembry plays with this chaotic energy on both ends. Really gets us going.

1. Our new starting lineup has been really good:

Mills/Harden/Bembry/KD/LMA
49 minutes
+19

I have been saying even when Harris comes back, i don't change the starting unit. They have been excellent

Can we get Claxton back already man?

Prokorov wrote:I dont think anyone has issue starting LMA over blake. he earned it. i think the issue is blake sitting so we can go ultra small with milsap at center. your point about Claxton is true, but i think even more true is if we can get blake shooting like he did last year, him and LMA makes us even deadlier.

the new rules make it so you dont have to switch everything, which lowers claxton value and removes something blake doesnt do great. id still like a lob threat though

I don't mind experimenting during the regular season. It's frustrating in the moment for sure. If this is what we need to confirm that Millsap isn't a rotation player any more, I'm fine with it. I also really think Blake needed some serious rest and time to get himself together.

You're right about the new rules but I don't think it's a coincidence that most of our losses come from teams that require switching. Golden State, Phoenix, Chicago, Charlotte.

MGrand15 wrote:

Prokorov wrote:I dont think anyone has issue starting LMA over blake. he earned it. i think the issue is blake sitting so we can go ultra small with milsap at center. your point about Claxton is true, but i think even more true is if we can get blake shooting like he did last year, him and LMA makes us even deadlier.

the new rules make it so you dont have to switch everything, which lowers claxton value and removes something blake doesnt do great. id still like a lob threat though

I don't mind experimenting during the regular season. It's frustrating in the moment for sure. If this is what we need to confirm that Millsap isn't a rotation player any more, I'm fine with it. I also really think Blake needed some serious rest and time to get himself together.

You're right about the new rules but I don't think it's a coincidence that most of our losses come from teams that require switching. Golden State, Phoenix, Chicago, Charlotte.

i like milsap. just not as a 20 MPG center.

This is a bit of a must win being the front of a BtB with the Bulls tomorrow. I'am hoping we don't have to lean on Durant so much from a possession and minutes sense. This means Harden needs to be on his A game with effort on both ends. I love what LMA brings offensively, he is like a mini Durant from mid range, problem is defensively in a switch heavy coverage. I hope we learned from that Suns game, and I hope Claxton comes back and develops a connection with Harden.

Claxton is available, hope he gets some minutes tonight. Can take the Wolves lightly they are 500 team and have some weapons that can light it up if they get hot. It may come down to what kind f night the Beard has for us to pull off a W.

After our game is the Suns - Warriors, time to break out the coffee pot, it may be a late night.......

Harden with 2 fouls already. Christ

This is not same Wolves from years past. This young gang got game. We better not take them lightly.

Harden's effort level sometimes is just really confusing. Honestly gives me DeAndre Jordan flashbacks. Just head scratching stuff.

I hope Nash plays Cam 20+ min

Wolves just playing harder than us.

Outhustled and outworked.

I don't care what our record is. This team displays so many bad habits that it's hard to fathom them winning in June

Well I see what the excuse will be when Chicago blows us out tomorrow, we will have to fight tooth and nail to not lose to Minnesota

Much better start

Nets slept walked the entire 1st Q. Much better effort here in the 2nd.

Claxton is playing really dumb. Picking up right where he left off