Play-In Game: MIN @LAL

kidfozzy · Post #401 » by **kidfozzy** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:10 am

I get enough gaslighting from my ex-gf’s. We also get them from the Timberwolves ughh.

shrink · Post #402 » by **shrink** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:10 am

Towns finished 8-12, 2 3’s, 6-6 FT, 11 RB, 5 AST, 3 BLK, 24 PTS

Give the man some credit.

Post #403 » by **Calinks** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:10 am

The wheels have fallen off. 3 key guys out, Ant looking like he's playing on one leg. This was a horrible way to lose this game and if we lose Friday it will be even worse but this is all still huge for building this teams future. Ant will learn a ton from this, game was absolutely atrocious and that won't sit well with him.

He will come back stronger. KAT was amazing but again he got into foul trouble and that totally ruined his ability to be effective. He has to be better still. If he doesn't rack up fouls, he probably wins us that game just by being such a huge focal point.

Finch needs to get his crap together and figure out how to get this offense moving when it freezes up. I don't know what is going on there but our team has given up nineteen 10 point leads and let teams back because for some reason, our offense goes out the window down the stretch.

That is on Finch to figure out, he needs to install some kind of structure there because this happens time and time again.

m2002brian · Post #404 » by **m2002brian** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:11 am

wolves_89 wrote:
m2002brian wrote:When crunch time comes , KAT isn’t a #1, and if Ant isn’t going to show up on offense, we’re dead.

Finch can’t run an iso ball to kat EVERY trip down the floor for half a quarter. Kats not that guy. Kyle and mike should run the offense and guys need to keep cutting and working to find open shots

I think a big part of the problem was that the Lakers realized that something was off with Ant and basically focused their whole defense on stopping KAT.

So run an offense. If they are loading up on KAT, someone else is bound to get open. They just stopped moving. A lot of standing around while Kyle would dribble and wait for KAT to fight for position and get and entry pass.

We stopped our cutting and driving game. It was pathetic and I put it all on Denny Green, er, I mean Chris Finch.

KAT played a hell of a game, plus his typical fouls bs, but you can’t rely on him the be that guy you just give the ball and say “get to work”. Not with 5 fouls.

nzd07 · Post #405 » by **nzd07** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:11 am

Note30 wrote:
nzd07 wrote:
Domejandro wrote:Being honest, I think Coach Finch needs to show a bit of courage and bench Anthony Edwards at the end there. I appreciate Ant-Man’s effort, but he’s clearly playing injured. Not good.

We treat an above average (thus far) player like a superstar because good players don't want to come here... this is exhibit A as to why the NBA will never overtake the NFL until they create more parity.

If he's above average everyone else on this team is mid.

I mean, we're a .500 team so that's about accurate.

Murphs56 · Post #406 » by **Murphs56** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:11 am

I'm actually quite surprised we didn't see Nowell more down the stretch. Maybe he was on a minutes restriction but he's one of the few guys that can actually create his own offense.

Note30 · Post #407 » by **Note30** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:12 am

One thing above all else. Get Jordan McLaughlin off this team.

Post #408 » by **Calinks** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:12 am

Read on Twitter

Post #409 » by **Domejandro** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:12 am

I think if you swap Anthony Edwards with Jaylen Nowell at the end, Minnesota wins. Just really unfortunate.

shrink · Post #410 » by **shrink** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:13 am

wolves_89 wrote:
m2002brian wrote:When crunch time comes , KAT isn’t a #1, and if Ant isn’t going to show up on offense, we’re dead.

Finch can’t run an iso ball to kat EVERY trip down the floor for half a quarter. Kats not that guy. Kyle and mike should run the offense and guys need to keep cutting and working to find open shots

I think a big part of the problem was that the Lakers realized that something was off with Ant and basically focused their whole defense on stopping KAT.

Yes. And I’m not sure Finch was calling ISO’s. I know he lets the players have more freedom to call their own plays.

In the fourth, it looked like they were all scared to attack, run the offense, and let the shot clock get way down. Maybe they were tired, but I doubt Finch was calling that - it’s just what the players left themselves with,

Note30 · Post #411 » by **Note30** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:13 am

nzd07 wrote:
Note30 wrote:
nzd07 wrote:
We treat an above average (thus far) player like a superstar because good players don't want to come here... this is exhibit A as to why the NBA will never overtake the NFL until they create more parity.

If he's above average everyone else on this team is mid.

I mean, we're a .500 team so that's about accurate.

Were 1 game above .500 on a season where we missed most of our star players games, had an incompetent PG half the season and bad chemistry.

We are a better team than this.

Note30 · Post #412 » by **Note30** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:14 am

shrink wrote:Towns finished 8-12, 2 3’s, 6-6 FT, 11 RB, 5 AST, 3 BLK, 24 PTS

Give the man some credit.

Let him screw up next year for a couple games people here will still want to trade him.

m2002brian · Post #413 » by **m2002brian** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:16 am

shrink wrote:
wolves_89 wrote:
m2002brian wrote:When crunch time comes , KAT isn’t a #1, and if Ant isn’t going to show up on offense, we’re dead.

Finch can’t run an iso ball to kat EVERY trip down the floor for half a quarter. Kats not that guy. Kyle and mike should run the offense and guys need to keep cutting and working to find open shots

I think a big part of the problem was that the Lakers realized that something was off with Ant and basically focused their whole defense on stopping KAT.

Yes. And I’m not sure Finch was calling ISO’s. I know he lets the players have more freedom to call their own plays.

In the fourth, it looked like they were all scared to attack, run the offense, and let the shot clock get way down. Maybe they were tired, but I doubt Finch was calling that - it’s just what the players left themselves with,

He’s the coach. He called a TO at 4 mins up 5. That’s his time to let them know, keep cutting, trust your shot, trust each other. You see the rim, shoot it.

He is ultimately responsible for what he allows the guys to do. Too much standing around, talk to mike or kyle during one of LA 17 free throw attempts. Relay some messages. He let this happen.

life_saver · Post #414 » by **life_saver** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:19 am

really curios to hear Ant's thoughts post-game...very disappointing performance from Ant. Didn't expect such a stinker from him

shrink · Post #415 » by **shrink** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:19 am

m2002brian wrote:
shrink wrote:
wolves_89 wrote:
I think a big part of the problem was that the Lakers realized that something was off with Ant and basically focused their whole defense on stopping KAT.

Yes. And I’m not sure Finch was calling ISO’s. I know he lets the players have more freedom to call their own plays.

In the fourth, it looked like they were all scared to attack, run the offense, and let the shot clock get way down. Maybe they were tired, but I doubt Finch was calling that - it’s just what the players left themselves with,

He’s the coach. He called a TO at 4 mins up 5. That’s his time to let them know, keep cutting, trust your shot, trust each other. You see the rim, shoot it.

He is ultimately responsible for what he allows the guys to do. Too much standing around, talk to norm during one of LA 17 free throw attempts. Relay some messages. He let this happen.

Maybe. Let me ask you this.

It seemed to me Ant and SloMo were both the biggest culprits the last five minutes of holding the ball, not keeping it moving. If you were the coach, would you have benched them in that moment, if they weren’t running the offense you asked for?

Post #416 » by **Calinks** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:21 am

We win that game if one of these things happen

-Towns doesn't get into foul trouble
-Ant shows a pulse
-Finch and the team actually show a modicum of offense in the 4th

We were fantastic in the first 3 quarters. Some of the best ball we played all season. Crisp, decisive, flowing. The 4th we looked like a totally different team. This is who we have been all season, Jekyll and Hyde. We aren't ready for prime time. We got one more shot Friday but at this point, I wont be too upset if we get bounced.

It's on Tim Conelly to get a better product out there next year. I think Ant will come back with a vengeance after this summer, and probably Jaden too.

Neeva · Post #417 » by **Neeva** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:24 am

Finch needs to get fired!!!

Post #418 » by **Domejandro** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:24 am

I don’t think Finch is a bad coach, but I just don’t understand why he rode with that lineup that couldn’t score for so long. That’s just bad decision making, you have to make the tough call, some times.

life_saver · Post #419 » by **life_saver** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:24 am

winnable game if Ant was just poor offensively instead of being terrible

m2002brian · Post #420 » by **m2002brian** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 5:25 am

If ant can’t aggressive, he shouldn’t be in. Kyle looked like he was full on eyeballing KAT almost every trip down waiting for him to post up or get to a spot.

The fact it looked so blatant that Kyle was eyeballing KAT made it more obvious that this wasn’t just last resort. They were literally coming down the floor, standing at the 3 and just letting KAT go iso. 6 mins to .1 sec of the 4th quarter we had 95 point. Most of it was exactly what I described and some was ant not being aggressive enough. We stopped moving and taking/making 3s. It was atrocious.