Game 4 | DEN @ MIN

[m2002brian]

I don’t think kat is an idiot but he just has bad basketball iq and makes really unfortunate mistakes that he shouldn’t be making, is that the same thing?

We’re all idiots sometimes. It happens. Nobody here hates KAT. That would involve actually having to know the guy. From all accounts, those that do meet him, have nothing but nice things to say about him.

[Nick K]

I don’t think kat is an idiot but he just has bad basketball iq and makes really unfortunate mistakes that he shouldn’t be making, is that the same thing?

Where does this bad basketball IQ come from? I've heard this before. I assure you Kat has forgotten more about basketball than anybody on this board knows.

A big problem is we don't know what the coaches are asking from him on any particular night.

Nobody has sacrificed more for this team with the Rudy trade than Kat. He's playing a new position where he isn't comfortable and his rebounding numbers will take a hit with Rudy in there. Every player on this team could be criticized for one thing or another.

Hey, I get it. This is a chat board and we rip players and coaches. That's what we do. I just wanted to point out some mitigating factors.

[TimberKat]

I don’t think kat is an idiot but he just has bad basketball iq and makes really unfortunate mistakes that he shouldn’t be making, is that the same thing?

Where does this bad basketball IQ come from? I've heard this before. I assure you Kat has forgotten more about basketball than anybody on this board knows.

A big problem is we don't know what the coaches are asking from him on any particular night.

Nobody has sacrificed more for this team with the Rudy trade than Kat. He's playing a new position where he isn't comfortable and his rebounding numbers will take a hit with Rudy in there. Every player on this team could be criticized for one thing or another.

Hey, I get it. This is a chat board and we rip players and coaches. That's what we do. I just wanted to point out some mitigating factors.

I actually think the Gobert trade benefits Towns. He didn't have to give up any of the shots that he used to take and he takes less punishment on defense. Is it basketball IQ or he is just goofy or maybe he just need inner peace? There is a lot of improvements this year - no more arguing with refs, in the right place on D, no silly fouls. I see where he still lacks is better head fake and finesse on his drives. There is nothing wrong with use a head fake to draw a foul and shoot some free throw or slower with body blocks. Instead, he is always a bull in the china shop keep trying to run over people or falls on the floor.

[thinktank]

A lot of times Towns plays for the foul instead of the bucket (regarding his falling down).

Be nice if he played more to score from the field than get the foul.

[shrink]

On ESPN’s NBA Today, Richard Jefferson was asked this afternoon if the Wolves would beat the Nuggets, and he laughed out loud,

Then he caught himself and said something like, “Aw, Minnesota has a nice team and they are trying to get it together, but c’mon … the Nuggets…!”

[KGdaBom]

YouTube game Highlights.

Watch on YouTube

[Dewey]

Watching the recaps - it’s Amazing how slow we are reacting to drives - specifically from the top … I mean our defender often has not realized he is guarding air and help is standing by their guy with their backs ti the ball.

Anyway… these wolves need to tie together some nice runs this season. If are not doing that by Dec/Jan we need to look hard at a major shakeup at the deadline … ultimately position ourselves for the off-season. Preferably, they get some run, and ultimately, get some identity.

[Tukkerwolf]

Great game and I think Rudy was the main contributor in the early lead and therefore the. Loved to watch it.

[DaMplsKid]

The nice part of the schedule is the next 11 games are team we should get up for. The 5 game road trip will tell us a lot of this team.

It was nice to see how they adjusted to the drop defense and got Towns/Naz in the post when they had smaller guys on them. I think we all know this but McDaniels is the key to our defense. I love his passion and intensity but he can got out and just push guys like that. Stupid foul and could of cost us if Murray was knocking down shots last night. Also, the Ant dunk right at the buzz could of sent us to the locker room with negativity if they call the tech on him for hang on the rim like Rudy got called. We go into the locker room with all the energy but could of went in there B!tching at the refs and giving the nuggets more hope/momentum.

With that said great game last night. Town needs to start knocking down the open 3 better, Ant has to cut down on bad turnovers and NAW/Milton need to be better off the bench.

[Wolveswin]

I don’t think kat is an idiot but he just has bad basketball iq and makes really unfortunate mistakes that he shouldn’t be making, is that the same thing?

Where does this bad basketball IQ come from? I've heard this before. I assure you Kat has forgotten more about basketball than anybody on this board knows.

A big problem is we don't know what the coaches are asking from him on any particular night.

Nobody has sacrificed more for this team with the Rudy trade than Kat. He's playing a new position where he isn't comfortable and his rebounding numbers will take a hit with Rudy in there. Every player on this team could be criticized for one thing or another.

Hey, I get it. This is a chat board and we rip players and coaches. That's what we do. I just wanted to point out some mitigating factors.

Great post.

Gobert trade forced Towns into living an ongoing and developing life experiment. Change pains are real. In a shinny spot light no doubt - played out on a public stage.

Sadly, the small sample size (to me) says Towns isn’t playing in his best environment to succeed (succeed equalling = to the level Towns can ascend). I didn’t say position - because maybe a better other duo bigman pairing for Towns is out there that would work (not Gobert). But most likely Towns back to 5.

The nail isn’t in the coffin on the experiment. It isn’t doom and gloom for Towns. For him (and Wolves), I hope Towns raises his play by 20%+ and intern raises his trade value…then Wolves find Towns his ideal playing environment in which rewards Wolves ideal player their roster needs (probably PGOF). True win-win for all parties.

[bluethunder0005]

I don’t think kat is an idiot but he just has bad basketball iq and makes really unfortunate mistakes that he shouldn’t be making, is that the same thing?

Where does this bad basketball IQ come from? I've heard this before. I assure you Kat has forgotten more about basketball than anybody on this board knows.

A big problem is we don't know what the coaches are asking from him on any particular night.

Nobody has sacrificed more for this team with the Rudy trade than Kat. He's playing a new position where he isn't comfortable and his rebounding numbers will take a hit with Rudy in there. Every player on this team could be criticized for one thing or another.

Hey, I get it. This is a chat board and we rip players and coaches. That's what we do. I just wanted to point out some mitigating factors.

Great post.

Gobert trade forced Towns into living an ongoing and developing life experiment. Change pains are real. In a shinny spot light no doubt - played out on a public stage.

Sadly, the small sample size (to me) says Towns isn’t playing in his best environment to succeed (succeed equalling = to the level Towns can ascend). I didn’t say position - because maybe a better other duo bigman pairing for Towns is out there that would work (not Gobert). But most likely Towns back to 5.

The nail isn’t in the coffin on the experiment. It isn’t doom and gloom for Towns. For him (and Wolves), I hope Towns raises his play by 20%+ and intern raises his trade value…then Wolves find Towns his ideal playing environment in which rewards Wolves ideal player their roster needs (probably PGOF). True win-win for all parties.

Towns is such a unique player though that it'll be very hard to find someone to pair him with that benefits the team. Ideally it would have to be someone that can stretch the floor on offense giving Towns more room in the post to operate but can protect the paint on defense. It'd have to be someone like Myles Turner, Jaren Jackson Jr, or young guys like Wemby or Chet otherwise there aren't good fits. Most rim protectors are either like Rudy or they're even more involved down low like Embiid.

[jpatrick]

I don’t think Towns has a high BBIQ or have an emotional maturity of a top two player on a championship team. He doesn’t naturally make the right play or do a lot of the little things. All that said, he is so skilled at that size, he will always be a positive player. The hope is that Gobert can do those things Towns doesn’t. Gobert is playing like the Gobert we traded for. He is incredible defensively right now.

I really think we need a backup PG. He is the guy that controls the tempo, is unflappable, and keeps us in rhythm. I don’t trust anyone on that second unit to do the same, including Anderson. I hate trading more assets for a win now player when I see Ant’s timeline as the future, but someone like Brogdon, with his shooting and experience, would help us so much. No idea how we’d make that contract work.

[TwolvesFanRome]

With this match we showed that with all players we are a terrible matchup for DEN!!!

ARRRRROOOOOOOO

[twolves31]

I don’t think kat is an idiot but he just has bad basketball iq and makes really unfortunate mistakes that he shouldn’t be making, is that the same thing?

Where does this bad basketball IQ come from? I've heard this before. I assure you Kat has forgotten more about basketball than anybody on this board knows.

A big problem is we don't know what the coaches are asking from him on any particular night.

Nobody has sacrificed more for this team with the Rudy trade than Kat. He's playing a new position where he isn't comfortable and his rebounding numbers will take a hit with Rudy in there. Every player on this team could be criticized for one thing or another.

Hey, I get it. This is a chat board and we rip players and coaches. That's what we do. I just wanted to point out some mitigating factors.

I don't think Kat is a low iq player like a lot of the traditional low iq players we've had in the past. I do think Towns doesn't seem to learn from some of his mistakes. He is too reliant on hooking players, kick his foot out, charging into players when driving to the hoop, and and falling too often trying to draw the foul. All those things don't make him a low iq player, I actually think he is pretty sharp. I just don't understand whey he continues to do things that get him into foul trouble.

[Mattya]

Both things can be true Towns is a great player and makes boneheaded plays. That isn’t an environment thing. He has always been someone who makes bad turnovers in every situation here. It’s Towns that needs to grow. He made some quick good passes out of double teams last night, which is something he has struggled with throughout his career. Hopefully he keeps improving and cuts those silly passes and non passes out of his game.

[MN7725]

I don’t think Towns has a high BBIQ or have an emotional maturity of a top two player on a championship team. He doesn’t naturally make the right play or do a lot of the little things. All that said, he is so skilled at that size, he will always be a positive player. The hope is that Gobert can do those things Towns doesn’t. Gobert is playing like the Gobert we traded for. He is incredible defensively right now.

I really think we need a backup PG. He is the guy that controls the tempo, is unflappable, and keeps us in rhythm. I don’t trust anyone on that second unit to do the same, including Anderson. I hate trading more assets for a win now player when I see Ant’s timeline as the future, but someone like Brogdon, with his shooting and experience, would help us so much. No idea how we’d make that contract work.

can't without moving a useful player from other position

I think a Delon Wright, Alec Burks level player could be possible without weakening the team

[cmoss84]

A win tonight will make the Atl game a little easier to swallow...

LOL i guess i didnt phrase it right...I was calling a win...trying to be cocky.

[cmoss84]

That was one of the worse officiated games I have ever watched...is there an officiating report for each game? I saw it mentioned somewhere earlier in the thread, and MLB does have one...but does the NBA?

[Dewey]

I don’t think Towns has a high BBIQ or have an emotional maturity of a top two player on a championship team. He doesn’t naturally make the right play or do a lot of the little things. All that said, he is so skilled at that size, he will always be a positive player. The hope is that Gobert can do those things Towns doesn’t. Gobert is playing like the Gobert we traded for. He is incredible defensively right now.

I really think we need a backup PG. He is the guy that controls the tempo, is unflappable, and keeps us in rhythm. I don’t trust anyone on that second unit to do the same, including Anderson. I hate trading more assets for a win now player when I see Ant’s timeline as the future, but someone like Brogdon, with his shooting and experience, would help us so much. No idea how we’d make that contract work.

I am in the PG need wagon as well.

[TheZachAttack]

Watching the recaps - it’s Amazing how slow we are reacting to drives - specifically from the top … I mean our defender often has not realized he is guarding air and help is standing by their guy with their backs ti the ball.

Anyway… these wolves need to tie together some nice runs this season. If are not doing that by Dec/Jan we need to look hard at a major shakeup at the deadline … ultimately position ourselves for the off-season. Preferably, they get some run, and ultimately, get some identity.

I mean the defense has not been the problem early this season. In fact, it's been tthe thing that's allowing them to compete in games despite inconsistent offense and shot making.

This isn't to say that there aren't problems with the defense, but overall when you average everything out in a game where the best defensive teams still allow 40+ buckets per game this not been the problem.