Game 23 : MIN at GSW

[winforlose]

Watch this game and with a straight face say any of the following. If you can I will call you a liar.

1. Finch knows how to manage the last 5 minutes of a competitive game.

2. Ant can be trusted in the last 5 minutes of a competitive game.

3. Randle should be on the floor in the last 5 minutes of a competitive game.

4. Wolves defense is back.

Are you going to do this after every loss? 1 2 and 4 are yes they made the wcf and if you want to point me out a team that has never had a bad defensive game all year then put up or shut up

A bad defensive game. We held them to 48 points in the first half. We then gave up 44 points in the third quarter. That isn’t a bad defensive game, that is a 2nd half implosion. Kinda like what started on Friday in the 3rd before turning around with actual defense. As for the rest, you just saw Finch refuse to take Ant out and Ant sabotage the game. You want me to put up, you sir are a liar!!!!!

[guest81]

Watch this game and with a straight face say any of the following. If you can I will call you a liar.

1. Finch knows how to manage the last 5 minutes of a competitive game.

2. Ant can be trusted in the last 5 minutes of a competitive game.

3. Randle should be on the floor in the last 5 minutes of a competitive game.

4. Wolves defense is back.

Are you going to do this after every loss? 1 2 and 4 are yes they made the wcf and if you want to point me out a team that has never had a bad defensive game all year then put up or shut up

Oh boy... that game was so ugly no reason for that

I'm sure if the wolves win the next game nobody will say a peep

[Calinks]

All Finch had to do was to tell Ant to move the damn ball.

Watch on YouTube

[guest81]

Watch this game and with a straight face say any of the following. If you can I will call you a liar.

1. Finch knows how to manage the last 5 minutes of a competitive game.

2. Ant can be trusted in the last 5 minutes of a competitive game.

3. Randle should be on the floor in the last 5 minutes of a competitive game.

4. Wolves defense is back.

Are you going to do this after every loss? 1 2 and 4 are yes they made the wcf and if you want to point me out a team that has never had a bad defensive game all year then put up or shut up

A bad defensive game. We held them to 48 points in the first half. We then gave up 44 points in the third quarter. That isn’t a bad defensive game, that is a 2nd half implosion. Kinda like what started on Friday in the 3rd before turning around with actual defense. As for the rest, you just saw Finch refuse to take Ant out and Ant sabotage the game. You want me to put up, you sir are a liar!!!!!

Again can you point out a team that hasn't had a bad defensive game?

[Loaf_of_bread]

I’ve been complaining about Anthony Edwards playing hero ball for almost five years now. He’s never going to change, the dude is just a selfish player down the stretch. Anthony Edwards has thrown dozens of games over the years with end of game hero ball, it’s never going to improve.

Not without some corrective behavior and accountability by the coach. Ant MUST not be left in once he goes hero mode.

The coach who is complaining about hero ball also refused to play a point guard for the final 7+ minutes of the game.
It's like complaining about someone stealing your car when you left your keys in the ignition.

They're both at fault here.
And if Ant can't be trusted in these situations in his 5th year of being put in them, it's never going to happen.

Finch needs to go unless he steps it up. So much talent on this team.. Barge into Connelly's office.. tell him, "Julius Randle sucks dick, I CAN NOT win with him on this squad! Either I bench his ass or you trade him! I will no longer give him minutes just to keep his value relevant!"

[guest81]

Not without some corrective behavior and accountability by the coach. Ant MUST not be left in once he goes hero mode.

The coach who is complaining about hero ball also refused to play a point guard for the final 7+ minutes of the game.
It's like complaining about someone stealing your car when you left your keys in the ignition.

They're both at fault here.
And if Ant can't be trusted in these situations in his 5th year of being put in them, it's never going to happen.

Finch needs to go unless he steps it up. So much talent on this team.. Barge into Connelly's office.. tell him, "Julius Randle sucks dick, I CAN NOT win with him on this squad! Either I bench his ass or you trade him! I will no longer give him minutes just to keep his value relevant!"

No he doesn't

[Calinks]

Yea, I don't think this L is on Randle.

[winforlose]

Yea, I don't think this L is on Randle.

Not just on Randle. But he is top 3 with Ant at #1 for hero ball BS, and Finch at #2 for forgetting he has the power to replace Ant and Julius with Mike and Naz and give his team a chance to win.

[FrenchMinnyFan]

This loss is not on Randle or our défense. This loss clearly because we did not play with PG the last 7 min and let ANT make mistake after mistakes… Finch did a lousy job tonight. Funny how last 4 games he let Ant and Randle sit quite long in the fourth and tonight change his strategy for the worst…

[winforlose]

This loss is not on Randle or our défense. This loss clearly because we did not play with PG the last 7 min and let ANT make mistake after mistakes… Finch did a lousy job tonight. Funny how last 4 games he let Ant and Randle sit quite long in the fourth and tonight change his strategy for the worst…

To be fair, he brought them in because everyone else had cooled off. The problem was keeping them in once they went off the rails. Ant is clearly the worst offender, but Randle was quite bad in the 2nd half and especially at the end of the game. His rebounding, his defense, his shot selection, his inability to move the ball quickly, and his hero shots (your turn my turn style,) helped doom us. Just because the gunshot kills you, doesn’t mean the knife wound didn’t speed up your bleeding out.

[Calinks]

Read on Twitter

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[Loaf_of_bread]

The way Randle plays kills our culture, dis-incentivises team defense and effort.

He's just out there. No sense of urgency.

Just a guy at the gym getting in his workout..

[jpatrick]

The way Randle plays kills our culture, dis-incentivises team defense and effort.

He's just out there. No sense of urgency.

Just a guy at the gym getting in his workout..

This is how I feel. Ant and NAW were red hot for most the game, which kinda kept it close even though our defense began to fall apart in the second half. Yes, Ant tried to hero ball us to a win down the stretch and failed. Should he have moved the ball? Of course. But Ant is kinda who he is.

Randle really is a problem. Defense is the only thing that makes this team special. Defend all game and let Ant, essentially, win it at the end. That takes all five guys giving an F on that end. Randle doesn’t most of the time. It’s like an infection, one guy doesn’t care, causes breakdown, other guys stop caring as much. Suddenly we’re at the point we were to start the year.

[minimus]

The way Randle plays kills our culture, dis-incentivises team defense and effort.

He's just out there. No sense of urgency.

Just a guy at the gym getting in his workout..

This is how I feel. Ant and NAW were red hot for most the game, which kinda kept it close even though our defense began to fall apart in the second half. Yes, Ant tried to hero ball us to a win down the stretch and failed. Should he have moved the ball? Of course. But Ant is kinda who he is.

Randle really is a problem. Defense is the only thing that makes this team special. Defend all game and let Ant, essentially, win it at the end. That takes all five guys giving an F on that end. Randle doesn’t most of the time. It’s like an infection, one guy doesn’t care, causes breakdown, other guys stop caring as much. Suddenly we’re at the point we were to start the year.

Call me an optimist, but I am kind of wondering what this team ceiling can be if we just let Randle walk? I mean even with Randle clearly hurting us on defensive end and playing inconsistently on offense this team showed some very promising signs:

- top-5 in 3PA, top-9 in 3PT%
- elite defense in four consecutive game

While I dont believe in miracles aka Randle becoming a positive defender, I can see other players improving:

- Gobert passing game is a pleasant surprise
- Reid has improved in defense as backup C, with some impressive steals/blocks
- NAW has been playing on another level

And whole group of other players who can play much better:

- DDV who is struggling without clear role
- Rob who has showed a very promising playmaking and shotmaking talents
- Minott who looks ready to contribute

So if Randle leave as FA, can TC re-tool this roster and make it better?

[shrink]

Last night I was really frustrated with the loss, but this morning, I think it might be okay.

One of this team’s biggest problems is that when it thinks it’s great, it plays very bad. Especially Ant. This loss led a bad taste in my mouth, and it must be ten times worse for the team. The Wolves have three practices between now and the Lakers on Friday, and I expect those practices to be competitive and help this team turn a corner.

[Baseline81]

Last night I was really frustrated with the loss, but this morning, I think it might be okay.

One of this team’s biggest problems is that when it thinks it’s great, it plays very bad. Especially Ant. This loss led a bad taste in my mouth, and it must be ten times worse for the team. The Wolves have three practices between now and the Lakers on Friday, and I expect those practices to be competitive and help this team turn a corner.

Keep drinking that copium, shrink.

But I'll remind you, a turnaround isn't happening. The way this squad is playing wreaks of .500 ball.

[Domejandro]

I just don't get the Julius Randle hate on the offensive side of the ball. The defense is clear, but the dude generates a ton of looks off of his drives, be it through direct shot attempts, or pulling the defense into being vulnerable for hockey assists.

[winforlose]

I just don't get the Julius Randle hate on the offensive side of the ball. The defense is clear, but the dude generates a ton of looks off of his drives, be it through direct shot attempts, or pulling the defense into being vulnerable for hockey assists.

1. ISO ball is terrible for us. Our team disengages on both sides of the floor when it is played. It is bad enough that Ant loves it, but add Randle’s your turn my turn ISO ball with Ant and you get late game meltdowns.

2. Randle is sloppy with the ball. He loves to dribble into crowds and either force a bad shot or get stripped. He is in a contract year and playing like it. Agendas that don’t involve winning, often cause losing. Randle is an offensive player and his agenda is most evident there.

3. Bad offense leads to bad defense. Opposing teams scoring on us in transition is a massive problem this season. Putting aside live ball turnovers. Wasted possessions lead to rebounds instead of inbounds, and that leads to less half court defense and more transition defense.

[winforlose]

Last night I was really frustrated with the loss, but this morning, I think it might be okay.

One of this team’s biggest problems is that when it thinks it’s great, it plays very bad. Especially Ant. This loss led a bad taste in my mouth, and it must be ten times worse for the team. The Wolves have three practices between now and the Lakers on Friday, and I expect those practices to be competitive and help this team turn a corner.

Shrink, last year our team seemed to understand that a basketball game is 48 minutes long. Maybe you didn’t get a great performance every game from every player, but the willingness to defend for 48 was our identity. Whereas this season our identity is maybe 24 minutes of good effort and especially not at the end of games. This was a tale of two halves. Just like the Friday before we came out with no energy to start the 3rd. Both times our lead died. The difference is on Friday the ran out of gas and our bad decisions worked. This time our bad decisions led to bad outcomes and our team got bored and checked out way before the end of game. The culture is broken, the leadership is broken, the coaching is broken.

[LSWF]

I don't blame Ant, finch or any of the players we put on the floor for this one. Steph flopped his way to a victory.