2025 NBA PLAYOFFS West Semifinals: #6 Minnesota Timberwolves vs #7 Golden State Warriors (MIN leads 2-1)

[Capn'O]

He’s been very un-Randlesque all playoffs. Playing great.

I'm telling you guys - he started off every year badly and ended every year playing like this. He's just been injured the past two playoffs.

Randle's evolution into a more dynamic/less static player was happening that last season in New York for sure. In the middle of the season before he got hurt (after the OG trade) Randle was showing all the same stuff he's now showing with the Wolves.

Keep Randle moving towards the basket in your offense, and he can make good things happen. He's a really nice mix of rim pressure and playmaking.

He was doing it in 22-23 too. First year next to Brunson. Just got hurt before the playoffs.

[Wingy]

Podz is so shameless
jfc dude..

and shot 1 for 10. Yikes.

[sp6r=underrated]

Almost at the point declaring Ant to be the third best player in the world after Joker and SGA.

He talks the talk and walks the walk, like all the greats and legends of the game did in the playoffs.

Ant is not better than Giannis

Giannis hasn't won a playoff series in ages..

It's not all his fault obviously but he just doesn't seem to have much of an impact in the playoffs anymore. Just my own opinion. I am probably wrong and or maybe guilty of recency bias.

The Milwaukee situation is sad. I would have loved to see it work out for Giannis in Milwaukee and hope they can somehow pull a rabbit out of the hat but I think it is probably doomed due to the utter failure of the Dame trade.

[life_saver]

Would Kuminga have scored efficient 30 pts if Steph was playing ?

[jokeboy86]

If anything this game made me think this series is not as over as I first thought
Both teams seem pretty close to each other without Curry

I think it's over and I thought it was the moment that the extent of Curry's injury was announced. You already have to be careful coming back from hamstring injuries but also add to the fact of how much Steph moves on the court and his age and it's not something you can just ramp it up coming back from quickly. Also Butler has a ton of wear and tear on him and so expecting him to drag a team through a series at this point in his career wont work.

[cupcakesnake]

This is mostly to T-Wolves fans but what would Ant have to do to pass KG as best T-Wolf? I would assume to most T-Wolves fans he's passed Love a while ago and has passed or is on the brink of passing Towns very shortly. Obviously a ring would automatically do it but otherwise would it take an MVP or Finals appearance to pass KG or does he also need more time spent with the team. Also in defense of Garnett as far as team success other than '04 his teams were nowhere near as talented as the teams Edwards has played on.

I don't think Ant is every going to be better at basketball than KG, but he's guaranteed to have a lot more team success. Minnesota's roster building around KG was a basketball tragedy. Ant has had the opportunity to be the best player on the best Minnesota team ever. It's not like Minnesota is loaded around Ant, but the front office has done well to pair him with a DPOY, another all-star level second option, and some really strong depth. If the Wolves can even build a second semi-contender (after Conley and eventually Gobert age out), Ant will get to play his whole prime as a star staple in the Western Conference playoffs. He's already won more playoff series than KG ever did in Minnesota.

Statistically, there's probably never going to be an argument for Ant>KG. It will be easy for Ant to eclipse KG as a Minnesota icon and fan favorite.

[ArksNetsSince99]

I'm telling you guys - he started off every year badly and ended every year playing like this. He's just been injured the past two playoffs.

So in retrospect would you prefer to Keep current Randle and Divo instead of KAT ?

That’s a serious question not a hate bite at Knicks

It's complicated.


Short answer: I think the trade was good but I wish things could have gone differently with iHart.


Randle is a true power forward. He should not play center and needs to play next to a defensive center. I would have wanted to run it back with the full squad but when iHart left and Mitch's injury timetable was uncertain (also, he's a part time player now) we needed a guy who can play C _at all_. KAT can, even if he's not that defensive stopper. If iHart had stayed, my preference would have been no KAT. Just run it back healthy. But we didn't have that choice.

With iHart gone, I think you have to do that trade if you have the option. Over the summer I was looking at guys like Goga Bitadze and your Day'Ron Sharpe who I think would have eaten half the C minutes adequately but there were a lot of half cocked options compared to iHart.

Then when you trade for KAT instead of looking at defensive C options, you change the identity of the team somewhat. We probably still have some tinkering to do or hope that a guy like Hukporti comes along. He looked really good around February but he got hurt.

I totally agree if IHart could be retained the best option was to run it back with Randle Divo , as much as I hate to admit that team had the identity and continuity was also a plus


Day Ron I always called him butter hands , but he had stretch of games looking good and Dominant , he might have higher upside than Claxton

[Capn'O]

Would Kuminga have scored efficient 30 pts if Steph was playing ?

Is the question whether he would have played at all or played well?

Before his injury he was playing well next to Steph. When he came back, no role.

[Black Jack]

Kerr should have had a looser rotation last series to get Kuminga, Jackson-Davis more reps, and maybe Curry wouldn’t be injured.

Randle as a skilled veteran big is the big problem for the Warriors.

We need everyone t play well when Curry is out and Podz alone sinks us if he isnt playing well.

Beating Minny without Curry is a tough order.

[Capn'O]

Day Ron I always called him butter hands , but he had stretch of games looking good and Dominant , he might have higher upside than Claxton

Is that what it is? His game is certainly more diverse than Claxton's but he doesn't seem to do it consistently. Also, his role is weird. But I'm mostly observing from afar (I have him in build a franchise).

[KGDirkTD_Fan]

Ant is not better than Giannis

Giannis hasn't won a playoff series in ages..

It's not all his fault obviously but he just doesn't seem to have much of an impact in the playoffs anymore. Just my own opinion. I am probably wrong and or maybe guilty of recency bias.

The Milwaukee situation is sad. I would have loved to see it work out for Giannis in Milwaukee and hope they can somehow pull a rabbit out of the hat but I think it is probably doomed due to the utter failure of the Dame trade.

Unfortunately that team got themselves in the trap of doing something is better than nothing when the best option may have been to run it back and find a trade around the deadline. I hope they figure something out to retain Giannis but that roster is in rough shape and aging...

[GiannisAnte34]

Still think Golden State gets one at home and stalls long enough to get Curry back

[Beethoven]

Wipe em out great job

[DonaldSanders]

Wolves can win without him though

Weird time to bust this one out after almost losing to the Curry-less Warriors. Steph was torching the Wolves before he went out, it'd easily be 2-1 if not 3-0. Plus there's not even one Wolve from that team playing for the Wolves anymore.

[ArksNetsSince99]

Day Ron I always called him butter hands , but he had stretch of games looking good and Dominant , he might have higher upside than Claxton

Is that what it is? His game is certainly more diverse than Claxton's but he doesn't seem to do it consistently. Also, his role is weird. But I'm mostly observing from afar (I have him in build a franchise).

He improved his rebounding , he might be less finesse than Claxton but way stronger in the post , his handles improved , occasional block, he’s young and promising player

Depend on who’s Nets gonna draft he might be available for other teams and I think it’s gonna be good trade for whoever trade for him , Lakers comes to mind but their fans prefer Claxton luckily

Edit , he reminds me of a little bit of Sweetney before he became fat and useless , similar body type

[SpreeChokeJob]

Kerr should have had a looser rotation last series to get Kuminga, Jackson-Davis more reps, and maybe Curry wouldn’t be injured.

Randle as a skilled veteran big is the big problem for the Warriors.

We need everyone t play well when Curry is out and Podz alone sinks us if he isnt playing well.

Beating Minny without Curry is a tough order.

I’ve been beating that horse to death for several years. It is the most craziest thing I’ve ever seen. Not only did Kuminga come in cold in the playoffs, he also doesn’t have the chemistry built up. These plays where there is miscommunication is due to not playing together.

Kerr crapped the bed by not developing JK for whatever reason. What a waste of the team’s time, JK’s time, and the fan’s time by not getting the most talented of their younger prospects the opportunity to be free to play his game. Mark Jackson let the young Warriors developed their sense of self, so they were ready when the time to take the next step.

[3toheadmelo]

I'm telling you guys - he started off every year badly and ended every year playing like this. He's just been injured the past two playoffs.

So in retrospect would you prefer to Keep current Randle and Divo instead of KAT ?

That’s a serious question not a hate bite at Knicks

It's complicated.


Short answer: I think the trade was good but I wish things could have gone differently with iHart.


Randle is a true power forward. He should not play center and needs to play next to a defensive center. I would have wanted to run it back with the full squad but when iHart left and Mitch's injury timetable was uncertain (also, he's a part time player now) we needed a guy who can play C _at all_. KAT can, even if he's not that defensive stopper. If iHart had stayed, my preference would have been no KAT. Just run it back healthy. But we didn't have that choice.

With iHart gone, I think you have to do that trade if you have the option. OG is really solid at PF so we had that position covered. Over the summer I was looking at guys like Goga Bitadze and your Day'Ron Sharpe who I think would have eaten half the C minutes adequately but there were a lot of half cocked options compared to iHart.

Then when you trade for KAT instead of looking at defensive C options, you change the identity of the team somewhat. We probably still have some tinkering to do or hope that a guy like Hukporti comes along. He looked really good around February but he got hurt.

Think it would’ve made more sense to just run it back and instead of using 7 picks for Mikal, you just give up 2 for Kessler. Not a shot at KAT who’s a good player in his own right but Randle was just a better fit next to Brunson and his shot creation/playmaking is something our offense really misses.

[Capn'O]

Kerr should have had a looser rotation last series to get Kuminga, Jackson-Davis more reps, and maybe Curry wouldn’t be injured.

Randle as a skilled veteran big is the big problem for the Warriors.

We need everyone t play well when Curry is out and Podz alone sinks us if he isnt playing well.

Beating Minny without Curry is a tough order.

I’ve been beating that horse to death for several years. It is the most craziest thing I’ve ever seen. Not only did Kuminga come in cold in the playoffs, he also doesn’t have the chemistry built up. These plays where there is miscommunication is due to not playing together.

Kerr crapped the bed by not developing JK for whatever reason. What a waste of the team’s time, JK’s time, and the fan’s time by not getting the most talented of their younger prospects the opportunity to be free to play his game. Mark Jackson let the young Warriors developed their sense of self, so they were ready when the time to take the next step.

Kuminga's injury was uniquely poorly timed. He hadn't fully established himself in the pecking order and then came back when a post Butler trade rotation had been established. I watched a few of those games before he went down and he was... well, like what we saw tonight.

[Capn'O]

Think it would’ve made more sense to just run it back and instead of using 7 picks for Mikal, you just give up 2 for Kessler. Not a shot at KAT who’s a good player in his own right but Randle was just a better fit next to Brunson and his shot creation/playmaking is something our offense really misses.

I can't and couldn't get behind Kessler. I just don't like his face.

[Wolfgang630]

Good on Edwards for being a lot better in the second half