Game 2: Timberwolves (1-0) at Lakers (10/24, 9 pm, Prime Video)

[Shaka_Zulu]

Wtf did I just watch?

[Calinks]

How much of that is on Finch and the system?

Being honest, I think less than people assume. I have criticisms of Coach Finch (rotations), but the roster construction is a completely funky mess, and Minnesota has overinvested massively at Power-Forward between Julius Randle and Naz Reid (the latter signing being a huge mistake, in my biased opinion). Not having even a back-up quality Point-Guard is a HUGE problem, especially with Minnesota letting Nickeil Alexander-Walker go in free-agency (he was absolutely not a Point-Guard, but he could at least fill minutes next to other ball-handlers). Swinging and missing on Rob Dillingham (maybe he improves, but he isn't ready yet) was also brutal, it completely nuked Minnesota's remaining asset-pool.

I genuinely do not have an answer for it, though. I think that Naz has negative value on his current contract, Mike Conley is a negative value expiring, and Rob Dilingham has zero value. Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo both have some value, but trading them creates holes for the team, and they don't have enough value to net star talent. I think Minnesota can make the Playoffs, but there just isn't a world where a healthy OKC loses a series to Minnesota, the team is in a weird spot (I think Connelly agrees, given the failed attempts at recruiting Kevin Durant).

I would personally adjust towards giving Joan Beringer minutes, even though I think he will probably be a net-negative as well. Minnesota needs energy and athleticism defensively when Rudy Gobert sits.

To be fair to Naz specifically, he lost his sister not too long ago. I can't imagine where his head's at right now so playing poorly and/or inconsistently is something I'd expect in the short term.

Yep, Naz gets a pass from me all season. His sister was murdered, that would totally ruin some people. I'm not going to sit here and bash him repeatedly. In my mind, we have to prepare for the possibility that Naz won't be Naz and that's a big hole for the team if that turns out to be the case.

I'm still most wirried about our playmaking and offense but that defense was unforeseeably terrible last night.

[winforlose]

Hoopshype is pointing out “the Lakers outscored us by 24 when Smart was on the court.” I was talking last game about bad offensive process, and when you combine it with good defense and good defenders, bad things happen.

[Domejandro]

Being honest, I think less than people assume. I have criticisms of Coach Finch (rotations), but the roster construction is a completely funky mess, and Minnesota has overinvested massively at Power-Forward between Julius Randle and Naz Reid (the latter signing being a huge mistake, in my biased opinion). Not having even a back-up quality Point-Guard is a HUGE problem, especially with Minnesota letting Nickeil Alexander-Walker go in free-agency (he was absolutely not a Point-Guard, but he could at least fill minutes next to other ball-handlers). Swinging and missing on Rob Dillingham (maybe he improves, but he isn't ready yet) was also brutal, it completely nuked Minnesota's remaining asset-pool.

I genuinely do not have an answer for it, though. I think that Naz has negative value on his current contract, Mike Conley is a negative value expiring, and Rob Dilingham has zero value. Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo both have some value, but trading them creates holes for the team, and they don't have enough value to net star talent. I think Minnesota can make the Playoffs, but there just isn't a world where a healthy OKC loses a series to Minnesota, the team is in a weird spot (I think Connelly agrees, given the failed attempts at recruiting Kevin Durant).

I would personally adjust towards giving Joan Beringer minutes, even though I think he will probably be a net-negative as well. Minnesota needs energy and athleticism defensively when Rudy Gobert sits.

To be fair to Naz specifically, he lost his sister not too long ago. I can't imagine where his head's at right now so playing poorly and/or inconsistently is something I'd expect in the short term.

Yep, Naz gets a pass from me all season. His sister was murdered, that would totally ruin some people. I'm not going to sit here and bash him repeatedly. In my mind, we have to prepare for the possibility that Naz won't be Naz and that's a big hole for the team if that turns out to be the case.

I'm still most wirried about our playmaking and offense but that defense was unforeseeably terrible last night.

I appreciate that it absolutely is impacting his play (particularly on offense), but these are the same complaints that I have been echoing for his entire tenure in a Minnesota Timberwolves uniform. He has been (and continues to be) a bottom five defensive player in the NBA who is entirely unplayable when Rudy Gobert isn't there to clean up his mistakes.

Effectively every take I am making is an echo from previous seasons which have been largely ignored because he is a fan favourite. Naz seems like a good dude, but he cannot under any circumstances play Center if Minnesota wants to be a winning team. The Julius Randle and Naz Reid minutes are a catastrophe, and I think that the team needs to take a fresh look at the minutes distribution.

[Norseman79]

We can go back and forth over guys like Naz, McDaniels, etc... The fact is, part of the issue is roster construction and another part of the issue is coaching. I'm not saying that these people haven't built a team that could win or aren't capable of coaching winning basketball, I'm saying that the current product and the way it's being coached doesn't equal championship.