2024 NBA Playoffs: Western Conference Finals: #3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs #5 Dallas Mavericks (DAL leads 3-0)

[Crunch 99]

The rapid rise and fall of Dante Exum on the Mavs has been wild. He's gone from being one of Dallas' best players when he was starting in place of injured Irving in December to averaging just 2.5 mpg in this Minnesota series. Sorry to see this. I was rooting for Exum to have finally turned the corner in to being a solid NBA rotation player.

[nbanflguy]

The wolves are soft. They are getting bullied by Luka. And by that I literally mean like a school yard bully. A lil chubster draining impossible shots 24/7 while the whole time talking **** to you and complaining nonstop to the refs while also flopping

[AbeVigodaLive]

Dallas guards hunting Gobert is sad.

I mean honestly the sad part is seeing scrubs like Josh Hardy and Dwight Powell being rewarded with playoff FTs for blatantly flopping.
At this point I could get FTs if Gobert was guarding me
This is supposed to be playoff basketball.

To be fair... the Timberwolves need to fall down more. That's on them for not "playing the game."

It's 2024, it's almost malpractice NOT to be hunting for those cheap foul calls. It happened a lot in the last series, too. Murray, Jokic and Gordon were most effective at it... just fall down when dribbling up the court and feeling any sort of defensive pressure/touch. They got the call nearly every time.

Dallas is doing it, too. Doncic doesn't get every call, but that's ok. There's literally no downside to it. Feel contact... fall down. Getting those calls a couple of times per game >>> getting them 0 times per game. And that stuff matters when all the games are close late into the 4th quarter. The Mavericks are simply playing smarter.

Meanwhile, how many Timberwolves players have tried it? Mike Conley is the only one savvy enough to pull the move out occasionally.




[Note: Edwards ascension will depend on two things (1) learning the game more via experience and (2) learning to manipulate the officials more.]

[Texas Chuck]

Dammit. We almost made it with those rooting for the Wolves not implying they are losing due to refs and not because they are being badly outexecuted down the stretch.

Which means we are going to get the usual Mavs fans posting what about when Towns led with the knee and they still called it on Lively (even after a review) or what about when he recklessly hit him in the back of the head and not even reviewed for a flagrant and whining about that.

This series has had no seriously flopping either way, refs letting them play both ways. Dallas is winning because they make the plays at the end and Minnesota has failed to.

It ain't the refs.

[MrGoat]

Obligatory Tony Brothers still sucks comment just to annoy Texas Chuck

And yes, Tony Brothers still sucks

[AbeVigodaLive]

Dammit. We almost made it with those rooting for the Wolves not implying they are losing due to refs and not because they are being badly outexecuted down the stretch.

Which means we are going to get the usual Mavs fans posting what about when Towns led with the knee and they still called it on Lively (even after a review) or what about when he recklessly hit him in the back of the head and not even reviewed for a flagrant and whining about that.

This series has had no seriously flopping either way, refs letting them play both ways. Dallas is winning because they make the plays at the end and Minnesota has failed to.

It ain't the refs.

Since you responded right after me... I hope you weren't insinuating that was the intent of my post.

I was ripping the Wolves in a very real way and not the officiating. It's just smart basketball in 2024 to get opponents in precarious situations and hunt/manipulate foul calls.

The Timberwolves are terrible at it. They legitimately need to fall down more.*



* Towns will fall down on nearly every drive to the basket but simply has an incredibly low success rate getting the call, maybe it's how awkward it is with his 7+ wingspan flying in multiple directions... and Gobert falls down out of pure awkwardness. I'd like to see Edwards and McDaniels fall down (flop) when bumped in the chest. They aren't calling such a play a travel if Edwards does it. EVER. So why not do what other star players do and be more successful?]

[Texas Chuck]

Your implication(and beyond that, you outright stated Dallas was flopping) is that Dallas was baiting the refs and thus winning because of that. Yet, there is more legit contact against Luka (and Edwards and Towns) not getting called than any bogus FT's that Luka is drawing by flopping.

It's not a particularly relevant point to this series. Now I appreciate your clarification is more about you want Minny to flop because you think its the right way to play with current officiating. I'd say in general you are correct. Not sure how effective it might be in whatever games are left in this series though. Refs are letting both team play pretty physical and aren't awarding ticky tacks hardly at all.

[Upperclass]

Mavs are closing it out in 4.. They are a tier above Minn as long as Luka and Kyrie are on the floor no matter who else isnt

[AbeVigodaLive]

Your implication(and beyond that, you outright stated Dallas was flopping) is that Dallas was baiting the refs and thus winning because of that. Yet, there is more legit contact against Luka (and Edwards and Towns) not getting called than any bogus FT's that Luka is drawing by flopping.

It's not a particularly relevant point to this series. Now I appreciate your clarification is more about you want Minny to flop because you think its the right way to play with current officiating. I'd say in general you are correct. Not sure how effective it might be in whatever games are left in this series though. Refs are letting both team play pretty physical and aren't awarding ticky tacks hardly at all.

Yeah. I've been calling for the Wolves to figure out how to flop for quite some time. It is flopping. There's really no way around it. It's also smart.

As noted, starting it down 3 - 0 isn't going to make any difference.

I'm assuming every team has a "manipulate the officials coach" considering how large staffs are nowadays. So I'm officially calling for the head of whoever has that job on the Minnesota Timberwolves. He's not good at it... or the players aren't listening. And in either case, that's what gets coaches fired in the NBA.

Getting Edwards to learn the subtle ways to entice calls instead of screaming "HEY!" every time seems like a smarter, more effective way to get him another 3 - 6 free throws on average per game. Doncic is great at it. SGA is even better. Brunson is good. Embiid obviously. There are guys all over the league who are great at it. And even when reviewed, it's hard to argue against it being a foul. Technically, it usually is.

The rub is that you don't get those calls if you don't fall down.




[Note: I fail to see how I claimed that's why Dallas was winning in my post. That seems like a reach from you... not me. And this is me figuratively falling down to get the call I deserve.]

[Texas Chuck]

[Note: I fail to see how I claimed that's why Dallas was winning in my post. That seems like a reach from you... not me. And this is me figuratively falling down to get the call I deserve.]

Yep it was a reach. And you are right to call the foul on that--no flailing required. I'm putting my hand up acknowledging my foul.

[AbeVigodaLive]

[Note: I fail to see how I claimed that's why Dallas was winning in my post. That seems like a reach from you... not me. And this is me figuratively falling down to get the call I deserve.]

Yep it was a reach. And you are right to call the foul on that--no flailing required. I'm putting my hand up acknowledging my foul.

LOL.




[Note: Can I use you as a reference when I apply for the Timberwolves soon-to-be-open "Manipulate the officials" coaching position?]

[Bobbymcgee]

Maxi Kleber is coming back, the T-Wolves still have a chance.

[bisme37]

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