Mikal is really developing to be such an incredible two-way player.
NBA 2021-2022
- Thread starter elmo
- Start date
Wow it actually felt like I was watching a Suns game for once, will be surprised if the Pels don't win game 6 though, NO will be amped and their role players will play much better.
Oof, rough playoffs for Trae Young.
Depends on how healthy Ingram is. He jammed his pinkie and it definitely affected his shooting.
Ja 
The Wolves lack of experience and calm strikes again.
So smooth. So clutch. So good.
No idea why Ant-man was even trying the steal in that situation. He had just knocked down a clutch 3 a few seconds earlier but that was an absurd decision, leaving Morant with a wide open lane.
No idea why Ant-man was even trying the steal in that situation. He had just knocked down a clutch 3 a few seconds earlier but that was an absurd decision, leaving Morant with a wide open lane.
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Did Wolves drop another 20 point lead?
I don't know how to take some of the comments about the Wolves. The Grizzlies were the team that everyone was hyping up outside of the Suns, the Wolves were supposed to be an easy serie. Yet for some reason, no one actually give any credit to the Wolves, last year the Grizzlies were one of the feel good stories, a valiant young team learning about the playoff against the heavy favorites Jazz.
I don't know if it's a compliment for the Wolves with people somehow thinking that they are now supposed to be better than the Grizzlies or if people are being strangely salty.
I don't know if it's a compliment for the Wolves with people somehow thinking that they are now supposed to be better than the Grizzlies or if people are being strangely salty.
I think it has to do with Wolves dropping massive leads in both this and the third game (I think they dropped twice a 20 point lead).
Also, while Grizzlies were favorites, there is not much between these two teams IMO. In fact, it can be argued that Wolves have three of the top five (if not top four) players in this series, in KAT, Edwards and Russell.
People aren't salty towards the Timberwolves, they're an average Western conference side so why would people be salty towards them? The reason is because the Grizzlies have struggled in this series, for which Minnesota deserve credit, yet they're still up because of the blown leads. This is literally the first time in history that a team has been up by double digits going into the 4th quarter and lost multiple times in a single series.
It's also because there's a feeling that that brittleness is in line with the personalities of 2 of the stars of the team (Towns, of whom I'm a fan, and Russell, not so much) who have been in the league for 7 years now, they're not kids. If Memphis were just better and won in 5 or 6 that would almost feel less annoying than the reality that Minnesota could already have this series won but are probably now going to be a first round exit.
That's the thing that I don't get, the Wolves have shown the flaws that they are known for and the reason why they are currently a 7th seed and not higher. You talk about being annoyed that a team that is supposed to be worse, that is overall one of the youngest in the league, their best player has played one playoff serie 4 years ago and yet your annoyance isn't that Memphis have struggled against the 7 seed but a focus on the 7th seed hasn't won and is going to be a first round exit.
As a supporter of the Wolves I'm glad that the Wolves looks like they belong in the playoff but I'm extremely surprised by how people are treating them compared to every other teams in a similar situation. I find it fairly sad.
But you said the other day that people that thought this team would be in the lottery were dimwits although they had to go through the play-in. So if we're judging them as a play off team then they've done something that no side has ever done by blowing the leads that they've had and it's all well and good blaming that on being young but Memphis are younger, Towns and Russell have been in the league for 7 years. The Jazz are getting a lot more criticism than the Timberwolves and there's a lot more talk about them blowing it up, I'm not sure what you want the reaction to the Timberwolves to be given how messy and sloppy a couple of those losses have been.
I don't know if anyone's being salty about the Wolves. I can't see why anyone would. I think everyone expected and still expect Memphis to progress to to the next round. It's been a surprise to see Memphis struggle like this but it's been a brilliant competitive series precisely because of the Wolves have made it one.
There is a distance between being a lottery bound team and being exclusively negative about a team being 3-2 in the playoff. And both teams are factually young and inexperienced, that's why Memphis can struggle a lot during games and have a double digit deficit, that's also why I don't see any of them beat the Warriors because both of these teams can and will get those negative runs during games. Memphis is also factually more advanced than the Wolves in their development which is why they were a playoff team last season and a 2nd seed this season.
And I hope that Jazz gets more criticism, the two teams aren't at the same stage of their development. One is supposed to be a finals candidate when the other was a playoffs candidate.
I mean I actually think all of that is fair. I'm just not bothered by people being frustrated with them because I actually think the West is open (the Warriors would be favourites against either of these teams but they have weaknesses) and because I believe in Towns' talent and love Edwards that it feels like they're missing a chance to have a bit of a run.
Memphis will get better (it took the Bucks a while to figure and they were a similarly athletic team who excelled in transition and therefore had some issues adapting to the play offs), Denver will be better once Murray and Porter are back, the Pelicans will be better with Zion back, the Clippers will have Kawhi and Paul George back and maybe the Lakers can retool so although the Timberwolves will develop too there's going to be more competition to overcome.
People are berating them, frustration and criticism on basketball points are fair, berating and insulting is a different story. To me the dynamic is totally different than with most other teams, it probably happened in the past for someone else but I don't have that reference.
I actually think that's an NBA wide issue. It's maybe their turn and they're getting more than some others would because they've not been a successful franchise but I don't know another sport where so much of the media stuff around it and so much talk from ex-players is shitting on teams or players, it's surely not a good way to sell a league.
I agree but generally teams in similar situation to the Wolves aren't treated that way, I'm thinking about Hawks, Nuggets, Grizzlies, Washington last year. But thinking about it, it probably was the same for the Knicks?
KAT is just ...
Lots of questions of how Zion fits into this current Pelicans team. They have good spacing with Big Val, Ingram is the man (again), CJ is the perimeter guy. Zion doesn't have a reliable jumper and it remains to be seen if he can get up and down the floor like these guys and defend. If Zion slows the team down, they aren't as good.
LeBron vs the Mavs has a contender for GOAT choke with that Trae series performance. Kudos to the Heat and all, but utterly farcical numbers
a weirdo
He won't get anywhere near a ring unless he starts to even try to defend. His lack of defense is ridiculous.LeBron vs the Mavs has a contender for GOAT choke with that Trae series performance. Kudos to the Heat and all, but utterly farcical numbers
Nah, it’s an explosive combination of two factors: very high ceiling + very young&dumb.
What is an explosive combination of those things?
Surrendering big leads at random, bragging and trash talking before the inevitable turnaround… have you ever been young? This is a potential supertop team still made of pretty immature kids.
That wasn't the point, I know what the Wolves are. The question was about how they are berated during these playoffs. The Wolves being immature and inconsistent during games has been a constant this season, it has been far better than last season but it's still a work in progress.
Embid as well, then there's Chicago missing Ball, and now LaVine and Caruso. Jazz without their best player, Mitchell.
But it's not as bad as last season.
Ok, am I a fool in answering that question… mate, please, stop it
… it is the big and wasted talent, the hopelessness of the circumstances, the ridiculous ways they often find to lose, the demeanour before and after. This is a meme era and they always seem to offer new material for entertainment. It’s neither malicious nor condescending, no one thinks bad of them as players or personalities.Ok, am I a fool in answering that question… mate, please, stop it
I can actually get that. It's a stupid but I can get it.
Because they've Pat Bev.
The trouble with the Wolves is that just when they seem they are about to surprise you.....I can actually get that. It's a stupid but I can get it.
.....they don't.
At any given moment they appear right on the verge of greatness and then it's snatched/given away at the last minute.
It must be terribly frustrating as a fan.
Not now, that's probably why it bothers me. Most of you probably didn't watch or cared for the Wolves until this serie, based on how media and social media talk about the Wolves I know that they haven't watched more than a few highlights this season. But the team has come a very long way, the current core hasn't actually played together that much due to injuries and they have developed fairly quickly during the season in particular offensively but they are still trying to figure things out, it took them almost half of the season to make the offense work.
So no it's not frustrating as a fan, it was frustrating to see the Wolves incapable of doing anything at an even passable level but it's not the case today.
I don't know if @maniak shares that feeling but it's actually the hopelessness that is more difficult. Hope is a luxury that only you gloryhunters can afford.
Fair point
Anyway I guess JPRouve was probably referring to the media mostly rather than this thread specifically, and I have actually seen some pretty wild overreactions from silly talking heads today.
Touche!I don't know if @maniak shares that feeling but it's actually the hopelessness that is more difficult. Hope is a luxury that only you gloryhunters can afford.