Just like being there
by Stop-n-Pop on Jan 8, 2010 9:33 PM CST
Email
PrintBefore we get started with the game I want to mention a few things about my love/hate relationship with League Pass. On one hand, I'm glad that I can watch each and every single Wolves game. On the other, is it too much to ask that each and every single NBA game should have at least 1 TV crew in the house? Last night's League Pass offering was the in-house camera with the radio broadcast mashed up over the top of it. Within 2 minutes of watching the game I had had enough with the below-the-basket camera angle that made watching a possession develop damn near impossible....especially with Boston/Atlanta in HD on the normal TV. Also, while I enjoy attending Wolves games, I don't want to see the Howl Meter at home.
Getting around to the game, let's start with the most obvious. Here are some random snippets of Flynn action in the 1st quarter:
- Drive right, pass to the top of the key, drift to the corner
- Pass to the top of the key, drift to the corner
- Dribble left baseline, kick to corner, stay there
- floater in transition
- Dribble left, kick to top, drift towards....time out
On his return to action after a fantastic Sessions stint he ran maybe the worst pick and roll in recent NBA history followed by a jacked up 1 hander from 15 feet after missing a wide-open Love straight on behind the arc. The flubbed pick and roll also included the 1st year point guard completely blowing off an entry pass to Al Jefferson.
On the other hand, here are a few random selections of Sessions action:
- high pinch post, cut to rim, take pass along the baseline, and kick out for a 3
- pass to the post, rub off screen, ball rotated and shot taken
- Pass to left wing, drift to corner, Ellington slashes to the hoop behind Sessions' cut
Yet, in the 3rd quarter when the Wolves pulled away, Flynn was on the court and his shots were falling and the Wolves got to the line like madmen. We were still treated with large doses of dribble, dribble, dribble, drive/shoot or dribble up, pass off, and drift to the corner. Flynn was at the controls during the huge 19-2 run but at the end of it he had 1 assist for the entire game and the only difference between 1st half Jonny and 2nd half Jonny was that the shots were falling and he was able to get to the line. All of this being said, he did score a bunch of points while not turning the ball over. Perhaps that is the bar we need to be most concerned about with a rookie point guard transitioning from Syracuse to the NBA.
Also, in one of those holy-crap-+/--really-doesn't-capture-what-is-going-on-on-the-court-tonight moments, Flynn was the team's leader in +/- while Sessions was at the bottom. Flynn spent the majority of his time on the court with the starters while Sessions...well, not so much.
Random thoughts:
Here are some more examples of the in house nonsense that was shown on the live feed:
- Noise
- Delta Replay
- Howl Meter
- Louder!
- Happy 11th birthday Andrew!!!
- "The Jefferson"
- A cute baby with a #42 Love jersey. I will be getting one of these for the baby-to-be-named-later that is due any day now (and which we have yet to pick a name for...leave your boy/girl suggestions in the comments).
Those of us watching at home also got to learn that the Wolves appear to have been bought by Klondike Bar earlier in the day.
Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. Three pointers, three pointers, three pointers. Check out the Four Factors:
| Pace (Poss) | Eff | eFG | FT/FG | OREB% | TOr | |
| Indiana | 99.4 (99) | 110.1 | 53.3% | 14.4 | 14.0 | 11.1 |
| Minnesota | 113.1 | 52.6% | 40.3 | 29.3 | 18.2 |
You can thank Kevin Love and Al Jefferson for the rebounds and free throws.
Indy shot over .500 from 3. That's the only reason why they were in the game. They took over 30 shots from beyond the arc and made over .500 of them. They still lost.
Let's talk about rotations. This little issue has been building for a while, even garnering a mention by David Kahn during his Thursday appearance on KFAN's PA Show (where he mentioned that the team had rolled out some pretty awful rotations during the past 3-4 games). The worst rotation offense came against the Warriors during the 3rd quarter. The Wolves had just made a 13-0 run to cut the lead into the single digits and Rambis rotated out both Kevin Love and Al Jefferson and any momentum the Wolves might have had was thrown directly out the window. (Interestingly enough, while I am typing this we are seeing an exact replay of this little trick in the 3rd quarter with Love and Big Al going to the bench while the Pacers enter an 8-2--and counting--run).
The main rotation issue is the mess (yes, mess) occurring at the point guard position. There are unexplored possibilities having to do with the use of Ramon Sessions and Wayne Ellington and they typically come at the expense of handing over large chunks of ineffective minutes to Jonny Flynn. Player development is nice but so is putting your best rotation on the court and giving your fans something to cheer about. Can we please see some extended minutes with Sessions, Ellington, Gomes, Love, and Jefferson? Please? Pretty please?
It is pretty baffling what is going on with Ramon Sessions' free throw shooting this year. It has to be mental. One of the overwhelming positives of Sessions' young career has been his ability to deliver at the line, averaging 5.3 FTA/36 minutes and making 78% of his attempts. This season he is still averaging just about 5 FTA/36 minutes but he is only making .648% of his free throws.
Wayne Ellington is really playing some nice ball for a rookie. He needs to build up a few more minutes before we start talking about comparing his impact to Brewer's but it's looking good right now. He's an average defender, he rebounds well, and he is able to score like he was at UNC: without a huge usage rate. He even ran a nice two man play with Love down the stretch in the 4th quarter.
Wolves radio announcer Alan Horton really has done a nice job transitioning to a one-man show since the cost-cutting efforts of the team did away with former co-host and Jefferson Jaguar Kevin Lynch. He kept things brisk and entertaining and there were no moments of dead air during a sometimes hard-to-watch contest. The radio folks even had a nice high school segment where Horton talked with a coach from up north who will be taking part in tomorrow's high school extravaganza. He also came up with the stat of the night. With 2 minutes to go in the 4th quarter he made a nice comment about the Wolves running their best offensive set of the night right before rolling into a comment about the team moving the ball very well in the 4th and a stat to back it up: 8 or their 9 buckets (at the time) were the result of assists.
Kevin Love had a whole lot of trouble handling Troy Murphy away from the basket in the first half. Murphy was red hot and was hitting shot after shot from beyond the arc. Love simply didn't close out enough on his perimeter-proficient opponent and it cost him some time on the court.
Corey Brewer hit the two biggest shots of the game: A touch catch and shoot with the shot clock winding down and a big 3 with the game on the line in the 4th. Both shots were not high percentage opportunities and the Wolves were very lucky to have 5 points on those 2 possessions.
Speaking of Mr. Brewer, he is the highlight clip in NBA TV's newest "Where amazing happens" spot. That dunk over Fisher gets better every time I see it.
The Wolves are a better team than Indy. I have no doubt about it in my mind. Love and Jefferson are better than any two players on the Pacers and Our Beloved Puppies have a treasure trove of future assets that hopefully can be put to good use in the next 1-3 years. I have no idea what Indy is trying to do or where they are trying to go. It was nice to see the Wolves rebound from last week's terrible effort against an inferior squad and come away with the victory.
The Wolves' new mostly-white warm ups look great. Can someone please sell the old school blue track suit and these new white warm ups?
Well, that about does it. It was a nice win and I'll post the GameFlow tomorrow.
Until later.
UPDATE: GameFlow here.
130 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I dunno if this is a good game to be defending Sessions...
…after those back-to-back turnovers late nearly cost us the game, then Jonny saved it and iced it with a clutch steal and two free throws.
I agree Sessions generally plays more solid ball and usually ends up with the more scubby lineups, but Jonny was just flat out better tonight from what I saw.
Also...
…drifting to the corners is what point guards are supposed to do in the triangle when they give up the ball. Initiate the offense, then find one of the corners for a possible three. Derek Fisher does that almost every single possession for the Lakers.
what a wonderful talking point..
…for the next meeting with ricky rubio’s agent. ;)
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
Ha, was just about to add that
Not to bring up bad memories, but it seems a certain Stephen Curry would do great drifting around for corner threes, no?
stop that
;)
he’d be f’ing perfect for this offense at the point.
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
Completely Agree
I was at the game and Flynn was the better player tonight. I don’t get the constant knock on Flynn and the complete love affair with Sessions. Flynn, the last time I checked, is a rookie playing the toughest position to learn in the NBA. Add to that the difficulty of playing an offensive style that neither he or any of his teammates have ever played before and it is bound to take a while to learn. Sessions is good but I certainly don’t see anything in his game that makes me think that he has the potential to be a great point guard in this league. If we hand the keys to Sessions then we may win a few more games this year; however, that is not what Kahn and Rambis said we were going to be about. Flynn has lots of upside and I would much rather take the bad with the good with him during this learning phase than throw in the towel and let Sessions play to win a few more games. Assists as an argument is weak. When the “triangle” is run effectively the point guards don’t always get many assists. Also, I saw at least 2 or 3 sweet dishes from Flynn that immediately drew a hard foul from Indiana to prevent what would have surely been an easy dunk or layup. Even when Flynn was clearly the better “point” tonight he gets ripped. Sessions almost cost us this game – Rambis saved it by putting Flynn in for the finish.
by killerhoopage on Jan 8, 2010 10:36 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
glad to read this post...
I was unable to attend tonight’s game and it wasn’t on tv, but I was fortunate enough (yeah, I said it) to catch some of the game on the radio while I was driving all over the metro tonight. I am glad to read this from someone about Flynn. I would pretty much agree completely. I’m not as familiar with the triangle offense and the PG’s role in it, but I do like Flynn’s effort & athleticism. He is a tad undersized, but it is what it is. Let’s not forget, he’s probably 3rd in ROY voting at this point in the season, and I think he will only progress from here on out. Anyways, I just read this and wanted to chime in… as I can appreciate any positive post about the pups.
I like the game wrap tonight
filled with tons of random crap that was very entertaining!
I agree about that baby, absolutely adorable… I was thinking the exact same thing about getting one for a future-daughter, who is still years away, but hey! Speaking of which, I have always been a fan of the names Sienna and Sierra. Don’t know why…. but I just am.
At the Warriors game, they had a second quarter deal where two college-night guys (from the row in front of me) had to literally stare at each other a few inches away for the last 9 minutes before half (including timeouts and dead balls). All for a Klondike bar for them and their row… not worth it!
Won’t say too much about Flynn as I am sure it will be discussed at length again, but he really should be coming off the bench where his scoring would be a lot more valuable and more efficient. As times goes on, he seems to be coming closer and closer to realizing his destiny of 6th Man of the Year candidate.
I predicted at the beginning of the year that Wayne Ellington would be one of the most efficient rookies (while Flynn was still out highest scorer) and he seems to be turning in to that role… I am still pretty far off so far though.
Corey really is getting a lot better! The best way to tell is that you don’t see 9/10 of the people here ragging on him… now it’s more like 1/5. Also, it seems as if when Corey goes to the basket and finishes, it is a highlight. He never seems to get just an easy layup. Part of that is Jefferson not moving to a location where he can dunk off of an easy pass, part of that is Brewer not looking for him (tunnel vision), part of that is Brewer’s crazy contortion, and part of that is just how he gets to the rim in traffic… He really is a lot of fun to watch and as probably his biggest supporter here, I really hope he stays around and improves a little more. Defense seems to have gone down lately, but he is still very active!
Uh... whoa!
Pretty sure we sat in the same row for that game (or maybe the Klondike bars were two ahead of mine). I was the guy with the idiot friends who kept yelling stupid crap when the crowd was quiet.
Oh yeah you're right actually
the guys from the row in front of me were actually the breath-holding contest… apparently the guy who won admitted to cheating.
Were you with the guys who kept yelling at Mike or the guys who kept saying Jefferson traveled every single time he touched the ball? I was in the second (third? I think second) row from the back with my girlfriend and two other friends. How’d you like that guy who came over and gave those guys second row seats? Nice gent right there.
My friends were the ones obsessed with Fake Wally.
They really couldn’t handle it. I think we were in the same row, Row Y. In fact, you may have sat next to my younger brother. He was the kid who kept organizing dancing during the breaks and eventually got us on the jumbotron.
I thought it was a nice gesture for that guy to give up his nice tickets, but I was also pissed that he gave it to the same guy who had already won the lift tickets (by cheating) in the breath holding contest.
I was in row Y
but I sat next to a pretty tall kid who didn’t get us on the jumbotron. And kept commenting about Jefferson traveling when he clearly didn’t, and luckily the real refs agreed with me.
You must've been on the far left end then.
I was the second guy in on the right. Still, close call though. Crazy.
Coincidence turned irony
by the name of this particular thread.
"A lot better"??
Corey was at best a marginal starting player in last night’s game. The first Wolves possession was punctuated by his bad-shot 22-footer, which started off a run of horrible decisions by the team in the early first quarter.
Ellington got 26+ minutes last night largely because he can play the two guard with reasonable intelligence and balanced play; Wayne’s pretty clearly pushing for Corey’s time at this point, and not surprisingly Ellington’s playing time is markedly up lately. At this point I’m wondering if we reach the deadline without seeing Ellington start.
There’s going to be a huge difference next year on this roster, and the easiest way to describe it is that they’ll have something like starting-caliber wings to put on the court.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
Good point
I don’t know if Ellington will be one of those starters, but just the fact a 28th pick rookie is pushing a 3rd year (or 2nd if you account for the injury) lotto pick says a lot more about Brewer than Ellington.
by Rascal Flatts on Jan 9, 2010 9:50 AM CST up reply actions
If Ellington can play passable defense,
then he’s looking like a decent little well-rounded player, even apart from the Wolves’ dearth of wing talent. He’s definitely in a subordinate role and he’s definitely a rookie, but he’s playing smart and his role is growing.
His last 10 games:
-————————-
19.7 minutes a night
.500 on 33-66 shooting
10-22 from three
10-10 from the line
Per 36, those #s make for around 15.7 points, 4.6 boards (1.5 offensive), and 2.4 assists.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
(His last 5 show much better, too. But then it's a long season.)
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
Last 5 numbers:
23.2 minutes a game
.595 on 22-37 shooting
.538 from three on 7-13
8-8 from the line
Per 36: 18.3 points, 6.5 boards, and 3.1 assists
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
I agree he's stepping up and it's nice to see
I question whether he can maintain the shooting percentages of the last 5 – 10 games over the rest of the season, but it would be nice if he could settle into 45% FG, high 30s 3-PT, and similar rebounding and assist numbers.
He is definitely a well-rounded player and much more refined than our other rookie. It’s just tough to ever see him be anything more than a nice complimentary 2-guard, either starting next to a superstar wing and PG or coming off the bench.
by Rascal Flatts on Jan 9, 2010 11:50 AM CST up reply actions
We've never been shy about starting backups before
Minnesota Timberwolves with the requisite talent to be full-time starting off guards, the comprehensive list:
Isiah Rider (but talent ain’t everything)
Malik Sealy (defensively)
Doug West (until he drank it all away)
maybe Brewer (defensively, but his offense takes most or even all of that edge away)
Willie Green would probably have been a five-year starter for this franchise.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
McHale saw him light it up one summer league
I was there for one of those games, too. One could always count on Kevin McHale to overvalue games he happened to attend personally.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
I guess I should have qualified my statement
I could never see him starting for a contending team. But yeah, there is no question he could probably start for many Wolves’ squads over the years. I’m always thinking of players’ potential on a contending squad, since that’s our goal.
by Rascal Flatts on Jan 9, 2010 3:47 PM CST up reply actions
Wise thinking. Keep our collective compass pointing to "up." ;-)
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
relative to his past play
it is a lot better. I would really like to see corey paired with a wing who can really shoot it. He would to pretty well in that role. Until Jonny and wing to be named later really learn how to rotate on D, brewer won’t be able to take risks for steals and such. Perhaps with Al and Love behind him he may never get to really go for alot fo steals.
THis is a point I don’t think we address enough about lineups. My view is there are two paths
1. You have a defenisve frontcourt that can block shots and allows the perimeter to go for steals and pressure (think gophers)
2. You can have a weaker defensive frontcourt that can score alot which requires your perimeter D to not take chances and keep people out of the lane (wolves…hopefully).
by TheEvilProfessor on Jan 9, 2010 10:31 AM CST up reply actions
You don't think Corey takes risks after steals right now?
I agree about the defensive choices involved, though.
What we’d really like is to be able to play it either way, right? If Hollins was a great athletic defensive sub, for example, you’d then have Corey in your second unit to break up the other team’s flow with his disruptive play. (And then his offensive play can break up the Wolves’ own flow with that same disruptive quality.)
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
yeah
ideally you like to have two full rotations with a couple players to suit matchups. That way your 2nd unit can play really good D against players that have flaws and if you can insert a scorer with that unit you can put up net points. It makes the other team play their starter too long and they start breaking down at the end of games. Especially valuable in the playoffs during a series.
by TheEvilProfessor on Jan 9, 2010 11:08 AM CST up reply actions
A lot better
Corey is also shooting 8% better in the last two months than he did for he first 2… that’s a LOT better. I didn’t say he is a starter on a championship competitor. Though if he improves a little more at defense (or maybe just if those around him improve) while shooting around 45%, he could be a starter to guard the Kobes of the world. Once this team figures out it’s defensive rotations, Corey’s value will go up a bit more. Right now, he shouldn’t be starting on a good team, but we certainly aren’t a good team, and like Flynn, he has more potential than Gomes, Pavlovic, or Wilkins so he gets the nod.
Which Sessions turnover did you like more?
The first one or the 2nd coming down the strech? It’s pretty clear to me that Flynn has a higher upside than Sessions and thats why he will continue to start. And Flynn is a better fit for this offense because he is a better outside shooter.
That's fine..
….I think he has worlds of potential as a guy who can score on his own and in bunches but that’s a role better suited to playing with the 2nd unit than with the starters when you’re 6 feet tall and can’t have trouble running sets.
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
you want to know how I can tell Flynn played better last night?
you refer to him as 6ft instead of 5ft something. :)
by TheEvilProfessor on Jan 9, 2010 10:32 AM CST up reply actions
i will never get...
…Drafting guys that small.
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
by Stop-n-Pop on Jan 9, 2010 11:09 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
I have always viewed it
as player X can either ball and do what you need him to do, or he can’t. Height disadvantages make it harder for those players to accomplish the goals you have for them, but if they can, they can. I would be really interested in hearing what Rambis thought about that draft and whether he would rather of had Flynn or Curry, etc. He won’t say anthing until he no longer coaches Flynn, but still.
Not having a coach had to have a big impact on the player ratings. I had heard that if they could get Evans, they would have drafted Curry to be paired with him.
by TheEvilProfessor on Jan 9, 2010 11:14 AM CST up reply actions
I see Flynn
in much the same way as SNP. The Jason Terry analogy is getting some traction. However, I’m seeing shades of Ben Gordon. Flynn is a dynamic scorer who is struggling with the team concept at this point. The main point here is that he can score on anyone and that is a valuable commodity in the NBA. We are all jaded by Randy Foye, but Flynn is a much more dynamic scorer, his quickness and athleticism is at another level. Plus, his shooting is better than many of us thought.
Flynn = Instant Offense (at least right now) → Ben Gordon
I don't see the Ben Gordon similarity
Gordon’s an undersized SG who is a great 3pt shooter and uses his strength to get tough shots off. His game is outside-in based.
Jonny’s an undersized PG who can get to the rim and take contact because of his speed. Every now and then he’ll hit a nice jumper. His whole game is taking it to the rim.
I guess the only way I can see similarities is on a very broad “skilled scorer” style thing than anything specific about either player.
At this point, Flynn's game reminds me more of Nate Robinson - but a bigger version.
We need someone – a coach – to watch tape with Flynn to show him how to create good shots for others.
by Kevin Love Jefferson on Jan 9, 2010 1:33 PM CST up reply actions
Jonny is still struggling defensively though
Which is something that he may or may not get. I just don’t see him being able to handle other top PG’s for 35 minutes a game but it is his rookie year.
Wonder what future NBA players will be at Target Center tomorrow
Wasn’t Jrue Holiday in that tournament two years ago?
Credit where credit's due...
Jonny had a nice bounceback game tonight. As usual, it involved his shot going down, and not much else. But he also did lose a few nice assists tonight on blown shots by teammates. His volume of “assist attempts” (yes, I just made term that up) still seems ridiculously low, but after laying that turd on WED, he was much improved tonight. I will be very interested to see if he can back up it up again tomorrow.
Al was big tonight. His passing was better, and he is starting to show a little instinct towards help D the last few games. The block on Hibbert was awesome, and he had a handful of help plays like that on WED. Hope it continues.
Kevin was Kevin. He really needs to improve his D against guys like Murphy though. He’s so obsessed with getting to the glass, that he got caught way too far away from his man tonight. Even in the 2nd half, we just got lucky that Murphy was missing.
Gomes and Wilkins were key guys tonight as well. Came up with big plays when we needed them.
"I'm gonna make you cry...I'm gonna make you cry and dip my cookie in your tears!!!"
I second the comment on Love
Two games against Indiana, one against Orlando and one against Golden State is enough to draw a conclusion…Love is consistently cheating into the paint looking for rebounds in those matchups, and we’re getting killed from distance by shooting big men because of it.
He’s not the most agile player, but he’s hardly immobile either, and a guy like Troy Murphy’s no threat to take anyone off the dribble anyways. Rambis needs to get it through to Love that when he’s defending a shooting big, he needs to DEFEND and let the rest of the team handle the glass.
You are a very astute observer of Kevin's faults...
Now turn that critical eye towards Flynn, and we’ll totally be on the same page…
"I'm gonna make you cry...I'm gonna make you cry and dip my cookie in your tears!!!"
Just making an isolated observation
Not saying anything about any of the other players, one way or another.
overly simplistic
I was at the game last night and was paying attention to what was going on with Love & Murphy knowing what happened with Ryan Anderson & co. vs Orlando.
My impression wasn’t that he was cheating for boards, but was helping on D and/or getting jammed up in screens – at least once he got jammed up by a teammate who was out of position. Either way he was chasing Murphy late to the arc, and he less-than-spectacular quickness doesn’t help, but I would have a hard time saying that he was sagging towards the bucket waiting for a missed shot. And when Rambis pulled him after Murphy got another open look in the 3rd or 4th quarter, Love loudly barked “Not my fault!” as he was walking to the bench. A little immature, yes, but I think he had a point.
How about "less his fault"
If your man goes 5-5 on threes, it’s safe to say you’re doing something wrong.
yeah...
it’s definitely still on Love to get out there and contest better – I don’t mean to absolve him of fault at all, regardless of what he thinks. I was more saying that he wasn’t sandbagging for boards, but trying to play some kind of team defense.
On the whole, the Wolves really need to work on team defense and know when and where help should be coming.
Love “helps” much more than is probably necessary, and isn’t quick enough to overcompensate for it. He does the same thing on high pick-and-rolls – shows too hard and for too long.
It's the D
Weak side help defense is told to hang right outside the lane to pressure the strong side post. Skip passes and whip-arounds require anticipation and reaction. This is where we are getting burned. At least this is how it looks to me – Rambis put in the Lakers D last year and that is how they play. To my eyes the Wolves are trying the same thing, but aren’t as good at it.
'Because there are no fours.' Toine
Quotes
Love mentions in his post-game quotes that the wolves rotations were quicker in the second half and that helped him.
"shot going down, and not much else"
is spot on. That’s pretty much it. If he ever figures out how to run an offense or defend we’ll be on to something but right now Good Jonny = scoring Jonny and not much else.
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
Don't have his stats in front of me
But how is Aaron Brooks different from Flynn?I am assuming that Flynns defense will improve over the next couple seasons. When I think of Brooks I think of a small, super fast scorer.
"Come on Eddie, let's get serious."
by biggity2bit on Jan 9, 2010 10:14 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
He’s smaller and lighter and probably worse at finishing at the rim/drawing contact while being a better 3pt shooter, but his game is very similar to what Jonny has shown us so far. He’s not a great playmaker and if his shot isn’t falling he’s not giving you much, but he’s generally a good enough scorer to be useful. We’ll see if Jonny improves his all-around game, but as of right now they definitely function in a similar capacity on their respective teams.
When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead. True story.
Um, Aaron Brooks is 5 years older than Flynn?
He was also a 4-year senior coming out of college when being drafted.
by pagingstanleyroberts on Jan 9, 2010 12:18 PM CST up reply actions
Not sure how much that matters
It does matter, but mainly if it’s assumed he wouldn’t have gotten better in the last two years of school. Maybe he ends up in Lawson territory, but if so, that’s still better than where Brooks ended up.
Also, Brooks averaged 5 pts/2 asts/13 PER as a 23-year-old rookie. Flynn’s PER is 14, but he’s 20.
by pagingstanleyroberts on Jan 9, 2010 3:15 PM CST up reply actions
It doesn't matter
Not for this point at least. It just goes along towards my confusion about why Flynn was valued so highly (and not just by the Wolves) when guys in his general profile, who actually produced more in college, are typically treated with skepticism. I watched Brooks quite a bit in college, and he was a handful, I’m not going to look it up, but I’m pretty sure his stats were impressive. I don’t know who will be the better PG in the long run, but I’m not sure why Flynn is thought to have such a higher ceiling.
It may seem crazy with this team only having 8 wins right now
But I am really starting to believe if Kahn is merely competent and the guys stay healthy, this has to be a 40 win team in two years, 50 wins in three years. With about 6 solid guys on the roster right now (including two near All-Stars), two good prospects in Europe, and at least one high pick plus several more 1st and 2nd rounders on the way, I really can’t believe this won’t be a highly competitive team in a few years.
BTW, Evan Turner will be playing against the Gophers at 2:30 on Saturday. Game is on Big Ten Network. I’ll be scouting him in person.
I think Kahn will need to be better than competent.
A number of gaping holes in the roster still to fill and the post mortem on the 2009 draft is on hold until the Rubio situation is settled one way or another.
But what I can appreciate is there is a discernable method with Kahn. It’s about cap flexibility and collecting assets. Where I think he has woofed so far is that this squad is perhaps less competent than he thought.
"I tell one of my media colleagues to watch Hollins, who regards cutters entering his vicinity with the sort of startled amazement newborn infants have when their own appendages enter their vision for the first times."
-Britt Robson
Listen to Kahn and tell me
The ESPN podcast interview the other day features Kahn basically openly admitting that he needs to acquire legitimate wing talent. He knows what he’s trying to do, anyway.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
And he knows that Al/Love are earthbound and need a guy who complements them. Having a GM who has demonstrated that he knows what the team needs is an incredible breath of fresh air. We still have to see if he can go out and get it, but the babysteps are very encouraging.
When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead. True story.
I honestly believe that...
we are an athletic wing player away from being an 8 seed in the west; but recently I am convinced that we would need to add depth to our bench also because guys like Pecherov and Pavlovic are absolutely horrid.
How come we never go out any more?
Do you think she’s prettier than me? Do these pants make me look fat? When are we going to have a baby?
by John Doe on Jan 10, 2010 12:38 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
If you think that it's not possible
for a woman to have at least two separate identities, then I consider you to be a very lucky man.
Great call on the camera angles
I’ll second what I said in the game thread: give me a remote that lets me pick what camera feed I’m looking at. I’d have taken that midcourt camera all game over the two under the baskets.
Also, Al and Love cannot handle big post scorers. But we already knew that. I cut out of the feed early due to the camera, but there were a few times when Hibbert just dominated Al down low.
No, no, the TV folks are "innovating"
They’re going to give you 3D broadcasts!
Seriously, DVD players all have “camera angle” options, and I’ve never even seen anyone give it to us with DVDs of sporting events. It’s not like the technology for this isn’t there.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
The only place I've seen it
Is the streaming feed of Sunday Night Football on NFL.com. It’s pretty cool to see that, but that’s an indication that it might be a while.
by pagingstanleyroberts on Jan 9, 2010 12:20 PM CST up reply actions
In general, the NFL does solid Web work
I actively dislike the NFL, but the contrast between their Web offerings and those of the NBA has, until very recently, been dramatic. Until this year the NBA site’s schedule thing was unbelievably crude for a major sport; it was like a javascript-based thing you’d cannibalize for your fantasy league site or something.
Even now…. I mean, the NBA’s stream last night with the Howl-o-Meter? We’re howlin’, and it’s not for the right reasons.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
Haha, Zgoda just blogged about Jonny's headband
He said after Flynn picked up the technical, Jonny assumed he was done for the night and gave it to a kid behind him. That’s why he wasn’t wearing it when he checked back in at the very end.
Please don't tell me...
That Jonny doesn’t know it takes 2 techs to get thrown out? Not like it was different at Syracuse. Either that or he doesn’t know how to count to 2…not sure which is worse.
"I'm gonna make you cry...I'm gonna make you cry and dip my cookie in your tears!!!"
I'm sure he knows. He's gotten technicals in college
He would have been right too, except Sessions got lazy at the end with his passes. If not for those turnovers, Flynn wouldn’t have come back in.
Kids sitting behind the bench can afford their own headbands, Jonny.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
Here's your baby name formula
Use the last name of a cherished fomer NBA player:
Erving
Malone
Gervin
Stockton
Twardzik
Okay, maybe not Twardzik.
Russell...
…was already shot down by the Mrs and I’m not naming a kid McHale.
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
"Russell" isn't bad
Though the basketball angle…. We’re fans, but don’t do that to a kid. People do that with middle names. I’m not sure anyone ever gets middle names right.
Your real basketball connection to little kids is that you should teach them to whistle “Sweet Georgia Brown” at the first opportunity. My twins (now 16) were aces. They’re both accomplished musicians now, and I give thanks to Meadowlark and Curly first of all.
Actually I’m only writing to say congratulations. Congratulations!
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
Thanks and that's pretty much..
…the angle my wife took. She says I get to name the next dog Russell and that’s that.
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
Lot to be said for giving dogs people names.
"I tell one of my media colleagues to watch Hollins, who regards cutters entering his vicinity with the sort of startled amazement newborn infants have when their own appendages enter their vision for the first times."
-Britt Robson
indeed...
…as you can see from the picture of winston to the right.
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
He shall defend his food bowl whatever the cost may be.
You were a daydreamer, a sass-mouth, and, not infrequently, a bit of a gigglepuss. Somehow I doubt twenty years of amphetamines and failure have done anything to improve that.
by Kevin Loves McHale's Navy on Jan 9, 2010 4:02 PM CST up reply actions
I'm trying to talk my wife into getting a German Shepherd....
….and naming it Adolph.
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
My wife and I
just had a baby girl, our first of either gender, in November. Ruby.
good luck with the kid.
Don't know if you're having a boy or girl
But shoot for a name with several versions or built in nickname, then the kid is sure to like one.
A name like Andrew, can be Andrew, Andy, or Drew.
So you'd like a utility infielder's name?
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
If it means spending his twenties making $1,000,000 per season
playing 300 innings a year, your Damn right!
i'm hoping for a 6' 7"...
…point guard with a 7’2" wingspan. ;)
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
Baby Name
I don’t remember if you said it was a boy or a girl, but this name works either way…
“Blakeley”
I’m a boy, so I believe Blakeley is a boy’s name, but random Facebook searches argue that “Blakeley” is actually a southern girl’s name. Either Way you’re covered!
My other suggestion is PoorDick, one word.
by Blakeley on Jan 9, 2010 7:49 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
I think
Blakeley is one of those gender neutral names, so can work either way, just right now it is more common with girls.
Will the Real Thor Please Stand Up ... ?
by the Real Thor on Jan 9, 2010 8:13 AM CST up reply actions
I was going to urge Poordick
for a baby name as well.
Isn’t the Missus from Oklahoma or godforsaken place like that? What do they name kids there? Cousin?
At any rate, yes, watching the in house feed is awful, particularly the “Big Airline Replay.” I was happy to see Al’s play—17 fg attempts and 13 FTs. Very aggressive and efficient (25 points on 17 shots). He seems to be rounding into form.
Other notable things: +20 on the boards, +28 on FTAs.
This team is not an athletic wing player from the 8th seed. Seriously, it was a win against the Pacers, coming off 5 straight losses. An athletic (and good) wing player would help, but this team is more than one player away from the playoffs.
by Eric in Madison on Jan 9, 2010 8:57 AM CST up reply actions
Yeah
maybe one stud wing and a hole bunch of really competent bench players. Let’s say at least 3 bench players too.
by TheEvilProfessor on Jan 9, 2010 10:40 AM CST up reply actions
"a hole bunch"
Accurate phrase to use in describing the current batch of Wolves wings.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
lol
whoops, I think we both know I meant whole.
by TheEvilProfessor on Jan 9, 2010 11:09 AM CST up reply actions
1st cousin..
…No less ;). They have a lot of two name first names in the family. Completely cliche.
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
by Stop-n-Pop on Jan 9, 2010 11:11 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
PER rankings
Did you see that Kevin Love is now 9th in total PER Rankings (for players that qualify) with a PER of 23.65. The 8 players ahead of him…
1 LeBron James: 30.42
2 Tim Duncan: 28.04
3 Chris Bosh: 26.4
4 Dwyane Wade: 26.41
5 Chris Paul, 26.26
6 Kobe Bryant: 25.11
7 Carmelo Anthony: 25.08
8 Steve Nash: 24.28
That’s a pretty impressive group.
Now if Al can get back to the 22 and 23 PER that he had his first 2 seasons here and that is a very, very good frontline.
Al's performance in recent games is getting back to that type of level
He just started out really slow with the injury, learning the triangle, and other things.
by Kevin Love Jefferson on Jan 9, 2010 1:35 PM CST up reply actions
LaMarcus isn't bad at all
a PER above 17 is just fine, thank you very much.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
He actually declined the award
and donated it to charity. What a guy!
FYI, Rubio is also playing today at noon on NBATV if anyone wants to watch him and make comments about how unimpressive his stats/role were so we can have the same discussion that we’ve had 20 times before about how the leagues aren’t comparable.
Turner and Ricky – great day for future Wolves ball!
When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead. True story.
I for one am looking forward to watching Rubio at noon.
I’m game for a Rubio open thread during that tilt.
It really was like being there, though
The camera angle was that of a photographer along the baseline. You know, like when Rodman kicked the guy.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
That poor photographer
probably isn’t worrying about what to name his children.
We all know that art is not the truth, art is a lie that makes us realize the truth.--Picasso
Free throws
I didn’t get to see the game but saw the stats. How did they get over 40 attempts?
by pagingstanleyroberts on Jan 9, 2010 12:23 PM CST reply actions
You know...
I really think the cheerleaders stepped it up last night.
random comments
Wolves’ team defense as a whole was pretty weak, other than during that 3rd quarter run when they really ramped up the intensity. The Pacers got lots of easy buckets. The coaching staff really needs to work on this.
The Wolves won this game because the Pacers went cold and didn’t capitalize on a handful of gift-wrapped opportunities late in the game (Jones’ missed dunk being a huge one), and were able to made runs when Hibbert & Granger were off the court.
Granger shot 7-19 but looked unstoppable at times – he was able to get clean looks at 3s pretty much any time he wanted and just missed that last one that would have tied it.
AJ Price looked good, too, both running the point and shooting the ball. He might have been a 2nd round steal for the Pacers.
Flynn dribbled forEVER at times, seemingly with his head down. He was dribbling through traffic, so I understand he can’t have his head on a swivel at all times, but the tunnel vision is getting to be a concern. He can certainly shoot it, though.
Wilkins had a great game, making shots, playing good D, and giving effort.
Jefferson may not have been aware that Hibbert picked up his 5th foul early/mid 4th quarter, because it took him at least 2 or 3 more minutes to even try attacking him in the low post after it happened. At one point he even passed out of single-coverage on the low left block (his “spot”), which surprised the hell out of Wilkins who had to jack a 3 to beat the shot clock.
K LOVE IZ THOWED
mayn he so thowed!
name de baby afta me mayn i promise big thangs gon come out uv it i have been compared to a roman god and de real god twice dis week alone i’ll leave it at dat mayn. blow sum kill ta celebrate mayn congrats on de kid!
MAYN HOL UP!
Not if it's a girl
Luv ya Mayn, but no Holup ladies. The picture is just frightening. ;)
Timberwolves - NBA champs 2013!
(used with permission - Wolf in MO)
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Canis Hoopus
Related FanShots on Canis Hoopus
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Mike Brown wants Jimmy Goldstein to ask a press conference question (VIDEO)
- Create-a-Caption: ‘Vengeance is mine,’ quoth Alvis
- Roy Hibbert wants to play for Team USA, seeks release from Jamaican national team
- Bucks forward Jon Brockman loves wearing adult onesies
- Andrew Bynum after 9-0 Thunder run beats Lakers: ‘We’re better than Santa Claus’
