Game Wrap: Oklahoma City Thunder
by TimAllen on Dec 8, 2010 11:05 PM CST
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The Timberwolves are like a 24 hour convenience store. They never close.
Oklahoma City Thunder 111 - Minnesota Timberwolves 104
A tough loss at the Target Center. Up 40-22, the Target Center was buzzing - having just seen a beatdown of Cleveland in a similar way only four days prior, the crowd was expecting more of the same. Unfortunately, our shots stopped falling, their shots started falling and we had no one to guard the paint, which is where the Thunder won the game (50-38).
When I say that the Wolves can't close, its not entirely being fair. Sure, we blew this lead. But we started blowing it well before the 4th quarter came around. And sure, we've blown leads in the 4th to Charlotte and San Antonio, but when you look at every game this year, those tend to be exceptions more than rules.
Let's look at our record quarter by quarter (total points vs.):
1st Quarter: 9-11-2 (583 - 594)
2nd Quarter: 8-13-1 (593-656)
3rd Quarter: 7-15-0 (523-590)
4th Quarter: 11-10-1 (550-550)
The 4th quarter has actually been our best quarter this season and the only one in which we actually have a record above .500. It's the 2nd and 3rd quarters where we are losing the vast majority of our games. The 4th quarter is when we notice it most and when the loss of a lead is the most heartbreaking. But if we could end the 1st half and start the 2nd half better, we would be winning a lot more of these close ball games.
My other take aways:
1. Sebastian Telfair gets a lot of grief on this board, and some of it is admittedly undeserved. But tonight, Telfair was beyond horrible. I don't like to use +/-, but in this case, his -17 only serves to back up what was easily observed by fans watching in the stands. Although the Wolves had pretty good ball movement and made 39 shots on 21 assists - a decent ratio by Wolves' standards - Bassy contributed none of those assists but was responsible for 2 of our 12 team turnovers. Jonny Flynn, who will play back-to-back D League games through the weekend, needs to get back in the worst way.
2. We missed Darko. All of those points in the paint don't happen as easily with Darko in the middle. Pekovic doesn't have the vertical or the length to block those shots and Koufos doesn't have the basketball IQ. Instead of Westbrook killing us on drives, he would've been forced to dish on many of those with better inside defense.
3. The Wolves have a bad habit of getting down on themselves. When things are going well, like in the first quarter, things click. The ball moves well because people are looking for the open guy and are making the extra pass. The defense is not more intense, but its smarter, because we're playing within ourselves.
As soon as other teams start making shots or getting calls, though, we shrink. We give the ball to Beasley for his jab step move, give it to Ridnour to let him create, or force it into the post when its not there. The ball rarely moves around the perimeter, we get very few open shots and our offense grinds to a halt - often resulting in turnovers and easy points off of them for the other team. We're young, so that's to be expected, and as they gain confidence over time, hopefully they can overcome missed shots and continue to run the offense.
4. Corey Brewer may be solely responsible for the rising stock of drugs for bi-polar disorder. One minute, you want to throw things at him. The next, you want to cheer for him. His moves seem to have no reason or rhythm to them. It's just an unpredictable mess that sometimes ends up good and sometimes ends up with 10,000 heads in hands at the Target Center. I love the guy but he may be the most frustrating professional athlete I've ever watched.
Those were my observations. A lot of positives and I think we can beat Detroit pretty easily if we keep up our level of play.
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Sorry for no game thread, guys
That one’s on me. Apparently the “publish at a certain time” option doesn’t work the way I thought it did
Tough game tonight
Was at the game and I’m wondering if the no-calls during the 4th quarter were as bad as they seemed. We didn’t have the luxury of replay but from my seats the reffing looked pretty one-sided. I was so disgusted that I almost got up and left. But overall, a solid game. We have to find a way to stop other teams from surging on us. Towards the end of the 3rd it was so obvious that it was going to happen…. the whole team just looked at each other while the lead dwindled.
I really can’t wait until mid-January as I hope that a few weeks at relative full strength and a tough month behind us, we can start to show some confidence. We have the talent and the skill, we just beat ourselves mentally every game. Beas has to be have more focus, Wes has to grow a pair and start attacking on offense, Love needs to just go up strong for once, and for the love of God, Luke has to stop jacking those late shot clock prayers.
See, I was at the game, too, and I didn't think the officiating was that bad.
I thought their bigs were going straight up on most of those shots and Brewer has a terrible habit of reaching/gambling, which gets him into foul trouble. Plus, both Durant and Westbrook were in foul trouble (and Durant fouled out), with Durant having some questionable calls go against him, too, so it definitely wasn’t that one-sided.
Of all the idiots, in all the idiot villages, in all the idiot worlds, you stand alone, my friend.
They shot one more FT than us.
Seemed pretty fair to me. And you’re right, I’m not sure how we can complain about a game where Durant fouled out before a crucial late possession.
Durant should have fouled out midway through the 4th
He had at least 3 blatant offensive fouls that were not called. As in full extension pushing off his defender, often sending them sprawling. I was thinking the whole game “this is what leading the league in scoring will get you”. He was sent to the line on several touchy-at-best calls too. Just because he fouled out late doesn’t mean he wasn’t getting lots of calls his way. And for the record, the replay confirmed his 6th foul was the right call, even though he and the coaches tried their best to look incredulous. He was the one that tripped Beasley and sent him sprawling.
Meanwhile, Love couldn’t buy a foul. That was frustrating to say the least.
Not blaming the officials by any means. We couldn’t shoot down the stretch and missed waaaaay too many free throws. But it does make it harder to buck up under pressure when it feels like the refs are against you too, especially for such a young team.
I agree a bit
They definitely played tougher D and Durant will get his star calls but it was tough to watch Love get bodied down low for a whole quarter and not get a single call. Though, part of that was his own fault.
Love was slammed into while he went up for a layup. No call.
Next possession down, Brewer barely touches the material on the shirt on a reach in on Durant, didn’t impede Durant whatsoever, and gets called. Telfair was knocked to the floor against the Knicks, no call. NBA officiating is probably the least accurate in all professional sports. Whether the calls are evenly divided or not, the hard fouls on us have to be called.
Travellin' band
And there’s quite a bit og travellin’ being done as well in the NBA. It is kinda strange that professional players can’t keep their pivot foot grounded. Not to mention going up for a layup without running half the court ball in hands…
by lurifax on Dec 9, 2010 6:51 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
Yeah.
That last call that fouled Durant out was bad, but it seemed like Love got hacked a couple times underneath and couldn’t get a call. I did see the refs telling Love at the free throw line that the OKC defenders were: “straight up” and got “all ball.” Whatever the case may be, this game was not decided by the refs. It was decided by the players. The Wolves had 40 points in the first quarter…40 friggin’ points. Without Darko. Without Webster. WIthout Flynn. Without AT. 40 points. And we lose.
Tim is right. The Target Center was alive tonight, ready to see their Wolves pull out a win against a good OKC team. At least Detroit is coming to town.
Calls were in favor of us
when we were pulling away (Love got away with a couple, I actually missed the first half of the first quarter though… the first eighth…). Then they were pretty even as they caught back up. It was in the third quarter when I started noticing the bad calls. Durant shoved off of Brewer three separate times that I noticed. A blatant charge on Westbrook that lead to a ticky tack foul on Durant that gave him 3 free throws. Then a makeup call for us that gave Beasley a blocking call when he should have gotten a charge. But then the next play they blew it again, with I don’t remember what anymore. Oh right, I think it was when Love got hacked at least 3 times on two shot attempts and got no calls and then they called a jump ball when the only correct calls would have been fouls or no call at all. Just didn’t make any sense.
There were definitely some missed calls that hurt us at the end. Whether they balanced out with the beginning, I don’t know. Even JPete was getting on the refs for a few of the calls.
Whenever I'm about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing.
Also
the call on Brewer where he legitimately ran over to the sidelines and put his headband over his eyes because there wasn’t any contact whatsoever. I think even Durant was confused. I couldn’t tell on the Brewer steal and the Wes dunk, but Rambis wanted an And-1
Whenever I'm about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing.
re: the Wes dunk.
He got hacked. I was right there. Rambis wanted the call but didn’t get it. It seems like the refs don’t really respect Rambis, or the Wolves. Rambis got dismissed multiple times by the refs, namely on a no-call when Brewer got pushed by Durant and “flopped.” I guess that respect accompanies wins.
Unfortunately
wins also accompany respect. It’ll come.
Whenever I'm about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing.
i guess i could complain
about brewer taking a charge from westbrook toward the end of the game, it not getting called, then them getting a 3 pointer out of it. but i think the officiating was solid overall
Totally disagree: refs sucked it up tonight
I haven’t walked away from a game thinking “this reffing sucked” for a while, but tonight was bad. Wayyyy too many uncalled hacks in the paint & very one-sided against us. I think our team needs to figure out how to keep the chin up when a no-call goes against them and the other team scores (i.e. 4-5 point turn-around). They seem to have a tendency to get angry and quit, versus trying just that much harder.
by LoveLovesLove on Dec 9, 2010 12:47 AM CST up reply actions
i guess solid isnt the right word
but compared to what i saw the first team we played the spurs, it looked a lot less crappy
Point noted
…on that one. I guess I was having so much fun during the Spurs game I didn’t notice as much. “About to defeat the 17-1 Spurs”…. “Uh, wait…”… “Noooooooo!!!”. Those were both good games (1st better than the 2nd of course).
by LoveLovesLove on Dec 9, 2010 1:03 AM CST up reply actions
This loss, which we've seen about a million times in a row now, is starting to get frustrating.
The key, for me: Assume, no matter how many points the Wolves lead by, that we’re going piss it away and lose. Tell yourself that this year, it’s going to happen every. single. game. Then when it doesn’t, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. And when it does, you’re not surprised so you can focus on the positives.
I honestly never thought for a second during this game, the NY game, or either Spurs game, that we were going to win. The collapses are much easier to take when you’ve been telling yourself they’re going to happen.
In all honesty, it’s probably going to keep happening all year, and we’re going to have 22-25 wins. But as long as we’re not getting blown out, and we can keep being so remarkably competitive all year long, it’ll be a footnote in the grand scheme — similar to how the Thunder’s 23-win season isn’t bothering anyone now that basically the same roster is an emerging power.
In a year, Ridnour will have been traded, Rubio will be here, Love will be a returning All-Star and MIP, Beasley will have developed a more well-rounded game, Wes will be more assertive, Iguodala will be a calming veteran presence and defensive terror, lottery pick X will have a limited enough role that we don’t need him to star right away, and we’ll close out leads as often as we blow them. We’ll be thinking about a .500 record and steady climb upwards from there.
But for the rest of this year? Get used to this.
I got there a few games ago
At no point did I think we were going to win this one. And you know what? Now I’m not all that hung up on it. Whatever, at least we can play with these teams. And who knows, maybe once we get our 4 injured players back, we’ll be that much better.
If it wasn't for Jordan Farmar and that guy Kevin Love, I would've killed somebody!
Agree, except...
Except I think Darko gets the MIP. Team is SOOOOoooo different (better) when he is out there. That said, I’m glad Pek got a chance tonight to get some minutes (and hey, not even foul out before the half!!!). To the post below- I can’t wait for Webster to return (more than anyone, except maybe Darko). We could really use his scoring threat/ defensive presence combo (more on the offense).
by LoveLovesLove on Dec 9, 2010 12:51 AM CST up reply actions
Darko is probably more deserving than Love of MIP..
but I don’t think he’ll get noticed enough for it. People will see Love’s stats jump from 14-11 to 20-15. FWIW, ESPN’s Awards Watch Currently has Love 1st in the MIP race and Beasley 3rd. Darko’s not on the list.
Maybe for the team award
but for the league award, it’s gotta go to Love or Beasley right now. Beasley’s gone from a ‘bust’ to 20+ ppg scorer. That’s improvement, right? And Love? Consider this – the dude couldn’t break 30 mpg last year, and is now above 36 mpg over his last ten (and over 34 for the season). Plus he’s put up FIVE 20/20 games this season – an amount equaled by all the other 20/20 games in the NBA this year COMBINED. People are hyped up over Blake Griffin’s 20 ppg and 11 rpg, but what about Senor Amor? He’s averaging a ridiculous 20 ppg and 15.5 rpg! He was 14/11 last year, which wasn’t too bad, but this year he’s taken another step like few players before have.
Discussing homerism since 2008!
Yeah
He may not look polished on the offensive end, and his efficiency takes a huge hit by his inability to finish inside, but the numbers are crazy. Players with 5 or more 20/20 games in a season since 1986: Parish, Barkley, Duncan, KG, Hakeem, Shaq, Dwight Howard, and Kevin Willis. And it’s early December. The last time a player averaged 20/15 was Moses Malone in 82-83.
and the least 'accomplished' player on that list
in my mind is Kevin Willis (one of my favorite players of all time), who played until he was 44 and accounted for 81.8 WS for his career. Amazing.
Furthermore, since 1990, there have been a total of four players to average 15 or more rebounds a game for a season: Dennis Rodman (a bunch of times), Danny Fortson (once), Kevin Willis (once), and Ben Wallace (once).
Discussing homerism since 2008!
For sh*ts and giggles
For Love to finish the season with:
- 16 reb/g, he’d need to average 16.16/g for the rest of the year
- 17 reb/g, he’d need to average 17.53/g for the rest of the year
- 18 reb/g, he’d need to average 18.9/g for the rest of the year
Over the last ten games, he’s averaging 17 rebounds a night.
Discussing homerism since 2008!
Assume, no matter how many points the Wolves lead by, that we’re going piss it away and lose. Tell yourself that this year, it’s going to happen every. single. game. Then when it doesn’t, you’ll be pleasantly surprised
Hmmm, sounds like the way Viking fans have been thinking for the last 50 years
how well has that worked out?
"Baseball is the only major sport that appears backward in a mirror" ~George Carlin
by thewild_viking_twins on Dec 8, 2010 11:22 PM CST reply actions
breakdown of quarters
I haven’t run the analysis on this, but is it possible that our “record” in the 4th quarter is the only winning one because we’ve played several games that were over by then, presumably meaning the opponent played backups or played less hard? It would be interesting to see how many quarters we’ve had the lead after this year, compared to how many wins we have. Sure seems like we’ve started hot a bunch of times.
by juliancasablancas on Dec 8, 2010 11:24 PM CST reply actions
Young team
at the end of the game runs out of gas/confidence, it’ll get better with time….I hope (gulp)
"Baseball is the only major sport that appears backward in a mirror" ~George Carlin
by thewild_viking_twins on Dec 8, 2010 11:25 PM CST up reply actions
I suppose it could be true. But I prefer the more optimistic approach....=)
Of all the idiots, in all the idiot villages, in all the idiot worlds, you stand alone, my friend.
I was wondering the same thing
and was misguided enough to actually run the numbers. Here are the numbers for the 11 “wins”, first how much they were up/down by at the start of the quarter and the same for at the end of the game.
12/4 CLE – up 31, won by 34
12/1 @DAL – down 21, lost by 14
11/27 GS – down 16, lost by 10
11/14 – ATL – down 11, lost by 6
11/12 – NY – down 7, won by 9
11/10 – @SAC – up 2, won by 9
11/9 – @LAL – down 7, lost by 5
11/7 – @ HOU – down 30, lost by 26
11/5 – ATL – down 12, lost by 10
10/29 – MIL – up 10, won by 11
10/27 – SAC – down 4, lost by 1
set Pek to kill.
Thanks! Folding in the entire schedule, we get the following:
Bolded is a positive 4th quarter, and italicized is a negative one.
CG = close game. GT = Absolutely clear garbage time, when swings mean less.
12/8 OKC: up 2, lost by 8 CG: Moderate collapse.
12/6 NYK: down 6, lost by 7 CG: Held steady.
12/4 CLE: up 31, won by 34 GT: Added a bit.
12/3 SAS: up 15, lost by 6GT: Major collapse. Ugh.
12/1 DAL: down 21, lost by 14 GT: Closed it some.
11/27 GSW: down 16, lost by 10 GT: Closed it some.
11/24 SAS: up 11, ended tied and lost in OT by 4. Collapse.
11/22 OKC: down 9, lost by 10 Par.
11/19 LAL: down 13, lost by 17 A little below par.
11/17 LAC:up 3, won by 2 CG: Pulled out a win! (by holding steady)
11/15 CHA: down 3, lost by 3 CG: Par.
11/14 ATL: down 11, lost by 6 Bit of a comeback.
11/12 NY: down 7, won by 9 CG: Significant comeback!
11/10 SAC: up 2, won by 9 CG: Pulled away.
11/9 LAL: down 7, lost by 5 CG: So-so.
11/7 HOU:down 30, lost by 26 GT: Minor gain.
11/5 ATL: down 12, lost by 10 Two-point gain in 4th.
11/3 ORL: down 39, lost by 42 GT: Lost another 3 points.
11/2 MIA: down 28, lost by 32 GT: Lost another 4 points.
10/30 MEM: down 12, lost by 20 Collapse.
10/29 MIL: up 10, won by 11 Closed out a win.
10/27 SAC: down 4, lost by 1 CG: Came closer.
Glancing through there, I’d suggest we see four legitimate late-game collapses. Two were against San Antonio, which absolutely crushed the Wolves’ defense in the 4th quarter of both our games with them. You’re up 15 to start the 4th and you lose?
There’s probably not a super quick way to describe their performance in close games. Against the Clips they held their own narrow lead to win, they pulled away once on Sacramento, and of course we had the one real feel-good comeback on New York, capped by a 13-point swing in the 4th. There’s not a clear pattern of falling apart, exactly, against teams like Atlanta which have been together longer…. Dunno.
(I’m dead tired. Mea culpa for dumb subtraction errors and minor typos.)
Every real thought on every real subject knocks the wind out of somebody or other. – OWH
by feral on Dec 9, 2010 7:26 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I would love a healthy Minnesota Timberwolves.
by Daniel-Son on Dec 8, 2010 11:37 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
P-E-K-O-V-I-C !!!
worth the price of admission to see Duran’t face when he ran into Pekovic on the baseline. It was like d.a.m.n.
Breaking down cognitive dissonance and group think since gasoline was cheap.
Yeah, that was excellent
I say SHONDA you say WOLVES" SHONDA! WOLVES!
by Eric in Madison on Dec 9, 2010 6:43 AM CST up reply actions
I was very impressed with the ref for making that call
Durant was like “Where did that wall come from.. All I saw was skulls…”
"I haven't gotten back from the future yet." - Be-Easy
Random thoughts...
- Wes played very good defense on Durant—better than Brewer.
- Love played a phenomenal 1st Quarter and his rebounding toward the end of the game was really impressive, too. As is often the case, he struggled when he forced the action around the basket. He isn’t always going to get those calls and when he doesn’t (and I don’t think they were bad no-calls) his game can get pretty ugly.
- My guess is that Rambis urged Darko to sit out. Rambis likes everybody to see the floor and that’s easier when guys are dressed in streetclothes. Nice night to get Pekovic some reps. I hate this about Rambis, even though I sort of like The Godfather Pekovic.
- I go back and forth on whether our problems relate more to scheme or personnel. Lately, I’ve been thinking it’s scheme and our offense. It seems weird that a guy like Wes Johnson struggles so much to get good looks. I’m sure it’s related to the four players around him, but I think simple, traditional sets could get him shooting more treys from the corner. This Wolves offense has its hot streaks, but we’re 5-17 and we usually have big struggles against late-game defense.
- Beasley needs to practice his free throws. When he’s done with that, he needs to start headfaking, and drawing more contact. It’s the next logical step in his growth as an all-around offensive player. He’s got a rare skill set, but needs to establish some foul-drawing ability that is pretty common among NBA scorers.
I think right now it's a pretty strong mix of both the players and the system
Hopefully we get a better idea once Jonny & Webster have shaken the rust off. There were so many times that our weaving hand-off offense went no-where (especially the embarrassing play where Brew and Wes ran into each other) and there are FAR too many possessions where Luke or Bassy are the only ones to touch the ball.
Another thing is that I think we’re just a bad pick and roll team right now. It seems like we do it so we can get defensive switching bc I don’t see any attacking out of that offense. Should be interesting when Jonny (and Ricky to a greater extent) starts running the show.
Still think Beas scored 8 in the first (or 6)
by Rodman99 on Dec 9, 2010 7:44 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
In his 3:15 to kick off the game,
Beasley was 2-3 from the floor with 2 made FTs and a rebound. The team was +2. (After he left there was a +9 stretch with Love, Brewer, Ridnour, Pekovic, and Wes Johnson out there.)
Really it was Love who had the hot first quarter last night, and who then disappeared offensively for the rest of the night. Kept grinding away on the boards, though. In the 4th Kevin Love had 9 rebounds, 4 of which were on the offensive glass.
Every real thought on every real subject knocks the wind out of somebody or other. – OWH
On your last bullet
Beasley has learned the trick of bringing the ball up for a shot when his defender’s arms are outstetched horizontally. This seems to be one of those calls unique to the NBA. Later in the game, Durant did it against Brewer from what seemed like 28 feet from the basket. I remember J-Pete lamenting that call. I totally agree he needs to make much better use of pump fakes. His mid-range jumper is starting to get good enough where he should be able to get some guys to bite on that now and again.
by Rascal Flatts on Dec 9, 2010 1:41 PM CST up reply actions
Brewer loves to be the guy...
with those outstretched arms. Drives me nuts.
Wes seems to be learning to avoid those fouls as a defender, rather quickly.
I guess I'll add just a couple things
1) Corey played some pretty good defense on Durant. KD shot 8-16 when Corey was on him, and Brewer only sent him to the line 5 times. Durant had averaged 13 FTA over his last 3 games. 11 of Durants 30 points came during the 9 minutes he played without Brewer guarding him…..I agree with Mplax above. That fifth foul on Corey for a play where no contact was made was a killer. Brew was the only thing keeping Durant in check
2) We definitely missed Darko, for a couple reasons. First, Serge Ibaka was the game changer for the Thunder. He stonewalled us in the second half when he realized he was just way taller and longer than anyone we had.
Also, the Thunder made their comeback behind an offensive onslaught by Westbrook in the third. He started running high screens and was splitting the defense a la Wade, then hitting pull up jumpers over Love (who didn’t even put a hand up to contest most of the time….) If we had been healthy, Westbrook would have been driving into Darko instead and trying to float the ball in over a guy with a 9’4" standing reach. He probably would have missed a number of those shots if that had been the case, and we probably would have thus held onto the lead
Re Love:
(who didn’t even put a hand up to contest most of the time….)
Actually trying to defend the lane would cut down on his rebounds.
His best defense is the hope he misses the uncontested shot defense.
I have noticed him
Waiting at the back rim for a rebound while a guy makes an uncontested lay-up on the front side. He’s got a lot a little tunnel vision for the boards right now (parhaps a side effect of all the historic numbers talk). Still this is a nit pick for a guy playing phenominal.
by Rodman99 on Dec 9, 2010 7:50 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
clearest example yet
Westbrook was pulling up for a j from the line….Love went halfway out, then stopped to turn around and rebound. Of course, Westbrook made the shots. (saw it twice)
Actually, I am really down on Rambis last night
2) We definitely missed Darko, for a couple reasons. First, Serge Ibaka was the game changer for the Thunder. He stonewalled us in the second half when he realized he was just way taller and longer than anyone we had.
I had zero worries about no Darko last night.
Going in, I really felt this was a great match up for the Love at 5, Beasley at 4 concept. Love is more than able to hold his own defensively against Collison and Krstic. Green too for that matter. Meanwhile, Beasley can guard any of the wings not named Durant. Add Brewer for defense against Durant and you have what can work defensively – at least against a few teams. And it did – see 1st quarter.
But Rambis had an absolutely brain fart in the 2nd half.
With Brewer in foul trouble, he turns to Pekovic. Now I know Pekovic had a nice run in the 1st half – but that was against the Thunder 2nd unit. Not the 1st.
So, crunch time and Pekovic and Love are on the floor at the same time!!! Ibaka does not need to guard his man (Pekovic) because Pek ain’t scoring any where but 3 feet from the rim. So, Ibaka is allowed to become a 1 man zone defense at the rim – taking Beasley right out of his game and making it impossible for Love to be effective on the offense glass.
Plus, now Love needs to guard Ibaka (Pek can’t), Beasley needs to guard Durant (should only happen in very small doses) and the Thunder pull away because we created defensive mismatches for our 2 key players.
Look what happened when Brewer came back. We cut the lead back to even!!
Quite frankly, we needed to stay small to force Ibaka to guard on the parameter (and/or guard Love inside which is not as big a disadvantage for Love as you think) Even if Durant torches Wes/Wayne/whom ever, you can trade baskets for a while if you get Ibaka out of the one man zone – because we will score too!! (Instead of letting them build a what, 8 point lead?)
Young players need to learn to close games. So, do inexperienced head coaches. This one, from my seats, was on Rambis.
nice observation
I was thinking the same thing, that Brewer needed to back in. But Brewer had 5 fouls at this point. I would still have played him anyway. Ellington was on the bench, but Ellington had played horribly. But Ellington is probably a better option than Pek last night.
I haven't written an insightful post in years.
Hey neat!
Kevin Love got the intro treatment on Sportscenter. The first thing they showed was a few shots of him with Hanny and Pete’s call.
Hanneman: “21 rebounds for the best rebounder in the the NBA!”
Peterson: “20 rebounds again? This is just ridiculous.”
Small consolation, I suppose, but hey, at least people know who we are.
If it wasn't for Jordan Farmar and that guy Kevin Love, I would've killed somebody!
Awesome.
All-Star berth getting more and more likely. And really, the shitty record we’re going to end up with will be so much easier to take if we have an All-Star.
I think in this case, it's getting there.
We’re going to see enough “First guy to achieve this rebounding feat since 1982” graphics on ESPN this year, and 20-15 is a statline that people will notice.
Obviously it’s something of a toss-up at this point, but it’s a season-saver from a morale standpoint (in my eyes). And, gun to my head, I do think he’ll make it.
I think he deserves it
It’ll be interesting to see how it turns out though. Historically, record has mattered more than anything, especially among the coaches. That’s how guys like Rashard Lewis and David West make it instead of Andre Iguodala and Al Jefferson
I know.
I just believe that what he’s doing this year is unusual enough that it’ll draw more attention than Iggy and Jefferson’s good years (Not necessarily saying it’s more valuable than what those two brought, but like you said, perception means a lot. Love could well be averaging 16.5 rebounds a game by All-Star break, with 8 or 9 20-20 games. And he’ll be getting A LOT of positive national coverage).
If it's down to coaches
I think Love’s Team USA experience will also help. Essentially I think what we’re slowly beginning to see is that people are changing their minds about us – we’re slowly morphing into a team who’s two best players are 22 and 21 and are producing silly numbers (well, one moreso than the other). This isn’t an underachieving veteran team, it’s an underachieving young team led by a guy who’s doing something that Pau, KG, Duncan, and Shaq et al couldn’t do, which is become a 20/15+ guy, maybe even a 20/16+ guy if it keeps up. I mean seriously, how many of these guys can you legitimately make an All-Star ahead of Love? I’ve bolded the ones who I think are very likely to make it. Your thoughts?
LaMarcus Aldridge Blazers
Carmelo Anthony Nuggets
Trevor Ariza Hornets
Ron Artest Lakers
Michael Beasley Timberwolves
Caron Butler Mavericks
Tim Duncan Spurs
Kevin Durant Thunder
Pau Gasol Lakers
Rudy Gay Grizzlies
Jeff Green Thunder
Blake Griffin Clippers
Grant Hill Suns
Al Jefferson Jazz
Andrei Kirilenko Jazz
Carl Landry Kings
David Lee Warriors
Kevin Love Timberwolves
Dirk Nowitzki Mavericks
Lamar Odom Lakers
Zach Randolph Grizzlies
Luis Scola Rockets
Hedo Turkoglu Suns
David West Hornets
So unless voting gets really skewed somewhere along the line, that puts Love up against Big Al, Rudy Gay, Blake Griffin, and perhaps Lamar and LMA for a spot. Of all those guys the two who seem most deserving are Gay and Griffin, but what Love is doing is so much more incredible than what they’re doing.
Discussing homerism since 2008!
Add to that
At least one of Duncan or Gasol (both, in a perfect world) will be voted the West’s backup center, freeing up a forward spot. 6 guards might make it. Kobe and Ginobili simply have to be there, and I don’t know which of the 4 point guards (Paul, Williams, Westbrook, Nash) you’d eliminate.
If Yao gets voted the starting center, there’s a decent shot he won’t play, which would allow for both Gasol and Duncan to be centers, give Love one of the 4 available forward spots along with the aforementioned 6 guards. If Yao or some other undeserving center makes it (because of stupid Gasol and Duncan listing themselves as forwards), then it’ll come down to Love vs a 4th PG for the 12 spot.
If it wasn't for Jordan Farmar and that guy Kevin Love, I would've killed somebody!
Not to mention
He made some noise on Team USA this summer and that certainly will help his case, at least with the fan vote.
Did they say, "Wow those guys suck as announcers!"
That would make my day. Would it kill them to mention who fouled on a play and tell us how many fouls they have? Must we use the internet to find these basic facts out? Pete’s OK but Hanneman is not.
by Rodman99 on Dec 9, 2010 3:00 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
They did not.
Apparently, our announcers are above average by NBA announcer standards. David Thorpe mentioned them among his top 5 in an ESPN Chat a few days ago.
If it wasn't for Jordan Farmar and that guy Kevin Love, I would've killed somebody!
Ahhh, they don't suck
But I just like more game info when I watch. I don’t even mind them being homers. I’m a Hubie Brown fan. Want to know the fouls, timeouts, points scored, etc. And then the insider stuff.
I was also a big fan of Trent Tucker. He really knows the game.
As a PBP Guy
Hanneman makes a terrific sideline reporter.
I haven't enjoyed the Wolves this much since Jimmy Rodgers was the coach.
by SBG on Dec 9, 2010 1:26 PM CST up reply actions
If That's the Case
When we had Kevin Harlon, we must have been a clear #1.
I haven't enjoyed the Wolves this much since Jimmy Rodgers was the coach.
by SBG on Dec 9, 2010 1:26 PM CST up reply actions
With McHale as the color commentator
Yes we were.
If it wasn't for Jordan Farmar and that guy Kevin Love, I would've killed somebody!
love is going to grab 40 rebounds against detroit.
'David Lee is better than Taj Gibson, that is a fact. Consequently, Dorell Wright can shut down Deng.'
Can’t argue with that logic…
- Sleepy Freud
I enjoy reading these post and I recall a year ago and 2 years ago and that was an ugly feeling watch the T wolves.. I think this is just growing PAINS and we had basicaly 3 starters out tonight. And looking at rubio and cap space and a coach who is also learning I don’t have those ugly feelings any more. I think at full steam there is 5-6 games we would have won. Darko continues on his game and Beasely improves and what can you say about Love. Flyn and Webster will be huge once they get the rust off. But we all see a future now and if you don’t then just open those eyes and that mind. At least these guys won’t break your heart like the vikings.
agreed
I think we’re in a very similar place as OKC was 3 years ago. It’s gonna be a lot of frustration and close losses this year, but there is definitely progress being made and learning experiences in abundance.
But seriously, I feel like having Webster and Flynn the whole season would have equaled at least 3 more wins alone. I can’t wait to get those guys back on the floor.
Also agreed
This team is honestly leaving wins on the table right now. Through their first 7 games they dropped a gimme against Sacto at home, and then got annihilated by a buzzsaw of championship caliber teams. Their scoring differential (the best statistical predictor of wins throughout the season) was an amazing -17.14!!! However, since the Lakers game in LA the Wolves have been running at a -2.4 scoring differential. Yes, our defense is still bad over that time (an average of 107.1 ppg allowed), but our offense has been pretty consistent as well (104.7 ppg scored). What is more amazing is to consider that since those first seven games our offensive production has increased 7.4 ppg while our defense has actually improved by 7.4 ppg (that is, we’ve allowed 7.4 fewer ppg defensively since the Lakers game when compared to the start of the season). Combined with the fact that our two legitimate best players are 22 or younger and this team has had late leads against SAS twice, against OKC, against the Knicks, and other games – this team is actually (arguably) leaving wins on the table right now. Last year, a -2.4 scoring differential would equate to wins around the upper 20’s and low to mid 30’s.
This team is learning and figuring out what it is that they need to figure out. As Beasley said in his post-game comments last night, he realizes now that learning how to close out games isn’t something that’s going to come quickly like he had initially assumed. This team needs to buckle down, stick to the game plan (meaning execute it), and always always always stay hungry. They’ve been able to get late leads in games – Beasley recognizes that and now sounds like a team leader who realizes that he and Love have to step up more to help the team finish games strongly. It’s coming.
Discussing homerism since 2008!
Not so sure
Beasley + Love < Westbrook + Durant and probably always will be. Those two cats are flat out studs. Both are practically franchise talents in their own right and Westbrook probably has a bit more upside he hasn’t tapped into yet. The only way we follow the OKC path is through the rise of guys like Darko, Webster, Flynn, Wes, and/or Rubio and that collectively our talent is = or > than OKC. But right now we have two good players, and neither are as good as OKC’s best players.
by Rascal Flatts on Dec 9, 2010 1:56 PM CST up reply actions
I agree, to a point
I was thinking the same thing during the game, as the lead was slipping away. If you combined rosters, OKC has the best two players and MN maybe the 3rd and 4th best. However, Love may end up being more helpful in terms of winning games than Westbrook. Westbrook is clearly more athletic, a great driver, and a good passer, but Love’s one-man rebounding gang is a game-changer too.
"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." -- Yogi Berra
by Wile E Coyote on Dec 9, 2010 2:47 PM CST up reply actions
I just think Westbrook is a two-way stud
and in today’s NBA players that have the ball in their hands can make the most impact when a team needs a big bucket. Love will never be able to break down a defense off the dribble. Beasley can sort of do this, but he gets tunnel vision. Westbrook still turns it over a bit much and isn’t a great outside shooter, but he has developed a deadly mid to short range pullup that he seemingly hit at a 100% clip last night. He was a brilliant draft pick by Presti. I never had him going that high in that draft.
by Rascal Flatts on Dec 9, 2010 3:38 PM CST up reply actions
It's important to remember
That Westbrook and Durant were not Westbrook and Durant 3 years ago.
I see what you’re saying, but I disagree. Beasley may never be the scorer Durant is (though he is a better 3 point shooter) but I think he will be as good of an all around player. I think he’ll keep getting better off the dribble and when he can learn to draw fouls like Durant does he will easily be a 25+/night guy. And while Love can’t do a lot of what Westbrook does (break guys down off the dribble), Westbrook can’t do what Love does (rebound, shoot 3’s). Those two are both All-Star quality players, right around the same level for me, they just have different skill sets.
That said, my point was really more the team thing, which you touched on. The Thunder threw these kids into the fire a few years ago and they learned some difficult, painful lessons. But now they are contenders in a very short time. I see the Wolves as being the same thing, perhaps with even more potential due to the large number of high lottery picks at every position on the roster.
About the whole Telfair thing
I’m glad we kept him because we have had a slew of injuries and other crap when it came to PGs this year and he has had his moments where he looked like a serviceable backup PG and his moments where he channeled his bonehead cousin playing in the Euroleague. I wonder if he has Marbury’s old locker.
Someone pointed this out before………we drafted Rubio, Flynn, Lawson (I know he was traded), signed Sessions and Ridnour all in the last two years and yet so far this year we have trotted out Telfair and some random D-Leaguer numerous times for our beloved team. Something just seems wrong with that.
Beasley is in shock from all the losses
Was wondering what his deal is and then it hit me…. He’s never lost like this before. Think he has basketball’s form of PTSD. He’ll toughen up eventually. In the meantime we need Webster & Flynn ASAP to help him out in the 4th quarter.
by Rodman99 on Dec 9, 2010 3:06 AM CST via mobile reply actions
On the plus side
He seems like the kind of guy that rises in the face of adversity. Honestly I think missing those free throws and makin a few mistakes at the end will make him better than if he’d been a hero tonight. He wants to be that hero and failing makes him want it more and work that much harder for it.
Good point
I too believe he’ll turn the corner.
The "P" in PTSD stands for "post."
He’ll have that next summer. ;-)
Every real thought on every real subject knocks the wind out of somebody or other. – OWH
Same type of thing Durant went through
I remember how frustrated he was during the back to back 20 win seasons he went through and I think it’s helped him grow immensely. Looking back at the Thunder’s season 2 years ago gives me some hope. That team had a 3-29 record going into the final game of the calendar year, losing a bunch of close games to better teams. After that they went 20-30 and started really becoming a team.
I know December is a brutal stretch for us (as S-n-P has noted on a few occasions) and I really hope it doesn’t destroy our morale b/c we’re so close to turning that corner.
I was able to talk to David Kahn and get some of his thoughts on the Thunder...
- he said Kevin Durant is one of the best players in the NBA. He attributed this to his length and athleticism.
- he also really thinks highly of Russell Westbrook’s body, whom he compared to Adonis.
- When I asked him about Ibaka, he said that Serge Ibaka is one of the best young players in the league, because not only is he long and athletic…but he also has the body of Adonis.
- finally it sounds like Kahn and a bunch of the scouts are enrolled in a Thursday night Normandale Anatomy class. I guess they are hoping to learn even more about both length and athleticism.
Interesting stuff!
I'm ready to be swayed Wesley Johnson!!
by Blakeley on Dec 9, 2010 6:10 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
is this real?
…sorry my sarcasm meter is running slow this morning and I need some help. They are going to an anatomy class at Normandale to help them with scouting?
They should take a sculpture class. "Human Figure."
Anatomy will be cadavers. We don’t want our scouts picking up any more of those.
Every real thought on every real subject knocks the wind out of somebody or other. – OWH
by feral on Dec 9, 2010 7:29 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
One more thing I forgot to add..
Kahn had a really interesting insight into Darko…
He said that “not including the 14 games where Darko has shot under 50% from the field, Darko has a 63% FG percentage this year which is the best in the league.”
I'm ready to be swayed Wesley Johnson!!
The line between parody and reality is narrowing.
We’re going to see stats very similar to that about Martell Webster once he’s playing, you can count on it.
“When he plays well, he plays well” is almost the meme on Webster.
Every real thought on every real subject knocks the wind out of somebody or other. – OWH
Hahaha, you are unfortunately right
btw, did you see last night that Wes Johnson and Ridnour combined to go 5 for 5 on shots they made. Kahn was pretty excited about that.
I'm ready to be swayed Wesley Johnson!!
Pretty Sure it's a Joke highpockets
They are going to an anatomy class at Normandale to help them with scouting?
I’ve been to that class. I’ve never seen Kahn there. Although I did see Bob Stein once auditing the class from the back row, seemed like a nice guy
Is just disinformation…
by Son of Gerald Green on Dec 9, 2010 7:03 AM CST reply actions
He said he wears a novelty wig so people don't recognize him
When I google imaged “David Kahn with Wig” this picture showed up. So take that for what it’s worth.
I'm ready to be swayed Wesley Johnson!!
Stop the bleeding
I think the wolves need a calm producer to stop the bleeding when a team is coming back from our big lead. I’m hoping Webster will provide this. When the second unit started giving up the lead, all it would have taken to staunch the flow would be someone who could be counted on to make a few and stop the momentum. I also think Rambis should have put the starters back in sooner. Telfair in particular gave up 4 possessions in a row with turnovers and missed layups. That’s a potential turn of 16 points assuming only 2 pt baskets. Same thing at the end. The Okies were not burning the barn. We had many many opportunities to pull this one out and no one could hit a big shot. One after another. Even hitting free throws could have saved this game. 8 pts differential there. 65% we shot. That is unacceptable.
My final note here is that Wes needs to watch film of Rip Hamilton. I think part of the reason he doesn’t get the ball often is he jogs thru his screen cuts like Randy Moss on a running play. If you watch Rip, he is flying around trying to lose his defender. Someone needs to lace Wes’ cheerios with gun powder. His Mn Nice demeanor hurts his game. He needs some anger. He and Cousins ought to get together for a mind meld and partial swap.
I would also accept video of Ray Allen
that man knows how to use a screen.
by zebano on Dec 9, 2010 7:43 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
What We Need is an Alpha Wolf
The Wolves led 40-22 after a quarter, but they again blew a big lead when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook stepped forth when it mattered most. Meanwhile the Timberwolves’ tandem of Michael Beasley and Kevin Love combined to shoot 3-for-18 in the final quarter.
“We really still don’t have a leader on the team, a go-to guy, that calming force that takes control of a situation,” Rambis said. "That’s Durant for them. He calms them down.
“Any time they get in trouble, they just give it to Durant and everybody else goes, ‘Well, OK, everything’s good now. Everything’s fine.’ We have to reach for that guy. We have to find a guy like that.”
I’m sorry, SnP, but the Beasley as Alpha Wolf meme was more than I could stomach. Dude made some shots in a couple of November games, but (a) there is more to this game than scoring, (b) he’s miles away from being a guy who can score consistently late in games, and © it is absurd to state that the Wolves have never had an Alpha Wolf. Kevin Garnett may not have been a big-time fourth quarter scorer, but check the W-L record of the club in years when he was there and years that he wasn’t there. Alpha. Wolf.
I haven't enjoyed the Wolves this much since Jimmy Rodgers was the coach.
You're having a definitional disagreement.
“Alpha” being “The guy who’s our first offensive option” isn’t particularly debatable when Beasley’s out there. Last night he took 8 shots in the 4th quarter. eight of his 27 shots on the night. The “usage” number on Michael B. is now a smidge below 30%, which is basically your team’s “Big Kahuna” number and then some. He’s eating more possessions than Al Jefferson in his first couple of years here; did you watch those teams?
Defining “Alpha” in ways to do with “being a star player” is a different set of ideas, and fuzzier to judge by. But if you imagine for a fleeting second that Stop-n-Pop or anyone else was saying Michael Beasley was somehow a superior player to KG, though…. I mean, nobody would dream of saying that. Would they? No.
Every real thought on every real subject knocks the wind out of somebody or other. – OWH
Timberwolves players who've taken 25+ shots in a game since KG left:
Here’s the complete list of games.
Short version is that Al Jefferson and Michael Beasley are the two guys on the list. Beasley’s done it 5 times in 20 games. Jefferson did it 17 times in 208 games while with Minnesota.
Every real thought on every real subject knocks the wind out of somebody or other. – OWH
The worst part of Beasley last night
Was his hesitation. He needs to remember that the longer you wait, the more the defense prepares. He had several open looks that he paused and then shot. I wonder how much the shooting percentage drops after the shooter pauses. I would imagine a lot.
Whichis funny
because he should really really really learn to use some hesitation to his advantage :)
Whenever I'm about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing.
Melo is the opposite
Sure, sometimes he does the isolate and jab stab thing, but part of what makes him great as a scorer is that he knows exactly what to do the instant he catches the ball, which allows him to take advantage of any time the defense is off-guard. If Beasley’s going to be our Melo 2.0, he’s got a long way to go in this respect.
If it wasn't for Jordan Farmar and that guy Kevin Love, I would've killed somebody!
Agreed
I would really like to watch young Melo and see if that assertiveness was there right away or if it’s something he’s improved on. It was tough to watch Beas grind the flow of the game to a halt and waste so much time.
Is it that Beasley has taken more shots per game,
Or that he has taken a higher percentage of shots while he is in?
I feel like it would be the latter because he has often been in foul trouble, but if it’s the former, that’s just a testament to how much he shoots the ball (and a little bit to the faster pace).
I actually still agree with SBG though that KG was, IMO undebatably (but it obviously is, since we’re debating it ;) ), an alfa wolf. The man was the unquestioned leader of our team and, yes, our first offensive option. You don’t average the absurd numbers (points and assists from the PF position) that he did without being so.
And I know it’s not a stat we can find…. I think…. but I’m willing to guess that KG touched the ball on a higher percentage of possessions than Beasley (maybe a testament to Luke/Bassy… but still).
Whenever I'm about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing.
We've posted a lot about his rate of taking shots (and "using" possessions),
and the guy just plain is taking a pretty dang fast rate of shots, no matter how you slice that pie.
Shots, described for time, in the NBA? Michael Beasley is second to Kobe Bryant this year.
Every real thought on every real subject knocks the wind out of somebody or other. – OWH
The Meme Was That We've Never Had an Alpha Wolf
KG was always the #1 option. Always. He was always the best player. He set the tone for this club for a dozen years. He was the whole franchise and at his peak was the best basketball player in the world. Michael Beasley hits a couple of shots in the beginning of his first season here and he’s the Alpha Wolf we NEVER had. Come on.
I haven't enjoyed the Wolves this much since Jimmy Rodgers was the coach.
Just sayin
he’s miles away from being a guy who can score consistently late in games
He hit a pretty huge 3 that brought it to a 1 point game at the end. Of course he couldn’t answer back when Durant came back and hit a huge 3 of his own.
Just sayin, I think he’s closer than “miles away” from being that guy.
Difference
The one thing Beasley has over KG and Jefferson is the ability to put the ball on the floor and draw fouls…and that gives him “go-to potential”. Needs to start hitting the shots, THE FREE THROWS, and recognize when the defense is collapsing on him…if you are tripled teamed, there are some open shooters!
"Ability" and "Potential" may be a little muddled, there.
Over their entire careers, here are the per-minute rankings of those three players in terms of drawing FTs:
Kevin Garnett: 4.7 FTA/36
Al Jefferson: 4.5 FT/36
Michael Beasley: 4.2 FT/36
Ratio of shots taken to FTA:
Garnett: 3.28 shots/FT
Jefferson: 3.54 shots/FT
Beasley: 4.1 shots/FT
Beasley might potentially be able to do it based on his game, but Garnett’s the best of those three at actually drawing actual fouls, over their careers thus far.
Every real thought on every real subject knocks the wind out of somebody or other. – OWH
Interesting
The rankings would also reflect how they were perceived in terms of “golden boy star status” by the refs. Meaning KG definitely got more star call, Beas not so much. Al somewhere in the middle.
Well
Big Al’s career high in FTA/36 is 4.9, set his first two years in MN (which also are the only two years he had a usage rate of over 27).
KG had 8 seasons of 5 FTAs/36 or more. Dude was way better at getting to the line than I remember. Makes me realize that despite his ability to get the line, the knock was that he could be a super duper awesomer star if he could get to the line 6-8 times per 36, know what I mean? Interestingly those high FTA years all came when he was 24-31 years old, and in fact all of his 4+ FTA/36 years (10 seasons out of 15) came when KG’s usage rate was above 25.5.
Beasley’s had two seasons of 4+ FTA/36, which keeps his ratio that same as KG’s thus far (2 out of 3). Furthermore, Beasley’s two seasons of 4.2 FTA/36 have occurred before his 22nd birthday. KG’s first 4+ FTA/36 occurred in his 22 year old season. My point? Beasley’s showing comparable ability to KG in getting to the line already, and better than Al. I don’t think I’d go as far as to say that Beasley’s better than KG at getting to the line, but he’s certainly as good as (or slightly better than) KG was at the same point in their development at getting to the line.
Discussing homerism since 2008!
Interesting stats
Beas definitely has a higher ceiling of getting to the line. I think Jonny is going to be Manna for Beas getting to the basket and getting some better looks.
For some reason this hasn't been mentioned
SAMPLE SIZE? ANYONE?
Feral is comparing career stats of a 16 year veteran to a 3rd year player. Of course he is better at drawing fouls over his career, he’s been playing in the NBA since Beasley was 6 years old.
Garnett at the same age and NBA experience was getting to the line far less than Beasley, and was playing more minutes (9 mpg differential in their 2nd seasons, still 6 mpg in their 3rd).
Bottom line, Beasley’s FTA/36 have been better than KG’s so far in their careers. There is no reason to think that Beasley won’t end up with a much higher career number when he’s done.
really just reflective of Beasley being more of a perimeter player...
isn’t it?
What I meant is that Beasley can get to the hoop from any point on the floor…he doesn’t need to be set up. Of course that assumes he doesn’t dribble into a double team and get picked, which is happening far too often.
For a charging foul
Beasley needs to learn to drive under control,
or quit driving when the game is on the line.
by WinTheLottery on Dec 9, 2010 10:52 AM CST up reply actions
That may be true.
If it is, it would explicitly argue against the “He can dribble it in, so he should draw more fouls” position, seems like.
Every real thought on every real subject knocks the wind out of somebody or other. – OWH
Excellent points
And the refs haven’t been too kind to Beasley. I think the floor is really going to open for him when Flynn and Webster get back.
Looking at the boxscore
I was shocked to see that Wes played 43 minutes. I forgot he was on the court for 41 of minutes.
He mostly just hung around the 3 point line and didn't move around the court much
There was one possession in particular where I watched him stand at the corner of the arc for the entire possession and not move or make any attempt to move from the spot. Admittedly I don’t know a ton about the triangle offense, but that seemed odd to me.
I hereby coin the term "Immoral Victory"
in honor of last night’s loss…blech…
by Los Lobos Del Bosque on Dec 9, 2010 9:46 AM CST reply actions
How did the word
‘victory’ get thrown in there?
Whenever I'm about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing.
You nailed it..,.
I love the guy but he may be the most frustrating professional athlete I’ve ever watched.
At the end of the first half seeing Corey’s hussle and a couple of really nice plays I was asking my self why I was so hard on Corey all the time; a few touches in the second half reminded me why.
by Breaking Ankles on Dec 9, 2010 11:11 AM CST reply actions
That said
Corey could possibly be our most consistent player in crunch time this year. He has made some big shots and seems to make the smart play. It surprises me how often he makes the right play. It’s just his wrong plays are so out there… like 1 wrong plays erases the memory of 5 right plays.
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