Deus PEK Machina: Wolves/Rockets Report Card
by monkeywolf on Feb 18, 2012 7:43 AM CST
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PrintReport card in two parts: Part 1 is an argument for establishing rivalries with Houston and New York and Part 2 is the actual report card. I was considering doing a Part 3 about how dreamy Jeremy Lin is but then I realized someone else had already written that...five million times.
Part 1 -- Preamble on Rivalries
Good teams are partially defined by their rivalries. Other than our brief KG heyday and some nasty games against the Nuggets, who are our rivals? I'm a long-time wolves fan and I couldn't tell ya. And even if we had rivalries, personnel has changed so much and we've accomplished so little that it's time to develop new rivalries. Ones with good juicy reasons, like stomping on a guy's face or a team whining for years that they 'deserve' our point guard. Houston and New York? You guys suck. Let's do this.
Why Houston? We took their coach. They took our announcer/GM/coach. They took Flynn. We laughed. Love stomped on Scola's face...accidentally. After years of being a model of proper player evaulation, they dumped Battier, brought on Thabeet and waived Lin because they already had Flynn. Morey has gone Dumars. Why New York? They whined for years that Rubio should play for them 'just cuz.' They waived former Finals MVP Chauncey Billups. They tried to build a team around an iso SF and a pick and roll PF without a true point guard and under a system that requires a distributor. Obviously, the basketball gods should punish them for mistreating a former Finals MVP and ignoring the dictates of team chemistry. And their fake fans (not from NY, or worse, from Jersey; rooting against their home team wearing knicks gear; know nothing about basketball; think Carmleo is actually a good player; don't realize that the knicks aren't a historic franchise and are actually one of the crappier franchises in all of sports, etc, etc) are the worst in the league. Then they lucked into Lin, who single-handedly is salvaging every poor decision NY management made. And now Lin is the sophomore darling of the NBA while we know the true sophomore sensation is Pek. You want single season improvement? Lin's WP48 last year was .157. His WP48 this year is .177. Wowzers. A .020 improvement. So impressed...Pek's WP48 last year was a NEGATIVE .080. His WP48 this year is .281. A .361 improvement. Is there a larger improvement in production this year? I don't care. I'm a homerific Wolves fan! And they don't even put Pek in the rookie sophomore game. Probably a good thing. Putting him in the game would be like when the Greek gods joined human battles and completely screwed things up. Deus ex machina. Deus PEK machina. (By the way, those fake knick fans you see every time the knicks come to any stadium? Now there'll be even more of them...even more clueless than before. Duo xie, Jeremy Lin.) So...rivalries established. My point stands! On to the report card.
Rubio 6-13, 2 boards, 9 assists, 6 Lins, 1 steal, 18 points
A-
Rubio was a lil too knickerbocker with the ball tonight, but it's not like he had 9 Lins or more Lins than assists in a game or had at least five Lins in the last five games.
Ridnour 4-10, 6 boards, 6 assists, 2 Lins, 1 steal, 9 points
B
Just Luke being Luke, man. Solid back-up point type of game. Didn't jack it too much. Didn't turn it over too much.
Wes 4-6 (wha?!), 5 boards, 3 assists, 0 Lins, 2 blocks, 9 points
B
His defense on Martin was excellent. Overall strong contribution to the team. Only a B because he still owes us a lot for all the other games. This was probably his best game of the season. For the first time all season, I was rooting for him to get back on the court, instead of the other way around.
Love 11-16, 17 boards, 1 assist, 4 Lins, 2 blocks, 33 points
A+
"Hopefully, they'll move past the stomp, know that I've learned from it and just start remembering me as a good player who beat them up in the fourth quarter." I love this guy. What more can you say at this point?
Pekovic 13-20, 12 boards, 1 assist, 6 Lins, 3 steals, 3 blocks, 30 points
A+
He plays within his skillset, which is what great players do. Pek is a great player. He's amongst the top five centers in the league. I remember a game ages ago in which Pooh Richardson put up a hook shot and was asked about it after the game. He gave some silly answer about all the different things he can do. That's why his name was pooh. Small point guards should not be practicing hook shots. Just like Pek ain't gonna try to crossover dribble penetration. Pek knows his game and he plays it to near perfection. Behind that brute strength bear-strangling, skull-amassing frame is a very smart basketball player.
And the rest...
Webster 18:50 minutes, 1-3, 1 assist, 1 block, 3 points
C
We need more from this dude. Sooner the better.
Beasley 18:50 minutes, 3-7, 2 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 Lin, 6 points
B
I like that Beas is distributing more and that his defense has improved, but he's still stopping the ball too much on offense and still overall looking poor on D. Tonight was limited minutes but he contributed positively across the board. I was happy when he was out in the fourth though -- I do not trust his decision-making.
Still Caged Lion 9:50 minutes, 1-2, 3 points
D
Lions don't like to play defense or get an assist or rebound or steal or block or do much of anything. Simba's got to learn. Hakuna matata, my friend.
Adelman -- B+. I enjoy a small rotation. I enjoy a win, but an 8 man rotation? Would he prefer if his scrubs were injured? Don't want no scrubs? Was he listening to TLC prior to the game?
Team D -- A. Our overall team effort on defense was great.
Lins -- D. 19 Lins, 16 of those from Rubio, Love and Pekovic. Our Big Three can't turn the ball over like that.
Houston Crowd: F. They failed to show up.
For more number-y and graph fun:
http://www.hoopdata.com/boxscore.aspx?id=320217010
http://popcornmachine.net/cgi-bin/gameflow.cgi?date=20120217&game=MINHOU
241 comments
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Comments
Pekovic seems smart,
but what great players do is, they add to their games during the offseason. I’m not sure figuring out how to avoid 3-second violations really counts there. ;-) He’ll need to defend better, probably, to take a next step. Otherwise he’s just a good player with superhero goof-charm.
Pekovic and Love’s shooting percentages last night are just ridiculous. Even the highlights are full of stuff like Love getting inside position on Scola and laying it in uncontested.
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
I know it’s premature, but he’s great. His WS/48 is .181, that puts him in the top 20 in the league. His WP48 is third best amongst centers (don’t know why both nba geek and BR list him as forward). How do you gameplan for him? How do you stop a bulldozer? I’d say he added avoiding 3 second violations, learned to play the Adelman defense, improved his conditioning, and improved greatly on defense. He’s been shutting down opposing centers. Only center I’d rather have than him is Tyson Chandler.
It feels like you're baiting a specific reply
and it might as well be me who provides it. What, are you crazy, you wouldn’t rather have Dwight?
Also, Chandler is amazing now, but I think I’d actually prefer the 26 year old who’s never had any athleticism to begin with to the 29 year old whose all-important athleticism won’t be around too much longer.
I wasn't baiting
I’m just not a big Dwight fan. Great player, but I’d rather have Pek. He’s putting up similar, if not better, numbers of late and has already proven he can play great alongside Love.
How cool is it
that I can’t offer a stats-based counter? In terms of pure numbers, Nikola Pekovic really is only marginally worse than Dwight Howard.
In terms of visuals and the hard-to-measure (I include defensive impact in this category), I still think you’re a crazy man, but by measurable production, yeah, he’s right there.
He's a definite step below on measurable stats as well.
But who cares honestly? We got him for essentially nothing, had relatively low expectations. Being top 5 or 10 is a home run with him, regardless of it he is as good as Howard (he isn’t).
This is the key
Pek is best because he’s cheap. Hey, Kool-Aid!
(or does no one remember the commercials long ago on Saturday mornings?)
You can't...dust...for vomit.
I just broke through a fence after reading that.
I'm going to brag. I drive the Nikola Pekovic fanwagon.
by Cynical Jason on Feb 18, 2012 5:05 PM CST up reply actions
Between those commercials and H.R. Pufnstuff,
how did any kid ever avoid substance abuse problems?
Oh Yeah!
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
There was a lot of trippy TV in the 70s,
but the Sid and Marty Krofft stuff had to be the trippiest. HRP, the Bugaloos, Dr. Shrinker, Sigmund the Sea Monster. It was like a Saturday appointment with Timothy Leary, jr.
I'm going to brag. I drive the Nikola Pekovic fanwagon.
by Cynical Jason on Feb 18, 2012 6:14 PM CST up reply actions
I know I tuned in and tuned out
Unless it was the Bugaloos. Man, I did not dig the Bugaloos.
by SlowBreak on Feb 19, 2012 11:18 AM CST via iPhone app up reply actions
There's nothing, and then there's nothing.
The last pick in Round One is basically worth less than the first in Round Two. Unintended consequences of CBA rookie scale, lesson one.
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
He'll be even better playing next to Pau Gasol
When Pau comes, it’ll take a lot of focus off Pekovic.
"I'm shocked - shocked - to find basketball going on in here."
turns out dwight and jordan are pretty good too.
but I love him too.
Prior to a couple weeks ago, I would have never thought
he could stay on the court for 30+ minutes, much less 40+ minutes. Even in Europe he rarely played 20+ minutes per game. I think he has made massive strides since last year, just in his ability to avoid foul trouble and stay on the court.
by Rascal Flatts on Feb 18, 2012 9:12 AM CST up reply actions
Watching him play Euro two years ago
I wasn’t impressed. I predicted nearly right on that he would play the way he played last year. Except I was talking about his career, not just last year. My prediction couldn’t be further off. Partly, I think even two years ago he didn’t seem like a kid but more a surly veteran who wouldn’t improve. I’m guessing he’s never looked young.
You can't...dust...for vomit.
I’m guessing he’s never looked young.
<img src="http://
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Ugh, sorry that's so big.
First picture post.
Commensurate to Pek's stature
"Humor is reason gone mad." Marx (Groucho, for the reason-gone-mad impaired)
I thought that was a birthmark on his left shoulder . . .
I'm going to brag. I drive the Nikola Pekovic fanwagon.
by Cynical Jason on Feb 19, 2012 12:13 AM CST up reply actions
Might not be your fault
A lot of people find that Pek is bigger and stronger than they expected.
"pokin' the animals at the Canis Hoopus zoo"
by pastyearsears on Feb 19, 2012 12:47 AM CST up reply actions
I don't think you're ever going to get shotblocking D out of him
But I thought he played really good defense overall last night. He stopped Dalembert 1 on 1 a few times, caused a few steals and turnovers with quick hands, and didn’t foul too much.
Pek has been absolutely ridiculous over the past few games, and has been routinely beating up opposing C’s. If he can keep this up he’ll be way past just good player status, especially considering the quality of the center position in the NBA.
If I'm pissing you off its probably sarcasm
by CoffeeJanitor on Feb 18, 2012 10:51 AM CST up reply actions
He has 6 blocks in the last 2 games!
And is averaging a solid 1.2 blocks per game in February! That’s right around where Duncan (1.3) and Tyson Chandler (1.4) are averaging for the season. Small sample size (10 games) but I’m just saying.
It also seems like he is improving in this area and also, moving his feet to get in good defensive position to alter shots.
I think guards
bouncing off Pek and falling out of bounds should be counted as a blocked shot. If they’re in the paint and no shot gets off, that’s a block in my book.
Yo ho ho and a FirstRow stream!
He does set screens like a pulling NFL guard, it's true.
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
Maybe they should be counted as a sack
BTW, I was scratching my head on the new statistical category, the Lin.
Now I get it. Hehe, good one!
i kept replaying his buct in the 1st quarter
…where Lowry bounced off him like a little kid.
too funny
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
by ronatcampzama on Feb 18, 2012 1:25 PM CST up reply actions
There was poop!
In that comment
by SSOL (thats what she said) on Feb 18, 2012 3:56 PM CST up reply actions
but what great players do is, they add to their games during the offseason.
Imagine if Pek added a reliable 10foot jumper.
(drools)
by googoleeoottooooleeoottooooleeeatta on Feb 18, 2012 12:46 PM CST up reply actions
and imagine if he dunks that 10 foot jumper
(drools)
by monkeywolf on Feb 18, 2012 12:48 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
Check out the old NBAPlaybook scouting session on him.
Basically the strengths and weaknesses are all there. I mean,
Another skill that Nikola Pekovic struggles with is setting screens. Just about every screen I saw him set in four games was a moving one.
I personally believe that the Timberwolves would be smart to play him at center alongside Love. Pekovic doesn’t have much of an outside shot beyond the top of the key, and he is much more comfortable in the post whereas Love can work the outside. Also, if you put a strong pass first point guard, he will be that PG’s dream. If Ricky Rubio ever ends up in a Timberwolves’ jersey, this will be a fun combo to watch.
One might be able to argue that he’s worked on the boarding. Otherwise it seems like Pek’s still at the “establishing what you can do in the NBA” stage as opposed to refining his game from there.
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
by feral on Feb 18, 2012 1:20 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Somebody answer this, please!
Growing up playing ball I was always taught that when a screen was set for me, I should dribble as close to the screener as was possible, thereby picking off the defender without the screener having to move (and of course disallowing the defender from coming over the top). I see that happen zero times in the NBA. A screen is set, the PG circles high with the ball, the defender comes over the top, and the screener moves to better screen, often pushing the defender.
Why isn’t the PG rubbing off the screen?
You can't...dust...for vomit.
Yep
They allow a lot of moving screens, and it seems there’s no rhyme or reason to why they call fouls on them when they do.
The screener must be set, and the ballhandler is supposed to rub shoulder to shoulder so that a defender going over the screen is forced to follow him.
we won
probably should just give the coash a P/F
Yeah, even Adelman admitted he took a gamble and that it didn't work
I don’t mind it when Rick changes things up and goes to a zone every once in a while. The thing I don’t like is how long he sticks with it. There have been a few times where he strings it out for way too many defensive sets, when it really should be a 2 or 3 minute type of change up IMO.
by Rascal Flatts on Feb 18, 2012 9:15 AM CST up reply actions
i like the rivalry bit
geographically, should be chicago / milwaukee
but houston and ny are shaping up nicely this year
too bad we only play knicks once (unless we meet in the finals….)
1/2
I think Houston could make a fine rivalry. We don’t play the Knicks enough. Maybe, down the road, if both teams become championship caliber (see Lakers/Knicks), it can work.
I’ve hated Sacramento ever since 2004. I still love beating them as much as any other team (though when we start beating the OKCs, MIAs and CHIs of the world, I’m sure I’ll like that even better).
So what goes into a rivalry? I’m sure we can list some factors:
1. Nasty history
2. Meaningful games
3. Regular competition
4. Evenly matched – or at least ebb and flow over the years
by stuntmonkeys on Feb 18, 2012 10:46 AM CST up reply actions
I'd like to see a new rivalry troika
I think OKC and LAC are natural rivalries based on youth and the way the teams are emerging.
other than that, Houston is a fine rival, especially after we traded coaches, and the Blazers, because of the emotion expended on both sides. Besides, Portland is a lot like the Twin Cities in terms of demographic makeup, types of citizens and other cultural factors.
Don't order any of the ground bison from that guy with the straggly beard.
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
I've just watched the game back
It’s pretty rare that you can draw out quite so many positives. Luke played great on D and distributed well, Ricky was Ricky, Beas did some ball movement, Wes played really well, Love and Pekovic were brilliant… just a great performance. And timely, too, because it’s a tough stretch each side of the All Star Break. On a second look, the zone didn’t look quite as terrible as it did in the heat of the moment. Runs happen – and the rest in the zone allowed the Wolves to just crush the Rockets late after they expended all their energy to get close. Still probably not a great decision, but it makes sense in the context of the shortened rotation.
T'Wolves 2012: Where Pek Decimates Jason Thompson
There were a lot of positives
but our “big three” did throw the ball away too much. I can understand them leading the team in TOs just based on how often they have the ball, but c’mon, 16 TOs in one game!? Otherwise, it was a great game.
by Rascal Flatts on Feb 18, 2012 9:20 AM CST up reply actions
fortunately the 81 points
31 boards, 11 assists, 4 blocks and 5 steals makes up for it.
by midlife crisis on Feb 18, 2012 12:29 PM CST up reply actions
I usually don't read the game threads
Because I tell myself I don’t have to read everything here, and the emotional outbursts of frustration and doom are understandable but annoying. I read them last night. I thought it was telling that there weren’t any of these comments in the first half. There were plays that could have produced them, but the overall feeling of the way the Wolves were playing overwhelmed any negativism. I suffer no illusions about the road ahead, but the very fact that last night happened says volumes about this team. It is new, and it is very different.
"pokin' the animals at the Canis Hoopus zoo"
by pastyearsears on Feb 18, 2012 10:51 AM CST up reply actions
I think RR has hit a bit of a rookie wall over the past few days
Considering how well he’s still playing, this makes me happy.
If I'm pissing you off its probably sarcasm
by CoffeeJanitor on Feb 18, 2012 10:53 AM CST up reply actions
i think the average to below avg D was overlooked b/c of the low post dominance
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
by ronatcampzama on Feb 18, 2012 1:30 PM CST up reply actions
the knicks dont deserve a rival.
im a part time celtics fan occasionally and we tend to laugh our asses of whenever a knicks fan tries to bring up their “rivalry” with boston.
by statue_left on Feb 18, 2012 8:13 AM CST via iPhone app reply actions
They can have the Bulls, in whatever year it was when Starks made that dunk.
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
Another game where just getting okay production off the wing is enough to safeguard the W column.
Whether that’s because Pekovic was going supernova or not, when we get a little something, just something, at the two and three, we have a good chance to win.
Games where Ridnour’s unable to shoot a jumper, Barea’s tunnelling into the defense like a miner finding a vein of turnovers, Beasley sets an egg timer before making his first surprising move to the left, and Martell employs his spinning frohawk moves to little good? Nah. All you need is a little.
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
by feral on Feb 18, 2012 8:13 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
agreed, but I really think Wes’s play was amazing last night. Re-watching the game, looking at the boxscore, the popcorn flow — everytime Houston went on a run, Wes was out. Everytime we went on a run, Wes was in. He did almost everything right — rebounding, assisting, shooting, blocking shots, playing exceptional D. It was quiet while watching, but in retrospect, geez, he had a huge impact.
I like to think the wing position will get more easy buckets with Pek’s improved play. Teams basically have to double Pek or double Love or double Rubio to deny the entry. Rubio did a great job of swinging to the weak side to find the open man last night. The wings, especially Luke, did a great job using that open space to drive for uncontested layups. Even crappy wings can make layups.
"...Wes’s play was amazing last night."
I think you are taking Wes’ 9 and 5 game a few leagues too far here. He was certainly a positive, but he was the 4th or 5th best player on our team… on his best night of the season.
9 points 5 rebounds, zero turnovers, 3 assists, two block shots while keeping Kevin Martin competely in check (oh, and shooting over 50%). For wes, that is amazing. And yeah, our fourth best player last night.
The best guy after the troika is a real accomplishment
I don’t wanna disparage it.
I'm with you
Wes didn’t hurt the Wolves much last night. A competent player would put that line up most every game where he wasn’t on a heater. My thought is that the easiest job in basketball right now is wing for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and we still can’t fill the opening.
You can't...dust...for vomit.
Defense
is something that doesn’t show up in his stats but he certainly played some pretty good defense.
He certainly hasn’t been very good for most of the season but he doesn’t have to put up great stats to help the team out a lot. If you graded Bruce Bowen on his stats he wouldn’t look like that good of a player but he certainly helped the Spurs win a lot.
Personally
I think his defense is not good. But I may be biased by his lackadaisical approach, the fact his guy always gets the ball, and the fact that his “good” plays are usually ones having to do with getting blown by and luckily making up for it by someone not fouling that one or two times. JMO
You can't...dust...for vomit.
by twinstalker on Feb 18, 2012 10:37 PM CST up reply actions
Wes tries to follow the DEFENSIVE plan
Last night’s plan, IMO, was
don’t let the wing attack Love and Pek from the top or the key
So Wes get’s blown by to the baseline where Pek or Love is waiting.
The one time the bigs weren’t there, Wes fouled KMart hard. Per Plan, IMO.
There is no other wing capable of executing such a plan.
For better or worse
by WinTheLottery on Feb 19, 2012 8:06 AM CST up reply actions
Are we getting to the point
where we are 2 good role player wings away from being contenders? Those are gettable in free agency or a trade.
I still think we need Ricky to age a year or two
Then Love/Pek will be even better. At that point you (if you can) add a lanky defensive C (if Darko can’t be that role player) and some wings, vets or not.
If I'm pissing you off its probably sarcasm
by CoffeeJanitor on Feb 18, 2012 10:56 AM CST up reply actions
Once all our guys really know each other's game
the Rubio chemistry will be beyond awesome. That he can do so much already is simply amazing.
Yo ho ho and a FirstRow stream!
If they can shoot and defend
then very possibly yes.
by Rascal Flatts on Feb 18, 2012 1:35 PM CST up reply actions
One thing about last night
is that it didn’t seem like we needed to hit outside shots to open up the inside game. They couldn’t stop Pek no matter what was happening. Did others get the same impression? It seemed like even Ridnour was hitting close floaters more than his usual mid-range jumpers.
There just wasn’t a need for the wing players to light it up from the outside, and they really didn’t. Other than Love’s two threes down the stretch, the team was 3-13 on threes.
Pek was too big for Sammy D
and he is the largest guy on the Rockets by a considerable margin. Jordan Hill didn’t have a chance really.
T'Wolves 2012: Where Pek Decimates Jason Thompson
He's too big and strong for about everybody
At this point, he’s just leaving bodies in his wake.
I've changed my sig. The Wolves are now like a reasonably decent meal.
by Eric in Madison on Feb 18, 2012 10:42 AM CST up reply actions
It's pleasant to think of McHale on the other bench,
talking to himself about “smash mouth basketball,” watching Pekovic.
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
the Houston announcers were exasperated at the bulk and girth of the 2 big men
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
by ronatcampzama on Feb 18, 2012 1:36 PM CST up reply actions
Hopefully
From here on out Pek is going to demand a lot of attention, which will require the wings to step up and make the D pay. Who will answer the challenge?
"pokin' the animals at the Canis Hoopus zoo"
by pastyearsears on Feb 18, 2012 11:00 AM CST up reply actions
We still don't win it without *some* contribution from the wings.
Even with Love and Pekovic going for 30 apiece, that was still only a 13 point win.
We can debate chickens and eggs as far as which offensive element sparks the other – does some semblance of decent wing play open space, or when Pekovic Hulks out does that force defenses to leave the outside more open? – but we know what it looks like when Ridnour, Barea, Johnson, and Beasley are all bricking shots, and those games can be painfully ugly.
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
Exactly,
A good return performance by Amare and Lin heroics didn’t save the Knicks from 7-31 (overall) and 2-18 (3pt) shooting by Fields, Walker, Shumpert, and Novak. They lost to a Hornet’s squad with no Gordon, Landry, or Okafur.
"pokin' the animals at the Canis Hoopus zoo"
by pastyearsears on Feb 18, 2012 11:59 AM CST up reply actions
Very true
we need threes most nights. Houston was beatable without them but that’s not usually the case.
Yo ho ho and a FirstRow stream!
One solid wing player, and this team's maybe at critical mass.
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
the writer is an absolute cutie
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
by ronatcampzama on Feb 18, 2012 1:38 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
great read... not a great picture of the writer in my opinion,
but cute or not, this is a nice article
Thanks for the report card.
Nice write up. My memory has the Sacramento Kings as being our main rivalry the one year we were good enough to have a legit rivalry but you are right in reminding us how physical that Denver playoff series was.
I think Houston and Memphis are good rivalry targets for us right now because I can imagine playing them in the playoffs sometime in the next few years- or at least battling them for a playoff spot/seeding.
It was nice to see Wes contribute in a variety of ways. There’s not much more to say about the Love Pek we laid on Houston’s collective cheek last night other than it was great to see. I felt that Beas was trying to do the right thing during his brief stint but also agree with the idea that he simply may not be a fourth quarter player at this point.
All is well in Wolvesland when the shots are falling, bring on the sixers!
by SlowBreak on Feb 18, 2012 8:29 AM CST reply actions 2 recs
I always considered the Spurs to be our greatest foes during the KG era
Two of the five best PF’s ever playing in the same division with overlapping primes for a decade made for some pretty intriguing matchups. The bitterness I felt towards Tim Duncan when he won those MVP’s was as salty as sports hatred gets. Add to that Bowen’s kick, and Popovich being the perfect evil mastermind… it’s a shame we didn’t have a Disney-esque ending where we beat them in 7 in the WCF or something.
by BeasleBong on Feb 18, 2012 10:36 AM CST up reply actions 2 recs
Can you just plain totally lose to your "rivals" every time?
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
Yes-ish?
http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/h2h_finder.cgi?request=1&p1=duncati01&p2=garneke01
Just when we were about to get going as a franchise the Spurs get the #1 pick and bring in a very well known villain at PF to combat our rising superhero. They beat us every year until 03-04 when we won the division by a game. We won our last 9, and had to because they won their last 11 that year. People remember the Kings series, but I was just as excited to finally beat the F’ing Spurs. After that the divisions realigned, and much like everything else in Wolves history, the rivalry fell apart.
It’s as interesting a narrative as any we’ve had, in my opinion.
I remember all that too
We were finally better than them for one season before Sprewell & Cassell decided to **** it up for us.
Rec for
“the Love Pek we laid on Houston’s collective cheek.” Let’s lay a big fat kiss on Philly.
"pokin' the animals at the Canis Hoopus zoo"
by pastyearsears on Feb 18, 2012 11:05 AM CST up reply actions
The Pek Love duo is turning into something special...
People talk about the marginal return of rebounds, but that clearly isn’t the case with Love Pek and the ORBs. They completely seal-off the opponents basket and make it theirs. That combined with their ability to get opposing bigs in foul trouble, and they make possibly the best big-duo in the league right now. Is there a better one? I guess Anderson/Howard, but Love/Pek are playing better than even Pau/Bynum over the last few weeks.
Even if rebounding only nets you a marginal return
Why not still try to dominate at that area right?
This inside game is so ridiculous. If someone could just rain three pointers we might never lose
I don't know what an art house is, I don't know what goes on in an art house, I have never been in an art house, and I can't imagine it's any place I ever want to be.
Rid is about as good as it gets from the outside
expecting someone to be better than Rid on the regular is expecting another superstar to join the team
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
by ronatcampzama on Feb 18, 2012 1:42 PM CST up reply actions
I don't think so
Less efficient and not as many boards.
by Rascal Flatts on Feb 18, 2012 9:24 AM CST up reply actions
...but yeah, still very good, just not AS good IMO.
by Rascal Flatts on Feb 18, 2012 9:25 AM CST up reply actions
It's big to me that we can ever consider this question really
T'Wolves 2012: Where Pek Decimates Jason Thompson
by Malastare on Feb 18, 2012 9:29 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Watching them dominate the boards is amazing
I just love the old school tandem our frontcourt has become. Everything is under the basket, and if you can’t deal with i, you’re gonna lose.
If I'm pissing you off its probably sarcasm
by CoffeeJanitor on Feb 18, 2012 10:58 AM CST up reply actions
It was so cool when Pek and Love were both under the hoop going for Off. Rebounds
The Rockets didn’t have a chance. They couldn’t get position to push either off of their spots and they gobbled up boards.
Pek had more O Reb than the entire rockets team combined
If I'm pissing you off its probably sarcasm
by CoffeeJanitor on Feb 18, 2012 11:06 AM CST up reply actions
He still has more offensive than defensive boards.
That’s a fairly freaky lump of stat-ness, for a big getting regular minutes and rebounding in some volume.
It’s not usual to do that. The list of people who’ve:
- Played 500+ minutes;
- Had > 5 ORB/36; and
- had < 5 DRB/36
is two names long: Pekovic this year, and Chris Dudley in 1987-1988. That’s the all-time list, since records were kept.
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
by feral on Feb 18, 2012 11:44 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
And alot of Dudley's ORBs were his own missed FTs
It makes Pek’s accomplishment all the more special
by Django Z on Feb 18, 2012 11:51 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Heh. Yeah, the man's a legend.
Career FT% below .500 is another of Dudley’s special statistical accomplishments. 1508 FTAs, and he made almost 46%. Should have taken lessons from Shaq, and maybe tried his shot put form.
(Dudley and Pekovic aren’t all that comparable, except in their freak split of the boards. Tough players, sure. But Pek is so much more offensively able.)
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
playing next to Love is gonna screw up your rebounding stats
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
by ronatcampzama on Feb 18, 2012 1:43 PM CST up reply actions
(Red herring, and if you consider Pekovic's numbers you'll see that it doesn't even hang together.)
Pek has more offensive than defensive rebounds. Love is a tremendous offensive rebounder. This explanation doesn’t particularly work even in terms of the abstract argument. Also, sticking to the individual player here, Pekovic actually looked like he had a version of that same odd split in Europe – strong offensive rebounding, poor defensive.
But in the bigger picture, this is one of those things that sounds plausible but that is wrong. If it was true, any player appearing alongside an elite rebounder would have his own stats rejiggered in the same way. Doesn’t happen to any significant extent. Wolves players appearing in games Love didn’t appear in (when he was suspended, or when he was injured) would see their own board stats bump up. Doesn’t happen to any significant extent. (Al Jefferson was an obvious test case.) Players moving to the Wolves would see significant rebounding changes. The case we can point to there might be Michael Beasley, but then he’s being asked to play SF – and his total rebounding percentage this year is still only down 1 or 2% relative to his performance in Miami. Darko Milicic has had rebounding years similar to his years here earlier in his career, too.
The thing is, even the best rebounders collect a bit over 30% of available defensive boards, and maybe (maybe) 20% of potential offensive rebounds while they’re on the court. That’s Dennis Rodman, you know? There are more boards to go ’round.
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
hmmm...
is Pek expected to be more of a shot blocking threat than Love? so are they not interchangeable on D? is Pek expected to challenge the shooter the majority of the time while Love is expected to clean up the boards?
does it mean that they’re both crashing the O reb together?
but still odd. how can one have better timing for O rebs than D rebs? hmmm…
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
by ronatcampzama on Feb 18, 2012 10:21 PM CST up reply actions
Europian style of play is bigs are boxing out ...
… and wings are going after defensive boards.
If you are looking what Pek is doing on defense you could notice that he is boxing out each time and this is ultimate team play – not going after your own statistic but to do what is good for your team.
About shot-blocking, no, Pek will never be good in this.
unless you are talking about shotblocking with your chest
which Pek is very good at…although you will never be able to say he got all ball.
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
If that doesn't work, cheat.
by TheEvilProfessor on Feb 19, 2012 12:16 PM CST up reply actions
I think it's just where they are on the floor when shots go up
What center stays closer to the hole on offense than Pek does? What team is not going to try and draw him away from the rim when he is defending? Everyone tries (unsuccessfully) to keep Love away from the basket on both ends of the floor but it only works on offense when he himself takes his game outside. On defense he will sometimes give you the shot but you’re going to have to fight like a wolverine in a culvert to get the rebound.
"pokin' the animals at the Canis Hoopus zoo"
by pastyearsears on Feb 18, 2012 10:57 PM CST up reply actions
I bet McHale loves watching them
(seriously)
I’ve said it a few times, but the closest historical comp I’ve got for them as a duo is Barkley & Moses Malone.
Have not read yet
but automatically rec’d for my favorite Pek pun so far with the title. I’ll read it in the afternoon and most likely enjoy it.
Nice write up
Re. zone and rotation: I think RA will do anything possible not to lose to Houston.
Wolves 2011-12: Crossing the Rubikahn....alea iacta est...... " et tu Ricky?"
by Tangerine dream on Feb 18, 2012 9:03 AM CST reply actions
Bread and Butter...
I really like the Pek & Love double-pick up top, with Rubio handling the ball. Love pops, Pek heads straight to the front of the rim, and Rubio makes the decision. As the three of them get more used to running that play, it is going to be near impossible to guard.
by PoundFoolish on Feb 18, 2012 9:20 AM CST reply actions 2 recs
updated report card list.. let me know if you would like to do one
2/19 Philadelphia – already taken by Coffee Janitor
2/20 Denver – already taken by Anthony Real Thing
2/22 Utah – already taken by Dogpile
2-23-2/27 – MIDTERM REPORT CARD TO BE WRITTEN BY MALASTARE
2/28 LA Clippers – already taken by Timberwolf in LA
2/29 LA Lakers – already taken by MAYNHOLUP
3/1 Phoenix – already taken by T-Fear
3/3 Portland – already taken by Cynical Jason
3/5 LA Clippers – already taken by Bob McFlallergy
3/7 Portland – already taken by Matt Leisen
3/9 LA Lakers – already taken by Jones The Cat
3/10 New Orleans
3/12 Phoenix – already taken by last of the Irish wolves
3/15 Utah
3/16 LA Lakers
3/18 Sacramento
Thanks for organizing all of these, man.
It’s a great way to diversify the conversation here and everyone has really put their back into them. Definitely something you should get a lot of credit for. Keep it up, if you can spare the time!
by TheH on Feb 18, 2012 10:11 AM CST up reply actions 2 recs
+1
If I'm pissing you off its probably sarcasm
by CoffeeJanitor on Feb 18, 2012 10:59 AM CST up reply actions
another +1, or is that 2?
"pokin' the animals at the Canis Hoopus zoo"
by pastyearsears on Feb 18, 2012 11:10 AM CST up reply actions
thanks for the kind words, but as you said, the increased interest in these has little to do with me
and testifies to how great the writers have been. I get excited to see the different styles people use, and have been amazed by how good these report cards have been.
ill take the 3/16 please.
by bringbackbrewer on Feb 18, 2012 11:41 AM CST via Android app up reply actions
We had the Block and Assist of the Night on NBA.com
watchability. It’s a good thing.
T'Wolves 2012: Where Pek Decimates Jason Thompson
I'm still in bewildered awe of the Rubio pass at the end of the 4th quarter
by bsg007 on Feb 18, 2012 9:40 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
It even had a bit of spin on it
how did he get spin on a ball behind his back?
T'Wolves 2012: Where Pek Decimates Jason Thompson
I'm going to go out to the park and try that fifty times
I bet I couldn’t do it once from a standing start. Incredible.
T'Wolves 2012: Where Pek Decimates Jason Thompson
not only that, but there was an element of anticipation involved...
like in football, when a quarterback throws to a spot before his receiver is open, that’s precisely what Ricky did with Kevin. He threw to a spot and essentially led Kevin. It’s just so sick.
I want to make a gif of it replacing Ricky's head with the troll face
“U Mad Chandler Parsons?”
T'Wolves 2012: Where Pek Decimates Jason Thompson
I rewatched that pass about 7 times
And yeah, I don’t think Kevin even realized he had a scoring opportunity until Ricky threw the ball there and forced him to go get it. It’s a better pass than most players will make their entire career.
by John Doe on Feb 18, 2012 9:50 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Sick pass
too bad it was garbage time or it would be getting replayed all over the place
by Stabby Stabby on Feb 18, 2012 11:48 AM CST up reply actions
I don't know... as previously mentioned, it was featured on NBA.com
And it’s been posted on probasketballtalk.com and deadspin.com. Seems to have pretty good coverage.
and it came from a broken play
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
by ronatcampzama on Feb 18, 2012 1:46 PM CST up reply actions
Yep, I re-ran it multiple times too
Ricky must have long strong fingers to be able to whip the ball like that, and also put the right spin on it.
that's exactly why I'm freaking out..
the ball doesn’t get there without the spin he put on it, and I don’t know how he did it.
I did it just now
how did he get spin on a ball behind his back
But it was with my infant son’s nerfball in his playroom. The first 3 times it didn’t work and the fourth time the ball almost hit my son in the leg and he ran out of the room. The fifth time it was perfect and my son caught the ball on one hop. The whole thing was exhausting, I am going to go lie down and take a nap (it’s almost noon here on the east coast)
Chazz Reinhold: Mom?? MOM!! What is she doing back there? I never know what she's doing.
by Son of Gerald Green on Feb 18, 2012 10:03 AM CST up reply actions 7 recs
I just tried it outside with a basketball
warmed up by going 2-10 from college three and putting home some layups – I was on fire! As for the passes, ahem, let’s just say it didn’t go well. In about twenty attempts I managed to get five reasonable entry passes to my man Davis, one that actually sorta replicated the Rubivision pass, and fourteen turnovers.
T'Wolves 2012: Where Pek Decimates Jason Thompson
be careful... you might pop an elbow trying to replicate moves like that
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
by ronatcampzama on Feb 18, 2012 1:47 PM CST up reply actions
What Rubio is doing...
Is bringing back our childhoods. All I did as a kid was try to replicate West and Maravich. If you ever see a middle-aged guy take the ball with both hands and slam it as hard as he can between his legs and catch it behind his back, that’s me. Thanks, Pistol Pete!
(not a game move, mind you, just a drill)
You can't...dust...for vomit.
A drill he showed us during halftime of, yes, here it comes...
“You get the best in basketball,
When you watch the NBA,
Nnnnnnn Bbbbbbb Aaaaaa
on C B S”
You can't...dust...for vomit.
Or the actual lyrics
You’ll see the best in basketball
When you watch the N-B-A,
When you watch the N-B-A on C-B-S.
(N-B-A on C-B-S, N-B-A on C-B-S, … etc. fading out)
You can't...dust...for vomit.
(Never too early to work on the Grandson of Gerald Green's game.)
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
by feral on Feb 18, 2012 11:47 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Great pass by Rubio
Gotta give credit to Love for being able to grab it though, as it wasn’t perfect by any means.
If I'm pissing you off its probably sarcasm
by CoffeeJanitor on Feb 18, 2012 11:01 AM CST up reply actions
lol
you have high standards. It’s a tough crowd where in-rhythm no-hesitation lead-player behind-the-back left-English broken-play-recovery passes only get an “eh.”
T'Wolves 2012: Where Pek Decimates Jason Thompson
by Malastare on Feb 18, 2012 11:07 AM CST up reply actions 2 recs
I thought about digging around for it myself...
… because I thought the google search line “ricky rubio incredible pass” would give me a billion hits. Amazingly, it’s only six returns, and the pass from last night was the first. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMgWwydgGTY
The version on the NBA's site includes a few different angles,
and had Jim Pete’s commentary about English on the ball.
Man alive, do I love that pass. That’s the whole rewind-to-see-if-he-really-did-that thing. That lights up my mind.
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
Another youtube, with Jim Pete and another replay angle
Amazing. It’s almost a broken play, Love’s half losing it. That’s just a great, great play by the Catalan.
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
the best part of the pass
Was not the level of difficulty but how instinctive it was. There was no decision, just an instinctive reaction. Pretty impressive.
Wolves 2011-12: Crossing the Rubikahn....alea iacta est...... " et tu Ricky?"
by Tangerine dream on Feb 18, 2012 2:16 PM CST up reply actions
Wait...
…Jim Pete’s commentary about Catalans on the ball.
We need to teach Jim Pete the proper terminology of such things.
Thank you, yes!
As much as that might have been a “Drink!” moment, though, the play itself was enough to give us all that lightheaded feeling.
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
No It was a great pass, I'm just saying that Love was good enough to grab it and make it a highlight
If I'm pissing you off its probably sarcasm
by CoffeeJanitor on Feb 18, 2012 12:05 PM CST up reply actions
Chandler Parsons, for example, in trying to defend the play. ;-)
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
I don't think Parson's tried to defend it
…he didn’t even see it til it was past him. Then he was astonished that it could even happen.
I actually jumped out of my chair
And shouted “What was that?” Twice. I thought there were three amazing pairs of hands on the court last night. Love has to have the strongest hands in the NBA. Ricky"s appear magical but they ought to be design models for some robot designer in the distant future. And poor little too small and too slight Frodo Ridnour had a great night playing defense with his hands instead of his body, I hope the kids at home didn’t notice.
"pokin' the animals at the Canis Hoopus zoo"
by pastyearsears on Feb 18, 2012 11:20 AM CST up reply actions
I was going to say he put some "english" on the ball but it's more accurate to say he put some "spanish" on it
I've got good judgement from experience and experience from bad judgement.
So...
Are we gonna have to endure the absurd independentist obsession here too ?
Time to die.
by Replicant Hunter on Feb 18, 2012 6:41 PM CST up reply actions
Deckard
Dreams of unicorns. It all makes sense now.
"Humor is reason gone mad." Marx (Groucho, for the reason-gone-mad impaired)
by uncle rico on Feb 19, 2012 11:54 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I love the Pek vs. Lin angle
It speaks to media bias and the continued prevailing ignorance of proper player evaluation that, of two very similar stories in Lin and Pekovic, Lin is the biggest story in sports right now and Pekovic has been completely ignored. Meaningless yes, but it’s nonetheless ludicrous that Pekovic isn’t playing the rookie/sophomore game. His breakout started earlier than Lin’s and he’s got more starts and minutes played, yet even when they added two players chosen late, the powers that be determined that Norris bleeping Cole, he of the negative offensive win shares, was the missing player they needed.
If this were anything remotely worth caring about, I would light myself on fire. Instead, I’ll just rant on twitter.
In fairness
Pek was not undrafted, has not been cut by multiple teams, and didn’t go to Harvard (perceived brainiac school with little place in sports).
In unfairness (but still a factor): Lin also plays the equivalent of basketball QB, which is the flashiest in all of sports. He also plays in New York.
"I'll play any day. I don't care if I'm 0-for-30, playing baseball is my PASSION. I'll go out and play." - Geo Soto
The undrafted thing is a fair point for Lin.
But Norris Cole was taken earlier than Pek was. And he isn’t a fraction of the baller. That’s just bullshit, especially given the number of guards already crowding that game in the first place… Can you imagine Pek absolutely annihilating all of those first- and second-year players? Spektacular.
Pek is not a normal 2nd rounder.
I think he was a consensus top 10 talent at the time, but needed to go in 2nd for contract reasons.
Oh, for sure.
He was the textbook can’t-be-afforded-on-a-late-first-number European stud. I’m just saying that there is no good rhetorical case to be made against adding Pek if you’re going to add Norris Cole. Just would love to see that guy rewarded.
I was pretty pissed that they updated the NBA2k12 rosters....
and didn’t budge Pek an inch. Lin got a huge bump, Rubio got a bump…. Pek is sittin at 56. Booo
Well this is useful to see who the intelligent people are.
People with a brain in their head can see that Pek’s performance is truly amazing and deserving of note. Idiots only see flashing lights and other idiots screaming and pointing at whatever is popular at the moment(Lin). So this is a useful metric to see who the smart people are in the Bball world versus the blind sheep.
Don't the "live rosters" features all claim they're based on statistical performance?
I don’t have any of these games, but that seems to be the claim, right? Is some sort of “change from previous level” bias screwing with the idea, or is that just plain fake?
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
Yeah but if GMs listened to any advanced stats guy, he would have been drafted and he wouldn’t have been cut. Arturo Galleti (now a part of wages of wins) had Jeremy Lin as the best undrafted prospect before the beginning of last season. Hoop Analyst raved about him coming out of college.
Talent evaulation in the NBA is still crap. Fans do it better. Guys like SNP and vjl110 should be working for NBA franchises — they’d make better teams than the idiots running them. Jeremy Lin wasn’t an unknown quantity. In fact, if you look only at the numbers (and not at height, ethnicity, and historical trends such as big men coming from eastern europe and no one coming from harvard), I’d say Lin was a much better prospect than Pek.
They put Cole on the team
For the sole reason to get Lebron to come watch this game so the networks can fawn all over him by showing lebron’s highlight dunks this year. Then right after these they try to sell you their sponsors products.
On Pek being completely ignored
I would understand giving Lin a ton more coverage (as his story is a bit more interesting and he is in a bigger market), but if you watch the SC highlights of our last few games they barely mention Pek at all. It’s like they’re outright not mentioning him on purpose because he could possibly steal some Love from Lin.
On to spamming Shaq/Jet on twitter!
If I'm pissing you off its probably sarcasm
by CoffeeJanitor on Feb 18, 2012 11:04 AM CST up reply actions
the All-Star game is for flashy players & future contracts
not for bears that want to barrel their opponents
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
by ronatcampzama on Feb 18, 2012 1:51 PM CST up reply actions
Pekovic is playing out of his mind right now. It’s great to see Pekmania running wild here in Minnesota. Who would have thought but maybe our big three will be K-Love, Rubio, Pekovic.
I had my son pick him up on his fantasy team two weeks ago.
He’s been pleasantly rewarded.
Wolves 2011-12: Crossing the Rubikahn....alea iacta est...... " et tu Ricky?"
by Tangerine dream on Feb 18, 2012 10:44 AM CST up reply actions
Still waiting for this article to be written by someone sensitive enough to tackle it...
Is it possible to argue that the five most productive players employed by our franchise are white? When was the last time that happened in the NBA? Even if you quibble with the rankings, when was the last time you could even have that discussion?
New and improved Pekgief for a continually improving Pek
by Peksecutioner on Feb 18, 2012 10:49 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
That is a Peksellent handle.
I'm going to brag. I drive the Nikola Pekovic fanwagon.
by Cynical Jason on Feb 18, 2012 10:56 AM CST up reply actions
Thanks. Am beast from east bloc. I have ball and will crush.
by Peksecutioner on Feb 18, 2012 11:54 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I want Pek's tattoo...
on a t-shirt. Wouldn’t that be an awesome Pek shirt? His tattoo is like something us fans would have made up as a joke, but it is real, and IT IS GLORIOUS!
CJ has actually got that shirt...
he’s probably wearing it right now.
T'Wolves 2012: Where Pek Decimates Jason Thompson
I do have it.
And I am wearing it. Are you in my house?
I'm going to brag. I drive the Nikola Pekovic fanwagon.
by Cynical Jason on Feb 18, 2012 11:03 AM CST up reply actions
Look, how often do you not wear your Pek shirt
According to my spy cams your comment history, I was only making an educated guess.
T'Wolves 2012: Where Pek Decimates Jason Thompson
I think Malastare is feeding us disinformation
He does not want to own up to being a drone pilot for the CIA from his basement.
I could tell you what I do
But then I’d have to kill you.
Although if I went into any detail about it you’d probably want to kill yourself first.
T'Wolves 2012: Where Pek Decimates Jason Thompson
May as well show it for those who never got a good look...
"I'm shocked - shocked - to find basketball going on in here."
Has Pek lost weight?
He looks smaller than normal.
T'Wolves 2012: Where Pek Decimates Jason Thompson
by Malastare on Feb 18, 2012 10:57 AM CST up reply actions 3 recs
Can you sign up for a "report card"...
and give a pictorial recap? That would definitely make me happy.
by vjl110 on Feb 18, 2012 12:38 PM CST up reply actions 4 recs
no to sound pretentious, but its pronounces
“pektorial”
adding a couple hearts to the pic would have been uncool
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
by ronatcampzama on Feb 18, 2012 1:54 PM CST up reply actions
I've been a little worried that
Despite a valiant effort Martell has looked like a man with a bad back. Has anyone else noticed this in his body language? I haven’t seen it mentioned.
"pokin' the animals at the Canis Hoopus zoo"
I think this is right
He just doesn’t look comfortable.
I've changed my sig. The Wolves are now like a reasonably decent meal.
by Eric in Madison on Feb 18, 2012 11:35 AM CST up reply actions
Agreed.
I would have never guessed that this is how it would play out for him (so far). I thought he would quickly establish himself as our most-nearly-average wing player, but at this point I’m getting worried about it happening at all.
"most-nearly-average"
means below average, not exceptional.
Give the guy some time, he’s still recovering a bit
If I'm pissing you off its probably sarcasm
by CoffeeJanitor on Feb 18, 2012 12:07 PM CST up reply actions
What Adelman is doing for Wes
he can do for Web. Frankly, I’m surprised there aren’t more cripples and blind people in the tunnel begging Adelman to lay His hands on them….
Yo ho ho and a FirstRow stream!
by TMiss on Feb 18, 2012 12:29 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Does anybody know how these giants
Deal with plane flights, bus rides, and hotel beds? Road trips with a bad back and a huge body have got to be tough. Is the range of pharmaceuticals restricted?
"pokin' the animals at the Canis Hoopus zoo"
by pastyearsears on Feb 18, 2012 1:12 PM CST up reply actions
i think the multi-million dollar salaries & hot GFs help
plus, they usually get the best seats on transpo. team docs & massage therapists. latest and greatest recovery treatments.
back pains, knee quirks, boutonnière deformities, a thousand sprained ankles… all past of the job description.
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
by ronatcampzama on Feb 18, 2012 1:57 PM CST up reply actions
Hakeem is pouring over Pek videos
Looking for things to add to his celebrity post move tutorials.
"pokin' the animals at the Canis Hoopus zoo"
He would be wise to add the...
GTFOH clear out of Dalembert last night. That was probably an offensive foul, but holy shit was I happy that guy was on our squad for once.
Off-Topic Question
Heading out of town for a brief vacation
Anyone know if NBA LP works in other countries when it was purchased in US?
Does it matter if I use the same laptop, or is it an IP address thingy?
thanks in advance for any wisdom
I know that it works when you've purchased it in Europe and use it in the US or other EU countries
but beware of blackouts. If they’re showing the game you want to watch in the country you’re at, you’ll probably get it blacked-out.
They explain how it works somewhere in their site.
mine is purchased from the "US"
and it works fine in Japan.
no commercials.
no blackouts.
crazy good bandwidth.
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
by ronatcampzama on Feb 18, 2012 1:59 PM CST up reply actions
Mine is purchase in the US
and it worked fine in Canada – once I got to the right link….can’t link to the Canadian League Pass.
cool- thanks
i may be able to catch part of games
though i probably should just relax with family…
hey guys,couldn t watch the game yesterday,
it was really the best game of the season for Wes,can somebody report me impressions from the game?? great,great numbers by Pek,let s hope he can evolve permanently in our starting center!
You mean for Wes? He seems to be eliminating the things he can't do very well, and taking the simple stuff, which is fine by me.
Stay within your limitations and don’t hurt the team by trying to do too much. K.I.S.S. A few alley-oops, some good defense, and some break-away layups instead of trying to create (and failing) is all we expect. Otherwise, go back to the back bench. He does that stuff, I don’t mind him being on the court. He doesn’t have to be a scorer if he doesn’t have that ability. If he can be a quality defender, then that’s the role I see for him, if he isn’t packaged soon.
"I'm shocked - shocked - to find basketball going on in here."
Turovers
There, I’m never using that word here again. In fact I’m going to the bakery for some cherry Lins as soon as I’m done here. Was that a monkeywolf original? I feel no animosity towards Jeremy Lin, in fact I fear for what the huge NYC ego will eventually do to him. But as a sports fan from the sticks I’ve endured NY’s obnoxious sense of entitlement for so long that I love connecting basketball’s most embarrassing statistic to their new over the top pride and joy.
"pokin' the animals at the Canis Hoopus zoo"
Deus Pek Machina is inspired!
Great report card. I’m actually tempted to go back and watch that game again. Exciting basketball.
"If you’ve got some balls, you can do some stuff"
Winging it
we all have our dream wings but here are some of my favorite lower cost wings that could pay bigger time dividens
Jodie Meeks: I love Evan Turner but snaggin Meeks for Maybe Ellington and Randolph might be more likely. He’s a consistent .120+ WS/48 player and high TS% guy
Chase Budinger: Starting to fall in love with this guy as an option
Danny Green: basically what we want Wes to be but a little better at ball handling. Luke Ridnour for him might be a do able trade as their back up point guard position is super thin
James Anderson: again same with the spurs
Iman Shumpert/Landry Fields: now with the Knicks aquisition of JR Smith one of these two should become available.
Jimmy Butler (Bulls)
Also when is Malcolm Lee playing again? I actually like his potential about as much as anyone else on this list
I don't know what an art house is, I don't know what goes on in an art house, I have never been in an art house, and I can't imagine it's any place I ever want to be.
by VoodooMagic on Feb 18, 2012 12:42 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
I will actually be sad without Wes
for about 13 seconds/night. I think he’s the only player on our team that really does justice to the catching end of a Rubi-oop
by midlife crisis on Feb 18, 2012 12:55 PM CST up reply actions
I really want to like Wes
because he has a first half like last night and it’s like “damn, he could help”
I don't know what an art house is, I don't know what goes on in an art house, I have never been in an art house, and I can't imagine it's any place I ever want to be.
by VoodooMagic on Feb 18, 2012 12:56 PM CST up reply actions
There are complete freebie options that might well be better.
Edwin Ubiles:
Draftexpress profile, showing in various ways that he’s an NBA wing athlete with true size.
That’s a “replacement level” guy. He might be overmatched. We pretty much know Wes is overmatched a lot of the time, though, right? 10-day contracts were made to give guys like this a chance.
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
there are a few D-Leaguers I like
Ben Uzoh is one of them
I don't know what an art house is, I don't know what goes on in an art house, I have never been in an art house, and I can't imagine it's any place I ever want to be.
(Less classic size for Uzoh, at 6'2" or so.)
The last thing we want to do is take long twos. It's still on our list, though.
stay away from Butler
wow, my Bulls fan instincts kicked in…
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
by ronatcampzama on Feb 18, 2012 2:02 PM CST up reply actions
thx for gameflow chart
good stuff
This is my opinion and does not constitute an endorsement, opinion or official position of the U.S. Army.
Fucken hate ESPN, NBA.com, and expert analysts
All they have to do in their jobs is to write and analyze the games that they observe. Can’t believe there is no recognition for Pekovic, who is the next closest thing to Shaq since he came in the league. They are always writing five thousand articles about Lin, and giving more coverage to Lakers vs Suns (Wtf???) than Pek.
It is frustrating
But its obviously the most profitable situation.
If I'm pissing you off its probably sarcasm
by CoffeeJanitor on Feb 18, 2012 2:47 PM CST up reply actions
David Thorpe
Has written some good things about Pek. Him and Harper (homer bias) are the only guys who really give him credit and ESPN
by Pass the rock on Feb 18, 2012 3:42 PM CST up reply actions
Where can I read whatever David Thorpe wrote?
Maybe I’ve already read it…
If I'm pissing you off its probably sarcasm
by CoffeeJanitor on Feb 18, 2012 5:40 PM CST up reply actions
Here's a comment from Twitter:
david b. thorpe #Linsanity has been breathtaking, but even he can not just waltz into MSG and take Nikola Pekovic’s MIP trophy away. Ironman is astounding.
I'm going to brag. I drive the Nikola Pekovic fanwagon.
by Cynical Jason on Feb 18, 2012 6:20 PM CST up reply actions
Pek's averages for February
18.4 points and 10.7 rebounds. Last five games — 20 points, 11.2 rebounds.
Four players are averaging at least 18 points and 10 rebounds on the season: Love, Howard, Griffin and David Lee.
What happened to Wes?
Wes acted like he woke up. If he does it again it will be a trend. A good one for once.
The sad truth is that bad teams don't have rivals.
Maybe if we are good for a few years we will develop one.
After practice interview with Pek
“This year we got more more more fun than last year.”
Screw you Kurt Rambis. Nobody takes Pek’s fun. I can’t wait to watch you fail miserably as an analyst because you know nothing about basketball.
by twolf1 on Feb 18, 2012 3:59 PM CST reply actions 5 recs
Looking back at last year.
The feeling while being up 14 points with 8 minutes left in the 4th quarter was depressing. You knew they would lose.
After every game you knew Kurt Rambis was going to blame the players. You knew he wasn’t going to adjust anything. You knew the next game would be another depressing loss in the same manner.
So happy to be done with that. It sounds like the players don’t miss Rambitch at all either. I think it would have been great to hear the end of the season interviews with players done by the team last year and compare them to this year’s. I wish I had an insider with knowledge of players honest thoughts of the entire coaching staff, especially comparing this year and last year. If anybody gets a chance at an interview (Kahn Live Chat maybe? I don’t know if they let fans ask players questions.) I’d like to see this discussed.
by twolf1 on Feb 18, 2012 7:43 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
Everything I heard...
…was that Rambis lost the locker room after the Bynum incident. I don’t think anyone would say anything great about him.
by twolvesgm2012 on Feb 19, 2012 12:16 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Hilarious report card
It likely will never be a rivalry, but I am looking forward to dominating the hell out of the LA Lakers. As Kobe declines from age (and steroids and Coach Brown and Artest World Peace) we should be on an upward trajectory. Then we can exact revenge for stealing our basketball heritage — and on the most insufferable fan base in sports!
by Los Lobos Del Bosque on Feb 18, 2012 9:56 PM CST reply actions
http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2012/02/timberwolves-111-rockets-98-love-quashes-rally/#2838-12
pic 12/124 in their gallery is hilarious
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