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KGdaBom wrote:

Worm Guts wrote:

KGdaBom wrote:I have HUGE issues with it. We have been the best or at least 2nd best team in the NBA for over 50 games now. It's ridiculous not to consider us Legit.
Will we win the title? Probably not, but you can say the same thing about every other team as well.

You don’t get anything from people saying nice things about you. You want your credit, then go earn it.

I guess it's all a matter of opinion, but IMO we have earned it by how we have played. Prior seasons to this one mean nothing. We are as legit contenders as any other team. If we're not legit contenders nobody else is either.

We’ll prove we’re contenders by advancing in the playoffs. It will make it sweeter if we have to prove people wrong anyway. The great thing about the NBA is that it’s merit based. You don’t need to worry about what anyone says as long as you go out and win.

Worm Guts wrote:

KGdaBom wrote:

Worm Guts wrote:
You don’t get anything from people saying nice things about you. You want your credit, then go earn it.

I guess it's all a matter of opinion, but IMO we have earned it by how we have played. Prior seasons to this one mean nothing. We are as legit contenders as any other team. If we're not legit contenders nobody else is either.

We’ll prove we’re contenders by advancing in the playoffs. It will make it sweeter if we have to prove people wrong anyway. The great thing about the NBA is that it’s merit based. You don’t need to worry about what anyone says as long as you go out and win.

Winning the title is the best way to prove it. Making it to the finals is the 2nd best way. Semifinals is 3rd best. As of right now all any team has to go on is what they've done so far. The Nuggets dominated all the way to the title last year. To me that doesn't make them more legit this year than anybody else.

Stupid things from TNT to laugh at:

Shaq: “MIN is vulnerable to a first round upset because they’re going to go small against the Warriors.”

Barkley: “Towns never takes advantage of his size. Defenses are going to put their big guys on Gobert, so he’s going to have someone tiny guarding him. Every time he shoots a three, he bails the other team out. They want him shooting threes.”

I try to be forgiving of non-Wolves posters, because they hear this, and don’t watch the Timberwolves unless it’s the playoffs. When they repeat this stupidity, they just don’t know any better. These days, particularly on the internet, people would rather hear themselves talk than worry about making an uneducated take.

shrink wrote:Stupid things from TNT to laugh at:

Shaq: “MIN is vulnerable to a first round upset because they’re going to go small against the Warriors.”

Barkley: “Towns never takes advantage of his size. Defenses are going to put their big guys on Gobert, so he’s going to have someone tiny guarding him. Every time he shoots a three, he bails the other team out. They want him shooting threes.”

I try to be forgiving of non-Wolves posters, because they hear this, and don’t watch the Timberwolves unless it’s the playoffs. When they repeat this stupidity, they just don’t know any better. These days, particularly on the internet, people would rather hear themselves talk than worry about making an uneducated take.

Yeah, it’s not like Karl is a former 3 point shooting champ, the runner up to this years 3 point shooting championship, a 43.5% 3 point shooter, consistent from everywhere on the floor, and capable of shooting 10-15 while maintaining that high percentage. My god, for people who talk for a living you would think they would learn to do it using their mouth and not their ***.

shrink wrote:Stupid things from TNT to laugh at:

Shaq: “MIN is vulnerable to a first round upset because they’re going to go small against the Warriors.”

Barkley: “Towns never takes advantage of his size. Defenses are going to put their big guys on Gobert, so he’s going to have someone tiny guarding him. Every time he shoots a three, he bails the other team out. They want him shooting threes.”

I try to be forgiving of non-Wolves posters, because they hear this, and don’t watch the Timberwolves unless it’s the playoffs. When they repeat this stupidity, they just don’t know any better. These days, particularly on the internet, people would rather hear themselves talk than worry about making an uneducated take.

I think there are a few nuggets of truth in there, but running with it as the entire narrative around the team is misguided.

shrink wrote:Stupid things from TNT to laugh at:

Shaq: “MIN is vulnerable to a first round upset because they’re going to go small against the Warriors.”

Barkley: “Towns never takes advantage of his size. Defenses are going to put their big guys on Gobert, so he’s going to have someone tiny guarding him. Every time he shoots a three, he bails the other team out. They want him shooting threes.”

I try to be forgiving of non-Wolves posters, because they hear this, and don’t watch the Timberwolves unless it’s the playoffs. When they repeat this stupidity, they just don’t know any better. These days, particularly on the internet, people would rather hear themselves talk than worry about making an uneducated take.

This one shows how little basketball Shaq watches. We KILL teams by going big when they go small.

Oddly, the thing that hurts us is when teams go BIG against us - Bucks, Magic, Pelicans...

They aren't totally off. There are plenty of times where KAT hasn't been able to beat up on a smaller defender. We have seen those small guys totally take him out of series, like the Nic Batums of the world. Also the shootout stuff I agree with somewhat. I think we lose if we get into a crazy shootout because we don't have that kind of offense. If Golden State or the Suns, whomever, gets really hot and starts coming away, I don't think we can keep up with that.

BlacJacMac wrote:

shrink wrote:Stupid things from TNT to laugh at:

Shaq: “MIN is vulnerable to a first round upset because they’re going to go small against the Warriors.”

Barkley: “Towns never takes advantage of his size. Defenses are going to put their big guys on Gobert, so he’s going to have someone tiny guarding him. Every time he shoots a three, he bails the other team out. They want him shooting threes.”

I try to be forgiving of non-Wolves posters, because they hear this, and don’t watch the Timberwolves unless it’s the playoffs. When they repeat this stupidity, they just don’t know any better. These days, particularly on the internet, people would rather hear themselves talk than worry about making an uneducated take.

This one shows how little basketball Shaq watches. We KILL teams by going big when they go small.

Oddly, the thing that hurts us is when teams go BIG against us - Bucks, Magic, Pelicans...

That is so true. I was going to post the same thing. We had more problem with Zion, Embiid, and JJJ than Harden, Curry, etc. Shaq and Chuck are over the hill and talks in the 90s. They don't watch games and probably don't read the Cliffs notes their producers gave them. I do agree with Chuck that Towns should do more post up and power dribbles but at the same time, he should shoot 3s. Basically should get more touches.

Calinks wrote:They aren't totally off. There are plenty of times where KAT hasn't been able to beat up on a smaller defender. We have seen those small guys totally take him out of series, like the Nic Batums of the world. Also the shootout stuff I agree with somewhat. I think we lose if we get into a crazy shootout because we don't have that kind of offense. If Golden State or the Suns, whomever, gets really hot and starts coming away, I don't think we can keep up with that.

Karl can. That is the point. Karl is an elite shooter who can handle 15 3s a game at 40-50% on any given night. Meanwhile, we rarely allow Karl’s distance shooting to be our whole offense. We are not going to goof around against a Suns, or Warriors, or OKC, or any playoff team the way we did against Charlotte on Karl’s 62 point game. The very notion that having floor spacing and shooting is a weakness is nuts. Does anyone say Durant should play in the low post exclusively? What about telling Luka not to shoot 3s?

We have the personal to go big, small, or anything in between. Morris and Conley is becoming a common occurrence in 2nd and 4th quarters. We have seen a profitable unicorn lineup. We have seen Ant, Jaden, NAW, Karl, and Rudy (the turn your water off lineup,) and so much more. I just cannot get behind the notion that we lack the versatility to match our opponents. Not to mention the fact that Finch repeatedly states that we don’t match up with them, we punish them until they match up with us.

Finch has figured out putting Rudy on the opposing teams weakest 3 point shooter.. okc can't beat us in 7.

Calinks wrote:They aren't totally off. There are plenty of times where KAT hasn't been able to beat up on a smaller defender. We have seen those small guys totally take him out of series, like the Nic Batums of the world. Also the shootout stuff I agree with somewhat. I think we lose if we get into a crazy shootout because we don't have that kind of offense. If Golden State or the Suns, whomever, gets really hot and starts coming away, I don't think we can keep up with that.

Maybe when Rudy is hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy you will believe in us. Probably not before then.

winforlose wrote:

Calinks wrote:They aren't totally off. There are plenty of times where KAT hasn't been able to beat up on a smaller defender. We have seen those small guys totally take him out of series, like the Nic Batums of the world. Also the shootout stuff I agree with somewhat. I think we lose if we get into a crazy shootout because we don't have that kind of offense. If Golden State or the Suns, whomever, gets really hot and starts coming away, I don't think we can keep up with that.

Karl can. That is the point. Karl is an elite shooter who can handle 15 3s a game at 40-50% on any given night. Meanwhile, we rarely allow Karl’s distance shooting to be our whole offense. We are not going to goof around against a Suns, or Warriors, or OKC, or any playoff team the way we did against Charlotte on Karl’s 62 point game. The very notion that having floor spacing and shooting is a weakness is nuts. Does anyone say Durant should play in the low post exclusively? What about telling Luka not to shoot 3s?

We have the personal to go big, small, or anything in between. Morris and Conley is becoming a common occurrence in 2nd and 4th quarters. We have seen a profitable unicorn lineup. We have seen Ant, Jaden, NAW, Karl, and Rudy (the turn your water off lineup,) and so much more. I just cannot get behind the notion that we lack the versatility to match our opponents. Not to mention the fact that Finch repeatedly states that we don’t match up with them, we punish them until they match up with us.

Thank you. I've always hated the idea of matching up with the opponent. We should play our own game and if they can't match up to us we kick their behinds.

I can’t even imagine how MIN goes small. How many of our key players would all be on the bench because they’re big?

shrink wrote:I can’t even imagine how MIN goes small. How many of our key players would all be on the bench because they’re big?

Lol.

Our versions of small ball

Conley/Morris/NAW/Ant/Naz
Conley/NAW/MCD/Naz/Karl
Ant/NAW/MCD/Naz/Karl
Morris/Ant/Jaden/Naz/Karl

There are more, but you get the idea.

I don’t know why I even watch ESPN. Their lead story was, “Are the Lakers gearing up for a playoff push?” and fortunately Zach Lowe has the juice to say, “let’s wait until they get out of ninth.” But of course, Ramona Shelburne was there to say, “I was at the game, and the vibe is different.” Celebrate a good win, but Lowe is right - stop pushing the ninth place Lakers.

But when they turn their focus to better teams, it’s all negative. “Did the Thunder mess up by not adding more size at the deadline?” “Are the Wolves about to fail?” “Did a fourth quarter collapse show the Clippers weakness?” “Who most needs to avoid LeBron and Steph in the playoffs?”

Ugh.

shrink wrote:I don’t know why I even watch ESPN. Their lead story was, “Are the Lakers gearing up for a playoff push?” and fortunately Zach Lowe has the juice to say, “let’s wait until they get out of ninth.” But of course, Ramona Shelburne was there to say, “I was at the game, and the vibe is different.” Celebrate a good win, but Lowe is right - stop pushing the ninth place Lakers.

But when they turn their focus to better teams, it’s all negative. “Did the Thunder mess up by not adding more size at the deadline?” “Are the Wolves about to fail?” “Did a fourth quarter collapse show the Clippers weakness?” “Who most needs to avoid LeBron and Steph in the playoffs?”

Ugh.

Feels semi legit. There was a different vibe in last night's game with the Lakers. Dinwiddie was playing well and DLo hit some big shots. What they did mentioned maybe OKC played the night before and the team looks tired. Clippers also played the nigh before in a close game. Who needs to avoid LeBron and Steph would be the 7th and 8th team