2024 NBA Playoffs - West 1st Round: #3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. #6 Phoenix Suns (MIN SWEEPS 4-0)

[winforlose]

The Wolves have a big 3, a complete team, and an elite defense. That is a championship waiting to happen.

But they don't have experience. I don't know why, but championships in the NBA typically come after a few playoff attempts for some reason, with very few exceptions.
It's a bitter lesson.

Ant has 2 straight years of playoff experience, Karl has 3, Rudy, Mike, Monte, and Kyle have a ton. You can say experience wins out, but the Mavs are less experienced than the Clippers and they are up 2 to 1. This team is head and shoulders better than Phoenix and probably better than Denver. MPJ has been great, but Jaden is better. Aaron Gordon is great, but Rudy is better. Murray is more dangerous than Karl, but Karl is huge and a tough cover. I would take Mike Conley over KCP. That leaves Joker and Ant. Joker is better than Ant no question. But, Ant is good enough that the advantage is not as large as you would think.

[Sealab2024]

An hour of wolves when the age of "men" comes crashing down

[jkvonny]

Will be funny to see how the NBA markets:

Minnesota vs. Denver
Oklahoma City vs. Dallas

Okc and Dallas should be easy w/ Luka Vs Sga and Mvp narrative

And DPOY Gobert vs. MVP Jokic.

Also, Dallas/DFW is a big market in the south.

Should be fine.

[jkvonny]

The Wolves have a big 3, a complete team, and an elite defense. That is a championship waiting to happen.

But they don't have experience. I don't know why, but championships in the NBA typically come after a few playoff attempts for some reason, with very few exceptions.
It's a bitter lesson.

Most recently?

2015 GSW/Warriors says hi

[Wolfgang630]

The Wolves have a big 3, a complete team, and an elite defense. That is a championship waiting to happen.

But they don't have experience. I don't know why, but championships in the NBA typically come after a few playoff attempts for some reason, with very few exceptions.
It's a bitter lesson.

Ant has 2 straight years of playoff experience, Karl has 3, Rudy, Mike, Monte, and Kyle have a ton. You can say experience wins out, but the Mavs are less experienced than the Clippers and they are up 2 to 1. This team is head and shoulders better than Phoenix and probably better than Denver. MPJ has been great, but Jaden is better. Aaron Gordon is great, but Rudy is better. Murray is more dangerous than Karl, but Karl is huge and a tough cover. I would take Mike Conley over KCP. That leaves Joker and Ant. Joker is better than Ant no question. But, Ant is good enough that the advantage is not as large as you would think.

Kind of cringe to think Minnesota is better than Denver when Denver are the champions and they have the best player in the world. Karl is a foul machine. He’ll put himself in foul trouble in a couple games at least.

[Movics]

The Wolves have a big 3, a complete team, and an elite defense. That is a championship waiting to happen.

But they don't have experience. I don't know why, but championships in the NBA typically come after a few playoff attempts for some reason, with very few exceptions.
It's a bitter lesson.

Warriors played 3 series in two seasons before they won their first title with a rookie coach. Wouldn’t call them significantly more experienced

[TimberKat]

I usually take the +/- numbers with a lump of salt. Just think it's interesting that the only two Suns plus players are Okogie (+2) and Bol (+1) for game 3.

[cupcakesnake]

ah, I see what u mean. for sure, he's going to see mins in every game no doubt. it's not just issues of size, it's also much more likely for either of Jokic or AG to get into foul trouble in this series and that would def spell 10 mpg for DAJ, which ofc is really bad news for the Nuggets

they might have to experiment in bursts, seeing if Watson can check KAT for a few mins here and there. stuff like that

they're basically facing a team with 3-4 legit Centers with only one legit Center in the rotation. it's not like this came from nowhere either, it was pretty foolish of them not to have legit backup big or even a legit 3rd stringer that could have been had on a min. deal or the buyout market etc.

Funny how the narrative had changed. It was all about small ball a few years ago. Everyone thinks Wolves were crazy making the Gobert trade. When the trade happened, Connelly and Finch said they see the new trend coming and other teams are going to have to figure out how to play big to match up with us and everyone laughs including Chuck and Shaq.

I still don't know if a KAT/Gobert duo was the best idea (at least at the price Minny paid) but mostly I don't see how it kills small ball narrative. At one point, talent is talent and you guys have a GREAT team. Naz Reid is an above average big so having him on your bench is crazy. McDaniels/NAW can defend on everybody so it helps defending elite guards even if you play two centers. So yeah overall you basically have great defenders at each position and some great offensive players.

Smallball has sneakily been dying out for a while, only because teams try their best to use small ball strategies with bigger players. You get really punished in the playoffs for not having rim protection, or just some kind of size in general. Now we look around the league and team are very big. OKC is kind the exception more than the rule, but Chet (and J-Dub and Dort to different extents) make that possible. Look how big Denver, Minny, New York, Boston, Cleveland, Orlando, Milwaukee all play.

[Alatan]

But they don't have experience. I don't know why, but championships in the NBA typically come after a few playoff attempts for some reason, with very few exceptions.
It's a bitter lesson.

Ant has 2 straight years of playoff experience, Karl has 3, Rudy, Mike, Monte, and Kyle have a ton. You can say experience wins out, but the Mavs are less experienced than the Clippers and they are up 2 to 1. This team is head and shoulders better than Phoenix and probably better than Denver. MPJ has been great, but Jaden is better. Aaron Gordon is great, but Rudy is better. Murray is more dangerous than Karl, but Karl is huge and a tough cover. I would take Mike Conley over KCP. That leaves Joker and Ant. Joker is better than Ant no question. But, Ant is good enough that the advantage is not as large as you would think.

Kind of cringe to think Minnesota is better than Denver when Denver are the champions and they have the best player in the world. Karl is a foul machine. He’ll put himself in foul trouble in a couple games at least.

Denver has more experience together but Wolves have some seriously talented athletes on their team and they play defense to such a suffocating degree that they squished a pretty talented Suns team. They are the biggest threat to Denver, including the whole East. If they get past Denver i have them as favorites to win it all.

[bisme37]

Wolves fans your team is super impressive congrats!

[Rubio9Guy]

Wolves fans your team is super impressive congrats!

Sucks that their reward will be facing Denver in the 2nd round.

Still, such a fun team to cheer for. This team would beat the Randy Foye/Al Jefferson teams by 40.

[Exp0sed]

They're probably going to need him to play some minutes in every game (8-12). As of right now, he's only played in one of the three Lakers games. Minnesota is too big to expect Jokic/Gordon to never have foul trouble or need a breather.

Funny how the narrative had changed. It was all about small ball a few years ago. Everyone thinks Wolves were crazy making the Gobert trade. When the trade happened, Connelly and Finch said they see the new trend coming and other teams are going to have to figure out how to play big to match up with us and everyone laughs including Chuck and Shaq.

that's not entirely accurate. Gobert just came off yet another season in which he dominated on D in the rs and was borderline unplayable in the playoffs. Wolves were correct in thinking this was a personnel and scheme issue and not an innate issue with Gobert himself, so good on them

however, the bulk of the criticm for that trade was because it was universally felt the price they paid was a.) way too steep b.) way above the market value of Gobert at the time and c.)that they were bidding against themselves..no1 could figure out why they offered so much when Aingle was clearly very interested in selling and no1 else but them was buying

it was less about the actual basketball fit even tho like I said, there were plenty of doubts regarding that as well at the time and it makes sense if u consider Gobert's playoff play on those Utah teams

however, it asbsoultely works in the current context and it's downright dominant
small ball has been dead for a while, all of the last champions were big teams playing traditional Centers

there was a moment in time when everyone was trying to copy the Dubs and non-stretch bigs were significanly devalued. however when u look at most of the top teams, many of which have Centers that can stretch the floor, they're just not small they're actual bigs who can shoot well, Jokic, Embiid etc.

Gobert for instance can't do that but u still got a PF whose arguably the best shooting big in the NBA
same goes for a guy like Giannis who isn't really a threat from deep but is deployed alongside a giant Brooke Lopez who shoots very well on large volume

fwiw, small ball wouldn't have worked if there was a guy like Jokic in his prime at the time

[Tor_Raps]

Will be funny to see how the NBA markets:

Minnesota vs. Denver
Oklahoma City vs. Dallas

Can't wait for the "what's next for the Lakers and Warriors" segments throughout the remainder of the playoffs lol.

I hope the networks slide a little coverage in of the teams that are still alive in the playoffs.

"Which one of the players still playing today should Lebron and Steph look to play with." Sounds about enough coverage there lol

[Sealab2024]

Wolves fans your team is super impressive congrats!

Sucks that their reward will be facing Denver in the 2nd round.

Still, such a fun team to cheer for. This team would beat the Randy Foye/Al Jefferson teams by 40.

Ah yo!! There aren't any children in that matchup. We gonna turn that ish up to 11 but when you stand up against other men there ain't nothing guaranteed.

[Dirk]

Gobert is full of confidence, looking like Giannis in transition.

[sunsbg]

Gobert is full of confidence, looking like Giannis in transition.

Suns making Gobert look like Giannis and Wolves like 90s Bulls.

KD and Booker TOs in span of a min sums up Suns season.

[GeorgeSears]

Funny how the narrative had changed. It was all about small ball a few years ago. Everyone thinks Wolves were crazy making the Gobert trade. When the trade happened, Connelly and Finch said they see the new trend coming and other teams are going to have to figure out how to play big to match up with us and everyone laughs including Chuck and Shaq.

I still don't know if a KAT/Gobert duo was the best idea (at least at the price Minny paid) but mostly I don't see how it kills small ball narrative. At one point, talent is talent and you guys have a GREAT team. Naz Reid is an above average big so having him on your bench is crazy. McDaniels/NAW can defend on everybody so it helps defending elite guards even if you play two centers. So yeah overall you basically have great defenders at each position and some great offensive players.

Smallball has sneakily been dying out for a while, only because teams try their best to use small ball strategies with bigger players. You get really punished in the playoffs for not having rim protection, or just some kind of size in general. Now we look around the league and team are very big. OKC is kind the exception more than the rule, but Chet (and J-Dub and Dort to different extents) make that possible. Look how big Denver, Minny, New York, Boston, Cleveland, Orlando, Milwaukee all play.

small ball peaked in the Nuggets-Warriors series 2 years ago with the Warriors "death lineup". It's hard to imagine teams going back to that now.

[Bob8]

It looks to me that everyone agrees that Suns are bad, I wonder how that makes Wolves great?

[djsunyc]

It looks to me that everyone agrees that Suns are bad, I wonder how that makes Wolves great?

i think it's more like how bad the wolves are making the suns look.

[Dadouv47]

I still don't know if a KAT/Gobert duo was the best idea (at least at the price Minny paid) but mostly I don't see how it kills small ball narrative. At one point, talent is talent and you guys have a GREAT team. Naz Reid is an above average big so having him on your bench is crazy. McDaniels/NAW can defend on everybody so it helps defending elite guards even if you play two centers. So yeah overall you basically have great defenders at each position and some great offensive players.

Smallball has sneakily been dying out for a while, only because teams try their best to use small ball strategies with bigger players. You get really punished in the playoffs for not having rim protection, or just some kind of size in general. Now we look around the league and team are very big. OKC is kind the exception more than the rule, but Chet (and J-Dub and Dort to different extents) make that possible. Look how big Denver, Minny, New York, Boston, Cleveland, Orlando, Milwaukee all play.

small ball peaked in the Nuggets-Warriors series 2 years ago with the Warriors "death lineup". It's hard to imagine teams going back to that now.

teams are not playing super small but former PFs are playing Center right now (AD is a good example, Porzingis went from PF to the Center position) and are playing some undersized PFs compared to 5-10 years ago. Size is important no question about this and I think it's gonna hurt OKC but it's pretty rare in the modern NBA to have a pair like KAT/Gobert.