Timberwolves Apology Thread

[shrink]

Honestly as a Wolves fan it doesn't even bother me. The NBA did absolutely nothing to market these Wolves to a broader audience once the season started and things started to become very apparent. Their flawed TV deal meant they couldn't flex any games so the Wolves were only on national TV I think 3 or 4 times all year and two of those were the late game that nobody on the east coast was watching. Meanwhile the analysts spent their time all year talking about teams that either didn't make the playoffs in the west or are out in the first round. Really all most people had to go off was the word of T-Wolves fans and what do we know, we're T-Wolves fans.

I do feel bad for the greater NBA audience though. I've been watching basketball my whole and just from that perspective this team has been an absolute joy to watch all year long and most NBA fans missed out on it completely. Like seasons like this where it's just fun all year long and then ends up being even more fun in the playoffs are what fans beg for.

Great post Sealab

[cgf]

As an Avs fan over the past 3 decades I have to tease Wild fans...but it's hard not to be happy for Wolves fans. They've got a wonderful team, with some extremely likable players, and Minny/St. Paul is a nice town.

[Ambrose]

On top of my laughing at the Gobert trade, I have to give Towns some credit too. I can't stand him, but he's worlds better defensively this year, and he deserves credit for that.

[playoffs]

Nah man, that's not the way. You're supposed to wait for one bad game by the Wolves and then start a thread about how you knew all along that they were going to bust, preferably using the word "EXPOSED" in the thread title. If they win the championship you just disappear for a few months, and then come back as soon as they show any sign of struggle and bump your "EXPOSED" thread. In-between you just hop into any Wolves related thread and sprinkle in cherry picked stats about how all their players are busts and they are doomed for the next 20 years. When confronted with reality, DENY DENY DENY.

[chilluminati]

Yea I was pretty hard on the trade at the time because I didn't think KAT could effectively play PF. But he's proven me wrong. Outside of foul trouble and a few defensive concerns it's worked out for them. I was also hard on it because we were coming off a playoff series where the Clippers completely exposed the Utah defense. iirc they ran T Mann at center and focused 5 out, but Gobert just kept dropping instead of closing out. But look at him on the wolves, he comes all the way up to the pick now when necessary. The team just plays smarter defense with Gobert there, including Rudy himself.

I can't blame anyone who doubted the move. Twolves were a version of basketball hell for a long time with tons of mismanagement. It's easy to fall into a cycle of believing a team will always be like that.

God bless Ant man, he's really the key to it all obviously. He might be slightly sensationalized by the media right now, but you cannot deny his impact on the success of the team. Without him, they're still in basketball hell.

[Special_Puppy]

Wolves obliterating the Suns and Nuggets after entering the series as betting market underdogs is genuinely shocking

[JustBuzzin]

They look like the clear cut best team in basketball.

I didn't see this coming. I blame the Nat'l media for not putting them on Nat'l tv more this season. I had no idea Naz Reid was the best 6th man in basketball. In fact I never heard of Naz Reid in my life until I seen him on TNT receiving his award.

This team is old school defense and they got multiple Dawgs on that roster. When KAT can still be goofy and commit dumb mistakes on the court and they still win that says a lot.

#TheYearOfTheAnt

[Joao Saraiva]

I liked Rudy a lot in Utah.

I believed he and Mitchell could legit win us a ring given the right circumstances. I just lost hope when we lost to the injured Clippers.

However I wanted them both to not win once they left us because I thought both of them had childish behaviour.

Still think they overpaid for Rudy. But the overpay is fine as long as it's a championship move. Didn't seem so before this season but now...

People saying they liked Rudy and even the trade, I'm OK with that. Saying they could be a good team, I'm OK with that. Mopping the **** floor with the NBA champs at their floor after winning there the previous game... I don't think anyone saw that coming.

Jamal and Jokic looked the worst I've ever seen them in long time. Played miles below what they used to give us. That is not normal, I won't say it will repeat but so far it's a colossal win for them.

[Woodsanity]

They were already on the cusp on being elite last season already. They were the team last year that gave the Nuggets the most trouble.

Now they got better while the Nuggets got worse. Not surprised by the result.

They have multi-championship potential. The core is young.

[bisme37]

I've been kind of a secondary Wolves fan since the KG days. He was my favorite player even before he became a Celtic and I remember jumping on my bed I was so keyed up about that WCF series vs LAL a million years ago. And I was crushed when Cassell pulled his nutsack and Sprewell left to go feed his family and I had to look at Mario Jaric or whatever his name was and etc.

Then I got over it when KG went to Boston haha but point being I'm happy to see the Wolves thriving and being legit contenders. Only thing is now that they aren't so harmless I'm getting a little nervous about them and wondering if I should stop rooting for them lol.

Congrats Wolves fans though your team is dope.

[BlacJacMac]

I liked Rudy a lot in Utah.

I believed he and Mitchell could legit win us a ring given the right circumstances. I just lost hope when we lost to the injured Clippers.

However I wanted them both to not win once they left us because I thought both of them had childish behaviour.

Still think they overpaid for Rudy. But the overpay is fine as long as it's a championship move. Didn't seem so before this season but now...

People saying they liked Rudy and even the trade, I'm OK with that. Saying they could be a good team, I'm OK with that. Mopping the **** floor with the NBA champs at their floor after winning there the previous game... I don't think anyone saw that coming.

Jamal and Jokic looked the worst I've ever seen them in long time. Played miles below what they used to give us. That is not normal, I won't say it will repeat but so far it's a colossal win for them.

It really wasn't compared to the other blockbuster trades at the same time. Wolves didn't give up a Bridges or Cam Johnson level player - I'm not sure any of the bodies we traded would even be in our playoff rotation), so its really just a bunch of very late 1st round picks.

When you add the trade where we got Conley, NAW and three 2nd round picks for D'Lo its like Minnesota finally got even with Ainge for the KG trade to Boston...

[Wingy]

tell that to Shaq...

Nice. I thought of this immediately.

Should probably be the / Tim Connelly thread.

[hauntedcomputer]

I liked the Gobert trade because I like teams that try to win.

But Ainge still gets to be a genius for a bunch of picks in the late 20s that yield nothing.

[Godymas]

What I really love about this western conference is how these new face teams have proven to have another level. All season long the old guard was playing to their max level and we had no idea that these new coaches and faces were actually conserving energy for moments like this

[NZB2323]

Honestly as a Wolves fan it doesn't even bother me. The NBA did absolutely nothing to market these Wolves to a broader audience once the season started and things started to become very apparent. Their flawed TV deal meant they couldn't flex any games so the Wolves were only on national TV I think 3 or 4 times all year and two of those were the late game that nobody on the east coast was watching. Meanwhile the analysts spent their time all year talking about teams that either didn't make the playoffs in the west or are out in the first round. Really all most people had to go off was the word of T-Wolves fans and what do we know, we're T-Wolves fans.

I do feel bad for the greater NBA audience though. I've been watching basketball my whole and just from that perspective this team has been an absolute joy to watch all year long and most NBA fans missed out on it completely. Like seasons like this where it's just fun all year long and then ends up being even more fun in the playoffs are what fans beg for.

I went to game 5(I think) of the Timberwolves-Kings game in 2004 and I remember people in Minnesota were complaining afterwards that they weren’t able to watch the game because it was on TNT the Nets-Pistons game went to Triple OT.

We’ve come a long way in terms of streaming and watching, but yeah, all year they’ve covered the Lakers, Warriors, Clippers, and Suns way more than any team in the west that made the 2nd round. This is a changing of the guard and the NBA needs to focus more on promoting Ant, SGA, Jokic, Luka, and Kyrie, and less on LeBron, Curry, Kawhi, and Durant.

[Biff]

Only apology I owe them is I said I thought my Suns had a chance (based on us sweeping the reg season series).

But I've thought they are a contender all season. Elite D and plenty of offensive weapons. And Edwards has shown himself to be a playoff performer.

[sol537]

If Minny wins this year, which I think they will, that will be 6 different champions in six seasons. Great parity for the league.

The only thing that can stop Minny is probably Boston… and the luxury tax (cheap owner?). We shall see!

[CobraCommander]

hey man, i just keep it a buck. i troll (in good humor) when the moment calls for it, I argue when the moment calls for it, i root against teams when the moment calls for it, but gotta call it like i see it. i didnt see this coming, and ill be the first to admit it.

We all do - but come on - guys don’t apologize when they wrong for sheeeeeeeetttttt


See eyeatoma and his Embiid love -

tell that to Shaq...

I stand corrected- I need to see eyeatoma begging forgiveness with Big Perk on Embiid being the mvp then

[ryguy613]

The wolves looked scary too me since the warriors dynasty but they just never put it together.
Imo if they win it will move the nba further from small ball and towards tall athletic guys who are skilled at everything and can defend. Started already with the nuggets last year and even the bucks. Warriors 22 was an anomaly

Actually I would argue it started with the Lakers in 2020, was repeated by the Bucks in 2021, and was more or less refined and perfected by the Nuggets, since Jokic is just a unique talent, and adding Gordon opened up a lot of things on both sides of the court.

[OkcSinceSGA]

Even if they don’t win beyond this Denver series, I definitely am willing to admit I didn’t give them nearly enough credit. Mainly defensively. They’ve risen so fast on that end, I thought maybe it was fool’s gold or a Memphis 2.0 situation. Where a young team punched the league in the mouth and simply caught teams off guard one year. But this looks very sustainable to me.

Nothing they are doing feels like a fluke because they do it consistently with effort, heart, good habits. I’m worried for OKC because if one team defensively was built to dismantle them with all their perimeter defenders, it’s Minny. I’m curious if OKC can go to another gear like Minny vs Dallas.