In-Season Tourney Game Thread: Minnesota Timberwolves San Antonio Spurs November 10th, 2023 | 7:00 PM CT

[CorrectCrusader]

That's tough

[CorrectCrusader]

Tough game to lose, but Minny is a fantastic team.

[ace3g]

Careless turnover x2...

[poopbox]

God if Sochan gets anything greater than an F- in the grades tonight after three unforced turnovers

I don't really understand how you can blame Sochan when his coach is forcing him to play a position he clearly doesn't have the skillset for. He shouldn't even be graded tbh cause he is literally being put in a position to fail by his coach. It's like a one legged man running a race, coming in last and being chastised for it.

[timtonymanu]

It’s considered a win when the other team didn’t score 140 points lol

[Floyd Pacquiao]

Sochan is bar none the dumbest basketball player I’ve ever seen

[timtonymanu]

Pop has the best job in the world. Have no plan and still be called the GOAT because he lived off of Duncan’s greatness.

[Frenchfred]

Again lack of rebounding has cost them the game.

[TekXX]

We're not winning the championship.....the mid season tournament championship.

[Barfunk]

Basketball is so fucking confusing. Is it the players, is it the coach, a mix of both. She's possessed, she's not possessed, that rack had better be stacked.

[Davidicus]

We at least fought back at the end, can't say that about the last 3 games

[tim_duncan_fan]

Not being able to traverse the court in possession of the ball on a professional level just fucks us constantly lol

[Leetonidas]

Basketball is so fucking confusing. Is it the players, is it the coach, a mix of both. She's possessed, she's not possessed, that rack had better be stacked.

Well said

[pRoshi]

Why is Wemby inbounding the ball at the end of the game? He doesnt have time to catch up before we take some ridiculous shot.

[hoopdreams11]

we need a 3 and D guy to start KJ taking shots away from the shooters. Him and Malaki 0-7 from three

[Barfunk]

Well said

It's tough, it's tough...

[Dex]

Quick thoughts:

Wemby and Vassell are the only two untouchable players on this roster

Sochan is not a PG and never will be

Spurs need to trade KJ while they can get some 2nd rounders for him

Do rebounding coaches exist? Because Spurs need one

[Arcadian]

Basketball is so fucking confusing. Is it the players, is it the coach, a mix of both. She's possessed, she's not possessed, that rack had better be stacked.

When they win, it's the players. When they lose, it could go either way, but coaches are more likely to sabotage a good team than to help a bad one.

[Mugen]

I love Keldon and wish him well on his next team tbh

[Mugen]

Starters: Tre/Devin/Sochan/Wemby/Collins
Bench: Cedi/Malaki/Keldon/McD/Bassey

Would try that for a while tbh. It honestly can't be worse defensively than what they've shown thus far but at least I don't have to watch Jeremy have to dribble up the floor and might actually see more than 1-2 entry passes to Wemby in a game.

[TimmyBuckets]

Jsfc someone please make a 24 pg draft think tank thread or some ish so I can have something to look forward to with this bum team.

[tim_duncan_fan]

Quick thoughts:

Wemby and Vassell are the only two untouchable players on this roster

Sochan is not a PG and never will be

Spurs need to trade KJ while they can get some 2nd rounders for him

Do rebounding coaches exist? Because Spurs need one

And a dribbling coach.

And a shooting coach.

And some lateral mobility training.

[wildbill2u]

I don’t understand what Jeremy’s plan is when he tries to drive. It’s like he is expecting to blow past his man and when he doesn’t he has no clue what to do.

Johnson has been teaching Sochan all the tricks about how to drive without a plan B. He's picking it up pretty quick.

[NASpurs]

How many times did Sochan dribble the ball up the court and then tried to either swing the ball around or make an entry pass get deflected/stolen? I counted like three :lol

[Barfunk]

When they win, it's the players. When they lose, it could go either way, but coaches are more likely to sabotage a good team than to help a bad one.

Which makes sense because when they win they had to execute properly. Coaching should get some credit of course. Again, confusing, lol.

[TimmyBuckets]

Why did pop go away from that shooting lineup with mcbuckets and Wemby on the floor. This geezer is wildin.

[spursparker9]

How many times did Sochan dribble the ball up the court and then tried to either swing the ball around or make an entry pass get deflected/stolen? I counted like three :lol

:lol Because the opponents know he can't shoot and can't dribble. His first option is to pass, hence easier to anticipate how to shut him.

[spursparker9]

I love Keldon and wish him well on his next team tbh

Yea, he has reached his peak tbh...now is the best time to trade him.

Maybe for two second round draft picks would be reasonable.

[SpursFan86]

Was nice to at least see some fight in the 4th. Not sold on anyone on this roster aside from Wemby and Vassell tbh. Still have faith in Sochan but he’s just such a negative on offense right now. If he was a decent finisher or had a remotely serviceable jumper I’d feel better.

Branham continues to disappoint. Crazy because he has such a smooth jumper from anywhere inside the 3 point line…and then his shot just looks completely broke from behind the arc.

[Frenchfred]

Honestly, they only need a PG who can shoot the three right now while Wemby develops. Sochan goes to PF and Johnson to the bench. Then, they can go after a superstar in 2 years.

[TimmyBuckets]

This team won’t be a play-in/playoff until 26 at this rate optimistically

[BackHome]

And you thought we were going to go from one of the worst teams to a NBA champion in a year or two?

[CorrectCrusader]

This team won’t be a play-in/playoff until 26 at this rate optimistically
Depends completely on Vassell and Victors development. I think we have a good shot next year if Vassell takes another leap.

[Davidicus]

The GOOD
- Victor with the most casual 29/9/4/4 game ever. 57% + 43%. Great highlight reel out there, always the bright spot in these losses.
- Vassell is the only shot I assume is going in. His shot release looks just like Kobe's. 55% from 3!
- Tre played a hell of a game. Clutch shots, good decision making, good defense.

The BAD
- Collins unsurprisingly got trounced on defense by KAT, and unsurprisingly his bully post game wasn't going to work against their twin towers. He fought hard though.
- Cedi looks like he's now second-guessing himself after his shooting slump the last few games.

The UGLY
- That might have been Sochan's worst game of the season. His stat line doesn't look that bad until the 6 TO's, which were at the worst times and just plain dumb errors.
- It's my professional opinion that Keldon single-handedly lost us the game in the 3rd quarter on a string of ill-advised shots. He ended the game shooting 20% on 10 shots.
- Branham shot 27% on 11 shoots. Oof.
- Pop pulled Victor in Q3 when we had all the momentum going. Sochan enters the game and immediately commits a turnover. I get developing the roster and all, but can we just hold off on that for a few mins longer while we're clawing back into the game?

OVERALL a step in the right direction. We have virtually no chemistry nor offensive identity. Our best players are very young and still figuring out their own skill set and how to play w/ each other. But this was a "good loss" imo, you can see the improvement areas game by game. We're figuring things out, buckle up and get comfy bc this is a long haul.

[TimmyBuckets]

This team has no defense, no discipline, no talent except 2 players

[boutons_deux]

Looks like another season under 500 and missing the playoffs

Why does pop let VW try to be a 3g shooter with a 30% for 3s? In

[baseline bum]

I don't really understand how you can blame Sochan when his coach is forcing him to play a position he clearly doesn't have the skillset for. He shouldn't even be graded tbh cause he is literally being put in a position to fail by his coach. It's like a one legged man running a race, coming in last and being chastised for it.

The double dribble, travel, and I forget the third unforced turnover all with no one around were pretty awful. I hate the way he's being used but there's no excuse for those three.

[TimmyBuckets]

Depends completely on Vassell and Victors development. I think we have a good shot next year if Vassell takes another leap.

Vassell’s averaging 17 and if he goes to 20-22 that still won’t move the needle. They need defense and playmaking. Wemby needs a pg not named tre jones.

[paperboy77]

I say screw it and bench Zack. Keep Pops pet project out there and while Tre is on the floor to prevent prolonged failure. At some point Jeremy will fall back to being a bad ass forward with good PG skills and great intangibles. Also, let Jeremy or KJ be an undersized PF or Center if on the defensive end (or on paper) while Wemby is a terror from the weakside on most plays. The offense will definitely flow better and Wemby will be Wemby like we all know he can be.

[itzsoweezee]

Fantastic game by Jones. That closing lineup looked really good. I’d like it even better if Osman has been in there for Keldon

[Mugen]

I say screw it and bench Zack. Keep Pops pet project out there and while Tre is on the floor to prevent prolonged failure. At some point Jeremy will fall back to being a bad ass forward with good PG skills and great intangibles. Also, let Jeremy or KJ be an undersized PF or Center if on the defensive end (or on paper) while Wemby is a terror from the weakside on most plays. The offense will definitely flow better and Wemby will be Wemby like we all know he can be.

The issue is that Wemby just isn't strong enough to play C that many mins. He was getting bullied by Gobert on the offensive glass all night. I'm honestly not against Zach going to the bench but I'd start Bassey instead of him if I was doing that tbh.

The move is Keldon to the bench and Tre starting at point tbh but I don't think we'll see it for another 10-15 games at the minimum.

[Trill Clinton]

The youngest team in the league played hard but the turnovers and poor shooting were just too much to overcome for a team this inexperienced.

[MannyIsGod]

Many of the same problems from previous games exist, but they did find Wemby in easy scoring spots much better. Wemby's shot selection above the arc is so bad but he's not shooting so awfuly that its killing them. Still I feel he's giving possessions away at times.

[John B]

TWolves is a very good team with three AS. Spurs played a close game so no shame. Pop could care less about the record. He cares about the team competing. It’s still a long way to go. They need to clean up on the TO’s, keep the ball moving for an open man, and defend shots. These all while Wemby, and company i.e. Sochan and the rest, develop. Trust the process.

[poopbox]

The double dribble, travel, and I forget the third unforced turnover all with no one around were pretty awful. I hate the way he's being used but there's no excuse for those three.

Sure there are excuses. He is handling the ball way more than he should. So he is going to have unforced turnovers way more than he should.

[spursparker9]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC8WE4j7j5E

[Sentenza]

It's frustrating because the team has great potential, but let's be patient, we are still rebuilding. This will be the last year of re-recruitment, we must look for good players in the Draft, to help Wemby and Vassel, we are still missing at least 1 big talent.

[tbdog]

The issue is that Wemby just isn't strong enough to play C that many mins. He was getting bullied by Gobert on the offensive glass all night. I'm honestly not against Zach going to the bench but I'd start Bassey instead of him if I was doing that tbh.

The move is Keldon to the bench and Tre starting at point tbh but I don't think we'll see it for another 10-15 games at the minimum.

That spacing would be atrocious.

[tbdog]

It's frustrating because the team has great potential, but let's be patient, we are still rebuilding. This will be the last year of re-recruitment, we must look for good players in the Draft, to help Wemby and Vassel, we are still missing at least 1 big talent.

I think the concern is that we are much further away than we thought. Defensively we are a long way off. I honestly thought we could get close to that 20th worse team on D. With Wemby their lengthy starting 5. But we are 30th. No improvement over last season!

[TheChillFactor]

i love sochan and hope he's on the team a long time but when is the last time you saw a point guard get called for travelling THREE TIMES in a game?

Not carrying, straight up travelling.

[Dex]

And you thought we were going to go from one of the worst teams to a NBA champion in a year or two?

I don't think anybody reasonably thought the Spurs would become contenders overnight, but it would be nice to NOT get blown out by 30 from some of the worst teams in the league.

Even last year's tank squad at least managed to appear competitive.

At this point, I'm only watching to see what Wemby does...and to a lesser extent, Vassell. Everything else is pretty disappointing so far

[spurraider21]

Fwiw I’m ok with losing games like this one. Obviously prefer wins but expectations have to be reasonable given the roster and starting point guard situation.

[daslicer]

Any game where Victor has a good game is a good loss. This season is all about Victor learning to play at a high level.

[JeffDuncan]

It might be interesting that the Twolves starters and the Spurs starters played to a tie, with 89 points each. The difference in the final score was entirely due to bench scoring. Their bench scored 28, ours 21.

[Chomag]

I don't care if they lose right now as long as the are putting effort out there and competing. That's why this loss wasn't to bad to warch.

[spursparker9]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_nV-YU-cnM

[boutons_deux]

I don't care if they lose right now as long as the are putting effort out there and competing. That's why this loss wasn't to bad to warch.

The effort isn't there

The hustle isn't there

No hustle means getting out rebounded, not crashing. The boards, not blocking out

No hustle means poor defense, individual defense, and team defense

[paperboy77]

The issue is that Wemby just isn't strong enough to play C that many mins. He was getting bullied by Gobert on the offensive glass all night. I'm honestly not against Zach going to the bench but I'd start Bassey instead of him if I was doing that tbh.

The move is Keldon to the bench and Tre starting at point tbh but I don't think we'll see it for another 10-15 games at the minimum.

I don't think with what i said Wemby needs to play any center at all. At least not the super physical action. I say let Jeremy or Kelden play Dramon Green type center. Let them put a body on their bigs and have Wemby be Wemby. The issue with Zack and Bassey is that there are slow footed. Physical yes but usually is slow and in the way.

[spurs10]

The game was competitive. On to the next....GSG

[LakerHater]

Tre controlled the offense much better than Sochan.