T Wolves bite the dust in Atlanta

[sickdsm]

BTW,



Explain to me how a guy who is 18th in the league in blocks from the SF spot is poor defensively.

Part of Minnesota's problem is that neither one of your coaches realized that Griffin was better than anyone on that team not named Garnett or Szczerbiak.

Guys like you obviously don't get it. Griffen wasn't playing the SF spot. How many times did you see KG, Kandi AND Eddie all together? But the main reason why you don't get it is blocks don't make the defender. Chris Anderson can be a block machine. Griffen continually gets pumpfaked into fouls, misses his rotations and assignments and doesn't know HOW to deny position on the block, defend a pic and roll, close out jumpshooters without committing a foul, etc...

Get it now?

[sickdsm]

I never said i wanted to dump Griffen. I don't want them to pay the money he's going to be worth. A 3pt shooting back up PF really isn't going to make or break this team now is it?

Carter played with more balls and heart than alot of other players on this team. His at ude is right and he plays balls out defense.

You obviously haven't watched Kandi play under McHale lately have you? Besides theres only one year left and its a contract year. Do you even think before you ? He's not Brad Miller but he's Dean Garrett either. He'll be fine if they get a decent coach.

[Experiment2100]

All of the collapse the season was just to make it easier for Spree to find a summer job so he could feed his family. It's hard to find one in late May.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Nope. Sorry, half the time Flip (and now McHale) didn't even *play* Griffin in games (I know, I had him on one of my fantasy teams).

You can't blame the problems your team had on Griffin and "missing rotations" when you were getting your asses handed to you for two months while he was injured and then bench fodder.

In the games where Griffin has played more than 20 minutes, they are 30-13 (for perspective their record is 40-37).

Minnesota's defensive problems boil down to the fact that their defensive mindset is using the zone as a crutch so they didn't have to focus on man to man defensive skills. The fact that the Wolves have used that for a good 2-3 years now has created a mindset of "I don't need to play defense, my teammates will cover for me."

Even KG has regressed defensively, and it doesn't do that team any good at all with having an ancient perimeter game in Cassell and Spree out there. That's a lot of rotating to do because they couldn't defend Fat Bas one on one if their lives depended on it.

What's sad is you're such a homer that you can't recognize Griffin as being the third best player on that team. If your coaches would have figured out giving him more run was a good thing, you might be looking at doing something in May besides getting ready for the lotto balls.

[sickdsm]

He needs to have a more dominant guy playing center for him to be mildly effective. You obviously didn't watch him play much did you? That's why your throwing stats out there. I see you chose to ignore my Chris Anderson comment and his other inadequacies. He can block shots like its noone else's business but that doesn't make a great defender. And so what? So what if they do keep him, it will probably be for some good jack. He's not going to ever play ahead of KG, he's not a SF and forcing KG to move to center for him to play would be a mistake. His shot is horrible. Somehow it goes in but he has no arc, loves to jack up the three and would be a backup. I'd like to have him here but there's much, MUCH more that should be addressed. Don't act like you know so much about him bc he's on one of your fantasy teams. , i had the birdman last year during a stretch to help out on my blocks but it doesn't mean he's worth much.


A guy like devin brown would be worth 10x the value to the wolves than a guy like Griffen. Get rid of Troy's contract, do what you can, watch the budget and don't saddle yourself with Isiah's dilemna of contracts.

[sickdsm]

I apologize Aggie. I realiezed today that he is restricted, similar to Trenton's status last year with the whole 3 years in the league deal. I also heard that he's looking at a deal in the ballpark of $20 mill/5 years. Like i said, the money is the problem i have. I don't know what's available for the MLE but it depends who's available for that price before i'd commit to him. Both KG and him are too small/thin to be a center, he's never going to be better than Kev, and if for some reason he plays SF that would HAVE to mean a speedy, slashing, tough defender type guy would start at SG, something that the wolves don't have. Otherwise he's a career backup with the wolves.

[milkyway21]

Memphis lost to Houston tonight. And Minny won over GS.

they're still alive, right? as long as they win their last 4 games*.

last one vs. Spurs. must not happen

[Jdspur20]

KG wasn't healthy. Did you watch any wolves games this year??????

nither is duncan but you don't see us making excuses. have a nice summer.

[sickdsm]

There is no excuses to be made. The supporting squad has stepped it up. Obviously the wolves supporting squad didn't.

[Jimcs50]

If Spurs sweep Memphis and Minny wins next 3...Memphis would have to win against Denver and Dallas to stay in playoffs, if Minn beats SA on last day.

That will be a good final test for Spurs, to beat a Minn team that has to win on last day to get playoff spot.

I hope it happens.

[boutons]

According to this:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/standi...l&seasontype=2

... Grizz are the only WC team that has not clinched a playoff spot. The only WC team not mathemtically eliminated is TWolves.

1. The Grizz will be extremely motivated to take both games from Spurs. If the Spurs win both games (but Pop may tank the rest of the season), ...

then next Wednesday:

2. TWolves will be extremely motivated vs Spurs @MIN, because if they can beat the Spurs (Pop may tank the last game of the seaon, Spurs go 60-22), and ..

3. Mavs finish off the Grizz @MEM (highly likely, the Mavs are charging into the playoffs with momentum and confidence, like the Spurs did last year),

... then, with the Grizz losing all the way, and the TWolves winning all the way, the TWolves would steal 8th spot on the last day of the season. That would be wonderful end-of-season entertainment.

Suns would start the playoffs with a effective first-round "bye" vs TWolves, while the Spurs would have to stretch themselves to the max stop the Nuggets.

[Jimcs50]

boutons, get off my nuts.

I just said all of that.

[Jimcs50]

BTW, Denver will finish ahead of Houston, they will beat them this weekend, so stop worrying.

[MadDog73]

Suns would start the playoffs with a effective first-round "bye" vs TWolves, while the Spurs would have to stretch themselves to the max stop the Nuggets.

Has LakerGod infected you with his frie and brimstone sermons?

I, for one, would HATE to face the T-Wolves if they made it to the Playoffs. Talk about inspired...

And while facing the Nuggets isn't my first choice, I don't think they will "stretch us to the max." And if they do, maybe it will be a good thing.

But the T-Wolves have as much of a chance to make it to the Playoffs as the Nuggets do of making it to the 3rd seed!

[Jimcs50]

Has LakerGod infected you with his frie and brimstone sermons?

I, for one, would HATE to face the T-Wolves if they made it to the Playoffs. Talk about inspired...

And while facing the Nuggets isn't my first choice, I don't think they will "stretch us to the max." And if they do, maybe it will be a good thing.

But the T-Wolves have as much of a chance to make it to the Playoffs as the Nuggets do of making it to the 3rd seed!

Not true, look at Memphis' schedule:

@DEN @SA SA DAL

The way they are playing, they could easily lose out.

Minn's schedule:

APRIL OPPONENT TIME (ET) TV NAT TV TICKETS
Fri 15 at Utah 9:00 PM Fox Sports North Find Tickets
Sun 17 Seattle 3:30 PM Find Tickets
Mon 18 at New Orleans 8:00 PM KSTC 45 Find Tickets
Wed 20 San Antonio


They have an easy win at Utah tonight, then 2 easy games, then they might play a SA team that has no incentive to win at all.

[MadDog73]

They have an easy win at Utah tonight, then 2 easy games, then they might play a SA team that has no incentive to win at all.

You mean, like SA had an easy win?

Fact is, you can't count on anything. Nuggets still could get 3rd seed. Sure, it's unlikely as , but it's possible...

Man, poor Hornets. They have to play a desperate Sonics team and a desperate Wolves team.

[Jimcs50]

You mean, like SA had an easy win?

Fact is, you can't count on anything. Nuggets still could get 3rd seed. Sure, it's unlikely as , but it's possible...

Man, poor Hornets. They have to play a desperate Sonics team and a desperate Wolves team.

Utah played last night, so Minn gets them on back to back..
Utah beat odds last night..... ty teams do not do that twice in a row on back to backs.

[MadDog73]

Utah played last night, so Minn gets them on back to back..
Utah beat odds last night..... ty teams do not do that twice in a row on back to backs.

OK, so the Wolves make the playoffs. I can see that happening.

But why would they be a bye vs the Suns?!?

[samikeyp]

I feel for Sick but I hope Minny's collapse makes Wolves009 jump off a building.

[sickdsm]

Its a viable scenario. I very well could see Memphis losing the rest of their games and Mn wrapping up agaisnt SA with them controlling their fate. I think if it comes down to that it would be a very tough game for either teams. That's been on the horizon for quite a while now.

BUT, why would the last game of the season mean nothing but the 2nd and 3rd game meaning something? I think the spurs will wind up the 2nd seed and the last few games meaning nothing.

[samikeyp]

so by your logic, the Wolves have only been in the playoffs once, and that was last year. Nice.

[MadDog73]

Its a viable scenario. I very well could see Memphis losing the rest of their games and Mn wrapping up agaisnt SA with them controlling their fate. I think if it comes down to that it would be a very tough game for either teams. That's been on the horizon for quite a while now.

BUT, why would the last game of the season mean nothing but the 2nd and 3rd game meaning something? I think the spurs will wind up the 2nd seed and the last few games meaning nothing.

(ignoring wolves009)

Well, i think the point is the last game MIGHT not mean anything, depending on the earlier games.

If we still have a shot of beating the Suns for the Number 1 spot, I'm guessing the last game will mean SOMETHING....

(BTW, the Suns play later than us on April 20, so we may not know the final seeding until the Suns finish their last game).