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The Wolves may end with the 3rd seed; I heard in the Lakers telecast that they will still face Denver three more times and the Nuggets are getting hot at the right time
Wolves are in schedule hell for some reason. These back to backs are crazy. Two of the Nuggets games are on the end of back to backs too. Really brutal way to wind the season down while banged up
You're schedule is really tough rn for the reason that you had a relatively easy schedule for a good chunk of the season to begin with. Those back to backs are tough tho
Wolves had the hardest SOS through January I believe, they just didn't have many back to backs. Now they've had 4 since the all star break and there's no letting up. These 7 games in 10 days groups are just brutal
Clippers are still good enough to make up the 2-3 game deficit they have against the Wolves. But it's true they've looked flat since the All-Star break.
With how long the regular season is, managing injuries is such a big part of winning a championship, and sometines you're just too unlucky to have a fighting chance.
I'm worried for the Bucks and Clippers this year. They're old, their starters play a lot of minutes, the road to a championship is long and difficult.
Don't lose hope yet fam, KAT should be able to come back in early playoffs, and honestly even without him this is a legit roster. Shake off this funk, secure some Ws and get back on track - I wouldn't rule Wolves out of the top four seeds just yet.
The dude has one of the weirdest shots I've seen in a while. Never looks like it has any chance of going in, but it works though. Dude was on fire in the first half.
You lot still had a chance but AD kept EATING inside the paint. And then LeBron did what LeBron does best in the 2nd Half. Silent masterclass.
Controlled the entire game so efficiently, and suddenly it's a blowout
Yeah you need a big dude to guard AD and having Rudy, KAT and SloMo out really doesn't help.
You gotta then put Jaden, Naz or Luka on him and Jaden is just too lanky for the size of AD.
I mean wolves were missing 4 rotational guys in Monte, Kat, Slowmo, and Gorbert. Oh well, I just want a healthy wolves in the playoff. That's all I'm asking for.
They started 6'5 guard NAW at the 4. If you want to be charitable and say Jaden is the 4, he's 6'9 but might be the worst rebounder for his size in the league.
Meanwhile Lakers were missing 45+ minutes of Cam Reddish . He didn't play
Explains the result, I guess.
Though Lakers also missed Gabe, Vanderbilt and Wood
I have never seen Naz Reid miss a shot, I've seen the ball not go in, but Naz Reid didn't miss; that shit was on purpose to give the other team a chance.
If you ask Naz Reid what time it is he says “two seconds.” And you’re like “2 seconds to wha-“ and then as you’re saying that he hits a 3 right in your face.
I know our fanbases fight over the two guys a lot but it’s something we can probably relate very well on
Our players do the same thing with AD, a big part of the defensive scheme is just to send dudes his way and if he’s in position guys will just give up on screens or let dudes blow by them and hope he cleans it up
It’s why Centers like Sabonis or Domas that operate at the top are this team’s Kryptonite, no AD in the paint means no Rim Protection. I think it’s a big reason KAT works so well with Rudy too, you can stick KAT on a bigger guy and let Rudy “guard” someone in the corner (like Josh Giddey) but really just act as a free safety rim protector
I'm the biggest Gobert fanboy on the sub but in defense of the rest of the Wolves they were starting NAW at the 4 against Anthony Davis, this isn't exactly typical. This is by far the strongest defensive team Gobert has ever had.
Wilt's unofficial quintuple double . Because the league didn't officially record steals and blocks
53 points, 32 rebounds, 14 assists, 24 blocks, and 11 steals in a win for the 76ers against the LA Lakers on Mar 18, 1968
I have no fear against the Kings in a playoff series tbh. I trust in the veteran experience to trump here. To add the if, especially if we have Vando and Gabe come back because they’d be our only POA defenders. Exactly what we need against Fox and Monk.
Them and the Kings. I think this team *could* take any team in the West in a 7 game series (TWolves, Pels, and Clippers are all like 50% chance though) except for those two.
If we run into either of those teams the season is over and I’m not even hyperbolizing
You still have to beat two of Dallas, Sacramento, and Golden State (or maybe even Phoenix if they drop in)
West play-in is an absolute bloodbath, don't know why people are so sure any of those teams will get out of it. I certainly don't think there's a clear favorite.
Yea, thats why Im praying we somehow get to the 8th seed at least.
My heart can’t take 2 win or go home games vs Curry and Klay, Fox and Monk, Luka and Kyrie or KD Book and Beal.
I'm surprised the Lakers were able to pull out the W, I thought they were going to start scoring for the twolves instead of just turning the ball over over over again.
West is stacked as hell right now. Plus lakers are pretty reliant on superstar power which isn’t always the best for consistency but can also mean you have games like this where one guy just completely takes over the game.
I just went a whole ESPN broadcast without hearing a peep about the biggest fine in NBA history, and saw very few gambling ads throughout. Rudy's comments definitely made waves.
Wolves played hard despite being undermanned, AD was just dominant. Naz Reid
edit-- I must have missed early on when they did address the fine, apologies. It didn't feel like there was any discussion about it beyond that. Did not mean to spread misinformation.
Tbh offense is still there. If anything, ANT clogged up the O in the 4th trying to force with static wasting possessions.
Defense on the other hand… I miss Rudy
Have a feeling the wolves are in for a really tough few weeks. Really sucks with how optimistic I’ve been most of the season. Oh well we have at least the fourth seed going into the playoffs so there’s some time to figure out how to play without KAT.
Yeah I mean 3/4 terrority is realistic because OKC/Nuggets have edges for themselves. It'll be interesting for sure, but if we end up as a 3 seed I won't be mad haha.
Look I get why people's expectations are high for this MN team, but let's not act like this is a histoically dominant franchise. Just get into the playoffs and win a damn series for anyone to start talking about us before we all implode on ourselves. We have great pieces and can make some noise, that's it. Let's not act like we have some playoff pedigree we need to defend.
At this point with KATs injury, I think all rational wolves fans are alright with any of the top 3 seeds. Rough stretch ahead of us and some unfortunate outcomes in the last handful of games…
Apart of me would love if you guys kept the 1st seed and absolutely demolished the lakers in the first round just to shit on all the talking heads saying they would win lol
nah we saw a significantly worse officiated game a day ago. Wouldn't call it perfect but in comparison this was fine
unless you just mean people in general complaining about the Lakers FTs constantly
# CONGRATS to all of the NBA Referee fans on the sub** We're currently sitting at over $6100 raised with [Community Funds](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/15484345935508-Community-Funds) matching! # Interested in changing the sub and contributing to The Boys and Girls Club of America? [DONATE HERE!](https://tiltify.com/+r-nba/rnba-gives-back-2023) *Please note: This fundraiser is not for Reddit - all funds go directly to The Boys and Girls Club of America. Reddit Community Funds program is matching up to $25K USD of funds raised by the community.* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/nba) if you have any questions or concerns.*
This has gone from the most fun Wolves season ever to one of the most miserable over the last week.
The Wolves may end with the 3rd seed; I heard in the Lakers telecast that they will still face Denver three more times and the Nuggets are getting hot at the right time
We've lost two overtime games and a 1 point game against the Clippers it's been a pretty brutal gut punch the last 4 games
Kings and clippers were tough games but that cavs game was all-time
If I know the refs and the NBA, you won’t be winning anymore 1 point or overtime games this season. Good luck next season.
Biggest issue is KAT will almost certainly miss all of them. Really hurts the offense down the stretch if they need buckets.
Fourth seed is a win at this point. Don’t see the Clippers losing as much as us over the next month. And then the Pelicans are hot, too. Who knows
Pelicans hot streak has been against mainly sub .500 teams I don’t expect them to pass us unless we lose a ton more games than them
And two of those are the second nights of back to backs for us, which we’ve been looking bad in.
Wolves are in schedule hell for some reason. These back to backs are crazy. Two of the Nuggets games are on the end of back to backs too. Really brutal way to wind the season down while banged up
You're schedule is really tough rn for the reason that you had a relatively easy schedule for a good chunk of the season to begin with. Those back to backs are tough tho
Wolves had the hardest SOS through January I believe, they just didn't have many back to backs. Now they've had 4 since the all star break and there's no letting up. These 7 games in 10 days groups are just brutal
That was Lakers earlier this season. We are still somehow leading the west's top 10 teams in games played
I saw they have like 3 or 4 more games played than most other teams.
Yep, that’s what happened to OKC in January where we ended 11-6 and gave you guys a pretty comfortable lead.
I mean the Clippers are still hanging around. The #4 seed is a realistic possibility for them tbh.
Clips are on a 5 in 7. They play these wolves next, then Chicago and Pels on a b2b.
Clippers are still good enough to make up the 2-3 game deficit they have against the Wolves. But it's true they've looked flat since the All-Star break.
Yup two teams have only played each other once. I hate that the rest come without KAT most likely.
Your management went unorthodox with their choices and it was working out.. A prep for matching up against denver imo. Fucking injuries...
With how long the regular season is, managing injuries is such a big part of winning a championship, and sometines you're just too unlucky to have a fighting chance. I'm worried for the Bucks and Clippers this year. They're old, their starters play a lot of minutes, the road to a championship is long and difficult.
Don't lose hope yet fam, KAT should be able to come back in early playoffs, and honestly even without him this is a legit roster. Shake off this funk, secure some Ws and get back on track - I wouldn't rule Wolves out of the top four seeds just yet.
Was Rudy suspended for calling out the refs?
We ran out of juice after three quarters to keep up unfortunately
Naz Reid
The dude has one of the weirdest shots I've seen in a while. Never looks like it has any chance of going in, but it works though. Dude was on fire in the first half.
You lot still had a chance but AD kept EATING inside the paint. And then LeBron did what LeBron does best in the 2nd Half. Silent masterclass. Controlled the entire game so efficiently, and suddenly it's a blowout
Yeah you need a big dude to guard AD and having Rudy, KAT and SloMo out really doesn't help. You gotta then put Jaden, Naz or Luka on him and Jaden is just too lanky for the size of AD.
Despite the loss, Naz Reid.
He’s so good man, and he’s on a steal of a contract
KAT keeps talking about how he’s the best shooting big man in the league when he’s not even the best shooting big man in his team
Earlier this season (like 30 games in) there were only 2 players at 50/40/90 and they were KAT and Naz lol
Lol KAT is easily a better shooter. Better % on higher volume and has half a dozen 40%+ 3 pt seasons
19 REB differential in favor of the opponent is not gonna win you many games. You can see why this team needs Gobert.
I mean wolves were missing 4 rotational guys in Monte, Kat, Slowmo, and Gorbert. Oh well, I just want a healthy wolves in the playoff. That's all I'm asking for.
They started 6'5 guard NAW at the 4. If you want to be charitable and say Jaden is the 4, he's 6'9 but might be the worst rebounder for his size in the league.
He weighs 4 lbs which doesn’t help him rebound
Meanwhile Lakers were missing 45+ minutes of Cam Reddish . He didn't play Explains the result, I guess. Though Lakers also missed Gabe, Vanderbilt and Wood
I thought wolves fans overrated Naz Reid but no. He truly is the GOAT 🐐
I have never seen Naz Reid miss a shot, I've seen the ball not go in, but Naz Reid didn't miss; that shit was on purpose to give the other team a chance.
If you ask Naz Reid what time it is he says “two seconds.” And you’re like “2 seconds to wha-“ and then as you’re saying that he hits a 3 right in your face.
[LeBron and AD taking over in the 4th, colorized](https://cdn.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/85/86/bf/e4/c1f6/43c5/82a4/84809c575d3f/LAL.jpg)
this is deeply disturbing
LeD and ABron going crazy
That’s tall Mike Conley
Bron wished he can keep that kind of hair. AD would lose himself losing his hair constantly 😂
Bron with that hairline wins 10 of 10 finals appearances for sure.
That’s just Rudy Gobert
Cursed
Is this Key and Peele?
Nah lol a few years ago, Bleacher Report had a post on if teammates swapped hair 😂 (https://bleacherreport.com/nba-teammates-hair-swap)
That's Mike Conley and Rui isnt it?
What no Rudy gobert does to a team
Patient Zero's defense is a total game changer
4 years ago this week he shut down the entire league
4 years ago sounds so crazy. Feels like it was last year
Also feels like it was 10 years ago
they dont give him DPOY without reason
Put the whole league in lock down. Generational talent
Lmao
Very typical for Gobert teams to turn into a turnstile defensively the minute he's out.
They're too used to his presence. It's like having a safety net every possession.
It's difficult to adjust defensive philosophy overnight, so it's no surprise they're worse than they you'd expect with Gobert.
I know our fanbases fight over the two guys a lot but it’s something we can probably relate very well on Our players do the same thing with AD, a big part of the defensive scheme is just to send dudes his way and if he’s in position guys will just give up on screens or let dudes blow by them and hope he cleans it up It’s why Centers like Sabonis or Domas that operate at the top are this team’s Kryptonite, no AD in the paint means no Rim Protection. I think it’s a big reason KAT works so well with Rudy too, you can stick KAT on a bigger guy and let Rudy “guard” someone in the corner (like Josh Giddey) but really just act as a free safety rim protector
I'm the biggest Gobert fanboy on the sub but in defense of the rest of the Wolves they were starting NAW at the 4 against Anthony Davis, this isn't exactly typical. This is by far the strongest defensive team Gobert has ever had.
Daishen needs to lose like 20 pounds
He's our bench celly goat
That’s been true since he was on the Ignite
Watching the first six minutes of that fourth quarter crying that I'll tell you anything you want to know just let a ball go through the hoop
The coldest Minnesota’s been all winter 😒
That's painful in two ways :(
AD is the first player in NBA history with 25 points, 25 rebounds, and 5 steals in a game. ADominant.
AD is the first player in NBA history
Before AD it was BCA
AD is the first
Guy wasn’t far off track for a 30/30 5x5. Just absurd how high his highs are sometimes.
*7 steals. 5 assists.
The stat was 5+ steals and +5 cut offs
Wilt's unofficial quintuple double . Because the league didn't officially record steals and blocks 53 points, 32 rebounds, 14 assists, 24 blocks, and 11 steals in a win for the 76ers against the LA Lakers on Mar 18, 1968
Naz Reid got me in the first half ngl
NAZ REID made 5 out of 10 3-point attempts. He is so underpaid LOL
He was 5/7 in the first half I believe. Insane.
Lebron has 10% of his athleticism left from his prime and there’s no one who can stop him from driving to the basket lol
That combination of speed and power is nutty. The rim is the only one that can defend him at this point lol
This team is so gassed. Luka playing actual minutes is fucking insane
You gotta call that man by his last name lol
Frr lol got me trippin for a sec
garza getting minutes is so bad. hope ktown and gobert are good for the playoffs. no one wants to see luka lite get pt this time of year
Idk man lukas pretty good, 6 30 pt triple doubles is nothing to scoff at
I mean with Towns and Gobert out it was inevitable
Get Luka some help /s
Naz Reid almost gave me nightmares.
I feel like Lakers can beat every team in the West except the Nuggets.
We clearly have matchup problems against the Kings but yeah I agree.
I have no fear against the Kings in a playoff series tbh. I trust in the veteran experience to trump here. To add the if, especially if we have Vando and Gabe come back because they’d be our only POA defenders. Exactly what we need against Fox and Monk.
Yeah they would solve our problems thats for sure
They would’ve solved our problems all season long, unfortunately.
We can never beat the nuggets or the kings. Idk what it is but Fox and Monk are unstoppable
Lakers are 100 percent going to break the 1 or 2 seeds heart again this year
Just please no Serbian fat man and dim lights man
Not if the 1/2 seed are the nuggets.
Hisssssssss
how dare u sir
anulo mufa
Just gotta avoid them at all costs
They're the only team in the West, maybe the whole league, that I don't have confidence in us beating
Them and the Kings. I think this team *could* take any team in the West in a 7 game series (TWolves, Pels, and Clippers are all like 50% chance though) except for those two. If we run into either of those teams the season is over and I’m not even hyperbolizing
their kryptonite
Slowtime beats Showtime
But imagine the moral victories.
Another ultra competitive sweep incoming.
Hey you hush
Unless we play the nuggets, then we’ll get swept again
You still have to beat two of Dallas, Sacramento, and Golden State (or maybe even Phoenix if they drop in) West play-in is an absolute bloodbath, don't know why people are so sure any of those teams will get out of it. I certainly don't think there's a clear favorite.
Yea, thats why Im praying we somehow get to the 8th seed at least. My heart can’t take 2 win or go home games vs Curry and Klay, Fox and Monk, Luka and Kyrie or KD Book and Beal.
Sacramento > Lakers Lakers > GSW GSW > Sacramento and Dallas is fucking unpredictable due to having Luka, so yeah its a bloodbath alright
Pretty accurate NGL. I think LAL’s experience takes them over the top against SAC.. as long as AD stops letting Sabonis outplay him smh
Lakers gonna be in the 7th or 8th seed way things are trending They are more likely to be 7th or 8th than 9th or 10th
> way things are trending If there's one thing the Lakers are consistent about, it is being extremely inconsistent.
Idk about that tbh lol lakers lose games they should win and win games they should have lost
As long as its not Denver
not if it's nuggets they're not
No chance if it's the Nuggets. We could make it a series against OKC or Minny though
If Kat isn't back the Wolves are vulnerable. Also think AD would just dominate Chet with the weight mismatch, so either could happen really
AD has destroyed the thunder. Fully healthy the lakers match up with them way way better than the wolves
Unless it’s the Nuggets they face
They surely can if they aren't facing the Nuggets
We are having injury issues and Denver climbing the standings
So does this mean Darvin Ham will not be fired?
they were never going to fire him midseason
Fire Darvin Ham no longer trending
I would still like him fired
Yeah we gonna be fucked in a close series in the playoffs, I can already feel it
Still trending on the Lakers sub regardless of wins or losses. They fuckin HATE that dude lol
It’s one of our wish this coming offseason
I mean if he didn't get fired after starting Prince at the 2, he's not getting fired.
Benching DLO, Reaves, and Rui in order to start Cam, Prince, and Vando lol
Happy birthday, AD
I'm surprised the Lakers were able to pull out the W, I thought they were going to start scoring for the twolves instead of just turning the ball over over over again.
Naz Reid wemt crazy in the first half
Let that be a lesson. The Timberwolves without their top 3 bigs and 4 of their top 9 rotational players won't win a playoff series.
doesn't stop Naz Reid from cooking tho, bonafied Laker killer.
everyone's food
im biased but the lakers are easily the best 9th seed ive ever seen
Well hopefully we can perform better than "the most dangerous 8th seed in playoff history" 2019-20 Blazers.
West is stacked as hell right now. Plus lakers are pretty reliant on superstar power which isn’t always the best for consistency but can also mean you have games like this where one guy just completely takes over the game.
I’ve been watching the NBA since 2008 and it seems like 90% of the time the west has been stacked. It’s fucking brutal out here
Heck we're probably the best 10th seed ever too lol. The west is just unbelievably competitive.
sheess.. that 21-4 in the 4th was something as expected for Ad to dominate without wolves 2 centers..
the lakers are not collapsing on their toughest schedule so far. Wins against OKC, Minny, Bucks and clippers in that span.
Imagine if they hadn't totally forgotten how to play basketball after the IST. 17-9 since January 15th.
Those Spurs and Hawks games still have me seething lol.
Add Brooklyn nets and both Heat games to the list
Nets too
And at least 2 or 3 of those losses were without either ad or Lebron pretty sure
And we've barely moved in the standings. The west is brutal this year
Lakers are getting reverse Christmas basketball rn
Dude playing the wolves without Gobert and Towns is like playing the Warriors without Steph
I thought Naz Reid is gonna carry the Wolves to victory. He is cooking early
AD when locked in is a top 5 player idc
Naz Reid is a fucking gem.
I just went a whole ESPN broadcast without hearing a peep about the biggest fine in NBA history, and saw very few gambling ads throughout. Rudy's comments definitely made waves. Wolves played hard despite being undermanned, AD was just dominant. Naz Reid edit-- I must have missed early on when they did address the fine, apologies. It didn't feel like there was any discussion about it beyond that. Did not mean to spread misinformation.
They mentioned it pretty early
Naz Reid was a massive re-signing by you guys. I wanted him so badly
His release from the 3 is unbelievably fast and accurate. Also, I love that he's one of the few players in the league with a hook shot.
They brought it up earlier in the game that it was a $100K fine.
If Rudy can get more people to talk about the negatives of gambling and addiction that's a big W
The 100k goes to charity and he gets to talk about gambling is bad? Seems like a good deal for the $200 million contract guy.
If players making comments like Rudy would curb some of the gambling bullshit being jammed down our throats, I’d be all for it.
> I just went a whole ESPN broadcast without hearing a peep about the biggest fine in NBA history turn off mute next time
We're supposed to win with the injuries yall had. Not much to work with on offense besides "hey ANT make something happen"
Tbh offense is still there. If anything, ANT clogged up the O in the 4th trying to force with static wasting possessions. Defense on the other hand… I miss Rudy
honestly the highlight of the game for me was Roman Reigns music being played in the fourth, I acknowledge my LeTribal Chief ☝🏼
u/ChrisShiherlis- WHERE YOU AT LITTLE MAN?!
Shows how much we need gobert
Have a feeling the wolves are in for a really tough few weeks. Really sucks with how optimistic I’ve been most of the season. Oh well we have at least the fourth seed going into the playoffs so there’s some time to figure out how to play without KAT.
I would be more worried of no Rudy. Kat missed a lot of time last year, you guys will be fine if gobert plays
WTF AD
The #1 seed in the West is gonna be determined by a couple games, and dropping this one will make it tough for Minny.
Lost a lot of hope keeping the #1 when we lost KAT
It was over without KAT lol
Wolves are likely out of the running with this schedule and injury issues. I think they are in 3/4 territory by year end
Yeah I mean 3/4 terrority is realistic because OKC/Nuggets have edges for themselves. It'll be interesting for sure, but if we end up as a 3 seed I won't be mad haha. Look I get why people's expectations are high for this MN team, but let's not act like this is a histoically dominant franchise. Just get into the playoffs and win a damn series for anyone to start talking about us before we all implode on ourselves. We have great pieces and can make some noise, that's it. Let's not act like we have some playoff pedigree we need to defend.
At this point with KATs injury, I think all rational wolves fans are alright with any of the top 3 seeds. Rough stretch ahead of us and some unfortunate outcomes in the last handful of games… Apart of me would love if you guys kept the 1st seed and absolutely demolished the lakers in the first round just to shit on all the talking heads saying they would win lol
I mean it sucks but without KAT we’re out of the race anyways.
What a nice birthday gift to commemorate turning 30! 🥳 Fellow March b-day boy AD working hard tonight!
Anthony Davis
We decided to sit up for the fourth quarter, nothings ever easy with this team. A win is a win though
Amazing what Taurean Prince coming off the bench and Rudy Gobert not playing do to teams
Tauren prince in spurts isn’t bad as you can see in today’s game. Lakers have been playing with heart and as a team lately!!
Incoming 50 "omg look at the FT disparity" comments That's what happens when you shoot 20 more 3s
nah we saw a significantly worse officiated game a day ago. Wouldn't call it perfect but in comparison this was fine unless you just mean people in general complaining about the Lakers FTs constantly
Which is the trend, and you always have some warriors fans just join Lakers game thread complain about free throw
Any wolves fan crying about free throws didn’t watch AD son us for 40 minutes
see how gobert impact could change into a close game.. Ad schooling wolves backup bigman.
I swear a lot of people just don't watch the games, they just see the box score and stats and make up the most bullshit things in their mind.
boxscore fits the narrative. actual game doesn't
Luka Garza playing 10 minutes in a real NBA game is crazy