Celtics vs. Bucks Reaction, Anthony Edwards’ Leap & Coach of the Year Contenders | The Lowe Post

Celtics vs. Bucks Reaction, Anthony Edwards’ Leap & Coach of the Year Contenders | The Lowe Post

And now the low post welcome to the low post podcast on a Thursday morning the first day the first real day of March Madness cuz what’s already happened is fake other than my blood Feud against the University of Virginia took another good turn for this guy right here never

Happened to a better school I don’t even know who they lost to I don’t know what happened I just know they were embarrassed and it was great Tim McMahon we’re going to talk about the NBA even though it’s March Madness do you have a team in March Madness this year I don’t

The the mean green the north Texas main green are back in the NIT trying to defend their title um I’ll be honest with you Zach not only did I not fill out a bracket this year which is the first time in a long time I haven’t actually looked at a bracket other than

A quick glance um so I’m probably glad that we’re not going to have a whole lot of March Madness analysis I do know though that Virginia lost to Colorado State in what looked like a score from a bowl game not a March Madness playin well 30s

I know UVA has been this like under under what’s his name Bennett has been in this like defense slow it down we’re gonna make this completely unwatchable they did win a National Championship with DeAndre Hunter among others I think Ty Jerome was on that team there’s a

Bunch of NBA guys couple NBA guys at least from that team yeah I I don’t know the exact score I just know it was a not much on the Virginia side a tough day for the University that just refers to itself as the university as if it’s the

Only University what it is is not in the final field of 64 uh Tim McMahon 6742 Dan says there you go 6742 that is a a blowout and not a lot of points for the team that got 42 uh okay let’s let’s go around the league for a bit um last

Night was set to be one of the games of the season and then it wasn’t when yanis sento had to sit out with the hamstring in the Bucks kind of exciting toward the end three-point loss uh in Boston that’s the third time the teams have played this year I love this matchup despite

The fact that Boston has lapped the field with everybody in the East this year I think with Chris Middleton back bucks fully healthy this is a really interesting matchup strategically schematically and and I guess part of the upside of so they’ve had three games one was the Wednesday before

Thanksgiving was a game Boston pulled away and won at home second one was Boston in Milwaukee second half of a backtack after an overtime win against the Wolves they get absolutely mauled in the first half sit everybody in the second half you don’t throw it away it

Just was half a game it’s just like 24 minutes of useless the second 24 minutes of like we can’t learn anything from this and then last night Giannis doesn’t play and so it’s still kind of a mystery there are still a lot of cards to play

In this matchup they play one more time I I kind of hope we get I like we don’t know if they’re going to face off in the playoffs obviously the Bucks and the Celtics have some work to do to get there but there’s an air of mystery

About this this game got a little hairy for the Boston Celtics in the fourth quarter they had a bunch of sloppy turnovers the Bucks went Zone I thought they passed out of a couple shots near the rim before Jason Tatum put his head down and kind of rided the ship and even

So Bobby poris missed an and one free throw with 34 seconds left I think that would have cut the lead to one Boston got the ball back up two Jaylen Brown after missing two free throws about two minutes earlier made two and Boston just kind of played the free throw game out

And so anytime this happens to Boston big lead chipped away bucks had a shot a couple shots to tie the game I think in the last couple minutes it just you can feel the anxiety in New England you can feel it like oh my God we’ve seen this

Movie before our late game offense are we going to have to win 16 blowouts to win the NBA title is this how it’s going to have to be I didn’t quite know what to take from the game because you never know what intensity let down you get if

A we’re up like 15 to 20 most of the second half B we know there’s no Giannis C they’re junking it up with the Zone like Brook Lopez isn’t even playing Chris Middleton’s in and out because of his minutes restriction it’s a weird game did you take anything from this Mr

McMahon not necess neily because obviously there were key guys missing Giannis you know Drew holiday etc etc um if anything what I would take out of it is uh Boston was able to close it out and like you said that was in serious serious doubt when Bobby poris made that

Little floater and one um you’re thinking oh boy this is going to be a Celtics collapse they’re going you know this is going to be like everyone’s yelling and screaming about for the next 24 hours I was about to email you and be like we got to do the postgame podcast

That we said we were going to do and then we said we weren’t gonna do because Yiannis is a playing maybe we got to do it yeah and then you know the the Celtics kind of found a way to like you said it wasn’t like they it wasn’t like

Hey Jason Tatum ended up making some spectacular shot you know like you said they they just found a way to take care of their business down the stretch get a stop here or there you know make some free throws um but that that really that the health you know how healthy will the

Celtics be and can they win those close or really can they avoid losing close games those are really the only two questions about the Celtics as far as their March uh through the Eastern Conference and as there’s a huge Spotlight on the Celtics clutch issues because there’s

Not a whole lot else to nitpick I mean because they are a team that statistically has been historically dominant and you we talked about this on the hoop Collective they haven’t been awful in those situations no theyve decent right overall clutch they numbers are actually very good What I Call nut

Cutting time which is one possession in those last three minutes they’ve been okay they’ve been a little bit above average but again a little bit above average for a team that you know otherwise the numbers are telling you is historically dominant is the one thing

You can focus on a nitpick and you know I do like even last night you know there’s a possession and I’m just watching I’m like it’s just going to be four guys standing around and and Tatum dribbles it 22 times and jacks up a tough contested jumper you know so there’s

There’s some of that stuff but they were able to close it out and uh no Giannis but Dame Lillard was out there and let’s be honest in those sit situations the fear is uhoh one of the best closers of this generation’s on the other side he’s

Going to rip our hearts out and he wasn’t able to do it last night so you said the fword fear and one of my takeaways from that bucks almost comeback last night was it was the first time in a while where you felt a palpable sense as Dame kind of danced

Around like I go around the screen one way give me back a hand off the other way just trying to get Space trying to get jayen brown off of him and by the way I love that this Jays took the assignments of Dame and Chris Middleton respectively between them they’re doing

That more and more but you can see him as bobin and weav it was one of those few times in the last couple months where you could feel the fear of oh my God we can’t give him an inch we can’t give him in because he’s on one he’s

Making threes he made six threes last night there were high degree of difficulty threes and and that he’s got great chemistry with book Brook Lopez a lot has been made of the damanis pick and roll including by me and and Doc is using more and I don’t want to hammer

That point he’s going to have to use it more that’s fine Damon Brook Lopez have insanely good chemistry and had it from day one and that’s the Dame they’re going to need to beat Boston if they get if they’re probably gonna need him to get to Boston and to beat Boston four

Times they’re gonna need the Dame that is a little more sort of he was in Rhythm last night whatever that whatever that sort of ineffable Rhythm that he has seemed like just a tiny bit % off kilter he was on that Rhythm last night bobin and ween searching out spaces and

When he got space you felt in your soul like uh oh uh oh and that’s the Fear Factor of of Giannis of of Dame and going back to the Tatum one against everybody thing you know part of that is the zone right like I just think the

Zone threw them off and you can win a five minute game mini game within the game with that um I Boston knows like when we stick with our stuff we get good shots and they know that I think they’ve now absorbed it so those stretches puzzle me I’m gonna Chuck last night up

To Big lead kind of like air out of the balloon game because Giannis didn’t play and Drew holiday also didn’t play as you as you mentioned um and and all of that but there was one possession with like three minutes left where Tatum cut open into the middle of the Zone somebody

Found him with a really good pass at the dotted line he had what would have been a contested layup with poris coming at him and he kicked it out to porzingis in the right corner I if you remember that porzingis missed a three and I thought to myself you have the lead you’re

Trying to bleed out the game just go for the layup get fouled game get an offensive rebound and right after that that’s exactly what he did he got Malik Beasley at the top of the Zone twice in a row and just said you’re too small for

Me I’m too good for you I’m taking you to the rim one drawn foul shooting foul two free throws what layup the game wasn’t quite iced by them but Boston kind of got control back of the game going forward you remove Giannis from this matchup it’s just it’s hard to

Really take anything from it starting with this porzingis guarded Jay Crowder last night um and they put Horford on Brook Lopez and when they went small they tried to put Wings on Brook Lopez if if they could or or or mostly Horford quicker bigs that’s not available to

Christops porzingis when the Bucks are at full health and Giannis is in the starting five he’s got a guard Brook Lopez or in the past he’s had to guard Brook Lopez that’s an interesting sort of wrinkle um and they’ve been afraid to put him on Giannis so like we can’t put

Yan Yannis and invert the matchups that way and then on the other side that’s where it’s really interesting to me the HUD does Giannis guard question when Boston starts one big not two you know they’ll be they’ll play hor more in this match up because they like Horford

Guarding Giannis but when Boston has porzingis and the four wings are guards on the floor who is Giannis guarding and it has generally been like Drew holiday or Jaylen Brown um and I wonder and that means Brook Lopez has to scramble around with porzingis and that’s sort of the

Dialectic of the Celtics our C everything flows from you got no place to put your Center we can move our center around a little bit and what’s interesting about this matchup is the Celtics have a little less flexibility to move their center around against Milwaukee when Milwaukee’s healthy than

They do against most teams and Milwaukee hasn’t really tried the strategy we’ve seen some teams try which is let’s should we sniff around with like Brook Lopez on Drew holiday like Denver did with yic like some other teams have done and and stick Giannis on porzingis they’ll stick Giannis on porzingis when

It’s a double big lineup for Boston and then Brook Lopez can go over and guard Horford or poris can go guard Horford or whatever I just think there’s a lot of little machinations left to play here and I think this would be a way more fun and way more competitive Series in the

Playoffs than the split in their records with Boston 11 games up in the L colum indicates yeah and and look the Bucks obviously have had a funky year I mean they hired and fired a head coach you know it’s it’s been a strange year they’ve been um trying to get Dame and

And and Jan uh not just on not on the same page but to the point where they’re enhancing each other instead of just being you know kind of independent contractors um but the Celtics I mean basically what you’re getting at is this with the Celtics it’s not it’s not that

You want to hide Giannis but you want to put Giannis in a position where he can be one of the most dominant help Defenders that we’ve seen in the league in a long long time like when he was Defensive Player of the Year it’s not because and this was like the criticism

Remember when Harden uh was was criticizing him hey he’s not a he’s not a stopper he’s not a guy you put on the other team’s best scorer is no he’s a guy who mucks everything up because he’s all over the place getting deflections getting steals blocking shots you know

All that sort of stuff um so you want him to be able to roam and there’s just there’s just not a good when Drew holiday is the best answer of hey who do we kind of uh who who do we give a guy an assignment that we really want to be

Playing free safety and Drew holiday is the best answer that’s a tough test man the answer used to be Marcus Smart who’s a good an okay to good offensive player but a much less dangerous shooter than Drew holiday and that sort of part of the remaking of this team is it took the

Best fact simile of that answer away and also in the process forces Brook Lopez to a lot of times guard one of the most dangerous stretch fives in the entire league and poor zing um it’s a tough match up go ahead you wanted to say more about Giannis on

Defense no I mean that that’s just it you want him to be a a help Defender and it’s really hard to put him in a position uh against that team um you know porzingis is a stretch five is interesting because he definitely is a threat he definitely impacts spacing but

Statistically he’s not a great three-point shooter I think the the threat of him as a three-point shooter is better than the numbers you know the his biggest impact is just the way he’s he spaces the floor although look he we’ve seen games where he gets hot and

He’ll hit three or four in a row but I’m not sure you wouldn’t rather live with porzingis getting decent looks at threes than uh you know than some of those other guys and and hey the the Warriors tried sacking off of Jaylen Brown that didn’t work it didn’t work Jay Brown

Didn’t like that very much um no he liked it a lot he loved it well he liked he liked the open shots he didn’t like the dis maybe he did like the disrespect I don’t know um was never quite clear uh who whose idea that was my theory would

Still be it was draymond’s idea and they all agreed to it um uh to your point about porzingis I I don’t disagree with you he’s shooting just okay from three this year you just face a tough choice of like you mentioned some games he’ll make four out of five it’s when that happens

You’re just done it’s over like the game is over they’re not going to lose the game at that point are you really going to let him just take wide openen catch and shoot threes most teams have concluded no and even when they’ll play a guy like Lopez on them and play Drop

Defense so that he’s got that space they’ll send a third guy rotating over to at least kind of wave at porzingis to distract him and that’s where he’s really Advanced as a passer over the last couple years actually started in Dallas is he’ll immediately swing the ball to that rotating Defenders guy and

Then Boston is in gear from there um and we also saw Drew holiday like when you put joic on me like I’m going to work like you can’t hide your centers on me I’m Drew holiday like I might be the fifth option here but I’m still Drew freaking holiday right and then the

Obviously the other thing about porzingis is the guy who was the primary reason for Rick carlile’s anti- poost rant has become the most lethal I’m not say the most lethal statistically the most lethal post post up weapon in the league and a guy who just absolutely has

Like if you want to switch he’s been absolutely uh punishing that and it’s funny because when Rick went on that rant which was after Chris Weber and Charles Barkley and the whole TNT crew basically spent an entire broadcast ripping uh porzingis for not posting up when it was the exact thing the

Mavericks have been trying to get him to stop doing at that point in that season he was averaging 054 points per postup possession that’s not very good offense as you know uh right now he is averaging and I’m looking to it’s actually dipped a little bit but it’s 1.32 points per post

Up and that’s dipped a little bit um so I think it’s and you know if you if you talk to porzingis about it um and and he’s being honest he’ll tell you hey a lot of that is just feeling empowered and feeling like you’re allowed to get in your

Rhythm down there we want you taken you know we want you posting up we want you taking those shots um but you know he’s he’s clearly uh putting the work like because the problem used to be he’d get on a switch and he’d try to post up and

It end up being he’d get he get pushed out to 16 feet and take this stiff little turnaround mid contested you know contest with a guys can put his hand in his face but not to actually challenge a shot but contested mid-range jumper that just wasn’t a high percentage play and

That’s not the case anymore I mean he’s he gets deep position he’s burying guys I just think this is a really fun matchup he did bury some guys last night Payton Pritchard was like burying Pat conon under the basket over and over I don’t know what’s gotten into Payton

Pritchard in the last couple weeks but he looks angry he’s angry at life he’s angry at the world that’s translating quite well and Bobby poris BBY poris is like don’t you all forget about me and six Man of the Year voting I’m going to just go on a heater and

Take one old school like 1980s fadeaway jumper from the left block over and over and over I’m gonna make enough of them that you like okay Bobby poris I see you yeah and obviously he’s been huge in the in this little stretch that Giannis has missed I mean my goodness he just

Scorched the Suns um I still think the six and I know the Cavaliers have been doing some some pretty uh vocal lobbying for Caris LeVert I still think that’s Malik Monk’s award I do too I I I did that segment earlier this week I I picked I picked Malik monk team lobbying

I just I think team lobbying backfires that’s that’s my theory on team Lobby it’s it’s like it has no it has when I’m a voter I just ignore it completely it has no effect on me I think too much team and agent lobbying can backfire but

That’s a different story no no no when it’s when it’s teammate lobbying you know like when it’s uh so I saw there were the old minivan George Nang and I forgot who else but they were Putin hollering in the lock room talking about Caris the verta six men of the year I

And I don’t even necessarily think it’s about actually lobbying voters look when you’ve got a teammate that’s up for an award like that you’ve got to be his hype man because it’s a chemistry thing it’s a it’s a locker room Vibe type of thing so I don’t I I I respect the the

Public teammate who tolerant sort of lobbying that’s fine uh and Caris LT is this he’s in my column tomorrow it’s the best passing run of his entire life he’s leveled way up as a playmaker he had 12 more assists last night he’s got like five double digit assist games I think

In the last 10 or 12 games he is essential to them and is really bought into I know he’s starting now because of injuries but he’s really bought into like all right my skill is more useful my ball handling playmaking skill is more useful coming off the bench when

One of Garland who quietly by the way Darius Garland has not had a very good season um and and I think his numbers look okay I think his impact has felt worse than the numbers are um but when one of those guys on the bench he takes

Over anyway um this feels like a fun competitive series what I just keep coming back to if we ever get to see it is both teams have some cards left up their sleeve I just feel like Boston has more cards than anybody else and just fundamentally I can’t get past the

Reality of who is guarding Tatum and Brown on the Bucks and just too many possessions where one of those guys is going to have a matchup where they can physically brutalize one way or another whether it’s getting a switch or whether it’s just like oh Dam’s on you this

Possession Middleton kind of can’t hang with those guys though he looks very good offensively that’s what I keep coming back to I think I would pick like Boston and six but like a competitive fun six where like you’re not surprised if it flips the other way necessarily or

We go seven okay let’s go west I’m going to have krinski not from the office and of quiet place Fame of the athletic to talk about the Timberwolves at the top of the West uh we have this three team Race for the number one seed between the Thunder the

Nuggets and the Wolves we’ve talked about the Nuggets a lot lately haven’t done a thunder check in in a while I know you’ve spent a lot of time around that team this year I saw I’ve seen a couple of their recent games including they beat what is left of the Jazz last

Night um everyone just you know look the Thunder are for the season third in offense fifth in defense second in net rating 28 and7 at home 20 and 13 on the road I keep hearing like what’s their record against good teams they don’t see they don’t seem to play well against

Good teams they’re 25 and 14 against teams above 500 for the season I was gonna say I saw them beat the Celtics in OKC I I think that really translates to they haven’t played well against the Lakers in some Spotlight games the Lakers are three and one against them said good

Teams well people think the Lakers are a good team oh okay I was confused um the Lakers are fine I’m they’ve they’re fine their point differential for the season is still just ay bit below the equator Tim bontemps the uswb is uh instituted a Lakers Warriors ban on the hoop

Collective so I feel like I’m getting away with something right now by even discussing all the only thing to discuss is there’s now I mean I’ve been saying it for two months they’re going to play in the 910 game like just like we we have to get used to this reality that

When we ask the question which of these teams is going to make a longer playoff run or his best position to make a longer playoff run the answer is one of them is not running anywhere at all the starting gun is GNA go off and they’re

Going to fall on their face or like trip on the first hurdle and they’re out that’s it uh Jaylen green and and the Houston Rockets might have a a say we’re going to talk about them I said earlier I said earlier this week eight and one

In their last nine games and if you look at the playoff odds they have like a 15% chance of snagging that number 10 seed wo I’m sorry we we we were talking about the uh the Thunder I got you this is what happens to but the point of this is

The discussion that I keep hearing about the thunder at least on on our our Airwaves frankly and elsewhere is like what first round opponent should they be most worried about how big of a detriment is their size going to be and match up X Y and Z you know are they

Because of their youth and inexperience or they just pray for an upset we have not seen teams this young go very far I understand that and look if you draw so I I mentioned nine and 10 they’re three games out now the Lakers and the Warriors of Phoenix and Dallas

Who have 29 losses each it looks like the race for six is going to be a three- team race between the Kings who have quietly kind of wred the ship I think they’re six and two in their last day games the Mavs and the Suns one of those

Teams will be six one could be seven one could be eighth now again the Lakers in the words you go on a run you change this whole equation right now the math will tell you that’s like a 90% likelihood 80% likelihood the six seed comes down to those three teams if

You’re telling me Oklahoma City at one or two wherever they finish and it’s kind of like a coin flip right now with Denver for one draws Dallas in the first round yeah that’s scary that’s scary for anybody that’s not that’s not shade at the Thunder to say they could lose that

Series draw phoenix in the first round with those three dudes that’s scary it’s not shayed at the Thunder to say that they could lose that series but right now I tend to default to like the teams have told you about their quality for 82 games the Thunder are who they appear to

Be which is a damn good team on both ends of the floor I don’t think they’re like more or less vulnerable to upset than the typical number one or number two seed who faces a higher level than usual number seven or number eight seed i’

Pick them in any of those series I think I’d pick them right now in any of those series you Nam Dallas Sacramento Phoenix Lakers Warriors I think I’m picking the thunder in all those series because they have told us who they are all season long which is an elite team you can pick

Apart their weaknesses to me by the way Tim McMahon they’re 16th in defensive rebounding since February 1 they’re 28th for the season but they’ve well hey look if they can be average if you take one of your weaknesses one of your red flag weaknesses and you turn it average and I

Think ch gotten better on the glass I think Hayward has actually helped their gang rebounding with the focus if you can turn it into neutral that’s a huge deal cuz let me tell you they don’t have many weaknesses um now they still have the giddy question looming about what to

Do with him and when teams put their centers on him which is basically every team now is putting their centers on him and a four or a three on Chad holgren but I’ll tell you they figured out some answers to that I just think this team

Is just who they are they’re a great team and I think they’ll be favorites over anyone they play in the first round I think I’ll pick them to win that series and if they get the right opponent I.E not Denver I might pick him to win the next series too although the

Clippers are are a problematic matchup for them yeah the Clippers need to get their their stuff straight uh James Harden’s trying to help that cause by challenging his own teammates uh open three-point attempts I don’t know if you saw that contes it um but as much as we kind of joked about

The Lakers I think the Lakers might be the most concerning matchup for the Thunder and it’s simply matchup specific it is because the biggest concern for the Thunder is a big physical team and Anthony Davis is tened De feast and look I agree that that Chad is getting better and Chad’s a

Stud and I I think one thing that like over time Chad’s going to become a better rebounder because he’s going to get stronger I don’t think he’s ever going to be like 260 pounds or anything but he’s naturally going and and through work is going to get stronger he’s going

To gain some way he’s going to uh gain strength in the weight room but it’s not going to happen uh before the playoffs giddy quietly has been playing pretty well but the the the pro the problem with giddy obviously is just a simple spacing thing and nobody is going to

Guard him on the three-point line he can he can come out and hit a few threes in the first quarter and they’re still not going to guard him because they’re like hey we’re going to play those percentages and I think he could hit 10 in a row and I don’t think they would

Teams and that’s a tribute to the rest of the team the rest of the team is so dangerous that the only answer you really have is like oh I’m not going to guard this guy right and you know then it’s you know the whole thing of okay

They they they can’t play him in the playoffs they got to change the starting lineup number one when you are the number one or two seed in the Western Conference the one thing you don’t want to do is panic panic panic we’re not good enough and and send that uh send

That message to your team um and then the other thing is like what what’s the solution you know you don’t want to plug in Isaiah Joe or or case Wallace because then you we’re talking about what’s one of the biggest concerns man the Thunder are pretty small they’ve got a skinny 7

Foot Center and then they’re like 65 and under uh aside from giddy well dude you don’t want to plug in six too um and then Hayward Hayward is is the numbers aren’t going to wow you but he has been effective in March which is potentially significant development obviously he’d been out since right

Around Christmas when they got him his first six or seven games in a thunder uniform were hooo ugly um but if he if he is a legitimate uh alternative not in starting lineup but more so in the closing lineup I think that is a potentially major development for them

He hasn’t played well enough for me to put him like oh this is the favorite to be the giddy replacement in the closing lineup necessarily his usage rate with the Thunder is 12% that’s like not quite PJ Tucker levels of non-involvement shooting wise but he’s making unselfish

Plays he’s starting to shoot more threes and he’s he’s just I think he’s easing he’s starting to shoot threes period perod true in his first let seven games he shot a three-pointer and he’s not playing Major minutes but still he’s playing you got to get him up you know

15 18 minutes and he he shot a three-pointer over a seven game span and yeah he’s starting he’s starting to at least shoot the ball he he made a couple Trail threes last night um and they need him to shoot and like look he’s been kind of infected with this like weird

Passivity almost since the injury really he just has never the same guy but when he’s you can see him get in his own head and just stop drives where he has momentum and space to go not shoot when he should shoot and they’re going to need him to be aggressive but if you

Look at the so like so so here’s where if you’re looking at head-to-head Thunder like okay what what does this team have that threatens the Thunder the Thunder one of their biggest strengths I mean they have strengths all over the place one of their most extreme strengths is their number one in forcing

Turnovers yeah one of their most extreme weaknesses is their 28th in defensive rebounding of those I as I mentioned that is is a little bit less of weakness so let’s look at those teams that they could play in the first round some of them anyway and who is an elite ball

Protection Team like who can take all those turnovers five a game maybe that the Thunder get and turn into fast breaks and just vaporize them and or a really good offensive rebounding team who can punish the weakness that the Thunder have so take away a strength exploit a weakness none of these teams

Are good at both of those things the Suns the Thunder are two- 0 against the Suns they play them one more time suns are eighth in offensive rebounding pretty damn good nurkic is a brute that’s a problem they’re only 25th in uh turnover eight they turn the ball over a

Lot so that plays into the Thunder strengths the lers by the way had 31 rebounds the last time they played each other and Chad hren still has a black eye from that game I forgot that that was against the Thunder the 31 that’s when you when your stat non-point stat

When you get 31 rebounds it starts with a three that’s like Wilt Chamberlain like what happened 30 I think about 10 of them were on his own misses but still I mean he that’s fine that’s fine look if you’re gonna he’s never been a good shooter at The Rim someone’s got to get

The rebound might as well be you uh the Mavericks the Thunder are two- one against the Mavericks what scares you about that matchup is they’re an extreme low turnover team always have been with Luca so they can protect the ball but they’re only 25th in offensive rebounding so they’re not a big Second

Chance team maybe that changes with Gafford there and having a rim runner on the floor all the time the Warriors the thund real quick on the Mavericks they’re two and one against the Mavericks the one was the first game after the trade deadline and blowout it

Was a Molly whoin um and then Luca didn’t play in the second one but the Mavericks are fourth in the league as far as lowest turnover rate so that’s that’s the threat there there and GA like you said if the Gafford Lively tag team there’s at least the chance now that the

Mavericks like they just did to the Nuggets can really uh beat you up on the glass that offens Warriors Warriors they went three and R against the Warriors um two of the games were in overtime including one of the best wins of the entire season when Homen made the crazy

Left corner three with his heel over the line heel over the line I think not on it not on it LeBron the Warriors throw the ball all over the gym um so the Thunders should be able to get out and run against them but they are third in

Offensive rebound rate my point is like neither of these teams is a dual threat none of these four is a dual threat I didn’t include Sacramento just because I think Sacramento well maybe I should include Sacramento they have sabonis who’s a brood like that’s somewhat of a

Problem but I just think Sacramento is not as good as a thunder um I don’t know man I think this team’s really good what what the only the what I just wish they had a little more pop off the bench like Isaiah Joe’s good Cas Wallace is good

He’s a rookie Hayward has not provided a lot of Pop until lately um kind of that bench glue guy but yeah haven’t seen him in a bit Aaron Wiggins is shooting like 50% from three that’s that’s a thing um and they have in their back pocket the Chad holgren big Jaylen

Williams double big lineup where both of them are capable Shooters they’ve only played 67 minutes together the whole season they don’t want to play that way I do feel like that is something they will break out if they are pressed for size and just sort of figure out the

Rest of the rotation from there I think I just think I think this team is awesome like we haven’t even talked about the guy who might finish second in MVP voting and the other Rising Star they have with Jay duub I just think they’re awesome yeah no they’re they’re a really really good

Team they’re obviously going to be a great team for a long time um I’m curious to see how Sam presty attacks the summer um because I do think they are a modern power forward away from being maybe the best team in the NBA um and they’ve got a lot of different

Avenues as far as how they might be able to go about getting that guy um or prey might continue being patient and say hey we’re g to try to draft and develop that guy and we’re pretty damn good uh as it is so so we’ll see about that you know

So we’ve talked about the three things that always come up as far as concerns the giddy fit and how that impacts spacing the size SL rebounding issue and then the other one’s the experience issue and I don’t know man I’m not sure how much weight put into that this you know

Just kind of intangible of playoff experience um the one thing I I I will say this is an even Keel team this is not a team that’s going to you know like the other team that’s been inexperienced that’s been near the top of Western Conference recently certainly not this

Year but over the last couple years has been the Grizzlies well the Grizzlies are just a up and down emotional type of of of Team you know uh that’s not the Thunder they are a very even keill type of team I don’t see them being rattled um and SGA doesn’t have

Experience as the go-to guy but he’s been in the playoffs a couple times he’s hit a playoff game winner and I think this team really takes on his personality um so I guess what I’m saying is if the Thunder lose in the playoffs I don’t think ex a lack of

Experience will be the reason why I don’t I because again I think there is some like obviously you can benefit from experience as far as like learning but I think when you talk about lack experience you’re talking about how are you going to handle the the pressure as

Much as anything and I don’t see this as being a team that’s going to be uh impacted by that so I’ve been saying all year the thing that strikes me most about the thunder is their Collective maturity and I don’t mean oh they’re they don’t go out off the court or

Anything like I mean like in stressful games they play like they’ve been there before they play with a calm and a Smart Level of decision-making extra passes snap reads that you just do not see from a team this young and it’s not just Shay it’s everybody they all play like

Veterans and it’s it’s really it’s really remarkable on the giddy thing a they have lineup answers B they have schematic answers too they can use him as a screener just like you’re not going to guard him we’ll have him screen foret or you’re G to put a wing one of

The things I’ve liked about hrin lately you’re going to put a wing or a small power forward on him like we’re going to activate the big man parts his game we’ll have him screen for Shay and dive to the basket and you can deal with that we’ll even call like they opened the

Game last night the Jazz had Taylor Hendricks on Chad Holm and John Collins who has somehow recovered from the Anthony Edwards dunk guarding uh Giddy and they immediately ran a cross screen for Chad holgren under the rim to post up Taylor Hendricks and he the screen got him some daylight and he scored

That’s one of the other things I like about the thunder when they see a matchup they like they waste zero possessions getting right to it when they see you would just in a way that opens up this kind of matchup they go right to it um the interesting

Comparison if you want to go about the experiencing I think would be last year’s Cavs if you’re looking for like a downside comparison of a team that got to the playoffs and by their own admission was like oh we we were not ready for the physicality the noise the

Pressure like we we kind of crumbled this team doesn’t strike me as a team that’s going to crumble Shay doesn’t strike me as a a guy that’s ever going to hit a SL lump ever and the Cavs as much as giddy is kind of a baked in quote unquote issue he’s the only

Non-shooter really that they play um and he’s the only non-shooter in their starting five and he’s such a clever passer that he compensates in his own way for a lot of it the Cavs had this built-in simmering issue of two non-shooters clogging up the lane we got

To work around it all year long and then Nicks exposed it I I don’t I I just don’t see this team I don’t I don’t see the experience being that I might be being naive I don’t know I I’m not saying I’m picking them to win the West

I’m still picking Denver but I don’t see the experience thing it doesn’t bother me well then the cas really was three non-shooters because they didn’t have threes who could shoot it last year either you know I mean you’re obviously referring to their their bigs and Allen

Emob but there’s a reason they went out and got uh George Nang and Max stru because the the lack of wing shooting uh was also a killer they they even they tried a cororo with those two which you just can’t really do although coro’s been great this year’s been yeah he’s

He’s he’s been much better this year for sure um no the Thunder they’ve got a chance but I’m with you I’m not picking anybody to beat the Nuggets nobody has nobody has an answer for Joker and I just watched two kind of pretty uncharacteristic performances for Joker

Um where one he only had two assists which is amazing I but I watched that game against the Wolves I didn’t think like he had a poor passing game he just wasn’t getting assist no it’s funny you say that because I watched that game too and the commentators were talking about

He has no assists he only has one assist and I’m sitting there thinking like what are they doing because you want to particularly when it’s your team you want to give causality to that team like they must be doing something to deflate his assist totals are they not doubling

Are they not helping they’re they’re helping like I kind of think it might have just been a random like weird thing that happened yeah and then by the way when they really needed a couple of assists he came in there dribble handoff Michael Porter Jr 3 back cut by Michael

Porter Jr layup and that those kind of got things right for the nuggets and then the other game that I watched obviously was uh was in Dallas and I give the Mavericks credit they threw a lot of different things at him and a a lot of the game

They had you know one of their Rim protectors kind of roaming and either Maxi kba or PJ Washington at the four and being very physical with him uh so I think the Mavericks did a good job uh but I think the Mavericks can play that well against him again instead of six to

16 he can be 11 to6 you know there were like Joker has the best paint touch in the league and it it wasn’t and and a lot of those aren’t ridiculously tough T like taking contact you know those little six foot hooks or 10- foot floaters or whatever uh those weren’t

Falling for him and he got frustrated he uh Tyler Ford I think if you gave Joker some Tru Ser he’d say Tyler Ford played really good defense on me in that game little five foot eight Tyler Ford was a was a defensive stopper on seven foot Joker

Um I I I’ve picked Denver to win the West all year I have no I have no notes there are no answers the touches I every Scout I have dinner with or drinks with or coach or whoever I asked them like can you explain to me how the ball just

Dies on the rim I I just have never seen anybody where every shot it doesn’t matter what angle what trajectory what distance it’s like oh just died on the rim and like kind of sat there and went in it like hit the rim hit the backboard

Hung out for a bit I just have never seen anything like it no and he has the best hands in the league well I’ve the the most terrifying site in the NBA is if your Center goes for an offensive rebound and doesn’t get it and he does

And he’s Off to the Races it is death just close your eyes and hope that Michael Porter Jr misses an open three or something else happens because they are getting a great shot and it’s probably death for your team um speaking of the Thunder uh who would you vote for for coach of

The year right now let’s I’ve I’ve been doing a rapid fire Awards thing let’s do coach of the year is it Mark dagnal to lose uh he’s absolutely in the conversation um um look the thunder made a 16- win jump last year and you know the nobody expect him to make another

16- win jump that’s possible you know that that is definitely within the realm of I believe he he did he finish second last year I’ll be honest with you I don’t have the coach of the year ballot right in front of me and I not I mean Mike Brown won

Mike Brown won it unanimously dag was up there um so no he’s he’s abs absolutely a candidate for that I think Chris Finch should be a candidate for that um you know obviously it was a a tough year last year in Minnesota with the expectations that came along with

Everything they gave up for Rudy goar uh all the you know the questions about just how does that fit work um the other thing he he’s clearly figured that out um as great as goar is an McDaniels and an Edwards defensively like a lot of Defense so you have to also give credit

To the coach the other thing I give Finch a ton of credit for is the continued Ascension of Anthony Edwards and look an obviously has Superstar Talent right but he is he’s a guy who is like you know like the All State running back who is also the best player under

Under uh high school basketball team right because he’s just the best athlete he’s becoming better and better and better at the thinking parts of the game and that is an absolute uh massive part of Finch’s impact and you know Ann will be the first one to say that they’ve got a

Great relationship that’s kind of rare in this league where Finch coaches a hard like direct loud conversations often in film sessions in front of the team um and credit to ant for being able to take that kind of coaching as a superstar and embracing it and but again I I I think

You have to look at uh look at Finch and then um couple guys in the East uh real quick JB Bickerstaff who there was Rumblings about his job security midseason all the injuries that the Cavaliers have had um you know Donan Mitchells missed a bunch of times not

All NBA eligible Evan moy’s missed a bunch of time Garland etc etc they’re third seed in the uh in the Eastern Conference he’s at best at best the third best candidate in the e and I’m not even sure I’d go there for JB bicker staff so I’m hoping you say one of my

Other two names next all right Jamal Mosley has to be on your that’s it the magic are 41 and 28 they might get the four seed if they get the four seed and homecourt advantage in the first round Jamal Mosley made damn well win they’re third in defense they got a shot at

Second in defense like that’s crazy and I will say with a young with a young team when they have Isaac and sug on the floor at the same time it’s like they have nine guys on the court you canot it’s just arms and like people yelling

At you and growling in your face and like 17 arms swiping at the like who the who the hell are all these people they’ve allowed 101 points per 100 possessions with those two guys on the floor together that’s like eight points below the number one defense in the

League and what they did I I watched this game randomly there name what they did to the Charlotte Hornets two nights ago in Orlando now the Hornets are no great shakes I realized the Hornets had 31 points at halftime they trailed in the second quarter 67- 26 that was a

Real score in the second quarter in NBA game what they did to the Hornets offense for like a five minute stretch when Suggs and Isaac were on the floor it it should have been illegal like even in Florida it was like just stop stop the game one team can’t even do anything

Like just Mercy ruled the whole game it was so Jamal Mosley’s on my list as is Joe Missoula who gets no love at all because like all the Celtics it’s Championship robust I think Michael Malone gets no love at all because he has the best player in the world they’ve

Already won the title so everyone’s kind of moved on with life um those would be my main and I think Willie Green in New Orleans if they really come on finish finish strong keep coming on strong and nail that fifth seed figuring out that is not an easy um equation and I know

You wanted to talk about the redot Houston Rockets So have at it listen here’s the red hot Houston Rockets 8 and one in March and they are bre not they’re not quite breathing down the neck yet of those uh glamorous n910 seeds but they’ve they are a threat to

Get there um they are three games out of the 10 seed right now having one six straight and they’re the I think the the most exciting thing for the Rockets is they’re going to looks like they’re going to have a chance to play in meaningful games down the stretch which

You when you are a rebuilding team and they’re phase two but it’s phase two of a tear it down rebuild there’s huge value of that and they are being led by youngsters and you know look everybody when shenon went down um first everybody bre side relief that it wasn’t a major

Injury there was going to be like a surgery required that sort of thing but there was kind of an assumption well okay you know that that’s it for that’s the last time we need to pay attention to the Rockets this season you know we’ll see him again next year so on and

So forth um they haven’t lost since then and and obviously I’m not saying I’m not I’m not saying it’s cause and effect by any stretch their schedule is help but they also have a good win against Cleveland and a good win against sac in that stretch gam what’s really helped

Is Jaylen green is on the heater of his life and I think playing qualitatively a little better some of it is just random shooting and like stuff happens in March some of it is I think he’s playing just a cleaner simpler game he’s shooting 71%

At The Rim in his last 10 games it started on Leap Year by the way it’s the leap day on Leap Day rather it’s the leap day leap for Jaylen green I like that and and amen Thompson is like essentially functioning as Center on offense and is a complete Terror on

Defense yeah so Jaylen green is playing obviously he’s making shots but he’s playing the smartest and toughest basketball of his career and look this is a guy who you heard a bunch of hey they’re they’re dangling Jaylen Green in the trade market type of stuff I don’t

Think it’s breaking any sort of news to say that there was uncertainty about jayen Green’s uh long-term fit in Houston and it’s a long term longterm would be the key word for me there I’m not not really sure what happened to the trade deadline to be honest with you his

Name was in rumors that’s to to to say the least um and it’s a great time for him to be playing the best basketball of his career and if he can keep this rolling uh you know the rest of the season then there will be interesting discussions with him come uh extension

Time this summer you know I I don’t know how that’s going to play out I’m just saying he’s he’s definitely has improved his uh his his positioning there but alond Thompson you know this is a guy who obviously they love that’s why they picked him number four overall um wasn’t

Really in the rotation early missed a bunch of time because he had a a pretty nasty ankle spraining but they are super excited about this kid and I think probably the best comp for him is like an early career Ben Simmons because look he can’t shot oh God oh God early career

Being the being the the stress point there just in terms of like feel for the game high high highlevel athleticism um Instagram account I don’t know about all that IQ but they love this kid’s motor too um and you know he’s been a massive Factor he’s like 17

And eight making all kinds of plays defensively since he’s been plugged in the starting lineup after shenon went down he’s a very good passer the in well this is not it’s not a problem it’s just it’s it’s an awesome puzzle to solve they have seven legit good to Great

Prospects on their I mean shenon is now above a prospect obviously probably jayen green is too like tar E’s not even playing he’s going to get he’s going to get leg surgery I love tar E I hope he’s fully recovers and his fine cam whitmore’s out right now that dude is a

Freight train coming at you and can shoot too and amen Thompson you know is this you you just comp them to the player who shall not be named um he only runs like 12 pick and rolls per 100 possessions it’s a very small amount he hasn’t been able to function as a point

Anything because he can’t shoot at all he’s eight of 51 on threes he doesn’t really have a jump shot but they found all these other ways to use them and you can see his vision in those roles like he’s a really good interior passer he cuts in from the dunker spot and makes

Little slick bounce passes and he’s a monster on defense I I this young core is so exciting I know you got to go I told you I had one basketball dilemma for you that okay people it’s it’s going to become a talking point soon are you ready I’m ready let’s

Say for the sake of argument that the Lakers miss the playoffs okay they’re ninth and 10th but they don’t get out of the playoffs they they they into the play they don’t get out of the playin so they go in the lottery and nothing interesting happens

To them in the lottery they end up with like the 13th pick or something like that whatever they go in that’s where they come out if you’re the New Orleans Pelicans one of the juiciest little soap opers in the league is you own the Lakers 2024 pick but you also have the

Ability to say we don’t want it this year we want it next year do you only get this one time it’s this pick or next year’s pick unprotected both ways so let’s just say now obviously and the deadline I’ve been told is June 1st and

Bob Mark looking into it too June 1st so they get to see the lottery they get to know where the Lakers pick is before they decide to kick it or keep it so let’s just say nothing crazy happens the Lakers have the 13th pick or they make

The playoffs it’s the 15th pick whatever it is are you taking that pick now or are you saying I’m kicking it to next year let’s see what happens defer and I you asked me this earlier and I thought about it but it didn’t have to think very long because number one obviously

I’m no draft expert but everybody who is says next year’s draft is a hell of a lot stronger um and I think you take especially when there’s a potentially franchise changing type of talent at the top of the draft which apparently Cooper flag is even if it’s a 1% chance that I

Think you take that 1% chance um and look is Anthony Davis going to be as healthy next year as he’s been this year is LeBron James as he turns 40 going to still be playing at all NBA level the answer might be yes but I think you take those

Chances I’m deferring I thought about it like 11th 12th like it sounds interesting it’s a loty pick it’s still a good pick I’m deferring the only the reason I thought about it was well the Lakers are gonna try to make a trade this summer right they have all this

Trade ammo so like am I risking that like they trade for Star guard X and then they’re like a 50 win team next year and I’m picking five spots lower but you know what the risk of that is worth it to me because even if they

Trade for Star garx they might have to trade somebody good from their team to get him maybe not I don’t know who that would be even and like you said Anthony Davis might get hurt LeBron’s 40 like even if they get that guy I’m not sure

How many more wins it’s going to like guarantee them if other couple of things go wrong if they don’t get that guy a lot of stuff could go wrong so I’m deferring June 1st it’s it’s it may not even end up being interesting but I just think it’s like people kind of forgot

About that that’s a big that’s a juicy little morsel sitting out there Tim McMahon you got to go thank you for your time uh you got a Mavs the Mavs play somebody tonight right you got a game in Dallas they play the Jazz baby it’s uh

You can’t get away from the Jazz Salt Lake City stars are in town I’ll tell you Taylor Hendricks thank God he’s finally getting minutes that dude can play he’s gonna be an interesting stretch tweener forward but he makes like four highlight plays on defense every game and he got dunked on last

Night by ched but that’s a whole another thing Tim McMahon thank you sir appreciate it adios amigos all right the other team at the top of the West kind of a forgotten team not forgotten but Carl Anthony towns went hurt got hurt Rudy goar’s hurt Nas Reed is hurt suddenly they’re like the

Fe remember the Phoenix Suns had a million point guards and then they had none the Wolves had a million centers and then they had none everyone’s like are they now the team that people want to play in the first round the lower the Minnesota Timberwolves are four and3

Without Carl Anthony towns tough as hell took the defending champs to the wire to an Anthony Edwards missed game tying three at home the other night without any of said centers John krinski from the athletic how are you I’m great Zack and yeah 4-3 could have been 5-2 were it

Not for the Rudy goar Infamous technical at the end of the Cleveland game that uh that allowed the the Cavs to win that one so yeah it’s been been a wild couple of weeks but a wild existence on this Wolves beat so good to be back well

That’s that’s 20 years and by the way the the new ownership thing took a little hairpin turn at the end but A-Rod and Mark Lori and now Eric Schmidt’s involved a new financing apparently it’s going to go through the longest Glen Taylor’s on again off again attempts Dianes with whatever is selling

The team finally appear to be at an end we’ll see yeah I mean it’s still got to go through the approval process and all that I think there’s there’s still some dots to eyes the dot and and tease the cross so you you never know until it’s

Over but yeah the they the mark Lori and Alex Rodriguez got to a spot here um in the last 24 hours that many people did not think they were going to get to and so now the real fund starts are they going to be approved and go forward but

Yeah this is the Timberwolves way of doing business this is just how it has to be yeah nothing can ever be normal with the timber including including their cap sheet next year is is very abnormally huge which put a lot of pressure on this year which made the

Town’s injury um even more sort of pressing what are we going to learn without him how far can they get without him what condition will he be when he comes back but first but first forget all the real stuff the meaningful stuff people’s legs and how they feel and

People’s ribs and how they feel people’s whatever the dunk the dunk might be the most violent basketball play I’ve ever seen ever literally both the dunker and the Dunkey were injured by the dunk I haven’t gone through all the best in-game dunks ever I think it’s ant’s

Best in-game dunk it’s better than Wan and ABI it’s just more violent than Wan Nai I still am partial to the dunk of death in the Olympics Vince Carter literally jumping over a s foot Frenchman and dunking I think the dunk de laort I don’t speak French they call

It the dunk de laort uh I think that’s the best in-game dunk I’ve ever seen this might be number two and I think they’ve only played once since then they play again I think at about seven hours tonight the wolves um tomor even in that game that follow-up

Game the Denver game there was like a buzz you could hear like when he got the ball and when he got the ball with a Runway there’s like an air of impending violence now that I think is going to last for like a couple of weeks like you

Can feel it like uhoh uhoh not and it’s it’s excitement because everyone’s excited about the possibility the Highlight but there’s also this like ominous like who is gonna get smashed by The Hammer Of God um what was your angle on on the dunk yeah I mean it was I was

Actually um I had to watch from home I had a family situation to get back to so I was watching from TV um um but you’re right in terms of the combination now of Anthony Edwards becoming pure electricity and excitement combined with impending doom like that’s what this

Player is right now uh whether it is the dunk or if you want to talk about the block against the Pacers um the very first game without towns when you know oh my God what’s the injury going to mean Anthony Edwards is like I’m going

To score 44 points and hit my face on the backboard and we’re going to win the goddamn game is what it means yeah that’s exactly what it is and so he he has made him on his mind on a minute by minute basis and you do feel Zach in the

Arena a crackle with him when the ball is in his hands or people are starting to see like LeBron when he when he’s going down the court and sizing someone up to block block someone at The Rim in transition the anticipation that is starting to build with his reputation of

Being this game wrecker uh it’s palpable like so you feel that energy you see his teammates respond to it um and you also see opponents looking over their shoulder all of a sudden where is this dude where you know I have to be aware at all times that’s what Anthony Edwards

Has become and I I think I said it the other day on Twitter but I do think he’s the best show in the NBA right now when we talk about SK players and skills and stuff he’s the best show just because you never know when that moment is going

To hit and when he delivers that moment there are very few that can reach the heights literally and figuratively that he brings shout out to Niki Alexander Walker who threw the pass yes which was not like an obvious path pass necessarily to put him on that runway

For that dunk he’s such a show John that he rose up for a back dunk against Denver two nights ago where again as he’s jumping there was like both in the crowd and in my soul this combination of like anticipatory excitement and shaking fear like is he gonna is this gonna hurt

And then it was just like a normal emphatic put putback Duncan it was almost like well that’s it like there’s no Carnage there’s no there’s no wreckage anywhere um I want remember the old Sports Science segments where they used to like we used to do I want a

Sports science segment I need to know the velocity of his right arm as it’s coming down on John Collins’s entire being and life that was I mean it was so good I watched the game on delay because I had some stuff to do so I watched the first quarter I

Think and then I left to do some stuff and the dunk happened and I see on Twitter the dunk I get some notifications there’s dunk there’s an Anthony Edward that’s all I know I don’t see it I didn’t I was like I’m not watching the video and watching the game

Knowing it was coming I don’t know that I’ve ever had an like every time he was near the B I was like is this it is this it is this it and then it was like is it gonna live up to the like oh my

God yeah it was and and you talked about the nikil pass which was great but even before it as it originated the ant hit aead pass to nille like cuz he grabbed the rebound he there’s many times he’s just gone Coast to Coast tried to draw a

Foul and do it that way he hit ahead and then kept it going and when nille threw the pass and he elevated like he jumped off of a trampoline my kids have trampoline in the backyard of the neighbors and they just fly off of that thing it was exactly like he hit a

Trampoline right at the restricted area and flew and nikelle Alexander Walker the reaction he said it I I talked to him before the Denver game I said what was it like dude what was it like he’s like I wanted to fight somebody like that it was like it was like watching it

Was like you know I I would imagine like a a 19-year-old Italian kid going to watch rocky bboa rocky you know a movie back in the day and walking out of the theater just wanting to get in the ring and and that’s what the reaction was

From him from Kyle Anderson who is just going to have be a meme for the rest of his life with the you know hands on head kind of reaction to it um and I think that one thing that is different for the Timberwolves is you saw that dunk matter

For 36 hours um it do you know dominated the ESPN broadcast sports center ESPN today and that’s not a an area that the Timberwolves are used to being in now they have their guy who can put them there at any moment and it’s intoxicating for this market for sure

People talk about business decisions like on dunks an aunt made a business decision in that Nuggets game where Jamal Murray was coming at him and he was like you know what my chances aren’t so great I’m just gonna let him throw throw this one down it’s not a business

Decision with Anthony Edwards coming at you it’s like a life-saving decision it’s like a health decision um look I said when towns got injured I understand that the numbers that that they they are lucky in a way that they have this readymade template to play without him okay we have goar

Goar is the Keystone of our defense our defense will be fine now we just sort of simplify the offense there’s a bunch of high pick and rooll with gobear screening for ant for the guards for Conley whatever work around that yeah maybe our shooting isn’t quite as good

But we can figure that we have a way to play and the numbers were outstanding if you sorted them ant on the floor goar on the floor hounds off the floor there’s a foundation here and yet I said that’s all cool I don’t think they can win two playoff rounds

Without Carl Anthony towns I don’t know when he’s coming back I don’t know what his condition is going to be I just think their offensive ceiling isn’t going to be high enough I think I still think that like they could win a first round series depending on who they play

Even without towns I I don’t know who they’ll play who had pick whatever they can win that series the next one if it’s one of the other juggernauts I just don’t think their game- to game ceiling is high enough on offense but I’ll tell you in situations like this you learn

Stuff about a team and about some players and we’ve learned that this team’s toughness is absolutely legit there is no wobble in this team no matter how many guys get hurt they’re tough they play together they play with heart and we’ve learned that ant is ready for any situation like just just

Let him soar we’ll talk later maybe about his playmaking lately which I think has been massively encouraging but there’s something in the fiber of this team that I don’t know has been there since Garnett like even in the butler year there was a lot of there was you

Know this like rumor there was this fracturing the old Garden the New Garden do Jimmy really trust the Wiggins and towns like that game against Denver they lost but to your point almost 5-2 almost six- one like gave Denver a hell of a scare without any of their centers I

Don’t know where it’s emanating from because like you know Kyle Anderson’s a big part of their locker room culture he’s an unrestricted free agent Mike Conley is a big part of their locker room culture they just Inked him to an extension goar’s still relatively new like I don’t know where this is coming

From but there’s something in this team that is a little steelier than maybe anyone thought yeah they definitely have a backbone that you didn’t expect really um especially last year where let’s face it they had trouble incorporating goar I don’t think they were the most connected

Team all at all times and they have found it this season and it wasn’t just the Denver game I remember earlier this season they were in Boston on the second night of a back-to-back goar and Conley did not play they took the Celtics to overtime like that’s they are the only

Team in the NBA I think uh so far that has not been down by at least 30 in a game this year they are in every game like well the other landmark game from this stretch I just want to mention it before I forget is going down 22 against

The Clippers on the road and yeah sure kawhai leaves at halftime of the game with back spasm or whatever they come back and they don’t just win they blow the doors off to Clippers without towns like you didn’t have Kawai we didn’t have towns we went on the road we

Outscored You by 40 points in 29 minutes a play or whatever it was yeah and and it I do think some of it comes from Chris Finch in terms of right before the Denver game you know no Nas no Rudy um they’re they’re Shand no cat and the he

Was asked in this pregame press conference you know hey coach what do you expect tonight you’re playing the defending champs they’re they’ve been awesome after the All-Star break you guys are so short-handed on the second night of a back-to-back Home Road home um what do you expect and he said I

Expect to win the game and there’s this sort of like no BS stuff with this team in general emanating from Finch and Tim Conley in terms of they expect to compete every game they don’t rest guys like all their guys play when they’re healthy all the time and I think they

Take pride in that and they’re also doing it defensively like that’s their identity and so they feel like they are Fighters they feel like they they they are tough and they want to show you that they’re not winning games flashy their offense has been 16 17 18 19 all season

Long and it’s like yeah we’re not the prettiest but when you step in the ring with us we’re going to find a way to be in this the whole way and our fourth quarter offense is a little little questionable or this or that but but uh they’re resourceful and and and they

Want the smoke like ant and that starts with ant he believes every single time he steps on the floor he’s the best player on the floor and it doesn’t matter who he’s going up against and everyone kind of feeds off of that energy and says let’s fight these guys

And that’s what it is every single night there is a sense I mean you see it even with the younger Spurs with v lyama of we have this dude on our team this is awesome like there is this sort of like belief element of like this guy is

Fighting for us and doing this stuff for us this is awesome you mentioned you know offense up and down fourth quarter offense they’ve been bottom 10 all season crunchtime offense they’ve been bottom 10 all season that’s that’s the the sort of weak spot of the team but

They’re tough as hell well let’s just do the basics like what do we know about towns has there been any update from the team about what are we two weeks since he got injured yeah not not an official update he’s had the surgery um so and

They said it went well and he’ll be evaluated in 4 weeks um from the surgery date last week and so I think we’re essentially 3 weeks away from that or so but um talking to people around it I believe that there is real optimism that

It’s going to be on the shorter end of the window for him coming back um provided that everything goes okay and according to plan with the rehab process so I don’t think he’s not going to play the rest of this regular season but I I think that there is optim ISM that early

On in the playoffs he can be ready now what does he look like when he comes back and all those things those are question marks that will have to be answered and see what happens but um by all accounts people seem to be pretty optimistic that uh he’s going to get

Through this and get back relatively soon is that game one of round one I don’t know about that but I do think that they’re looking somewhere in that first series um and and to have him back on the court and that would be big for

Them Naas Reed is a is a head injury correct what do we know about him so they have not labeled it a concussion um he was listed as questionable against Denver the other night and came to the arena went through some pregame stuff and just examination and stuff then um

Then went home um he I think will be listed as questionable for the game Friday night against Cleveland I can see him I think it’s presumable that he could play in that game he may need another game um they the the Wolves play on Sunday against Golden State in the rematch with

Draymond so I would think that sometime in the next two games is probably a reasonable expectation for him to get back I don’t think it’s a it’s a severe concussion or or or head injury like that so the windows pretty short for him and for Rudy goar yeah goar is a rib and

Like a rib pain tolerance kind of thing what do we know about that he uh went through a full workout before the Denver game um and wasn’t quite ready to go but yeah it is is a pain tolerance issue they they had Wednesday and Thursday off and so I think Friday is again

Reasonable um maybe maybe it would take one more to come back on Sunday but uh he’s very close to returning so he was he was a game time decision essentially for the Nuggets game so I think that real soon he’ll be back on the court they need I mean obviously they

Need these guys but like the level of resourcefulness that they’ve shown I mean against Denver they’re they’re splitting Center minutes between Kyle Anderson and Luca Garza basically and Luca Garza will shoot like the guy is out there to shoot threes he’s going to shoot he’s going to shoot his jump hooks

He’s going to keep shooting he does not care if he misses eight threes in a row he’s going to shoot and they’re playing you know twoo guards together a lot of the times with nikil Alexander Walker as like a three in these like super duper small lineups where it’s like a manty

Morris Mike connley Jordan mclock we need all of you everyone’s got to play and they’re super resourceful um what else have you learned what else can we take from this stretched so far I mean it’s a small sample I get that but it is always interesting like what are some of

The talking points you hear around the team or just from your own watching of the games like what’s been interesting to you yeah I mean I think that it it really has been interesting to see them adapt on the fly now they’re sort of re returning to the smoke and mirrors fly

Around team with Patrick Beverly and and that team and Vanderbilt and all those guys that went to the playoffs two years ago um that was a an undersized kind of Scrappy you know get into the passing lanes and and and and create turnovers and and get out and run type

Of a team um and so for most of this season with Rudy with cat they have been a hold our water protect the rim def you know contest shots type of a defense and it’s been great for them they’ve been number one defense all year it’s really

Worked well but in these past seven games and especially the past few without Rudy they’ve had no Rim protection and so they have turned much more into we are going to get into the passing Lanes we’re going to create turnovers and they did not run at all

With with the bigs and and now they are getting out in transition a little bit more and that’s been an uh an impressive thing to watch them quickly return to that team they were two years ago um and and you’ve seen Jaden McDaniels now sliding down to the four a little bit

And and and and bling shots at the rim and they’re just doing whatever it takes to get stops and there was a sequence in the Denver games act where you want to talk about rotate fly around cover recover and force a a Jamal Murray heave

Late in the in the clock I mean that’s as good as you could play against the nuggets and and so um they’ve just found ways to do it by making those things happen and then it’s you know it’s one night it’s Nas Reed scoring a bunch of points one night it’s nille Alexander

Walker hit a bunch of Threes uh one night’s Jordan McGloin Jordan mcclin is shooting like mid 40% from three right now so finding just those little heaters and then getting behind you hit on it earlier ant as a playmaker has been the key to the whole thing like he you know

Rillo talked about it the other day he’s not just having these highlights he’s not just throwing down dunks blocking shots he is making plays for his teammates and showing a maturity in his game that unlocks everything here you you hate to be the nerd guy who’s like

Oh the dunks are cool but let me tell you the thing that’s actually cool because the dunks are cool like the dunks are the best thing but I I just think he look he’s only averaging 5.1 assists a game that’s up recently so it’s not like amazing but it is a jump

From last year and the year before qualitatively I just like when he makes the Easy Pass early and it just gets the offense flowing it keeps the offense flowing the ball often comes back to him in a better position um but I you know I

Would point to I think he’s had a couple of games lately of eight assists one of 10 maybe have 10 assists in one game yeah just a few games ago yeah there’s a sequence against the Jazz in Utah on March 18th so what is that three days

Ago two days ago three days ago end of the third quarter that I think people should look at as illustrative of what he can do when he just does the simple stuff and how and how dominating he is because there’s a Fear Factor with him

Not just as a dunker but as a scorer that we can’t let this guy get a rhythm even if the numbers say he’s a good jump shooter but not a great one like you just don’t want to let him get open and get up in the air and get easy looks

They run the same play three times in a row at the end of the third quarter starting like two and a half minutes to one minute um it’s a left side pick and roll between ant and Luca Garza and they they often run a little like Iverson cut for

Ant across the foul line to get him going three plays in a row I don’t know I can’t remember the exact order but the outcomes are different every time first one is they drop and ant just takes one dribble oh Luca’s open pop pop pick and

Pop three here you go Luca makes a three second one they drop again but ant’s got kind of an angle splits the defense and just explodes like you guys have no shot layup third one he drives again left side help comes he pauses for just a

Second to read the defense sees I think TJ Warren cutting into the slot immediate cut TJ Warren TJ Warren Gets a layup just three simple plays over and over and over again there was another play I wish I could remember what game it was it was somewhat re it might have

Been that Clippers game actually um where they ran a left side pick and roll between ant and whoever the center was goar and they and they blitzed and rather than hold the ball or or force a drive force a pass he saw how the defense was rotating and he swung it

Directly to his right to some perimeter player who was like the release valve player like immediate just what I don’t know if he took more than one dribble immediate and that guy as the defense scrambled toward him threw a skip pass to nikil Alexander Walker in the corner

For maybe it was Monty Morris in the corner for a three yeah it might have been Alexander Walker to Monty Morris but the point is he gets off of it early and just good stuff happens even in that Denver game there was one where he he

Isolated um like at the left elbow and they doubled him and he just immediately slipped this little bounce pass through the double to Kyle Anderson his and that because he’s he can get 30 like no one’s stopping him from getting 30 what you what you don’t want is every possession

Devolves into it’s me against the world for one step back 20 footer effort or another because when those go in they’re sexy and it’s cool you can’t win every game you can’t win four playoff games against the same great team like that you can win four playoff games against

Anyone making the kind of plays I’m talking about and it seems like he is in real time digesting like I’m better this way we’re better this way and yeah there are going to be times for me to cook and that’s cool and like when I’m on it when

They just feed me feed me the ball but like this works and it’s like proof of concept almost yeah there’s there’s two things on that one is it has been a work in progress like he is 22 years old he has the exuberance that he wants to take

Over these games and he’s athletic enough to be able to get to his shot whenever he wants it now he may not always make it but what they had what they had been working on with him for months now is earlier on in the season when it went bad it was dribble dribble

Dribble drive into three guys maybe you get a call but a lot times you don’t you yell at the refs and you and you’re slow going back and then you’re in all sorts of problems but um now they have they have tried to tell him that a if you get

Off of it early in the clock you are going to get it back in a more advantageous position for you and I think that took a little bit of time for him to really digest and realize and so now he does do that and he has seen it

Work for his Advantage um and and it’s working really well but the second part of that is the reason that he has emerged as such a great leader for this team is that he is trusting Jaden McDaniels who hasn’t shot very well all year he just keeps passing

Him the ball if Lucas missing missing shots he keeps passing him the ball and and there are there is a belief in the locker room that our number one player believes in Us in me and so they get uh hyped from from that and they and and it

Makes the whole thing work to a greater degree Mike Conley told a story just the the other night after the Denver game that um he has been working with ant a lot on Don’t Force It Don’t Force It simple play Simple play and ant took a

Couple of rust shots in the middle of that game and then came back to Mike and said hey my bad I gotta get off of it I got to get going on it and did that the rest of the game and Mike said I was so

Proud of him because I didn’t have to tell him this time he’s telling me and that kind of shows that a proof of concept that he’s absorbing the information just as the playoffs are getting here and so all of the lessons that Finch and Conley and Kyle Anderson

And these guys have are trying to embed in him are starting to take root and that is going to just make him even more of a monster because he’s already had two good playoff series Zach he’s not been the problem he he’s ready for them he’s ready for that so and look and

That’s why the towns injur was I mean it’s it’s sad on a number of reasons and we I say that like you said he could be back for the first game of the playoffs so what’s to be sad about but you just hope that that’s the case

Because you know he’s been on this team nine years now waiting for a team like this and his playoff record is is not good uh it’s filled with bad fouls and bad turnovers and single- digit scoring games and 12o scoring games until the last three games of that Denver Series

Last year where that was a real thing that was a proven ground for them they proved something to themselves even in losing and I think he for the first time settled into the playoffs and started playing like Carl towns and you hope he gets the chance to do that again but on

Ant that’s why that Utah sequence of pick and roles that I’m talking about same play over and over again none of those are highlight plays like none of them are going to make the Highlight re it’s just a player he he there’s barely there’s no wasted motion there’s no

Wasted time cut catch pick go oh you’re defending me this way this time here’s the read now you’re defending me this way the second time here’s the read third time you’re oh you did this instead of that here’s the read and it’s just instant quick read and react making

The right play every time can we talk about the step through moves I was just G to bring it up I was just going to bring that are are so insane that I’m I I’m like zap rering them is that a travel right I don’t think it’s a travel

Because it’s like one step from the pivot and then plant and rise MH he is and this is what’s so cool about him is he’s this insane athlete but this year he’s developed one of the silkiest bank shots like a classic old school Tim Duncan e bank shot and these step

Through footwork pivot moves like I there’s no one has that same step through almost in the entire NBA and he is roasting dudes with it and I haven’t heard anyone say it’s a travel on the broadcast I haven’t heard anyone in the legal office say we got to look at this

It looks like a totally legal step through it looks like it yeah he really anticipates and he has a great feel for space and time to ex execute something like that and you know it started it germinated you know back earlier in the season when he was caught in one area

And then he threw the ball off the backboard to himself and dunked and you saw like he he did step through right there to get the space to make that play and I think he whether a light bulb came on with him in that moment or the the

Coaches and everyone started to build on that we have started now see it regularly in the last four or five games even and and it is becoming a real weapon for him and the the other part Tim McMahon was just uh in town for the for the Denver game and we were talking

About it as well the other part is like he play he can explode past you or he can play really slow the Euro Step the step through these are these are timing plays these are I’m going to play at a slower Tempo and use my strength and everything accelerations at The Rim in

The last it’s been the last three I mean he’s always been good at it but the last three weeks he’s got one or two every game where I’m like it it’s like he’s going backwards all of a sudden he’s gotten so good at it that and this is

What I mean it’s like this insane athleticism and verticality and power but he also clearly invests a lot of time and pride in like mik andrill level fundamentals in craft yeah he yeah he works I mean talk that’s the thing he came in as a rookie and there were these

Questions does he love the game will he put the work in that was the that was the thing that made it controversial if you want to say for the Timberwolves to take him number one was what what does this guy do does he have an aptitude for

It and from the minute he arrived and it’s only gotten better and better as as as these years have gone on coaches teammates will tell you he puts in he watches film he puts in work he is very coachable and listens um he doesn’t do everything right all the time right away

But if he makes a mistake or two they will Coach him through something in a practice in a film session he’s not making that mistake the next time they will show him some some Avenue he can exploit he does it he can he can apply what he is learning very quickly so he’s

He is a really smart smart person um I think that his basketball IQ has increased exponentially over the last couple of years but he puts the work in because he he really wants to be great at it and and I think that that’s that separates him from some of the other

Players out there of just wanting to get into it and and wanting to do whatever it takes to make it to the second round the third round of the playoffs and really kind of take take the league over which is what is his ultimate goal in

This he also defends and that matters on a number of levels one of which is his teammates can’t sit there and say okay well our leading scorer he just wants to play offense and he wants us to do all the heavy lifting on defense and that can demoralize the team he defends now

He’s talked about being the best defensive player in the league and making an all defense team I think he he’s not far from that um he is an incredible on ball Defender and he has shown that when he cares he can pretty much take any assignment he’s taking big

Guys he’s taking point guards down the stretch of these games like just give me that dude and I can show who what was the big guy he took in a recent game I I was just trying to think that and it’s it’s escaping me right now I have to

Look at the the schedule but yeah he he had somebody it wasn’t joic no no no no it was might have been Anthony Davis at one point I can’t remember who it was but anyway um marinan maybe uh in any case he’ll and he and he gets into those

Guys because he has this combination of strength good hands and and speed that is very very rare off ball he’s still like a lot of young players is a little inconsistent in his attention to detail but what I like about him is he knows that and he cares so there’s a sequence

In that Denver game where he’s on Jamaal Murray because I I want the Jamal Murray assignment give me the Jamal Murray assignment and he misses a box out Jamal Murray sneaks in front of him and gets an offensive rebound and Denver scores and he is so VIs visibly angry at

Himself he’s CH like you see his face he balls up his fist he’s angry he’s not angry at his teammates he’s not blaming anybody else not not blaming that guy for not picking me up over here he’s pissed at himself and that’s what you want to see and that’s why he will

Develop into an all Defense level allaround player and he’ll clean up some of these mistakes because he cares and his teammates see that oh he’s not just relying on jayen McDaniels and Rudy goar to carry the defense and like I want to do all the fun stuff he’s in for all of

It absolutely he wants it all and the thing like what we have see what is a regular occurrence is he finds the spots in a game where it’s all right it’s time to shut this down and you looked at it and um it will be hey uh Jayden McDaniels

You’ve had Dean Fox for most of this game I’m taking him for this sequence um yeah you like I I think if they were to see the Pelicans in the playoffs I think he would want Zion for some stretch which by the way allows jayen McDaniels

To be like a 610 roving help Defender instead of the guy smothering the point guards he’s good at both but there’s trickle down effects totally yep and so um you know we saw in the Clipper game uh when Paul George he he had him lined

Up just took his candy went right to the basket and scored like he has the the ability to sink his teeth into someone right in front of him and I also really believe it Zack I don’t know many two guards in the league that are better

Shot blockers like he there are very few that can get and challenge at The Rim the way and with the ferocity that Edwards does and not just on little guys on big guys like he will go hunt for those and again he likes that you know the first time I ever interviewed him

Was over the phone I was asking him a bunch of questions and I got to I like hey you know you seem to have a real like a knack for Rim protection like Rim protection from a guard or a wing is like a really it’s not super but it’s a

Really huge thing for your defense just like rebounding from out of position rebounders is huge and he lit up and he was like which block you want to talk about I love all the like it’s he he loves it now look I don’t like I think

He’s gonna make an all NBA team this year and deserves it right which has financial implications for the Wolves but he deserves it no question maybe some question but I I he’ll make it um he’s got another leap to make to be like a top like if you you start talking

About the top like seven or eight players in the NBA right now it’s a pretty high bar to get to I think he’s a little bit below that but not too far below if he’s making all NBA and he deserves it and I think he does it’s not

Too far below and that leap is really just about the sort of simple plays judgment calibration stuff that we’re talking about which as you mentioned he’s not 23 years old like he’s way ahead of the curve on all that but there are games where he forces a little bit

And gets him out of rhythm and that’s the stuff when he cleans that up he’s going to be a top five player top eight player whatever it is in the league and the sky’s the limit for him um last real quick Z just on that Zack you’re right

All of that but also what he knows the most is he has to have success in the playoffs to penetrate that that top he has not done that yet he said it last year um in the Denver series like what you know I’m not a young star yet you

Can’t call me that what what what will it take ant he said I got to win in the playoffs so that’s the next step for him as well he’s got to get onto those big stage moments and have success there and that’s what I wanted to end with which

Is like how are you how is the team how are fans there like it’s almost like there’s been this pause on you know this is a team that based on its record its Point differential everything its goal should be to make the finals like I’m not I’ve never

Picked them to make the finals um I I think they could be vulnerable in the first round if they draw the wrong matchup and in towns is not healthy but before this towns injury like yeah we’re trying to get the number one seed like it’s a finals team and then it these

Kind of ill-timed injuries to a star and the return is uncertain the condition of return is uncertain they put this weird pause in expectations like I guess we just got to wait and see but like what is what is the mood is like both among

The team and among fans like is it is it is it gravy if they went around does it depend on how towns looks is there fear that this is like a Lost season I I don’t even know what what to think yeah no I’ll say first of all um from the

Team perspective Tim Connelly made a statement at the start of the Season that uh he said now it’s time for this team to win a series and at the time when you followed this team for 20 years you’re like holy like that’s a bold statement for this franchise so that was

The bar that was set early I think that they raised that bar with how they have played for most of this season and I know I can tell you like Rudy goar Mike Conley Aunt cat all of these guys they believe that they have the talent to win

And go to the Western coverage finals or the finals they they truly believe that that has not changed since Carl went down like they still believe that they will get him back early enough and that they have enough left that the goal is a deep playoff run for this team I will

Say from the fan standpoint this is maybe the most tortured sports fan base in the country when you talk about all of the men Sports continuously failing over and over again so there is a psychosis in the fans that they want to get excited they do get excited Target

Center has been sold out every single night um this season it’s been great crowds but they are waiting for the other shoe to drop and so when towns does get hurt you know it’s like oh here we go again uh when Rudy gets hurt and

Nas is hurt for the Denver game they all just kind of like why can’t we have nice things that sort of thing but but then they go out and watch a team battle with the nuggets the whole way and some of that belief comes back so until any team

In this market breaks through and has real success in the playoffs there’s always going to be fan base bracing for the punch in the gut to come but from a team standpoint they are all in on this they believe that um you know that they

Can they can go as far as you want them to go I’m of this of the opinion Zach they can win in the they can they can go to the finals they can lose in the first round that’s the the the variance that this team has going to the play there’s

Probably a lot of West teams that can say that right now they have to be healthy to go to the finals but that that’s I think that’s that’s accurate maybe this is why maybe this is why Aunt keeps coming out of the tunnel late for

He what he was late for one game then he was late for the second half of another game maybe he’s trying to steal the fan base for see look there’s this air of mystery for a few minutes and everything’s fine maybe he’s like that’s bizarre it’s only happened twice like

Can we not have it happen a third time yeah there’s you those are the moments where you’re like Yep this guy is 22 years old and oh by the way he just had a baby and like he everything is swirling around him because I’ve never

Seen it in 20 years uh a player Miss opening introductions and not get on the court in time to start the game where he has to actually sit at the scores table and wait wait to check in so there’s that and then the other really enjoyable thing you’ll enjoy this

Zach if you want to just get a chuckle find a time when ant when they’re up by like 15 points third quarter he will shoot a try and shoot a bank three um to mess around and have fun and just watch Chris Finch’s expression just watch the color drain

Out of his face and the hair go everywhere and and just kind of soak that in for a coach who knows this is my number one guy and without question I believe in him entirely and he has the franchise on his shoulders and we can go

As far as he takes him but he still does these things every once in a while that will just absolutely make him pull his hair out it’s it’s hilarious first of all Chris Finch does have great hair yeah if we did if we did a coach hair

Rankings it’s up there he I mean I would without going through all the coaches I he’s got to be a no or top five yeah he’s first team onba coach here I mean I don’t hair coach um and you see a will occasionally make one and he’ll let you

Know that he called it oh yeah he’ll let everybody know I called it um all right John krinski from the athletic Nobody Does it Better on the beat than you thank you for Lending us some of your time the shoe is not dropping the shoe there’s no shoe okay the shoe the the

Shoe is already dropped and Carl’s going to take it and put it back on everything’s going to be fine thank you for your time sir re John at the athletic listen him at the athletic and he’s got his own podcast too about Minnesota sports the site you should

Rename the podcast The psychosis of the fans with John krinski thank you sir I’m well versed I’ll I’ll see you for beers in June in Minneapolis Z oh I love it thank you John

Celtics vs. Bucks reaction, Anthony Edwards’ Leap & Coach of the Year Contenders | The Lowe Post
Zach Lowe and Tim MacMahon discuss how the Celtics and Bucks would match up in a playoff series, forecast the Thunder’s chances in the West, and weigh in on Coach of the Year candidates. Then, The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski joins to talk all things Anthony Edwards- the dunk, his elevation into superstardom and what success looks like for the Timberwolves this season.
#thelowepost #nba #espn

0:00 Celtics-Bucks matchup
21:20 Forecasting the Thunder
40:13 No one has an answer for Jokic
43:10 Coach of the Year front runners
47:50 The red-hot Rockets
53:02 A basketball dilemma
56:29 Jon Krawczynski
58:54 The Anthony Edwards dunk
1:07:25 Wolves have more of a backbone this season
1:11:13 Latest on KAT and Reid
1:16:39 Anthony Edwards has taken the leap
1:33:23 What is success for the Wolves this year?

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