2024 Playoffs- 3rd Round: Minnesota Timberwolves - Dallas Mavericks- MAVS WIN 4-1!

[fifteenth]

Just having a little fun, no hate here.  

Plus, I can't hate towards Tatum and Brown in a 3rd Round Playoffs thread focused on Minnesota, gotta save it for the Finals round thread  

I approve your message! I also saw some similarity in Ant's and Finch's post-game comments.

[The Jom]

Rob Mahoney (@RobMahoney)
It's amazing how many of Luka's playoff series end with the other team in complete shambles. Some of them never really recover.

Yes! He has changed the trajectory of franchises. The absolute blowing up of team Utah, ushering Ruddy and Conley to Minneapolis. The involuntary reimagining of #1 seed Phoenix and the end of Ayton. The PG13 no-max drama in LA. The not-OK-in-OKC emasculation of Josh Giddey. And now, this. 

Finch laid an egg in this series, if you ask me. I suspect that team just peaked.

[DallasMaverick]

Pretty sure that Edwards will never be as good of a playmaker as Luka or Jokic. Also has no inbetween game. Years away from ever being able to handle a Luka-like role if ever reaches that level. Just doesn't have the same feel for the game.
KAT cannot even score in the post when he isn't getting doubled and is a mediocre passer with a high turnover rate. Using him as a playmaking hub in the high post is the best way to tank the offense even more.
Not sure if all of the questionable things the Wolves tried on offense are on Finch but they ran their first quarter offense through Gobert. In an elimination game. That alone is enough to question his ability to come up with a good offensive scheme.

So, what do the T-wolves need?

A better, more available version of Mike Conley? Seems like they’ve got a decent amount of firepower.  And tough D.

Hard to figure.

Seems like Gobert is a more indispensable part of their dominance than KAT. Trade KAT?

[michaeltex]

I agree. 

Regarding Luka, I think he's becoming really great at being willing and able to make the right play based on the defense and game situation, whether that results in his own shot or a shot for his teammates. 

Regarding Ant, he is more of a pre-positionless basketball shooting guard. I think they need a point guard for Ant to thrive.

So what's Connelly, then?

TBH, sometimes it was a surprise when Connelly was credited with making a basket or getting a rebound. 

The coach's comments about heliocentric offenses are pretty ironic considering how Ant is supposed to carry the scoring. The new face of the NBA. The next MJ. 

[RGP1981]

Ha ha!!! So Fin is the Luka baby sitter, enforcer!?

Those Mavs, they don't tell us everything!

The Mavs also need to find someone who takes away his chicken and rice, especially the rice. Tubby packs on the pounds quick because of his beers and rice... not because of genetics.

[Jym]

The Mavs also need to find someone who takes away his chicken and rice, especially the rice. Tubby packs on the pounds quick because of his beers and rice... not because of genetics.

there's noooo way that rice is his issue 
probably the healthiest thing he eats

[SleepingHero]

The Mavs also need to find someone who takes away his chicken and rice, especially the rice. Tubby packs on the pounds quick because of his beers and rice... not because of genetics.

Tubby also drops 35 in playoff games in a single half so I'm fine with him eating some pizza and throwing back some beers.

[The Jom]

Yeah, he managed 40+ minutes every other night pretty well. Better than that kid they call an insect, who looks round in the face and tummy to me.

[surfpuckmd]

Some odd comments from Finch this series.  Surprised he didn't throw in that he didn't like illegal screen offenses.

The illegal screen accusations are especially ironic as Rudy Gobert not only sets illegal screens but dirty screens-  lots of elbows and tripping.

[mvossman]

Its a shame that Ignore can be pointless on this forum sometimes.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

The Mavs also need to find someone who takes away his chicken and rice, especially the rice. Tubby packs on the pounds quick because of his beers and rice... not because of genetics.

Rice isn’t bad for you.

[The Jom]

Don’t have the data to prove it, but I really think the Mavs saw the Wolves coming into game 1 already worn out and gameplanned to run the legs right off of em. If we had numbers on how many miles KAT and Ant traveled per game, and at what speed, in Denver series vs. Dallas series, I think we’d be astonished at the difference.

Compounding that problem, I’m not sure those 2 fellas are at the level of conditioning necessary to last through a lengthy playoff run. And the coach made it harder for them, instead of easier, by giving them tough defensive assignments and pushing them to give maximum effort. They had one heckuva second half in game 4 to peel off a single victory. But like Q3 game 3, Q4 game 4 had 8 stoppages for free throws in addition to all the timeouts and other rests. Little wonder those were the games they performed best in.

All that is to say Minny is better, I think, than they played in this series. I think the Dallas coaching staff identified a weakness and exploited the heck out of it very successfully. At the same time, the “adjustments” by the Minny coaches (like putting Ant on Luka) just seemed to exacerbate the problem. If they can recognize and address this weakness, no reason to think a very similar team can’t finish near the top of the conference again next year. They need another playable guy more than they need to get rid of a big.

[GATA]

Edwards is one of the more overrated players I’ve seen. I would bet my life he never comes close to a championship. Entitled as any player I’ve seen in maybe a decade

[Dundalis]

Rice isn’t bad for you.

The carbs can absolutely pack on the pounds.

[fifteenth]

Gosh, all this talk about how bad Finch, Ant, KAT, Rudy, etc are...

I guess the little Mavs should be thankful that the rest of the west sucks so bad that we get to be the honorary representative of the West and get to keep the participation trophy. Go Mavs! You did OK but mostly everyone else sucks! Yay!

[mvossman]

Don’t have the data to prove it, but I really think the Mavs saw the Wolves coming into game 1 already worn out and gameplanned to run the legs right off of em. If we had numbers on how many miles KAT and Ant traveled per game, and at what speed, in Denver series vs. Dallas series, I think we’d be astonished at the difference.

Compounding that problem, I’m not sure those 2 fellas are at the level of conditioning necessary to last through a lengthy playoff run. And the coach made it harder for them, instead of easier, by giving them tough defensive assignments and pushing them to give maximum effort. They had one heckuva second half in game 4 to peel off a single victory. But like Q3 game 3, Q4 game 4 had 8 stoppages for free throws in addition to all the timeouts and other rests. Little wonder those were the games they performed best in.

All that is to say Minny is better, I think, than they played in this series. I think the Dallas coaching staff identified a weakness and exploited the heck out of it very successfully. At the same time, the “adjustments” by the Minny coaches (like putting Ant on Luka) just seemed to exacerbate the problem. If they can recognize and address this weakness, no reason to think a very similar team can’t finish near the top of the conference again next year. They need another playable guy more than they need to get rid of a big.

Minny is a really good team, but I think we are a bad matchup for them. We have the right guys to guard Ant and Kat and Gobert lets us back that up with elite rim protection. And Luke is Gobert kryptonite.

[KillerLeft]

Gosh, all this talk about how bad Finch, Ant, KAT, Rudy, etc are...

I guess the little Mavs should be thankful that the rest of the west sucks so bad that we get to be the honorary representative of the West and get to keep the participation trophy. Go Mavs! You did OK but mostly everyone else sucks! Yay!

Right!?

[dirkfansince1998]

Gosh, all this talk about how bad Finch, Ant, KAT, Rudy, etc are...

I guess the little Mavs should be thankful that the rest of the west sucks so bad that we get to be the honorary representative of the West and get to keep the participation trophy. Go Mavs! You did OK but mostly everyone else sucks! Yay!

Minnesota is a bad city. Almost as bad as Utah.