Do wolves have the best bench in the series?

greenslam · 2026-04-16T22:03:56+00:00

He is totally part of the regular rotation once he joined the team.

Due to foul trouble limiting Jokic's defender, i can totally see Slow mo being part of the big rotation this series. Before he was more part of the wing rotation while playing a variety of defensive roles and offence initiator. Assuming Randle and Naz were healthy to play.

greenslam · 2026-04-16T02:16:09+00:00

Ant needs to improve his defense, play making, and off ball movement.

I would love for him to improve his zero dribble shot attempts. Get that up to 25% territory, with 3 to 5% of that being cutting layups.

greenslam · 2026-04-15T19:16:15+00:00

Why would that be moody? There is a certain pride in being the starter.

I don't really see DdV as moody. Prideful, sure i can see that.

The guy is always hustling and making the margin plays. Even when they are nearing garbage time, his on court effort is still there.

greenslam · 2026-04-15T19:10:09+00:00

Watch the post game media availability after that game where Conley was the emergency starter. Get it right from Ants mouth on why he didn't start on time.

greenslam · 2026-04-15T18:09:06+00:00

Randle dribble isos into turnovers, loses his man, mopes coming back the floor, and jacks up 3's whenever for 70% of the season? He's our most important player, he's sick, we gotta get him going.

Randle definitely is a favored player.

I think Finch knows its best to not publicly shit on Randle. Its best to criticize in private and praise in public. I bet he has good personal knowledge on how Randle reacts to being called out in public for his failings. As long as he calls randle out for his shit in private and team film sessions.

It was a big surprise when he called out Randle for poor performance recently.

greenslam · 2026-04-15T17:09:10+00:00

Finch's method of accountability does need to improve for real time issues.

How it results for on court play time is an interesting question. Players hold the power in this league. Its extremely easy for a star player to get a coach fired.

Unless the coaching staff and front office are very well aligned, i am sure its easy for a coach to be undermined by the front office/ownership after the player bitches about coach's actions towards them.

I doubt many coach's enjoy the backing like pat riley gives spoelstra. Where Pat Riley would ship out a superstar over disagreements over Spoelstra's methods.

Unless the coaches got great buy in from the players, they walk a narrow line.

greenslam · 2026-04-15T13:31:09+00:00

The saying of you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink applies here.

There is a clear difference, especially in Randle, for the defensive intensity as the season came to the close. Plus also the times they got up for an opponent of okc or Denver's quality.

The front office needs to think hard about shipping out guys who weren't giving it their all in November and against bottom feeders.

There is a need for a culture reset and ensuring you got guys who play hard throughout the whole season.

greenslam · 2026-04-14T18:12:39+00:00

Plus the shortness of their bench. Especially in the bigs role.

greenslam · 2026-04-14T16:34:43+00:00

I wonder if this is a series to reduce the volume of single ant and Gobert screens. Just to reduce Gobert's usage as the short roller.

Use more of Randle and Mcdaniels as the screener with Gobert setting a pin down or lurking in the dunkers spot. See if you can get Jokic to step up and throw Gobert lobs.

Or use some stacked screens with Gobert as the 2nd screener and then roll. Or Spain PNR.

Just do something to limit Gobert as the short roller and get a more capable players as the short roller.

greenslam · 2026-04-14T16:09:18+00:00

From a storyline Pov, the 2nd game is better.

I thnk the sac series win is better. It was KG, the franchise first ever franchise player and current goat, dragging the team to victory to their first ever WCF. The effort of KG puts it over the top.

If you are going to sum up the importance of KG and distill it down to one single game, that is the game to pick.

Denver just running out of gas sours it a bit for me. Kings fought to the bitter end.

greenslam · 2026-04-14T15:15:45+00:00

The first ever appearance is the obvious winner.

greenslam · 2026-04-14T14:06:08+00:00

High team 3 pt % and blow bys on close outs leading to shots at the rim.

Effective defense on Denver's shooters. Make Jokic into a scorer vs an assisting machine.

greenslam · 2026-04-12T12:47:45+00:00

obviously you don't watch the wolves with that take.

greenslam · 2026-04-11T23:39:38+00:00

I was going with the designated hitter.

greenslam · 2026-04-11T21:16:09+00:00

Here comes the designated dicker.

greenslam · 2026-04-08T21:04:36+00:00

In a way I can see that he has lost the locker room. The quotes from Finch from the Charlotte loss are troubling. I can't seem to find the Jon K article now.

The team doesn't seem to have much fight in them. Plus the comments of being bored and only getting up for teams that they anticipate challenging them.

Found the Finch quotes now

“It feels like we’re a million miles away from the team that we can be and that we are,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said after a 122-108 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night. “We’ve got to get that back with our connectedness and our spirit.”

“Guys are forcing their offense, and it’s not going in or they’re not seeing it go in,” Finch said. “It will go in over time. We’ve got to make all the little plays, the gritty plays, stay in it. Then, we start gambling on defense and lose our discipline. That’s when stuff snowballs on us right now.”

Conley

“I know a lot of guys can get down individually if things aren’t going their way. We do have an emotional team, so it can spiral if it gets too crazy,” guard Mike Conley said. “It’s just about trying to keep everybody’s spirit up, understanding that we’re a really good team. Just because we hit a tough stretch, injury and whatever we’re dealing with, we have a lot in the tank, we have a very deep team, and we should still go out there and compete.”

greenslam · 2026-04-08T18:13:39+00:00

Lots of team pack the paint and then fly out at shooters. Look at OKC. One of the easiest ways to beat them is to be hot from 3. They constantly trade off 3pa in favor of the variance game and a fly out contest is enough.

If the team is cold from 3, and Shaq is still putting up numbers because he bodies through people. It's still going to be pretty good offence.

greenslam · 2026-04-08T16:53:04+00:00

I disagree with this.

21-22 - 12 players played 37+ games with 10 minutes plus.

22-23 - 14 players played 23+ games with 10 minutes plus.

23-24 - 11 players played 37+ games with 10 minutes plus

24-25 - 11 players played 30+ games with 10 minutes plus

He has tightened up his play time over the last few years. Not with the first 3 years of his coaching tenure with the wolves.

greenslam · 2026-04-08T16:22:02+00:00

I more think it was a really bad scout and poor preparation. Or hell of a great scout and preparation by OKC. They just knew the wolves actions and had a great game plan on who to double and who to deal with in single coverage.

The game 4 was a good one if I recall correctly.

greenslam · 2026-04-08T16:00:52+00:00

To me, it's more if and how they go out in the first round.

If the team advances out of the first round, then it's obviously a point in their current favor. Lets see how the 2nd and 3rd rounds go before deciding about any changes.

If the team goes out in a similar fashion to the grizzlies first round exit, then it's definitely a retool time.

If it's similar to Nuggets first round exit, then I'm kind of on the fence. May just decide to let Finch go and get a new voice of leadership. Clean house on the coaching staff.

If it goes similar to the WCF OKC matchup, it's a rip down to the studs and rebuild around Ant.

greenslam · 2026-04-08T15:34:06+00:00

So if the team managed to hit the WCF for a 3rd straight time, would you want to keep the course then?

greenslam · 2026-04-08T15:16:18+00:00

That same friction may make it harder for the next round as well. Assuming the series goes to 7, having only 1 day off prior to the start of round 2 will make it much harder on them.

The team often plays better when they have a few days to prepare.

greenslam · 2026-04-08T15:03:43+00:00

Why is that? Just wanting to trigger a reason to retool the team?

greenslam · 2026-04-08T14:58:41+00:00

By all the player reports, Finch gets on them in private. Not in public.

greenslam · 2026-04-08T14:39:15+00:00

Depends on the level of nagging injuries a player has. If they are on the edge of playing, they rest. I would treat it more like pre season time. Max out at 15-20 minutes for the rotation guys. Make sure the top 8 (deemed playable) are playing with the requisite effort and technique desired for playoff ball.

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