# Sonics at Wolves



## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

As we speak. 3-2 Seattle very early. Make it 5-2, Durant jumper.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Watching a guy like Chris Wilcox against us is depressing. We just don't have a 6-9 athletic post like that. He just missed, got the offensive rebound, missed, got the offensive rebound. Our guys are just undersized, out of position or too slow. It's moments like that when I think I do want Michael Beasley over Derrick Rose (although DeAndre Jordan would fit the bill for that, too.)


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Minnesota just isn't able to stop Seattle from scoring so far. 32-21 late in the first quarter. Seattle is both out-hustling and is more athletic to begin with. It's a tough matchup.


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

Yea, but you have a dominant low post scorer. We have a 13 PPG from Wilcox, and only half that is from the post up position. You win some, you lose some.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

True. It sure would be nice to have one of each...


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

By the way, I'd say Gelabale has topped Troy Hudson as worst hair in the NBA.


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

Theoretically, Seattle has a very good jump shooting frontcourt with Collison and Petro being able to hit from 18, and Wilcox from 15.

Bad part, we can't post regularly, and Petro just had back to back TOs while attempting to hit Collison on a cut and a post up.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Problem is, a jump-shooting frontcourt isn't necessarily something a team usually wants. (Barring some post-up guards, that is.) A good shooting big is something nice in addition to his post skills, in my opinion...not instead of. (Although Collison isn't a bad post player.)


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

luther said:


> By the way, I'd say Gelabale has topped Troy Hudson as worst hair in the NBA.


He'll have to face Joakim Noah and Robert Swift before he can claim that title.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

And the all-time champ.


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

luther said:


> Problem is, a jump-shooting frontcourt isn't necessarily something a team usually wants. (Barring some post-up guards, that is.) A good shooting big is something nice in addition to his post skills, in my opinion...not instead of. (Although Collison isn't a bad post player.)


Yep. Wilcox has a fadeaway an a jump hook, and Collison can post on broken plays but coach never uses him on a set. Makes sense too, because he is really limited physically. We lack toughness too, Collison being the only tough guy on the team. Wilcox and Collison are very underrated passers too. Wilcox has a unique ability to jump in the air like he's attempting a hook and redirect the ball with the same hand to a cutter/guy under rim. I don't see that too much.

Minnesota has the advantage here of being tougher than Seattle. Craig Smith, Jefferson, and that Richards guy. That's more muscle than Collison... Jeff Green I guess.


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

luther said:


> And the all-time champ.


LOL I remember that. It was talk around town the day after he came out with that style.

Minnesota is playing pretty bad defense right now. Collison is 4-4 from an contested 18 feet every time.

Credit Luke Ridnour for taking that charge. Tough little fella.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

We do have some toughness in the guys you mentioned plus Madsen and Gomes, but they are all a little undersized for where they're playing. So they're tough, but short and slow. And in a game increasingly called to promote the uptempo, non-contact game (which I like) and limit physicality, The effectiveness of those guys is reduced from, say, 10 years ago.


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

Brick by Durant off a set play. That's the most common sight for Sonic fans.

Snyder pressures the crap out of Green and makes him lose his handle twice. Then Green finally regains it, slashes in, and hits Collison for a circus reverse at the shot clock buzzer. Tough break.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Chan said:


> Minnesota is playing pretty bad defense right now. Collison is 4-4 from an contested 18 feet every time.


Par for the course. While our defense got better in February, it has been pretty bad much of the year. And against more athletic teams, it's worse. We're actually better defending a team like San Antonio, which may be very good, but isn't quite the up-and-down threat.


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

It seems like good teams only have one undersized, but strong and athletic PF. Like a Jason Maxiell, Paul Millsap, or Brandon Bass.

I think the Wolves can play a lot more goonish. I'd rather they did.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Chan said:


> It seems like good teams only have one undersized, but strong and athletic PF. Like a Jason Maxiell, Paul Millsap, or Brandon Bass.


I think that's what makes those teams good: not that they need an undersized post off the bench, but that they're smart enough to go after good players regardless of how they match up to stereotypical ideals of size and position.


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

Snyder, Foye, and McCants hare pretty strong too, unlike our finesse players. Minnesota and Seattle are very opposite teams, but hey, we both suck. Cheers.

How the hell did Jefferson hit that shot.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

I don't recall seeing Jefferson play a worse half this year.


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

luther said:


> I think that's what makes those teams good: not that they need an undersized post off the bench, but that they're smart enough to go after good players regardless of how they match up to stereotypical ideals of size and position.


True. As along as they're effective, their height hardly matters.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Chan said:


> Snyder, Foye, and McCants hare pretty strong too, unlike our finesse players. Minnesota and Seattle are very opposite teams, but hey, we both suck.


True on the first point: those guys are pretty tough.

On the latter...at least you have 6 first rounders in the next 3 drafts. Barring future moves, we'll have 3.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Wow, Durant in front of McCants...airball. As Durant improves, he could wreak havoc as a defender on wings. He's so long.


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

^There's that. But they won't be in Seattle, so...... you know.

LOL at McCants' triple pump fake - airball over Durant. That's length for ya. And on the play before that, Durant hits a tough fadeaway over Snyder doing his jumping jack impression. Then they both run down court and have a good laugh about it. Gotta love the kid.

I like Snyder. Don't know why he can't get minutes. He's a good defender and he's very strong.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Chan said:


> I like Snyder. Don't know why he can't get minutes. He's a good defender and he's very strong.


I like him, too. I liked him his final season in college, but didn't really get a chance to see him in the NBA, as he struggled for minutes on often bad teams. But now that I am getting more opportunities now, it's nice to see him as a better player than I thought he was based on his early NBA career. However, I doubt it will matter to the Wolves, because it seems unlikely that we'd re-sign him when we've got publicly stated intentions of building at the 2-3 spots with Foye, McCants, Gomes and Brewer, and Jaric is also under contract.


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

That's too bad. He should find a place somewhere though. He's a tough guy.

The more I watch Foye, the more I think Minnesota should draft Rose. Foye just doesn't strike me as the guy to do it. I don't like Beasley in here either, because of the horrendous frontcourt defense it'll cause. I'm in favor of bringing in a legit 7 footer and turning Jefferson back to a 4.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Pretty much all college season, I've been thinking Rose is the best player available, and I think Minnesota is in no position to draft anyone other than the best player available to them (regardless of position). And it only helps that I don't believe either Telfair or Foye is a legitimate starting PG on a good NBA team. I'd be more willing to consider Foye that kind of player if we had a SG like a Joe Johnson, someone who can pretty much handle half of the PG duties. But if he's alongside someone like McCants or Brewer, it just doesn't work. 

I had hopes of Jaric being able to adjust, but while he's had his moments this year, he hasn't been anywhere near consistent enough, especially since Foye returned. I still believe Foye is more likely a perennial 6th man of the year candidate than legit starting PG.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Nice couple of possessions for MN to start the second half. When they get out and run, Brewer can be much more effective.


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

Now that I think of it, Johan Petro could be a good frontcourt mate for Jefferson. Long, can run the court and hit that 18 footer, and won't clog the lane. Too bad he sucks.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Is it my imagination or are Petro's arms disproportionately short for someone so tall?


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

This Foye-Snyder-Brewer-Gomes-Jefferson Minnesota lineup is really doing a better job than previous lineups. They're getting after it defensively and running hard every play, both ways. Much more active team.


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

Acutally, you're right. He's kinda small on defense.


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

Wilcox with the Amare move!


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

Then Jefferson with the ridiculous shot. What's that, a chest level fadeaway at the buzzer?


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

Jeff Green you suck. Just dribbled into 3 defenders, got knocked around like a spinning rag doll, and turned it over.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

I'm really glad to see Corey Brewer getting so many minutes tonight. He's not terribly useful in terms of shooting the ball, but he's such a good defender and an underrated rebounder and creative scorer around the hoop. Plus, he adds length we're otherwise lacking.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

This game--tied up with only about 4 seconds left--has really been spectacular. Very fun game, particularly in the second half, considering these two teams are pretty bad.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Seattle is picking it up in OT, and even though it's just a 2-pt Sea lead with 2:28 left, I'm nervous.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Looks like a Wolves loss. 109-106 after AJ missed 2 FTs. 35 seconds to go.


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## Avalanche (Nov 17, 2005)

Happy to see brewer out there with extended minutes, he seems to get forgotten by a lot of people but i think he still has great potential... needs to work on his shot and offense but he has a lot of tools, especially on defense that most rookies cant dream of


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

What a heart breaker. I was going back and forth between the games on TV, and I honestly thought the Wolves were going to pull it out. Damn that Ridnour 3!


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