Well yeah, nobody is doubting that.
I just question if even Butler can carry a team like this to a series win over Golden State.
It's hard to overstate just how awful Memphis is, especially on the road.
At some point, one guy, even one as awesome as Butler, can only carry so much of the load.

Regardless, the great thing about sports is there are very few philosophical arguments. Soon enough we'll get to find out the answer!

You missed the part that the Wolves would be a 4/5 seed with Jimmy. They wouldn't matched up against GS. That is the difference that Jimmy makes.

You missed the part that the Wolves would be a 4/5 seed with Jimmy. They wouldn't matched up against GS. That is the difference that Jimmy makes.

I was responding to a post about someone liking our chances as they stand now. Not a hypothetical about where we'd be if Butler hadn't gotten hurt.

I was responding to a post about someone liking our chances as they stand now. Not a hypothetical about where we'd be if Butler hadn't gotten hurt.

Not that this tangent needs to go in any longer than it already has, but my initial post did assume that Jimmy’s going to be back in time for the first round.

Not that this tangent needs to go in any longer than it already has, but my initial post did assume that Jimmy’s going to be back in time for the first round.

As did my responses.

And you're right, it doesn't need to go any longer, we'll find out the results soon enough.

Wasn't trying to start a "tangent", just don't think that even Butler can carry this squad past GS in a series. I don't find that to be an outlandish opinion, even if others disagree.

 

As did my responses.
And you're right, it doesn't need to go any longer, we'll find out the results soon enough.
Wasn't trying to start a "tangent", just don't think that even Butler can carry this squad past GS in a series. I don't find that to be an outlandish opinion, even if others disagree.

 

I think your one advantage in a series with the Warriors if your the Wolves is that they don't have that piece who can match up with Towns, who can eat up Draymond, Durant or Bell inside or take Zaza and West outside. With that said, having a long point guard like Dunn or Rubio to affect Curry's shooting is more an advantage, which is why last year's team gave Golden State more fits than this year's one with even a healthy Butler. 

 

This year has been interesting for the Wolves. But the real question to me is still what's next year's evolution of this team? And I think Thibs is kind of a mixed bag. His emphasis on defense is always going to lead to a pretty good team. But the question is does he understand how the game is evolving into being about passing and three pointers?

Getting beat by 25, at home, with playoff seeding on the line is almost as embarrassing as the Memphis loss.  I know Butler is great, but this stretch of the season without him should've been the time KAT or Wiggins elevated their game and instead we see this.

 

Ugh. 

Hey, uh, Jimmy...you want to play, man?Please get in there. This team is bogus without you.

 

The last two games we’ve gotten torched by Ricky Rubio and Devin Harris. Not good.

Edited April 6, 20188 yr by Pardon My Dinger

This team sucks. They deserve nothing.

I feel like Wiggins has played with more effort defensively this year, but his offense has fallen off a cliff. I'd like a do-over on the Butler trade. Maybe the Bulls would go for a Wiggins / LaVine swap this offseason

Thank the good lord they came to play in the second half. I was about to lose it.

 

Jimmy had 18 points in 20 minutes and a virtual plethora of steals. Thank god Mr. buckets is back. Looking good.

Edited April 7, 20188 yr by Pardon My Dinger

I’ll add this: excluding Jimmy from the running, I think the case could be made that Taj has been the MVP of this team this season. That guy is consistent and fundamentally sound.

Edited April 7, 20188 yr by ashburyjohn

I'm choosing to look at the bright side of things. Per 538, there's an 80% chance we break our streak of missing the playoffs...and a 20% chance we get to keep our first-round draft pick.

The bottom line is they control their own destiny.

Win 2 very winnable games at home and you're in. If they can't do that, they don't deserve to be in.

Jimmy Butler is a top-5 player in this league. There, I said it.

 

We’ve seen a plethora of top tier players go down this season (Steph, Kawhi, Porzingis, Paul, and the list goes on...). But I don’t think anyone has proven quite the same night and day difference when they are on the court as Mr. Buckets.

 

At the half, I really believe the Wolves are going to take this one.

I'm pretty sure that game took five years off my life. But, wooo, playoffs.

I'm pretty sure that game took five years off my life. But, wooo, playoffs.

Holy moly. My cats were so frightened by my emotional signals. That game was insane in the membrane. And of course it was.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are going to the NBA playoffs.

 

The last time that was true, I was in tenth grade.

It would be so much nicer if they weren't the 8 seed, but you never know.

They're going to get killed.  But hopefully the scrounge up a few wins in the series.  That's, I think, all we can really hope for.

 

The Minnesota Timberwolves are going to the NBA playoffs.

The last time that was true, I was in tenth grade.

And I had hair.

 

They're going to get killed.  But hopefully the scrounge up a few wins in the series.  That's, I think, all we can really hope for.

I thought they had a chance until I realized they weren't playing the Rockettes.

I'm happy they got in, of course.

But had they decided to actually show up at home versus Memphis a couple weeks ago, they might be playing Portland instead of Houston.

 

I hope that they use it as a learning experience, that you can't take nights off in the regular season.

Anything worth talking about here?

 

I feel they seem better at this 0-16 thing than the Vikings, and yet do not get credit for it here.

Anything worth talking about here?

 

I feel they seem better at this 0-16 thing than the Vikings, and yet do not get credit for it here.

Can they be relegated to a soccer minor league?

 

Can they be relegated to a soccer minor league?

Suggestion makes more sense than i gave it credit for. 15 players can a soccer team make, and that works out considering how substitutions work/are used.  But the skill sets differ sufficiently it is unclear they'd be competitive in that league either.

Oh, and was lookin' for a place to comment upon the Gophers Basketball season.

 

They had some promise, but lost their guard and seem sunk at this point.

 

But they're the only team to beat Michigan, so that's something.

Wolves have looked a LOT better now that nearly everyone (sans Beasley) are healthy. It seems that replacing Saunders with Finch as the coach was a good idea too.

I know many people are wishing that they'd tank the rest of the season to try and keep their 1st round pick, but I think it is a good decision to end the season on a high note. No guarantees the lottery ping-pong balls would "reward" them anyway.

A winning record so far this year? No wa?!!!!

On 10/24/2021 at 9:02 PM, sampleSizeOfOne said:

A winning record so far this year? No way?!!!!

Well, lost last 3 games, but they are still better than normal...

On 12/8/2021 at 4:54 PM, sampleSizeOfOne said:

Well, lost last 3 games, but they are still better than normal...

Been a rollercoaster of a season for sure, but at 11-14 they are on pace to win 36 games. The Vegas over/under on Timberwolves wins prior to the season?

35.5 wins