Minnesota Timberwolves HALFWAY MARK Awards | The Minnesota Basketball Party

Minnesota Timberwolves HALFWAY MARK Awards | The Minnesota Basketball Party

Welcome to the party everybody I’m Sam extrom here at lock on Sports Minnesota wolves keep leading the west and the schedule gets softer we’ll talk about it all on today’s Minnesota basketball party this is locked on Sports Minnesota podcast it’s endless Minnesota Timberwolves talk with the diverse

Voices of your local experts it’s time for the Minnesota basketball party on the locked on podcast Network your team every day wolves talk every Wednesday here on lockon Sports Minnesota so glad you’ve joined us watching on the lockon sports Minnesota YouTube channel perhaps the 247 YouTube live stream here please

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Moment more right now new customers get 150 in bonus bets guaranteed when you place a $5 bet visit fanduel.com lockon to get started and a lot to get to on today’s show the wolves with a huge win over the Clippers on Sunday now the schedule gets a little LAX for Minnesota

Can they stockpile wins against lesser opponents halfway mark superlatives the season is halfway over we’ll go through the first half of the season in superlative fashion and of course as always predict the week ahead let’s meet today’s panel with our opening tip what’s happening Reggie Wilson from

Carol 11 and you know what I think and it’s not really hot take season here but I think the Wolves will go as far as Rudy goar’s defense takes them and I’m Ron Johnson former Gophers wide receiver gopher Sports Hall of Famer and I’m a basketball fan but I

Also play played basketball growing up and in high school and I am feeling a little detroitish today because that’s where I’m from so I’m going to say the Timberwolves hopefully they don’t let the Pistons realize they only have one shot and this might be item I’m Jack Borman editor and chief of

Kenes suus Co coast of the lockdown wolves postcast with uh with Luke Inman here um and I think the Clippers one was the most encouraging one of the season so far and uh and I’ll tell you why and once again I’m Sam extrom I’m running Point here on this show the Minesota

Basketball party also find me and the rest of our crew here in lockdown Sports Minnesota on the Minnesota football party Mondays and Thursdays the Ron Johnson show on Tuesdays and our round table on Fridays with Ron Reggie and Julia Daniels we have a lot of fun on

There as well let’s get into it guys the last time the Wolves took the court came up with a huge win against Maybe one of the biggest threats in the Western Conference the Los Angeles Clippers it was 109 105 on the scoreboard when the game ended probably wasn’t that close

The Wolves outplayed the Clippers by quite a bit Clippers got hot late hit a million threes cut that thing down made the Wolves sweat just a little bit but Minnesota led by 16 in that second half late in the third quarter maybe even in the fourth quarter as well so a a fairly

Convincing win over a formidable foe a foe by the way who just beat the Thunder last night by 11 Wilson I mean that was a quality win for the Wolves who’ve been fighting it a little bit they get back on their home court uh and like Chris Finch said got their mojo

Back yeah they did it’s it’s interesting because like if you talk to like people around the league and like the the national pundits and all that like they will say that the Clippers are probably like outside of the Nuggets like the team to beat in the west just because

Like Harden is playing you know better than he has in in in the recent past and you got a healthy Kawai just playing all these minutes this is really weird considering um what we’ve seen from Kawai the last what five six years and then Paul George is just as steady as

They come you know I think he to me is like one of the more and it’s crazy to say this because I think he is like one of the League’s like Superstars but it seems like he’s one he’s still kind of underrated in that you know but he’s a

Guy who could just like go get you a bucket whenever and also just heat check you whenever and so I think a win like that against a Clippers team that many believe is gonna be in contention to come out of the West like I think that

Is the Timberwolf saying like hey we are here and I thought it was interesting uh listening to Mike connley yesterday and how he talked about like hey like these type of wins are just giving us more and more confidence confidence like if we get down 10 and and we’re like hey like

We’ve been here before and it it just gives them the confidence to lock in he said and and focus and really you know try to try to go get a dub because they don’t feel like they’re the same old Timberwolves and so I think a win like

That really just kind of shows like hey this Timberwolves team is different and I feel like we keep saying it but that’s something that that is like the proof in the pudding and I mentioned Gober look he was four for five from the field he played 37 minutes 14 free throws from

Rudy he made 14 uh he made seven of them and he had 18 rebounds I think if you get that type of production from Rudy goar like there was there was a a block shot on Kawai from Rudy that really sticks out in my mind and I’m just like

Man like if you’re GNA get that type of effort from Rudy on both ends I love the Euro Ron did you see that hero that Rudy did that was that was real nice right there I just that that to me is just very encouraging and I feel like when

He’s playing well the other guys are just feeding off of his energy yeah for me this is the way I look at it I I like the Clippers as a team but what I got from this I don’t know if you guys saw this leaked audio they call it now everybody keeps getting

This leak audio kawhai Leonard and Anthony Edwards and it wasn’t like they’re they’re blowing it up like it was a big deal it’s not a big deal what he said I mean Reggie you know this I mean anybody that’s hooped you know this it’s just two dudes talking crap when

They’re hooping and he basically said it’s the young guys versus the old dudes basically like get out my way and Kawai was like nah that ain’t happening and then of course he makes the free throw so he doesn’t get a chance to show him but he kind of shoves kawhai out the

Lane like man and then he’s kind of like flexes a little bit runs down the court I like that like that’s what I got from the game a guy that puts up 33 points but still is competing still telling these old like because if you’re if you’re a fan of basketball kawh Leonard

Paul George James Harden LeBron James Steph Curry that’s the old guard of players like that’s that’s like the the Isaiah Thomas with the with the towel on his head walking off the court as Michael Jordan Beats him that’s the Larry Bird heading off the court as I

Say Thomas beats him like I think this is just the time now where Anthony Edwards is like all right I’m I’m next like it’s my turn so you old dudes I don’t care what y’all did in the past I don’t care how many championships you I

Don’t care how many Big Shots you hit in games I’m stronger than you man like you too old for this and I love that because a lot of guys walk into these games versus Superstars and they’re ready to trade jerseys and handshake and be boys I respect I guarantee kawhai respects

Anthony Edwards more after that game than he would have if he had fanboyed him during the game and that’s the big difference in what we’re seeing in this Timberwolves team the other thing and I watched the whole first quarter when I was at uh the gym on the

StairMaster because that’s the only way I kind of get B now but this is what I got from the first quarter when you think about cat cat I was about to say Cat Williams cat Cary towns his entry pass I don’t know if you guys saw this

He got it to the top of the key it was early it was like this was probably five to two maybe five to five but he gets it at the top he tries to be the distributor and he throws the ball out of bounds immediately you see everybody

Look at him like dude that’s not your job like stop like give it to give it to a guard who can make an entry pass because this ain’t you man be a pick and pop guy stay at the top of the key hit three and the rest of that like first

Quarter he didn’t do it again he didn’t try to be the distributor he got the ball he handed it off to the next guy he then found his spot they kicked it back to him he hit a three he moved around he drove and drove the lane on the guy even

On the one where I thought he was about to whine a little bit he got bumped missed the ball they somehow got a steal I don’t know if it was Kyle Anderson or who did it he kicked it back like Rudy go or uh Carl toown was still in the

Play he kicked it back to him that’s the kind of stuff that’s going to make this team win one Anthony Edwards showing that I’m the guy now and two Carl the town’s playing his role and I think that’s going to be the key with this

Team and I agree with the go Bears too like if gobear when you I talked about this last time they lost when they are losing in the rebound area it’s tough when Rudy goar is there it’s even or they’re dominating and I think that’s the big key they’re not giving guys

Second shots also James Harden he looks very indecisive right now like he’s not like normally he’s step back three dribble I mean it’s almost like he doesn’t know where he fits in this team it’s two many guys and that’s the other thing I know is about the Clippers like

James Harden I don’t know if maybe that was the sep timber wolves game I haven’t watched enough Clippers games to know but that game he looked deci indecisive early like normally if he has any space he throwing it up he was wide open for a three and passed it I’m like that’s not

The hard and I know yeah Clip Clips have been rolling since um December 1st best record in the NBA since then and it’s kind of one of those teams Jack and you think this was the best win of the Year where La they do have so much Firepower that Harden

Can have an off night and then you still got kawhai and Paul George or you know two of The Big Three are not going to be shut down typically uh most nights that’s why it’s such a quality win for the Wolves yeah you’re exactly right I

Mean and Harden has been a huge reason why for most of the he’s done an awesome job of of getting other guys involved and and creating a ton of wide open spot threes for the Clippers I mean and you saw it they shot like 44% from three um

And that game was a huge reason why they came back um but yeah what I loved about this game is that it felt like a true playoff game right in that uh both teams were trying a bunch of different stuff on on both sides of the ball scheme wise

I mean that the Timberwolves um did a great job offensively of putting Carl Anthony towns uh in the corner uh with the starting unit uh you know which is something that they did uh in Boston uh it’s another thing that they uh you know did in Orlando was a huge reason why uh

They got out to a great start there um and they did it again uh in this one and I thought that when that happens um you know it just creates so much more spacing on the offensive end of the floor allows uh Anthony Edwards to have

So much more space when he’s in that pick and roll game with Rudy goar um and you have three really good spot up Shooters around um around that duo and McDaniels Conley and towns that that really puts the defense in a bind and so kind of opens up that that drive and

Kick floor game um then the Timberwolves generated a ton of really good uh three-point shots I mean they only took 26 threes but they made 13 of them and and almost all of them were were really good looks which was um really impressive from an offensive standpoint

For them to be able to find that um and then you know the fact that the Timberwolves played eight guys I thought was was pretty telling that Chris Finch really really wanted this game pretty bad and um you know and within that eight-man rotation I mean you think

About how much the Timberwolves length bothered kawhai Harden and PG and it was a huge reason why none of them really were able to find any type of sustained Rhythm throughout the game um Anthony Edwards and Jade McDaniels specifically were were incredible on Paul George and kawhai um and the Timberwolves switched

One through four up top so Carl Anthony towns Kyle Anderson also deserve credit for the way that they were able to slide their feet keep guys in front of them and um in play and I really liked that when Russell Westbrook was in the game the Timberwolves guarded him with a

Center they just did not respect his jump shot at all they welcomed him to to take any type of jump shot he wanted and and Russ tried to drive the lane even with big guys waiting for him in the paint it just didn’t work but but like

Reggie said this is another a really dominant Rudy goar game um I think you know in some of the Timberwolves more impressive wins this season um they forced a lot of mid-range shots especially in that short mid-range that four to 14 feet area um the Clippers are

Normally a very good team in that area when you think about kawhai and PG and Harden and all the different floaters and little jump shots that those guys have they were seven of 20 uh from the short mid-range 0 of seven from the long mid-range which is kind of what that

Drop coverage that Rudy goar’s has become a staple of uh forces opponents into and so uh when you think about them shooting 26% on those shots um yeah I believe um you know Luke and I talked about it in the in the postcast there but uh at The Rim uh the the Clippers

Shot 71% they were 12 of 17 and everywhere else they were 24 of 66 36% on on pretty much anything that wasn’t right at the rim and so um yeah and that’s a lot of credit to to Rudy goar and Carl Anthony for for the way that

They’ve been able to to keep guys away from the rim um and force them into really tough shots and so I think the more the Timberwolves can uh Force teams into the half court and really you know make other teams beat their defense uh in the half court I I think the more

They’re going to be able to win um games like this in which you know the Clippers can really put them in a bind uh with the way the Clippers spread it out um have four Shooters on the floor a lot of the time um three really good offensive

Players at all times um and then the way they switch and play zone um defensively those are the types of defenses that the Timberwolves have really struggled with that they’ve played a lot of isolation basketball against those types of defenses and so for them to um to to get

Off to a really good start and then get punched in the mouth really um and kind of take it and and then uh finish strong to the to the Finish Line uh especially with the way Rudy goar did it for made free throws the Clippers bench clowned

Him all game for for missing free throws and we obviously know the history with him and the Jab in the Clippers in that 2020 series um that that had to feel awfully good for Rudy goar to to be to beat guys like that and for the best postgame coverage of these big wolves

Games tune in to the lockdown wolves postcast Jack Borman Luke Inman join the masses who are watching that show after each game so the Wolves uh lead the west by a game and a half right now over the the nuggets and the Thunder they play tonight and then Saturday’s game against

The Thunder big one marks the halfway point of the season so we’ve got our halfway mark superlatives coming up on the Minnesota basketball party after this Today’s Show brought to you by eBay Motors passion drive and patience what brings home the winning trophy is also what keeps your ride or die alive eBay

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Minnesota basketball party we’ll keep this one moving keep it fun keep it fast the biggest surprise from the first half of the Year Ron Johnson let’s kick it off with you uh biggest surprise is going to be just Anthony Edward’s dominance and the fact that people are

Like starting to post videos saying I’ve never I’ve seen a guy moved like this before but not since this guy and I know they’re talking about Michael Jordan and when you watch it you are seeing it so just to hear that to me has been a huge surprise

Jack yeah for me it’s just how healthy Rudy goar’s looked I think last season you know was certainly the wor like the worst case scenario of what could happened in year one after that trade but um but to see the way that that he’s you know recovered physically and looks

Is more you know more dominant on both ends of the floor than he ever has um certainly something that even I who who predicted the 10 rolls would be second in the west this season um didn’t think he would get back to at least this quickly so um I mean that’s that’s all

The credit to to go bear in the way that you know he’s been able to take care of his body for for getting back into this shape because it’s it’s been it’s been awesome to watch I too would say Rudy goar’s Resurgence and it’s interesting because you compare

His stats last year to his stats this year he’s shooting a lower percentage his free throws are a lower percentage scoring is down a little bit rebounds are up about three quarters of a rebound blocks been a big Resurgence a lot more blocks um but generally they’re the same

So why does it feel like he’s so much better why why does it look like he’s so much better it’s the intangibles it’s the shots that he repels the stuff that doesn’t show up on the box score um his length his impact in the lane repelling

Uh slashers trying to get to the rim that’s why it looks different stuff that wasn’t happening last year is happening this year that goes so far beyond the box score and isn’t he like one of the leaders and dunks in the NBA too like the the lob is in full play with Mike

Con which is a lot of fun uh Reggie Wilson your biggest surprise uh I think it’s just the the magic of Chris Finch like figuring this thing out with the the big man when they sign n Reed I was like he’s deserving but I’m like man they got three bigs now

You know when you commit that much money to a guy like Nas Reed it’s like yeah you gotta you got to find some some playing time for him in the rotation and finy has done that you know you you see Nas come in Off the Bench and he’s like

An instant microwave and he cooks and and he’s you know big jelly as Michael Grady called him the other night um and so you see you see cat you see Rudy and Nas all eating um in this chrisfit uh system and I think that’s the biggest surprise for

Me all right I’ve got one that’s kind of on the negative side here in our award season show biggest disappointment of the Year from the first half aren’t too many but uh there’s probably a couple Jack Borman give us one yeah for me I think it’s got to be Shake Milton I I

Was pretty excited about about that signing um just because I thought that Timber hols would be priced out of that uh that competition but uh shake shake millan’s had a really high floor as a player in his NBA career he’s pretty much been right at nine points a game

Three assists on on 51% you know effective field goal shooting and um and he’s been really consistent throughout you know his years in Philadelphia IIA um and played in in a really kind of controlled role where it was very similar to what we expected he would

Play here which is to be kind of that that backup point guard if you need it Off the Bench or or you know backup bucket getter Off the Bench if you need um who’s more than capable of filling in as a spot starter either at the one or

The two um and he did that incredibly well in Philadelphia and it just hasn’t been there um so far this season I mean he’s averaging uh pretty much career work across the board um career worst in you know points assists rebounds steals turnovers um you know turnovers I I guess like per 36

Minutes but um yeah it’s just been unfortunate to watch because he was someone that I was really excited about and and still like if if Shake Milton got back to that you know it would be a huge help for this team because it’s kind of exactly you know what they need

In something that they’re presumably going to be looking at acquiring at the trade deadline or in the buyout Market so um yeah hope that he can he can really bounce back in the second half of the season but I’d say the first half for shake Milton has been disappointing for

Sure mine is the Boston game 109 102 2 minutes 15 seconds left and you’ve got the ball and they let that one slip away would have been the best win of the year maybe the Clippers game is now the best win of the year would have been the

Boston game that would have been epic they were short-handed they flew in that day and they let it slip haven’t done that too much this year but um that that stunk that was a huge bummer my that was my biggest disappointment couldn’t sleep that night

Reggie yeah I was gonna go Shake as well you think about last year’s team know Austin Rivers Bren Forbes and and all that and then you you seemingly upgrade at that backup point guard position and you just haven’t seen it from from Shake I mean we talked about finchy doing the

The eight-man rotation in the last game and Shake didn’t even he didn’t even get in the game it was it was a DMP coach’s decision so when you got things like that happening with the guy that you brought in as a not a prized free agent

But a free agent that you expected to be a part of the rotation I think that’s a pretty disappointing thing Ron um for mine so and this is like nitpicky I guess I’ll say but Carl Anthony towns rebounds I feel like a guy at his size and I get it in this offense

He likes to stay up top he likes to try to spread the floor and shoot jumpers because he’s the best big man shooting but I feel like he should have more than one offensive or one point whatever offensive rebound a game like this is a guy that could easily clean up the

Boards with Rudy gobear have two to three offensive Reb bounds per game which also could be easy putbacks for easy points I was going to nitpick the three-point shooting because I think Anthony Edwards is the best and he’s like 39th in the NBA for three-pointers made per game but when you’re number one

I like that because it’s like the Warriors lived by the three and now they’re dying by the three they’re also dying because Draymond Green is is choking the life out of them but I I I I I look at the rebounds of Carlon towns I feel like down the stretch he’s gonna

Have to be an additional guy to really clean up the boards if they were to go back to Old School basketball because again I was going to talk about the a is RU basketball I’m not going to do that today but old school basketball where everybody had to find a guy when the

Ball went up everybody crashed the ball boards when the ball went up Carl the towns probably could easily have two more rebounds per game offensively which probably turns into two to four more points a game which helps you win games like that Celtics game and and it’s

Gonna help you win an NBA championship and I think that’s the key so that’s the only it’s nitpicky but I just wish like when he knows he’s not getting a three start crashing the boards now you’re you’re over six foot1 you should be able to go down there and dominate some of

The guys guarding you all right next on the list top choke hold of the Year oh no that I’m sorry I read it wrong it’s uh it’s actually top highlight re play from the first half of the Season I’m going to go recency bias how about Carl Anthony towns in the

Clippers game after the whistle going between the legs Dunk Contest Style with his left hand throwing it down left-handed throw it down big man wolves have had some good plays this year after after whistles like I think naww had like a wacky left-handed three in Boston after the whistle and Anderson had a

Scoop shot that went like a mile in the air and went in against the Clippers too like some the wolves are are the Harlem Globe Trotters after the whistle this season so that’s uh my highlight re plays didn’t even count re um I think uh you could just pick your any

Windmill Anthony Edwards dunk of the Season like it’s it’s hard for me to to pick any one of those but I think that’s probably like the the big one for me or or any any Nas Reed dunk of the Season as well they they just both of those

Guys just seem to abuse the rim and just make Michael Grady jump out of his seat on a nightly basis so I I I go either of those two guys and they’re highlight real dunks nice Ron so for me I I agree with what Reggie saying but I don’t know if you guys

Remember the Celtics game where he kind of did a Michael Jordan type thing he went to the right kind of held it in one hand double clutched it and then put it up off the backboard with uh was it Al Horford was running by him like it’s not

Almost the dunks too for me it’s the decisionmaking like he floats at a different pace also I forgot whose guy is uh slow-mo whose guy is that that’s my guy I’m in on slow-mo for sure I’m give like the Clippers game I watch slow-mo I’mma give him is just do like

It feels like a travel because he sits on the ground for so long with that one foot in his Little Euro steppers but it’s it’s effective like it’s almost like I’m like man at 44 I need to start playing like slow-mo at the gym now because it’s deceptive it it feels like

He’s going fast but he’s not and then he takes that little step and then the guy just goes flying by and he’s like watching the guy fly by like he’s The Matrix his foot’s still on the ground they’re not calling the travel because it’s how he moves and they’re like

That’s just his move it’s not a travel but those are my two highlights I just like the way Anthony Edwards can control his body can float in the air like even that one he had in one hand could have just had a layup put it in two hands let

Out for fly by double clutch hit off the backboard but the key was he looked controlled because some guys do those moves and they are out of control he looks his body control I don’t know if he has a body guy like Kurt Cousins but whatever he did this off season he looks

Very much in control of his body but that that’s the one for me it felt a little Michael Jordan esque in that the way he just Flo Jack yeah I think it’s a tie for me there was there was a sequence in the in the win uh over Boston in overtime where

Ant just clamped Tatum uh like totally just made Tatum look like he was like really intimidated by ant uh got a jump ball ant wins the jump ball then hits Mike Conley for a three to go up one then the next trip has this like ISO on

The right wing and and just like totally like windshield wiper crossover step back to go up three and then and the crowd was going banana so I think it’s kind of like a tie between that and then cat needs his flowers too I mean he he’s

Been I mean we we talk about Ann a lot in the fourth quarter but like early on in the season the first like 25 30 games of the Season Carl Anthony towns was awesome in the fourth quarter and he had a huge game winner um over the Pelicans

Back on on November 18th where the Wolves were down I want to say like 14 or 15 points points in the fourth quarter and he capped off that comeback in a game that they had zero business winning um against a really short-handed Pelican Squad and put him over the top

So I’d say kind of a tie between those two yeah that was my honorable to mention was the cat floater for the win um against the py all right one more in our halfway superlatives Jack said that the Clippers game was the best win of the year that’s

The category best win Jack you sticking with that you haven’t changed your mind in the last 15 minutes I said it was the most encouraging win uh but but not the best win in my mind uh the best win in my mind was 106 103 over the thunder on

November 28th uh Anthony Edwards got hurt in this game and that was kind of when some of the Mojo and the energy kind of started to shift with the wolves um and they kind of started to struggle a little bit after this but I was there

At Target Center Troy Brown Jr Nas Reed had 19 of the teams 30 points in the fourth quarter and Rudy goar just completely dominated Chad holgren um and that was a game where it’s like looking back in hindsight if they would have lost that game like no one would have

You know complained or or really been the wiser just because you lose your best player you know it’s obviously hard to overcome that against such a a good team um but the way they did that I thought was was really really impressive and um and looking back on it like

That’s a really important win uh against a you know team that they’re now jocking with for playoff position but um also your record in your division uh in the NBA is you know really important tiebreaker and so every win in the division um you know does matter and so

It was was cool to see the Wolves kind of overcome that ant injury and rise up and and see some kind of unsung heroes if you will win him a game yeah a lot to choose from I’m gonna go Heat game on the road another game you had no business winning down

17 come back to win that with some unbelievable shot making late where both teams couldn’t miss and the Wolves just outd I believe a healthy Heat team on the road coming from way behind uh so that’s mine Reggie Wilson so apparently the Wolves can’t play the Celtics without going to

Overtime and so I think that first one um I know the season was early on but you know they they started the season losing two of their first three and then they host Boston they take him to overtime and they beat him and I’m like

I think that was one of the wins where you start to think like huh okay could this wolves team be a little bit different you know ant goes for 38 points and you know it’s always a thing when he and Jaylen go against one another and you know I think that was a

That was a a little bit of an early season statement win um we saw what happened the next time they play Boston but they got they got him at home with that 16 and two home record so um that was one of the that was one of the 16

Yep and Ron yeah I was going to go with the same one uh for a different reason though like when you look at an in the in the overtime scored eight points the Celtics scored eight points so ant just needed help from two other guys to help beat the Celtics in overtime it’s

Basically ant versus the the Celtics in overtime he took over but that was the game where I talked about the Highlight like that was the game where I saw ant kind of really just show like look man like Jason all you guys came to see

Because it was in Minnesota and I saw a lot of minnesotans tweeting about Jason t and oh I get to see the Celtics and the Celtics were undefeated so handed them their first loss I think that I agree with Reggie too like you saw like oh wait a minute Celtics were undefeated

Everybody’s talking about they might break this Warriors record and the Timberwolves beat them maybe the Timberwolves are better than we thought because yeah those if you could rewind time and we and they win that Raptor game early on I think we have a different thought about the start that

That start was like ah you got to be kidding me the Hawks and the Raptors like how do you lose to them and then it felt like here we We Go Again same old Timberwolves and it’s not this is a totally different team so if they had

Won those early two like if they were to switch the season up and put those games a little bit later I think the timberos probably start the season probably undefeated because that was their only two losses in that first six like they might have started six and0 as well and

Beat the Celtics but I think that was a needed two losses early to show them like look we can’t just come out here and think we’re going to beat everybody because we’re better we have to play better and that’s what started happening so this might be in this in the 30 for30

Sports Center about those early two losses and then how they turn the season around after beating the Hawks or Celtics uh it’s the best in the west against the in Detroit we’ll break that down next on the Minnesota basketball party this episode is sponsored by better help it’s the new year it’s

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There plenty more I’m also eyeing up the Wolves Pistons Line Tonight minus1 12 wolves favored or minus 700 on the money line if you have a mortgage to spend on it that’s at fandor FanDuel and official partner of the National Football League all right Ron Johnson Mr Detroit

Talk to us about this wolves Pistons game tonight the Pistons Ron are relatively RedHot they are coming off a win however Kade Cunningham I read is out of this game and uh the wolves come in as the best team in the west so how’s it going to go down tonight in Detroit

Well uh their knees are weak their arms are heavy it’s vomit already on their sweaters it’s Mom’s spaghetti um they don’t know what they wrote down the crowd so loud no um Eminem is going to show up you know he showed up to the Detroit Lions game I don’t know if he’s

Going to show up to the to the Pistons game but I know Detroit is absolutely going crazy right now because they’re about to host the Buccaneers which I don’t know if you guys saw that reporter that didn’t know the Lions played indoors bless her heart um so I don’t

Know if that energy is why why the Pistons got their first or their first win in a long time their four and whatever I feel bad for Mony Williams but here’s how it should go down unfortunately this is my Detroit lies I actually held Jay nvy like a picture I

Gotta find that picture I held Jay Navy in my arms when he was just born nil iy his mom uh played for the uh Washington Mystics and uh Javin hun no sorry I think the Indiana Fever but they were playing the Washington Mystics and J J

Javin Hunter his dad was my uh teammate with the Ravens my our rookie year he was born in 2002 uh so I remember holding him in my arms and so I have a lot of love for Detroit uh Kate Cunningham put on the Buffs as you guys

Saw Michigan with the turnover Buffs so it’s so much Detroit on that team but they are trash they are absolute trash Caitlyn Clark would help them out right now at this point the way she shoots threes um so with that said it should be an absolute blow like there should be

Nothing in this game that makes people feel like like the Timberwolves play down to their opponent these are the type of games where like even in the gym if it’s like me and four other athletes versus like four guys that can’t dribble in one athlete maybe a couple 60 year

Olds dominate beat them 15 to nothing is how we look at it in the gym they shouldn’t score on us and that’s how the Timberwolves have to walk into that gym they have to feel like they are about to dominate every single possession there’s nothing you can do to stop us this train

Is going to roll and by the fourth quarter we should see like Shake Milton and everybody else in the game Anthony Edwards sitting back drinking some Gatorade laughing with his teammates that’s what I expected they shouldn’t have they shouldn’t even have to play in the fourth quarter but we’ll

See yeah and it is the front end of a back-to-back too so that’d be nice to get a little rest in the fourth quarter Jack uh predictions for tonight uh yeah my prediction is that Anthony Edwards does not play um I you know obviously if the Timberwolves training staff says

Ant’s good to go I’ll believe ant’s good to go but um he he’s got a little bit of a a lingering left knee issue obviously played through it on Sunday 33 points played played tremendous um but again like this is the first time they’ve had

Two games off or two days off in between a game game in over a month um you play tomorrow in a national TV game against a Western Conference team and then you have a huge game on Saturday this is a game that should be a bloodbath with or

Without Anthony Edwards I think the line is 11 and a half right now which tells me that ant is not going to play I think that line would be pushing 15 16 17 points if a was you know going to play but but we’ll see um yeah I the timber

Rolles of dominated teams that are inefficient jump shooting teams the um the the Hons are are the second worst jump shooting team in the league um and the second worst uh halfcourt offensive team in the league and they don’t have Cade ton and that’s even with Cade

Cunningham not having Cade I I don’t think they have much of any chance um and the Wolves should win this one pretty handily um I’m gonna use my time to talk more broadly about how the wolves have dominated the worst teams in the league so they start out the Year Ron talked

About this they lose to the Raptor they lose to the Hawks those teams are currently in the bottom seven in the East after that look at the bottom seven in the East and the bottom seven in the west so you’re 14 Lottery teams the wolves have won their last 13 against

Teams that are currently in that position they have 25 of those to go this year and 18 against the top 16 teams so they play far more of the doormats than they do the elite team teams if they can win of those 25 if they can win at I mean what’s realistic

An 80% clip so go 20 and five and they may even be better than that um there is an easy path for the Wolves to win high 50s this year um in terms of their win total because they’ve got a lot of those type of teams coming up including

Tonight um I don’t know why I just feel like it’s going to be harder than than it needs to be weird things happen maybe there’s some weird Mojo in Detroit right now but Reggie talk me off the ledge here I I just have an uneasiness that not that they’re going

To lose but that they’re going to have to work for it it’s because it’s the wolves and you are traumatized from years past of wolves basketball just disappointing you so yeah it makes sense yeah it makes it makes sense that that’s how you will feel but I think this game especially no

Cade bloody massacre I just think it is going to be so bad it seems like Monty is like way in over his head I actually don’t know why the Pistons are as bad as they are like I feel like they should be winning more games than they are but you

Know like Monty is making it seem like the team is just so bad but he’s also kind of making it seem like he doesn’t understand the game of basketball anymore like I don’t I don’t really understand what’s going on up there like he didn’t turn the son’s around and he

Can’t do the same thing in Detroit I just like the monstars took his powers or something I I don’t know I don’t know what’s what’s going on up there in Detroit um maybe maybe Ron can go and figure out the answers for his beloved team but they should let me shoot suit

Up Ian yeah maybe roon could go get them 30 tonight I don’t know about that I don’t know about that 25 I can get you six fouls I can foul out let me Draymond Green they need a Draymond Green in Detroit CA yes they need they they haven’t had anybody get into a

Fight like I know last time Stuart got bust in the head and he had to chase LeBron around like a toddler looking for a cell phone like it just it was nothing like they have nobody like if I’m losing games I’m Lo you’re gonna know you were

In a fight at least like they don’t even have that guys aren’t elbowing guys like they Ron ain’t even pinched the they didn’t even pin the man come on it’s a scouting mission tonight for the Wolves the Wolves want to figure out who they’re going to trade for from that

Roster at the deadline Alec Burks maybe maybe that’s the target pinched I like that like put Jaden on him and say all right Jaden I want you to absolutely give Alec Burks your best and if he can score on you then we’re gonna trade for him this is his

Test uh Sam Sam I want to ask this though because we always do this on the football party or the uh all the parties did you do you know what movie that’s from the Reggie reference right there you know cuz I know you don’t watch movies that’s the thing Jack Sam doesn’t

Watch movies do you know what movie that’s from what was the reference did you even pinched the the word is be we can’t say that on this network though nope I don’t know it okay I don’t know Players Club it was a fight in the in the strippers locker

Room okay and the girl one girl looked like she was in a fight and the other girl didn’t so um I’ve heard of the film nice nice little Motion Picture haven’t seen it though need to go they need to go to the Players Club maybe that that’ll help

Them I know James Harton’s been there numerous times um the Pistons game is part of a four game week between now and the next show Pistons Grizzlies at home Thunder at home big game coming up Saturday and then the Hornets on Monday also at home

Um is this the week that I will predict a perfect wolves week we’ll find out in a moment but first let’s see uh what Reggie Wilson thinks about the week Reggie still thinking about Players [Laughter] Club okay so I I do a win against Detroit uh no GG Jackson formed against

The Timberwolves uh sh Prosper so uh I’ll go I go a win against Memphis uh maybe maybe they maybe they lose that one to OKC uh and and that that’s the that’s the week two and two and one two in one you why you gota what’s what’s the GG

Jackson slander for that’s the young pup no no no there’s no GG Jackson slander I’m just saying like they can’t let get off yeah they can’t do that he’s the new Young Gun Shaq is familiar no pun intended johnar he is the new Young Gun though I like

Him all all right we got to get out of here um I I I’m going to go 4 and0 um the Pistons are terrible the Grizzlies are terrible they don’t have j or Desmond Bane um another bad team the Wolves should kill and it’s at home

National TV game OKC this is one of the hardest road trips in the league that they’re on right now they have to play at the Lakers at the Clippers last night and the second night of back toback in Utah at altitude on Thursday Utah is 12

And2 and they last 14 and then at Target Center home Saturday night is their last game of four game trip uh I think the wolves are going to win that game handily I just think that’s a scheduled loss for um for the Thunder and Charlotte is one and 15 in their last 16

Even with lamelo back that that team does not play a lick of Defense big baller shoes he got the new big baller space shoes I don’t know if you seen those they’re horrible predictably horrible so 40 pretty confident four couldn’t pick the OKC head coach out of a lineup to save

My life like I was looking at him yesterday I was just like I have probably seen that dude like five or six times already and he still looks like a new dude to me he has a great commentary voice though if he goes into like broadcasting after he’s done coaching

Okay what his name I can’t really spell it or say it but yeah he’s a guy um Ron did you did you make your prediction yet I don’t think you did no I didn’t uh so I three wins for sure Pistons Grizzlies tnet uh I am looking forward to watching

The the Grizzlies though without JW because after the after the last game the Grizzlies had and and GG got off I’m like oh let me let me check this new kid out because you know when J finally comes back next year maybe this is the onew punch they needed they got rid of

Uh what’s his name the the antagonizer and now maybe they’re changing their image maybe they’re more of a basketball team and they’re like when J comes back we’re just gonna play no guns nothing um but the Thunder one that that’s the one for me that always throws me off because

That’s going to be the one and two teams in the west that’s going to feel like a Western Conference Championship Game the the winner of that one should feel like okay who’s going to play in the NBA Finals could be the nuggets as well uh

But but the Thunder I don’t know but I’m gonna say the Timberwolves start to show the world like we are who we are and we’re ready for this and Denny green rest his rest in peace he’s saying Crown them y’all want to Crown them Crown them because that’s where I feel like they’re

Headed but yeah I’m going to go four and0 I’m I normally would be be three in one but I’m going say you know what Chad hren you’re going to get a healthy dose of Nas Reed Rudy gobear and cat like they’re gonna they’re gonna frustrate him when you watch how they did uh

Victor wimbe um I think Chet’s gonna get that same dose and so yeah and you’re gonna get the uh the the the the Shay Gil guilis versus uh na uh so the Family Ties there that should be a fun one but yeah I’m gonna go four

And0 yeah I can’t resist four as well for me we’re on the 40 train so wolves make us look smart that’s all for today on the Minnesota basketball party back with you next Wednesday wolves talk every Wednesday here on lockon Sports Minnesota catch Jack with Luke Inman on

The postcast and catch Ron Johnson on the Ron Johnson show catch Reggie Wilson on k 11 Sports does a great job uh so long everybody thanks for watching thanks for listening here on lockdown Sports Minnesota

The Minnesota Timberwolves are coming off a massive win against the Los Angeles Clippers, and their schedule eases up considerably. Plus, as the Timberwolves approach the halfway mark of the season, the Basketball Party goes through its Halfway Superlatives from the first 40ish games. Finally, do the Detroit Pistons have any chance to scare the Timberwolves in Wednesday’s game?

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