OT: Timberwolves 0-10 in games decided by 4 points or less

"Mentally weak team. No nuts like Portland has. I'd love a guy with Lillard and Aldridge."- Wolves fan

http://www.rubechat.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=261438&sid=5e0094d76211159ead29d205b93d1b2d

 

Minn can't shoot. They have no "go to" guy in the clutch. Portland has 2 of those guys, and even Wes and Batum are better options than the TWolves have with the way Portland moves the ball.

They lost to Phx with Kevin Love, Kevin Martin and Nikola Pekovic shooting a combined 16-for-52 from the field (30.7%). I don't understand what the heck these stat geeks are looking at, but their formulas are wrong. lol

The Blazers as a team have shot below 42% 9 times, and are 5-4 in those games.

Minnesota is 2-11 when shooting below 42% (13 games).

 

They would be a lot better if Rubio could shoot. In crunch time they are playing 4 v 5 because of how bad Rubio is on the offensive end. You add in the fact that only two players can create their own shot in the starter unit Martin/Rubio and one of them is a total non factor to score it just doesn't bode well. If rubio was even a little bit of an offensive force then they would be a much much better team.

 

Only 1 team in the past 6 years has performed worse in close games compared to their over-all win percentage than the Timberwolves - the 2009-2010 Nets. The Twolves are 1-13 in games that are within 5 points in the last 5 minutes. Their only win came in over-time, at home, and the season opener against Orlando.

If you look at the “four factor” stats for the Twolves, and read into that crap like Kevin Pelton geeks do, the Twolves should be winning 60% of their close games. Needless to say, they aren’t. They are winning about 7.7% of them.

In contrast, Portland is 9-7 when the game is within 5 pts in the final 5 minutes.

Interestingly, the team with the closest profile to the current Twolves “four factor” stats is probably the 2010-2011 Trail Blazers. And while the Blazers’ total win% 0.585 was nearly identical to their close game win% of 0.586 that season, the Twolves are looking at a total win% of 0.486 and a close game win% of 0.077. Just awful.

How to explain this?!?! Lack of a bench leading to fatigue, lack of star power, lack of clutch-ness, lack of official respect, lack of luck… in any case, it’s clearly something the Twolves lack.

I’m sticking with piss poor shooting. Five close game losses were from shooting below 42%, and their only win in close games was in OT shooting exactly 42%. The other games they shot less than 47%. So, I suppose I won’t rule out "no defense", "no closers", and "Kevin Love karma for his crappy body language, condescending comments, and selfish attitude toward his teammates". Which brings up another explanation, that team has zero leadership.

There could be some truth to the bench thing... maybe. The Blazers, with their worst bench in the History of the NBA last season, held an 11-24 record in close games. (7-11 within 3 points and 10 sec left, and 8-16 within 3 pts and 30 sec) Nearly 43% of their games were within 5 pts in the final 5 min. Yikes.

Wait, so this year? Portland is still on pace to have the same number of close games as last season (36, vs 35 last season), but even with those games most feel Portland should have won (Dallas, Miami, NO, Sac, Philly), they are still at a win% of 0.563 in close games.

That also means the Blazers have only lost 2 games when they were not within 5 points in the final 5 minutes. Pretty encouraging for a 38 to 41 win, non play-off team huh Kevin Pelton?

And how piss poorly timed was him posting yet ANOTHER article about the GD Twolves, "Wolves better than you think". Not so much.

 

Now Love is calling out Dante and JJ. It's getting bad in Minny.

 

We talk way too much about this shitty franchise.

 

Haven't seen many Rubes in here lately.

 

You have to have a go to guy in the final minutes who can create his own shot. Minnesota does not have one. Love is an excellent player , but like LMA that is not their forte'. It has to be someone who can dribble. Centers and PF do not usually fit that criteria unless you are Dirk or Bird.

Look how much better we were when we added BRoy and then Lillard. These guys are worth a lot of wins. Without one you will not win many close games. And most games are close. Especially in the playoffs.

 

Yep, I made this point about a month ago in another thread:

When the guy who has the ball in his hands at the end of close games can't make a shot, you aren't going to win many close games. I've watched some of those close Timberwolves' losses and not only can't Rubio shoot, he won't. He can't shoot and he knows it. So, he has zero confidence in his own shot. Teams back WAY off of him and dare him to shoot and he passes up wide open mid-range jumpers. When a team knows you won't even try to score, you are playing 4-5 on offense, and the guy who isn't a threat to score is the one handling the ball. Not very good odds. When he refuses to shoot, Rubio's FG% drops from .347 to effectively .000 at the end of close games.

BNM

 

LA has a really good back to the basket game though, so he CAN be the focal point in crunch time. It's just that Lillard seems to go insane when the game is on the line, so you want the ball in his hands.

 

This is true. And it is nice to have an option like LMA. You need more than one option. But for the most part, the bigs do not seem to get the ball as often in crunch time anymore. When they do, the turnover rate seems to go up. Either when trying to get them the ball, or when they are doubled after they get the ball.

For whatever reason players like Durant, Westbrook, Kobe, Lillard, Melo, Curry, Wade, Parker......all seem better suited for taking over games due to their versatility. They can drive to the basket, pull up for a mid range J, or put up the 3 ball. Bigs on the other hand are more predictable in where that shot is going to come from. And because of that, it is easier to stop.

In his day Kareem was the exception because even though you knew the sky hook was coming, you couldn't stop it. Players like Lillard are a necessity to have IMO.

 

Yes. Combination of some people's Kevin Love infatuation, their play for Batum, past invasion by the Timbertrolls, and a longing for more dick pics I suppose?

 

Plus the obsession with talking about how horrible Rudio is.

 

I would say he "had" a good back to the basket game. On the rare occasion where he works in the post these days, he isn't as good as he has been in the past. It makes sense - if you don't continually do something you get rusty at it. I hope that after the AS break Stotts puts LMA in the post for 50% of his touches so that he regains that ability to score and draw fouls around the hoop. We're going to need an inside presence during the Playoffs, and he and Wes are the only players capable of playing in the post. Lopez is solid for a few possessions a game, but isn't somebody you can continue to go back to.

 

*crickets*

MVP! MVP! MVP!

23.7/10.9/2.9/.89/1.03

 

It's "fewer."

Just sayin'.

Neener.

 

Link?

 

ESPN.

 

That's not a link.

Just sayin'.

 

Look again