Ant-agonizing the MVP! | Official Timberwolves (#6) vs. Thunder (#1) West Finals Thread

[Rigby.]

It’s a shame they traded KAT already. If I was Minnesota, I would’ve traded KAT plus whatever they wanted (within reason) to get Giannis.

Yeah the bad part is they’re already in a position where they’re up against the cap and their main guy isn’t even close to his prime, and he doesn’t have a great #2.

They really gotta hit on whatever they inevitably trade Gobert and Randle for.

Minnesota Timberwolves Contracts and Salary Cap 2024-25 - the cap sheet would actually look pretty decent if you just replace Randle with a real #2 and break up Gobert into a solid PG and some future flexibility.

 

[houstonlawyer1987]

 

[Primetime]

The Timberwolves need a PG badly:
Wayyy too many turnovers.
ANT constantly takes difficult shots.
Rudy isn't even utilized as a lob threat smh

Ant is encountering the same issue prime Harden faced in his playoff runs: his go-to basket when defenses turn up/ load up on him… step back 3

For years Rocket fans were imploring he get a mid range game. That’s the difference between Shai and Ant (and Harden).

Many times MIN played SGA exactly how OKC played Ant… but SGA isn’t limited to 26 foot pull-up threes or tryna explode to the rim from 26 feet out. Deploying that middy jumper is key for him, otherwise it’ll always be just drive and kick.

Also he/MIN gotta decide if he actually wants to be the point guard (probably not) because MIN lets him handle the ball so much. Or what the offense would look like for him if they brought in a more ball dominant point to run pnr with Rudy

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

Ant got some major work to do. Can’t go out like this. At least go down swinging

Ant has a lot of work to do, particularly creating off the PnR, but it really ain't as simple as going down swinging as if those opportunities are there for him. OKC has done a good job making sure he doesn't get into any sort of a rhythm, while keeping him away from dribbling into spots where he can get off his shyt. There was no muscle memory in this game for him to work off; he couldn't map the floor to score. However, Minny's role players performed at their near-max on offense this game, and that was based off what Ant was doing with the ball in his hands, creating those open/easier looks for his teammates.

OKC was forcing others to beat them before even giving him a chance to rock.

Minny just didn't take proper care of the ball and couldn't get stops at the other end, which allowed OKC to control the game throughout.

I know folks want him to utilize his midrange game more often, but it's not as simple as that. This isn't the 90s where you can clear out one side of the floor and go to work against your matchup. You need spacing, and because Rudy and Julius don't provide that for him, he can't just settle into the elbows without OKC swarming him.

He either has to take those 3s to stretch them out or he has to get downhill as fast as he can before OKC has a time to react and rotate, and even when he does that, the officials don't respect him enough to give him calls on what they deem marginal contact.

 

[Blessings]

Ant is encountering the same issue prime Harden faced in his playoff runs: his go-to basket when defenses turn up/ load up on him… step back 3

For years Rocket fans were imploring he get a mid range game. That’s the difference between Shai and Ant (and Harden).

Many times MIN played SGA exactly how OKC played Ant… but SGA isn’t limited to 26 foot pull-up threes or tryna explode to the rim from 26 feet out. Deploying that middy jumper is key for him, otherwise it’ll always be just drive and kick.

Also he/MIN gotta decide if he actually wants to be the point guard (probably not) because MIN lets him handle the ball so much. Or what the offense would look like for him if they brought in a more ball dominant point to run pnr with Rudy

You're speaking facts
Jason from Hoops Tonight mentioned ANT needs to develop a back-to-the-basket type of game

 

[Blessings]

There's not enough Rudy Gobert slander....this nikka reminds us why his girl cheated on him all the time

 

[Oldschooler]

Luka has the #2 highest PPG in playoff history

NBA & ABA Career Playoff Leaders and Records for Points Per Game | Basketball-Reference.com

Checkout the complete list of NBA & ABACareer Leaders and Records for Playoff and more on Basketball-Reference.com

www.basketball-reference.com

Obviously it doesn't account for increase of pace in today's game. Players are putting up crazy numbers never seen since the 60s.

 

[FAH1223]

There's not enough Rudy Gobert slander....this nikka reminds us why his girl cheated on him all the time

 

[Omerta]

I don’t support Minnesota, and don’t have any big affinity toward Ant.

The people mocking his performance today either don’t watch hoops, or have a poor understanding of it.

The way he was defended was A+. Absolutely smothered by 4 fantastic defenders in Dort, Wallace, Caruso and JDub. Their only mission was to make sure they he had no corner to turn and no room to push. Then Ant tried to literally break through the wall in the 2nd half, sometimes he got through - resulted in hard finishes, chucking up shots trying to break the hold, turnovers or great open shots for his teammates that was created by difficult penetration work by Ant. Ant, the player he is right now, couldn’t do anymore.

He also has something in common with LeBron. The refs miss and let a lot of wrist and hand slaps against him go and don’t call fouls. It’s what happens to players who try and go through too many bodies (crowded). It’s a shame, it’s easy to miss. Shai, a lot of the fouls that go his way are usually in space or iso where the refs actually have a view of the foul. Players like LeBron and Ant actually should go to the FT line way more, but the refs have no view of shyt cause of the crowded bodies.

 

[Gangstar8]

I don’t support Minnesota, and don’t have any big affinity toward Ant.

The people mocking his performance today either don’t watch hoops, or have a poor understanding of it.

The way he was defended was A+. Absolutely smothered by 4 fantastic defenders in Dort, Wallace, Caruso and JDub. Their only mission was to make sure they he had no corner to turn and no room to push. Then Ant tried to literally break through the wall in the 2nd half, sometimes he got through - resulted in hard finishes, chucking up shots trying to break the hold, turnovers or great open shots for his teammates that was created by difficult penetration work by Ant. Ant, the player he is right now, couldn’t do anymore.

He also has something in common with LeBron. The refs miss and let a lot of wrist and hand slaps against him go and don’t call fouls. It’s what happens to players who try and go through too many bodies (crowded). It’s a shame, it’s easy to miss. Shai, a lot of the fouls that go his way are usually in space or iso where the refs actually have a view of the foul. Players like LeBron and Ant actually should go to the FT line way more, but the refs have no view of shyt cause of the crowded bodies.

Shut up fool

 

[Unbothered]

I called it at the beginning that the Thunder was gonna win a tight one.

I think OKC will rebound tonight in a close win.

Going back to Paycom up 3-1.

J-Dub arguably had his best game of the series, if not the entire postseason.

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

Minnesota as a team landed their biggest punch and it just wasn’t enough. They played admirable

OKC at this point just has a winning formula

 

[Squirrel from Meteor Man]

Ant really does need an in between game, and I’m confident he will work on one this off season. OKC is just loading up on him and he’s bailing them out by shooting 3s.

It will also help if they can get a better, bigger version of Conley so he doesn’t have to make as many plays by himself

 

[Schadenfreude]

Randle is who he is at this point in his career. He needed to give them more offensive production than he did. But just like with the Knicks, when his shot doesn't start falling, the rest of his game suffers too.

 

[Loose]