Manifest Destiny: Claiming the West Starts with Taming the Wolves! Official Mavs (#5) vs. Timberwolves (#3) WCF Thread

[CP3.]

NBA got technology that tells them if the ball is over the cylinder hence the quick decision on that KAT putback. Pretty dope tech tbh

 

[Surreal]

OKC looked way tougher

kyrie said it was the hardest series he's ever played. i don't think kyrie was lying

OKC was built to beat Dallas with Dort and their guard rotation on defense

 

[Mr. Jack Napier]

People on twitter saying Anthony Edwards be doing a lot of talking and taunting but doesn't show up a lot lol

People on Twitter are largely dumb. A bunch of "of the moment dikkriders".

 

[Liberalspeed34]

OKC looked way tougher

kyrie said it was the hardest series he's ever played. i don't think kyrie was lying

OKC has a better offense. Kyrie was forced to play defense. They also have more guards they can throw at him defensively. Timberwolves offense is going to get them in trouble. These dudes literally launched 3's all night.

 

[mson]

I'm going to miss Inside the NBA. ESPN can't fukk with these dudes

 

[ALonelyDad]

OKC was built to beat Dallas with Dort and their guard rotation on defense

And they are also a pretty great team, top 10 in defense and offense and were #1 seed for a reason. I am interested in seeing if Kyrie has it this easy rest of the series, outside of Luka, Kyrie also had a lot of bad games in that series. Wolves best bet is to make him uncomfortable over Luka this series.

 

[Surreal]

Mind u breh been in the league 17 seasons and should be seen as an extension of the head coach on the floor. The awful play doesn't align with the stable, vet narrative the NBA loves to project. Only one game tho.

That wouldn't work. Luka way too strong for Ant. I was surprised he didn't make the "too small" taunt when he had the and-1 earlier in the game.

Wolves have to go under the screen and let him shoot treys....which he has struggled with all postseason

 

[Liberalspeed34]

OKC was built to beat Dallas with Dort and their guard rotation on defense

Yep, Presti messed up not getting a big to help Chet. Didn't help that Shai's supporting cast didn't play well for the most part.

 

[Surreal]

OKC has a better offense. Kyrie was forced to play defense. They also have more guards they can throw at him defensively. Timberwolves offense is going to get them in trouble. These dudes literally launched 3's all night.

Those treys had them at a +36 over the Mavs tho

 

[Guess Who]

SGA is the same way: master of angles/momentum/timing + deceptively strong to get you off balance.

If you load up on him from 23 feet out like the Mavs did last series (and vs Ant tonight), SGA gave them 32/8/7 on 50/55/83 shooting, carving his way to the middle. Big thing is SGA and Luka both have an incredible mid range shot.

More middys may have to be an adjustment from Ant when probing, or to simply get the ball in a different spot of attack. Ppl need to remember that Jordan didn't start every possession 23 feet out at the top of the key vs a loaded defense. He got it in the post and on the move with the triangle O.

These are great points breh.

 

[Liberalspeed34]

he might be slow but his footwork is better than most

The NBA's new favorite move is less traveling, more time travel -- and it's nearly impossible to stop

This article does a pretty good job explaining it. Below are two inserts from the article.

Doncic's "ability to generate force during that eccentric phase of the movement as he's decelerating" rated better than more than 90% of the hundreds of NBA players who have tested at the facility, P3 director of biomechanics Eric Leidersdorf told ESPN.

Doncic's closest biomechanical comparison at the time, according to Leidersdorf: James Harden, who was then at the peak of his offensive game for the Houston Rockets.

 

[TDUBB]

The Wolves WORST game and Mavs barely won. Not worried.

 

[areohbee824]

Dallas won the rebound match. Great defense played by 1A/1B too

 

[Surreal]

The Wolves WORST game and Mavs barely won. Not worried.

Wolves +36 in Treys

 

[DetroitEWarren]

Shyt.....I'm bout to argue Luka is in that class too, and with an unorthodox-style.

I heard Skip argue earlier today, Luka gets into the middle of the lane (wit his herky-jerky offense) whenever he wants, and I didn't believe it, til I really sat there and watched him tonight (specifically in the 1st-half). He was having his way, gettin to the middle of the lane, and getting his shot, or a pass off, whenever he wanted to. If he's able to do that at his slow ass pace, I don't see why an Ant struggles to do so.

Yep. Luka has a great handle so he uses it to keep players off balance and attack angles using his big body. He doesn't get much of a step on dudes but once you are in his hip, he is a big dude and has great touch around the basket, you don't really affect him.

Luka needs to probe because his first step is slow ASF, but his handle is versatile and he gets where he wants, he just needs to dribble a lot. Kyrie also, but Ky is underrated in his change of direction speed and Ky doesn't really need to play with the ball as much as Luka because Ky is kinda explosive off the first step and can string together dribble moves like no other.

I still think Wade was the GOAT at stringing together moves though, nikka would rock the first defender around a pick, split the 2nd defender, then spin step and finish over the 3rd. nikka did that shyt 5-10 times per night.