An interesting fact about tonight's opponent, the Detroit Pistons:
They are bad.
How bad are they? Well, last year the played the Timberwolves twice and lost both times. That was LAST YEAR. With that said, the Wolves, I believe, are roughly 13.2% better than last season. By my half baked calculations that means the Wolves should win by somewhere between 14-18 points tonight.
I think it is getting to the point where, as a team, the Wolves and their fans should start to put together realistic goals or expectations for the season. While I think a NBA title is a little hopeful and a Western Conference Final birth might just be wishful thinking, a playoff birthday is closer to a statistical improbability than a drug induced pipe dream at this point. I think the Wolves should dream a little bit bigger than just making the playoffs though. I think there is one goal the Wolves should aim towards as a litmus test to best judge the season. One goal that would mean as much to Kevin McHale as it would mean to David Kahn. A goal that would finally let Minnesota fans that things are turning around. This year the goal should be for Minnesota to have a better record than the Celtics.
Do it for Gerald Green and Theo Ratliff's expiring contract. Do it for Ryan Gomes and Bassy. Do it for the first round draft pick that turned into Wayne Ellington and Al Jefferson. Don't do it for Jonny Flynn though. That guy stinks so bad he should be on the Pistons. Alright, you can do it for Jonny Flynn, too.
Yet again, one of the top five NBA.com stories is about Rubio. They're pushing him harder than we are.
Tolliver comments on the vastly improved defense (93 Opp. PPG through 13 games vs. 109 last year) by saying "It's mostly the same guys - just a few editions, but - "
No need for the rest of that, Anthony. He wasn't touted for his D, but he's made the D better.
Granted, the rest of the quote was telling. "...we're buying into the defensive scheme."
Tolliver seems to be savvy enough to sidestep the words "Rambis blows."
I guess that makes you less savvy than he is. 🙂
I was going to add that I wouldn't bother to be so kind.
Whew. Finally.
Wes to the free throw line!!1!!!1!1111
I'm watching basketball too, but it's IU-Nebraska.
and I'm watching GW-Richmond
Do you like Husker basketball, or only the football team?
Only the football team. My parents always told fun stories of going to Nebraska basketball games, but there was no point to following them when I would see maybe one game on TV in 5 years growing up.
Kevin Love = stat padder.
If the Wolves can start making more than 10% of their shots, they should be fine.
If.
Stinky game so far.
Just getting in. Doesn't look like I have missed much. Hopefully the Wolves can make adjustments tonight like they did on Monday.
IU better get their heads out of their @$$3$ or they're gonna lose this.
Cannot buy one.
It looks like Luke is cashing in his get out of jail free card pretty quickly.
This is the worst shooting I've ever seen.
And it isn't getting better.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Terrible way to close that game out.
I predict the Wolves will score more points in each of the remaining quarters than they did in the first half.
Eh, that's starting to look a bit bold.
I said that knowing that my predictions are almost always immediately proven false. You can thank me for this run.
OK, that flurry of scoring at the end of the half might make this a bit tougher, but not impossible!
The Love bank shot was positively Duncanonian.
A little closing run and they're back in the game.
They couldn't play much worse than that and it's a six point game.
What in the heck is happening in DC tonight?
Five seconds left, will OKC run the "Kobe Bryant" offense?
Bullets win!
If anyone has League Pass this Denver/Philly game is coming down to the wire.
That sucked.
That didn't suck!
Man, babies love to cry.
LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKE!
Ricky Rubio is so cool.
SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK by Rubio.
Good lord, Rubio. that was awesome.
So Rubio is making Pek look like an offensive machine. Greatest PG ever?
Except for there, where Pek was channeling Darko.
So does this mean Pek is going to start getting Darko's minutes?
He might as well, at least he'll be able to intimidate guys when he otherwise sucks.
Usually when the home team does a bunch of cool stuff in a row the road team stops making shots. Why isn't that happening now?
evening, all.
Anthony Tolliver is definitely my favorite not good player on the Timberwolves.
AIRBALL
what the hell was that?
I'm pretty much in the same place you are on that.
Airball.
My wife really does not like JJ Barea.
Alright, this game is ours now.
THE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES ARE GOING TO WIN THIS BASKETBALL GAME.
Oh, I miss him.
Do the Wolves have anyone guarding Tayshaun Prince? I only ask because he seems to be the Piston's offense and maybe someone should wave their hands in front him.
I hate that guy
"Did you see how far he had to leap to try to make a three point play. That little man is such a little person. I mean, he is so little."
The she hears the Wolves fans booing and she starts to boo as well. And she then goes on..
"He should probably be glad he has such a good job for such a little man. I bet the other NBA players make fun of him all the time. Oh good, is Rubio coming in? Good. I just don't like that little man!"
Mrs. Buffalo really does not like JJ.
I do not agree with your wife, no offense to her. (although she does have a point)
I think she is drunk. She just said "a beer, a ticket to a basketball game, and a Minnesota Timberwolves dancer calender for only $15? Why don't we live in Minnesota?"
The seed is planted to make good on your Rubio promise.
Ruby Olive Hitman.
Ha!
Butch: Pek's tat wouldn't fit on Rubio's back.
HELLO!
Tolliver has been Sheenie's favorite Wolf for two seasons.
That last play was pretty kick ass.
Oh Sh*t!
Maxiell's got Steve Blass Disease.
This is a heck of a lot more fun than watching a Wolves game last year. Dang.
WE ARE ALL WITNESSES!
And now the Wolves attempt to cover the 8.5 point spread.
Close the game out boys.
I like the way Ellington plays, there's a mean streak there.
This team is fun to watch.
I love Pek's waving his hand in the the opponent's face defense.
That was fun.
I cannot stop laughing about it. Next time I play pick up I am so stealing that move.
From Trey Kirby:
Awesome.
Five steals for Rubio.
And infinite awesomes.
That too.
So has he pretty much cemented the ROY award already?
Please tell me you took that action?
You had better believe that is from my account.
Nice.
If you believe the Wolves' broadcasting crew!
I admit I formulated that thought after I turned the sound on on my feed.
Six.
That was fun.
yeah, that was fun.
Yeah.
Ha
If you had the Wolves -8.5 you lost the wager because Wes Johnson could not make a free throw at the end of the game. Even though he had two chances. What a joke.
Give him a break. He's unfamiliar with this free throw shooting thing.
He had four attempts tonight! His career average of attempts per game? Per basketball reference? 1.
Probably .51 but they rounded up.
that was a fun game to attend (except for the 1st quarter). There is this in house promotion 'What would you do for a Klondike bar' and they gave some dude a Packers jersey and he was lustfully booed. They kept the jersey on him and would flash him on the scoreboard and the crowd would boo again. it was hilarious.
My friend and I were in the nosebleed section, but all 40 fans up there (including us) were big Pek fans so that was cool. What the hell happened to Darko? he was so good the first couple of games, now he gets 5 minutes of stupid basketball. Pek plays stupid basketball too, but at least he throws an elbow and can catch a pass
anyway, fun times were had by all