Timberwolves @ Suns game thread 11-11-17

[SweetD]

I know most are higher on Bender, than Chriss, but Chriss is really looking more NBA ready. He is only one year older than Bender and has shown to be further developed.

 

[Finito]

I know most are higher on Bender, than Chriss, but Chriss is really looking more NBA ready. He is only one year older than Bender and has shown to be further developed.

It's about upside not about right now. You can just see Bender has a much higher basketball IQ.

 

[SirStefan32]

Awesome game!

 

[elindholm]

It's about upside not about right now. You can just see Bender has a much higher basketball IQ.

I have yet to see any evidence of this.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I have yet to see any evidence of this.

I have yet to see bender look clueless. I’ve seen that frequently when I watch chriss. Granted I’ve onlu seen limited games, but that’s been my experience.

 

[elindholm]

I have yet to see bender look clueless. I’ve seen that frequently when I watch chriss. Granted I’ve onlu seen limited games, but that’s been my experience.

Maybe it's a difference of facial expressions. I often see Bender look lost, but I'll admit I can't tell whether that's because he's "clueless" or because he's just horribly overmatched physically. Chriss is enough of an athlete that, when he screws up badly, the only thing left to blame is a mental error.

 

[hsandhu]

Am i crazy to think warren has jimmy butler level offensive production potential in the future. He's well ahead of where butler was at 24. Butler slowly got better each year.

Also, since mcd got crap for a lame bledsoe trade, give him some props for locking warren up for a ridiculous 12 million a year. If he went into restricted free agency next summer he would be getting more than 20 million if this years production continues.

 

[pokerface]

Am i crazy to think warren has jimmy butler level offensive production potential in the future. He's well ahead of where butler was at 24. Butler slowly got better each year.

Also, since mcd got crap for a lame bledsoe trade, give him some props for locking warren up for a ridiculous 12 million a year. If he went into restricted free agency next summer he would be getting more than 20 million if this years production continues.

Warren is looking to be a smoking deal. He has such a wide range of ways to score. Him and Booker will score in bunches. It's going to be "pick your poison" time when teams face them. It's great having that second legit scorer on the floor.

Not Jacksons best game by far but he has a lot of confidence in his game to be trying some of the things he does. Constantly driving to the hoop... shooting a bunch of threes (and missing)..that one outlet long pass to Warren was nice.

 

[pokerface]

I know most are higher on Bender, than Chriss, but Chriss is really looking more NBA ready. He is only one year older than Bender and has shown to be further developed.

Honestly, it's seeming like it depends on the game now. Each one has their good and bad ones.

 

[fatosber]

14 Points 7 Rebounds 2 Assists 5 Blocks 3-4 Threes and ZERO turnovers for Chriss last night. Gotta love that

 

[SirStefan32]

I have yet to see bender look clueless. I’ve seen that frequently when I watch chriss. Granted I’ve onlu seen limited games, but that’s been my experience.

I agree. Bender has an extremely high basketball IQ. He makes some mistakes, which is understandable for such a young player. He is also not fully developed physically as he hasn't fully grown into his body just yet, but those things are normal. Bender is going to be one hell of a player. I rarely disagree with Eric, but this is one of those times.

 

[JCSunsfan]

This was a good game for them. They need to know what they are capable of.

 

[elindholm]

I agree. Bender has an extremely high basketball IQ. He makes some mistakes, which is understandable for such a young player. He is also not fully developed physically as he hasn't fully grown into his body just yet, but those things are normal. Bender is going to be one hell of a player. I rarely disagree with Eric, but this is one of those times.

I hope you're right. Statistically, he has made exactly zero improvement between his rookie and sophomore years (unless you count minutes per game), and I don't detect any improvement with the eye test either. But I've been wrong before about declaring that a young hopeless player would never amount to anything, like in the case of -- oh, wait, I haven't been. Well, there's a first time for everything.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I hope you're right. Statistically, he has made exactly zero improvement between his rookie and sophomore years (unless you count minutes per game), and I don't detect any improvement with the eye test either. But I've been wrong before about declaring that a young hopeless player would never amount to anything, like in the case of -- oh, wait, I haven't been. Well, there's a first time for everything.

E - to temper your last comment a little, it’s much easier to call a bust in the most elite league in the world than it is to predict greatness accurately.

 

[elindholm]

E - to temper your last comment a little, it’s much easier to call a bust in the most elite league in the world than it is to predict greatness accurately.

Yes, surely, but I'm not sure how that relates to Bender. The question for him is not whether he'll be great, which is a non-starter, but whether he'll be competent.

 

[SirStefan32]

You don't see anything good when you watch Bender defend? Nothing when you watch him make those passes from the free throw line? Nothing when he takes the ball to the hoop? You haven't notice his shot the last 3-4 games, with much higher arch and better rotation?

 

[pokerface]

Bender is at least going to be a good solid all around player. I'm feeling a lot more sure of it than last season. Yeah he needs to show a lot more consistency but not only are we seeing flashes of skills but desire to be good.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Yes, surely, but I'm not sure how that relates to Bender. The question for him is not whether he'll be great, which is a non-starter, but whether he'll be competent.

Just addressed your comment regarding your track record calling busts. It’s not a difficult task to call the busts because a majority of time players are busts.

 

[elindholm]

You don't see anything good when you watch Bender defend? Nothing when you watch him make those passes from the free throw line? Nothing when he takes the ball to the hoop? You haven't notice his shot the last 3-4 games, with much higher arch and better rotation?

Wait, now his improvement has come only during the last 3-4 games? I thought the party line was that he'd been much better this entire season (such as it is). Yes, I've seen some nice passes. I'll keep my eye open for drives that strike me as unusually strong. He has made a few shots recently. But no, his defense has looked pretty bad most of the time I've seen him.

Remember, the standard he has to meet is a relative one, not an absolute one. Will he be better than the other Euro stiffs who have failed? Tiago Splitter, whose career year was 10 and 6, is a good case study. Bender is much younger now than Splitter was when he finally made it to the NBA, but on the other hand, we heard for years prior to that about how awesome Splitter was going to be. On what basis do we project Bender as being a better prospect than Splitter was?

 

[elindholm]

Just addressed your comment regarding your track record calling busts. It’s not a difficult task to call the busts because a majority of time players are busts.

True, I could call everyone a bust and be right most of the time. But I'm pretty selective about who I single out.

 

[Errntknght]

Good game all around - loved seeing the defensive intensity back where it was in Triano's first few - higher in fact. Chriss' best game ever by a good margin. One of the most important things, IMO, was Ulis looking more like his old self. Mike James looked a bit more interested in running the offense, too. Good move by Triano to give Ulis the start. As long as both of them are making the plays they should we are going to be more difficult to beat - in our losing streak we were in most of the games so it won't take a big improvement to win some of them. We can't expect Book and TJ to both be so hot very often but there is help in the offing - Monroe, perhaps, and Sauce, Reed, and Peters. Yes, Alec Peters, he's big and strong and steady - you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The Wolves are the better team - if we played them ten times they'd win eight but we are showing signs of life. Teams that take us lightly will be surprised - I think the Wolves did after they ran out to a good early lead. I'm back to thinking that tanking is doomed. It might not be obvious for a while yet, but when everyone is back and healthy we'll be a very deep team. Our subs will beat their subs most nights.

 

[Hoop Head]

The Wolves are the better team - if we played them ten times they'd win eight but we are showing signs of life. Teams that take us lightly will be surprised - I think the Wolves did after they ran out to a good early lead. I'm back to thinking that tanking is doomed. It might not be obvious for a while yet, but when everyone is back and healthy we'll be a very deep team. Our subs will beat their subs most nights.

They miss the production from Booker and Warren when they're out but we really don't lose anything at any other position with our 2nd unit, Chandler and Len are about equal at this point in time, Ulis and James have been about equal, and Bender is a better defender than Chriss and about the same offensively if not just a little better in that he looks for his shot more. Our 2nd unit isn't great but there is little drop off in 3 of the 5 positions. When Daniels is nailing 3's it's even less. If only Jackson could step up his scoring then we'd be much better with our 2nd unit overall.

 

[Mainstreet]

Bender's success should be measured against Tskitishvili.

If he is better... home run.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Triano, after the game, seemed to say that Mike James is a better fit with the bench players. Said they need his scoring more with the second unit. I tend to agree. James, with the first unit is not really a fit. Ulis is better, but he needs to play more like last year where he was more of a facilitator.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Triano, after the game, seemed to say that Mike James is a better fit with the bench players. Said they need his scoring more with the second unit. I tend to agree. James, with the first unit is not really a fit. Ulis is better, but he needs to play more like last year where he was more of a facilitator.

i don’t think you remember last year accurately . . . Ulis did play well, but if I recall correctly, he was taking volume shots too.