The NBA Cup is back as the Minnesota Timberwolves take on the unimpressive New Orleans Pelicans. Although it wasn’t a game that was expected to be too difficult, Wolves quickly found themselves unable to make any progress in building a lead. They missed free throw after free throw en route to a two-point deficit early in the fourth quarter.
That’s when everything finally clicked for the Wolves. LaMelo Ball intimidated Zion Williamson on switches, while Trey Lyles turned back the clock on a dunk. Rudy Gobert spent the entire quarter glued to the bench as two small-ball lineups went back and forth, finding open layups galore.
Minnesota went on an 8-0 run early in the quarter, providing all the breathing room they needed, and timely triples from Ayo Dosunmu and LaMelo Ball ended the game on offense while a Jaden McDaniels block on Jeremiah Fears ended any hopes of a New Orleans comeback.
There really is so much to discuss regarding this game and the lessons to be learned from it, so let’s get straight to it.
Jaylen Clark and LaMelo Ball in good shape
Before we get into this, I want to acknowledge that it might be a little unfair to write something about LaMelo Ball’s performance tonight without giving him the entire section. He was incredible and clearly explained how the Charlotte Hornets were able to run one of the best offenses of all time for most of last year with Ball as their primary star.
That being said, LaMelo and Jaylen Clark’s relationship was on full display tonight, and it was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful.
Placing Ball next to a capable defensive player who can create turnovers on the fly has never been a bad idea, but Clark also provides an off-ball slasher and on-ball attacker to maximize LaMelo’s passes in the lanes. Jaylen’s experience as a college point guard shows in these moments. He knows where to be because he was the one throwing those passes.
Conversely, Clark’s biggest problem is how brutally unplayable he has been during his offensive playing career. After a promising freshman year, the UCLA wing shot twice as many threes, only to hit far fewer. This year he’s hitting 41.5%, and a lot of that comes from Ball’s play.
These are two players who cover each other’s weaknesses. Ball did it for Wolves legend Josh Green, and now he’s found his replacement in Minnesota (at a much cheaper price, mind you!).
It appears Clark has earned a spot in the rotation, even when Anthony Edwards returns, largely because of how he fits alongside Ball.
LaMelo really deserves his flowers, sorry
I don’t think I’ve said enough about Ball’s performance, but I’ll still try to keep it brief. LaMelo was immense tonight.
In a series of games in which he’s been asked to do everything expected of a role he’s actively been told he no longer needs to play, Ball has been everything for Minnesota’s offense since Ant went down. Hell, physically, the Wolves couldn’t even score without him tonight!
It seems a little heartbreaking to look back at the deal for Ball and the fan-favorite big man that got out, and start laughing at how crazy that trade was. Personally, I no longer think about what Naz Reid would look like in this current iteration of the Wolves, because Ball is just so excellent. They got this guy for the Zay Flowers of the big men and a fake first baseman!!
Hello, Tim Connelly. Take a bow, LaMelo Ball. You are also maestros of your respective worlds.
When the Wolves brought in Jonathan Kuminga, they did so out of both intrigue and desperation. Let’s be honest, desperation was the main reason.
After years of serious depth and variation in size and strengths at the big man position, the Wolves suddenly found themselves without any forward options after the deals sending Naz Reid and Julius Randle. They signed Kuminga just as much because they had no other options, as they signed him because he also had few (we’re not counting the LA Lakers).
To say that it was a revelation would be to underestimate it.
Kuminga was the only Wolves player who could do anything to slow down Zion Williamson, who finished with just 13 points, although it seemed like a lot more. Every time Kuminga was out of the game, it felt like Williamson would have a clear path to the rim or kick it out to an open shooter.
Zion offers a unique challenge to this team as an oversized initiator who can’t be corralled by a smaller defender like Jaylen Clark, is still too big for someone like Jaden McDaniels, but also too fast for Rudy Gobert.
Kuminga was the right combination of all of those things to slow him down and with it, slow down the entire Pelicans offense until they broke out in the fourth.
Look, I know everyone loves Twin Turbos, but at what point do we start looking at the lesser half for what it is: a broken window in an emergency, a tip guard, and a spark plug.
Bones Hyland has always been a very random player, but his game failed for all the wrong reasons. At his best, he’s an offensive dynamo, hitting threes and sending dribbles on his way to the rim and Bleacher Report. Worst case scenario, however, is a cone that blows up one’s belongings in record time.
While Ayo Dosunmu is an example of a player who stepped up when he got to a better slot, perhaps it’s time to recognize that the Bone Zone is a fun place to be, largely due to its lack of consistency.
It’s a nice risk if you’re down in a match and have to throw a Hail Mary, but this type of player is rarely one to continue playing on serious teams. It’s not worth dropping him completely, but if Minnesota can find a bench upgrade, they should go for it.
What did the Frenchman say when he broke his nose?
No joke, I stared at that line for 20 minutes trying to come up with a punchline, and I just got nothing. Comments, please help me. I texted this to my girlfriend, and she’s going to want a funny response tomorrow.
Gn sports
