Alec Downing

[Kyle Theige @KyleTheige]

Shoutout to local Timberwolves reporter @JonKrawczynski for being the first person to officially break the “Ayo Dosunmu to the Timberwolves” news.

[Kyle Theige @KyleTheige]

Retweet to make this go viral.

[Alec Downing @a2downing]

@WorldWideWob 🤷‍♂️

[DNVR Nuggets @DNVR_Nuggets]

Michael Malone says one of his assistant coaches, who scouts Minnesota, has watched the Timberwolves' last 5-7 games and told him...

"They never play as hard as they do against us."

"You can sense it. You can notice it."

[Alec Downing @a2downing]

@PhilMackey I want Rob to play consistently or start, but he was not good defensively. He missed multiple rotations that gave up Wizards 3s and was taken to the bucket by their big guards.

They needed creation without giving up easy points, and unfortunately Ingles fit that description.

[Iowa Wolves @iawolves]

Want to get your hands on this signed Rob Dillingham Los Lobos jersey? 🐺

Simply repost this before 12 PM CT tomorrow (1/15) and you're entered to win! One winner will be selected at random and notified via DM.

[MNMuse @_MNMuse]

Last tweet of the night, Thank you @KarlTowns for all your time in Minnesota. My favorite player. You deserve so much more. Hope you ball out in New York.

[Alec Downing @a2downing]

@KevinOConnorNBA But this makes no sense for the Wolves? And it does not scream Tim Connelly at all

[Alec Downing @a2downing]

@JaceFrederick Jace, you just saved my life

[Alec Downing @a2downing]

@AndyTFE @WilsonGolf @TheShotgunStart Definitely was an email sent to @AndyTFE

[Dane Moore @DaneMooreNBA]

So, I obviously disagree with the TNT guys: I think KAT should be taking more 3s -- in this series, last series, series before that and all regular season. And really back to four years ago when the volume started to really drop (for some reason).

This Wolves team was below-average on offense this whole season. You don't need any per possession stats to know that. It was plain as day if you watched the Wolves to any degree more than Ant highlights on IG.

And until KAT's 3-point percentage drops well below 40, more of it equals better offense. And it is kinda that simple because it's not exactly hard to generate a somewhat open 3 for KAT.

What happened to the pick and pop game? That was great back at the beginning of the season. They actually busted Draymond and the Warriors ass with that back in November. But that was November -- and outside of a Charlotte game here (his 62-point game) and a Bulls game there, where have the high volume pick and pop games been?

What happened to the stepback 3? Why did that have to go away once Rudy came and KAT moved to the 4? Is it easier to get to a stepback when a 5 is guarding you, sure. But he's got the tools to get to that -- work on it, get faster with it, uncork it against forwards.

We're not taking a pick and pop or stepback 3 over a KAT pump-and-go drive against a loaded up defense? (He's missing all those in this series, too -- 12 of 32 from 2 through 3 games.)

But I really think the biggest thing is the Chucks and Shaqs of the world got to him. The way KAT's games has evolved since 2019-20 (when his 3-point *volume* was 144% what it was this season) has long suggested outside influence. The cool factor.

Giannis was on the come up back then, and KAT's game undeniably shifted more toward that mold -- powerful but lumbering attacks from the perimeter that take up the majority of the floor but go in at a pretty good rate. Still effective, but definitely hurt spacing and lead to more offensive fouls and turnovers.

To me, that became KAT's priority -- finding another way to be good other than shooting 3s. Which is like 1 degree off what the priority needed/needs to be -- find another way be to good IN ADDITION TO shooting 3s.

The thing is I think KAT could be such a cool player. It just has to come in his own way. Like Luka, like Harden, like Jokic, like Giannis -- uniquely produced but profitable and repeatable. Back when KAT started evolving his game away from the thing he does best, guys like Luka were realizing what made them dominant and leaned into further and further. They said, 'stop me, then I'll do something else'.

That version of KAT exists -- like Dirk but from beyond the arc, where the defense is doin whacky stuff just to make sure you don't even get a window to catch or shoot. Be something more like Steph than Giannis.

But to do that, KAT has to let go of external pressure and realize what we all have to realize: the coolest versions of ourselves are the ones where we're the most ourself

[Alec Downing @a2downing]

@lonnngshotkid #WolvesBack

[Icy JJ❄️ @lonnngshotkid]

#WolvesBack Fans!!!!

WCF giveaway round 3 game 1

One lucky fan will win two lower level tickets to it.

How to win:

Must like
Must rt
Must be following me
Must comment #WolvesBack

Winner will be announced on Tuesday at 11:11am

Let’s Gooooo Wolves! #HowlYeah

[Arif Hasan, but NFL 🏈 @ArifHasanNFL]

bro

[Shea Serrano @SheaSerrano]

NAZ REID I LOVE YOU

[Paige Bueckers @paigebueckers1]

Cmonnnn Wolvesssss

[Alec Downing @a2downing]

@misterbenny4 Taking years off my life? Yea

[Alec Downing @a2downing]

@brittrobson He was holding his lower back when they went to break, not moving at all

[Alec Downing @a2downing]

@DJPie @NoLayingUp

[Alec Downing @a2downing]

@JaceFrederick Is it fair to think we need to stop all PnR’s with non shooters (Gobert, Kyle)? If we spread out and let Ant attack 1-on-1, he has a chance to get to the paint and draw defenders before passing out. Right now he’s getting off it from 30 feet