The NBA Cup is back in action as the Minnesota Timberwolves take on the less-than-impressive New Orleans Pelicans. While this was not a game that was expected to be too difficult, the Wolves rapidly found themselves unable to make any headway in building a lead. They missed free throw after free throw en route to a two-point deficit entering the fourth quarter.
That was when it all finally clicked for the Wolves. LaMelo Ball bullied Zion Williamson on switches, while Trey Lyles turned the clock back
on a dunk. Rudy Gobert spent the entire quarter glued to the bench while two small-ball lineups went back and forth, finding open layups galore.
Minnesota took an 8-0 run early on into the quarter as all the leeway 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 are truly so many things to discuss regarding this game and the lessons to be taken from it, so let’s just jump right in.
Jaylen Clark and LaMelo Ball Fit
Before we get too into this, I want to acknowledge that it may be a little unfair to write something about LaMelo Ball’s performance tonight without giving it the entirety of the section. He was incredible and made it pretty clear how the Charlotte Hornets managed to have one of the best offenses of all time for most of last year with Ball as the main star.
That being said, the fit between LaMelo and Jaylen Clark was on full display tonight, and it was absolutely, jaw-droppingly gorgeous.
Putting Ball next to a capable defensive player who can create live-ball turnovers has never been a bad idea, but Clark also provides an off-ball slasher and an on-ball attacker of closeouts to maximize LaMelo’s passes into lanes. Jaylen’s background as a point guard in college shows up in these moments. He knows where to be because he used to be the one throwing those passes.
Clark’s biggest issue, conversely, is how brutally unplayable he’s been at times in his career as an offensive player. After a promising first year, the UCLA wing shot twice as many threes, only to hit significantly fewer. This year, he’s up to 41.5%, and so much of that comes from Ball’s playmaking.
These are two players who cover eachother’s weaknesses. Ball did it for Wolves legend Josh Green, and now he has found his replacement in Minnesota (at a much cheaper price, mind you!).
It seems like Clark has earned a spot in the rotation, even when Anthony Edwards returns, in no small part because of how he fits alongside Ball.
LaMelo really deserves his flowers, sorry
I don’t think I said enough about Ball’s performance, but I’ll try to keep this short anyway. LaMelo was immense tonight.
In a stretch of games in which he is being asked to do all of the things expected of a role he was actively told he no longer needed to perform, Ball has been everything for Minnesota’s offense since Ant went down. Heck, the Wolves physically couldn’t even score without him tonight!
It seems a little heartbreaking to look back on the deal for Ball, and at the fan-favorite big man who went out, and to just start giggling at how crazy of a steal that trade was. I personally no longer think about what Naz Reid would look like in this current iteration of the Wolves, because Ball is simply so excellent. They got this guy for the Zay Flowers of big men and a fake first rounder!!
Take a bow, Tim Connelly. Take a bow, LaMelo Ball. Equally maestros of your own respective worlds.
Kuminga Physicality
When the Wolves brought in Jonathan Kuminga, they did so out of a combination of intrigue and desperation. Let’s be honest here, the desperation was the bigger reason.
After years of having serious depth and variation in regards to size and strengths at the big man spot, the Wolves were suddenly left without any forward options after the deals sending out Naz Reid and Julius Randle. They signed Kuminga just as much because they had no other options, as he signed because he had just as few (we’re not counting the LA Lakers).
To say he has been a revelation would be underselling him.
Kuminga was the only Wolves player who could do anything to slow down Zion Williamson, who finished with only 13 points, even though it felt like significantly more. Whenever Kuminga was out of the game, it felt like either Williamson would get a free path to the rim or he would kick it out to an open shooter.
Zion offers a unique challenge for this team as a supersized initiator who can not be corralled by a smaller defender like Jaylen Clark, is still too burly 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 him, slow down the entire Pelicans offense until they broke in the fourth.
Bones was a disaster
Look, I know everyone loves the Twin Turbos, but at what point do we start looking at the lesser half as what he is: a break glass in case of emergency point guard and spark plug.
Bones Hyland has always been a very hit-or-miss player, but his play has popped for all the wrong reasons. At his best, he’s an offensive dynamo, hitting threes and spamming dribble moves on his way to the rim and Bleacher Report. At his worst, though, he is a cone that blows possessions in record amounts of time.
While Ayo Dosunmu is an example of a player who stepped it up when he got to a better location, maybe it’s time we acknowledged that the Bone Zone is a fun place to be largely because of its lack of consistency.
It’s a worthwhile risk if you’re trailing in a game and need to throw a Hail Mary, but this type of player is rarely one who continues to play on serious teams. It’s not worth dumping him entirely, but if Minnesota can find a bench upgrade, they should jump at it.
Joan broke his nose
What did the Frenchman say when he broke his nose?
I no joke stared at this line for 20 minutes trying to figure out a punchline, and I’ve just got nothing. Comments, please help me out. I texted that to my girlfriend, and she’s going to want a funny answer tomorrow.
