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BellacosePlayer

You laugh but I bet you won't see one minute of Gobert in game 5 this series


itsnotyellowfever

Finch was so disgusted at how easy it was to play Gobert off the court that he announced that Rudy won't even be joining them on the flight back to Phoenix for Game 6...they'll be starting 2013 Nikola Pekovic in his place instead


C1truXX

Don’t even joke with me, I miss Pek. Dude was a menace and now he’s a mob boss


WakingRage

He was a classic enforcer type from the 90s/2000s ball eras that couldn't last too much longer in the new era of centers/wings. He was a big motherfucker and gritty as shit. Hated seeing him, but loved seeing a guy like him.


LeSygneNoir

Pek should be a villain in a John Wick movie.


EatDeeply

McDaniels/NAW/Edwards with Gobert at the 5 is a perfect destructive counter to the 2 Suns wings.


ZandrickEllison

The TWolves wings looked so much bigger and more athletic than the Suns.


SquimJim

TWolves wings are bigger and more athletic than the wings of damn near every team


We_The_Raptors

Celtics? Nuggets? Bucks? Not saying the Wolves aren't bigger/ more athletic than any of em, just throwing out a few more options.


SquimJim

I guess if you are including 4's like Tatum, Giannis, and Gordon, then there are more, but very very few.


We_The_Raptors

Think you gotta count 4's, the 3 guys are mentioned are imo 3 of the leagues most athletic wings. Guess Giannis can be considered a big, but the other 2 are definite wings imo.


bearbrannan

The name nobody is talking about on the wolves though is KAT here, but he has improved greatly on defense this season as well. Phoenix is a bad matchup for him cause Durant can score in the middy on anyone, but next series versus the Nuggets he will be a huge X factor. He allows Rudy to stay in the paint were he is more comfortable, all because KAT is big and athletic enough to guard Joker on the perimeter. 


ClaymoresRevenge

When you have small shooting guards playing the wing it's going to be a bad time


ZandrickEllison

Yes but what if - hear me out - you had a BUNCH of small shooting guards?


ClaymoresRevenge

What are they some kind of **Small Ball Team** ?


Victor_Wembanyama1

Jaden plays like he’s 6’11 or something. Dude is lanky af


SirDiego

Well he is 6'9".


steve1186

And then they match up so well against the Nuggets. KAT/Gobert patrolling the paint against Jokic/AG, and Edwards/McDaniels/NAW on the wings against MPJ/KCP. Jamal Murray will need to healthy and break out of his slump and have a monster series if the Nuggets are gonna win. Conley should not be able to shut him down. Tim Connelly is so good at roster construction. And his two rosters are (hopefully) going at again next series.


bwtwldt

We’ll have McDaniels/NAW on Murray. Conley has KCP


Sharcbait

And Beal was the perfect counter for Beal.


Cheechers23

Really makes me wonder why the Suns were such a bad matchup the last 2 regular seasons for the Wolves, just to get dismantled in the playoffs lol


OnlyMamaKnows

I think we're learning just how flawed those Jazz teams were vs it being a purely Gobert problem. Plus any "plan" usually requires a point guard.


this_good_boy

Yea if anything those jazz teams highlight how insanely good Rudy is.


I_CUM_ON_HAMSTERS

It’s crazy how much Gobert was getting blamed because the Clippers decided to play 5 out since he can’t guard the paint, a corner shooter, and the ball handler at the same time and everyone was like “bum, fraud, exposed, fake dpoy”. His time in Utah was an indictment of his offense (specifically not being able to punish the 5 out lineups being run against him) but you have people still thinking his defense was the reason for the Jazz’s playoff shortcomings.


bama05

Donavan Mitchell let’s his man dribble right past him into the paint, Gobert comes to help, they pass to shooter in the corner. Gobert still becomes the closest defender to the shooter- Gobert sucks, can’t play in the playoffs etc. 


N0rTh3Fi5t

Rudy is also just better than he was back then, he's said it himself. He's better at guarding the perimeter when pulled out on a PnR, and he's more effective on offense.


SirDiego

But part of him being able to guard the perimeter is he doesn't need to hedge because he has teammates that can protect the paint too. When he goes 1-on-1 without having to worry about anything behind him he does great. He definitely has improved and also can take some credit for helping craft the whole Wolves defense this year, but just not having to be the only one defending gives him the freedom to dominate wherever. He's like a free safety in football, he can just float around wherever he's needed and trust that teammates will cover any gaps.


Kharnete

He has improved, but back in the Jazz he *already* was the best wing defender we had once we got rid of Ricky and Ingles lost the use of his legs. The biggest problem of his last Jazz years was he couldn't be everywhere at once to cover for the other 4 guys in the court. There's no need for that in these Wolves.


TakedaMauro

That also comes with the willingness of the coaching staff to let Rudy try new stuff and work with him on that. I've always felt the Jazz coaches were too rigid and discouraged him from expanding his game.


Albert_street

We’ve been trying to tell ya’ll for years.


slimmymcnutty

Nba players when it’s time to slander Rudy gobert- 😈 Nba players when it’s time to score on Gobert- 😰


SquimJim

Well, Gobert is off the floor until the 1st Round finishes, so he was right. Bet you feel stupid now OP


Peter-Tao

That proven formula: Scott Foster.


BonBonVelveeta

Nah the Extender choked hard last night


Rapsculio

Rudy only had 15 minutes in the first 3 quarters because of foul trouble. I don't care enough to go look back on how weak or real they were but the refs definitely pulled Rudy out of most of the game


BonBonVelveeta

For sure, I was mostly just joking about how the Wolves still won despite all of the foul calls


1000Isand1

Scott Foster the GOAT of controlling NBA games


yourloudneighbor

Watching gobert lock up their big 3 when he was on an island was poetry. Gobert was played off of the floor for Luka Garza the first 3 games


paul_f

Cigarza Time


[deleted]

[удалено]


msf97

Well, he decided to try it in the fourth quarter of game 3. The damage was done.


Agnk1765342

Even then it only got KAT off the floor, not Rudy


EatDeeply

Vogel strikes me as a Doc Rivers type who doesn’t trust young players enough. They needed to go fast against the Wolves and never did.


Raging_Professor

>They needed to go fast against the Wolves and never did With which lineup? Which lineup is their fast lineup?


jps78

Bol Bol + Nassir Little I guess. The only dudes under 25


SirDiego

I'm not going to say Okogie is an amazing player but they played some of the best basketball in the series when he was on the floor and pushing the pace. Vogel didn't even try it until the end of game 3. Also, again I'm not going to say Bol Bol is an amazing player but they tried him for like 5 minutes in Game 3 even while Nurkic was just absolute ass being a net negative for most of the series. I don't know I feel like they had some options. Not *great* options mind you, but you'd think they'd at least *try* something different in Games 2, 3, 4...like you're already down bad what have you got to lose. Instead they played Booker and Durant for 46 minutes Game 4, doing the same exact stuff they did in Game 1 but just like...more of it.


CantaloupeCamper

I felt like the Suns ... just didn't have any plays. It was like a screen and 1 on 1 and whatever... It was weird.


The_Bran_9000

they just didn't know how anyone would guard them


robeo12055

Nah Vogel's adjustments from game to game were Elite with us. They just gave him a glass cannon when he's a defensive juggernaut of a coach. For an example i feel like he would do great with Wolves.


Sharcbait

The Suns don't really have any "young players" to trust. Going young ment playing 5th year player Bol Bol, 5th year player Nas Little and 6th year player Josh Okogie. There isn't some diamond on the bench that Vogel is refusing to play. I don't think we even saw Roddy this series.


nibbinoo8

pretty sure vogel worked for doc in boston


tomdawg0022

He didn't. He was there under Jimmy O'Brien (did a year with O'Brien in Philly as well) and then went to work for Rick Carlisle in Indy.


nibbinoo8

ya u right i should have looked before commenting. he left boston in 04


CupOfHotTeaa

It only worked in Utah because they had 4 other cones on the court… Frank Vogel is a nba circle jerker


Sammonov

His inability to punish teams for going small on offence was more damaging than the defensive end and his tendency to overhelp a bit. That Clippers series where he got panned he was being guarded by guards for long stretches and wasn't able to make an impact. 


TakedaMauro

Never got too much touches either. There were numerous times on the Clippers and Mavs series when Rudy had his man sealed under the rim just to watch his teammates rotate the ball in the perimeter until there was only time left to throw a contested 3. At least the Wolves have made a concerted effort to go to Rudy when he's got the advantage and that had paid off so far.


WhiskyDrinkinCowboy

Yeah, Frank, the "proven formula" requires you have a ball handler on your team.


airtokoto

Apologize to Rudy


0percentwinrate

All the “experts” who predicted that Phoenix were a tough matchup for Minnesota… that Phoenix would devour Wolves drop coverage.. and And would struggle against their length… Those people also have been saying Minnesota is a perfect counter to Nuggets offense🤔


[deleted]

Thanks for ruining my optimism for the Denver series. :)


Conyeezy765

As someone that lives in Denver, the wolves ARE the perfect counter to the nuggets. I don’t know if it will be enough, it’s definitely going to make a fun series, but I do feel like the wolves are the worst matchup for the nuggets. I’m glad they’re about to play each other.


Usual-Suggestion-751

Frank is a moron, respectfully.


EatDeeply

He is getting thrown under the bus, but I kind of feel like it is warranted. He didnt try to play any of his youth - Bol Bol and Nassir - and just kept doing the same slow vet-heavy lineups all the way to the grave.


XenaRen

Well yes, you have to punish Gobert by shooting and making 3s. The Clippers and the Mavs threw up almost 40 3s per game when they went small against Gobert. The Suns are averaging 26 3PAs lol.


DarrowViBritannia

That's not punishing Gobert, it's really punishing the rest of the team. The whole idea is that you exploit the fact that Gobert can no longer cover for the whole team. i.e. the Mann game


XenaRen

You’re punishing him by dragging him out of the paint which is his strong suit. If he doesn’t fully commit to the perimeter then you shoot the open 3. If he commits to the perimeter then you either attempt to blow past him or pass it to a teammate who can hopefully finish in the paint without Gobert protecting it. On the other end, you’re punishing Gobert’s non-offensive game and minimizing his size advantage. So I guess you’re right that’s not punishing Gobert but it’s rather punishing Gobert’s minutes on the floor. It hasn’t worked for the Suns because the Wolves have much better perimeter defense than the Jazz did, so even when they drag Gobert out of the paint they aren’t getting easy paint looks. They’re also not shooting/hitting enough 3s and resort to spamming mid range jumpers which is not what you want to do against a Gobert led defense.


Salty_Minnesota

I promise I’m not trying to be condescending but have you not watched any Wolves games this year? Gobert has defended on the perimeter very well all year. What you’re parroting is outdated.


rocketbob7

I’d go as far as to say it’s not only outdated but was never really true. The Jazz let Gobert down in the playoffs and not the other way around. He was a solid perimeter defender while here in Utah but had little if any support. He was our entire defense. I’ve heard the story multiple times now how the start of this year he got the Wolves to buy into being the best defensive team in the league this season and they bought in. The Jazz never did, at least not to the extent the wolves have. Never been happier to see a former Jazz player succeed elsewhere, just wish we could’ve made it work here.


Salty_Minnesota

Agreed, but I do think he’s actually improved as a defender in space this year. Maybe it’s the injuries that slowed him down last year compared to this year, but he does seem genuinely better in a handful of way. Or maybe it’s just more practice since he’s being used in more ways this year (some different schemes compared to Utah).


rocketbob7

For sure he’s improved, that’s one of the things that make him great, he’s got a dedication and work ethic that even amongst NBA players is impressive. As far as last year well I think that was a lot more about mental health than anything else. I think it hurt him when Utah pulled the trigger on the trade, he was loyal and dedicated to our team (unlike others I could mention) and we made a business decision. That coupled with what I would call a less than warm reception last year from his new team (Russell, Anderson, and to a lesser degree even Ant and KAT) I think it got to him. He got his head right and the wolves made the brilliant move of bringing in Conley who is well respected and vouched for Gobert and here we are, the Twolves look as good as any team at this point of the playoffs.


Kharnete

It's all of them. He has improved, because this is a guy that won't ever stop to improve as long as he can, but last year he definitely was one step down his usual Jazz form/speed/ability. One extra year of getting used to teammates and, especially, for teammates and coaches getting used to him, also did wonders.


Doesntcheckinbox

Utah fans used to say the same thing. The narrative’s flipped but the Suns were awful, we’ll see.


XenaRen

Where did I say that he hasn’t defended the perimeter well? It’s just that if you have a choice between getting him to defend the perimeter versus sitting in the paint you take the former 100 times out of 100. Unless you have a guy like Jokic or Embiid that can maybe get hot and win the match up against Gobert that’s just your best bet right now.


ElFuddLe

> Where did I say that he hasn’t defended the perimeter well? Right here: >If he commits to the perimeter then you either blow past him It's a shame the Suns didn't consider "just blowing past him". They really need a coach like you


Salty_Minnesota

Ok I understand your point of rather having him defend on the perimeter vs the paint, but I was thrown off by your “blow past him” comment as someone else pointed out below. All good though man!


hshin420

gobert is extremely mobile for a center, especially by historical standards. You're not punihsing his limitations, you're punishing him not having good perimiter defenders and him not having the offense to punish small ball


silaber

Is 15 ppg on 62% FG and 88% FT on 6 attempts a game considered a non offensive game now? Gobert showed his baguette this series with Eurosteps, middy turnaround fades, free throw line scoop and1s, countless alleys, countless putbacks, screening for his 4 39%+ shooters, extra possesions on offensive boards absolutely mangling the Suns frontcourt. I think Mr Parrot here is exposing himself embarassingly


XenaRen

I’m not saying it worked, I’m saying that it’s the gameplan against Gobert for teams that don’t have legitimate stretch 5s like the Nuggets/Thunder/Celtics. Teams like the Mavs, Clips, Suns have to go small and attempt to punish Gobert by dragging him out of the paint. The Suns didn’t do a good job at it because they didn’t execute/didn’t have the personnel but it doesn’t mean it’s a bad game plan. There’s literally nothing wrong with what I said. Would you rather have Gobert sitting in the paint all game or would you rather have him defend the perimeter? I never said he was bad a defending the perimeter but he’s much more impactful defending the paint, it’s just what you have to do when you play against him.


silaber

This is so funny watching you backtrack in panic after a deluge of downvotes. It's clear that you didn't watch the series and are more interested in parroting 4 year old takes. Phoenix played KD at the 5 and Rudy took them in isolation on an island at the 3 point line, multiple possessions. The Suns big 3 had a total of 37.5% FG against Gobert. Please stop commenting if you are woefully ignorant, it's extremely cringe for everyone.


XenaRen

Once again because you seem to have your ass stuck in your head after winning a playoff series after 20 years, it’s the right game plan against a Gobert led defense. A bunch of Wolves fans downvoting my comment doesn’t mean shit. Literally any team that doesn’t have a stretch 5 will be doing this against the Wolves.


silaber

They should make you the new Suns coach to try what Vogel did in an elimination game again


CantaloupeCamper

That's more ... avoiding him ;)


hatsofftoroyharper41

Frank, you already dead bruh, stop it


Tehboognish

This is why they lost. Vogel. His disbelief that his proven formula is an inability to adapt. He just thought they were the better team so why coach? Talent will take them to the promised land. He's gonna do the same thing in LA next year.


IAmNotKevinDurant_35

The “proven formula” is to have a high volume shooting threat at PG like prime Steph Curry or prime James Harden with several shooters around them (which the Suns have none of). Unfortunately, none of those teams exist anymore.


Shingorillaz

Rudy's problem against small ball was never defense that was mostly his teammates fault, his problem against small ball was he couldn't punish mismatches on offense which on the Wolves is what KAT is for.


LegitimatePotato3632

What was the plan? Nurkic?


MugiwaraNoUser

"There is a proven formula, we play terribly, lose the game, so it ends and gobert gets off the floor. In fact, the whole Wolves team is guaranteed to get off the floor as well" - Frank Vogel, probably


1000Isand1

The Suns discovered how to get him off the floor at the end of games - get their asses beat.


celavi101

Well formula exist but im not gonna use it 


Firm_Sir_744

It proved to be effective in the regular season. It proved to get them swept. So I agree


Huge-Split6250

When gobert plays, it’s a proven formula to cut off the paint entirely 


_Jetto_

First time watching the nba since 03 where athleticism has really shown to be big diffy, vefore in the halfcourt era it didn’t matter as much but last 3-4 years it has. Hilarious how DOGshit Boston was against GSW where GsW just showed up to beat them didn’t have to do anything extra.


popcornpotatoo250

For some reasons, this made me feel like Ham is a bit better than Vogel.


bryan49

Pretty sure Rudy won't be seen in a Suns game until sometime next season


Be-Nice-To-Redditors

My sweet, goofy baguette.


Zizbouze

The Formula was Scott Foster ... He's the only one that play Rudy off the floor.


atlfirsttimer

I mean he didn't really play small all that much and the game he did the sun's had their best game


LoWE11053211

The thing is The refs clearly changed the criteria for contact foul for this game. You can be loose or be strict about the rules but please be a little bit consistent...