The Suns can’t even dribble around the Wolves!

Phoenix has struggled to score and attack the paint in their 2024 playoff series against Minnesota. This detailed film breakdown & scouting report explores the Wolves defensive success behind the incredible ball pressure of Jaden McDaniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Anthony Edwards along with Rudy Gobert's newfound versatility in the playoffs.
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Twitter: @elgee35
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Stats courtesy:
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www.basketball-reference.com
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Music by Nemesis
#ThinkingBasketball

[@anthonyzobel9694]

It’s so gratifying to see how well Gobert is doing in a situation with perimeter defense. I know the NBA media will never admit their old playoff analysis of him was unfair but he’s rightfully earned the praise he’s currently getting

[@BenjaminFranklinFF1706]

Yea but Terrance Mann still dropped 40 on his head.

[@kennn30]

​@@BenjaminFranklinFF1706 On the Jazz who had no great defenders around him

[@80teg]

​@@BenjaminFranklinFF1706 That's what casuals saw. Because casuals learn the terms but not the game itself. Next time watch the players without the ball, so you can see why Mann was open, and how much of his points was because Rudy wasn't playing good defense.

[@toucheyang89]

Agree. At the same time, even if Gobert struggles on the perimeter, how many Centers out there can actually defend a guard? Most guards on a big is a matchup. Made up media narrative to hate on him.

[@Eskeletor_210]

Gobert doesn’t have to go cross eyed finally

[@4pfdattu605]

They got KD but we got Jaden McDaniels

[@orangetweleve]

BELIEVE DAT

[@darnellwilliams8783]

​@@orangetwelevetimberwolves hot the refs

[@firstnamelastname6148]

don't worry nuggets will end your run

[@discowolf25]

@@firstnamelastname6148 We we’re literally built to beat you. And calm down, wax the lakers first. Like fr please wax them😂

[@Ricey167]

@@discowolf25yet they didn’t last year

[@TheeKing7]

It's funny how they say there's no defense in the league and then you just look at Minnesota eating offenses alive LoL

[@bubbles13244]

​@@letmesleepinpeace7052you watch the video? 😂

[@TheeKing7]

@@letmesleepinpeace7052 The shots aren't falling for a reason. You watch nearly any NBA player practice and they shoot like 90% inside the 3 point line or from their spots. Shots don't fall because of defensive pressure or keeping them away from their spots and rarely because a player is just having a bad game. That's facts and people need to actually look into basketball when they wanna talk shit about players or teams. Research before you start yappin frfr

[@TheeKing7]

@@bubbles13244 THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING

[@letmesleepinpeace7052]

@bubbles13244 I was being sarcastic you idiots

[@bsn0730]

I think ​@@letmesleepinpeace7052 is saying that's the excuse people give when a team is kept below 100 points instead of giving good defense credit. "They don't play defense anymore, not like they did in the 90's." Tell me you don't watch basketball without telling me you don't watch basketball.

[@IGI_Media]

In high school, our coach taught us that the pressure isn't meant to get the ball (that's a bonus) The pressure is to slow them down Throw off their rhythm and make them play ball that isn't rehearsed and planned where they feel comfortable.

[@ozarka1110]

U had a great coach. I never heard that before but love that message

[@bigaaron]

Absolutely. It sucks ass to play against defense that wont let you get a rhythm

[@Mektek19]

Well said. The modern NBA needs to understand this. They always go for the home run aka reaching way too often.

[@OGMichaelC]

24 seconds vs 12 seconds is huge

[@Anthonydu01630]

Exactly, but casuals always think good defense end with a block or a steal … But staying in front of your man, making a good contest, forcing a turnover, communication, positioning, not ball watching when you are guarding a player off ball ect is what make a good defense, if you look at box score a good defensive team like the Wolves only had 8 steals and 2 block in game 1, that’s only 10 possession but most game have something like 75 possession for each team, so good defense is way more than just steal and blocks

[@VinegarAndSaltedFries]

It won’t get talked about a lot but Alexander Walker has played like a man possessed this series. He has been awesome.

[@MrDiMES123]

It’s been rare to see this much defensive effort in the NBA

[@zachschroeder1740]

he's such a great player. puts Grayson Allen to shame, does everything he can do and does it better.

[@OGMichaelC]

Watch him closely next game. He maneuvers around screens more tenaciously than even Jaden, and thats saying a lot

[@Daveyjdigital]

Naw has gotten so much better

[@WaxPundit]

He's been playing that way all season. Kid plays with his whole soul and it's gotta be infectious to play alongside.

[@GrantRossow]

Chris Finch deserves a ton of credit for what he’s done with this Wolves defense.

[@MrDiMES123]

Yes, but the arsenal is what carries it

[@emmanuelcoquet6257]

Yes, and Rudy as well. It's been public that he has been Instrumental in developing the scheme.

[@David-iv6je]

And the players need to buy in TOGETHER. The lack of good attitude from teammates is what drove Jimmy Butler from CHI to MIN to PHI before he found his heat culture. Good to see MIN is creating the same culture. It's a COLABORATION.

[@duncanonme8744]

It's amazing to see Edwards' effort level on the defensive end as well. For all the talk of his improvement in ball handling, playmaker, and shooting, the defense gets overlooked. It does wonders when your best perimeter player on offense also isn't a black hole on defense.

[@ozarka1110]

Agree. I believe all athletic guys can play defense they just choose not to. With ants athleticism, I believe he could be a dpoy but that would cost him a ton of energy considering his already heavy offensive load

[@yoman1936]

@@ozarka1110 I doubt he'll ever be a dpoy because of his offensive load but he should at least find himself on a couple all defensive teams.

[@Blorbifink]

​@@ozarka1110it's 100% a choice. If guys like Joe Ingles and Kyle Anderson can be solid defenders, there's no excuse for more athletic guys

[@mambaASI]

being a black hole on defense sounds like a compliment lol

[@MrDiMES123]

@@ozarka1110defense is not all about athleticism. That’s just the engine, what matters is the driver (Def IQ) and Gas tank (stamina). Minnesota defense is filled with F1 cars and pro drivers 👀

[@user-kd7we9lm1b]

This is what happens when your replace Chris Paul with NO POINT GUARD

[@BlueDrew10]

Imagine this team with CP3 instead of Beal

[@jonathanmcgraw3384]

B-b-b-but true point guards don’t win rings!

[@CryptidFlame]

And stack 3 primarily self focused scorers

[@nedaugust43]

Jose Alvarado 2021-2022 season. So would Chris Paul really be the answer?

[@I_hate_HANDLES]

Paul too old now tho

[@xsision5513]

i hate how the jazz destroyed rudy’s defensive reputation by basically leaving him alone to do everything defensively, and now that he actually has a team that complements his defense it looks so disgustingly good

[@leungsz]

See this is where you separate those who knows basketball vs those who don't. Those who do will understand why Gobert is a DPOY contender every year. To a certain extent, you have to think of who you can live without on defense. For me I think it's still Gobert on the Twolves even though all the other defenders are important too. Rudy amplifies the rest of the defenders, and for those who say he got cooked by Steph Curry......EVERY BIG MAN gets cooked by Steph.

[@TurinStark5]

Exactly considering Jazz haven't made it to the playoffs since he left.

[@MistyKathrine]

@@TurinStark5 Gobert was Utah's MVP.

[@mk-vi5qw]

​@@MistyKathrine Even though Ant is by fat the best player, Gobert clearly also was the MVP of the Wolves this year. His unbelievable consistancy on defense and effort is absolutly astounding!

[@Anthonydu01630]

@@leungszEven elite perimeter defenders like Kawhi, Cp3, Dillion Brooks ect got cooked by him, so it’s funny to see people making fun of Gobert because of that, like a 7footer should be able to guard the best shooter and off ball player ever, the 2nd best ball handler imo and also a good passer .. Curry is literally the most skilled player ever, the only guy under 6’6 to be a Top 10 player ever .. Laughing because a 7footer got cooked by the best offensive player ever who is 6’2 is like laughing because Curry, Cp3, Jrue Holiday or Marcus Smart got cooked by Lebron, Jokic, Giannis or Zion, it happens every game but because they play in the post or just « run and dunk » nobody cares, and they are right, because it’s normal for a dominant big to dominate a small guard, just like it’s normal for a dominant small guard to cook a 7footer on the perimeter 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@08mayleen]

Gobert's defense is now seeing its full potential when he has teammates who's hounding the opposing players like crazy. Jaden McDaniels and ANT are clearly an upgrade over Donovan Mitchell and Bogdanovic in Utah.

[@richborn6700]

Say it louder for those at ESPN and FS1

[@fabtech0771]

​@@richborn6700The Gobert slander has to stop man, he is getting disrespected by the media, social media casual watchers and even other NBA players because all they look at are the stat sheets and the lowlights. Thank god the voters aren't stoopid and actually analyze games and can fully understand Gobert's impact, even tho it doesn't show much on the stat sheet. He is the DPOY this year and it's not close AT ALL

[@Phriedah]

I think it's funny that you call Jaden McDaniels "JMac", cause that's the nickname we've used for Jordan Mclaughlin.

[@harrytyre3765]

I think mcdaniels was called that at washington honestly hes earned it. lol call mclaughlin lil mac

[@sojiroseta98]

Bruh, aint nobody outside the fanbase kno who the fuck Jordan Mclaughlin is...jus sayin

[@Daveyjdigital]

Glad someone said it

[@coreylemmon971]

Yea I noticed people saying Jmac more and more. Us wolves fans are sitting here like that name is already being used 😂😂. I want seatbelt to be a staple nickname for Jaden

[@GrimReaper-er8uu]

It's either seatbelt or slim jady

[@dukiino739]

nugs vs wolves is going to be one of the best playoff series of all time

[@menot6245]

you see the vision, then the thunder vs the winner of that series after

[@MrDiMES123]

Minnesota vs Boston finals… and Tatum finally wins

[@OGMichaelC]

Basketball porn for basketball geeks

[@SuperThisen]

Yeah and most of the games in that series last year were pretty close and the Wolves didn't have Naz or Jaden McDaniels. Actually pretty crazy and scary to think about. If the Timberwolves keep playing like this, then i don't see why they couldn't go all the way.

[@richborn6700]

@@MrDiMES123 Yeah sure buddy they lost to a Heat team without Butler last night.

[@mac_94]

I’m glad that they let them be more physical in the playoffs! This team is a lot of fun to watch on defense

[@garretnarjes782]

It's ridiculous in the arena. The hometown crowd LOVES to cheer for defense this year.

[@BrightNights645]

@@garretnarjes782yep because the NBA is allowing physical play

[@TolbertOseiOwusu]

Another world class content from Ben Taylor . The wolves have put the suns in jail . Great defensive schemes and individuals are winning their matchups too . Great coaching and execution from players

[@CowboyChuntis]

Nickel Alexander-Walker is incredible. He is a plus 42 in 60 mins played in the first 2 games of the series

[@michaelahurt]

Honestly when they have him, Ant and McDaniels together it feels unfair.

[@MrDiMES123]

He plays with so much effort and exuding stamina

[@Rawn38]

@@michaelahurtya they usually used to sit McDaniels down and put naw in they play crazy when they playing together

[@richborn6700]

Insane considering he also played ALL 82 games. He was basically a freebie in the Conley trade and has been invaluable this season. The teams he's bounced around on before Minnesotahave to be kicking themselves.

[@t4d0W]

@@richborn6700 Could be argued as such but I always thought he was a role player that needed the right situation. He wasn't going to get that playing for the Pelicans who have found their new wing guys and the Jazz who are looking to lose every year. Plus his stock was low so if there was a time for Walker to get his stock up, its for the Wolves.

[@Dako4real]

BABE BABE NEW THINKING BASKETBALL JUST DROPPED!

[@Ace-vd5uh]

I hope wolves win it all so Gobert can prove all the players calling him overrated wrong.

[@antokarman2064]

It could lead the renaissance of devensive bigs in the age of 3pt shooting

[@thedman05]

If anyone can take down Denver it’s the wolves. The wolves defense is the only thing I can suspect would stifle Denver’s near perfect offensive composition and schematics

[@MrDiMES123]

He is overrated but I see he improved a bit

[@Ace-vd5uh]

@@thedman05 yeah. I'm rooting for the wolves. They have the height and thr bodies to slow down jokic. They also have the personnel to shutdown murray.

[@Ace-vd5uh]

@@MrDiMES123 his offensive bag maybe the problem but the wolves gm knows that. Wolves paid gobert tremendous amount of money not because of his offense. They just want him to be the anchor of their defense. They habe KAT and ANT and other players to shoot. I thnik players call him overrated because of the amount of money he received from wolves and the trade package he was traded for. They think that the guy doesn't have the offensive bag to be making that ton of money. I think they are just jealous, calling him overrated.

[@rickharrison1737]

Wait, but I was told Gobert was a playoff liability that gets played off the floor every postseason?

[@johnmarkson1998]

this video is basically just explaining why rudy matches up so well against this team specifically. lets wait until he faces a team with proper rim pressure and a shooting big before judging him.

[@rickharrison1737]

@@johnmarkson1998 Durant and Booker are spectacular at exploiting drop coverage and Minny has been just fine with hedging and even switching Rudy in the pick and roll and the results speak for themselves. He is shutting down all of the claims that he’s one dimensional on defense or that he’s just a rim protector. His versatility is on display this series. But I do agree, the Suns high volume mid range shots make Rudy’s rim deterrence look even better than it usually is.

[@bearbrannon]

​@@johnmarkson1998I've watched enough Wolves basketball this year to know they aren't worried. Jaden Naw and Gobert are cheat codes on d

[@xavierb9061]

Suns run nurkic n eubanks peefect for gobert.

[@xaviershelviejohnson5771]

Thaaaaank youuuu. The rudy hate Is retarded. Nation wide. No one likes this dude but however you slice it he's right there at the top of the best defender of his Era list.

[@coldmountainsaga]

Truly spectacular defense from this Wolves team. An intensity and hustle that you rarely see today. How many other teams can say they have bull-dog defenders for every position?

[@twist3dgUt4219]

People disregard Gobert because of his numbers but when you watch the wolves games, you see how much impact he makes on defense. Yes he's had bad games, but overall, he has been a monster in defense

[@fabtech0771]

Pple on social media and the Media clown on him because they only look at the lowlights and the stat sheet. You see Gobert's impact by watching and anilysing the games. Thank god the voters aren't stoopid and actually do so. He's this year's DPOY by a mile no matter what casuals on social network say

[@kyleketelsen7302]

Amazing what happens when the defense is allowed to get aggressive with the offensive players. Alot of the regular season offensive moves/ball handling goes away. It's enjoyable to watch

[@hawkname1234]

The difference in scoring in the second half of the season, and then ticking down again in the postseason has been incredible. Would love to see a quantitative analysis on that from Thinking Basketball in the post-season. And I don't think people are complaining. Defense has a chance to play now, and it makes the game more fun,

[@mockingbirdex3450]

Rudy surrounded by good or great defenders (as well) is a terrifying proposition.

[@fabtech0771]

His best defender on those jazz teams was Mike Conley, now the least efficient defender on the starting 5 is Mike Conley, that says a lot. The defensive leader that he is can finally shine, no matter what casuals say on social media

[@alvolante4164]

I thought the solar eclipse had ended.

[@arendmelby5106]

Ironically we were blind on the wolves but now can we see.... idk sorry lol

[@Jonathan-A.C.]

Fire, no cap

[@kgtd2160]

11:10 we call those Neverminds in wolves fandom😂 The best screen navigator on this team is NAW and he's even better than Jaden in that regard because he gets skinny just enough to the point of slipping through the screen and stays attached to his matchup. He is an absolute menace with his length and quick hands and also has underrated strength down in the post. He's arguably the biggest x-factors on the team alongside Jaden because if he can make at least something like 3 3s a game with his elite defense, that team would be extremely hard to beat.

[@Daveyjdigital]

Jaden McDaniels is so clutch in big moments he is my favorite nba player

[@masons9541]

I have been telling all nba fans I know about the wolves this year and how it is a playstyle that we haven't seen in a long time. Offensively a bit stagnant sometimes but the defensive pressure they play with is electrifying, it can really swing momentum and the crowd. Amp up the home crowd or quiet the road one, probably plays a part of their great road record also. Glad we get to see it take another step up in the playoffs with a tighter whistle.

[@bdkq1902]

Now this is a different Wolves. They can guard their shooters really tight, even on the backcourt to throw the rhythm of the opponents off. If the Nuggets and Wolves won, this would be a rematch, and I’m okay with either of them winning.

[@user-nu7on8ob4m]

I’ve never been a fan of KAT, but I have to acknowledge that his effort levels and communication on defense have also been excellent. He’s the weak link on this team, no question, but opponents have not been able to target him the way they once did.

[@arendmelby5106]

For sure. Self-proclaimed best big shooter of all time, and he has been team-first. From what was reported, he was the most welcoming to Rudy last year. We forget how young he is for being in his 9th season.

[@garretnarjes782]

He's the biggest liability in the starting line-up, but he's also a huge source of offense which we desperately need. He's extremely skilled and can get buckets, but it's his inability to read/react to what is going on that makes him rough to watch. So many times he catches the ball and decides he's making a drive, but waits 3 seconds for the defense to get ready.

[@WheresWaldo05]

For his liability through his career he i still ranked well above average this season as a individual defender. I would say Morris is our worst defender right now. Of the playoff rotation of guys actually playing. He moves like Kat but as a point guard. Clunky flat feet. Yet much smaller than Kat.

[@t4d0W]

Defensive effort wise he's gotten better but in comparison to ANT whose explosiveness in scoring is more rewarding, KAT's offense still reminds me of a hyper efficient 3-and-D wing. There will be games where he looks amazing attacking closeouts or his jumpers are going in. But outside of those games his offense can fall flat when you need him to do more. Which may be what separates the Wolves in a series vs the current NBA champs in the Nuggets.

[@delcastilloian]

TIMBERWOLVES ARE SOMETHING MOST NBA TEAMS ARE MISSING NOWADAYS !!! THANK GOD TIMBERWOLVES BROUGHT BACK THE INTENSE DEFENSE

[@pazpazpazpazpaz]

BRO IVE BEEN WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO SAY THIS

[@charleybarley914]

85 Bears and the 2024 Timberwolves!

[@jimbrewer5048]

Defense yet fun with and attitude. Anthony edwards is an absolute dogg

[@The_Catalyzt]

This Timberwolves defense gives me hope for the league! Lockdown defense like this is just as fun to watch as good offense imo, and makes for a much more competitive game. Love to see it.

[@OhDuur]

9:20 I love that you showed the key communication between Gobert and Ant, it's shows what team defense mean and above all what a defensive team leader means

[@fabtech0771]

Gobert has always been like that, but now that he has actual competent defenders around him his efficiency skyrockets

[@joshuawilliams2447]

Why isn’t no one talking about how good Alexander is at guarding this year dudes playing smothering defense he’s so Mf good at offense at well dudes clutch

[@winter9242]

NWA has always been a great defender though? Only casuals don't know how great he is defensively. I can remember him shutting down SGA last year

[@michaelahurt]

No one where? Thinking Basketball has been talking about him all year. Pretty sure Zach Lowe has. Pretty sure Simmons and Russillo have. I'll bet Jason Timpf has and Hoop Venue did a video on how good Minnesota's defense was 2 months ago and predictably had a section on NAW. Honestly if you didn't hear people talking about NAW this year I'd change who you're listening to going into next year.

[@richborn6700]

I'm so happy for that family. Shai and NAW both in the top three in the west conference and playing lights out ball in the playoffs. You know when they used to play in the driveway this was what they hoped to get to

[@t4d0W]

I've been low key good on him since his Pelicans days. Glad to see he's found his best fit with the Wolves who need that productivity from wing defenders.

[@donaldmacisaac8479]

Minnesota “like a pack of wolves” you say? Funny that

[@Tysonyar]

This matchup and some other playoff matchups look way different under the officiating last year. It's not like they are calling it like Heat-Knicks in the 90s or anything, but there's enough additional contact to allow physical teams like the Wolves to disrupt touch guys like Durant and Booker.

[@antinapay]

This is like Pistons 04 level defense

[@bearbrannon]

Been saying that since pre season. Whole reddit post and all

[@WheresWaldo05]

Terrible take. Pre season means nothing. You need actual regular season games to see thr comp. You cant just guess they will do this then when they do say i told you so. Cause they could have been not that🤡

[@JKernx]

@@WheresWaldo05bro what are you smoking this is the playoffs

[@WheresWaldo05]

@@JKernx You on drugs? He said he knew during pre season the wolves were going to play defense like this in the playoffs. But you cant. The pre season is not the regular season. Little lone the playoffs. Or can i say i knew in the pre season that Karl Anthony Towns was going to tear his mcl the last month of the season? Thats literally the same goofy guessing mentality of a fairy take then dubbing that you knew it the whole time. Get woke clown.

[@justvincenturb]

Ive never really paid attention to defense in the NBA because in recent years its always been about score score score. It's crazy to me how unique this Wolves defense is playing and how much impact it's having.

[@pedrogiraldo4367]

This is the best defensive team in the last 15 years. They have one of the best group of perimeter defenders i've ever seen on the same team, and the icing on the cake is that if you get passed that harassing backcourt ball preassure you have to try and lay it up over the best paint defender in the last decade...

[@TakedaMauro]

"Beal can't even get by Rudy Gobert"? Saying it like it was an easy thing to do in the first place. Rudy has been great on every rotation and iso on Phoenix "big 3"

[@russellchung3119]

This team is legit. I'm not a fan of the Timberwolves, but the media is not giving them nearly enough credit.

[@xavierb9061]

Still close being 1st ed exit

[@9InchHandle]

People are focusing on too much of Wolves past. If you actually watches their game throughout the season and not highlights, they are a new team for more focus and hungry. It doesn't hurt that they are small market team and not a lot of prime time games throughout the season. Wolves were #1 majority of the season. They been proving people wrong this season. They don't care what people say about them as they are proving people wrong.

[@alexnica7895]

Because phoenix is not legit. Anyone would look good vs them. They’re a lottery team in wolves clothing

[@isaacharris137]

The consistent quality of these videos over the years is just insane

[@magicmagic8188]

I love watching good defense. Ben’s breakdowns makes them even sweeter

[@Colinkrauss1]

11:33 that mirroring by Ant is incredible here. So much respect goes out to players that can defend this well. What an impossible job, needing to always be the one reacting to the offense, always one step behind. But then have this level of success. Makes you wonder how many nba players *could* be great defenders if they would just commit themselves to maximum effort, and sacrifice their energy to make sure the most difficult jobs get done.

[@JAPSICLE]

With how well the Wolves play right now, they might just be able to win it all.

[@orthodoxos1971]

You already know from book and kds faces at the presser after game 2. They know it’s not only over but hopeless. They got nothing coming The suns are a middleweight going up against a prime heavyweight. Lucky to get 1 The two heavyweights in the west are Denver and Minnesota. I’m giving the edge to Denver this year. Dark horse contender is OKC in the west and I’m looking at Boston as a shaky favorite to come out of the east. But I don’t trust them either as they have been feasting on a much much much weaker conference to get that record This year the championship will be effectively second round nuggets v timberwolves. WCF and then finals will be easier by comparison. That’s my outlook at this point.

[@igotclampsonhof6288]

The Minnesota timberwolves have jaden McDaniels

[@cameronpowe7257]

They thought ts was a game😂😂 🔒

[@maxbe5544]

NAW and Jaden have been absolute hounds defensively this series. Theyre playing so well its making the dpoy look like the 3rd best defender on the team, despite him also playing phenomenal defense. Unreal

[@3rose13]

The scariest part is Ant isnt even the main scorer

[@nigelminatabushtybushty2335]

Ikr shooting 3/12 last game hopefully he heats up in Phoenix

[@Evrgreens11]

People are JUST NOW learning about the Timberwolves defence… can’t wait till they show the world how well they can match the Nuggets (and beat them)

[@uuh4yj43]

can being the operative word there

[@ChrisTookFlight]

They ain’t beating them, Timberwolves offense is still pretty bad they aren’t gonna be able to out execute the Nuggets in the clutch.

[@avihs2845]

​@@ChrisTookFlight Timberwolves in 6

[@earholeentertainment5866]

@@ChrisTookFlightit’s gonna be a long series. Either team could take it.

[@berlin4103]

When you'll see an all time great offensive masterclass from nuggets you'll realize.​@@avihs2845

[@thesadboxman]

This defense is so beautiful. So much grit on display

[@GustavoSilva-ny8jc]

1:06 THIS IS INSAAAAANE, never seen something like this, it could change the whole dynamic of the game, even the rule. Looks exciting (as an adversary would be hella stressful)

[@MrMujinn]

Gegenpressing

[@josephmatthews7698]

Remember when everyone was calling the Gobert trade the worst ever and people were calling for him or KAT to get traded? Cracks me up.

[@Mektek19]

I said it at he beginning of the second half of the season, Minnesota plays old school defense: they are like the 90s Bulls. They fight over screens a lot despite having the personnel to switch everything and then pick you full court sometimes. Modern NBA players are too lazy to do that. It helps so much if you can really stay in front of your man. Ant and McDaniels about to be a modern version of Jordan and Pippen defensively.

[@GustavoSilva-ny8jc]

That was incredibly amazing, one of my favorite videos from u. They clearly tried to fix Rudy perimeter lack of help

[@penn0116]

This was an awesome breakdown of the Wolves defense against the Suns. Thanks for this!

[@earlchristiancatan7354]

Rudy finally have great wing defenders unlike Utah that only focus on offense.

[@larrymarket9658]

This is brilliant analysis. That baseline inbound play where Book screened Mike, I hope Finch and co. picks that up during film study this week. That was a smart call by Vogel and they’ll probably try that again.

[@alastairchong4824]

I've loved watchin the twolves in the playoffs! They've got a chip on their shoulders after bein swept in the reg season n you can tell they play for each other cuz they just care so much on Defense. Great job Ben on showing the nitty gritty of this beautiful basketball!

[@lordsangone]

Defense has been so underrated and underused in this era of the NBA. I think defense is making a comeback and these new younger players are showing signs of it. I remember when superstars werent just known for offense but defense as well (80s and 90s). The era of team-stacking is coming to an end. Offense heavy teams do not always work. I think the phrase "defense wins championships" is coming back and its great to see. It makes the game more balanced and watchable.

[@MrDiMES123]

Only Anthony Edwards or Wemby are the new 2 way superstars

[@martinblake2278]

Yeah I noticed those missed opportunities that game. Main reason why Wolves can do this is because Suns just don't have any elite passers. Watched the game and there were just so many missed opportunities like: would have been easy layups and dunks that Booker, Durant, and Beal just can't read or manipulate. If it was against a team that has an elite passer or shot creator on the level of a Lebron, Jokic, Luka, or Haliburton, that hyper aggressive style of defense would be punished a lot and exploited. Overall, 15 super easy points were totally missed just because Suns stars don't have that player that has Hawk eye court vision and high level game manipulator. And lastly, Suns just have 1 style to beat opponents and that is overload on midrange and 3s. If they shot well, they can beat this team, but if they don't, goodluck to them.

[@4Kamm]

I think there purposely playing them hyper aggressive like this because they have no point and ate us in the midrange every regular season game this year. rudy usually doesn't play this high or switch in isolation however since nurkic is not a threat it better to put than pressure on their big 3

[@johncwod]

If the Jazz had any good perimeter defenders, Gobert's trade value probably would've been even higher.

[@TheMegaStPatrickShow]

This was a excellent video king from background music to how you broke down film ❗️ salute ❗️

[@LetsTalkAbout1125]

The Wolves got Jaden McDaniels and the Suns don’t have a competent (back up) PG who can handle high pressure situations🤷🏿‍♂️

[@AnacondaHL]

This is the most Suns shit ever 🙃

[@joshbarker9043]

Best breakdown I’ve seen. The whole league knows this team is doing something special, but slowing it down and highlighting our unique antics and abilities, shows it at a whole new level. Thank you

[@user-kn2td2zn9w]

I love this video so much it was so entertaining I came back to watch it again

[@bambon5568]

I just noticed that the Timberwolves could be NBA champions this year and that feels weird

[@Ace-vd5uh]

I think so too. Wolves vs nuggets in wcf. Whoever wins will just destroy ecf champion.

[@cashcaleb-sc8pq]

@@Ace-vd5uhthey’re both the 2 and 3 seed. So they’ll face in the wcsf. I believe the winner of that series will win the championship

[@Ace-vd5uh]

@@cashcaleb-sc8pq yeah. I'm rooting for the wolves. They have the height and thr bodies to slow down jokic. They also have the personnel to shutdown murray.

[@avihs2845]

​@@Ace-vd5uhJaden McDaniels

[@phillipbell4394]

This is kind of a sad way for KD to go out. His foot is on the line for game 7 of the Nets, and runs out of gas in overtime. He gets swept by the Celtics who get dominated by Curry. Then he goes to the Suns where the defense is bad to the point where Jokić eats them alive. Dude literally drops 53 and 11 assists in one game. So the Suns try to get yet another superteam while having no understanding of the fact that KD operates best with a point guard on the floor (if they can do anything they REALLY need to go after Tyus Jones in free agency), and now after making the playoffs he's getting absolutely hounded by Ant. I really hope this isn't how is career ends.

[@JokicisbetterthanEmbiid]

He literally did this to himself tho 🤣

[@alvolante4164]

Wise words

[@BenjaminFranklinFF1706]

Yea but he’s averaging 24, 6 and 6 on 63% TS so the important question is how does this affect Lebron’s legacy ?

[@marox5450]

@@JokicisbetterthanEmbiid ? no he didnt lmao

[@duncanonme8744]

​@marox5450 He left OKC, then left Golden State, Brooklyn imploded. Each decision led to where he is now. Presti's shown to be a great team builder given time, and Golden State would've been the favorites in the West even now with KD. Instead he helped form a "super team" in Brooklyn, and when that failed he asked for a trade that got him to Phoenix.

[@JJaaasss]

By far my favourite video from this channel!

[@luislaureano228]

As a basketball fan... how could anyone not marvel at the defensive masterclass the TWolves are displaying. Ant, NAW, JMcDaniels are like a trio of dobermans on the perimeter. And to add insult to injury... you have Gobert on the interior patrolling the paint and he is nimble and quick enough do guard on switches on the perimeter. And btw, Conley was an all-defense team once upon a time in his prime, but he still a capable defender. KAT can defend but he picks quick fouls and something he should work on. As a long time Lakers fan... I am SO jealous, lol! If the Lakers had one capable perimeter defender... (sigh...)

[@ImBarryScottCSS]

Alternative title for this video: Why Wemby is NOT the DPOY.

[@Grindchasers]

I’m a jazz fan, we had Alexander-walker. I have no idea why we never played him, also I don’t understand why we didn’t hound the ballhandler because no way is anyone scoring on Rudy, so sad🥲

[@menaceonbike5893]

I don't really have a dog in this race, but how legal is all of this? Like there are plays where players can't dribble because there is literally an arm across them preventing them from moving a particular direction. Like at 0:10 Ant is reaching into Beal's space without even getting a hand on the ball. I'm all for giving the defense more leeway but its hard to imagine any player managing to do a lot in a situation like this.

[@slipslop4]

booooooo

[@jadencasto]

In the example you gave, he is literally called for a foul

[@jadude119]

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 Thank you for this analysis sir, great work!

[@petasmith6258]

As probably the most respected Basketball Analyst on KZbin, (not something I say lightly, with all due respect of course!) could you please do a video on the free-throw discrepancy in regards to the Lakers having over 1000 more free throws then the next highest team?!?

[@TrykusMykus]

That last clip is some egregious travelling, he went from the midcourt to the basket with 1 dribble haha 11:49

[@austincarlson9270]

Lol yeah it looked so natural i didnt even catch that.

[@meechrawls]

Not gonna lie this was absolutely beautiful to watch. Your breakdown was so good with an excellent delivery! Great vid my friend

[@MooreTainted]

Great stuff 💎

[@pesky19]

when ant puts in effort hes a top on ball defender

[@TravisC521]

Awesome analysis and breakdown. Subbed

[@Ghostrida_777]

At 5:51 Rudy got smacked with the ball from the rim😂

[@Drezmunjin328]

Always great analysis!. Love from Australia. ❤

[@jimbrewer5048]

Very nice analysis great job.

[@HCXWinchester]

I love that the solution to the endless pick and roll in 5-out space era is the opposite of soft switching, smart and out-working perimeter wing defenders fighting over screens. Timberwolves is so fun to watch, they are like the actualized version of Orlando with best rim protector in the NBA on top of that.

[@jhulbert697]

Great stuff Ben. Elston Turner and Micah Nori deserve immense credit for the work they've done with Minnesota's defense.

[@martinohadley1712]

Great video!

[@fredsmit3481]

Great video! I didn't see the awesome defense when I was watching the game.

[@ubongabasi9110]

Lovely video. You've gotten a new subscriber

[@Django19]

I love watching good defense. I forgot which year it was but there was one year Rutgers had an elite college basketball team defense. All their guys were long and they just switched EVEYTHING. It was impenetrable.

[@zachcummings9966]

This is some of the best on ball defense I’ve ever seen from a team but I am a bit worried that the immense effort required to play this viciously on the defensive end will tire them out over the course of the playoffs. Hopefully they can somehow keep it up

[@pmc5443]

Great content 🐺🐺

[@yeetskeet3]

It’s so beautiful to watch clamps like this

[@robinm4496]

Does anyone else see the similarities of that team to the 08-10 Lakers? Floor general at the 1 Fisher / Conley Combo Scorer at the 2 Kobe / Edwards 2 Way wings Ariza, Artest / McDaniels, Alexander Walker Stretch 4 Pau (at this time deep 2s) / KAT Defensive Center Bynum / Gobert Elite PF/C of the Bench Odom / Reid of course players are not the same but in a way they have quite some similarities :D

[@davispo7550]

Reminds me of what the Raptors were trying to build with the great 6'9" all-defensive wing experiment. However, they've got 7-footers to rim protect. You can really see that Finch was an assistant to Nurse in that time stretch

[@OwenHooper-mv4fm]

This is why I’m worried about my Nuggets against the Wolves. Our ball handling is awful outside of Murray and Joker. Murray can be a bit off with pressure too. I think when bringing th ball up the court, you need to have a “baby sitter” against the wolves- someone to kind of half screen/ jog to keep the defender out of the way past half court

[@t4d0W]

To be fair I find Murray to be a better ball handler than Booker overall. Wolves can get away doing this to the Suns because the lack of speed/handling/passing to get out of the full court and into the half court. If the Wolves try this too much against the Nuggets Jokic will play QB with his outlet passing to a cross-match down the other side. Or even Jokic can take the ball himself to the half court to get things started. Wolves would tire themselves out playing full court press and would rather save their energy trying to stop the Nuggets at their best which is half court.

[@jimgabrielsen]

Fantastic video! Love seeing some good defense being played and teams "cracking the code". One thing I am curious about however is how the officiating will be in Phoenix. While the Wolves defense was great no doubt, they did get a lot of 50/50 no calls to go their way.

[@math12nba]

these videos are so satisfying

[@mackmpls]

Fantastic stuff. Thank you so much for this quality work. One quick local insight. It is always Jaden, not Jmac. (That is back up point guard Jordan McLaughlin).

[@MangaSword8]

I remember Alexander Walker put on a defensive clinic against SGA last year in the play in. Im telling you Timberwolves is crazy

[@Typerist]

Its refreshing to see your best player picking up full court on defense. I hope the wolves make a deep run this playoffs! The commitment of Edwards on the defensive end is great to watch