The Minnesota Timberwolves overcame a 19-point deficit as Anthony Edwards poured in 37 points en route to a 108-106 victory of the Los Angeles Clippers. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni discuss the Wolves big lineup change, Edwards’ night, and Kyrie Irving’s injury. Then, Sam Cooper, from the Timeline Podcast about the Phoenix Suns, stops by to discuss the Suns’ win over Philadelphia, Bradley Beal coming off the bench, and if a trade can save Phoenix’s season. Then, Es and Dave throw a party for the Pistons as they make it to 18-18 and wonder if Cade Cunningham is going to make All-NBA.Host: Dave DuFourWith: Es Baraheni & Sam CooperExecutive Producer: Andrew SchlechtAudio Producer: Grayson MoodySubmit your questions to The Athletic NBA Daily mailbag: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5939460/2024/11/25/nba-podcast-mailbag-athletic-daily/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Chapter 1: How did the Timberwolves come back against the Clippers?
Bradley Beal goes to the bench and drops, I think, 25 points in his first game off the bench. So people are making jokes that he's Manu Ginobili now. I would say.
well let's pop the brakes but i do appreciate the settlement yeah there's joel so yeah joel didn't play it's a shorthanded sixers team your question is everything fixed obviously everything's not fixed yeah um i i do think there is a certain level of professionalism that these guys um this particular locker room maybe has approached this game with and they did feel connected something i want to say to
There are a lot of athletes who kind of in these types of situations, especially his situation, could easily pout. Yeah. And he did not look like that. If you want to be a body language doctor, a body language expert from tonight, he looks like a guy who's who wants to go out there and play and win games.
There are all sorts of issues with the team this season, and one game is not going to solve that. And potentially, even as we talk about it, one trade alone is not going to solve that. But it was it was good just to see them smile a bit for once.
Why do you think I mean, we can probably talk to about the recent struggles, right? The defense has fallen off a cliff. But why do you think this particular lineup change was necessary? Or do you think it was necessary at all for them to make this lineup change?
Yes, it was a great question, but it was absolutely necessary. It's maybe a little bit counterintuitive for people who write some people. I mean, I think a lot of people have been saying for a long time, these three stars don't fit together. Yeah. But what helps that it happened now is a you have the whole Bradley Beal trade rumors looming. Yeah.
Of course, we all know that he has the no trade clause and and maybe, you know, that is a way to sort of push him to be willing to waive that. So that's there. And you have to consider that. But there's also a statistical objective argument for as a as a basketball team, why this was a good move for them. Yeah, just throw a couple lineup stats at you guys.
When Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Kevin Durant share the floor this season, I think they have a net rating of minus seven when all three of them are together. When just Booker and Durant are on the floor and Beal is off, that flips to a plus six. And so, you know, which doesn't make them doesn't make them an elite contender or anything.
But the difference between a plus six and a minus seven, there's been this consistent thread throughout the season of kind of every lineup Bradley Beal has been a part of. He's sort of tanked the net rating a little bit with a couple of particular exceptions. And so, you know, it was something that had to happen again. I don't think that one move by itself fixes this team, but we'll see.
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Chapter 2: What lineup changes did the Timberwolves make?
Mason Plumlee, honestly, is only a veteran minimum contract. So, you know, I don't really blame him for it, but. is showing signs of age. I think he's 34 years old and just looks so much older than kind of the Mason Plumlee I knew from a few years ago who could still get up and catch some lobs. Right now he catches a ball in the short roll and he's just afraid to look at the rim.
So it's a completely different player and they have issues all over the map with their rotation to the point where it's like, You talk about how to solve them. I don't think a Jimmy Butler trade solves this. I think they're three or four trades away from being the contender that they think they are.
I'm glad you asked that, Sam.
I'm glad you asked that. I figured we had to cover it.
Look, there are not a lot of avenues for this team to get better. They have that pick very, very far away from now. I believe it's 2031 that they have a pick that they can give out. Salary-wise, Bradley Beal's no trade clause is really holding down their flexibility to be able to make some moves. Yes, there's the Jimmy Butler trade. Yes, there's what they can do to grab Jimmy.
But is there anything else outside of that? Do you think that they could try to do to improve this roster heading into the trade deadline?
I mean, if they were willing to trade one of their rookies, I absolutely do not want them to. Let me be clear from a fan's perspective, but like from the Matt Ishbia perspective of how do we. you know, how do we dig this even deeper and go all in, all in, all in? I guess, theoretically, that's how you could scrounge up an asset.
Otherwise, I think, honestly, Nurkic has been so bad that I think any sort of addition by subtraction is at play. We've talked about all sorts of centers. If they could just get a Jonas Valanciunas, a Nick Richards, someone who makes, you know, $15 million or less and is not good.
This is wild. This is wild to hear.
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