The Dane Moore NBA Podcast

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Jace Frederick of The Pioneer Press to take stock of where the Wolves stack up at the halfway point of the season. Now, 41 games into the season, where do the Wolves rank on the offensive and defensive sides of the floor? Dane and Jace look at the margins of where this team could take a step forward and what areas have a chance to take a step back in the second half of the year. Topics today include...— Where the Wolves rank on the offensive side of the ball— Where the Wolves rank on the defensive side of the ball— How the return of Karl-Anthony Towns might impact how the Wolves numbers evolve in the second half of the season— A look at some individual player numbers at the halfway point— What archetype of player would be best to add at the trade deadline and/or in the buyout market?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/Dane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Timberwolves beat writer Chris Hine from the Star Tribune, who was on site in Houston Sunday night, to discuss the Wolves win over the Rockets. Topics today include...— The scene in Houston after the Wolves fourth consecutive win— Rudy Gobert being a tone-setter, and his teammates needing that from him— Falling down by 20 in the first half due to the same issues of rebounding, turnovers and effort, but bouncing back in the second half— What is the value of having had veterans around Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels for the entirety of their young careers? Would McDaniels or Edwards have developed differently if raised in a young environment like Houston?— Taking a look at the jam-packed Western Conference standingsSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/Dane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Kyle Theige from SKORNorth to discuss a handful of different topics that have materialized for the Wolves over the course of this now 3-game winning streak that followed the Wolves 6-game losing streak and low point of the season. Topics for this episode include...— What went into Rudy Gobert’s 25 and 21 performance against the Clippers— Comparing the time it took Conley and Gobert to find chemistry to the time it’s taking Gobert and his new teammates to find chemistry— Kyle Anderson’s near-perfect fit on this roster— Austin Rivers on what went into re-working his shot mechanics over the summer— Guarantee dates coming up for Reid, Nowell, Rivers and Knight— D’Angelo Russell’s shooting number over the past eight weeks— What’s the status of Anthony Edwards’ hip injury that kept him out of the second half on Friday night?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/Dane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined at Falling Knife Brewing Company by Britt Robson of MinnPost to do a live show. The conversation begins by discussing the new level Anthony Edwards has seemed to reach over these last six weeks in the absence of Karl-Anthony Towns. Dane and Britt also get into Jaden McDaniels’ seemingly underrated value and some general takeaways from the past few games before bringing in a third mic for listeners to come ask questions.Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Timberwolves beat writer Jace Frederick from the Pioneer Press to discuss what went into the Wolves win over Denver on Monday and what from that game could sustain going forward. Specific topics include...— What went into better ball movement against Denver and the importance of keeping that movement going forward— Nowell and the bench group of Garza/Knight/Ryan/Rivers stole important minutes. What from that group can sustain?— Putting Kyle Anderson on Nikola Jokic and playing Rudy Gobert in a spy role off a non-shooter— Can they play “Spy Rudy” when D’Angelo Russell is in the lineup?— What will Taurean Prince’s return to the rotation mean for the group?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Wolves beat writer Chris Hine from the Star Tribune to help paint the picture of the Wolves’ players-only meeting that followed the loss to the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night, their sixth consecutive loss. Dane and Chris describe the scene in the locker room after the game and play audio clips from the locker room from Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid and Chris Finch.— Describing the postgame scene after the loss to Detroit— Playing the audio of some of the viral quotes that surfaced from the locker room so as to provide context of tone— Finch suggesting the possibility of major role changes to shake things up— Where the Wolves go from here— If the Wolves were going to make a major move, what even are the options?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Kyle Theige from SKORNorth to make bold calls for the Wolves in the new year, and to recap the Wolves loss in Milwaukee on Friday night. The bold predictions segment includes recapping how our bold predictions from the preseason have fared, and then of course includes what our new bold predictions for the rest of the season will be. The conversation about the Bucks loss naturally revolves around the lack of rebounding in that game and how that remains a constant issue for this Wolves team.— Recapping our bold predictions for the season from September— New bold predictions for the 2023 portion of the season— The tale of two halves in the Bucks loss— What might be behind the Wolves defensive rebounding issues when Anthony Edwards is on the floor even though his individual rebounding numbers are way up over the last monthSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Britt Robson from MinnPost to discuss the Wolves loss in New Orleans on Wednesday night and the four-game losing streak the team currently finds itself on. Topics on the episode include...— The ways Rudy Gobert is actually the same player he was in Utah— Is the fit around Gobert proving to be corrosive?— A more impressive all around effort in New Orleans than in Miami, yet the same result— How the Wolves guarded Zion Williamson— If the roster was healthy, who would be in the rotation?— Being both a talented team and a team with little margin for error— How concerned should the Wolves be with where they are in the Western Conference standingsSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Jace Frederick of the Pioneer Press to put together a list of things we didn’t expect coming into the season. In other words, what has played out in the first 34 games that we did not have on our 2022-23 bingo cards entering the season. Some of the answers include...— Rudy Gobert’s most natural individual fit in the starting lineup being Karl-Anthony Towns— Naz Reid’s game elevating to another level when it was unclear whether or not he would even be in the rotation— Anthony Edwards showing the ability to initiate the Wolves offense at a high level as the point guard— How infrequent pick and roll has been for this team— Austin Rivers being this impactful— The defensive rebounding being worse than last seasonSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Chris Hine from the Star Tribune to discuss the Wolves’ recent losses to Boston and Miami. Dane and Chris dive into some of the season-long problems that particularly plagued the Wolves against the Celtics and Heat this week — turnovers, defensive rebounding, execution in high leverage situations. Additionally, they discuss the recent play of Naz Reid and Jaylen Nowell, two players who have been thrust into bigger roles over the last month as injuries have begun to pile up.— What is behind the Wolves’ persistent rebounding and turnover issues?— Seeing more and more of the Naz Reid and Rudy Gobert pairing on the floor together— Playing crunch time games teams that have been there before, like Dallas, Boston and Miami— Has Jaylen Nowell begun pressing in a contract year?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Kyle Theige from SKORNorth to discuss the Wolves loss in the rematch against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night. Rudy Gobert returned, giving the Wolves a different look, that worked but ultimately broke down. Dane and Kyle get into what worked and how Luka Doncic ultimately broke it down. Topics today include...— The defense wasn’t the only thing that broke down. Edwards, Russell and Nowell combining to shoot 0 for 16 from three— How Luka Doncic eventually broke down the Wolves defensive coverage, and how that ultimately prove to be the difference— Rudy Gobert returns and was used in a different way defensively— Why the Wolves are also missing Taurean Prince, Kyle Anderson and Jordan McLaughlin— Looking ahead to the road trip over the holidaysSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Jace Frederick from the Pioneer Press to discuss what has worked in the “one big” look alongside Anthony Edwards, and whether or not that can sustain when it is just Rudy Gobert or Karl-Anthony Towns next to Edwards. Additionally, they discuss how the defensive communication has kept the defense afloat in Gobert’s absence. And finally, what the growing impact of Austin Rivers has looked like.— Comparing the Ant-plus-one-big numbers from Reid to Towns to Gobert, and why that might be able to sustain once the main bigs return— How defensive communication has kept the defense afloat in Gobert’s absence— Austin Rivers growing impact, and specifically the value of his high quality shot selectionSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Britt Robson from MinnPost to attempt to attack the topic of what will happen when Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert return from injury. The Wolves recent play — a 3-game winning streak at the time of our recording — has been stylistically different, most notably in Anthony Edwards’ play. How the Wolves are able to reintegrate Towns and Gobert to the roll the Wolves are currently on will come to define this season, and maybe the Gobert trade as a whole. Topics include...— Why the KAT and Gobert reintegration will be equal parts tricky and critical to success— How Edwards and Russell have functioned with Naz Reid at center— Might the Wolves try playing the same schematically once KAT and Gobert return? Specifically, might they try Gobert up in coverage to maintain the fly-around mentality?— The hell of a task that Chris Finch has in front of him— Would you give D’Angelo Russell a one-year, $26M extension today?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Chris Hine from the Star Tribune to discuss the Wolves dropping a franchise-record 150 points against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night, and specifically the role D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards are playing that fosters greater ball movement. Also plenty of discussion on the difference of how the bigs have been utilized in the absence of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns.— DLo and Ant sharing playmaking duties for profit— DLo’s shooting numbers over the last month— The impact of Naz Reid and Nate Knight in the absence of Towns and Gobert— Similarities between this recent stretch to when the Wolves were decimated by COVID about this same time last seasonSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Kyle Theige from SKORNorth to discuss the state of the very-injured Minnesota Timberwolves, who enter their fifth game of a five-game road trip in Oklahoma City on Friday night. The theme of this episode is not only what has been playing out as the Wolves have taken on more and more injuries but also what else Chris Finch and crew can get to while trying to replace the available minutes that are piling up due to injury. Topics include...— Why the Wolves are underdogs against the Thunder— The Wolves’ lack of 3-point shooting hurting at least the perception of the Wolves’ defense— What we saw from “Point Ant” against the Clippers, while D’Angelo Russell and Jordan McLaughlin had to miss the game— Who is in the rotation after all these injuries? Matt Ryan? Josh Minott?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Jace Frederick from the St. Paul Pioneer Press to take stock of where the Wolves are three games into their five-game road trip. Much of the focus of this episode is on the inconsistency of this team right now and specifically the role Chris Finch can (or can not) be expected to bring in terms of motivation. Topics include...— How much of the Wolves sporadic effort falls on Chris Finch?— Gregg Popovich philosophy on player motivation— What type of wing defender is missing from this Wolves wing roster?— If the Wolves could add any player in the NBA not on a rookie contract who makes between $9 and $11 million, who would you choose?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Britt Robson from MinnPost to discuss Britt’s most recent column on what Kyle Anderson has brought to Minnesota in his first year with the Wolves. A conversation about Anderson naturally transitions into a conversation about who the Wolves have become in Karl-Anthony Towns’ absence, as Anderson has replaced Towns in the starting lineup. And that all ties into the Wolves last three games against Utah and twice against Portland. Topics include...— Kyle Anderson’s fit on this roster, specifically as it connects to Rudy Gobert— The role Anderson has played in D’Angelo Russell’s game leveling up of late— The things the Wolves have consistently been in consistent in this season, with KAT or without KAT— Needing more consistency from Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards— And much moreSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today's show, Dane is joined by Chris Hine of the Star Tribune and Kyle Theige of SKORNorth after Timberwolves practice on Monday afternoon in Portland to take a look at some statistical trends forming in KAT's absence these last five games compared to the first 21 games of the season that KAT played in.Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined in Portland by Kyle Theige after the Wolves loss to the Blazers on Saturday. The conversation revolves around the recent leveling up of play from Rudy Gobert and D’Angelo Russell, and how the way they have been playing has shifted in Karl-Anthony Towns’ absence. Topics include...— Running out of gas in the 4th against the Blazers— Starting to see what “unlocked” Gobert actually looks like— Wondering how KAT would mesh with this version of Gobert, Russell and Edwards— DLo’s monster 4th against Utah and his play of late— Kyle Anderson’s budding chemistry with both Gobert and Russell in KAT’s absence— Continuing to see issues with playing two bigs in the Gobert and Naz Reid minutesSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Kyle Theige to check in on some statistical trends for the season — specific to individual players and to the team as a whole. As the season rolls on, there are strengths the Wolves will need into, weaknesses they’ll need to mitigate, and in this episode we try to diagnose where those shifts need to come from. Topics include...— D’Angelo Russell’s shooting spike over the last month— Comparing Rudy Gobert’s numbers in Minnesota to his numbers in Utah— Why the Wolves offensive turnovers are hurting the Wolves defense— With the 3-point volume down, where else can the Wolves find value?— Looking ahead to two games in Portland after Friday night’s game in UtahSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Britt Robson of MinnPost to discuss the Wolves win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday evening and other trends that are beginning to emerge as Rudy Gobert seems to be getting increasingly comfortable in his role on this team. Topics include...— Looking back at the 4th quarter against Indiana— DLo’s late game offense and the Wolves late game defensive tweak— Wolves remaining volatile in nature— A first look at Luka Garza— The Wolves 3-point shooting volume dropping drastically this season— More talk about identity (drink!)— Looking at the Utah matchup, specifically focusing on Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley and Walker Kessler— Do the Wolves have a lower ceiling but higher floor without KAT?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Wolves beat writer, Jace Frederick of the St. Paul Pioneer Press to discuss the Wolves taking the early steps toward finding an identity in the absence of Karl-Anthony Towns. The majority of the conversation centers on the idea of which players will be instrumental in creating that identity. But before getting into all of that, Dane and Jace touch on the Wolves’ signing of former-Laker Matt Ryan to a two-way contract.— What do we make of the Matt Ryan signing? Something or a nothing-burger?— What do we think the KAT-less identity of this team will prove to be during this stretch?— What are the non-Rudy minutes going to look like in KAT’s absence?— Might Luka Garza and/or Nate Knight find their way into the rotation?— We’ve talked about Ant needing to step up as a leader in KAT’s absence. What has that leadership looked like? What might it look like going forward?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Chris Hine from the Star Tribune to discuss the Wolves home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night, the second game of the KAT-less chapter for the Wolves. The focus of the episode is things that showed up in that Oklahoma City game that will be relevant over this window without Karl-Anthony Towns. Topics include...— Terrible officiating, but also poor composure amidst the poor officiating — which has been a trend all season— How Ant and DLo are stepping into a bigger leadership role in KAT’s absence— D’Angelo Russell’s improved performance over the last 10 games— Naz Reid’s role in KAT’s absence, and how Nate Knight/Luka Garza have not yet been used— Jaden McDaniels struggles with foul trouble again in his return from his 3-game absenceSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Kyle Theige to discuss the Wolves win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night — a game that begins a new chapter of the Wolves season, given the absence of Karl-Anthony Towns. Dane and Kyle try to dig for themes from the Memphis game — notably Anthony Edwards evolution — that could come to define this chapter, and potentially change how Chris Finch goes about reintegrating KAT, whenever that time comes.— Anthony Edwards becoming the main character— Hello, spread pick and roll— What went into the Wendell Moore Jr. start, and the impressive job he did defending Ja Morant— How the Wolves appear to be tweaking the defensive plan in KAT’s absenceSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Jace Frederick from the Pioneer Press to discuss how this version of the Wolves is built in a way that should be able to withstand a Karl-Anthony Towns injury — at least significantly more than previous rosters have been. Dane and Jace walk through the Wolves rotation players player-by-player to discuss how they may be impacted by Towns’s absence. What players might stand to gain more freedom in a temporarily Towns-less roster? What players will be most hurt by Towns’s absence?— Why this Wolves roster is built in a way that should be able to withstand a KAT injury— What stylistic changes, outside of more pick and roll, might be enacted in KAT’s absence— Going through the roster player-by-player, discussing how KAT’s absence might impact them on an individual basis— What if things get significantly better in KAT’s absence? What then?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Britt Robson from MinnPost to discuss the Jekyll and Hyde nature of the Wolves first quarter of the season. Plus some conversation on what life might look like in at least temporary absence of Karl-Anthony Towns. A lot of the focus of the episode is on the underlying issues that have held the Wolves back from being the best version of themselves, outside of the win over Indiana— How the compilation of players on the roster have not led to on-court chemistry— How the Wolves might function without Towns for the next few weeks— What can be developed in the “Rudy Only” lineups while Towns is out?— What schematic changes might be coming from Chris Finch, and how might those ideas be put into action quicker after the Towns injury?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Chris Hine of the Star Tribune to discuss the frustrations mounting surrounding some of the issues with the Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert frontcourt pairing. For a team that is no longer in the early stages of the Towns-Gobert pairing, stamping out issues and leaning into strengths is beginning to feel like an immediate need. Related topics include...— Teams attacking KAT and Gobert’s ability to run the floor— Not only needing to get back in transition, but the importance of finding specific matchups when getting back on defense— Being able to punish opponents with size more than the size is getting taken advantage of— The team’s identity 20 games into the seasonSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Kyle Theige to what went into the Wolves five-game winning streak and what snapped it in Charlotte on Friday night. While the Charlotte loss felt a lot like the beginning of the season, that doesn’t mean the five-game winning streak didn’t happen — so we look for differences. Dane and Kyle also discuss the Wolves catching their first case of the injury bug, and how the rotation might shift to react to those injuries— What was different in the five-game winning streak compared to the first 13 games of the season?— What didn’t carry-over from the winning streak to Charlotte on Friday?— What level of play can reasonably be expected going forward— How the rotation might shift in Taurean Prince’s injury absence (and Jordan McLaughlin’s, if his injury lingers)?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Jace Frederick from the Pioneer Press to discuss the Wolves 4-game winning streak and the themes from that streak that will need to carry over (or be removed) for the Wolves to continue winning at a high level. In addition to that, Dane asks Jace about the booing at Target Center and how the players publicly responded to that in the locker room postgame. Topics include...— Ant’s Big Offensive Quarters/Games Correlating With Poor Defense— Playing Against Zone D – Will This Become a Tactic To Slow The Wolves Offense?— Can Jordan McLaughlin’s Shooting Translate? Does It Need To?— Edwards and Gobert Asking Fans To Stop Booing— Needing Jaden McDaniels’ recent play to carry overSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane begins with a solo recap of Monday night’s 4-point Wolves win over the Miami Heat that extended the Wolves current winning streak to four games. After digging into five themes from the win over Miami, Dane is joined by Tony East who covers the Indiana Pacers for SportsIllsutrated.com to preview Wednesday night’s matchup in Indiana. Topics include...— What went in to Rudy Gobert taking zero shots from the field against Miami— The point guard play from D’Angelo Russell and Jordan McLaughlin, focusing in on Jordan McLaughlin’s 3-point shot making a bounce back— Karl-Anthony Towns propelling the Wolves in the first half and then picking up five fouls in the second half and fouling out for the third time this season— Anthony Edwards waking up in the second half and driving the Wolves comeback— Previewing the Indiana matchup, focusing on the Edwards and McDaniels against Haliburton and Mathurin matchup Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Chris of the Star Tribune to discuss the Wolves recent winning streak that has served as litmus test for optimism or pessimism, given that their opponents over the streak have not been at full strength and due to the fact that late-game execution has remained an issue. Dane and Chris all discuss the idea of sacrifice in the starting lineup, and how winning, despite some of the flaws in the wins, may be able to foster that necessary sacrifice sinking into the group.— The mood of the Wolves’ locker room after the win in Philadelphia— Glass half full: Something to be said about just getting a win— Glass half empty: The win in Philadelphia came with an “avalanche of mistakes” in the fourth quarter, said Chris Finch— The factors that fuel making sacrifice a difficult concept in the NBA— Do the recent wins coming against teams not at full strength cheapen the merit of those wins?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Kyle Theige for an episode that focuses on the context, for better or worse, that applies to the beginning of the Rudy Gobert experience in Minnesota. Through a Gobert lens, Dane and Kyle focus on Saturday’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers and Joel Embiid on Sunday, and how the Wolves now have Gobert to throw at the Embiid matchup. A portion of the episode also focuses on anecdotes from Kyle’s interview with Jim Petersen on the Flagrant Howls podcast.— How the Wolves might go about countering Embiid with Gobert— What we learned from Embiid’s 59-point performance earlier in the week that could help the Wolves in their game plan for the Sixers— Where the Wolves can best utilize Gobert offensively— Some context to the tweet about Edwards not passing to GobertSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Britt Robson from MinnPost to discuss bright spots that have materialized for the Wolves over their two wins thus far this week. In that, a lot of the early focus of the episode is on Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell, who traded off having big games in the wins, and then also Rudy Gobert, who seems to slowly be finding himself. Dane and Britt also get into a few of the questions Britt answered in his mailbag column over at MinnPost.— Gobert beginning to fit in on both sides of the ball— What stood out from big performances from Ant and DLo, outside of their scoring output— Finch beginning to make some schematic changes— How the Wolves are navigating the leadership void left by Patrick Beverley— If DLo were to be traded, in what ways might that be an empty scapegoating— The job Tim Connelly has in front of himSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Jace Frederick from the Pioneer Press to look into the numbers behind the first 14 games of the Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert experiment. Dane and Jace look at how Towns and Gobert have thus far graded out on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball analytically, and discuss how fair those catch-all metrics have been to the still relatively small sample size. Before Jace joins, Dane starts the episode with a solo film review of Kyle Anderson’s recent play.— Kyle Anderson film review— What is going into KAT grading out as a 26th percentile defender thus far this season?— What is going into KAT grading out as a 94th percentile offensive player thus far this season?— What is going into Gobert grading out as a 65th percentile defender thus far this season?— What is going into Gobert grading out as a 66th percentile offensive player thus far this season?— What might crunch time offense look like once the Wolves start finding themselves in crunch time situationsSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Chris Hine of the Star Tribune to discuss D’Angelo Russell and the Wolves bouncing back with a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night. The Wolves were driven by a combined 59 points on extremely efficient scoring from Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns, which papered over some other flaws that again reared their head. Topics discussed include:— DLo bounces back, and does it by playing the way he’s most comfortable— Cleveland had no answer for KAT — from Lamar Stevens to Robin Lopez and even to Evan Mobley— Jaden McDaniels string together impressive defensive performances, but foul trouble has remained a nightly issue— Ant follows up a strong Friday performance on ESPN with an uninspiring effort in Cleveland on Sunday evening— Wolves almost let 24-point lead slip away after getting too comfortableSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Kyle Theige to discuss the Wolves continuing to falter in a loss to Memphis on Friday night and D’Angelo Russell continuing to trend in the wrong direction. Unfortunately, another episode about what isn’t working for this team — and thus, in turn, more intense conversation about something needing to change.— The numbers behind D’Angelo Russell’s continued struggles— Options for a starting lineup change, if a change is to come— Karl-Anthony Towns’ foul trouble back with a vengeance and the residual impact of that fouling— After being the worst defensive rebounding team in the league last season, the numbers say the Wolves have somehow gotten even worse at finishing possessions— Why Cleveland will be a particularly difficult test on SundaySign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Britt Robson of MinnPost to take stock of where the Wolves are 12 games into the season. The episode starts with a focus on Anthony Edwards and what has thus far seemed to have stood in the way of him taking the, expected by many, third year leap. The conversation than moves to the other key characters in the Wolves story this season, including Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, Chris Finch and D’Angelo Russell.— Not forgetting that who and what Anthony Edwards does or does not become is the linchpin of the Wolves’ future— What has stood in the way thus far of Edwards making the Ja Morant-like 3rd year leap— Will the Wolves ever move to a more Edwards-focused offensive structure? If so, when?— Towns’ different styles through his career, and what style of KAT this Wolves roster might need— Who do the Wolves miss most between Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley?— What could changing DLo’s role look like? Would a change, if they made one, need to come in the form of the trade?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian to preview the Wolves playoffs rematch against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night. It’s more of a big picture episode about where the Wolves are at, so as to get an idea of what they might bring to Memphis on Friday. Dane and Chris get into a variety of topics, including...— How Karl-Anthony Towns is handling being guarded by 4s this season after struggling last season, particularly against Memphis, when he was guarded by smaller players— The fit of the Towns and Rudy Gobert pairing thus far— How the Wolves are now, on paper, the bigger and more physical team in this matchup, but haven’t played that way thus far this season— What went into Ja Morant’s third year leap that is not yet happening for Anthony Edwards in his third yearSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Jace Frederick of the Pioneer Press to the Wolves recent struggles that have been fueled by a lack of physicality. Dane and Jace discuss the Wolves need of letting go of some patience in the name of urgency to correct the identity this team currently has. Numerous audio clips from Rudy Gobert, Chris Finch, Naz Reid and Anthony Edwards. Topics include:— Avoiding becoming a soft team— Balancing patience against urgency— Not playing with physicality— This team not doing the little things while last year’s team did— Needing a tone-setter. Who could that be?— How much should we believe in the Wolves’ top-10 defensive rating?— How might the Wolves fare against the Suns and Grizzlies this week?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Chris Hine of the Star Tribune to discuss the Wolves back-to-back over the weekend against the Milwaukee Bucks and Houston Rockets. The main focus of the conversation is how things will change, at least temporarily, while Rudy Gobert is in Health and Safety Protocols. Topics related to that include:— How did it look without Gobert on Saturday against the Rockets?— Who has KAT played best with while Gobert was on the bench through the first nine games?— D’Angelo Russell working through a shooting slump— Jordan McLaughlin adding consistency to his game— If the starting lineup were to change, what would be the most likely shift?— Kyle Anderson stepping into a bigger role since returning from early season back spasmsSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Jace Frederick of the Pioneer Press for a live show at Falling Knife Brewing Company. Before taking questions from listeners in the taproom, Dane and Jace spend the beginning of the episode taking stock of the first eight games of the Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert pairing. Topics include:— The lacking effectiveness of the Towns-Gobert pairing on the offensive side of the floor— The relative effectiveness of the Towns-Gobert pairing on the defensive side of the floor— How long into the season until we can say the Wolves have “figured out” the Towns-Gobert pairing?— Listener questions— Do the Wolves need another perimeter defender outside of Jaden McDaniels— Where would the Wolves be if they never made the Gobert trade?— How can the Wolves get more out of D’Angelo Russell?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Kyle Theige to recap Tuesday night’s Wolves loss against the Phoenix Suns. The conversation starts by digging into why the Wolves’ second unit has been producing at a higher level than the starters thus far, and how that is indicative of where this team needs to grow. Additional topics include:— 1st unit versus 2nd unit chemistry— The funk D’Angelo Russell is currently in— Needing to involve Karl-Anthony Towns in the offense more and in different ways— What’s going on with Rudy Gobert? How healthy is he?— Anthony Edwards not having space to dunk— Naz Reid— How Phoenix attacked the Wolves defensively presents concerns about how this Wolves roster might be picked at in a playoff seriesSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Britt Robson of MinnPost to discuss Britt’s most recent column. A column that highlights what has and has not worked in the first seven games of the season for the Wolves and offers up potential tweaks that Chris Finch may lean into in these next seven games, as the quality of opponent is likely to ramp up. Topics include...— Assessing the team through the “easy” portion of the schedule— Where there are grounds for optimism when assessing the Wolves play in October— Long-term defensive concerns despite currently ranking 4th in defensive efficiency— Adding focus to unlocking D’Angelo Russell, deemphasizing the focus on unlocking Rudy Gobert on offense— Is this Wolves team a “play up” or “play down” to their competition team?— What sort of difference would it make if the Wolves started taking and making more 3s— Looking into the Phoenix matchupSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Chris Hine of the Star Tribune to discuss the Wolves win over the Lakers on Friday and the loss to the Spurs on Sunday night. Dane and Chris get into what early trends of the season are starting to solidify — from the Naz Reid unit consistently cooking to the defensive issues on the perimeter and on the glass remaining persistent. Topics today include...— The first unit struggling to maintain a flow throughout the course of an entire game— A lack of defensive physicality leading to half-measure, like zone and switching, becoming a staple of the Wolves early season defense— What drove KAT’s first big offensive performance— Similarities and differences between this season and when the Wolves started 4-9 a season ago— Finch feeling an over-reliance on pick and roll, even though the Wolves have not been a high volume pick and roll team thus far— Will the Wolves “play up to the competition” this week against the Suns and the Bucks?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane starts the show with a film review of Jaden McDaniels and then brings in Kyle Theige to help recap what stood out from the Wolves bounce-back win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. Specific topics include:— How involving McDaniels in the offensive flow seemingly improves his defensive output— Jaylen Nowell’s path from second round pick to microwave bench scorer, and having his name chanted at Target Center— Better ball movement leading to a night and day difference in offensive effectiveness— Zero offensive rebounds a “fair trade” for improved transition defense— The Lakers coming to town— Amidst a rocky start to the season, Karl-Anthony Towns’ passing has improved, specifically against double teamsSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Jace Frederick of the Pioneer Press to discuss the topic of the Wolves energy and effort, and how much the absences of Patrick Beverley and Jarred Vanderbilt might be contributing to the current voids in those areas— Without Pat Bev and Vando, where should that energy and effort be coming from on this roster?— Expecting the effort and engagement to change in the rematch against the Spurs and against the Lakers on Friday— Who will the juice come from in the starting lineup?— If nothing changes the rest of the week, how concerned should we be?— Kyle Anderson and Austin Rivers are functionally the Vando and Pat Bev replacements. So are we underrating their absences?Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Britt Robson of MinnPost to discuss Britt’s column on the Wolves’ underwhelming start to the season. The first four games of the season have left a lot to be desired from this new-look Wolves, so Dane and Britt try and dig into where those desires lie — and to try and figure out how rectifiable those issues are. Topics for today’s episode include:— How Finch has chosen to structure the Wolves, and where they might benefit from more structure— KAT’s calls to “be great” not yet being answered— A lack of effort showing up in transition defense and on the defensive glass— Where Ant and DLo could add juice to both the offense and defense— How long will it take to break bad habits?— Missing McDaniels’ glue— Gobert’s leadership role— The Wolves playing zone as a fallback plan for the defense not being executed consistentlySign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/DaneUse Code Dane25 to get 25% off- https://trylgc.com/Dane #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Chris Hine of the Star Tribune to discuss what has transpired through the first three games of the season for the Timberwolves, and what stood out specifically in Sunday’s win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.Before Chris joins, the episode starts with a film review of Jaylen Nowell’s first three games of the season. Nowell’s role has changed this year, and because of that we are beginning to get a better idea of where Nowell helps most.After that, extending on the Nowell conversation, Dane and Chris get into the 5-man, small-ball lineup, that included Nowell, that won the game for the Wolves in the fourth quarter against Oklahoma City. The chemistry of that group stands out juxtaposed against the chemistry of the starters — and Dane and Chris discuss why that might be, including audio from Chris Finch and a few players who give their take on what is and is not working.Sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/Dane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Kyle Theige to discuss the Wolves loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday night. The conversation focuses on what popped in this game and what ultimately fell flat. Along with commentary from Dane and Kyle, you will also hear audio clips from Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert in the locker room after the game.— Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell dictate the Wolves offense— Karl-Anthony Towns continues to struggle, but begins to come through in overtime— Will Towns be able to put weight back on during the season or will he need to learn to play in this version of his body— How much will the size of opponents this season dictate whether it is KAT and Rudy game versus an Ant and DLo game?— What might transpire in Sunday’s game against the Thunder and Monday’s game against the SpursSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/Dane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Britt Robson of MinnPost to recap the Wolves season opener. They discuss what they took in at Target Center on Wednesday and play clips of sound from the locker room after the game. The conversation moves through, for the most part, player-by-player in the starting and then gets into what the rotation and the bench looked like while sprinkled in to the starter mix. Topics include:— Gobert’s singular presence immediately driving winning, though in a slightly different manner than the way he drove winning in Utah— Towns figuring out a balance offensively in a new roster construct— Analyzing the difference in the KAT + Gobert minutes versus the KAT or Gobert solo minutes— McDaniels shines, and why it didn’t feel like a flash in the pan— Edwards and Russell leading the offense from the perimeter— What the bench and rotations looked likeSign up today for a 14-day free trial of Aura’s digital security at Aura.com/Dane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.