The Dane Moore NBA Podcast

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ 33-point loss to the Charlotte Hornets going into the All-Star break was an unacceptable finish to an unacceptable first-half of the season. On today’s pod, we discuss why the plan for what the Wolves are building needs to be adjusted. - How a ‘Process’ doesn’t make sense when you have Karl-Anthony Towns and traded your first-round pick - Why Wolves fans have the right to be upset and pushback against the plan for how this team is being rebuilt - Comparing Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball’s numbers halfway through their rookie years - Why D’Angelo Rus...

On Sunday night, the Timberwolves lost their 8th consecutive game and are now 1-10 since Karl-Anthony Towns returned to the lineup. On today’s pod, we discuss how much blame KAT holds for that losing. - Has a losing culture similar to ‘The Process Sixers’ set in? - How the Wolves have actually played worse in the 11 games since KAT returned than they did in the 11 games prior to KAT’s return - What sort of blame does KAT hold not only for this recent streak of losing but for the losing dating back to last season? The Wolves have lost 30...

The Minnesota Timberwolves have now lost seven consecutive games — four under Ryan Saunders and three under Chris Finch. And Saturday night’s loss to the Washington Wizards — the first game of Malik Beasley’s twelve-game suspension — highlighted how much is going to change with Beasley’s out of the lineup. Along those lines, on today’s pod we discuss:

- Finch’s decision to lean into defense with Beasley out of the mix

The Wolves started Karl-Anthony Towns, Jarred Vanderbilt, Josh Okogie, Anthony Edwards and Ricky Rubio.

- The new lineups potential to both...

On today’s podcast, I am joined by Britt Robson of The Athletic to discuss his most recent column on the topic of “culture” and how the losses accumulating and the Chris Finch hiring process line up with Gersson Rosas’ initial plan. We discuss: - How Rosas was hired to be the anti-Thibs - How the familial vibe has been contradicted by roster a coaching turnover - What the cultural plan is going forward - How the upcoming traded deadline might be approached from a standpoint of prioritizing (or not prioritizing) continuity - If the Wolves were to trade one of their...

The Timberwolves fell apart Wednesday night against the Bulls when Karl-Anthony Towns was off the floor, getting outscored by 19 points. On today’s pod, we focus on the impact of KAT’s fairly chronic problem with foul trouble — and how Chris Finch and KAT may need to adjust accordingly. - Will how KAT is being used under Finch — as the hub of the offense — impact the frequency of how often he commits offensive fouls? - Can adjustments be made to keep KAT on the floor more often? - KAT explains his 6th foul on Wednesday and his changed approach with refs this...

The Chris Finch Era is officially underway for the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 27-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. So what have we learned about Finch thus far — from that game and from his public comments to the media thus far? - Were there structural changes to the offense/defense? - Who is going to play? And how long are they going to play for? Should we believe this means more minutes for Karl-Anthony Towns, Malik Beasley, Jaden McDaniels and Jordan McLaughlin - What is Chris Finch about, and how does this connect to KAT? KAT has been utilized in a...

On today's podcast, we take stock of the State of the Timberwolves after the dismissal of Ryan Saunders and hiring of Chris Finch. Kyle Theige of Canis Hoopus joins me to discuss Chris Finch's (rather awkward) introductory press conference. And we move down the list from Gersson Rosas to Chris Finch to Karl-Anthony Towns and to the trio of D'Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards and Malik Beasley, taking stock of each individual's standing within the eyes of the fanbase. The conclusion? It's go-time. Submit your Blue Wire Hustle application here: http://bwhustle.com/join

Britt Robson of The Athletic joins the pod for an instant reaction to the news of Ryan Saunders being fired and Chris Finch being hired in his place.

We’re just at the point where these fourth quarter collapses by the Timberwolves are getting ridiculous. Friday night’s collapse in the fourth might have been the worst of the season yet. With 3 minutes and 40 seconds left in the game, the Wolves were leading 81 to 75, yet didn’t score another point for the rest of the game. On tonight’s pod, we discuss why falling apart felt all the worse considering it came on the heels of Anthony Edwards’ filthy dunk to close the third quarter. - Specific examples of execution breakdowns in the 4th, including a completely botched 2-for-1 - W...

On today’s podcast, Britt Robson of The Athletic joins to discuss his most recent column on the Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell pairing that published right before the news of Russell being shut down for the next four-to-six weeks. With that, we discuss the myriad of changes that now face the DLo-less Wolves both now and into the future, including: - How the focus now shifts to the KAT and Anthony Edwards pairing - Speculating on what the long-term future is of KAT on the Timberwolves - Why Jaden McDaniels also deserves consideration for a similar amount of deve...

Late-game execution issues continue to plague the now 7-22 Minnesota Timberwolves. Wednesday’s loss to the Indiana Pacers was no exception. On today’s we get into that game with the following topics: - A new closing five of: Karl-Anthony Towns, Jaden McDaniels, Anthony Edwards, Malik Beasley and Ricky Rubio How going with McDaniels over Jarred Vanderbilt created space for the KAT and Rubio pick and roll down the stretch. - Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis dominating the Wolves’ defense in the fourth quarter and overtime - Beasley’s execution lapses in overtime - The dominance of the Jordan McLaughlin and Naz...

With D’Angelo Russell out for the next four-to-six weeks, it’s time for the full-on Anthony Edwards experience. No Russell means Edwards will take the reigns as the Timberwolves’ primary playmaker, and it might change everything. We discuss on today’s pod, with topics including: - Why Russell being out will be the best thing for Edwards’ development as a playmaker. In the four games since Karl-Anthony Towns has returned — all of which have come without Russell — Edwards is averaging 19.5 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists per game while shooting 57% from 2 and 32% from 3. - How Ricky Rubio will be an important character in t...

Everything the Timberwolves run on both sides of the ball makes so much more sense with Karl-Anthony Towns in the lineup. On today’s pod, we get into how this plays out and which players we saw this specifically impact against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night. - Why the Timberwolves spread offense was destined to fail without a presence like KAT, who actually causes the defense to shift - Why it wasn’t a coincidence that Anthony Edwards had his most-efficient shooting night (from 2) while KAT was out there next to him - How Edwards’ skillset is proving to overla...

The 2020-21 Minnesota Timberwolves have been more interesting of the court this season than they have been intriguing on the floor. And Friday night’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets was no different. On today’s pod we get into the postgame comments from Karl-Anthony Towns and Malik Beasley. Topics include: - Karl-Anthony Towns describes being “spooked” by PJ Washington’s positive COVID-19 test an hour before Friday night’s game (audio included) KAT describes how the positive case impacted him mentally in tonight’s game, particularly in the first half. - KAT describes where his excitement level is at for the final...

Now a third of the way into the Minnesota Timberwolves’ season, Karl-Anthony Towns is back, and the season finally feels like it is beginning. Britt Robson of The Athletic joins the pod today to discuss the following topics and more: - Karl-Anthony Towns is back - What is ‘stealth tanking’? We’ve seen many iterations of tanking over the course of the Timberwolves’ existence. And this version — if it is, in fact, a form of tanking — is perhaps the most confounding. If they have not been prioritizing winning over all else, how did they do it, and will that change now that KAT h...

After missing 13 games over the course of 28 days in the league’s health and safety protocol, Karl-Anthony Towns returned to the lineup on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. Does this mean we’ve entered a new window of the Timberwolves’ season? On today’s pod, topics include: - KAT shares details on his experience with COVID-19 (audio included) What he went through and how he appears to be back to full health. - The decision to continue playing Josh Okogie after the Clippers opted to leave him wide open How Okogie’s man not respecting him on the perimeter...

On today’s pod, we discuss how Malik Beasley represents whatever good there has been during this dismal start to the season by the Minnesota Timberwolves. In another flat Timberwolves loss in Dallas on Monday, Beasley’s 22 fourth quarter points, on seven-consecutive made shots, stood out as a lone bright spot. In addition to Beasley, today’s topics include: - Beasley becoming not only the best player but the leader of the 2020-21 Wolves - Josh Okogie and Ricky Rubio getting back in rhythm a bit after recent cold streaks - What in the world happened to D’Angelo Russell, who only...

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ one-year anniversary of the D’Angelo Russell trade shaped up to be a fittingly bizarre game in Oklahoma City. On today’s pod, we work backward from Naz Reid getting the final shot to arguably the most disastrous first half in the Ryan Saunders Era. Topics include: - Naz Reid deserving the final shot How Reid’s 21 second-half points put the Wolves in the position to give him the last shot. And what Naz said he saw on that play (audio included) - Should the closing lineup have been: Reid, McDaniels, Layman, Beasley, Edwards My theory on why it w...

Were you expecting a nice win? On today's pod, we talk about the Wolves' "ugly" win in Oklahoma City. DLo's game-winner, and why it wasn't hero ball this time. Time to take stock of the DLo-Rubio pairing with a numbers dive. Should Rubio be closing games? And is it just time to both start and close games with Jaden McDaniels? DLo speaks glowingly of the rookie (audio included), making the case for a new starting lineup: KAT, McDaniels, Edwards, Beasley, DLo.

On today's episode, we get into how in the world the Timberwolves blew a 16-point lead with 10 minutes left against the Spurs. Where the Timberwolves 4th quarter offensive execution broke down. Why Saunders said he puts some of that on him (audio included). Where the execution of what they were running cracked. And how in the world Anthony Edwards couldn't get a touch the whole quarter. The game could have also been saved on the defensive end. But DeMar DeRozan had 16 4th quarter points, as the Wolves scrambled to find answers to no avail. Should have Ricky Rubio came in...

Britt Robson of The Athletic joins today's pod to discuss his most-recent column that graded Gersson Rosas' tenure as the President of Basketball Operations thus far. Rosas has now been at the helm for 82 games, so we discuss the good, bad and unlucky that has transpired.

Twenty games into Anthony Edwards' rookie season seemed like a good time to do a film review of Edwards' play thus far this season. Will DeBerg (assistant Men's Coach at the University of St. Thomas) joins me on today's pod to not only review Edwards' film but also the film of Devin Vassell and Isaac Okoro -- two prospects Will and I were high on going into the draft. What have these three players shown in the first 20 games of their career and what role has the team they are playing for impacted their production and development.

On today's pod, we ask the question: Who is the Timberwolves power forward of the future? Why Jaden McDaniels is the most likely answer to that question currently on the roster. Might Larry Nance Jr. be another answer? The Wolves pursued Nance Jr. in the offseason. Might they re-engage in trade talks with Cleveland at the deadline now that the Cavs' roster has significantly changed after acquiring Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince? What would the Wolves being willing to put on the table? Who would be used to match salaries? Would the Wolves need to include a future first-round pick? ...

Today's pod is about Anthony Edwards' best game of the season. His 23-point, 5-board, 4-assist, 1-block, 1-steal and 0-turnover game against Cleveland. We get into how Edwards moving to the starting lineup has not only shifted who he is playing with but how he is being used. And also what Edwards' fit next to KAT might look like once he returns from the COVID list. We also note (again) how Malik Beasley has been the most consistent Wolves player this season. Specifically how his off-ball usage as a shooter is fueling his game. Plus: some shoutouts for Jaden McDaniels and...

After Joel Embiid got to the free throw line 18 times against the KAT-less Timberwolves on Friday night, I felt today's pod was a good time to take stock of how Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic have ascended over the past year while KAT has largely been sidelined. How Embiid and Jokic have optimized their games and how KAT's optimization still remains somewhat ambiguous. We also get into how the Wolves defense has a growing propensity to crater in second halves. D'Angelo Russell commented on the Wolves' lack of defense after Friday's (audio included), so we get into why Russell is...

Britt Robson of The Athletic joins the pod following consecutive losses to Andrew Wiggins and the Golden State Warriors. We discuss the shine Wiggins has gathered this season -- both what is deserved and what still remains questionable. From there, we discuss the optics of the Wiggins-for-DLo trade, now ten days before it's one-year anniversary. The second half of the show moves on from Wiggins (so skip ahead if you can't stand another minute of him) and into Anthony Edwards. Why the Zach LaVine comparison does and does not work for Edwards. We also discuss how the Timberwolves ideological process i...

On today's pod we get right into where the Timberwolves broke down in the second half on national TV. There was a specific run in the third quarter that made Josh Okogie unplayable. And with Okogie out the defense became untenable. We dig into the Wolves conundrum with Okogie's shooting. On a brighter note, we highlight how Naz Reid has thrived since moving into the starting lineup for Karl-Anthony Towns. Why Naz is the physical embodiment of the Timberwolves' offensive game plan. Can Naz and KAT share the floor once Towns returns?

Let's take stock of the Andrew Wiggins-D'Angelo Russell trade and regrade it one year after it came together. On today's pod, we go into the details of that deal, including: the draft pick compensation; Wiggins' fit in Golden State; DLo's fit in Minnesota; the Omari Spellman and Jacob Evans luxury tax wrinkle. What was the overall cost to swap out Wiggins for Russell. We also get into a few observations from the loss in Golden State, including: how both Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman are now both coming off of the bench; the impact on the Wolves' offense of not...

Without KAT, DLo and, I guess, Juancho, the Timberwolves defeat the Pelicans. Jack Borman (Canis Hoopus) joins me at Target Center to discuss how exactly the Wolves pulled off a win without their two best players. We get into why this felt like "The Rubio Game" and how Rubio's success on Saturday night almost complicates things going forward.

Another blowout Timberwolves against the Hawks loss got me thinking about how crazy it is that Tom Thibodeau is having more success with the Knicks than the Wolves are having without him, despite New York having a far cheaper payroll. So on today's pod, we get into how the Wolves are just not living up to what there payroll suggests they should be. We also get into what it would look like if Ryan Saunders only played eight players. Who would be in the 8-man rotation? We discuss Anthony Edwards' continued cold streak. And we touch on Ricky Rubio and...

Britt Robson (The Athletic) joins the pod to discuss a myriad of topics, including where blame falls on a Timberwolves team that just blew another fourth quarter lead to Orlando and currently sits at 3-10 -- with no real end in sight. Why it feels as if everything is coming to a head. And what decisions might need to be made.

The Timberwolves and Hawks have gone all-in on building around young stars who are elite offensively and have serious question marks defensively. On today's pod, Glen Willis (SB Nation - PeachTreeHoops), who covers the Atlanta Hawks, joins to discuss the parallels and differences between how the two franchises are building their teams.

On today's pod, we discuss if this is the end of the road for Ryan Saunders. Where Saunders could have called timeouts down the stretch to potentially shift the balance of the game. The similarities between this breakdown and the breakdown in the Jersey Tuck Game in Oklahoma City. Why that game against the Thunder might have impacted Saunders' decision to not call a timeout. We also discuss what I saw transpire at the end of the game in the stadium that was not on the television broadcast. I also get into why it's hard, as a journalist, to be...

On today's pod, we get into another Timberwolves game without KAT. How they lost to an underwhelming Hawks team and where the breakdowns happened around DLo (who balled out again). It's also time for a Jarrett Culver Conversation, so we go through how Culver has compared to the other picks from the 2019 Draft Class. How many players would be selected over him if we re-drafted? We also talk about both first round picks, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, getting real run in the same game. How the new JMac and the old JMac are both in the rotation now, replacing...

On today's pod, we unfortunately need to discuss how COVID has struck the Minnesota Timberwolves. Included is audio from Gersson Rosas' Friday evening press conference in which he describes the 36 hours leading up to Friday evening's game being postponed and how this is all the more troubling given Karl-Anthony Towns' involvement. After that, we get into how the roster is going to have to cope without their starting power forward and center for the foreseeable future. Some small-ball 4 for Anthony Edwards? Who starts? More DLo and Rubio together? Submit your Blue Wire Hustle application here: http://bwhustle.com/join

Britt Robson of The Athletic joins today's episode to discuss the current state of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Would a Gersson Rosas-led front office ever make the move Brooklyn did to acquire James Harden? We dig into the first real crossroads Rosas' Wolves have hit in the first season where cultivating a sustainable winner is actually about winning a little bit now. We talk lots about Karl-Anthony Towns -- and his defensive ascension, along with his leadership role on this roster. Submit your Blue Wire Hustle application here: http://bwhustle.com/join

The Timberwolves loss to the Grizzlies highlighted the Wolves Big 3 and exposed the rest of the roster. On today's episode, we get into how and where the Wolves need support beyond Towns, Russell and Beasley. We listen to KAT's postgame ramblings about defense, and question if that's all they need. Do they just need to score more? What is going on with the second unit? What can their identity become?

Ten games into the NBA careers of Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and James Wiseman felt like a good time to dive into the film of the top-3 picks' early NBA impact. Will DeBerg (University of St. Thomas Men's Basketball Coach) joins the pod to review the film, and highlight what these former prospects have looked like at the NBA level. Submit your Blue Wire Hustle application here: http://bwhustle.com/join

I start today's podcast with D'Angelo Russell's interesting way of addressing the attack on The Capitol in his postgame commentary. From there we get into the Timberwolves winning their first game of the season without KAT. How DLo was the answer to the Wolves' 4th quarter conundrum. What I think the rotation will be going forward. Why Malik Beasley's 4-year, $60M contract has looked like a good deal through the first 10 games. Submit your Blue Wire Hustle application here: http://bwhustle.com/join

On today's pod, Jack Borman (Canis Hoopus) joins me live from Target Center for an immediate reaction to the Timberwolves overtime loss to the Spurs. We discuss: The return of KAT; Late-game lack of execution; Having an idea of what this team will look like at full-strength; Discuss reasonable expectations. Submit your Blue Wire Hustle application here: http://bwhustle.com/join