The 21-22 NBA playoffs were the most likely group showdown in the first round of the playoffs, which ended with the Grizzlies beating the Timberwolves 4-2, and the first round of fun was forcibly smashed by the Grizzlies with a 114-106 score. In this life-and-death battle of G6, the Timberwolves who returned home did play their own style, especially the score of Edwards became impeccable. Playing 12 minutes in the first quarter, he scored 16 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block on 6-of-7 shooting, completely crushing opponent Morant. This is the attitude he showed in the battle of life and death, that is, to do his best without leaving any regrets, and to declare his ambition and bravery with a fighting posture.
The reason why the Timberwolves are 2-3 behind their opponents is that Warriors star Green has already given the answer in his podcast show: "Towns did not make kills and Hanako gambling steals shocked me, they should have advanced 4-1." This sentence is very pertinent to the problem, that is, Downs's style of play is not tough enough, and Edwards's defensive choices are not in place. In other words, the Timberwolves are extremely talented, but they are not mature and targeted enough to play, so they pay the price for their youth.
There is a saying that the Timberwolves have several games to lead the opponent by a large score, and then they are overturned by the opponent, and there must be something worth thinking about. Why did the talented Timberwolves, who were repeatedly reversed, eliminated 4-2 by the Grizzlies? The little fairy will take everyone to analyze the underlying logic of the elimination of the Timberwolves, and how they should adjust to go further.
Internal:
1. Even though there are big three, the absolute core of the team is not clear, committing the taboo of the 2011 Heat championship tactics. In the past, James brought his personal talent to Miami on the South Coast, but he did not play like himself in the first year's finals, and he had an embarrassing performance of 8 points in a single game. It wasn't until later that Wade took the initiative to give way and the team determined that James was the absolute core that the Heat finally won the championship the following year. The Timberwolves also had this problem, and in one game of the series, the hot-handed Edwards barely had much of the ball in the second half, and in the final fourth quarter, during the opponent's turnaround, he could only catch the ball and shoot three points.
As a coach, Finch, if he does not have enough courage to establish Edwards as the first core, then the Timberwolves still can't go further.
2. Core Edwards and Towns did not play to their strengths, and the choice of shots at key moments was also debatable, and their minds were still not mature enough. We all know very well that the number of fouls by Towns and Jalen Jr. determines the direction of the series, and the two are almost winners and losers. However, in G5, it is clear that The Young Jaren has left the field with six fouls, and downs in the field has not been able to use his height advantage to punish the opponent's small lineup; and Edwards did not choose to break through, but shot three points on the outside.
As a result, the Timberwolves did not seize the fighter plane to snake seven inches, giving the opponent a chance to breathe, so Morant also completed the kill.
3. There are technical shortcomings in the inner core Towns, which are targeted by opponents at key moments. As a representative of the center of the new era, Downs developed excellent projection ability so that he was not eliminated by the times, but became a model for offensive centers. Although he was earlier mocked by former teammate Butler for being soft, he still played hard enough in this series to break through the box and score multiple times. But this is far from enough, Towns does not have such a shortcoming as back technology, resulting in the inability to catch the ball on the inside and then hit the basket to create a kill at a critical moment, which is also where we feel sorry for the Timberwolves.
external cause:
1. The Grizzlies are a tough team, and many fierce characters can limit the opponent's offense. Whether it is Dillon, Bain, or Jaren Jr., they are fighting for rebounds and ball rights, even if they fall to the ground. So we saw that the Grizzlies had a lot of fouls in the first quarter, and this kind of hard work naturally also reaped the results, that is, they got a lot of rebounding and defensive counterattack opportunities. This is the Grizzlies' iron temperament, as long as the opponent makes a mistake, it will make them pay the price.
2. The first core Morant is full of courage and can take responsibility at key moments. In fact, many times Morant seems to be outside the tactical system, which is obviously an illusion; and the Grizzlies without Morant in the regular season can still achieve excellent results, but it does not mean that the team does not need him. The performance of the fifth game of the series can be seen in the importance of Morant, his tomahawk split can turn the momentum of the game, and his attack and kill in the final quarter are the heroic performances that the team needs in times of adversity.
Morant is such a person who dares to take responsibility, although the individual is a little arrogant, but people have such confidence and strength after all.
Looking to the future:
How can the Timberwolves adjust to go further? In fact, it is not difficult to see that the rise of the Timberwolves is already an indisputable fact, and the three superstars only need to adjust their playing style and tactics slightly, and this team has a chance to become one of the giants of the West. The team must establish Edwards as the first main attacker and the absolute core, Russell as the deputy to share the organizational pressure of Hanako, and Towns must learn the back technique in the offseason, and add a little weight by the way to improve the stability of the next game.
As a result, the Timberwolves' future will be bright, and the playoffs are only the first step in this team's dream of winning the championship. We look forward to their rise, bringing more challenges and pressure to the western powers, and the era of the alliance may be coming again.