The Dane Moore NBA Podcast

In the Timberwolves second-to-last game of the season, they seemed to run out of whatever good vibes they were running on. Saturday’s loss to the Celtics signaled much of the good JuJu that had been fueling team has either expired or been put on ice until next year — but it also opened up a chance to greatly improve their lottery odds in the final game of the season against Dallas. On today’s pod we discuss: How the Timberwolves lottery odds will be impacted by Sunday’s results Another disappointing loss for a team that is “not a tanking team” Decision time for Rosas on the Rubio and DLo pairing. Does it matter that the Rubio-DLo numbers have been better under Finch than they were under Saunders? How deciding Jaden McDaniels’ position is a sliding door decision for the Wolves this summer Sign up for Dane's Patreon ($5 a month) at: Patreon.com/DaneMooreNBA 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.

As the Minnesota Timberwolves began to play out the string with a Thursday night loss to the Denver Nuggets, we look forward to what Chris Finch might be able to bring out of Karl-Anthony Towns next season. How Finch’s experience with Nikola Jokic in Denver and Anthony Davis in New Orleans might apply to KAT potentially reaching a new level. Amongst other things, we discuss: Finch speaks on his time in Denver with Jokic — watching Jokic’s breakout season first hand What parts of Jokic’s ascension can we bank on for KAT next season? Anthony Edwards’ 18-point third quarter on Thursday and the Timberwolves relationship with streakiness The Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore ownership deal reportedly crossing the finish line and what the first steps are in this transition of power from Glen Taylor to Rodriguez and Lore Sign up for Dane's Patreon ($5 a month) at: Patreon.com/DaneMooreNBA 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.

Tuesday night was another blowout win for the Timberwolves. On today's pod, we reflect on the Wolves now being 10-7 with KAT, DLo and Ant all in the lineup since DLo's return (and 12-9 for the season). And then we take a mental note of how much the numbers have been inflated by these last two blowouts. We also touch on DLo showcasing his special passing lately. And close out the pod be wondering what the Wolves in-house options at power forward might be if they don't address the position this offseason. Sign up for Dane's Patreon ($5 a month) at: Patreon.com/DaneMooreNBA 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.

With only four Timberwolves games left this season, Britt Robson of The Athletic joins the pod for his final in-season appearance of the 2020-21 season — to take stock of what has transpired this past month and what it might portend for the future. We discuss: Anthony Edwards turning yet another corner, beginning to post legitimate star numbers What role Chris Finch has played in Ant’s ascension and the Timberwolves going 9-9 since D’Angelo Russell returned from injury Forcing Britt to have the Ant vs. LaMelo Rookie of the Year conversation The keeping the pick versus losing the pick offseason paths this summer — and what impact that will have on the futures of Ricky Rubio and Malik Beasley The decision not to tank and whether that will be worth the lottery balls lost in the process Sign up for Dane's Patreon ($5 a month) at: Patreon.com/DaneMooreNBA 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.

With another win on Sunday night in Orlando, this time in blowout fashion, the likelihood that the Timberwolves fall to the Number Six slot in the lottery has greatly increased. On today’s pod, we weigh the value winning since the All Star Break (14-18) against the drop in the likelihood that the Wolves keep their pick this summer (probably a 12.5% drop — down from 40.1% to 27.6%). Why the No. 6 slot now seems most likely Has winning since the break had a significant impact on how bought-in D’Angelo Russell is? How good exactly have the Wolves been since the break? Is 11th on offense that big of a deal if they’ve still been 28th on defense? What have been the “soft” values of trying — culture, habits, etc? Where is Karl-Anthony Towns’ head at going into the offseason? Sign up for Dane's Patreon ($5 a month) at: Patreon.com/DaneMooreNBA 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.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are becoming Anthony Edwards team, too. Friday’s night’s loss to Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat was the latest installment of the Edwards ascension story — not only as a player but as a leader of the team. On today’s pod, we dig into the KAT and Butler spat, and how Edwards was there for his teammate. He’s becoming a leader, too. Edwards sticking up for KAT postgame after the exchange with Butler How Ant feels like the Timberwolves Randy Moss and KAT feels like Adrian Peterson — and the ways that might impact the way fans latch onto the team A technical fest that led to D’Angelo Russell getting ejected and Edwards receiving superstar defensive attention Giving Jarred Vanderbilt his flowers — and how he has become one of the Wolves most impactful defenders Sign up for Dane's Patreon ($5 a month) at: Patreon.com/DaneMooreNBA 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.

Anthony Edwards might have played the best game of his young career on Wednesday night. On tonight’s pod we dig into Edwards’ very-full (not empty) 42-point performance against the Grizzlies — that was completely absent of the rookie mistakes that have plagued much of the rookie’s first year in the league. Putting the 30-game run Edwards is on since the All-Star break into perspective. It’s time to remove the “inefficient scorer” label from Edwards game. The stats back it up. Looking at Edwards’ shooting efficiency compared to other high-volume shooters in the league Is the Donovan Mitchell player comp for Edwards beginning to come into focus? All KAT-DLo 2-man game down the stretch of the 4th quarter. Who gets the ball in late-game situations? D’Angelo Russell moves back into the starting lineup. Has Finch given up on DLo minutes next to Ricky Rubio? Sign up for Dane's Patreon ($5 a month) at: Patreon.com/DaneMooreNBA 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.

With a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night, the Timberwolves are no longer on a winning streak. But they have won five of their last seven and are beginning show signs of an identity. Britt Robson of The Athletic joins the show to discuss the Wolves hot streak and the bumps that have come along the way. We discuss: What went wrong down the stretch against the Pelicans The late-game pecking order — our individual preferences between KAT, DLo and Ant, and what we are gleaning Chris Finch’s preference might be The stylistic defensive identity under Finch and how Gersson Rosas can choose to empower that style with future roster moves The increasingly likely possibility that the Wolves fall down to the 6th slot in the tanking standings — and the impact of the odds of keeping the pick falling from 40.1% to 27.6% Sign up for Dane's Patreon ($5 a month) at: Patreon.com/DaneMooreNBA 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.

With what is now a four-game winning streak, the comparison between the momentum this Timberwolves team is generating and the momentum the Phoenix Suns generated in last season’s Bubble is becoming less outlandish. On today’s podcast, we start digging through where this Wolves team’s momentum is coming from — and how it all seems to tie back to Anthony Edwards, who had 18 fourth quarter points against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night. Ricky Rubio draws similarities and differences between what he is experiencing on this Wolves team and what he experienced as a member of the Bubble Suns (audio included) Anthony Edwards’ late-game mentality, and going off in the 4th quarter again Finch’s new favorite lineup: Naz-Vando-Juancho-DLo-JMac — and what the future of the sixth man role on the Wolves might look like Looking at Jarrett Culver’s future on the team after being shut down for the season on Thursday Sign up for Dane's Patreon ($5 a month) at: Patreon.com/DaneMooreNBA 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.

I’ve been toying with an idea: Is Karl-Anthony Towns playing the best basketball of his career? Better than his post-All Star break run during the 2018-19 season? Better than the first 18 games of the 2019-20 season when he led the Timberwolves to a 10-8 start? On today’s pod, we dig into that question. Also: Jarred Vanderbilt’s impact in tonight’s win over the Houston and how he might fit into the Wolves’ big picture. And then we check in on the Flab Five tanking standings. (Yes, I’m calling it that.) Is KAT in the midst of the best 25-game stretch of his career thus far? Vanderbilt’s case for fitting into the Wolves’ big picture plans as a restricted free agent this summer Chris Finch stating he won’t be resting players down the stretch of the season — and how that might impact the Flab Five tanking standings Sign up for Dane's Patreon ($5 a month) at: Patreon.com/DaneMooreNBA 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.