NBA Matchups: November 3

Sunday gave us another big slate with a lot of B2Bs, so I didn’t have enough time to really dive in yesterday. Unlike last Monday, I did try to add some quick notes on players to go with the macro notes.

MIN @ BKN | MIL @ IND | UTA @ BOS | WAS @ NYK | DAL @ HOU | DET @ MEM | SAC @ DEN | LAL @ POR | MIA @ LAC

Minnesota Timberwolves at Brooklyn Nets (back end)

Team Totals: Wolves 118, Nets 109

Injury Report: Nets on a B2B

Wolves projected starters: Mike Conley, Donte DiVincenzo, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert

Nets projected starters: Tyrese Martin, Cam Thomas, Terance Mann, Michael Porter Jr., Nic Claxton

Finch quotes: Nothing.

Fernandez quotes: Said they had some positive steps in the loss to the Hawks, said they got a really strong game out of Nic Claxton, said he liked Tyrese Martin at the point and he can “help the team fight,” said Martin had a really good summer for them, said they had more fight in the loss and they just need to keep guys in front on defense, said they want Egor to get downhill but he’s not concerned about him only shooting 3-pointers, said he wants them to be under 14 turnovers, said he’s happy with the guys executing the defensive schemes, said he’s failing at trying to get his guys to play hard, said he’s basically 0-of-6 on trying to get his guys to play hard, said “it’s everything” on how to get better and “I’m doing something wrong” with this group to create winning habits, said he trusts Tyrese Martin and he earned the starting job over Saraf.

Stats and Notes: 

*The Wolves get another easy game on the schedule against a struggling Nets defense, and the Nets are not showing much improvement this year. The Nets are last in defense, halfcourt defense, last in transition points allowed, they’re 29th in rim frequency against, and they’re even giving up a lot of spot-up shots. The only area the Nets are good at is PNR handler defense, as they continue to lead the NBA with the fewest points allowed on that play type. The Wolves don’t run much PNR handler stuff right now and are at the seventh-lowest possessions per game, so Minnesota should match up well with the Nets on offense — they might be able to add to their eighth-worst transition game, too. For the Nets on offense, they are actually OK at 14th overall because they have been able to hit the O boards, and they are an above-average 3P% team with the fourth-highest frequency. The Wolves on defense have been nowhere near what we’re used to at just 25th in the halfcourt and 22nd overall. They’re actually getting beat pretty good on the O boards as a below-average team, and they are giving up the second-most PNR handler points in the NBA. They haven’t been getting the same performance from guys like Jaden McDaniels, but it’s worth noting the Wolves have played some very PNR-heavy teams (Lakers twice).