AWAW Podcast with Brendan Hedtke

Bleav's coverage of the NBA offseason continues.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have sputtered their way to a measly 5-8 record through 13 games this season and it is time for them to figure it out, or else big changes will need to be made. On an all new episode of the Bleav in Timberwolves podcast, hosts Brendan Hedtke and former Timberwolves' guard Doug West break down the issues surrounding this team and what they can do to address them. First, the duo takes a look at the defensive side of the ball for this squad. Adding Rudy Gobert should have been a big boost in that department, but it so far has not felt that way. The players seemed confused in their roles on that side of the ball and are often out of position. Is it time to simplify the defense schemes and stick to just one? Which scheme would be best to focus on in that situation? Flipping the switch to the offensive end, the Wolves have continuously found themselves looking out of sorts. The spacing has been subpar, the shot making has been lacking, and it seems like Gobert has the ball in his hands too often. Brendan suggests that the Wolves run more offense with Gobert in the dunker spot, the ball in Anthony Edwards' hands, and D'Angelo Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jaden McDaniels spread around the perimeter. Doug and Brendan also discuss if calling more set plays might be a benefit for this team. Another idea brought up is that of Towns' role in the offense. After watching Dillon Brooks in the Memphis game, maybe Chris Finch can emulate a lot of those actions for Towns, who is one of the best shooters in the league. The hosts also discussed the possibility of benching or trading D'Angelo Russell and what that might look like for the Wolves.

Through their first ten games, the Minnesota Timberwolves stumbled into a 5-5 record. There have been stretches of really good play, but those have been widely outnumbered by immense struggles. While effort issues caused many of the woes this team faced early on, those have somewhat subsided and this Wolves squad has still struggled to find consistent success. The issues run deeper than the two big lineup. That takeaway is lazy and uninformed. There are problems with the guards, the forwards and the bigs. There are problems on both defense and offense. The Wolves put together a solid win against the Rockets on Saturday with Rudy Gobert out of the lineup. The ball movement was great. The spacing made sense. Which begs the question: Is Rudy Gobert the root of the Timberwolves problems so far this season? Brendan Hedtke and Doug West, hosts of the Bleav in Timberwolves podcast, dive into that question on their latest episode. Along with that question, the pair looks into a number of things related to this Wolves' team, including: What has been the biggest surprise for you with this team so far? What has been your biggest disappointment? What have you noticed that is not working for this team? How will teams target the Wolves throughout the year? Who has stood out the most? What is your confidence level that this team is going to figure it out and win 50 games? & so more! With both of their coaching experience, the duo is able to take a look at the Wolves problems under that game manager lens and dive into what Coach Finch may do to figure this thing out.

The Minnesota Timberwolves season is right around the corner and fans are becoming more and more excited. The anticipation has been sky high since the Wolves made a huge trade for 3x Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert in the offseason. Optimism has surrounded the team from within the organization and it's fanbase, but nationally there has been more skepticism than anything. Regardless of how the Wolves are viewed from the outside, Brendan Hedtke and Doug West are ready to give your their predictions for the 2022-23 Timberwolves season and put some more positivity and optimism into the airwaves on a brand new episode of the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast! On the newest edition, Brendan and Doug look at specific predictions for the Timberwolves, including: Who will be the Timberwolves leading scorer in points per game this season? How many wins with this team end the season with? What seed will the Timberwolves find themselves in after 82 games? Will the Wolves win at least one playoff series this season? Where will the offense rank in offensive rating at the end of the season compared to the rest of the league? Where will the defense rank in defensive rating at the end of the season compared to the rest of the league. On top of the predictions, the duo talks about things they are looking forward to seeing this season. How will Chris Finch utilize Rudy Gobert in the offense? What will the jumps for Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels look like? Who makes the rotation once the dust settles? Is there room for Naz Reid to get rotation minutes after an impressive season? All of these topics will be interesting to track over the course of the long NBA season and Brendan and Doug will be right here to help break it all down!

The Minnesota Timberwolves opened training camp just last week. Absent from the unofficial start to the season was star Power Forward (formerly Center, see Rudy Gobert Trade) Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns was hospitalized with an infection that caused him to miss the entire first week of training camp, which begs the question, how negatively could that missed time affect his on court chemistry with new teammate Rudy Gobert and will that cause the Wolves some trouble to start the season? On today's all new Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast, hosts Brendan Hedtke and Doug West get into that question and many more. The pairing is finally back after a summer hiatus, and unlike Towns and Gobert, the chemistry was there from the start. Doug and Brendan are more ready than ever to provide entertaining, insightful, and truthful analysis of a Timberwolves team that looks to be better than any of recent memory. On today's episode, the duo dives into some thought provoking questions after the first week of camp and the first pre-season game: Does an “easy” schedule at the beginning of the season provide Towns and Gobert a good chance to build on-court chemistry or does it lead to potential disaster if they drop some early games? Which bench player will get the most minutes and become the steady 6th man for the Wolves? Who plays more minutes between Austin Rivers and Jaylen Nowell, who seem to be fighting for a solidified role in the rotation? Which of the end of the bench guys make the cut and which find themselves off the opening night roster? Which Wolves player is the most likely to be traded? (*Note: Doug and Brendan are excited to be back for their first full season together and they truly appreciated all of the support as they got the podcast off the ground last spring.)

It is the lull of the NBA offseason as players around the league are participating in local Pro-Ams, playing for their home countries' national teams, or meeting up with other pros to get some run in at a random gym somewhere and having the highlights uploaded to Twitter. We are anxiously awaiting the release of the 2022-23 NBA regular season schedule so we can all bellyache over the number of back-to-backs the Wolves will play in and the lack of national TV shine the franchise will undoubtedly receive. Regardless of what exactly the players are up to, it remains true that there is nearly no substantial news to break down on your favorite franchise, the Minnesota Timberwolves. So, with training camp still well over a month away, the hosts of the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast, Brendan Hedtke and Doug West, decided it was time to turn to the fans and answer their questions. On the latest episode, Brendan and Doug answer a variety of questions from you, the listeners. The duo goes deep into answering questions like: How many All-Star selections will the Wolves have? What All-NBA team does Anthony Edwards end up on? Will Karl-Anthony Towns be able to keep up with the elite power forwards in today's NBA? What can we reasonably expect from Jaden McDaniels in year 3? Does the bench have enough spacing? How much time will the team need to gel on the court? Catch Brendan and Doug's thoughts, ideas, and opinions on all of those questions and much more on the latest episode of Bleav in Timberwolves! Thanks to everyone who sent in questions!

The Minnesota Timberwolves made the biggest move of the offseason by trading Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler, 3 first-round picks, and a pick swap to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Rudy Gobert. The move signified the start of a new wave in Minnesota; Big Ball. Now the idea of having two bigger front court players isn't as much of a novel concept in today's NBA as many claim it is. Cleveland runs out a lineup including Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, Memphis deploys Steven Adams and Jaren Jackson Jr. in their front line together, Indiana had Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis next to one another for years, and the reigning runner-up Boston Celtics had Al Horford playing next to Robert Williams III. Of course, none of those duos are a perfect 1:1 match for the Towns and Gobert pairing, but it does put away the notion that a two-big lineup is unheard of and cannot work. On today's episode of Bleav in Timberwolves, hosts Brendan Hedtke and Doug West are back from their busy summer of coaching high school hoops and are ready to dive into some Wolves talk. The pair breaks down their thoughts on the Gobert trade and how he seems to fit with the Timberwolves on both sides of the ball. Then, Brendan and Doug looks at the additional moves the Wolves have made, including the signing of Bryn Forbes, Austin Rivers, and Eric Paschall. Finally, they look at the projected win totals for the Timberwolves and discuss if they believe the line is a fair one, taking into consideration all of the factors that will be in play next season.

The day before NBA Free Agency kicked off, the Timberwolves got their summer started by extending forward Taurean Prince for two more seasons. Prince, much to many fans' delight, will be returning as an impact veteran, both on the court and in the locker room, for a young Timberwolves team that saw great improvement last season. His new deal, worth $16 million over the next two seasons, could prove to be a win for the Wolves if he continues to play well this season. Once free agency officially started at 5 PM CT, we saw the floodgates open as Shams Charania tweeted out deals left and right. There was not much for surprises in the first wave, at least not major ones. The Timberwolves did not make a move for over two and a half hours until it was reported that they were signing former Memphis Grizzlies forward Kyle Anderson to a two-year deal for $18 million. The Wolves used most of their Mid-Level Exception to get Anderson on the roster. Then, as soon as it was possible, it was reported that Minnesota and star center Karl-Anthony Towns had agreed to terms on a four-year, supermax contract extension that will have Towns committed to Minnesota through the 2027-28 season. Towns, who arguably just finished his best season, will now be a pillar of the franchise for years to come. If he finishes his extension in Minnesota, he will be the longest tenured Wolf in history, having played for the team for 14 years. On the latest episode of the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast, hosts Brendan Hedtke and Doug West talk about the Wolves extending Prince and Towns, signing Anderson, and the potential for a trade involving D'Angelo Russell. The duo also talks about: The Kevin Durant sweepstakes Rudy Gobert to Minnesota rumors Surprise signings & more!

The Minnesota Timberwolves entered the 2022 NBA Draft with 4 picks to be used. Those picks were picks 19, 40, 48, and 50. As the night went on, there wasn't much action in the top 10 of the draft. Then, things started to get moving. Minnesota ended up the night with four players being selected, but the path was not as straightforward as it may sound. The Wolves did not use any of their first three picks, but rather did a slew of trades to eventually end up with selections 22, 26, 45, and 50. Hosts Brendan Hedtke and Doug West are here to break down the picks and give their quick reactions on the latest episode of Bleav in Timberwolves. Here is a quick synopsis of the night: With their first pick, Minnesota took Auburn Center Walker Kessler. Kessler was certainly not a fan favorite, but does fill a number of holes in a Timberwolves team that lacks size, rim protection, and rebounding. Kessler was the 2021-22 National Defensive Player of the Year and averaged over 4 blocks per game at Auburn. Next, the Wolves found themselves with the 26th pick. They used this slot to select Duke wing Wendell Moore Jr. Moore played three seasons for the Blue Devils and Coach K. He improved each year and looks to be a potential 3-and-D type player in the NBA. He is slightly undersized as a wing, standing 6-foot-5, but he makes up for that with his strength and wingspan, which stretches over 7 feet. He also is a solid playmaker, which might be his best skill. In the second round, the Wolves traded back from pick 40 to pick 45 to collect some future draft capital. They ended up taking Josh Minott with that selection. Minott is a great athlete and plays with a ton of energy at 6-foot-9, but his offensive game is nearly a blank slate. There will be a lot to do on that side of the ball before he sniffs rotation minutes. Finally, the Timberwolves took Matteo Spagnolo from Italy at #50. Spagnolo will likely be a draft-and-stash player for a year or two. He's been dubbed the “Italian Ricky Rubio” due to his finesse playmaking. He has also shown to be a solid shooter, but lacks a lot of athleticism and defensive prowess.

The All-NBA teams were announced by the NBA during the Western Conference Finals. Minnesota Timberwolves Center Karl-Anthony Towns was selected for the second time in his career, again making the All-NBA Third Team, just as he did in the 2017-18 season. On today's show, hosts Brendan Hedtke and former Timberwolves' guard Doug West break down the All-NBA teams and take a look back at their awards voting from a few weeks ago. The pair talks about the players they voted correctly, the players they had making a team but ended up making a different team, and the players that they missed on completely. They feel like they did a pretty solid job, but let them know what you think! Then, the duo takes a look at the upcoming NBA Finals matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are coming into the series after defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the Western Conference Finals. The Celtics, on the other hand, had a tough seven game battle with the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Warriors should prove to be more rested when the series starts, but Boston is also in a groove. Hear how Doug and Brendan think that will affect their performances to start the series. The hosts also talk about their favorite matchups in this series, including Marcus Smart versus Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins versus Jayson Tatum, and Klay Thompson versus Jaylen Brown. Finally, they give their predictions for this series and talk about which players are most likely to end up winning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award and which could be dark horses to be selected.

The Minnesota Timberwolves made a massive move on Monday when they announced the hiring of Tim Connelly as their newest President of Basketball Operations. The move had been reported as in the works last week and came together, culminating with Connelly visiting with Glen Taylor. The move puts Connelly as the number one decision-maker in the Timberwolves' front office. Many wondered what would happen to Sachin Gupta if the Wolves ownership group brought in a new face. Well, according to the press release, Gupta is not going anywhere either. “Connelly will work closely with Timberwolves Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Sachin Gupta, as well as Head Coach Chris Finch...” Connelly previously worked for the Denver Nuggets as their President of Basketball Operations, a role that he assumed in 2017. He was with the Nuggets as their Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations for four years prior to that promotion. On today's episode of the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast, Ryan Blackburn, Site Manager for our sister site Denver Stiffs, joins Brendan Hedtke and Doug West to give insight as to what the hiring means for the Timberwolves. Ryan graciously brings his wealth of knowledge and insight from his time covering the Nuggets. The trio breaks down the move from multiple angles, covering a variety of topic, including: Connelly's history in front offices His personality and demeanor How aggressive he will be His strengths and weakness as a decision maker His success in the draft What type of relationship he may have with Chris Finch How he and Gupta can lean on each other Denver fans' reactions to the news & more!

On an all new episode of the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast, hosts Doug West and Brendan Hedtke sit down to talk about the Conference Finals in the NBA Playoffs. In the Western Conference, we have the Dallas Mavericks trailing the Golden State Warriors 2-0. Over on the Eastern side of the bracket, Boston and Miami are knotted at 1-1. The pair discusses the first two games of each series including top performers, underwhelming supporting casts, and game plan adjustments that have made all the difference. Doug and Brendan also get into some talk about who are the best remaining players and coaches on each side. Has Steph Curry's reign fallen to Luka Doncic? Has Jayson Tatum beaten out Jimmy Butler for the top spot? The duo also discusses the meltdown that the Phoenix Suns had in game 7 of the second round against the Dallas Mavericks - a game in which Monty Williams decided to bench Deandre Ayton. They discuss how that will impact Ayton's future with Phoenix and if he will be headed out the door to a new team. After the debacle of that Game 7, everyone's favorite Timberwolf, Patrick Beverley, joined a few ESPN shows to make sure that his thoughts were put out on a national stage. He did a lot of talking about Chris Paul and why he felt that Paul did not do enough for his team. Brendan and Doug discuss Beverley's appearances and talk about the potential he has to be an NBA personality once his playing career commences. You can find all that, and more, on the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast!

On the latest episode of the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast, hosts Brendan Hedtke and Doug West sit down to take a look back at the Minnesota Timberwolves 2021-22 season as a whole, their playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies, and what should be addressed this offseason in preparation for next year. Then, the pairing looks into the 2nd round matchups across the NBA Playoffs and brings you their thoughts and analysis on each. Hear the duo talk about: The impact of Joel Embiid's return Ja Morant's dominance against Golden State The “coin-flip” matchup of Boston vs. Milwaukee and more! Listen now to find out who Brendan and Doug pick in each matchup, why they are leaning that direction, and how each team can make a push to the conference finals.

The Minnesota Timberwolves dropped Game 5 to the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum on Tuesday night. They fall to 3-2 in the series and face an elimination game on Friday night in Minneapolis. On this newest episode of Bleav in Timberwolves, hosts Brendan Hedtke and Doug West break down the Wolves win in Game 4 and blown lead in Game 5. They look into what went right, what went wrong, and how they can approach the remainder of this series. The pair discusses the keys to winning Game 6, how Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards can continue their solid play, how D'Angelo Russell can get it going, and which other players can have a huge impact on this series. Then, they duo looks at the confidence level they have in this team to force a game 7.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have lost consecutive games in their first round matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies after an impressive performance in Game 1 to take control of home court advantage. Now, the script has flipped again as Memphis regained control of home court, but also took all the momentum. They blew the Wolves out in Game 2 and came back from two 25+ point deficits to win at Target Center in Game 3, a game in which the Wolves had all but won at multiple points in the contest. On this episode of Bleav in Timberwolves, hosts Brendan and Doug breakdown what went wrong in those games, how the Wolves can bounce back, and if this is a referendum on Karl-Anthony Towns' ability to be an impactful player in the NBA Playoffs.

On the latest episode of the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast, hosts Brendan Hedtke and Doug West break down the Minnesota Timberwolves victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Timberwolves were on the road in Memphis and were able to take control of the game and will themselves to victory. Brendan and Doug break down the stars of the game, Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, the helpful second tier guys like Malik Beasley and Jaden McDaniels, and then talk about where the Wolves can improve going forward. Then, the pair looks into the possible adjustments that both teams can make going forward and how that might affect the outcome of the series. All that, and more, on the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast!

On the latest episode of the Bleav in Timberwolves podcast, hosts Brendan Hedtke (@B_HedtkeNBA) and Doug West (@dougwestbball) are joined by the host of the Bleav in Grizzlies Podcast, Shy Brown (@SharonShyBrown) to discuss the upcoming Western Conference Playoff series between the 2nd seeded Memphis Grizzlies and the 7th seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. The trio discusses the importance of the previous 4 regular season meetings, the Timberwolves “excessive” celebration after their Play-In game win, the potential impact of Dillon Brooks, and who could be the X-Factor in the series. If you are looking for the best Wolves coverage throughout this series, be sure to tune in to every episode of Bleav in Timberwolves as Brendan and Doug bring you the best and most thoughtful insight to the games.

Today's show is the Season Finale Awards Show! Doug and Brendan talk about their picks for all of the prestigious awards around the NBA, including Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, 6th Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, and Coach of the Year. The duo definitely did not agree on all their votes, including their picks for both Rookie if the Year AND Most Valuable Player! Then, in a separate conversation, Brendan sits down with Johnny Avello, a renowned sports oddsmaker, to talk about the potential of sports betting becoming legalized in the State of Minnesota and what that could mean for sports fans across the Land of 10,000 Lakes! Here all that, and more, on the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast!

On today's episode, Doug and Brendan sit down to talk about the 3 Final Four games that happened over the past week. Doug brings his reaction for his Villanova Wildcats' loss to Kansas and provides his insight into the Championship game from Monday night. Then, the duo tackles some Timberwolves talk as they break down the Wolves' past 3 games and look ahead to finishing up the season this weekend. They look into the Wolves' defensive woes of late, the impact that Jaden McDaniels' return could have, and how important finishing the season on a 5 game winning streak could be. Finally, Brendan and Doug go through who they would put on each All-NBA team. There is a bit of controversy with a couple names left off of someone's ballot. Make sure to listen and find out who got snubbed.

Today is an exciting day as the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast is gaining a fantastic new co-host. Doug West, yes THAT Doug West, joins Brendan Hedtke as the full-time co-host for the show. Doug played 9 seasons for the Minnesota Timberwolves in his career and was part of the inaugural Timberwolves season in 1989-90. On today's show, Doug and Brendan talk about Doug's career in the NBA, the stops he made throughout his coaching career, and chat about a flurry of Timberwolves topics, including: Just how good can Anthony Edwards be? Does KAT have a case for All-NBA Patrick Beverley's insanity The Wolves' playoff push Doug's connection to Chris Finch and Nick Nurse and so much more!

The Minnesota Timberwolves currently sit 10(!!!) games over .500 with 12 games left in the regular season. They find themselves in the thick of the playoff hunt, with their eyes firmly set on trying to avoid the play-in tournament altogether. With only being a few games back from the 4 seed, the Wolves are hoping to make a push to get to at least the 6th spot in the Western Conference. On today's show, Brendan breaks down that playoff race and gives a quick glimpse at just how good the Wolves have been this season. Along with that, Brendan talks about Karl-Anthony Towns going for a franchise record 60 points against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, Jaden McDaniels potentially missing time with an injury, and if Anthony Edwards' poor play of late is something, nothing, or everything!

The Minnesota Timberwolves are sitting over .500 after 59 regular season games. The offense has been humming, but the defense has slipped a bit. It is time for them to get back on track while they are still in the hunt for the 6th seed in the Western Conference. On today's episode of the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast, Brendan comes to talk about the outlook for the playoffs, their remaining schedule, and the path to avoiding the play-in tournament altogether. Then, Brendan brings ups some tough questions that the Chris Finch, Sachin Gupta, and Company will need to answer for the Wolves to have a chance in the playoffs, including: What is the plan for the big man depth? Is it worth trying new defensive schemes at the cost of losing games? What will a playoff rotation look like? Who should be in and who should be out? All that, and more, on the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast!

The NBA trade deadline sits less than two days away and the Minnesota Timberwolves could potentially be one team that is looking to make some moves. The vibes are good, the wins are starting to come in bunches, but it remains clear that the Wolves could shore up some of their problems by scouring the trade front and finding some well-fitting pieces to fill the gaps. Kyle Theige, Editor-in-Chief of Canis Hoopus, joins Brendan on today's show to talk about the deadline around the NBA, the semi-blockbuster moves that have already happened, and what that all means for the Wolves. Some of the things that you'll hear on today's pod: Favorite trade targets Realistic options Quiet ass fans McCollum & Sabonis trade thoughts & more!

The Minnesota Timberwolves sit with a 22-23 record 45 games into the season. This slots them 9th in the Western Conference, a comfortable 5 games ahead of the Kings who are the first team on the outside looking into the play-in tournament. On today's show, host Brendan Hedtke sits down to discuss the Timberwolves' likelihood of making post-season. Brendan breaks down the upcoming schedule, what the odds-makers are saying, tie-breaker scenarios, and what the expectations for this team should be. Should this team strive for just a play-in berth? Winning one play-in game? Making the postseason outright? Brendan gives you his view of the situation. Also, Brendan addresses the looming trade deadline and what the Timberwolves should be looking for as it approaches.

Brendan is joined by Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) of Indy Cornrows, Basketball News, and like a million other impressive things. Mark follows the NBA with one of the best watchful eyes and is the perfect person to give listeners a taste of how the rest of the league views the Timberwolves this season. On today's show, Brendan and Mark give their thoughts on the Timberwolves at the mid-point of the season. They break down the highs and lows of the team, the lack of offense and the impressive defense, and the outlook for the remaining 40 games. On top of all that, the pairing discusses their favorite trade targets for Minnesota, if they should target Myles Turner, and what the values of some Timberwolves pieces are.

The Minnesota Timberwolves season has been one of the most unusual ones that I've ever seen. A team that we expected to be top 10 in offense and bottom 10 (if not bottom 5) on defense has completely flipped the script this season. They've been an above average defense and bad offense 30+ games into the season. Weird... With that being said, it begs the question: What is the identity of this team? But perhaps the bigger and more important question is, what should the identity of this team be? And why do we have to settle for just one? On this episode, I look into those questions as well as shining some light on how Karl-Anthony Towns has been more effective lately.

It has been a while, Wolves fans, and last time we talked we debated the idea of trading Karl-Anthony Towns. Well, in the weeks since then, the Wolves have rattled off a 5 game win streak and are currently 7-3 in their last ten games, just one game under .500 on the season. On a brand new episode of the Bleav in Timberwolves podcast, I dive into the last 10 games, recapping the good, the bad, and the in-between that the Wolves have shown over that stretch, including: Poor rebounding Good team defense Good D'Lo defense?!?! Poor shooting & more! Then, I look ahead to a stretch of 18 games that will get the Wolves to the midway point of the season and bring ahead my expectations for the team over that stretch. It's time to see what this team is capable of.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are in the midst of a 6 game losing streak and things are trending in a bad direction. Even though Anthony Edwards dropped a near 50 piece, Minnesota's other star player is being scrutinized by the fan base.Kyle Theige, Editor-in-Chief of Canis Hoopus, joine Brendan on the latest episode of the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast to discuss the poor performances from Towns and what his lack of “giving a shit” has done to this team this season.The duo looks at the possibility of moving on from KAT and if now, or the near future, is the right time to do so. It's been put up or shut up for the Wolves lately and they've been deferring to the latter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are on a terrible 4 game losing streak after starting the season with some seemingly legitimate potential. They head out for their first multi-game road trip of the season with a poor 3-5 record after having 7 of their first 8 games at Target Center.Brendan, host of the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast, was joined by one of the best Wolves content creators out there, Jake Paynting. Jake is the host of the Paynt Points Podcast and the creator of Howls and Growls.Jake joins Brendan to break down the Timberwolves season thus far, hitting on all of the major points, including:Anthony Edwards' shot selectionTowns' lack of shots and poor court positioningD'Angelo Russell's impact on the teamBEN SIMMONSand most importantly, Timberwolves City Edition Jersey rankingsCatch all of that and more on the latest Bleav in Timberwolves.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brendan is back with another episode of the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast to give you all the news, breakdowns, and thoughts on your favorite team.On today's episode, Brendan takes a look at what went wrong against the Pelicans in an ugly loss on Monday night at Target Center including the poor rebounding effort, an emotional KAT turning the refs against him, and D'Angelo Russell having one of the worst performances we have seen from him.Then, Brendan talks about how the Minnesota Timberwolves' leaders took accountability, self reflected, and applied another level of energy and tenacity in a game against the reigning Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Milwaukee Bucks.After detailing the roller-coaster of the last couple games, Brendan looks ahead to a matchup against the reigning MVP and his Denver Nuggets who come to town on Saturday night. Finally, Brendan takes a look at some lineups that he thinks we need to see a bit more of going forward this season.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Minnesota Timberwolves opened their regular season campaign on Wednesday night when they manhandled the Houston Rockets at Target Center. The Wolves lead by more than 30 points at multiple points and were in the drivers seat from early on. The win was a dominant one, even against a bottom tier opponent like Houston. Many Wolves players were impressive in that game, including the three-headed defensive monster of Jaden McDaniels, Josh Okogie, and Jarred Vanderbilt. On today's episode of the Bleav in Timberwolves podcast, host Brendan Hedtke breaks down his thoughts on the game and previews the upcoming two games against the New Orleans Pelicans who come to town with an injured star player - Zion Williamson - and two losses under their belts. Hear Brendan's thoughts on the impressive play of select Wolves, Josh Okogie being the 5th starter and if that will continue, Anthony Edwards' solid night and his thoughts on playing in front of a crowd, and much more!(All media availability audio courtesy of Timberwolves PR)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have managed to stay undefeated through three preseason games thus far thanks to two encouraging wins against the New Orleans Pelicans and the Los Angeles Clippers and one sneak-away win against the Denver Nuggets.On today's episode of the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast, host Brendan Hedtke breaks down the three games so far and offers his thoughts on what we can take from the games and what we still have to see more of.Will we see more of Naz and KAT together and what will that look like?Who is going to be the 5th starter?Anthony Edwards playing DEFENSE?!?!Beasley's slow startThe Wolves holding the 5th best net-rating in preseason!!!!& more!Catch it all on the latest episode!(Credit to Timberwolves PR for all Media Availability Recordings)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brendan is back for another edition of the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast! This time, he is joined by first time guest and Canis Hoopus contributor Cooper Carlson!In today's episode, Cooper and Brendan break down what the Gersson Rosas firing means for the Timberwolves and how Sachin Gupta can lead this team, the perception of Gupta during media day, and everything in between. The pair also discusses their takeaways from media day interviews including D'Angelo Russell's “I don't care” attitude to the news and Naz Reid's hate for losing.To wrap up the show, Brendan and Cooper answer some mailbag questions from Twitter, including: “How long until Patrick Beverly and Malik Beasley become best friends?” and “Where do the Wolves finish in the conference standings?” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have struggled mightily defensively over the course of, well, forever. There's been few glimmers of defensive fortitude that didn't involve Kevin Garnett. So, as the Wolves are trying to decide who should be their 5th starter, it's looking like it'll come down to two people: a.) the team's defensive advanced stats darling power forward or b.) the shooting guard who's had his defensive struggles.Brendan breaks down the options and finds who is the (obvious) choice to start alongside the “Core Four” on the latest episode of the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast. After a bunch of fun lineup talk, including Brendan's “Length Lineup”, he goes on to break down the contracts signed by Jarred Vanderbilt and Jordan McLaughlin and why they will turn out to be team friendly deals rather quickly.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

(Author's note: Hey everyone, it has been a crazy last couple weeks for me as I've been moving into a house I recently bought and I've been preparing for the start of my first school year as a teacher. Those reasons can explain my absence from the podcast and writing world over the past little while. But, I'm back now and ready to get to it. Thanks for you patience. - Brendan.)On the latest edition of the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast, host Brendan Hedtke breaks down the (somewhat) recent Patrick Beverley trade and what that might or might not mean for the team moving forward. Then, he dives into the latest NBA win total over/unders from our friends at BetOnline. Listen to find out if Brendan would hit the over or under for this coming season and where he thinks the Timberwolves could fall in the landscape of the Western Conference.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Minnesota Timberwolves played their first summer league game on Monday as they faced off against the San Antonio Spurs' summer squad. Minnesota picked up the win in a close match, winning the contest 91-89 on an offensive putback by Nathan Knight with 15 seconds left. Host Brendan Hedtke is joined once again by Kyle Theige to go over the individual performances by Wolves players in the game, specifically Knight, Jaden McDaniels, Jaylen Nowell, and McKinley Wright IV.Then, the pair talks about the slow free agency from the Timberwolves and what the plan might be going forward this season. Perhaps the Wolves are good with running it back? Or maybe they have something bigger up their sleeves? Time will tell, but Brendan and Kyle take the time to break it all down on this episode. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Good Morning NBA Fans! Today is the single best day of the year. It is NBA Draft Day. Now, I typically look forward to this day more than I look forward to my own birthday. This year is a little different than most because the Minnesota Timberwolves don't own a single pick in this draft. While that could potentially change, it would mean giving up something to make it happen. Regardless, I still am giddy thinking about the impact tonight will have on the NBA for years to come. Though Minnesota isn't involved in the selection process, that doesn't mean they won't get their hands dirty in a different way tonight. I'm excited to see if (and how) Gersson Rosas shakes up the roster tonight.So, with the excitement of the NBA Draft, I sat down and did a full lottery mock draft here for the latest episode of the podcast. So if you want a last-minute primer to get ready for tonight's main event, give the show a listen!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In a piece earlier this week for Canis Hoopus, I detailed three potential trade targets for the Wolves to fill the void at the power forward position. Those targets were Brandon Clarke, Maxi Kleber, and PJ Washington. On today's show, I go into more detail on these players, their skillsets, and how they would potentially fit on this Timberwolves team. Yes, I know there is a 99.9% chance none of these players don a Wolves jersey next season, but a guy can dream!Following the power forward talk, I take a look at everyone's favorite Wolves trade target: Ben Simmons. I don't break down his game or his fit on this team (I've done that before). Instead, I look at some fake trade proposal from across the worldwide web and get a kick out of the ideas some are throwing around!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the latest episode of the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast, newly Twitter verified host Brendan Hedtke (humble brag, lol) answers YOUR questions in a mailbag. If you are interested in having one of your questions answered, follow @B_HedtkeNBA on Twitter and tweet at/DM Brendan with your question.This mailbag was full of questions about the Timberwolves upcoming offseason and the 2021-22 season, including topics such as:Who will take biggest leap next year?What would it take to trade Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels?Who are some ‘on the margins' guys that could help this team?Who are some of your favorite Timberwolves trade targets?Who is most likely to get traded this offseason?& more!Hosts note: Thank you all for the continued support on the podcast! The growth has been amazing and humbling and I cannot wait to see what happens next season when the Timberwolves are actually good (hopefully). We are 50 episodes into this thing, excited for the next 50!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Minnesota Timberwolves went into the draft lottery with the 6th best odds at the number one pick, but ultimately dropped to the 7th pick. Of course, this means that the 2021 first round pick will be sent to Golden State as part of the Andrew Wiggins-D'Angelo Russell swap from 2020. On today's episode Brendan breaks down what losing the pick means for the Wolves - both the good and the bad - and how it will affect the team moving forward.Brendan also dives into the Ben Simmons trade talk and offers his opinion on what could potentially happen. What would it cost to acquire him? How would he fit on both sides of the ball in Minnesota? And more!Finally, Brendan rounds out the show by updating everyone on the news of the assistant coaches being hired, their coaching backgrounds, and what they could mean for the team next season.Please leave a rating and subscribe/follow the podcast on your favorite platform!Privacy Policy and California Privacy Notice.

Kyle and Brendan are on the back end of a Portland-Minnesota podcast back-to-back. If you missed Wednesday night's episode, be sure to go and listen to the duo discuss the Rookie of the Year results and Alex Rodriguez's (not so) official statement on the future of the Wolves in Minnesota.On part 2, Kyle and Brendan talk about the upcoming NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday, June 22nd and what that could mean for the franchise we love. Could losing the pick be better for the team to have clarity? Or is the class too stacked to be okay with losing out on? The pair talks about the possibilities from all angles and gives their own unique perspective.Then, they discuss the Timberwolves roster and how it could stack up against playoff teams next year. Brendan gets perhaps a bit too optimistic when projecting the team and Kyle is forced to play some devils advocate - we know how hard it is for Kyle to not feed into optimism. Side note: Kyle and Dane Moore are hosting an NBA Draft Lottery event at Forgotten Star Brewery in Fridley, Minnesota on Tuesday, June 22nd. Dane and Britt Robson will be doing a live podcast following the conclusion of the Draft Lottery and we would love to see you all there! I plan to be there and I know many others do as well! Hope to see you there!Privacy Policy and California Privacy Notice.

Anthony Edwards was not awarded the Rookie of the Year award for the 2020-21 NBA season on Wednesday as it went to Charlotte's LaMelo Ball. Did Edwards get robbed or was Ball deserving? Host Brendan Hedtke couldn't tackle that question alone, so he needed some help. There's nothing quite like talking to your boss about basketball, so Brendan had Canis Hoopus' Editor-In-Chief and certified Wolves Optomist Kyle Theige on the podcast to discuss that topic and more.On the front end of a podcast back-to-back for Thursday and Friday morning, Brendan and Kyle talked about the ROY winner (sans the voting results which were not released at the time of recording), new owner Alex Rodriguez's Instagram reply about not moving the team, and more!Come back tomorrow for more content from Brendan and Kyle, including thoughts on the upcoming draft lottery, draft lottery party details, and the duo's thoughts on how far the Wolves are from being on a level playing field with some of the mid-tier playoff teams.Privacy Policy and California Privacy Notice.

I smell a hypocrite... Damian Lillard blasted the Timberwolves organization for hiring Chris Finch mid-season rather than promoting David Vanterpool to finish out the year after the departure of Ryan Saunders. Well, now that Lillard's team is looking for a new head honcho, Vanterpool's name has disappeared into thin air with regards to potential candidates. Sounds like a little too much bark and not enough bite from Dame. Host Brendan Hedtke makes sure to send Dame a message (that he'll never hear) about his feelings on the subject.Karl-Anthony Towns has once again found himself amid the top of the trade rumor leaderboard this summer. Brendan breaks down the latest and (not-so) greatest fantasies that opposing fanbases have drawn up. Then, he offers a bit of hope and guidance for how to navigate the rumor mill over the course of the summer.Then, Brendan discusses the latest happenings with the Timberwolves sale to Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore and how that could affect where the Timberwolves play their home basketball games in a few years. (Spoiler alert: it might not be in Minnesota...)Privacy Policy and California Privacy Notice.

You heard that right, host Brendan Hedtke thinks Wolves fans can be more excited about Edwards than they were about Karl-Anthony Towns. Catch that and more in an all-new mailbag episode of the Bleav in Timberwolves podcast. Brendan answers a wide range of questions surrounding the Timberwolves; including talk about the Spanish ACB League's 2020-21 Most Spectacular Player, Leandro Bolmaro.All that, plus:Should Vanderbilt be re-signed?Cade with a bullet at #1?Ranking Wolves players on their rookie deals.and SO much more!Privacy Policy and California Privacy Notice.

Jerry Wacholz (@BallEyesNorth) joined Brendan Hedtke (@B_HedtkeNBA) on the latest episode of the Bleav in Timberwolves podcast to break down their thoughts on the end of the Timberwolves season and the hope that the Timberwolves' strong post All-Star Break stretch provided for next season.Then, the pair discussed the players (& coaches) for the Timberwolves and how they fared in comparison to the pre-season expectations that were set for them. Some notable stars may have ended up somewhere other than you might think.Hear all that, and more, on the Bleav in Timberwolves podcast! Privacy Policy and California Privacy Notice.

Anthony Edwards has fallen to the second rung on NBA.com's rookie ladder, even though Ball hasn't played well since his return. What gives? Also, the Timberwolves have a much brighter future than they get credit for; find out why!

The Minnesota Timberwolves do not have the best record, not even close, but they have a number of players that have arguments for various awards. The obvious one is Anthony Edwards' case for the Rookie of the Year honors. But, there might just be a couple more players that deserve some national recognition.

Kyle Theige (@KyleTheige) joins the podcast to re-draft the 2020 NBA Draft. The duo agrees on some pick and also have a WIDE gap on some others. Come for the re-draft, stay for the discussion on the Timberwolves approach to the end of the season (aka finally deciding to win games) and how we should feel about that as fans.

Brenden Nunes of The Kings Pulse Podcast joins Brendan (Brenda/en-ception) to discuss the probability of Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton winning the rookie of the year. The pair also discusses the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings back-to-back and where both teams go from here. Come for the Rookie of the Year talk, stay for the sulking of being terrible teams for the last 15 years.

Welcome to a brand new Minnesota Timberwolves podcast, part of the Bleav Podcast Network! I am your host Brendan Hedtke and I am excited to get going with this new show. This show is transforming from the A Wolf Among Wolves Podcast into the Bleav in Timberwolves Podcast. The feed won't be going anywhere for long time listeners, so don't panic.

Brandon, a co-host of the Locked On Suns Podcast, joins me today to discuss the upcoming two game series between the Suns and Timberwolves. We look into certain matchups that should prove interesting as well as comparing the two franchises and how each has ended up where they currently are. We also talked about Rubio's impact on Devin Booker and how he can help Anthony Edwards moving forward. Today's episode of the podcast was recorded live on the Locker Room app. I'm planning on hosting more rooms on the app in the future and hope to have listeners ask questions at times! Be on the lookout for any future rooms that I may host and have the Locker Room app downloaded and ready to go! Please leave a rating and subscribe/follow the podcast on your favorite platform!