#92Noon! 9a Hour 11/25 - Finch/Russo/Horton

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch and vox Alan Horton bookend Michael Russo on the Wild tonight in Chicago!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Human, Welcome back to the show.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Thank you.

Speaker 3 (00:18):
Down memory lane we go, why don't you put your
pants back on?

Speaker 4 (00:26):
Slappy cop.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Copping, copping topping topping?

Speaker 3 (00:35):
Hell, Yes, how you doing?

Speaker 5 (00:42):
Nine and nine to noon is in the air and

(01:08):
we begin with a howl all writing out here we go,
day before Thanksgiving and we start focusing on a really
really cool game tonight. It's our Minnesota Timberwolves at the
Champion Thunder. And joining us now from OKC as Chris Finch,
coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Per usual, thanks to second

(01:31):
Harvest Heartland and two Harvest dot Org, they provide three
meals for every dollar given. Chris and I deeply believe
in the program, and we hope you take a peek
at the website to Harvest dot Org. Chris joins, now,
be cool if we feasted on the Thunder this evening.
And by the way, Gilgess, Alexander came up questionable on

(01:53):
the injury report yesterday.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
What do you think is going on there? Chris?

Speaker 2 (01:56):
And good morning, Hey, good morning Pa listed as having
some illness, so we'll see. We fully expect him to play,
though he doesn't miss many games, and that's one of
the great things that you know, we love about him
in the league as he plays plays every night.

Speaker 5 (02:13):
Is is that a procedural thing as the NBA goes like,
I mean, if he has the sniffles, got to make
him questionable in case he gets worse, then we have
to scratch him.

Speaker 3 (02:22):
And he wasn't on the injury report.

Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah. Absolutely, there's there's a protocol to it all. And
you know it starts the day before I think at
four o'clock everybody's got to kind of give a status
update on their roster and then throughout the day on
game day. You know, this is for transparency purposes and
and so yeah, it's just it's all part of what's
normal protocol.

Speaker 5 (02:45):
These uh, these thunder do do I mean, I think
we're eighteen to twenty ish into it something like that.
Do they play any differently without Jalen Williams.

Speaker 2 (02:58):
I mean no, not largely the same and they just
they look they're just another year into their connectivity, their chemistry,
their their understanding and reading of each other.

Speaker 4 (03:09):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
I do I feel they have a little better ball movement,
but I don't think that's to do with not having
Jail in the lineup. I just think that's uh, you know,
I think Shay's moving the ball a little quicker and
that's creating even more you know, off shot opportunities for
his teammates. Uh, you know, because Shaye's obviously facing you know,

(03:30):
a lot more double teams and multiple defenders, looks h
And they're doing a really good job. So they're they're
they're just doing more of the same, but even better.

Speaker 3 (03:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (03:41):
You you mentioned the word connectivity, and and I mean
they from the championship season last year when they beat
the Pacers. They they're pretty much rolling back everybody from
that team, And in all sports, I would imagine it's
it's key to be able to keep stuff like that
together year after year, right, Oh for sure.

Speaker 3 (04:00):
Yeah, no doubt about it.

Speaker 2 (04:01):
I Mean, they have a great roster situation here there.
They're still under the tax. They have a lot of
players on the similar timeline whose whose new contracts don't
pick in until I believe next year, and and then
then they'll face some some financial questions on how they

(04:22):
go forward, you know, how deep they want to be
in the tax and how long they want to stay there.
And these are things that we all have to deal
with as a reality of roster building. But for right
now they're in a little bit of a purple patch,
as the British would say, where things are really lined
up well for them.

Speaker 5 (04:40):
And with you guys, Phoenix and Sacramento were there or
or in your estimation, you know, absorbing it, taking it
in and getting past it. We're what were some common
threads to the late game defeats?

Speaker 2 (04:54):
Yeah, I mean obviously execution down the stretch, you know,
game management stuff, you know, those those little small pieces
of the game that are not small at all, but
the things you got to do to win the game.
You know, we we listened. We two losses that should
have been wins. You know, all credit to our opponents
for making the place to beat us. We didn't make

(05:17):
the plays that we needed to make. You know, those
losses are are are largely on me as well, for
you know, not handling the end of the games in
the way that I could have done or should have done. So,
you know, but there's none less to do but move on.
We got, you know, sixty more games to play, sixty
plus more games to play, and as I said the

(05:37):
other night, you know, we we got to you can't
let one loss become two and I do think we
fell victim of that a little bit the other night.
And that's, you know, certainly not the mindset you need
to be.

Speaker 1 (05:48):
And as you move.

Speaker 5 (05:49):
Forward, So Chris Bench, coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves Weekly
nine to noon courtesy of Second Harvest Heartland and the
two Harvested dot Org and man Anthony Edwards has taken
the scoring to a new level at least the last couple.

Speaker 3 (06:03):
What's the raid with his game of late?

Speaker 2 (06:07):
And I mean what I'm enjoying about his game of
late has been really efficient. You know, he's shut the
ball well as three point volume is back up where
it was last year. He's getting to the rim, getting
to the free throw line, he's doing a lot of
those things. Well, you know, we got to continue to
find ways to get them cleaner looks at times with

(06:27):
all the double teams he's facing, and you know he's
but he's in a little bit of a kind of
a vein right now, which is good to see. I mean,
he went through a couple of games I know where
he was frustrated his three didn't.

Speaker 3 (06:41):
Fall for him.

Speaker 2 (06:43):
But as we said at the time, it was always
ever going to be a blip and he usually responds
to those moments with.

Speaker 5 (06:48):
Big numbers as as as a coach with a high,
high end superstar like that in close games, say against Phoenix,
maybe more so against Sacramento, how do you balance this
is the best guy on the team, which subsequently probably
gives us the best one on one chance to win
as opposed to ball movement when he does get double teams.

Speaker 2 (07:13):
Yeah, I think you know it's we did get a
little dagging him down the stretch in both games. But
you know, he's a guy that we want the ball
in his hands and from that we're gonna create good offense.
I mean, he's surprisingly of all these high end superstars
in the league. Like his shot percentage basically the number

(07:36):
of times he actually takes a shot and those situations
is a.

Speaker 3 (07:39):
Lot lower than some guys.

Speaker 2 (07:41):
Then that is a result of all the double teams
that he does face. So we got to make him
pay when when people double.

Speaker 5 (07:47):
Hey, do you guys do anything as a team for
Thanksgiving or do you kind of scatter before the Celtics
game on Friday?

Speaker 2 (07:56):
Well, we're head home tonight, so we'll be able to
everyone will be able to spend Thanksgiving with their family,
and which is great. You know, we're back in town
for a couple of days for the weekend and play
a big, big, back to back doubleheader coming up, so's
it'll be nice to be in town for the holidays.

Speaker 5 (08:14):
Are there are there any recommendations or any mandates on
amounts of food people can eat day before a game
that includes coaches as much as you want enjoyed it.
You want enjoy it and give thanks. And and your
your Eagles host the Bears Friday, I have and that's

(08:35):
before your Celtics game. Have you warmed up to Black
Friday football? Because I know you love the NFL?

Speaker 2 (08:42):
Yeah, no, I didn't really realize they were playing on
Friday until somebody said it yesterday. So Friday we'll have
practice in the morning and then be able to enjoy
enjoy some football. Then got a big game Ohio State
Michigan on Saturday. So it's really good. Good weekend of
sports as it always is.

Speaker 5 (09:01):
And your your media relations con do it. And dear
friend Aaron Freeman, big Bears fam Chris Finch, big Eagles fan,
How's how's how's that relationship working out right now?

Speaker 2 (09:13):
Well, we have a great relationship, but We'll see how
it ends up on Friday into Saturday, so but fully
expect to bounce back. Win by the birds, yeah and
uh and also won by the bike Yeah.

Speaker 5 (09:27):
Winter Winter of Free as an Aaron Freeman has a
little bleep talking to him And I didn't realize that
until his bears beat my vikings and I had to
look at like six texts and then finally was like,
holy col Winter a free We got to slow down
with this stuff. But his squad's doing great and hopefully
yours does tonight. Let me let me ask you this. Uh,

(09:47):
do Hartenstein and Holme Grin play together a bunch? And
like overall, how do they compliment each other?

Speaker 2 (09:55):
Well, they're a great duo, you know. It's they are
both really skilled, hard and signs an unbelievable passer, is
a great feel for the game, can make tricky shots
around the rim. Excellent defender, you know, as we know
Check can really he can really protect the rim on
defense as well, So they have great interchangeability there defensively

(10:18):
then offensively with Check, you know he's gonna stretch the floor.
He's he's the guy's gonna put traditional centers under pressure
with his skill set. And you know, they do a
great job of playing together. Gives them unbelievable size at
the rim, but also they create problems at the other
end of the floor. So it's a it's almost a

(10:39):
perfect pairing. Uh, in many ways.

Speaker 3 (10:42):
This tonight, Chris, this is an NBA Cup game, right
it is.

Speaker 2 (10:48):
It's the final NBA Cup game. So still alive and
well in the Cup. With a win tonight, I believe
we clinched going through, but I'm not showing that. But
I do feel like I haven't done the mathematic tiebreakers,
but I think it gives us a great chance to
go through for that win.

Speaker 5 (11:04):
I laughed because I tried to this morning, and it's
like Minnesota lost Sacramento, this Minnesota win point differential that. So, so,
do you guys need to win tonight to keep the
the NBA Cup dream alive?

Speaker 3 (11:20):
Absolutely? Yeah? Well the the.

Speaker 5 (11:23):
Half what what do the players get if they win
the It's a half million, right.

Speaker 2 (11:30):
I'm not sure what the what it is. Honestly, I
thought it was more towards a million, but I'm not.

Speaker 5 (11:36):
Sure that and that I mean that of course matters
to two players. I'm in locker rooms, and of course
you only monitor one locker room. But you know what
I mean, I mean that they they they circle their wagons,
you know, around things like this, right.

Speaker 2 (11:51):
Yeah, I think it's been a great product for the league.
You know, creates early season interest, it gives you know,
it's just a platform for for them to be able
to promote the game and and link up with the
media partner to do so. Got you know, guys have

(12:11):
taken taken to it in the league. They understand that
they feel that little extra motivation. They're almost all like
do or die games, which you don't play many of
those in the league, even though you know at the
end of the day they kind of all are, don't
They don't all have that feeling.

Speaker 3 (12:28):
Have you.

Speaker 5 (12:29):
Have you seen some of the scores in these NBA
Cup games only cow just astronomically high.

Speaker 2 (12:36):
Yeah, Well, points differential matters, So when you have a
chance to pour it on, you're pouring it on. I
think that's the one thing that's a little different. You know,
having coached in Europe for a long time, and you'll
play like two leged affairs like a home and away
and then points differential matters at the end of it.
Of those types of different tournament settings that they have overseas. Uh,
you know, that's just part of the equation. But for

(12:58):
here in American sports, we don't really stress that. It's
not something that we kind of build our competition around.
So it is an odd dynamic. It feels a little unnatural,
unsportsmanlike even at times. But you know, when you're up
thirty five, thirty six points and you got to keep
going for it because you're just gonna you never know

(13:19):
when to tiebreaker situation, what it's going to cut down to.

Speaker 5 (13:22):
Dude, dude, I mean coaches and players just kind of
have to handle that, right. I mean, you got a
little more than a half million a stake per player,
And you know, I shared this example yesterday. It was
recently with the Orlando Magic. They're killing somebody. Man, they're
by like seventeen nineteen with a minute to go, and
Suggs hits a three and then the other team goes
the other way and Franz Wagner blocks the shot, like

(13:44):
up twenty one. I'm like, are you kidding me with this?

Speaker 2 (13:49):
Well, I mean, in some way, isn't that how you
want it to be played all the time? But yeah,
you know it's it's professional sports. Like if you don't
want to be beat by thirty five, don't be beat
by thirty five. You know, it's I'm not here to
protect each other's feelings, so it's never bothered me no
matter what the competition is, if you're not if you
don't wanna, if you don't want to get your butt
but whipped like that, and then do things to prevent it.

Speaker 5 (14:11):
All right, lastly too, and then happy Thanksgiving with tonight.
What's what's key with go Bear's game this evening?

Speaker 2 (14:21):
Oh yeah, it was, you know he's his defense against
the two bigs, of course, you know, just they're just
countering obviously what they're doing. We'll have to play some
on the perimeter, you know, being early in his help
to try to bother shay. Uh, you know, Chase one
of the best attackers in the league as we know,

(14:42):
and he gets kind of gets wherever he wants to
go past the first line of defense pretty seamlessly. So
just presenting himself there, and I think, uh, you know,
smart offense spacing is huge against these guys. They generate
a ton of turnovers. They will really you know, be
big at the rim. So Rudy kind of reading space
around that was going to be also big.

Speaker 5 (15:03):
And lastly, what about Jalen Clark? What are you thinking
of him lately? I noticed I didn't I didn't get
a chance to see a lot of the Sacramento game,
but but I noticed his minutes were cut a little bit.

Speaker 2 (15:14):
Yeah, I mean, we got TJ back, so we're trying
to work him into the lineup. Jalen's fine. There is
a big part of what we're gonna do. You know,
we said from the beginning that these young guys, the
situation that they're in this year, their roles will be
consistently inconsistent.

Speaker 3 (15:32):
And we're gonna.

Speaker 2 (15:34):
We're in a discovery face. Sometimes you've got to go
through these periods where you got to figure out what
you got, who can do what you got to give
him extended games to do it, and you know, sometimes
they're gonna play more minutes than others, and you know,
sometimes that might be the right decision, and sometimes I
might not be the right decision, but it is what
it is. And at the end of the end of

(15:54):
the day, we're trying to get them all seasoned up
so they can help us over a long season into
the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (16:02):
Happy Thanksgiving my brother and I'll call you next week.

Speaker 2 (16:05):
Hi. You two have a good one.

Speaker 5 (16:07):
Thanks see you. But that's we definitely give thanks for.
Chris Finch, coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, joins nine to
noon weekly vein opening just quite forthright and frontal with
the way he describes things, and we appreciate the relationship
and collaboration we have with Chris Finch, head coach of
the Minnesota Timberwolves. Part of the timber Tech What's on
deck set list. Hey, we have a talkback marathon segment

(16:30):
about an hour from now, and here's the deal. Get
to the free iHeart Audio app and give thanks or
give the gizzard for local teams, players, scenarios. It's really
up to you. Free iHeart Audio app, give thanks or
give the Gizzard if that's what you want to do.
We gave thanks yesterday amidst a sea of purple negativity

(16:53):
and did so via strays of kindness. So give thanks
for what's good in your sports world, or deliver the
gross gizzard for what's working on your last nerve talkbacks
around ten twenty around the Corner Michael Russo Russo Hockey
on the Red Hot Wild taking on the Blackhawks on
KFA in this evening Nordo produces, and I'm Paul Allen.

(17:16):
You're listening to nine to noon on FM one hundred
point three KFA N nine to noon.

Speaker 4 (17:30):
Once you're handed.

Speaker 1 (17:31):
He played it on vice.

Speaker 4 (17:32):
Joe Hanson carries it right side, Joe Hanson, Hippoly Hill
coming favor, took a shot.

Speaker 3 (17:36):
Pis calls.

Speaker 5 (17:38):
Rock Faber ripped it under the crossbards a shorthanded goal
in the Wild of a two nothing later Minnesota Wild
and these airwaves this evening taking on the Chicago Blackhawks,
and nobody better to discuss it than Michael Russo with
the Athletic and the Athletic dot Com at Russo Hockey vax.
If you would like to follow it nine to noon,

(18:00):
does please do? And Wild and Blackhawks this evening from
the Windy City. Five in a row, seven of the
last eight for the squad like nine to one and
one in the last eleven. So, Michael, for sure, they're hot.
But to your trained eye, truly, how good is it
for the Wild right now?

Speaker 4 (18:19):
In good morning? Good morning? I mean it's been great.
They are defending impeccably, they're getting outstanding goaltending from both
their guys Gustafson and Volstad, and and they're getting timely goals.
So you know, the other night against Winnipeg was just
a precision like game. They got great goaltending in the

(18:40):
first period and I thought controlled really the majority of
the game from that point on. And that's been really
the sign here for the last little bit. They were
outstanding in Pittsburgh Penguins like they left their their legs
in Sweden. It was their first game back from the
Global Series. But really this entire month has been an
absolute switch of the you know, flip of the switch

(19:02):
in every every facet of their game. Expected goals, uh,
you know, goal saved above expected. They are just every
metric right now is just a completely completely different team
than the one that we saw in October. And mostly
they're playing with the lead. They've they've scored first in
twelve straight games. This is an organization that in the

(19:24):
month of October trailed more than more than all Like, uh,
I think it was the only Boston that trailed more
than them in the entire month of October. And here
they are in in this month and they just never
seem to trail so It's been an absolute, you know,
shocking turn of events here.

Speaker 5 (19:42):
How significant, How big is having Zach Bogosian back. I mean,
he he had some beast to him in Winnipeg.

Speaker 4 (19:51):
Yeah, he was, He was good. He added some physicality,
you know, definitely rusty in the game in Pittsburgh and
and much much better in Winnipeg on I think, And
that's the element that he brings to this lineup and
why they won him in the lineup. You know, I
thought David Hunt came in and did a really good job,
you know, filling in. He had a couple of rough
games his last two, and Zach came back at a

(20:13):
perfect time, and he's added some physicality to this lineup.
But I think the biggest thing that's really changed is
just the overall play from their top four blue liners.
I mean, Spursion has been unreal, hasn't been scored on
at five and five in the last one hundred and
seventy five minutes. Favor is playing just tremendous hockey right now.
Middleton's been great, Brodean's been much much better, and you know,

(20:35):
and guys like Boyam just continue to get better. So
their overall blue line right now you know, I think
that they're getting probably overshadowed just because Volstad and Gustison
have been really the story of the league. But the
blue line has been tremendous.

Speaker 5 (20:49):
Now, after they beat the Jets, did they play down
beating Winnipeg for the first time in two plus years?

Speaker 3 (20:57):
I mean that that. I mean, it just doesn't ever happen.
That was big. Yeah, it was.

Speaker 4 (21:03):
Big, and you know what, I was impressed a like,
I know, you know, Jets fans were pointing out that
the Wild didn't you know that the Jets didn't have
Connry Hellibuck in the lineup, but the Wild didn't have
four injured players, including two of their top three centers
in Hartman and Rossi. So you know, it was a
heck of a win in a building that hasn't been
kind to them. Obviously, a long way to go in

(21:25):
this season. Winnipeg hasn't been nearly as good lately, and
obviously not having Hellibuck in the lineup is starting to
hurt them. But look, you can only play, you know,
that's the thing. I mean, how many times has Winnipeg
played the Wild in the last three years and they
haven't had crease off in the lineup, or Arabsinek in
the lineup, or their goalies in the lineup, or Middleton

(21:46):
or Spursion. It's been over and over again when the
Wild go into these division games completely shorthanded. And here
they were technically again with four missing players, and they
went out there and you know, in my mind dominated
the game. So you know, did they play it down?
I think that they that The one thing right now
with this team is that they're very confident in themselves.
They had a lot of time to talk about that

(22:07):
game after they got stuck in Winnipeg for about eight
hours after the game, I because of a problem that
they're playing, and didn't get home till three am from
an afternoon game. But you know, right now they're they're
in Chicago and looking forward to tonight's game.

Speaker 6 (22:21):
If you're if you're looking at little morsels or clues
or hints, mister Russo, can it be games like that?
From the standpoint that, I mean, you know, as much
as you follow this team in this league, I mean,
what's what's a broken record? Been been the last couple
of seasons. They'll beat on the bad teams and then
they're always losing to the Dallas squads, the Vegas squads,

(22:43):
the Avs of course, mattin Ay on Friday, looking forward
to that in Winnipeg and nearly two years, as we
talked about, like if you're looking for signs in terms
of steps forward for the state of hockey, beating these
teams means so much in the grand scheme.

Speaker 4 (22:57):
Absolutely, and they are. They've been in a stretch of
beating really good teams. Have They beat Vegas, they beat Carolina,
they beat Anaheim, and obviously the other night against Winnipeg.
So look, I mean Colorado, they want to look past
Chicago tonight here here in Chicago. But but the Colorado
game is obviously going to be a big test. That
team is rocking and rolling there. They've won nine in

(23:19):
a row. But but you're right, I mean, how many
times in the last couple of years have we said
that every time in the Wild played Dallas or Winnipeg
or Colorado, that they are really genuine, genuine generally any
playoff team north of them in the standings they just
don't play well against them, or at least don't have
the two points at the end of the night. So

(23:40):
you're right, I mean, the fact that they're beating these
teams right now. It says a lot. The fact that
they're defending is as well as they've been. You know,
it's just ridiculous the number of shutouts that they've already
had here, especially in the last little stretch here for
the last seven games. So they are just playing a
terrific hockey right now.

Speaker 6 (23:58):
You mentioned, you know, at the store of the league
might be Gus Boss in Volstad. How difficult can it
be when and Gus it's almost like by way of competition,
Gus Buss after a tough October has been terrific this
last month or several weeks as well, So that's awesome
this tandem. How difficult is it for Hines to manage
two heaters between the pipes on a game by game basis.

Speaker 4 (24:22):
I don't think it's difficult at all. He just I
think he feels confident every throws in there. I mean,
look tonight, if in Chicago, this could be the fourth
time this season of the five shutouts. So we see
the goalie that got the shutout the game before doesn't
start the next game. When does that ever happen? In
the NHL, in a superstitious league, he usually always start
the goalie that got the shutout the night before. But
Hines has almost set the precedent now where he's willing

(24:45):
to do this and rotate these two and as long
as they're both playing well, I think that's the way
to manage it. Especially in such a condensed season. One
of these two goalies will be in the Olympics, so
Gus has a lot of great you know a lot
of games ahead of him. So I think it's huge
for him if he could, you know, get rest at times,
and in a league where everybody's getting hurt, play them

(25:06):
both if they're both willing to you know, continue to
if they're both able to continue to win games. And
what I like about Gus's attitude is he basically says
it that the competition that jesspervalstad Is is providing him
is putting him in a position where he knows if
he doesn't play well, he's not going to get the net.
So I think that's great, healthy internal competition. And right now,

(25:27):
both these goalies have been delivering a big time.

Speaker 5 (25:30):
I mean, they're absolutely in a roundabout way making each
other better. I mean even casuals can figure that out.
From afar, it's it's kind of like the hold my
beer situation right.

Speaker 4 (25:42):
Absolutely, and and you know we're seeing that. I mean,
you know, I remember the game in Pittsburgh. You know,
when I announced that Gusson was starting that game, you know,
fans were freaking out why Hines would change it. And
and then guss goes out there and gets a shutout himself.
And obviously he wasn't tested a ton because as we mentioned,
the team is defending really well. But then Volstadt follows
up that shut out but going out and shutting out Winnipeg.

(26:04):
So it's it's just been tremendous to watch, you know.
And and now the entire team is playing well. You know,
Zucurello hasn't had hasn't been in the lineup for a
regulation loss. And since he's been back, Caprisoff is playing
absolutely his best hockey this season. Same thing with Boldie
that Eric'sinek Johansson. Boldie line continues to every single night
shut down the opposing stars of other teams. They'll have

(26:27):
a big task tonight, obviously on the road against Connor Bedard,
who has been tremendous this season. But right now this
team is you know, they're getting incredible play from Felino
and Trenion right now. So they are just really this
is as good as we've seen them play in a
long long time.

Speaker 6 (26:43):
How's the how's the kid doing? How's year off coming along?
I mean there kind of some conversation to that game
where he got to play on the first line with
the big timers. But but how is he doing? I
think six points in his eighteen games.

Speaker 4 (26:56):
Yeah, he's doing great, Nordo. You know, he's been on
the top line line for the last three games. He's
chipped in a couple of goals. Although the goals the
other night was he played with it. You know, it
was a partial change for Caprice and Zukerl hadn't gotten
on the ice yet, so he was with his old
two line mates and Trenyon and Felino and training and
set him up for the goal. But you know what
I love about the kid is he doesn't change his game.

(27:17):
He's so solid and dependable on the on the on
the you know, defensive side of the park. He competes
his butt off his board battles continue to get better.
I think he's just going to be a really, really
good hockey player. I still don't know how how simple
points will come to him. It's obviously going to depend
on where he winds up eventually landing full time in

(27:38):
the lineup. But right now, I mean, if you have
him as a middle sixth center on this team long
term in the in the future, I think that's going
to be a heck of a win for the Wild
with that draft pick. And so I just continue to
be impressed with what this kid brings. He speaks very
little English, yet he's mature above his his years, and
I just can't wait to watch him mature over the

(27:59):
next two or three years and just see him as
he gets more comfortable in this country off the ice
what that helps in terms of on the ice. His
kids lived in a hotel now for three months a
bench basically, and still has not been told they can
go get an apartment. At some point, I think his
agent's going to probably have to step in and tell
Bill Garin, you know, there is a time limit that

(28:21):
you could keep a guy in a hotel. At some
point they're gonna have to let him, let him move
out of the out of uh. I don't want to
say where he's staying out of his hotel.

Speaker 5 (28:30):
Yeah, but I mean you know, living in a hotel
for for that long and having somebody else playing your
room and do your sheets every single day.

Speaker 3 (28:36):
I mean that's I'm giving thanks for.

Speaker 4 (28:38):
That, but you know what, like yeah, but you know
what he's not getting, Like I'll just give the brand
of hotel. I was trying to explain to him the
other day what Marriott points are and he doesn't have
a Marriott number. I mean, just think of the number
of free nights you would have this offseason if he
just during the during the Olympics you go off to
the you know some to Hawaii for two weeks and

(28:59):
have Marriott paid for his room. But right now he
doesn't have a Marriott number.

Speaker 3 (29:03):
You could share some points.

Speaker 4 (29:06):
You could do it retroactively. You'll get a Marriott number
and give it to the hotel and get points man.

Speaker 5 (29:11):
Or you could share some points with him for all
the great did bits he gives you thanksgiving gesture.

Speaker 3 (29:16):
No, let's not, let's not go too far brusso radio.

Speaker 5 (29:21):
What's U If there's a common thread, you'll unveil it.
But what's leading to all of these shorties?

Speaker 4 (29:30):
Well, I mean their penalty kill has been just outstanding
here the last month of the Season's shocking to say
that for this organization that has really struggled on that
department for a while. But I think a lot of
it is the fact that there's just been one a
lot more aggressive. But it put you're adding skill guys
to this lineup. I mean, obviously Rossi's hurt right now,
but Rossi's been on the penalty kill this year. Boldie's

(29:51):
been on the penalty kill this year. And I just
think when you have really good offensive players, like a
lot of teams have done for a long time in
the league, and the Wild have never seemed to do.
I think that they just generally anticipate plays that opposing
really good players are going to make. And a perfect
example is Boldie's first career shorthanded goal the other night
against Carolina. He anticipated that path by a great player

(30:12):
in Sebastianajo, picks it off and scores the breakaway goal.
We saw a favor the other night. They cod an
incredibly good defensive player in his own zone to spur
that odd man rush and then he joins the fray
and scores the big goal. So I think that's part
of it is that they've been more aggressive. I think
they they're using you know, more skilled players in that area,
and right now they just are completely on the same

(30:34):
page and they're getting they're getting saves too. I mean,
I know that we're making a big deal because they've
got a couple shorthanded goals in the last three games,
but most importantly their penalty kills having around ninety percent
this month, and it's just, you know, it's just a
perfect example of how every single thing about this team
has flipped completely upside down from what we saw in October.

(30:56):
It looked like this team was going to, you know,
wind up with a lottery pick. Now they're they've they've
climbed up to the tenth best points percentage in the
National Hockey League going into tonight's game in Chicago, Time.

Speaker 3 (31:07):
For two more Heinz.

Speaker 5 (31:08):
He told us yesterday, ericson K is playing at his
high highest level of the season. I mean, he really
really threw some flowers his way. What are you seeing
with ericson K.

Speaker 4 (31:19):
Yeah, he's just been unbelievable. You look at the the
analytics of what he is doing to the opposing top
players the team every single night. It's truly remarkable. The
way he's shutting down every single game the top line
of the other thing. And it's not just him, Boldy
and Johansson are part of that. He's winning key draws.
Now he leaves the league in face off wins and

(31:40):
face off faceoffs taken. So that's huge too, is that
you know he's he's they're starting with the puck and
when you're obviously in the offensive zone, that's the best
way to defend the top line. So he's been just tremendous.
I mean, you ask any any the amount of respect
he's hated by opposing players, but it's because of how
much they respect him they hate going up against them.

(32:03):
It's the way the way opposing players talk about Eric
Sanak is the way they used to talk to me
about Nko Koivu. Nobody likes to go up against him.
He's just an absolute competitor on the ice. And you know,
from a work ethics standpoint, there's a few guys in
the league that work harder than Eric Sinak. So he
has just been playing elite elite hockey lately.

Speaker 6 (32:22):
Non non wild specific question. But they are in Chicago tonight,
so I'm sure you saw the news and followed it
loosely Mason West Blackhawks draft pick winning a football state
title with a Dina.

Speaker 3 (32:34):
I'm just curious.

Speaker 6 (32:34):
I mean, you know, into the draft, first round pick,
you know, the the idea of him letting teams know like, hey,
I want to play football and finish this out with
my guys before I transition to every day I'm at
the rink.

Speaker 3 (32:46):
I mean, just the time you've spent covering the sport.

Speaker 6 (32:48):
Like, how unique is that moment where teams kind of
got to loosen the reins or maybe that alters the
way that they view a prospect when choosing in the draft.
Just kind of Mason West and and you know, the
black hole giving him that leeway to go play football
before he he puts the puck on on front of brain.

Speaker 4 (33:07):
Yeah, he's he Well, first of all, he's just tremendous kid,
a tremendous athlete obviously, you know, and he's about to
go play junior hockey and and look, the one reason
why he probably was drafted at the end of the
first round is that teams were not comfortable with him
playing another football season and trying to capture his dreams
of leading a Dinast to a state title in football,
which he achieved remarkably and now you know he still

(33:30):
is is making it very clear that that hockey is
his future. But it will be interesting if he if
he makes it big for the black Hawks, there are
gonna be a lot of teams regretting letting that slip.
And it was all because of a dinosaur mentality where
they just were all concerned that he wanted, that he
was caring too much about football or or you know,
worried about injuries or something like that. And and you know,

(33:52):
the Blackhawks where he took a gamble at the end
of the first round, took him and and they might
wind up being the team that that that really you know,
it's gonna be thanking their lucky star as they did that.
So I'm happy for the kid. I got to talk
to him a couple of weeks ago from my Josh
Harding story because Josh coaches him at a Dinah Josh
Ashley even though he's a goalie, he changes the forwards

(34:14):
there and coaches the forward. So Mason was, you know,
outstanding talking to me for that feature I wrote on Herds.
And I'm really excited for the kid because he seems
like just an absolutely awesome kid with a with a
real bright future in the sport of hockey, which I'm
excited excited about that he's switching over to the sport
full time.

Speaker 5 (34:33):
Have a great Thanksgiving Michael, safe travels. Enjoy the game tonight.

Speaker 1 (34:36):
Man.

Speaker 3 (34:36):
We appreciate you.

Speaker 4 (34:37):
You two guys.

Speaker 5 (34:39):
See you, Bud Russo Happy Radio. That is Michael Russo
out of Russo Hockey, the Athletic and the Athletic dot
Com go wild taking on Connor Bedard and one day
Mason West and the Chicago Blackhawks.

Speaker 3 (34:55):
Seven thirty puck drop f M one hundred point three.

Speaker 5 (34:58):
K f am back to OKC to chat about this
life changer tonight against the Thunder for the hol and
Alan Horton, who calls games on radio but also does
the simulcast radio and TV.

Speaker 3 (35:11):
I will talk to the Vox after this.

Speaker 5 (35:23):
Fuck Alan Horton that Wolves radio via X follow him
if you are so inclined. He'll be on the microphone
or microphone zah this evening for the Wolves and OKC.

Speaker 3 (35:36):
Alan.

Speaker 5 (35:37):
It's Paul Allen with Nordo by my side. How have
you been, Vox, I have been good.

Speaker 2 (35:43):
It's good to catch up with you guys. It's been
a minute.

Speaker 5 (35:46):
Likewise, and radio or TV and radio tonight, what's the play?

Speaker 2 (35:51):
It is radio only tonight, as ESPN is in the
house and they've got the exclusive tonight, so there's no
fan duel Sports network, uh television cast and so it's uh,
it's k fan all.

Speaker 3 (36:04):
The way tonight.

Speaker 5 (36:05):
Is Is this your first season? Is this the first
time you've done a simulcast?

Speaker 2 (36:11):
Yes?

Speaker 7 (36:12):
How because we only did the one one TV game
last year and you did you did the radio for
that one, and then uh, yeah, everything happened so late
in the season and it was difficult to figure out
what Michael Grady was doing with his national stuff, and
so by the time we got to media day, that's
that's really when we kind of hammered things out. And
it was so late in the season that they kind
of decided to go the route of of doing the

(36:34):
simulcast and putting me and Jim Peterson on on both
airways TV and radio.

Speaker 5 (36:39):
So as a play by play guy, how do you
balance it for the TV watchers along with the radio listeners.

Speaker 7 (36:47):
Well, you know, it's it's a TV broadcast, it's being
simulcast on radio. I have I have not really tried
to thread that needle because it's it's almost impossible to do.
It's why the NBA went away from some cast back
in the you know, I was in Seattle. I actually
got hired in Seattle with the Sonics and Storm because
Kevin Collabor, who was the fine broadcast for the Sonics

(37:09):
at the time now he's the Trailblazer's TV voice. He
was the last one to do a simulcast and the league,
you know, really wanted to separate the two because you
really can't serve both mediums. And so when he moved
to TV, that opened up an opportunity on radio. I
wasn't to play by play voice, but I came in
and ran the network and got my opportunity for one
year in Seattle before moving to Minnesota. So you know

(37:31):
that that I'm a big fan of opening things up
and giving people opportunities. And we'll see how it goes
going forward. You know, who knows if there might be
a change going next season.

Speaker 5 (37:41):
Cal soder Quiz still runs radio, right, It sure does
if if you want to tease him. Because I've done
Viking's preseason games in simulcast form for about, yeah, about
thirteen to fifteen years and I know what you're talking
about when it's like, you know, you got one person
in your ear about over describing, another person in your
ear about underdescribing and stuff like that. So once you

(38:05):
get past that, you probably are if you want to
start teasing like Calus Soderquist, you know, he'll mention to
you something about description or lack thereof, and then you
just go Randall Edwards, Oh and.

Speaker 3 (38:21):
The rout radio people being going like what happened?

Speaker 2 (38:24):
Yeah, what happened there? What side of the floor are
we on?

Speaker 3 (38:26):
What?

Speaker 2 (38:27):
Who passed to who? What was the ball movements?

Speaker 7 (38:30):
It's definitely different, and those two mediums have grown further
away I think through time, and so it's uh, but
it is definitely a first and foremost a TV broadcast.
That's that's your biggest audience. That's you know, that's where
that's where your bread gets buttered. I mean, that's let's
let's face it. TV money is the is the is
the driving force in sports, and so the TV broadcast

(38:50):
has to come first, unfortunately at the expense sometimes of
the radio.

Speaker 5 (38:53):
When when when doing T Wolve's TV, Uh, do you
guys get better seats than if calling it just for radio?

Speaker 1 (39:01):
We do.

Speaker 2 (39:01):
Generally, we do.

Speaker 7 (39:02):
Where it's been nice to sit you know, second row,
sometimes sometimes front row and have a have a better
seat for the broadcast, you do run into more interference
with all the players checking in. You know, back in
the day when we grew up watching the NBA PA,
it was you know, all those guys who used to
squat down to the scores table. They were they were
very considerate and they would, you know, not block your view.

(39:25):
Now it's like a wall of humanity. When three guys
are checking in from one team, three guys from the
other team. There's a bunch of ball boys there that
are collecting jerseys and stuff. The coaches are up, the
referees are up, and so sometimes even though you've got
a great seat, you're completely boxed out, which is the
reason why on national TV games you'll see that the
broadcast team is that the other they're on the other

(39:45):
side of the floor, so they're not obstructed with all
those kind of things.

Speaker 2 (39:48):
They get a much cleaner view.

Speaker 5 (39:50):
I And it's it's interesting you mentioned that because like
I'm I'm gonna, I'm gonna deliver a stray of kindness
the way of Karl Anthony Towns. I was watching the
Nicks and the Nets the other night, and H and
I was watching the New York Feed, the YES Feed
with Mike Breen and Clyde and Walt Clyde, wal Fraser,

(40:11):
the Glide. Clyde the Glyde and Karl Anthony Towns took
a bad spill and then he left and he was okay.
So he came back and they're calling the game and
Cat's standing right in front of him, and then Glide
like jokes about it or mentioned something, and Carl turned
around and looked and almost was like, oh, I'm sorry,
my bad, and he went down to a knee.

Speaker 2 (40:34):
That's fantastic.

Speaker 7 (40:35):
Yeah, it's uh yeah, some of the guys still do it.
And I think when you see when you see someone
of the caliber of Walt Clyde Fraser, you're just a
cat knows the history, he grew up in New Jersey,
he knows what Clyde meant to the Knicks, and you know,
and you can't miss him too, because he's usually wearing
something pretty outrageous as far as his jacket and suit combination.

Speaker 1 (40:57):
He's he's always.

Speaker 7 (40:58):
Sharply dressed, but you always know he's there, not just
because he's almost, you know, a seven foot of there box.

Speaker 5 (41:04):
What do you think about tonight? SGA has come up questionable?
It's an illness FINCHI joined fifty minutes ago. He fully
expects Gildus Alexander to play.

Speaker 7 (41:13):
Yeah, probably, I mean you have to assume that he is.
This this team's an absolute jugger not He does not
look like they're hungover at all from last year's title run.
They're so dialed in. I mean, they've put that in
the past and they look just as determined as ever.
They haven't even played Jalen Williams yet, and so they
have they are deep. You know, we knew this was
going to happen. I think next year is the year

(41:36):
you'll see them have to cut some of their come
of their guys.

Speaker 2 (41:39):
I don't know if.

Speaker 7 (41:40):
Alex Caruso is still on this team. Isaiah Hartenstein, those
guys get really expensive next season when when chet Holmger's
contract check kicks in, so does Jalen Williams, then they
become you know that they've got to rely more on
their young guys. But the problem there is that they
have so many draft picks, and they draft so well,
and they've got so much of young guys that they

(42:01):
might be able to just plug and play some of
these guys. So it's an absolute uphill battle. It's you know,
it's but the Wolves did come in here. First off,
they beat us thunder twice in the regular season last year,
and one of them was an incredible twenty four point
comeback in the fourth quarter. So it's possible, and the
Wolves have done it. And so you know, there haven't
been too many road trips in which the Wolves that

(42:22):
have gotten swept. You have to go back three years
to see the last time the Wolves lost all three
games on a road trip of at least three games.
And so I think you're gonna see a much better
effort after what happened in Phoenix and in Sacramento tonight.

Speaker 6 (42:34):
Yeah, And that's that's where I was going to go
with it, Alan, I mean, it's it's absolutely a massive
step up in class. But this feels also like the
perfect opportunity for this thing to come together and in
somewhere some ways wash away the meltdowns that you saw
the previous two nights, right, Yeah, And.

Speaker 7 (42:52):
I think they've got to find they've got to find
a rhythm. It can't just be Ant scoring forty plus
points or Julius right there behind.

Speaker 2 (43:00):
It's got to be.

Speaker 7 (43:00):
It's got to be a team concept. It's got to
be a rhythm, a flow. You know, the Wolves offenses,
you know, while their defense has been on the rise
over the last seven eight games, their offense has gone
the other way after it was really good to start
the season. And I think down the stretch, you know,
you've got to The game gets sped up, the crowd
is going crazy, and you know, everything that could go

(43:21):
wrong has gone wrong for the Wolves the last two
games down the stretch, and it's easy to see why
when you're in that you're in that space, you're in
that arena, and like I said, the crowd is going crazy,
the game gets sped up. You're trying to do the
simple things, but everything becomes difficult and then it just
kind of snowballs from there. I just I just think
the Wolves have to be you have to be calm,

(43:42):
cool and collected. And now it's easier said than done,
but this team knows how.

Speaker 2 (43:46):
To do it.

Speaker 7 (43:46):
They've got some they've got the pieces to do it,
and it just they've got to.

Speaker 2 (43:50):
Put it all together.

Speaker 7 (43:51):
It's got to be more of a rhythm, because I
do feel like while Anthony Edwards has put up big numbers,
things have gotten out of think in the fourth quarter.
You've got to involve teammates.

Speaker 2 (44:00):
It's got to be.

Speaker 6 (44:01):
More of a balance with with Julius Randal and it's
tough coming off those two losses and you're mentioning the
rhythm and such. But with Julius, I know the statistical
apex may have been his second or third season with
the Knicks, but you got to watch it up close
and personal a year ago and now seeing it now,
there's just something different about Julius in totality. Thus far,

(44:21):
I think he's playing some of the best basketball of
his career.

Speaker 3 (44:23):
What have you noticed?

Speaker 7 (44:25):
Yeah, you can argue, look at the shooting numbers. I mean,
he's putting up career high numbers in field goal percentage
and well the three point numbers have dipped a little
bit last few games, he's still shooting it better than ever.
And so while I think two or three years ago
he averaged twenty five point one with New York, he's
at twenty four to two. Maybe cutting into tonight, but
I'd argue he's been better this year than that. Year

(44:47):
because he's got those shoot he's got on less shot
attempts too. He's taking about sixteen game instead of nineteen games.
So he's been super efficient. And his bullyball style that
we saw in the postseason last year has just it's
just trans played this year. And his shooting touch inside
is fantastic, and so it's been a really good start
to the season for him.

Speaker 5 (45:06):
Alan Horton radio and sometimes TV play by play voice
for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Fuck Wolves and OKC this evening.

Speaker 3 (45:14):
OKSE has one loss this year. Now. They blew a
twenty two point lead to.

Speaker 5 (45:18):
The Blazers a few weeks ago, and that's it. And
of the game is it's six point thirty this evening.
It's an NBA Cup game. Why from your standpoint, why
do the Wolves keep getting so sloppy in the late
stages of these recent losses.

Speaker 2 (45:34):
You know, I just think it's a little bit of
a mental fatigue down the stretch. Pa. It's just like
I said, the.

Speaker 7 (45:40):
Game gets sped up, and you've got to be at
your sharpest and at your best in those moments, and
you can't get away, you know, with little things, not
boxing out, making sure of a pass before you throw it.
It just it's it's the Wolves that just have not
been sharp in those moments, and the turnovers have really
been I think one of the biggest problems. They've got

(46:01):
the highest turnover rate and clutch time of any team
in the league. I mean, they're turning over fourteen times
now and you know, in a very small sample size
and only six clutch time games. So they're just those
those decisions have to be sharper in the game's biggest
moments because that feels everything, and a turnover is so much.

(46:24):
You know, you don't even get a shot at the rim,
so you don't even give yourself a chance to score.
You're just giving the opportunity to the other team to
score and giving them momentum and the process and then
it just snowballs from there. So to me, it just
stems from those turnovers and being physically and mentally sharp
down the stretch.

Speaker 5 (46:41):
Now, lastly, Jalen Clark and that perimeter defense. Like I'll
look at a game like tonight and I'm like, at
this stage of Jalen Clark Clark's career, Okay, nobody one
on one is going to shut down Shay Gil just Alexander,
but if you want to throw bodies at him, specifically
the big upper body and the strength of Jaalen Clark,
seems like it would be and maybe it'll happen. So

(47:02):
I didn't get a chance to see much of the
Sacramento game. His numbers came down.

Speaker 3 (47:06):
They're there.

Speaker 5 (47:07):
Yeah, he took a rough boul at the end of
the Phoenix game, I think, or one of those two games.
So like the the the maguration of Jalen Clark with
his calling card being defense, what what corner three is
an offense you get from him? I still look at
it as gravy, but Jalen Clark, what what are you
seeing with him?

Speaker 1 (47:28):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (47:28):
I think you know it's if you have to remember too,
he's only i mean only entered the rotation about midway
through last year, so he's only played really a year
of NBA basketball, and he's already shown.

Speaker 7 (47:38):
That he is one of the up and he's making
a name for himself. He's got a rep around the
league that you know his defense is his calling card. Yeah,
he came in late in that Sacramento game and fouled
someone before the ball had been inbounded, So that didn't
go well, but he didn't play as many minutes against Sacramento.
I think I still think I think with TJ. Shannon
back now, I think Chris Finch is still trying to

(47:59):
figure out kind of his rotations, and those become tough
when when when certain lineups aren't working together or certain
guys aren't going, you know, having a great night. But
he's got to be part of the plan going forward,
and he is. He'll he'll be a solid guy because
when you have Aunt and you've got Jayden, and you've
got Jalen Clark, and I still think TJ. Shannon is
going to be a big part of this team. And

(48:20):
I think defensively he can be you know, he can
be in that upper echelon group too.

Speaker 3 (48:25):
I think he's going to be.

Speaker 7 (48:26):
A bit, you know, a little bit bigger body, so
he gives you some options when you're facing an SGA,
you're facing a Luka Doncic. But Jalen Clark has to
be a part of things going forward. He's he's just
solid defensively, He's already got really good defensive metrics. I mean,
teams guys just don't shoot well against Jalen Clark.

Speaker 2 (48:42):
That's the bottom line. It's like Rudy inside.

Speaker 7 (48:44):
Guys just don't shoot well against Rudy, and that's that's
what you want. You want to force misses and even better,
like you know, you don't want guys shooting in the
first place. And that's what Rudy has done for his
entire career. The numbers are are are staggering this year.
When he's on the floor, teams I don't shoot in
the paint or at the rim.

Speaker 2 (49:02):
When he's off the floor, those numbers jump up through
the roof and jailing.

Speaker 7 (49:06):
Clark is doing similar type things, so he's going to
be a big part of things going forward.

Speaker 3 (49:10):
Happy Thanksgiving box call a good one tonight.

Speaker 7 (49:12):
All right, all right, guys, I appreciate the time. Yeah,
Happy Thanksgiving everybody out there. We'll see if we can
finish this road trip in style.

Speaker 5 (49:19):
Yes, sir against ok see, beating the best indeed would
personify finishing in style, by the way personifying thanks and
or giving or getting the gizzard. Don't forget we have
talkbacks about twenty minutes from now. Free iHeart audio app
things for which you give banks with your sports World,

(49:41):
the nine to noon Sports World did it yesterday delivering
strays of kindness. But on the other side of it
is what I'm calling the gross gizzard. You want to
deliver the gizzard to somebody or something or some entity,
You can do that too. We're going to run those
talkbacks in a marathon segment about ten twenty. You can
give banks strays of kindness and or give the gizzard.

(50:04):
But around the corner, Vike spits on KFA