Ant drops 40 on Dallas, wins All-Star MVP, and then calls out Cade Cunningham — and the Wolves turn around and get smoked by the 76ers. Classic Wolves basketball. This week, Tom and Josh recap both post-All-Star break games, break down what Ant's All-Star MVP historically means for a player's future, and dig into the Wolves' brutal remaining schedule (third hardest in the league). Plus: Is Cade Cunningham really the best American basketball player in the NBA? And Beringer gets his first start! — which went about as well as you'd expect without Rudy and Naz.

We're halfway there and livin' on a prayer that this team figures it out in the second half.

The Wolves hit the All-Star break sitting 6th in the West despite having better talent than last year. What went wrong, and can they turn it around?

We break down Julius Randle's ridiculous All-Star snub (1000 pts, 250 rebs, 250 ast - only 7 players hit that, all All-Stars except him), recap the wild first-half storylines from continuity failures to Mike Conley's decline, and debate our expansion draft protection list.

Plus: Ayo Dosunmu's instant defensive impact, the Rob Dillingham saga, Baron Beringer's raw potential, Jaden McDaniels shooting 45% from three, and why Ant's "just waiting for the playoffs" quote defined the season's effort problems.

WHO WE'D PROTECT: Ant, Jaden, Naz, Ayo, DDV, Baron J, and two controversial choices.

Second half prediction: Can effort and consistency save this season, or is this just Timberwolves basketball?

The Wolves went 1-3 this week despite adding Ayo Dosunmu at the deadline. Tom and Josh break down the team's defensive collapse (29th ranked after being 2nd the week before), Finch's confusing response to Rudy's callout, and why Julius Randle continues to frustrate. Special guest Justin from JTalksHoops joins to give the Bulls fan perspective on Ayo and Julian Phillips - what the Wolves are really getting in this deal. Plus: trade deadline winners and losers, why dodging the Giannis trade might have been the right move, and whether Finch's job is on the line.

Drop us your thoughts at dadsanddunks.gmail.com

EMERGENCY POD! Tim Connelly made his moves at the trade deadline. The Wolves traded Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, and four second-round picks to acquire Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips from the Bulls. We break down why this is a HOWL, dive into Ayo's elite shooting stats (95th percentile from three!), discuss cap flexibility, and why we're glad we didn't mortgage the future for Giannis.

Full league-wide trade deadline breakdown coming Monday at 6am!

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Minnesota Timberwolves podcast: Complete breakdown of the team's 4-0 week defeating the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Memphis Grizzlies.

Episode highlights:

• Naz Reid's impact: +13 net rating, 10th in NBA in made threes since December 1st
• Jaden McDaniels shooting 44.5% from three - All-Star trajectory?
• Anthony Edwards' clutch mid-range mastery
• Beating the Thunder: Defense and spacing win games

Giannis Antetokounmpo trade analysis: Should the Timberwolves give up Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, Julius Randle, and draft picks for the injury-prone superstar? We break down the pros, cons, and what it means for Minnesota's championship window.

Plus: 65-game award rule debate, next week predictions (Grizzlies, Raptors, Pelicans, Clippers).

Listener note: If you need a full break from the weight of the world right now, feel free to skip the first five minutes of this episode. We open by addressing the Timberwolves game postponement, why it happened, and how the ongoing ICE presence and violence in our community is affecting families, kids, and the city as a whole. We didn’t feel it would be honest or authentic to move straight into basketball without naming what’s happening around us.

After that, we pivot to Wolves basketball.

The Timberwolves drop three more games and extend their losing streak to five, with ugly losses to the Jazz and Bulls and a flat, heavy-energy blowout against Golden State. We break down what’s going wrong, why the Warriors loss gets a pass, and why the Chicago and Utah losses absolutely do not.

We dig into lineup questions, defensive breakdowns, and why the Wolves continue to let hot players cook without adjusting. We talk Beringer minutes (or lack thereof), Rob Dillingham’s disappearing act, Mike Conley’s shooting cliff, and why the “veteran calm” argument is wearing thin when the losses keep piling up.

In Stat Chat, the numbers slide as Minnesota tumbles in weekly net rating, then we look ahead to a brutal four-game stretch against Golden State, Dallas, OKC, and Memphis and make our predictions.

We close with an easy Howl or Foul: Anthony Edwards should be an All-Star starter. We rank the top players in the Western Conference, make the case for Ant as a top-five player, and talk legacy picks, defense, clutch play, and why Ant still doesn’t get the superstar whistle.

Helping the Pack highlights StandWithMinnesota.com, a hub for supporting Minnesota families through food access, rent relief, mutual aid, and volunteer opportunities.

As always: Go Wolves.

The Wolves go 1–2 this week, and somehow we still feel good about it. We break down the full week: a 139–106 stomp of the Bucks, a sloppy 110–105 loss to the Rockets without Ant, and an all-time fun 126–123 comeback loss to the Spurs featuring Anthony Edwards’ 55 points and a nuclear fourth quarter.

We also dig into the feel-good story of Joan Beringer earning real rotation minutes (and why Finch’s rotations have fans losing it), plus the Wolves’ bench scoring problem and what this team still needs for a deep run.

In Stat Chat, we talk team rankings and the wild stat of the month: Donte DiVincenzo leading the NBA in plus-minus since January 1 — and what he’s doing that matters even when the shot isn’t fully falling.

We close with One Big Thing: the passing of the torch (Ant vs Wemby vibes, and who what young stars to watch), Howl or Foul on Beringer's role even after Rudy returns, and Helping the Pack + a community care shoutout (Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee food card fundraiser).

Next up: Jazz, Bulls, Warriors. Tom and Josh both say 3–0.
Follow/subscribe for weekly Wolves talk every Monday at 6 a.m. Go Wolves.

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The Wolves had a big week: they blew out the Heat 122–94, beat the Cavs 131–122, got outscored in the Cavs rematch 146–134, and then pulled off a monster 19-point comeback to beat the Spurs 104–103.

Ant continues to improve as a scorer and becomes the third-youngest player ever to reach 10,000 points (10K in the land of 10,000 lakes). We break down what’s changed in his game. The shot-making from all three levels, the footwork, and the way he’s getting to his spots.

We also hit the concerns: giving up 146 in regulation, bench scoring drying up, and the ongoing need for a steady clutch-time guard and more non-Rudy defensive minutes. Then we get into the Ja Morant rumor and explain why it’s a foul for both of us (Ja is bad). The fit, the availability, the contract, and what the Wolves really need.

Finally, we preview the road trip (Bucks, Rockets, Spurs), and close with Helping the Pack — this week supporting Neighborhood House in St. Paul. Go Wolves.