The Wolves Den

Timberwolves 3-0. Vikings 6-0. Minnesota sports has never had two teams this hot at once. Hatim and Jeff break down the Wolves’ blowout win over the Raptors (no Kawhi, but Toronto still fought) and why this offense looks easier than it has in two decades.

In this episode:

• LaMelo’s foul trouble and his defense
• Jonathan Kuminga becoming the Aaron Gordon of this team
• The double drag action that’s unlocking Ant and LaMelo
• Week one numbers, including the #1 rebounding team in the NBA
• Rudy Gobert’s quiet offensive start
• Joan Beringer’s rookie growing pains
• Weekly awards: Player of the Week and Bench Player of the Week
• A look ahead at Cavs, Warriors, Clippers and Spurs (Wemby!)

• 02:06 – Immediate reaction to the Raptors game
• 04:06 – Kawhi out, LaMelo in foul trouble, Ayo’s bounce-back
• 06:08 – McDaniels and Kuminga: two seatbelts on the team
• 07:13 – Finch’s culture and LaMelo’s defense
• 08:25 – Kuminga deep dive: the Aaron Gordon role and the Warriors connection
• 13:55 – The core three’s points per game benchmark

• 17:29 – The Good: the easiest offense in two decades
• 20:16 – The double drag action explained
• 24:26 – Week one stats: Ant, LaMelo, McDaniels, team rankings
• 30:34 – Reactions: 59 rebounds a game and elite three-point shooting
• 34:23 – The Bad: turnovers and sloppy inbounds
• 36:47 – Is Rudy Gobert becoming a ghost on offense?
• 41:56 – The Ugly: Joan Beringer and the rookie big man debate
• 46:17 – The Good to end on: LaMelo is the real deal
• 48:15 – Wolves Den Weekly Awards: Player of the Week
• 51:28 – Bench Player of the Week (Trey Lyles vs. TSJ)
• 56:00 – Week ahead: Cavs, Warriors, Clippers, Spurs
• 1:01:40 – Halloween stakes and outro

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The Wolves are back, and the big question is whether they can survive their size problem. Hatim Qadri & Jeffrey Bissoy break down the end of preseason, preview Wednesday’s opener against Giannis and the Miami Heat, and lock in their full season predictions, including one very bold Finals pick.

In this episode:

⏱️ 00:00 – Welcome back. Sunset at 6:17, brunch plans, and the morning-sunlight tip that changed Jeff’s Minnesota winters
⏱️ 03:10 – Which Wolves player do YOU play like? Trenton Hassell, Anthony Tolliver, Thad Young, and a case for Tolliver’s aura
⏱️ 07:40 – Derrick Williams would eat in today’s NBA, plus the lost art of the tweener forward
⏱️ 09:33 – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of preseason: Kuminga's groove vs. Detroit, Cody Williams pushing for rotation minutes, and the Rocco Zikarsky question
⏱️ 16:40 – Who is the 9-man rotation? Trey Lyles vs. Rocco vs. the field
⏱️ 20:08 – The Ugly: Is there a Wemby stopper on this roster? The Rudy Gobert debate, and the fear that the depth behind him is Joan Beringer and nothing else
⏱️ 23:30 – Jalen Duren, the $300 million question, and a Dwight Howard comparison
⏱️ 24:30 – Miami Heat preview: Giannis, Bam, Portis, Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, and a clash of philosophies
⏱️ 30:24 – LaMelo’s chance to prove he can win, and how Chris Finch helps him against pressure
⏱️ 33:00 – Can LaMelo make All-NBA third team? Plus what a different Anthony Edwards looks like off the ball
⏱️ 36:13 – Game prediction: Jeff says Wolves by 10, Hatim says Heat. Who guards Giannis?
⏱️ 43:13 – “The Numbers Game”: why LaMelo and Ant must combine for 50 a night, and who has to supply the other 50
⏱️ 44:50 – Week 1 predictions: Miami, Orlando, and the home opener vs. Toronto
⏱️ 47:14 – Season record predictions: Hatim says 50-32 and the 4th seed, Jeff says 57-25 and the 3rd seed
⏱️ 50:34 – The bold Finals picks
⏱️ 58:09 – All-NBA predictions: does Ant finally make First Team, and does LaMelo crack the guard logjam?
⏱️ 1:01:01 – Lakers talk: is JJ Redick safe, and why the Wolves aren’t worried
⏱️ 1:04:10 – Closing thoughts: nervous, excited, and “Wolves back”

This week, hosts Hatim Qadri (@hatim_qadri) and Jeffrey Bissoy (@thejeffbissoy) open the show with the pressing question of whether it’s still cool to hold down the dance floor after 30 (it is), then get into three preseason games that made the Wolves look nothing like last year’s team.

The pair break down LaMelo Ball’s one-footed threes and swagger, the ball movement and alley-oops, and Jaden McDaniels’ potential breakout as the guy opponents can’t afford to hide a defender on. They also dig into the roster’s biggest worry: with Rudy Gobert, Jonathan Kuminga, rookie Joan Beringer, and Trey Lyles as the big-man group, can this team survive teams that want to go big and physical?

Then it’s on to Joan, who Jeff calls “baby Giannis” and Hatim compares to Dennis Rodman, along with a bold early trade-deadline take. The episode closes with a full assessment of Chris Finch: confidence ratings, his search for an identity, and the case for blaming roster construction rather than the coach.

Plus, what the barbershops are saying.

The pack is back, and so is the Den. In the very first episode of The Wolves Den, Hatim Qadri and Jeffrey Bissoy sit down to talk Media Week and everything it set in motion for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

First up: expectations for Anthony Edwards. The bar keeps rising, and the conversation is real. What does Ant need to do to turn the MVP hype into reality? Then they turn to LaMelo Ball: how he fits, what he brings to the table, and how he changes the way this team plays. And they dig into Jaden McDaniels and what it takes for him to make the leap to all-star level, and maybe even beyond.

Two friends, one team, and a season full of questions. This is where it starts.

Tune in, and follow along on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Catch the hosts at @hatim_qadri and @thejeffbissoy.