On the Feb. 8, 2023 episode of Minnesota Foul Play-by-play, NBA2K expert Joel Varriano speculates wildly about the Timberwolves’ Trade Deadline and offseason, we welcome Brian Flores to Minnesota, and talk AEW Dynamite.

Listen here or here…

Watch here.

What Will Wolves Do at the NBA Trade Deadline?

• NBA2K expert and Anthony’s favorite cousin, Joel, joins the show to talk about potential NBA Trade Deadline moves
  • Brooklyn is still interested in Naz Reid
    • Has been in talks regarding a contract extension
    • So has D’Angelo Russell and Jaylen Nowell
  • Why trade Reid or Nowell?
    • Reid is really starting to look good
    • Can’t trade KAT?
• Joel speculates wildly…
  • Celtics’ Payton Pritchard for Nowell and a second-round pick
  • Thunder’s Kenrich Williams for Nowell
  • Warriors’ Patrick Baldwin, Jr. for Nowell
  • 76ers’ Matisse Thybulle and a second-rounder for Nowell and Reid
  • Clippers’ Norman Powell and Luke Kennard or Robert Covington for Russell
  • Clippers’ Nicolas Batum and Luke Kennard or Robert Covington for Russell
  • Clippers’ Reggie Jackson and Luke Kennard or Robert Covington for Russell
  • Wizards’ Monte Morris, Johnny Davis, Will Barton, and Kendrick Nunn for Russell, Nowell, Bryn Forbes, and Austin Rivers
  • Magic’s Jonathan Isaac, Markelle Fultz, and two second-round picks for Russell and Nowell
• Offseason moves…
  • Karl-Anthony Towns for Hawks’ Trae Young in the offseason
  • Karl-Anthony Towns sign and trade for Blazers’ Jerami Grant and picks
  • Karl-Anthony Towns for LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward
  • Towns and Russell sing and trade for Fred Van Vleet and Pascal Siakam

Vikings Hire Brian Flores as Defensive Coordinator

• Anthony’s back on the bandwagon
  • Got the man we wanted
  • Only thing better would be signing Colin Kaepernick
• What we can expect
  • 3-4, but more aggressive, especially in nickel and dime (Source: K.T. Smith)
    • In 2021, the Dolphins played over 50% of their defensive snaps in cover-0 or cover-1. They often paired these coverages with a “Mug” look at the line of scrimmage, where they created a +1 advantage by loading it with potential rushers and then forcing offenses to decide who was coming and who was falling into coverage. This created confusion in their protection schemes, leading to blitzers running free at the quarterback.
  • Harrison Smith will lineup in the box more often (Source: Matthew Coller)
    • Flores wasn’t afraid to use his safeties more aggressively than the Donatell system, which only put Harrison Smith up in the box around 40% of the time. Miami’s Eric Rowe lined up in the box or in the slot around 60% of snaps. Flores liked to turn all of his safeties loose on blitzes, with safeties racking up 133 pass rushes in 2020. That’s a huge difference from the 2022 Vikings, which saw a grand total of 18 pass rushes from safeties.
    • Exactly what the Vikings need

Anthony’s AEW Wrestling Wednesday 

• The Garcia-Guevara Gauntlet
  • Will Ricky Starks get another shot at Jericho? He’ll have to go through Cool Hand Angelo Parker, Daddy Magic Matt Menard, and either Danny Garcia or Sammy Guevara to do so.
  • I’ll just say we need more gauntlet matches.
• Rush vs. Bryan Danielson in yet another AEW World Championship Eliminator match
  • Will Danielson survive to face MJF for the title despite his injuries? You better believe it!
• Jamie Hayter vs. The Bunny in an AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator match
  • Love me some Bunny, but Hayter’s hunting wabbits according to her Insta, and she’s no Elmer Fudd. 
• The Acclaimed put the AEW Tag Team Titles on the line against The Gunns
  • Will this be the end of The Acclaimed’s reign? It better not.
• The Elite vs. Top Flight and AR Fox for the AEW World Trios Championship
  • Will it be yet another match in which Top Flight performs beautifully only to lose? Probably, but that doesn’t mean it ain’t must-see TV.

Editor’s Note: Upon completing this recording, the Los Angeles Lakers traded Mike Conley and draft picks to the Timberwolves for D’Angelo Russell.