FNG wrote:Tough to celebrate D'Angelo's great game last night when we're in a dogfight with the Lakers, but it's also impossible to ignore, as he had one of those 4th quarter explosions that we loved when we benefitted from them. The other TimberLakers were terrible ( a combined -31 with 6 turnovers!), but DLo won the game with a brilliant 4th quarter. He was the only starter with a positive +/-, 15 points better than the next best starter. If this becomes a regular thing, we will know the Wolves are clearly cursed!
It won't become a regular thing. But I'll add that DLO was consistently productive offensively this season. DLO will have some terrific games with the Lakers the rest of this season, carrying his team offensively just like a lot of games he had here. For some, that will feed the myth that players leave Minnesota and suddenly become great. There are examples of players doing well after they leave the Wolves, but it's not the result of a curse or some inexplicable cosmic force. It's simply a matter of bad Wolves front office executives who give up good players too soon or bad coaches who do a poor job of developing young players or not using them well.
Billups is the only former Wolves player who went on to become great. McHale and Flip knew he was good, but Flip refused to give Billups a shot at starting over Brandon so Billups bolted. If you look back at his stats his last season here, Billups was performing well. At a season ticket-holder gathering back then, McHale told us that Billups was dominating in practice and he said that was typically it's only a matter of time before that sort of practice performance shows itself in games. Yet, the Wolves let him go because Flip wanted go with the old vet, Terrell Brandon. The Wolves let Tyus Jones walk even though he was already performing well here. Wiggins had one really good season after leaving here, but he was a third wheel among championship teammates. The Wolves coaches continued to treat Wiggins as the #1 guy, which is understandable given his talent and draft position, but it was clear early on that he didn't have the ball skills or the temperament to assume that role.
Now we'll get to watch the development and success of Kessler and Vanderbilt. Not a curse. Just another set of bad front office decisions. And on those nights when DLO carries the Lakers offensively the rest of this season, we'll miss DLO as well. On those nights when his shot's not falling and he's turning the ball over, some will say they're glad he's gone.
