News from the Orlando Bubble

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

This Miami-Boston game is a lot of fun to watch.

Tyler Herro should be a Timberwolf. I'm sick.

I was about to post the same thought. It's been painful watching Herro and Murray - two players the Wolves could and should have drafted. You were calling for the Wolves to draft both.

I still think Jarrett Culver will be an alright player, but it's wild to me that we have fans on this very forum, including myself, that seem as qualified if not even more qualified to make these personnel decisions. And oftentimes, we would have made better decisions without hindsight! That begs the question: why can't these front offices get it right?

[Lipoli390]

This Miami-Boston game is a lot of fun to watch.

Tyler Herro should be a Timberwolf. I'm sick.

I was about to post the same thought. It's been painful watching Herro and Murray - two players the Wolves could and should have drafted. You were calling for the Wolves to draft both.

I still think Jarrett Culver will be an alright player, but it's wild to me that we have fans on this very forum, including myself, that seem as qualified if not even more qualified to make these personnel decisions. And oftentimes, we would have made better decisions without hindsight! That begs the question: why can't these front offices get it right?

I hope you're right about Culver. Good NBA players tend to show a lot of improvement between their first and second season and often even more improvement between their second and third. So I'm fine being patient with both Culver and Okogie for another year or two.

You asked the right question. Why can't our front offices get it right? Is it bad scouts, bad front office judgment or a combination of the two. I have no idea. But it ultimately boils down to bad hires to head the organization's basketball operations. That head guy is responsible for hiring the scouts, aligning the scouting department with the front office decision-makers and making the final player personnel decision, including draft picks, trades and free agent signings. No other team in the League would have hired David Kahn to head their basketball ops. And I doubt any other team would have hired Flip or Tom Thibodeau to fill that position. Flip and Thibs had reputations as good head coaches, but there was no sign of interest around the League in either one to head their basketball ops. Glen Taylor has made poor hiring decisions. It's that simple.

I'm not sure about Rosas. I think he botched last year's draft. And when I listen to him talk about "system," "style of play," "philosophical alignment" and "doing our due diligence" it reminds me David Kahn. It's a lot of empty platitudes - sort of bureaucratic speak. I take some comfort in the Wolves undrafted free agent acquisitions last year. I liked the Beasley trade and I think the Russell trade was impressive even though I have my doubts about it. On the other hand, I thought the Alan Crabbe trade was ridiculous. So we'll see. We'll see what we have in Rosas by the start of next season. This year's draft and how he uses our considerable draft assets will be the key test for him in my view.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

It doesn't get much better than when iso ball stars get sent home early in the playoffs. Kawhi and PG dropping the big time -21 and -20 in an elimination game. Murray outscored them both and Jokic dished more dimes than both. I think a stat that shocks me even more is Kahwi and PG combined to shoot 1 free throw in this game. Just a lethal combination of not being able to hit shots, get to the line or elevate your teammates play to pick you up in the big moment. I'm looking forward to hearing all the BS tomorrow about how they didn't get enough help from their teammates when they both just played awful.

This is a great watch: https://twitter.com/pickuphoop/status/1306074874834825216?s=20

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

We're literally the worst-drafting team in sports history and therefore one of the losing-est franchises in sports history. It all starts with the draft, followed by lack of player development. And the scary part is that it transcends regimes. It doesn't seem to matter who is in charge of basketball operations - they make the wrong pick almost every. single. time. We can count on one hand the times they haven't.

[Lipoli390]

It doesn't get much better than when iso ball stars get sent home early in the playoffs. Kawhi and PG dropping the big time -21 and -20 in an elimination game. Murray outscored them both and Jokic dished more dimes than both. I think a stat that shocks me even more is Kahwi and PG combined to shoot 1 free throw in this game. Just a lethal combination of not being able to hit shots, get to the line or elevate your teammates play to pick you up in the big moment. I'm looking forward to hearing all the BS tomorrow about how they didn't get enough help from their teammates when they both just played awful.

This is a great watch: https://twitter.com/pickuphoop/status/1306074874834825216?s=20

Thanks for posting, Kahns. That was fun to watch. It would be even better if the Lakers had also been eliminated in the semi-finals. So one LA super-team is out; let's hope Denver can knock off the other one.

I love that three of the final four teams were build the old-fashioned way - from the ground up primarily with smart draft picks or undrafted free-agent signings.

After building their core through the draft, the Celtics got Kemba Walker in exchange for nothing more than Terry Rozier and a future 2nd round pick in a sign-and-trade. The Celtics had managed their cap situation well, which enabled them to take on Walker's contract. The Heat received Butler in exchange for Josh Richardson who the Heat adroitly drafted at #40 a couple years earlier. After building their core, the Nuggets acquired Jerami Grant in exchange for their 2020 first round pick. Importantly, the Nuggets were already a 54-win team when they traded their 1st round pick for Grant, so it was highly unlikely they were giving up anything close to a lottery pick. Moreover, the Nuggets had Houston's 2020 first round pick, which means they didn't take themselves entirely out of the 2020 first round.

Again, just smart management -- the kind of management you need if you're not the Lakers or even the Clippers where players like LeBron, Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard want to go. Interestingly, Miami is a destination, warm weather, franchise, but they still built their current final four team the old fashioned way.

[Porckchop]

If we're the worst drafting organization ( which we might be) what gives fans hope that trading down would ensure we hit on talent that ( on paper) is less blue chip.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

If we're the worst drafting organization ( which we might be) what gives fans hope that trading down would ensure we hit on talent that ( on paper) is less blue chip.

Because it's easier to take the disappointment of being wrong with the #8 pick versus being wrong with the #1 pick?

[Wolvesfan21]

If we're the worst drafting organization ( which we might be) what gives fans hope that trading down would ensure we hit on talent that ( on paper) is less blue chip.

More darts.

[thedoper]

If we're the worst drafting organization ( which we might be) what gives fans hope that trading down would ensure we hit on talent that ( on paper) is less blue chip.

Great point. I only want to trade down if we can land a legit starting wing or reasonably priced big to go next to KAT. Otherwise we use the 1.

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

LeBron is 10 games back of Derek Fisher for playoff games played (249). I thought James had a commanding lead as he's been in the finals seemingly every year since rejoining Cleveland. Wouldn't have guessed Fisher. Duncan 2 games ahead of James.