Wolves vs Wiz GDT

[FloriDuh [enjin:13427829]]

If we can put a man on the moon and a rover on Mars, we certainly have the capability to put Edwards at PG.

Edwards slides to the starting PG position (ala Wiggins PG experiment). Add McDaniels to the SF position starting lineup, then all problems solved.

Timberwolves Death Star is fully operational.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

We sure as shit wouldn't have gone 1-9 since Karl-Anthony Towns returned if D'Angelo Russell would have been healthy. And that's while acknowledging Ricky Rubio had a couple of really nice games over that stretch.

OK, may be 2-8 with DLO. Yay.

Now even McLaughlin is underachieving. DLO, Rubio, and McLaughlin have all regressed this season. Our point guard play sucks, plain and simple.

Considering a lot of those games were close losses in which the shot-making just wasn't there late for Minnesota, especially in the games that went into overtime, I'm thinking they go 4-6 or 5-5 over that span, which is a far cry from the 1-9 that they did go.

But my comment was targeted towards those that believe the team is worse with D-Lo than without. That's a folly.

As long as there are those who believe the the Wolves could have been closer to .500 with another coach other than Saunders... and close to .500 in this stretch with DLO other than Rubio...

... Rosas is smiling nervously and wiping his brow in relief. Having the league's worst record doesn't happen by accident or because of Russell missing a few games. The Wolves have the worst point differential. The 27th best offense... 23rd best defense.

They are a terrible team. Poorly constructed. With at least a 60% chance of more of the same next year.

But by all means... let's quibble about a few coaching decisions. Or, which overpriced PG is less disastrous of a pickup.

Lest we forget that I pegged this team to go 32-40 before the season started, and that was assuming Minnesota was blessed with good health and a competent Ricky Rubio -- both of which we have not received this season. So, I'm well aware that this team had more issues than Ryan Saunders before the losses piled up. I've also said that I don't believe Gersson Rosas is the right executive to lead this franchise back to the playoffs and beyond despite liking a few of the transactions he's made in his short tenure here.

They are a terrible team. But they are a terrible team that should be much less terrible or even decent with a few simple tweaks. That requires the front office to stray from their vision of replicating the Houston Rockets and instead start utilizing the talent they do have to their fullest capabilities and adding supporting pieces around that.

[AbeVigodaLive]

We sure as shit wouldn't have gone 1-9 since Karl-Anthony Towns returned if D'Angelo Russell would have been healthy. And that's while acknowledging Ricky Rubio had a couple of really nice games over that stretch.

OK, may be 2-8 with DLO. Yay.

Now even McLaughlin is underachieving. DLO, Rubio, and McLaughlin have all regressed this season. Our point guard play sucks, plain and simple.

Considering a lot of those games were close losses in which the shot-making just wasn't there late for Minnesota, especially in the games that went into overtime, I'm thinking they go 4-6 or 5-5 over that span, which is a far cry from the 1-9 that they did go.

But my comment was targeted towards those that believe the team is worse with D-Lo than without. That's a folly.

As long as there are those who believe the the Wolves could have been closer to .500 with another coach other than Saunders... and close to .500 in this stretch with DLO other than Rubio...

... Rosas is smiling nervously and wiping his brow in relief. Having the league's worst record doesn't happen by accident or because of Russell missing a few games. The Wolves have the worst point differential. The 27th best offense... 23rd best defense.

They are a terrible team. Poorly constructed. With at least a 60% chance of more of the same next year.

But by all means... let's quibble about a few coaching decisions. Or, which overpriced PG is less disastrous of a pickup.

Lest we forget that I pegged this team to go 32-40 before the season started, and that was assuming Minnesota was blessed with good health and a competent Ricky Rubio -- both of which we have not received this season. So, I'm well aware that this team had more issues than Ryan Saunders before the losses piled up. I've also said that I don't believe Gersson Rosas is the right executive to lead this franchise back to the playoffs and beyond despite liking a few of the transactions he's made in his short tenure here.

They are a terrible team. But they are a terrible team that should be much less terrible or even decent with a few simple tweaks. That requires the front office to stray from their vision of replicating the Houston Rockets and instead start utilizing the talent they do have to their fullest capabilities and adding supporting pieces around that.

To be fair... I'm not talking about preseason predictions. I'm talking about people saying the Wolves could be (x) better with a different coach. Or, (x) better with Russell over Rubio... even over (x) number of games.

It's all irrelevant.

It's still a shitty team performing well below expectations... even those who predicted a 32-40 season or whatever. Russell has been meh. Rubio has been worse. The coaching has been laughable.

And Rosas is the head of this sinking ship.

[Porckchop]

This team sucks becuz our prior first round picks haven't progressed at all.( Towns included) In fact they've regressed. No team improves when said talent doesn't either.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

This team sucks becuz our prior first round picks haven't progressed at all.( Towns included) In fact they've regressed. No team improves when said talent doesn't either.

True statement. Okogie and Culver have been disasters. Edwards, regardless of where he may end up eventually, has been a disaster this season in terms of impacting wins. Rubio, DLO, and KAT are all having down years. The one guy that has actually stepped up and is having a career best year is Malik Beasley.

Nowell, Reid, and Vando have all made strides forward from last year, but none of them are game-changers yet.

[Coolbreeze44]

I'm not going to say we are worse with DLO (I mean how much worse could we be?), but I have no problem saying he doesn't make us appreciably better. It's really 6's at this point. DLO adds competent shooting but slows the game down and hurts us defensively. I really don't think it matters who plays point guard for this roster.

[Lipoli390]

I'm not going to say we are worse with DLO (I mean how much worse could we be?), but I have no problem saying he doesn't make us appreciably better. It's really 6's at this point. DLO adds competent shooting but slows the game down and hurts us defensively. I really don't think it matters who plays point guard for this roster.

Absolutely right, Cool. And I honestly don't think there's much, if any, disagreement with your point. This is a poorly constructed roster and, thus, a very bad team. As Abe pointed out, this team is horrible by almost every meaningful statistical measure, in addition to the most obvious - won/loss record. I do agree with Cam that this team would be better if coached to play a style that fit the talent instead of the other way around. It's the classic square peg in the round hole. But Rosas is a pretty dim bulb who had this vision in his head about the way he wants the team to play. He obviously doesn't understand his own vision because he traded the farm for a guy, DLO, who doesn't fit the vision or style Rosas purportedly wants to play.

But no matter how you slice it, bottom line is that this is a really bad team. I don't have an answer for how to fix it. I do know it will take a really smart PBO to right this ship over the next couple years. Unfortunately, we don't have anything resembling a smart PBO right now.