Next step

[Phenom]

I have become so jaded by this team in recent years. I have been in this since Marbury's rookie year and now feel as though I was spoiled with all the first round exits. I'd do just about anything to have that level of relevance again. At the time the 8 or so consecutive first round losses were really hard to deal with but there was a real reason for hope. Hope that the team would finally get that missing piece that KG needed. Anyway you all know the rest.

I know it is still such a cluster but I do feel like there are pieces here that could be part of the solution. First thing I would do is offer up Okogie for the best 1st round pick that they can get. I like Josh but his defense has not been leading to much success. He is next up to be paid and money is an issue.
The reality is that the horses that the team has attached the cart to will need to be better or its going nowhere anyway. I think there is a realistic chance that a playoff team with an established system could use Josh and offer up their pick.

I'd move Edwards into the starting lineup with DLO, KAT, Vandy and Malik. It'll be tough for Vandy and Okogie to coexist offensively but there's a chance Vandy (or someone in his mold) and Edwards can coexist defensively. The coaching staff just has to reach him. There is really no choice but to bank on that unless you want to trade him.

Then the bench can be Ricky, Jmac, Culver, Jaden and Naz. Ricky and Culver (and DLO for that matter) need to be on a shorter leash. Nowell can be next in line.

Layman, Davis, and Juancho can't play here anymore. Offer them to anyone for a second round pick. Give Vandy and McDaniels all the minutes they can handle and hope one rises.

I think there could be something with this group:
KAT, DLO, Beasley, Ant, McD, Jmac, NAZ and Vandy. Build around that. I like the energy and the tools there. Ryan probably won't be going anywhere until KAT can stay on the floor so that is for another day.

[AbeVigodaLive]

I have become so jaded by this team in recent years. I have been in this since Marbury's rookie year and now feel as though I was spoiled with all the first round exits. I'd do just about anything to have that level of relevance again. At the time the 8 or so consecutive first round losses were really hard to deal with but there was a real reason for hope. Hope that the team would finally get that missing piece that KG needed. Anyway you all know the rest.

I know it is still such a cluster but I do feel like there are pieces here that could be part of the solution. First thing I would do is offer up Okogie for the best 1st round pick that they can get. I like Josh but his defense has not been leading to much success. He is next up to be paid and money is an issue.
The reality is that the horses that the team has attached the cart to will need to be better or its going nowhere anyway. I think there is a realistic chance that a playoff team with an established system could use Josh and offer up their pick.

I'd move Edwards into the starting lineup with DLO, KAT, Vandy and Malik. It'll be tough for Vandy and Okogie to coexist offensively but there's a chance Vandy (or someone in his mold) and Edwards can coexist defensively. The coaching staff just has to reach him. There is really no choice but to bank on that unless you want to trade him.

Then the bench can be Ricky, Jmac, Culver, Jaden and Naz. Ricky and Culver (and DLO for that matter) need to be on a shorter leash. Nowell can be next in line.

Layman, Davis, and Juancho can't play here anymore. Offer them to anyone for a second round pick. Give Vandy and McDaniels all the minutes they can handle and hope one rises.

I think there could be something with this group:
KAT, DLO, Beasley, Ant, McD, Jmac, NAZ and Vandy. Build around that. I like the energy and the tools there. Ryan probably won't be going anywhere until KAT can stay on the floor so that is for another day.

Maybe. But I'm a disagreeable jerk today, so...

- Are we certain Okogie is worth a 1st round pick? Teams might be willing to use a 1st rd. pick on a defensive wing who they think can become a better shooter. But we're in year 3... what would make a team think Okogie can become one? Wouldn't it be better for them to simply use their 1st rd. pick on a defensive-minded player... who's cheaper and in their control for many more years?

- Towns is arguably the world's most efficient shooting big man. I worry about pairing him with THREE wings/guards who like to shoot first, pass second. I could easily see Towns getting the 4th most attempts in that group. And that's a very bad thing... and one of the reasons I questioned the Edwards pick in the first place.

- It also leaves the Wolves bench laughably exposed offensively. It already is... but at least Edwards brings a scorer's mentality if nothing else with a lineup with guys who look NOT to shoot like Rubio, Okogie and Culver.

- At this point, with so many proven bad shooters... what do the Wolves have to lose by seeing if they have a diamond in the rough in Nowell?

- Davis was initially traded to New York... WITH two 2nd round picks. There's no way anybody is trading FOR him for a 2nd rd. pick... well... unless it's the Wolves or another team desperate to dump two players they just picked up in another trade. Ugh.

- I just don't know where the value of Layman or Hernangomez is right now. One guy is owed about $8M for the next two years. Another guy is owed about $14M. Can you name a single team where they are a key rotational piece that would justify a pick for them?

- Yes. Everything is moot... or on hold... until Towns returns.

[Lipoli390]

The next step should be replacing Rosas with a highly competent PBO. I don't have anyone in mind to replace him, but I know Rosas isn't the guy. Then the next steps flow from there.

Short of replacing Rosas, the next step in my view should be the following:

1. Trade Ricky for a front-court player with size or a future pick (or both). I like him, but he doesn't fit well paired with DLO in the backcourt and he's too expensive to be a backup PG, not to mention the fact that he doesn't appear well suited to coming off the bench. Moreover, JMac is a very good backup PG and I'll go out on a limb and suggest that he could be a starter. Think VanVleet.

2. Get Nowell into the rotation, by reallocating minutes from Culver, Edwards and Ricky.

3. Keep McDaniels and Vando in the rotation even if it means taking Ed Davis out of the rotation. This recommendation doesn't come from any issues with Ed. I think Ed has been playing really well lately. Instead, it comes from the realization that this team isn't going anywhere this season and that means maximizing the evaluation and development of our young talent - including Nowell, Vando and McDaniels.

[thedoper]

I like all of the next steps suggested here. I do worry about what is realistic. We're not firing Rosas or Ryan. We're also probably not trading Ricky or Juancho although they could maybe be movable at the trade deadline. Trading Culver for an asset would be a dream scenario for me.

The starting lineup the last 2 games where Beasley is the only scorer has been really tough to watch, so I would hope simply subbing out Vando for McDaniels with the starters might be interesting since McDaniels looks for his shot and has a bit more shake to his game. When KAT comes back I hope that the bigs are KAT, McDaniels, Vando, Reid, with deep bench being Davis and zero PT for Juancho.

In reality I think we're going back to weird lineups once KAT and Juancho return because the brain trust will make the argument that they never had a fair shake to prove their abilities. I think the situation where the coach is a lap dog of the POBO is even worse than the previous situation where they were the same person.

[TAFKASP]

Its the Wolves, the next step is always the same mistake as the prior steps.

[thedoper]

Its the Wolves, the next step is always the same mistake as the prior steps.

You shouldn't undersell their ability to make new mistakes. It's something this franchise is light years ahead on.

[FNG]

I have become so jaded by this team in recent years. I have been in this since Marbury's rookie year and now feel as though I was spoiled with all the first round exits. I'd do just about anything to have that level of relevance again. At the time the 8 or so consecutive first round losses were really hard to deal with but there was a real reason for hope. Hope that the team would finally get that missing piece that KG needed. Anyway you all know the rest.

I know it is still such a cluster but I do feel like there are pieces here that could be part of the solution. First thing I would do is offer up Okogie for the best 1st round pick that they can get. I like Josh but his defense has not been leading to much success. He is next up to be paid and money is an issue.
The reality is that the horses that the team has attached the cart to will need to be better or its going nowhere anyway. I think there is a realistic chance that a playoff team with an established system could use Josh and offer up their pick.

I'd move Edwards into the starting lineup with DLO, KAT, Vandy and Malik. It'll be tough for Vandy and Okogie to coexist offensively but there's a chance Vandy (or someone in his mold) and Edwards can coexist defensively. The coaching staff just has to reach him. There is really no choice but to bank on that unless you want to trade him.

Then the bench can be Ricky, Jmac, Culver, Jaden and Naz. Ricky and Culver (and DLO for that matter) need to be on a shorter leash. Nowell can be next in line.

Layman, Davis, and Juancho can't play here anymore. Offer them to anyone for a second round pick. Give Vandy and McDaniels all the minutes they can handle and hope one rises.

I think there could be something with this group:
KAT, DLO, Beasley, Ant, McD, Jmac, NAZ and Vandy. Build around that. I like the energy and the tools there. Ryan probably won't be going anywhere until KAT can stay on the floor so that is for another day.

Maybe. But I'm a disagreeable jerk today, so...

- Are we certain Okogie is worth a 1st round pick? Teams might be willing to use a 1st rd. pick on a defensive wing who they think can become a better shooter. But we're in year 3... what would make a team think Okogie can become one? Wouldn't it be better for them to simply use their 1st rd. pick on a defensive-minded player... who's cheaper and in their control for many more years?

- Towns is arguably the world's most efficient shooting big man. I worry about pairing him with THREE wings/guards who like to shoot first, pass second. I could easily see Towns getting the 4th most attempts in that group. And that's a very bad thing... and one of the reasons I questioned the Edwards pick in the first place.

- It also leaves the Wolves bench laughably exposed offensively. It already is... but at least Edwards brings a scorer's mentality if nothing else with a lineup with guys who look NOT to shoot like Rubio, Okogie and Culver.

- At this point, with so many proven bad shooters... what do the Wolves have to lose by seeing if they have a diamond in the rough in Nowell?

- Davis was initially traded to New York... WITH two 2nd round picks. There's no way anybody is trading FOR him for a 2nd rd. pick... well... unless it's the Wolves or another team desperate to dump two players they just picked up in another trade. Ugh.

- I just don't know where the value of Layman or Hernangomez is right now. One guy is owed about $8M for the next two years. Another guy is owed about $14M. Can you name a single team where they are a key rotational piece that would justify a pick for them?

- Yes. Everything is moot... or on hold... until Towns returns.

Ob your first two bullet points, Abe:

1) Of course Okogie doesn't bring back a first round pick. As much as I appreciate his effort, his complete lack of offensive game makes him almost not worth even a second round pick. I think we keep Josh to see if he can ever develop, but I suspect we just let him go at the end of his contract.

2) YES, Towns might be the world's most efficient scoring big man, and it's ABSURD and wasteful to pair him with 3 shoot-first wings. That's exactly why Rubio needs to start at PG. along with a defensive PF that doesn't need to touch the ball (Vando) and a defensive-minded SF (Culver or Okogie). Ricky didn't have a good game yesterday...J-Mac clearly outplayed him...but he did have 11 assists, and several of them were finding the open man for a three. That's exactly what Karl needs, not 3 other guys who need to score. Beasley and Edwards are perfect options off the bench with J-Mac getting them involvrd.