Wolves vs Sixers GDT

[Lipoli390]

I don't know...I thought DLO was terrible, Rubio was worse. And then when you think they were saving J-Mac for the 2-way, lo and behold they trot him out there for garbage time.

I think one reason they don't run off ball screens for DLO is he's too damn slow. Seriously, you gotta have some speed to come off screens and then catch and shoot before your guy recovers. I just don't think he can get much separation.

I think it's possible that at some point Edwards starts or comes in super early with the starters at SF and becomes the slasher/dribble drive player that sucks in the defense and gets Beasley, DLO, and KAT some shots that they don't have to manufacture themselves for once. But in my opinion, he needs to do better against bench players first.

Good point, Q. I knew DLO wasn't very quick before he got here. But watching him play with the Wolves, I see he's even slower than I thought. He's a jump shooter who can sometimes get to the rim with some crafty moves. I thought DLO looked better last season when he shared the backcourt with JMac. I think they complement one another fairly well on the offensive end with JMac as a penetrator and DLO as a shot-maker.

[Coolbreeze44]

As bad as Ricky was tonight, and he was bad, the ball movement was still better when he was running the team.

[D-Mac [enjin:19736340]]

How can you be upset with dlo? Max contract guy playing no defense yet and shooting very inefficiently. 3 assists from your pg. Really knows how to get his team involved. Comes and shows up everyday to earn his paycheck which seems a very reasonable amount to pay a guy of such star quality. Not to mention his win at all cost demeanor. He got to be near untradeable.

Haha nice

[D-Mac [enjin:19736340]]

JMac is easily best point guard on this team.

Agreed. This team is such a joke.

[Wolvesfan21]

JMac is easily best point guard on this team.

Agreed. This team is such a joke.

Statistically it's a fact as well. Better net rating this season. Better VORP. So the eyes are not lying.

It's not that he's great, it's that DLO and Rubio have been atrocious. DLO had a few bright spots where he shows flashes of brilliance, but he's like Wiggins and only shows up once in a blue moon.

I wonder if the rest of the roster is not doing them any favors either. Having a bunch of 19-22 year olds playing and arguably the most raw team in the league, especially without KAT. I don't give them a pass, I'm just taking the other side and trying to make a fair judgement. They both absolutely need to play better, but I'm doubting either can at this point.

[SameOldNudityDrew]

Just watched the game. It's amazing we were even in it for the first quarter and a half. Embiid against Ed Davis as our only real big? We stood no chance in this game from the get go. I watched anyway because I wanted to see us show we had some fight in us anyway, but wasn't that impressed.

You know who did impress me? Thybulle. That dude is a freakin' lockdown defender on the ball.

[AbeVigodaLive]

No coach could get 20 wins out of this roster as long as KAT is sitting.

I don't really disagree with you in theory but the wolves are not even competitive

Blame the players or the front office then. Why is this bad roster and the players failure to execute, in your mind, primarily Ryan's fault? A new coach won't solve anything.

Im not saying a new coach comes in and is now the Wolves are fighting for a playoff spot tomorrow without Kat. I am just saying Ryan is now 40-84 in his career. If you take out his 1st half season where he took over for Thibs where the Wolves had a worse record, Offensive Rating and Defensive Rating under Saunders. Ryan is 23-59 (.280), the Wolves are 27-49 (.335) in games Kat has played under Saunders. .

How sad are the Wolves in NBA history?

Even at the pathetic, embarrassing, very very bad .280 winning percentage... FIVE (5!)... Timberwolves coaches have a worse career mark.

Even at the pathetic, embarrassing, very very bad but not quite as bad .335 winning percentage... Saunders is right in the middle of Timberwolves coaches. 6 better than him. And 6 worse than him.

[AbeVigodaLive]

.

I didn't watch tonight's game, but I noticed this post and it reminded me that Ricky has been losing his dribble quite a bit this season. He's always had his weaknesses - poor shooter, not athletic and not super quick.

Yes.

His behind-the-back dribble near the top of the key to change direction has been cringeworthy. That's the type of move older guys like me make in open gym to keep moving vs. pressure. It's definitely not an NBA quality move.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Main issues tonight was the Wolves have no plan offensively...

Ok. I've been thinking about this. There was much discussion after the New Orleans win about Rubio/Saunders running more plays. So apparently, the preferred Rosas/Saunders system doesn't really run plays. I assume that means it's a more read-and-react set that relies on the players to make smart plays. Fair enough.

BUT THE TIMBERWOLVES ARE EMBARRASSINGLY SHORT OF PLAYERS WHO KNOW HOW TO PLAY NBA BASKETBALL AND THEY KEEP DRAFTING MORE OF THEM!!!!!!


Whew. Apologies. That got away from me a bit there. But, I'm calm now. Shirley, you see the disconnect, right?
________

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves also leaked that they were incredibly impressed with Anthony Edwards ditching mid-range shots during his pre-draft workout. The leaked information led us to believe that it was a positive and that finding players to fit the system was critically important. Ok. Fair enough.

BUT THE TIMBERWOLVES TRADED FOR A MAX CONTRACT GUY AND GAVE UP A TOP 1ST RD PICK FOR A GUY WHO LOVES THE MID-RANGE AND SHOOTS CONTESTED MID-RANGE JUMP SHOTS AT MORE THAN 2X AS MUCH AS THE NEXT GUY ON THE TEAM!!!!!!!!

Ummm... apologies again. I don't know what's come over me this morning. But my very calm and measured point is that there appears to be inconsistencies and mixed messages from the top down in this organization. That sort of thing is what bad organizations are known for.

I feel better. Thank you.

[Lipoli390]

Main issues tonight was the Wolves have no plan offensively...

Ok. I've been thinking about this. There was much discussion after the New Orleans win about Rubio/Saunders running more plays. So apparently, the preferred Rosas/Saunders system doesn't really run plays. I assume that means it's a more read-and-react set that relies on the players to make smart plays. Fair enough.

BUT THE TIMBERWOLVES ARE EMBARRASSINGLY SHORT OF PLAYERS WHO KNOW HOW TO PLAY NBA BASKETBALL AND THEY KEEP DRAFTING MORE OF THEM!!!!!!


Whew. Apologies. That got away from me a bit there. But, I'm calm now. Shirley, you see the disconnect, right?
________

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves also leaked that they were incredibly impressed with Anthony Edwards ditching mid-range shots during his pre-draft workout. The leaked information led us to believe that it was a positive and that finding players to fit the system was critically important. Ok. Fair enough.

BUT THE TIMBERWOLVES TRADED FOR A MAX CONTRACT GUY AND GAVE UP A TOP 1ST RD PICK FOR A GUY WHO LOVES THE MID-RANGE AND SHOOTS CONTESTED MID-RANGE JUMP SHOTS AT MORE THAN 2X AS MUCH AS THE NEXT GUY ON THE TEAM!!!!!!!!

Ummm... apologies again. I don't know what's come over me this morning. But my very calm and measured point is that there appears to be inconsistencies and mixed messages from the top down in this organization. That sort of thing is what bad organizations are known for.

I feel better. Thank you.

Glad you feel better, Abe. Sometimes you just have to let it out. :) I only wish your rant wasn't based on fully accurate observations. But those observations are why I've come to the conclusion that Rosas is the worst PBO this franchise has even had - and that's saying something.

The disconnect between Gersson's vaunted "system" and the players he's pursued to play in that system is astounding. DLO is the best example of that disconnect - (1) a slower non-athletic half-court player to play in a fast-paced full-court system; (2) a ball-dominant PG who tends to dribble and shoot to play in a system purportedly predicated on ball-movement; (3) a mid-range shooter to play in a system that emphasizes 3-point shooting; and (4) a poor defender to be one of two pillars or stars on an already poor defensive team where the other pillar is also a notoriously bad defender. You can't make this stuff up. But there are other examples like using his two lottery picks in two years on prospects who were poor three-point shooters in college. Or how about trading a first-round pick for another poor three-point shooter as a back-up PG at $17M per year added to an already overcrowded backcourt?

Watching Rosas in action gives me a sense of how Alice must have felt when she fell down the rabbit hole.