First 20 Games - Player Grades for the Bench

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Monster, It's never too early to get down on one of our players and rule out any further improvement!

(seriously though, we've been burned so many times from players that never really did improve, you can understand the skepticism. I just wish KAT would apply his prodigious intellect and heart to the defensive side of the ball. That would be a good start).

[Monster]

Monster, It's never too early to get down on one of our players and rule out any further improvement!

(seriously though, we've been burned so many times from players that never really did improve, you can understand the skepticism. I just wish KAT would apply his prodigious intellect and heart to the defensive side of the ball. That would be a good start).

Yeah I totally get it. On the other hand I've seen the other Wolves teams and...toe this one is clearly so much better I keep finding reasons to have faith things are going to be different this time.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

2010-11 Chicago Bulls' roster:

(Players averaging 10 MPG or more; average age = 27.09)

Luol Deng - 25
Derrick Rose - 22
Joakim Noah - 25
Carlos Boozer - 29
Kurt Thomas - 38
Ronnie Brewer - 25
Taj Gibson - 25
Kyle Korver - 29
Keith Bogans - 30
C.J. Watson - 26
Omer Asik - 24

2016-17 Minnesota Timberwolves' roster:

(Players averaging 10 MPG or more; average age = 24.45)

Zach LaVine - 21
Andrew Wiggins - 21
Karl-Anthony Towns - 21
Gorgui Dieng - 27
Ricky Rubio - 26
Kris Dunn - 22
Nemenja Bjelica - 28
Shabazz Muhammad - 24
Tyus Jones - 20
Cole Aldrich - 28
Brandon Rush - 31

This is the youngest group Thibodeau's coached by a good bit and I think our play so far this season shows that pretty well. We make a ton of bonehead mistakes that older, more seasoned players just wouldn't. I maintain that the problem has been on-court execution by the players and not a misguided approach or mishandling of the team by Thibs. Again, all he can do is give directions; he's not the one driving or riding passenger in the vehicle. I think he's holding up on his end of the deal and I base that on the first half success we've seen consistently. For whatever reason, the players get away from what was working, or unstoppable, in the first half and it results in terrible basketball until they realize, "Oh, shit, there's 5:00 left in the fourth quarter. We better make a push!" It's ridiculously hard to win games like that.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

2010-11 Chicago Bulls' roster:

(Players averaging 10 MPG or more; average age = 27.09)

Luol Deng - 25
Derrick Rose - 22
Joakim Noah - 25
Carlos Boozer - 29
Kurt Thomas - 38
Ronnie Brewer - 25
Taj Gibson - 25
Kyle Korver - 29
Keith Bogans - 30
C.J. Watson - 26
Omer Asik - 24

2016-17 Minnesota Timberwolves' roster:

(Players averaging 10 MPG or more; average age = 24.45)

Zach LaVine - 21
Andrew Wiggins - 21
Karl-Anthony Towns - 21
Gorgui Dieng - 27
Ricky Rubio - 26
Kris Dunn - 22
Nemenja Bjelica - 28
Shabazz Muhammad - 24
Tyus Jones - 20
Cole Aldrich - 28
Brandon Rush - 31

This is the youngest group Thibodeau's coached by a good bit and I think our play so far this season shows that pretty well. We make a ton of bonehead mistakes that older, more seasoned players just wouldn't. I maintain that the problem has been on-court execution by the players and not a misguided approach or mishandling of the team by Thibs. Again, all he can do is give directions; he's not the one driving or riding passenger in the vehicle. I think he's holding up on his end of the deal and I base that on the first half success we've seen consistently. For whatever reason, the players get away from what was working, or unstoppable, in the first half and it results in terrible basketball until they realize, "Oh, shit, there's 5:00 left in the fourth quarter. We better make a push!" It's ridiculously hard to win games like that.

I won't argue that it's more difficult to coach a team that averages 24.5 years of age. But that still doesn't answer this question: why did an even younger Wolves team play so much better at the end of last year than they are now? What is different this year that is leading a team with one more year experience than last year to consistently collapse in the second half game after game?