thedoper wrote:The whole point of this year is to give the young players a year of playoff experience. Even if they get killed by the rockets they are going to know what it takes, that is valuable experience. Getting into the 2nd round was going to be gravy in any scenario with our roster. It's still the very early stages of building this team, Thibs first season was about evaluation, he then got rid of the chaff. This season was about improving the core, he did that by selling our garbage for an all-star and signing a savvy vet for the front line. Now next season has to be about the complimentary pieces, if he doesn't do that sure have his head, but complaining about obvious improvement seems counterintuitive.
I remember the first year the Wolves made the playoffs. Ironically, it was vs. the Houston Rockets.
The Wolves were swept and only the final game was even within single digits. But I don't remember that part. It was arguably the most OPTIMISTIC few days in Minnesota Timberwolves history. Yes... ever.
All anybody could think about was the future of the team with Garnett + Marbury being the next (better?) Stockton/Malone... with Googs, too!
The Rockets, led by Barkley, had nothing but praise after that series for the young Wolves. At the time, we all thought it was just a matter of time. And the next year seemed to offer proof... the Wolves nearly upset the #2 seeded Sonics despite one of Garnett's career-WORST games.
Then. Everything fell apart and the Wolves made it out of Round 1 only one time. Ever.
woe.
Your account of history is spot on. But being at that place in a franchise is way better than being awful and having players leave. I take having a chance for greatness over being lottery bound every time. If we don't even want a chance to compete the team should really just move. We need to move from planning 5 years from now to planning for the present if we want stars to stay. Did Thibs create a perfect roster this season? No. But great teams create opportunities every offseason, I think we can do that based on what we got to work with.
thedoper wrote:The whole point of this year is to give the young players a year of playoff experience. Even if they get killed by the rockets they are going to know what it takes, that is valuable experience. Getting into the 2nd round was going to be gravy in any scenario with our roster. It's still the very early stages of building this team, Thibs first season was about evaluation, he then got rid of the chaff. This season was about improving the core, he did that by selling our garbage for an all-star and signing a savvy vet for the front line. Now next season has to be about the complimentary pieces, if he doesn't do that sure have his head, but complaining about obvious improvement seems counterintuitive.
Your account of history is spot on. But being at that place in a franchise is way better than being awful and having players leave. I take having a chance for greatness over being lottery bound every time. If we don't even want a chance to compete the team should really just move. We need to move from planning 5 years from now to planning for the present if we want stars to stay. Did Thibs create a perfect roster this season? No. But great teams create opportunities every offseason, I think we can do that based on what we got to work with.
The Wolves waiting a very long time for a FRANCHISE-changing player.
Theoretically, they found it. Some believe(d) they found two of them.
Two #1 draft picks in a row should be all the foundation a rebuilding team needs toward respectability/success/contention. Where this team is now is so much better than where it was when Pooh Richardson was leading the charge. Or Al Jefferson. Or even Kevin Love.
Angling for yet another PROMISE OF HOPE campaign and yet another super high potential superstar seems like two steps back... not forward.
There's nothing wrong with being a mediocre playoff team until Wiggins and Towns hit their prime and see what you can do. I think too many people are focused on contending or bust and want major changes to try to become a contender almost at all times when really we should shoot for making the playoffs and then expand to getting home court advantage/winning a first round series and then re-evaluate what we need to push us over the top. Trying to build a contender before you even know if you have the core pieces that can get it done is a recipe for failure. Towns and Wiggins aren't done getting better. Let them improve, get them playoff experience, make it a regular thing and then when they hit their prime re-evaluate what it would take to get over the top. A lot of people are just putting the cart before the horse.
