Lillard Doubtful Tomorrow

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Still working through his ankle injury. I'll take anything we can get at this point.

I know how much you dislike the Blazers, cool, and we all want to see if the wolves can build on the mini momentum they seem to have going right now, so that news makes me happy. It would be yet another example of the incredible luck the wolves have had this year in avoiding stars on the other team...yesterday was yet another example with 2 starters, albeit not their best ones, out for the Bucks. We deserve some luck like this after years of being the injured team. Unfortunately it makes our 11-22 start just that much more disappointing. I would venture to say that if we knew before the season began how healthy we would be and how banged up our opponents would be, given the choice of 22-11 or 11-22 in our first 33 games, a majority of us would have joyously selected the former. Just another sign of how underachieving we have been...smh

Just a question, I agree with you the wolves have been lucky, but why do we take so much into the wolves going 10 and 10 in the last 20 games of the Mitchell era when 6 of the 10 wins came when the opponent was missing there best player

Fair question, kek...here are my thoughts. I think some of us are interested in whether this team has improved or regressed since the promising finish last year as a way of comparing whether Sam's or Thibs' style leads to getting more out of this roster. While there were a couple injured teams in our victories last year, I think it's difficult if not impossible to conclude that this team is playing anywhere near where they were at the end of last year (Q's damning stats thread highlights this clearly). Last year's .500 finish included some impressive wins against healthy OkC and GS...on their courts even. In contrast, this year's .333 start has included a very high percentage of games against teams missing starters, and often stars...to a greater extent than last year. I'm pointing this out because it demonstrates even more clearly how much better this team was clicking at the end of last year, and how disappointing this year has been to date.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Still working through his ankle injury. I'll take anything we can get at this point.

I know how much you dislike the Blazers, cool, and we all want to see if the wolves can build on the mini momentum they seem to have going right now, so that news makes me happy. It would be yet another example of the incredible luck the wolves have had this year in avoiding stars on the other team...yesterday was yet another example with 2 starters, albeit not their best ones, out for the Bucks. We deserve some luck like this after years of being the injured team. Unfortunately it makes our 11-22 start just that much more disappointing. I would venture to say that if we knew before the season began how healthy we would be and how banged up our opponents would be, given the choice of 22-11 or 11-22 in our first 33 games, a majority of us would have joyously selected the former. Just another sign of how underachieving we have been...smh

Just a question, I agree with you the wolves have been lucky, but why do we take so much into the wolves going 10 and 10 in the last 20 games of the Mitchell era when 6 of the 10 wins came when the opponent was missing there best player

Fair question, kek...here are my thoughts. I think some of us are interested in whether this team has improved or regressed since the promising finish last year as a way of comparing whether Sam's or Thibs' style leads to getting more out of this roster. While there were a couple injured teams in our victories last year, I think it's difficult if not impossible to conclude that this team is playing anywhere near where they were at the end of last year (Q's damning stats thread highlights this clearly). Last year's .500 finish included some impressive wins against healthy OkC and GS...on their courts even. In contrast, this year's .333 start has included a very high percentage of games against teams missing starters, and often stars...to a greater extent than last year. I'm pointing this out because it demonstrates even more clearly how much better this team was clicking at the end of last year, and how disappointing this year has been to date.

Kekgeek along with most other folks here had the Wolves pegged for 41 or more wins. We're not even close to that pace, so I don't think LST was the only one that took last season's final third as a preview of things to come.

And LST, you hit the nail on the head. We've lost multiple games this season to teams seriously impacted by injuries. If anything, we might have had an even easier schedule than the end of last year.

We have a great opportunity over the next stretch of 5-10 games here to really turn the corner based on the opponents we're playing (a reeling Portland squad at home, Philly, Dallas, etc). We'll see what happens, but to me the only "signature" wins this season have been the road wins at Chicago and Charlotte. We had multiple big-time wins in the final stretch of games last year where games were tight and our starting 5 closed very good teams out.

[Brooklyn_Wolves [enjin:14608167]]

Well, with Lillard out Blazers will play better defense and CJ will get more shots. I don't see much of a drop off. Lillard missed games last season as well and they didn't fall apart then.

Ok George

Can you refute any of the points made?

[spoiler=]You can't. shithead[/spoiler]

I've already read your book George I'm immune to your insults now

So what did I say? Just admit that you're clueless already.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

Which is more important? Going .500 playing Sam's way for the foreseeable future or building the foundations to be much better than that moving forward? Sam's way had it's moments, but do you really believe if he's the coach of this team we are much better than .500? The whole reason this team is so broken is due to the bad habits Sam let run rampant. Thibs basically had to start from scratch this year offensively and defensively. Less long two's and more 3's. Nobody understands how to play team defense. Those are things Sam had a year to implement and he didn't do any of it so Thibs had to start from the ground up to get them play the right way.

[Monster]

Which is more important? Going .500 playing Sam's way for the foreseeable future or building the foundations to be much better than that moving forward? Sam's way had it's moments, but do you really believe if he's the coach of this team we are much better than .500? The whole reason this team is so broken is due to the bad habits Sam let run rampant. Thibs basically had to start from scratch this year offensively and defensively. Less long two's and more 3's. Nobody understands how to play team defense. Those are things Sam had a year to implement and he didn't do any of it so Thibs had to start from the ground up to get them play the right way.

I agree Kahns. One of the concerns about Thibs before and after he got the job was he was gonna try and win games right away and everything would get old after year 2 or whatever. He is taking a developmental approach to this team and looking at winning long term. My guess is that Sam and his staff did some good and some bad...so yeah I'm sure he is going basic at times with this super young team. Thibs is considered a very good coach the guy has been around forever. I'll trust his vision for this team and where he and his pretty highly regarded staff is trying to do. And through it all even after a loss to the Blazers they still have a plenty decent shot at the playoffs.

[kekgeek]

I think thibs deserves blame but only 2 out of 10 new coaches are over .500. (HOU, Mem) both made the playoffs last season I would say that would mean personal means so much more than coaching IMO. Like Dantoni was a disastrous in his last 2 spots and now could win coach of the year. Difference a MVP talent player

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Which is more important? Going .500 playing Sam's way for the foreseeable future or building the foundations to be much better than that moving forward? Sam's way had it's moments, but do you really believe if he's the coach of this team we are much better than .500? The whole reason this team is so broken is due to the bad habits Sam let run rampant. Thibs basically had to start from scratch this year offensively and defensively. Less long two's and more 3's. Nobody understands how to play team defense. Those are things Sam had a year to implement and he didn't do any of it so Thibs had to start from the ground up to get them play the right way.

Maybe not much better, khans, but I do think we would be better than .500 right now without a coaching change. I can't come up with a rational reason why this team under Sam would have taken a U-turn from their solid performance at the end of last year...especially facing such a weak schedule in the season to date.

I keep hearing that Sam couldn't teach defense and Thibs is a defensive genius, and yet as we approach the halfway point in the season, the defense continues to struggle...in some ways more than they struggled at the end of last year. I remember NbaTV showing Sam's first practice last season, and the entire hour was dedicated to remedial defensive concepts...Sam agreed with what you're saying, that these AAU thoroughbreds never learned even the most basic aspects of playing defense, and he worked hard to try to teach them. I think Thibs is trying to do the same thing this year, but the results aren't much different.

It's absurd to blame Sam for the horrible performance of this team almost halfway into the season. There are other reasons for the disaster. We don't know exactly what they are and some of us have different theories about what they are, but the statute of limitations on pinning this year on Sam has long passed. One thing we can all agree on is this team needs to figure out what's wrong soon and turn this mess around. I'm tired of losing to mediocre teams missing starters.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

One of the prevailing narratives on this board is that coach Thibs is taking a patient developmental approach to the season rather than trying to win now. While I think POBO Thibs is wisely doing that, I find it ironic to say that coach Thibs is taking a patient developmental approach when he plays his starters far and away the most minutes in the league.

[kekgeek]

One of the prevailing narratives on this board is that coach Thibs is taking a patient developmental approach to the season rather than trying to win now. While I think POBO Thibs is wisely doing that, I find it ironic to say that coach Thibs is taking a patient developmental approach when he plays his starters far and away the most minutes in the league.

I do think he is taking the long view in the case of the wiggins offense because if rubio is not on the court the Wolves don't players that can make others better and Thibs running that style of offense is probably costing the wolves wins but it could help next year and in the future Ala that lavine pg stuff has help zach. But I do think pro thibs guys like myself use this as an excuse to rationalize the bad start and we just say thibs is in the long view when I think he is doing his damn best to win games

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

One of the prevailing narratives on this board is that coach Thibs is taking a patient developmental approach to the season rather than trying to win now. While I think POBO Thibs is wisely doing that, I find it ironic to say that coach Thibs is taking a patient developmental approach when he plays his starters far and away the most minutes in the league.

I do think he is taking the long view in the case of the wiggins offense because if rubio is not on the court the Wolves don't players that can make others better and Thibs running that style of offense is probably costing the wolves wins but it could help next year and in the future Ala that lavine pg stuff has help zach. But I do think pro thibs guys like myself use this as an excuse to rationalize the bad start and we just say thibs is in the long view when I think he is doing his damn best to win games

Fair points, kekgeek.

Thx for the game report in the other thread. I'm sorry to hear that the crowd went back to passivity after it seemed like they were coming around in the last couple games...we need the crowd to help with giving us an advantage. I noticed two things regarding the crowd last night watching on TV, one of which you mentioned. Thibs was much more audible last night (we hear him much less on road games and when the crowd gets into it), and the only time the crowd seemed to get fired up was for the Cherry Berry bit...really sad.