No chance in hell - Thunder at Wolves GDT

[Porckchop]

Even though Ricky is not ideal point guard for this team, he is much better than Jack. So if we would somehow acquire him, he wouldn't definitely start over Rubio. He might play some times in crunch time tough since he has balls to shoot the ball even when game is in line.

I guess that was my only point, finding a pg that can actually put up some points when needed. Jack plays solid defense to boot

I hear you on the Rubio frustration. But I think Jack would bring a different kind of frustration.

He's 32. And there's a reason he's played for 7 NBA teams. He does enough for teams to want him... but not enough for teams to want to hold on to him.

I sometimes wonder if the Wolves are the only team with the patience to hold onto Ricky this long. Had he started on another team would his career look more like Jacks ?

[MikkeMan]

Yikes. At least Sam rewarded him by keeping him in there until the end. That was easily one of Zach's better games this season in terms of competing on both sides of the ball. I know his shot was going down, but I like how he defended.

Sam just might end up being that drill instructor or ridiculously tough teacher that you really dislike, but then some years later realize how it made you better......at least that's my hope.

I also really liked the way Zach was defending in this game. If he would do that every night, his inconsistency in offense wouldn't be that big problem.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

Even though Ricky is not ideal point guard for this team, he is much better than Jack. So if we would somehow acquire him, he wouldn't definitely start over Rubio. He might play some times in crunch time tough since he has balls to shoot the ball even when game is in line.

I guess that was my only point, finding a pg that can actually put up some points when needed. Jack plays solid defense to boot

I hear you on the Rubio frustration. But I think Jack would bring a different kind of frustration.

He's 32. And there's a reason he's played for 7 NBA teams. He does enough for teams to want him... but not enough for teams to want to hold on to him.

I sometimes wonder if the Wolves are the only team with the patience to hold onto Ricky this long. Had he started on another team would his career look more like Jacks ?

Imagine how it would have been if he ended up with the Knicks like they were all assuming. He would have been crucified for his injury history and inability to score.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I've shown before how Rubio is capable of quarterbacking an elite offensive unit when he has other shooters and scorers around him (Love, Pek, and Martin back in 13-14), but things have changed since then.

If the front office and next coach (whoever they may be) end up being totally committed to Wiggins at the 2, it really becomes difficult to envision him and Rubio co-existing in the backcourt offensively. You simply can't have two poor outside shooters manning your backcourt these days.

The implications are that Rubio would have to either get traded or become a really expensive backup. My preference would be that neither of these things would happen and instead Wiggins would become a great shooter. But that doesn't appear to be the case.

[AbeVigodaLive]

I've shown before how Rubio is capable of quarterbacking an elite offensive unit when he has other shooters and scorers around him (Love, Pek, and Martin back in 13-14), but things have changed since then.

If the front office and next coach (whoever they may be) end up being totally committed to Wiggins at the 2, it really becomes difficult to envision him and Rubio co-existing in the backcourt offensively. You simply can't have two poor outside shooters manning your backcourt these days.

The implications are that Rubio would have to either get traded or become a really expensive backup. My preference would be that neither of these things would happen and instead Wiggins would become a great shooter. But that doesn't appear to be the case.

To be fair Q... Rubio's limitations were still there that season despite the +/- numbers and on/off court stats.

Remember, the Wolves were the worst team in the L in close games that season. And Rubio went about a month without a 4th quarter field goal. Part of that was Adelman curbing his minutes and giving them to Barea who was also terrible in the 4th quarter. But Rubio should never get a pass with the "See he proved that season that he could be part of an elite offensive unit." That team shit the bed in the 4th quarter, repeatedly and underachieved significantly because of it.

That VERY VERY STRANGE season revealed that getting a bucket from Rubio when your team needs it to win a game... usually isn't going to happen.


[Note: Biggest front-running team I've ever seen with all those 30 point wins and close losses... that also skewed the positive stats somewhat.[

[alexftbl8181 [enjin:6648741]]

They made the thunder work, and I can't believe I am saying this I am 98% PorkChop

Rubio was indeed awful this game.

Rubio had yet to make a basket in Jan in the 4th quarter

Meh. He still has several more games to go before he reaches the 4th quarter futility he had in the 2013 season.

He's getting close. 13-30 in 28 games. 26% FG. And he's getting worse, not better

[alexftbl8181 [enjin:6648741]]

I guess you can keep Rubio and have him as the starter, but have someone else who can play the 4th quarter

[northernhoops [enjin:9491634]]

Not that it matters, but here are some LaVine comments on Sam.

Jon Krawczynski ?@APkrawczynski 13m13 minutes ago
Sam Mitchell said after game how hard he's been on LaVine. Said when LaVine comes out on other side, he'll be proud of himself ... (cont)

Jon Krawczynski ?@APkrawczynski 12m12 minutes ago
LaVine on that notion: "It's not fun. Sometimes unfair. But he's coach and I'm player and that's what you have to deal with."

Jon Krawczynski ?@APkrawczynski 8m8 minutes ago
Was clear from LaVine's comments tonight he's not exactly embracing Sam's approach. And Sam is fine with that.

I made some statements at the beginning of this season about my potential concern about Zach's attitude in what I've seen from him so far. This doesn't really help my concerns. I hope this is just a kid being frustrated but you compare what he's willing to say vs what we've gotten from Towns so far and its night and day.

The flip side of this is that Mitchell seems to have completely lost the room. Either way these quotes bother me.

I'm going to stick up for LaVine as well. Mitchell blasted him in his last interview and I feel that was more unacceptable, than LaVine's comment

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I've shown before how Rubio is capable of quarterbacking an elite offensive unit when he has other shooters and scorers around him (Love, Pek, and Martin back in 13-14), but things have changed since then.

If the front office and next coach (whoever they may be) end up being totally committed to Wiggins at the 2, it really becomes difficult to envision him and Rubio co-existing in the backcourt offensively. You simply can't have two poor outside shooters manning your backcourt these days.

The implications are that Rubio would have to either get traded or become a really expensive backup. My preference would be that neither of these things would happen and instead Wiggins would become a great shooter. But that doesn't appear to be the case.

To be fair Q... Rubio's limitations were still there that season despite the +/- numbers and on/off court stats.

Remember, the Wolves were the worst team in the L in close games that season. And Rubio went about a month without a 4th quarter field goal. Part of that was Adelman curbing his minutes and giving them to Barea who was also terrible in the 4th quarter. But Rubio should never get a pass with the "See he proved that season that he could be part of an elite offensive unit." That team shit the bed in the 4th quarter, repeatedly and underachieved significantly because of it.

That VERY VERY STRANGE season revealed that getting a bucket from Rubio when your team needs it to win a game... usually isn't going to happen.


[Note: Biggest front-running team I've ever seen with all those 30 point wins and close losses... that also skewed the positive stats somewhat.[

Eh, we'll never fully agree on this topic. I've also shown how in that very same year the team somehow went 6-2 in the second half of the season in close games. It was just an awful streak to start the year and much of it driven by bad luck (e.g. Gerald Greene's ridiculous last-second prayer, Love getting clearly hacked and no call given, etc. etc.). But you aren't going to change your mind since we've been through all of that already.

The problem now is that a) Rubio has not only failed to improve upon his poor shooting numbers in the past - he's actually taken a step backwards with his shooting. That was not part of the plan, and b) he's playing with a back court mate who also can't hit the broad side of a barn from beyond the arc.

Assuming that this franchise believes Wiggins is a cornerstone piece, I don't see how those two are compatible. You can't have two guards that aren't a consistent threat from outside.