Watching that video made me realize something. I don't know if the team from Ricky's rookie season could beat this year's team, but holy shit were they fun to watch. Everyone was happy. Derrick and Wes were cramming over people. Pek was doing Pek stuff. Beasley would go off for 25 on random nights. Darko would show up for Clipper games and make a fool of Blake Griffin. That was the time of the TimberTrolls. Minnesota was a hit, and everyone knew the Wolves were an up-and-coming team. It was just so damn fun.
...What I do know, though, is that Shabazz or another athletic wing needs to get a lot of minutes with Ricky. Martin needs to be on the floor as little as possible when Rubio is out there. In the past I thought he provided far too many points on a good salary to be a throw-in in a Love trade, but I don't care anymore. I don't care if we take a step back. I want to see relentless pick-and-rolls. I want to see absurd wrap around passes for Pek dunks, and Ricky throwing it up for Shabazz. I just want to have fun again.
I agree wholeheartedly with this. I had totally forgotten how fun the team was to watch Ricky's rookie year before injury when he was allowed to improvise. I think it likely has more to do with Adleman installing his system than Love holding Ricky back but I think it's entirely plausible that we improve both in watchability and wins next year if we allow Ricky to play to his strengths and get a decent haul in return for Love.
As far as the alleyoop stuff mentioned in other posts I don't think the issue is a lack of players to throw an oop to as much as a system that didn't generate them and didn't keep the ball in Ricky's hands. Our transition offense was Love outlets and our half court offense was run primarily out of the high post. It's a wonder Ricky got as many assists as he did. Shabazz, Dieng, and Brewer are all great targets for oops. LRMAM can also get up there and I'm sure if Love is gone we'll get a more athletic PF in his place also. Fun times ahead.
I am completely on board with everybody here. Take the chains off Ricky, give him some athletic finishers to run with, and let him go! I hated his role in Adelman's offense. If he's not allowed to create and be dynamic you're terribly misusing him.
I dont think think fouling out and playing good defense have anything to do with eachother. Guys that fould out usually do so becuz they're always out of position or their guys has blown by them.
Great defenders rarely foul out. Jordan, Lebron, Kg and Timmy prolly only fouled out a handful of times in their careers.
I think we could be a better team without Love. In all the trade rumors we'd become more athletic, improve defensively, and improve our bench, our three biggest weaknesses last year. It would also make Rubio a more important part of the offense, last year in the few games without Love Rubio averaged around 20 ppg.
The Rage Monster wrote:I think we could be a better team without Love. In all the trade rumors we'd become more athletic, improve defensively, and improve our bench, our three biggest weaknesses last year. It would also make Rubio a more important part of the offense, last year in the few games without Love Rubio averaged around 20 ppg.
The Rage Monster wrote:I think we could be a better team without Love. In all the trade rumors we'd become more athletic, improve defensively, and improve our bench, our three biggest weaknesses last year. It would also make Rubio a more important part of the offense, last year in the few games without Love Rubio averaged around 20 ppg.
The Rage Monster wrote:I think we could be a better team without Love. In all the trade rumors we'd become more athletic, improve defensively, and improve our bench, our three biggest weaknesses last year. It would also make Rubio a more important part of the offense, last year in the few games without Love Rubio averaged around 20 ppg.
The Rage Monster wrote:I think we could be a better team without Love. In all the trade rumors we'd become more athletic, improve defensively, and improve our bench, our three biggest weaknesses last year. It would also make Rubio a more important part of the offense, last year in the few games without Love Rubio averaged around 20 ppg.
The Rage Monster wrote:I think we could be a better team without Love. In all the trade rumors we'd become more athletic, improve defensively, and improve our bench, our three biggest weaknesses last year. It would also make Rubio a more important part of the offense, last year in the few games without Love Rubio averaged around 20 ppg.
did rubio score 20 once this year?
Nope.
4 times actually...and we won 3 of those games.
So how did rubio avg around 20 a game? Did he only play in 4 games?
Yeah Ricky putting up 20 four times isnt exactly a glowing endorsement. A squirrel finds a nut every once n a while. Or in basketball terms, Corey Brewer even finds 51 every 100 years or so. Hehe
