Wolves/Mavs GDT

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

So KAT goes to the line down 3 with 3 seconds left (and the Wolves with no time outs left, as usual for Thibs). He asks Thibs if he should intentionally miss the second free throw to give them a chance to tie the game after an offensive rebound, and Thibs told him no. Can anyone think of any possible reason a coach wouldn't ask his player to miss that second free throw? Making the free throw leaves the Wolves with only one chance to win, and that is an extremely unlikely steal of the inbounds pass. I'm baffled.


I've thought for some time that Thibs might be the worst situational game management coach I have ever seen with his poor plays out of time outs, his ridiculous play calls at the end of quarters and his inability to leave himself with a timeout at the end of the game, but this blunder makes me wonder if he has any understanding of the game at all? This is almost JR Smith like!

Somebody help me out here....

[AbeVigodaLive]

We're counting on the Wolves landing a legit player in free agency? And not overpaying for a 2nd or 3rd rate player in doing so... ?

Ummm...

At this point, because of the way this situation is handled... and their own limitations... the Wolves can't even play the "come play with two budding superstars and build something!" card. This team cannot improve significantly through free agency. It's simply not the modern NBA for teams like the Wolves.

So that means we're better off locking in a mediocre team via trade? At least in free agency if you strike out you can sign serviceable guys to short deals and keep your options open.

Yes. It's better to lock in talent of any kind for $10M per year... especially talent that at least has a chance of continuing to improve... than overpay for very similar talent in free agency...

The Wolves are so far down the list of any relevant free agent. I just don't see how that's a viable option.

- The worst weather.
- Lousy organization. Historically. And especially now.
- Lousy owner.
- Lousy max contract guy on the books for the next 4 years (Wiggins).
- Lousy city. (relatively speaking. Let's just say it's more of a hockey town than basketball town... at least the perception of it)

There's just not much to offer prospective free agents... sans money. Getting Richardson for Butler. That stings. Obviously. Getting Richardson for $10M for the next 3 years. I can live with that.

Maybe it comes down to me not being optimistic the Butler situation ends up favorably for the Wolves. Mostly because of the long history of ineptitude at the top. They have to convince me before I go against historical precedent.

Richardson costing 10 million literally means nothing when it's coming to us with a bad contract like a Waiters or someone else. It instantly gets negated unless it comes back to us with an expiring deal. Being on a good deal only matters if you can take advantage of it in free agency. So you get a good deal for a 10 million dollar role player and we compete for the 8 seed because we are still capped out with that good deal. What are you accomplishing?

I don't see the Olynyk deal as an atrocity. $12M this year. $11M next year. Waiters is a different story.

Remember, there's hope that Richardson pops. Maybe he doesn't... and yes... the Wolves would be looking at #8 seed at best with him being not much more than a serviceable two-way wing and Olynyk being overpaid as a backup big.

Fair enough. But the alternative is waiting for something better that might not come. Or... hoping free agency brings in people better than Olynyk and Richardson... but no 1st round pick.



Meh. A good organization could pull that off, maybe. The Wolves are not a good organization.

[AbeVigodaLive]

So KAT goes to the line down 3 with 3 seconds left (and the Wolves with no time outs left, as usual for Thibs). He asks Thibs if he should intentionally miss the second free throw to give them a chance to tie the game after an offensive rebound, and Thibs told him no. Can anyone think of any possible reason a coach wouldn't ask his player to miss that second free throw? Making the free throw leaves the Wolves with only one chance to win, and that is an extremely unlikely steal of the inbounds pass. I'm baffled.


I've thought for some time that Thibs might be the worst situational game management coach I have ever seen with his poor plays out of time outs, his ridiculous play calls at the end of quarters and his inability to leave himself with a timeout at the end of the game, but this blunder makes me wonder if he has any understanding of the game at all? This is almost JR Smith like!

Somebody help me out here....

You've gone way overboard for months/years about your obvious hatred for Thibs. You've literally made hundreds of posts about how much you hate the guy. Sometimes, they're pretty cringey to read.

But...

Yes. It's dumb. Very dumb. I wholeheartedly support your skewering of Mr. Thibodeau. His late game stuff has been a problem in the past (no timeouts)... but that move would take the cake.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

I

So KAT goes to the line down 3 with 3 seconds left (and the Wolves with no time outs left, as usual for Thibs). He asks Thibs if he should intentionally miss the second free throw to give them a chance to tie the game after an offensive rebound, and Thibs told him no. Can anyone think of any possible reason a coach wouldn't ask his player to miss that second free throw? Making the free throw leaves the Wolves with only one chance to win, and that is an extremely unlikely steal of the inbounds pass. I'm baffled.


I've thought for some time that Thibs might be the worst situational game management coach I have ever seen with his poor plays out of time outs, his ridiculous play calls at the end of quarters and his inability to leave himself with a timeout at the end of the game, but this blunder makes me wonder if he has any understanding of the game at all? This is almost JR Smith like!

Somebody help me out here....

You've gone way overboard for months/years about your obvious hatred for Thibs. You've literally made hundreds of posts about how much you hate the guy. Sometimes, they're pretty cringey to read.

But...

Yes. It's dumb. Very dumb. I wholeheartedly support your skewering of Mr. Thibodeau. His late game stuff has been a problem in the past (no timeouts)... but that move would take the cake.

Cringey??? Well, probably guilty as charged...I have been a little repetitive. In all fairness though, I think I was one of the first to realize that this emperor had no clothes, and it was a little frustrating for me to hear a coach being defended who really didn't deserve it. I'm happy though that probably 80% of this board now agrees that this is not the right guy to be coaching this team.

But just to be clear, I don't hate the man...not in the least. He seems like a pretty good guy and I appreciate his patience with the annoying media. Shortly after he was hired, he spent almost 2 hours talking basketball with a good buddy of mine (and high school teammate) because he was looking at buying a condo in my friend's downtown building, and my buddy said he was incredibly knowledgeable and a really good guy. I don't doubt that. I just think he panics during game time, and that makes him unsuitable to be a head coach. Last night is just another example...

But no hatred...

[Lipoli390]

So KAT goes to the line down 3 with 3 seconds left (and the Wolves with no time outs left, as usual for Thibs). He asks Thibs if he should intentionally miss the second free throw to give them a chance to tie the game after an offensive rebound, and Thibs told him no. Can anyone think of any possible reason a coach wouldn't ask his player to miss that second free throw? Making the free throw leaves the Wolves with only one chance to win, and that is an extremely unlikely steal of the inbounds pass. I'm baffled.


I've thought for some time that Thibs might be the worst situational game management coach I have ever seen with his poor plays out of time outs, his ridiculous play calls at the end of quarters and his inability to leave himself with a timeout at the end of the game, but this blunder makes me wonder if he has any understanding of the game at all? This is almost JR Smith like!

Somebody help me out here....

It was baffling. But so much of what Thibodeau has done as head coach has been baffling to say the least. Actually, I was baffled even more by Abe's response -- not the part agreeing with you on the call last night but the part saying you've gone way overboard in your hatred of Thibodeau. I'm glad you clarified you don't hate the buy. But I already knew that because nothing in your posts have remotely suggested you hate Thibodeau. Like me, you've simply been voicing your frustration with his horrible coaching and the odd tendency until recently of a lot of people on this Board defending him. Finishing his first season with essentially the same record Sam Mitchell had the previous season should have made all fans concerned that Glen hired the wrong head coach. The list goes on from there, including but certainly not limited to horrendous performances by the Wolves coming out of timeouts. But I'll stop there lest someone thinks I hate the guy even though I don't even know him. It do hate the way he coaches. And I hate the way he handled the Butler situation, putting his head in the sand months ago when he clearly knew Jimmy was extremely unhappy and wanted to go elsewhere. But I'm just repeating myself I know. So I'll stop for now. But stay tuned for my next "is Thibodeau still here" post. :)

[AbeVigodaLive]

So KAT goes to the line down 3 with 3 seconds left (and the Wolves with no time outs left, as usual for Thibs). He asks Thibs if he should intentionally miss the second free throw to give them a chance to tie the game after an offensive rebound, and Thibs told him no. Can anyone think of any possible reason a coach wouldn't ask his player to miss that second free throw? Making the free throw leaves the Wolves with only one chance to win, and that is an extremely unlikely steal of the inbounds pass. I'm baffled.


I've thought for some time that Thibs might be the worst situational game management coach I have ever seen with his poor plays out of time outs, his ridiculous play calls at the end of quarters and his inability to leave himself with a timeout at the end of the game, but this blunder makes me wonder if he has any understanding of the game at all? This is almost JR Smith like!

Somebody help me out here....

It was baffling. But so much of what Thibodeau has done as head coach has been baffling to say the least. Actually, I was baffled even more by Abe's response -- not the part agreeing with you on the call last night but the part saying you've gone way overboard in your hatred of Thibodeau. I'm glad you clarified you don't hate the buy. But I already knew that because nothing in your posts have remotely suggested you hate Thibodeau. Like me, you've simply been voicing your frustration with his horrible coaching and the odd tendency until recently of a lot of people on this Board defending him. Finishing his first season with essentially the same record Sam Mitchell had the previous season should have made all fans concerned that Glen hired the wrong head coach. The list goes on from there, including but certainly not limited to horrendous performances by the Wolves coming out of timeouts. But I'll stop there lest someone thinks I hate the guy even though I don't even know him. It do hate the way he coaches. And I hate the way he handled the Butler situation, putting his head in the sand months ago when he clearly knew Jimmy was extremely unhappy and wanted to go elsewhere. But I'm just repeating myself I know. So I'll stop for now. But stay tuned for my next "is Thibodeau still here" post. :)

Sorry for the response... it's fine that LST dislikes the way Thibs coaches. No problem with that.

But it seemed like at least 90% of his posts over the past 18 months were almost entirely devoted to the subject.




[Note: That being said, it's not like I don't have my own pet issues. We all repeat ourselves. Often. So my apologies for calling out a legit, respectable poster.]