It ain't a must win, yet - Wolves at Pelicans GDT

[60WinTim]

I'll chalk up the surging lottery wagon to the 10+ years of being out of the playoff picture before the all-star break. A hot stretch by the Wolves could make things really interesting.

I hope it starts tonight!

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Ugh, my old classmate doing play by play. Much prefer J-Pete!

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

If the Wolves play defense like we did the last two games, we have no chance of winning. I think the players have given up a bit. We'll see who comes out with more energy.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

....looks like another crap defensive game. Whatever we were doing well early on from the all-star break has been long forgotten at this point. Teams scoring at will against us.

Also, once again, having to rely on Rubio to handle a big load because Wiggins has been an iso-turnover machine through less than three quarters (5 TOs). Yuck.

[WildWolf2813]

Here's what I'm gonna say.

The season's over. Whatever, it was a matter of time, BUT

going into next season, I just know I can't muster up enthusiasm for this team. Everyone's gonna wax poetic about Towns and Wiggins but when they become the two sorriest defensive players at their respective positions, I can't sit here and say they improved. I also don't see a player in the draft making a big contribution. I don't see a critical free agent signing based off their approach this past summer. LaVine's gonna come back half of what he was and Dunn might have to win Most Improved Player just to get back to the player he was this time a year ago. And God help us all if Ricky's traded.

It feels like at best all this team did this season was run in place. Yeah, they showed flashes of what they could be, but they showed more of what they've been and continue to be.

[Carlos Danger]

Here's what I'm gonna say.

The season's over. Whatever, it was a matter of time, BUT

going into next season, I just know I can't muster up enthusiasm for this team. Everyone's gonna wax poetic about Towns and Wiggins but when they become the two sorriest defensive players at their respective positions, I can't sit here and say they improved. I also don't see a player in the draft making a big contribution. I don't see a critical free agent signing based off their approach this past summer. LaVine's gonna come back half of what he was and Dunn might have to win Most Improved Player just to get back to the player he was this time a year ago. And God help us all if Ricky's traded.

It feels like at best all this team did this season was run in place. Yeah, they showed flashes of what they could be, but they showed more of what they've been and continue to be.

I feel your pain. This team needs more talent and some attitude. I think Thibbs first year is a disappointment from my perspective - especially the f'ing defense. Sam probably could have won a similar amount of games this year. I think most of us expected a bigger improvement. That said, I'm still some what of an optimist. I'm going to assume there will be some major changes to next year's team I'd be shocked if next year's starting five doesn't have two new faces.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

I didn't see the game because I'm on a flight, but I was following online and predicted another devastating second half collapse when I saw the bench minutes imbalance at halftime. Hmm...so the Wolves give up 48 points in the first half when their legs are fresh, and then 75 in the second half when we were exhausted because of Thibs' ridiculous out-of-step rotations. 55 minutes total for the bench? Come on, Thibs. No wonder we got blown out by 20 in the second half by a marginal team. I wouldn't be so pissed off at Thibs if our bench was completely ineffective, but the bench was a net minus 2 and the starters were a net minus 58 (much of that when they were getting buried by the Pelicans' rested starters).

I haven't posted on this topic for several weeks, but since tonight's loss is the final dagger in a Thibodeau-torpedoed season, I have to vent a little. I have been encouraged by the defensive progress this club has made, and I give Thibs most of the credit for that...the guy clearly knows how to coach. But his horrible rotations were a huge factor in the dreadful start to the season, and still a factor in some of the key losses down the stretch.

I get that we were missing Zach, Belly and Lance tonight, but that didn't seem to hurt us in the first half. No, this loss is on Thibs, as are many of the early season losses. This team has so much potential (and even more now with Rubio playing the way he is), but they simply aren't going to realize their potential if Thibs doesn't get in step with every other coach in the league. He may be the smartest guy in the room when it comes to defense (I admit I'm a happy convert...the guy knows defense), but he remains the dumbest guy in the room when it comes to optimal bench use...and in my opinion that is the biggest factor in yet another failed season.

[thedoper]

I think we're exactly where Utah was a year ago. We just need to go out and get some vet stability just like they did with Hill. We have no one on this team that plays like a man. Putting real vets between Towns and Wiggins puts us over the hump.

[Crazysauce]

Towns and Wiggins both play selfishly, and only on one side of the ball. Sit here playing one on whoever or however many are going to guard them. Saw Towns dribble into a triple team tonight in fron just above the free throw line to throw up a brick while bazz was cutting wide open to the rim. Towns could have mad a simple pass for a dunk but instead decides to attack and shoot up contested by three defenders.

I just think that these guys cant be too much fun to play with. The iso ball and never looking to pass the damn ball, and in addition playing absolutely no semblance of defense, ironically enough team defense.

The season is over and may as well lose to get a better pick. Wash Rinse Repeat. Minnesota next year alive and well. The sad thing as wild wolf has pointed out is these guys have progressed zero on defens. None. They are just as shitty as they were at the beginning of the season.

The saddest thing of all of this is the simple fact that if most people were losing night in and night out for the last two plus years (wiggins and towns and lavine) you would think you would realize that you need to change what your doing. Instead we just continually bang our head against the wall. Glad this team can get up for one or two games a season. Disgusted.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Towns and Wiggins both play selfishly, and only on one side of the ball. Sit here playing one on whoever or however many are going to guard them. Saw Towns dribble into a triple team tonight in fron just above the free throw line to throw up a brick while bazz was cutting wide open to the rim. Towns could have mad a simple pass for a dunk but instead decides to attack and shoot up contested by three defenders.

I just think that these guys cant be too much fun to play with. The iso ball and never looking to pass the damn ball, and in addition playing absolutely no semblance of defense, ironically enough team defense.

The season is over and may as well lose to get a better pick. Wash Rinse Repeat. Minnesota next year alive and well. The sad thing as wild wolf has pointed out is these guys have progressed zero on defens. None. They are just as shitty as they were at the beginning of the season.

The saddest thing of all of this is the simple fact that if most people were losing night in and night out for the last two plus years (wiggins and towns and lavine) you would think you would realize that you need to change what your doing. Instead we just continually bang our head against the wall. Glad this team can get up for one or two games a season. Disgusted.

I understand this take along with Wildwolf. It's on the pessimistic side for sure.

By far the biggest disappointment of this season is the defense. We've seen what a dramatic effect a coach can have on a defense, yet it's come only in fits and starts with our guys. I'm not sure what the right answer is, as the guys we consider most key to our future - KAT, Wiggins, and LaVine - are also probably the biggest liabilities defensively. All we can hope is that with experience they continue to get better.