Keep Ricky in Minnesota

[AbeVigodaLive]

Rubio's shooting will be exploited if/when the Wolves are finally making the playoffs. That's just how the NBA works. Teams will devise defensive tactics to make that happen by taking away the first, second and third options and daring him to shoot. To think otherwise is myopic.

BUT... (1) just making the playoffs is good enough for now. (2) Rubio might be better than the alternative in helping the team reach the playoffs within the next couple of years.

That's the reality. And why Rubio will remain the increasingly polarizing player he's become. Ironically, he's become more polarizing even though his game has been mostly stagnant for nearly 5 years now.

[Phenom]

The playoffs are about adjustments. I would sure hope that the next coach isn't limited to a few offensive sets. If a coach can utilize the talent on the court, and there is now plenty to work with, the team won't need to live and die by Ricky's jumper. That's pure laziness.

[AbeVigodaLive]

The playoffs are about adjustments. I would sure hope that the next coach isn't limited to a few offensive sets. If a coach can utilize the talent on the court, and there is now plenty to work with, the team won't need to live and die by Ricky's jumper. That's pure laziness.

And the other team will adjust accordingly. As I said... they'll keep working to take away the options.

The one constant in any scenario is having a PG who can't shoot.



[Note: But that's a LONG ways off, making it basically moot at this point.]

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

The playoffs are about adjustments. I would sure hope that the next coach isn't limited to a few offensive sets. If a coach can utilize the talent on the court, and there is now plenty to work with, the team won't need to live and die by Ricky's jumper. That's pure laziness.

The Mavs turned Lebron James into a jump shooter in 2011. What makes you think Ricky's gonna be able to escape that fate as our primary ball handler? A shiny offensive system isn't gonna cut it because most systems begin and end with PnR's which is where the other team is able to force Ricky to shoot and shut down his other options.

[Phenom]

LeBron is and always has been option 1 2 3 and 4. His game is predicated on isolation. He is always at or near the top in usage. It's a very different situation.

Call me crazy but I just can't accept that the Wolves will lose a 7 game series because Ricky is clanking shots. If that happens, again, the Wolves made a huge mistake hiring the next coach.

[AbeVigodaLive]

LeBron is and always has been option 1 2 3 and 4. His game is predicated on isolation. He is always at or near the top in usage. It's a very different situation.

Call me crazy but I just can't accept that the Wolves will lose a 7 game series because Ricky is clanking shots. If that happens, again, the Wolves made a huge mistake hiring the next coach.

We'll agree to disagree until it happens.

It's not like the possibility is completely foreign. We're seeing rotation and even better than rotation guys being marginalized in the playoffs by other good, smart coaches.

Did Joeger simply get outcoached by Kerr. Or, was Tony Allen's inability to do anything with a mismatch vs. Andrew Bogut on the player? Basically, we haven't seen Timberwolves playoff basketball for a very long time. Heck, we haven't even seen meaningful basketball in more than a decade. In close games, the smallest things can make a huge difference, like a PG who can't shoot.

The closest thing we have to illustrate this goes back to the 2014 season (again). The Wolves were a fringe playoff contender. And what's the one thing that held them back in a disappointing season?

4th quarter failures as teams tightened up defensively, officials bailed out the team less... and guys missed shots.

[TeamRicky [enjin:6648771]]

LeBron is and always has been option 1 2 3 and 4. His game is predicated on isolation. He is always at or near the top in usage. It's a very different situation.

Call me crazy but I just can't accept that the Wolves will lose a 7 game series because Ricky is clanking shots. If that happens, again, the Wolves made a huge mistake hiring the next coach.

We'll agree to disagree until it happens.

It's not like the possibility is completely foreign. We're seeing rotation and even better than rotation guys being marginalized in the playoffs by other good, smart coaches.

Did Joeger simply get outcoached by Kerr. Or, was Tony Allen's inability to do anything with a mismatch vs. Andrew Bogut on the player? Basically, we haven't seen Timberwolves playoff basketball for a very long time. Heck, we haven't even seen meaningful basketball in more than a decade. In close games, the smallest things can make a huge difference, like a PG who can't shoot.

The closest thing we have to illustrate this goes back to the 2014 season (again). The Wolves were a fringe playoff contender. And what's the one thing that held them back in a disappointing season?

4th quarter failures as teams tightened up defensively, officials bailed out the team less... and guys missed shots.

I attribute it more to defense than offense. We were the second worst defense in opponent's field goal percentage and had some terrible individual defenders like Bazz, Kmart and Barea. Also Brewer, Budinger and D Williams were below average defenders. Ricky, Love and Pek were the three best players on that team. Ricky was ranked 29th in overall RPM and he's not the reason we struggled.

[AbeVigodaLive]

LeBron is and always has been option 1 2 3 and 4. His game is predicated on isolation. He is always at or near the top in usage. It's a very different situation.

Call me crazy but I just can't accept that the Wolves will lose a 7 game series because Ricky is clanking shots. If that happens, again, the Wolves made a huge mistake hiring the next coach.

We'll agree to disagree until it happens.

It's not like the possibility is completely foreign. We're seeing rotation and even better than rotation guys being marginalized in the playoffs by other good, smart coaches.

Did Joeger simply get outcoached by Kerr. Or, was Tony Allen's inability to do anything with a mismatch vs. Andrew Bogut on the player? Basically, we haven't seen Timberwolves playoff basketball for a very long time. Heck, we haven't even seen meaningful basketball in more than a decade. In close games, the smallest things can make a huge difference, like a PG who can't shoot.

The closest thing we have to illustrate this goes back to the 2014 season (again). The Wolves were a fringe playoff contender. And what's the one thing that held them back in a disappointing season?

4th quarter failures as teams tightened up defensively, officials bailed out the team less... and guys missed shots.

I attribute more to defense than offense. We had the fourth worst defense and some terrible individual defenders like Bazz, Kmart and Barea. Also Brewer, Budinger and D Williams were below average defenders. Ricky, Love and Pek were the three best players on that team. Ricky was ranked 29th in overall RPM and he's not the reason we struggled.

This is the over-the-top pro Rubio type of post that seems to frustrate some around here.

The Wolves were a top 10 defense for most of that season... definitely during the first 60 games of the season. And that team definitely lost more than its share of close games in the 4th quarter. And the overall offensive efficiency and production definitely went down in the 4th quarter. And Rubio definitely struggled in those 4th quarters.

All of this has been documented... at the time... and rehashed here... many times.

I don't see how any of that can be argued.

[thedoper]

LeBron is and always has been option 1 2 3 and 4. His game is predicated on isolation. He is always at or near the top in usage. It's a very different situation.

Call me crazy but I just can't accept that the Wolves will lose a 7 game series because Ricky is clanking shots. If that happens, again, the Wolves made a huge mistake hiring the next coach.

We'll agree to disagree until it happens.

It's not like the possibility is completely foreign. We're seeing rotation and even better than rotation guys being marginalized in the playoffs by other good, smart coaches.

Did Joeger simply get outcoached by Kerr. Or, was Tony Allen's inability to do anything with a mismatch vs. Andrew Bogut on the player? Basically, we haven't seen Timberwolves playoff basketball for a very long time. Heck, we haven't even seen meaningful basketball in more than a decade. In close games, the smallest things can make a huge difference, like a PG who can't shoot.

The closest thing we have to illustrate this goes back to the 2014 season (again). The Wolves were a fringe playoff contender. And what's the one thing that held them back in a disappointing season?

4th quarter failures as teams tightened up defensively, officials bailed out the team less... and guys missed shots.

I attribute it more to defense than offense. We were the second worst defense in opponent's field goal percentage and had some terrible individual defenders like Bazz, Kmart and Barea. Also Brewer, Budinger and D Williams were below average defenders. Ricky, Love and Pek were the three best players on that team. Ricky was ranked 29th in overall RPM and he's not the reason we struggled.

Wow. Bazz didn't even play that year and your blaming him. Hilarious.

[Monster]

LeBron is and always has been option 1 2 3 and 4. His game is predicated on isolation. He is always at or near the top in usage. It's a very different situation.

Call me crazy but I just can't accept that the Wolves will lose a 7 game series because Ricky is clanking shots. If that happens, again, the Wolves made a huge mistake hiring the next coach.

We'll agree to disagree until it happens.

It's not like the possibility is completely foreign. We're seeing rotation and even better than rotation guys being marginalized in the playoffs by other good, smart coaches.

Did Joeger simply get outcoached by Kerr. Or, was Tony Allen's inability to do anything with a mismatch vs. Andrew Bogut on the player? Basically, we haven't seen Timberwolves playoff basketball for a very long time. Heck, we haven't even seen meaningful basketball in more than a decade. In close games, the smallest things can make a huge difference, like a PG who can't shoot.

The closest thing we have to illustrate this goes back to the 2014 season (again). The Wolves were a fringe playoff contender. And what's the one thing that held them back in a disappointing season?

4th quarter failures as teams tightened up defensively, officials bailed out the team less... and guys missed shots.

I attribute more to defense than offense. We had the fourth worst defense and some terrible individual defenders like Bazz, Kmart and Barea. Also Brewer, Budinger and D Williams were below average defenders. Ricky, Love and Pek were the three best players on that team. Ricky was ranked 29th in overall RPM and he's not the reason we struggled.

This is the over-the-top pro Rubio type of post that seems to frustrate some around here.

The Wolves were a top 10 defense for most of that season... definitely during the first 60 games of the season. And that team definitely lost more than its share of close games in the 4th quarter. And the overall offensive efficiency and production definitely went down in the 4th quarter. And Rubio definitely struggled in those 4th quarters.

All of this has been documented... at the time... and rehashed here... many times.

I don't see how any of that can be argued.

"I don't see how any of that can be argued."

Well it has been argued multiple times and has been for years! Gotcha! Hahahahaha

All kidding aside I agree with all that you said in your post.