monsterpile wrote:I just watched a few recent Dieng highlights and some of the things he is doing on offense are actually things Pek does well only Dieng is a different athlete so it looks much different. Screen and going to the rack the little fakes to get guys up in the air or enough hesitation to get space etc. I am sure working against Pek the past few months has helped Dieng in that area. One guy I hope we keep around is Sikma I think he is a guy thats done some good work with the bigs. Maybe its not him, but he got alot of credit for working with Pek although I think Bayno got some credit at well.
I wanted Dieng more than any player in last year's draft and well that looks pretty great, but lets be honest there wasn't many guys to get really excited about last year imo.
I think you hold onto Pek unless you get a deal you just can't turn down becasue IO think Diang and Pek can play minutes together and you know it would be nice to have 2 good centers instead of basically one and if that guy gets hurt or in foul trouble...we are screwed. Hopefully we can find more wing help in the draft. Bottom line is if Dieng lives up to what I was hoping he is going to be HUGE for this team and part of what this team needed so badly to move forward whether thats the team's center with out without Pek. At some point moving Pek my need to happen, but I am ok with playing it out a while. I think he is gonna have tons of value if he is relatively healthy. Basically what I think we have forgotten is that Pek is actually have his best statistical year of his career this year.
As much as I have enjoyed cheering for Pek the past few years, I really think Flip needs to be aggressive in dealing him to make this club better. I believe Pek's value is as high right now as it will ever be, coming off an excellent statistical year, and he remains the one valuable but expendable asset Flip can use. I'm inclined to agree that Pek, Diang and Love could be a powerful big man rotation, but it relegates one of them to "reserve" status, and reserves just don't bring as much in trade as starters. I don't think we want a Howard/Asik situation. If Houston had dealt Asik before the season started, they would have gotten a nice return for a consistent double double starter, but instead they were excited about how they could work together. It didn't work, and now they have a greatly diminished asset in Asik. I hope Flip doesn't make the same mistake. Pek's offensive stats would be very attractive to several teams that need a productive center, but we know he is a defensively-challenged guy who struggles to stay healthy.
I love Pek, but it time to move him and start Dieng.
Pretty much agree with this take LST. Why not go for it at this point? We really have nothing to lose.
I have no problem with fielding and initiating calls for Pek (assuming Gorgui keeps this up), but I would be very hesitant to pull the trigger without a very good offer.
Most Centers miss a decent chunk of playing time due to injuries. That's just a fact of life in the NBA. Andrew Bogut, Andrew Bynum, Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol, Tyson Chandler, Brook Lopez...and the list goes on. Pekovic is no different. Dieng may end up being no different. Having good depth at Center isn't just about strengthening the bench; it's also about having a good starter when your main guy is out.
I'd like to see Dieng and Pek play a little bit together once Pek is ready to go. That could also provide us with some valuable information as to whether Love/Pek/Dieng can make for a potent three man big man rotation.
I am not saying don't trade Pek, but I would have a pretty high asking price. If Dieng keeps playing like a legit starter at C i think Pek will end up being dealt at some point, but I think it may be too early yet. However the Wolves like you said should field offers and if they see a guy they might actually want and it might work they could make some calls. I am sure they will get some teams showing interest the way Dieng has played and I see tonight he almost had a double double off the bench. This is the type of thing that needs to happen a young guy stepping up that the Wolves desperately needed to go forward.
As for the coaches and Adelman I know we are all disappointed with the season and all that but lets be a little honest here. Adelman's hands were tied with the roster. Yes he could have played some guys differently gave some young guys more minutes etc. The reality is this team had some injury issues (every team has some) and underachieved to a certain extent, but the reality is that this team is going to finish at or right at around .500 Thats some sort of accomplishment really considering how truly bad this team has been the last 10 years. I am not saying its good enough because it isn't, but all things considered especially the conference the Wolves play in I think it should be pointed out.
Its going to be interesting what Flip does with the coaching position. The report from Stein today gives some real weight to the idea Adelman will step down. I mean really the guy is old had a nice career has reasons to retire and will have 1 year left on his contract if he was to come back. And guess what this team isn't 1 player away from competing for a title, well unless his name is Lebron. LOL I woudl say the chances of Adelman coming back are less than 15%. There are some good options out there Hollins is my first choice off the top of my head. Conely and the Grizz really took off after Hollins took over. Maybe he can help Rubio. I can dream right?
