I'm hanging on to the notion we ran out of gas after the grueling Nuggets series. Yes, we could have beaten Dallas and Boston if we had been through this before. The hope is we come back with a better understanding of what it takes and we are ready to take the next step. I have to keep telling myself this to avoid experiencing the full brunt of the loss.
I feel the same way, Cool. I just keep coming back to MJ’s Bulls after the Pistons knocked them out of the Conference finals. MJ and the entire team dedicated their offseason to improving their strength and conditioning. They came back the next season highly motivated and better prepared both physically and mentally for the long haul. If our guys take that same approach and adopt the same attitude I like our chances next season.
We do legit have to get better on offense both organically and through swapping out a player or two in the rotation (e.g. SloMo needs to be replaced with someone that is respected as a shooter).
Q - I don’t think the 2nd apron gives this organization the flexibility needed to significantly improve our offense without a major trade involving KAT, Rudy or Naz. And I don’t see us trading KAT or Naz if we’re serious about improving our offense. We can’t simply fill Slo Mo’s roster spot with a really good offensive player because the 2nd apron prevents us from using any of the significant cap exceptions and limits our free-agent options to vet minimum guys. We can’t sign-and-trade Slo Mo because that’s also prohibited. We could trade NAW, but we’re not allowed to take back more salary that we give up and I don’t see us getting a net upgrade over NAW at his salary.
So if our front office wants to run it back next season we had better hope this team can significantly improve offensively with its current personnel and coaching staff. Like you, I have my doubts.
Last edited by Lipoli390 on Tue Jun 04, 2024 10:39 am, edited 2 times in total.
I feel the same way, Cool. I just keep coming back to MJ’s Bulls after the Pistons knocked them out of the Conference finals. MJ and the entire team dedicated their offseason to improving their strength and conditioning. They came back the next season highly motivated and better prepared both physically and mentally for the long haul. If our guys take that same approach and adopt the same attitude I like our chances next season.
We do legit have to get better on offense both organically and through swapping out a player or two in the rotation (e.g. SloMo needs to be replaced with someone that is respected as a shooter).
Q - I don’t think the 2nd apron gives this organization the flexibility needed to significantly improve our offense without a major trade involving KAT, Rudy or Naz. And I don’t see us trading KAT or Naz if we’re serious about improving our offense. We can’t simply fill Slo Mo’s roster spot with a really good offensive player because the 2nd apron prevents us from using any of the significant cap exceptions and limits our free-agent options to vet minimum guys. We can’t sign-and-trade Slo Mo because that’s also prohibited. We could trade NAW, but we’re not allowed to take back more salary that we give up and I don’t see us getting a net upgrade over NAW at his salary.
So if our front office wants to run it back next season we had better hope this team can significantly improve offensively with its current personnel and coaching staff. Like you, I have my doubts.
I think we have to do something or next year is going to finish the same way this year did. I'll let the $15 million dollar man figure out the best course of action.
We do legit have to get better on offense both organically and through swapping out a player or two in the rotation (e.g. SloMo needs to be replaced with someone that is respected as a shooter).
Q - I don’t think the 2nd apron gives this organization the flexibility needed to significantly improve our offense without a major trade involving KAT, Rudy or Naz. And I don’t see us trading KAT or Naz if we’re serious about improving our offense. We can’t simply fill Slo Mo’s roster spot with a really good offensive player because the 2nd apron prevents us from using any of the significant cap exceptions and limits our free-agent options to vet minimum guys. We can’t sign-and-trade Slo Mo because that’s also prohibited. We could trade NAW, but we’re not allowed to take back more salary that we give up and I don’t see us getting a net upgrade over NAW at his salary.
So if our front office wants to run it back next season we had better hope this team can significantly improve offensively with its current personnel and coaching staff. Like you, I have my doubts.
I think we have to do something or next year is going to finish the same way this year did. I'll let the $15 million dollar man figure out the best course of action.
One trade that I think would improve our offense consistent with NBA cap rules would be Rudy to Atlanta for Murray and Bogdanovic.
Q - I don’t think the 2nd apron gives this organization the flexibility needed to significantly improve our offense without a major trade involving KAT, Rudy or Naz. And I don’t see us trading KAT or Naz if we’re serious about improving our offense. We can’t simply fill Slo Mo’s roster spot with a really good offensive player because the 2nd apron prevents us from using any of the significant cap exceptions and limits our free-agent options to vet minimum guys. We can’t sign-and-trade Slo Mo because that’s also prohibited. We could trade NAW, but we’re not allowed to take back more salary that we give up and I don’t see us getting a net upgrade over NAW at his salary.
So if our front office wants to run it back next season we had better hope this team can significantly improve offensively with its current personnel and coaching staff. Like you, I have my doubts.
I think we have to do something or next year is going to finish the same way this year did. I'll let the $15 million dollar man figure out the best course of action.
One trade that I think would improve our offense consistent with NBA cap rules would be Rudy to Atlanta for Murray and Bogdanovic.
I'd do it for Murray, if they want to give us Bogdanovic too so be it.
I see the potential value of that trade, Lip, but as Q pointed out in another thread, Rudy is consistently a critical and productive player in all manner of 2. 3, 5 man groupings. Connelly would have to be convinced that the players coming in would be net positives overall. The offense *has* to get better but trading the anchor and quarterback to the best defense in the league may be tricky.
Sundog wrote: ↑Tue Jun 04, 2024 10:48 am
I see the potential value of that trade, Lip, but as Q pointed out in another thread, Rudy is consistently a critical and productive player in all manner of 2. 3, 5 man groupings. Connelly would have to be convinced that the players coming in would be net positives overall. The offense *has* to get better but trading the anchor and quarterback to the best defense in the league may be tricky.
I agree. But there’s no alternative to improve our offense via trade. Trading KAT or Naz to improve offensively would be nonsensical. Trading NAW won’t move the needle given limited salary we could get in return and the net loss of NAW’s defense.
The reality is that the second apron precludes moves a team in our situation would typically be able to make to significantly improve in certain areas. We don’t have that luxury. The Wolves traded for Rudy to get what they got from him this season. But what they gave up to get him now seriously constrains the organization’s to improve except through the development of the team’s current players and/or this summer’s draft. That’s the reality. Perhaps we could use Miller or Minott paired with both our picks to move up in this summer’s 1st round to get a player who would significantly improve our offense at least by the latter portion of next season.
AbeVigodaLive wrote: ↑Tue Jun 04, 2024 9:03 am
Well... I was wrong.
WHAT?
Next, you guys are gonna tell me that I was wrong about Anthony Edwards, too.
[Note: But at least I was right about Rashad McCants being the anti-christ.]
He's not the worst draft pick in Wolves history. Not even close. He was even an above avg 3P shooter. Couldn't do anything else well though.
Everyone who lived through it... knows that McCants' profound negative impact on Timberwolves lore transcends any statistics. It literally hurt my eyes and soul watching that man's brand of basketball.
Sundog wrote: ↑Tue Jun 04, 2024 10:48 am
I see the potential value of that trade, Lip, but as Q pointed out in another thread, Rudy is consistently a critical and productive player in all manner of 2. 3, 5 man groupings. Connelly would have to be convinced that the players coming in would be net positives overall. The offense *has* to get better but trading the anchor and quarterback to the best defense in the league may be tricky.
I agree. But there’s no alternative to improve our offense via trade. Trading KAT or Naz to improve offensively would be nonsensical. Trading NAW won’t move the needle given limited salary we could get in return and the net loss of NAW’s defense.
The reality is that the second apron precludes moves a team in our situation would typically be able to make to significantly improve in certain areas. We don’t have that luxury. The Wolves traded for Rudy to get what they got from him this season. But what they gave up to get him now seriously constrains the organization’s to improve except through the development of the team’s current players and/or this summer’s draft. That’s the reality. Perhaps we could use Miller or Minott paired with both our picks to move up in this summer’s 1st round to get a player who would significantly improve our offense at least by the latter portion of next season.
Lip, SloMo was an anchor on the offense. No matter how savvy he was as a secondary ball handler and floor general, his non-existent outside shot tanked our offense when he was on the floor. He will hopefully move on.
We shouldn't underestimate what the vet minimum could bring us. There might be some ring-chasers out there willing to take the vet min and take SloMo's spot. I think Nic Batum is a semi-realistic option.
AbeVigodaLive wrote: ↑Tue Jun 04, 2024 9:03 am
Well... I was wrong.
WHAT?
Next, you guys are gonna tell me that I was wrong about Anthony Edwards, too.
[Note: But at least I was right about Rashad McCants being the anti-christ.]
McCants is on Gilbert arenas’ podcast and is just there to say the opposite of what Kenyon Martin says. It’s pure cancer.
The amount of podcasts out there by former NBA players is getting a bit silly. I guess the barriers to entry are low and a lot of these guys don't know what else to do with themselves, but the market is getting flooded.
