Playoffs discussion

[Coolbreeze44]

Daigneault is so cool

[Lipoli390]

I really loved both these teams. I loved the way they played and competed. I love the fast paced, connected, team-oriented style of play both teams exhibited. It was a bummer to see Haliburton go down. I feel terrible for him and I also feel bad for what his injury took away from the fans. If he doesn’t go down, this game likely goes down to the wire in a thrilling finish. But ultimately, there’s no surprise in the title going to the team with the best record in the NBA. Listening to the OKC players after the game tonight is a reminder that nice guys can also finish first.

As I’ve noted before, what we saw from both teams is a model for the Wolves - youth, speed, athleticism depth, team work, passing, and relentless perimeter defense. TC inherited Ant, Jaden and Naz. He drafted Dilly, TSJ, Clark, Miller and Minott with limited draft capital. If TC would stop star chasing and rely on his acumen for identifying young talent, he could get the Wolves to the same level with OKC and the Pacers as a sustainable championship competitor for multiple years. We’re close. We have a bunch of very talented young players who are also nice guys who like playing together. The answer to getting over that final hump and staying there isn’t a big score on an old veteran for a year or two of potential success; it’s continuing to acquire and develop young talent and blending them with the already established young talent we have.

[Lipoli390]

I quoted TC extensively in a prior post where he said he always errs on the side of continuity and said that the organizations that succeed are the ones who are patient. That’s his stated philosophy. I also recall seeing him say that his strength is the draft, not trades. Unfortunately, I don’t think his actions have aligned faithfully with his philosophy or his strength. First there was the Rudy deal and two years later there there was the Towns deal. The Rudy deal deeply depleted our draft stock. More immediately we almost had another disruptive deal for KD if not for KD’s insistence on going elsewhere.

The best leaders in my experience are those that have a clear philosophy and then stick to it while also playing to their strengths. TC has two nice picks this June’s draft. TC impressively drafted TSJ, Clark and Dilly who have all shown signs of being really good players. Meanwhile Ant, Jaden and Naz will likely continue to improve. From this point forward, TC needs to re-align his actions with his stated philosophy and his own primary talent. Since TC has been here, he’s made 7 draft picks and only one of them, Moore, has been a failure. I don’t trust TC wheeling and dealing although he’s made some nice moves like the DLO trade. But I have a lot of trust in TC’s drafting. I want him to draft Sorber at #17 if available. But if he drafts someone else, I’m not going to pull my hair out because I trust him.

[WildWolf2813]

they just need to draft smart players who know what they're doing.

[Coolbreeze44]

they just need to draft smart players who know what they're doing.

And can handle the ball

[Phenom]

I quoted TC extensively in a prior post where he said he always errs on the side of continuity and said that the organizations that succeed are the ones who are patient. That’s his stated philosophy. I also recall seeing him say that his strength is the draft, not trades. Unfortunately, I don’t think his actions have aligned faithfully with his philosophy or his strength. First there was the Rudy deal and two years later there there was the Towns deal. The Rudy deal deeply depleted our draft stock. More immediately we almost had another disruptive deal for KD if not for KD’s insistence on going elsewhere.

The best leaders in my experience are those that have a clear philosophy and then stick to it while also playing to their strengths. TC has two nice picks this June’s draft. TC impressively drafted TSJ, Clark and Dilly who have all shown signs of being really good players. Meanwhile Ant, Jaden and Naz will likely continue to improve. From this point forward, TC needs to re-align his actions with his stated philosophy and his own primary talent. Since TC has been here, he’s made 7 draft picks and only one of them, Moore, has been a failure. I don’t trust TC wheeling and dealing although he’s made some nice moves like the DLO trade. But I have a lot of trust in TC’s drafting. I want him to draft Sorber at #17 if available. But if he drafts someone else, I’m not going to pull my hair out because I trust him.

I think TC would have loved to stay with continuity but instead got ahead of the Towns contract conundrum brought on by the second apron. After the Rudy trade and subsequent announcement of the aprons, we all knew it would come to that. I dont fault him for moving on it.

[FNG]

I quoted TC extensively in a prior post where he said he always errs on the side of continuity and said that the organizations that succeed are the ones who are patient. That’s his stated philosophy. I also recall seeing him say that his strength is the draft, not trades. Unfortunately, I don’t think his actions have aligned faithfully with his philosophy or his strength. First there was the Rudy deal and two years later there there was the Towns deal. The Rudy deal deeply depleted our draft stock. More immediately we almost had another disruptive deal for KD if not for KD’s insistence on going elsewhere.

The best leaders in my experience are those that have a clear philosophy and then stick to it while also playing to their strengths. TC has two nice picks this June’s draft. TC impressively drafted TSJ, Clark and Dilly who have all shown signs of being really good players. Meanwhile Ant, Jaden and Naz will likely continue to improve. From this point forward, TC needs to re-align his actions with his stated philosophy and his own primary talent. Since TC has been here, he’s made 7 draft picks and only one of them, Moore, has been a failure. I don’t trust TC wheeling and dealing although he’s made some nice moves like the DLO trade. But I have a lot of trust in TC’s drafting. I want him to draft Sorber at #17 if available. But if he drafts someone else, I’m not going to pull my hair out because I trust him.

I think TC would have loved to stay with continuity but instead got ahead of the Towns contract conundrum brought on by the second apron. After the Rudy trade and subsequent announcement of the aprons, we all knew it would come to that. I dont fault him for moving on it.

Very true. TC inherited a very difficult cap situation with KAT's gigantic salary looming. He knew future moves would be severely limited if he couldn't find a way to get out of it. And he did it in a brilliant way, bringing back a starter, a key reserve, and a mid-first round pick. Nice work.

Many here are saying we were "close" to making a deal for Durant. Let me remind everyone that we don't know that, because nobody on the Wolves has said anything...TC is one of the most guarded POBOs in the Association. The only "news" we got came out of Phoenix or from pundits who were talking with Phoenix. I never felt we were anywhere close to a deal to get Durant. Just one year ago TC maneuvered his way out of KAT's contract. It never made sense to me that he had changed so much in just 12 months that he would lock himself into another massive contract. I think we know that Phoenix wanted to do a deal with us, and I think the unrealistic deals we heard about out there were nothing more than the Suns' wish list...I can just imagine TC spitting out his coffee and laughing every time he heard one of the pundits talk about what he was offering. I think there could have been a deal out there that would have been so attractive that TC would have bit (something like giving up Ju, Donte and pieces in exchange for Durant and picks), but that was never going to happen. I'll continue to believe what I believed from the start...that we were never close to a Durant deal. Now I'm going to sit back and see what magic TC will come up with the rest of the month.

[AbeVigodaLive]

These rash of achilles injuries kinda suck. As noted... the East vs. West comparison next year will be pretty amusing in how lopsided it will be.

I'd probably be more cool with OKC's championship and defensive approach (UBER PHYSICAL on the perimeter)... if I didn't have to watch how McDaniels and others were officiated in the 5 games of the WCF vs. OKC. As hundreds of thousands of people have pointed out now... it's not only that SGA pushes off 5 - 10 times per game without ever getting called. It's not only that OKC plays with more perimeter physicality. It's not only that a "super strong" defenders mug on one end and then flop on the other. It's that in every scenario, the Thunder seemed to get a near-league best super whistle.

I commend Indiana (and Carlisle) for their resilient attitude and not making it a focus. It served them well. In the end though... whether a team whines about it (MN) or plays through it (OKC), it happened and it cost them points and possibly games.

[Lipoli390]

I quoted TC extensively in a prior post where he said he always errs on the side of continuity and said that the organizations that succeed are the ones who are patient. That’s his stated philosophy. I also recall seeing him say that his strength is the draft, not trades. Unfortunately, I don’t think his actions have aligned faithfully with his philosophy or his strength. First there was the Rudy deal and two years later there there was the Towns deal. The Rudy deal deeply depleted our draft stock. More immediately we almost had another disruptive deal for KD if not for KD’s insistence on going elsewhere.

The best leaders in my experience are those that have a clear philosophy and then stick to it while also playing to their strengths. TC has two nice picks this June’s draft. TC impressively drafted TSJ, Clark and Dilly who have all shown signs of being really good players. Meanwhile Ant, Jaden and Naz will likely continue to improve. From this point forward, TC needs to re-align his actions with his stated philosophy and his own primary talent. Since TC has been here, he’s made 7 draft picks and only one of them, Moore, has been a failure. I don’t trust TC wheeling and dealing although he’s made some nice moves like the DLO trade. But I have a lot of trust in TC’s drafting. I want him to draft Sorber at #17 if available. But if he drafts someone else, I’m not going to pull my hair out because I trust him.

I think TC would have loved to stay with continuity but instead got ahead of the Towns contract conundrum brought on by the second apron. After the Rudy trade and subsequent announcement of the aprons, we all knew it would come to that. I dont fault him for moving on it.

Very true. TC inherited a very difficult cap situation with KAT's gigantic salary looming. He knew future moves would be severely limited if he couldn't find a way to get out of it. And he did it in a brilliant way, bringing back a starter, a key reserve, and a mid-first round pick. Nice work.

Many here are saying we were "close" to making a deal for Durant. Let me remind everyone that we don't know that, because nobody on the Wolves has said anything...TC is one of the most guarded POBOs in the Association. The only "news" we got came out of Phoenix or from pundits who were talking with Phoenix. I never felt we were anywhere close to a deal to get Durant. Just one year ago TC maneuvered his way out of KAT's contract. It never made sense to me that he had changed so much in just 12 months that he would lock himself into another massive contract. I think we know that Phoenix wanted to do a deal with us, and I think the unrealistic deals we heard about out there were nothing more than the Suns' wish list...I can just imagine TC spitting out his coffee and laughing every time he heard one of the pundits talk about what he was offering. I think there could have been a deal out there that would have been so attractive that TC would have bit (something like giving up Ju, Donte and pieces in exchange for Durant and picks), but that was never going to happen. I'll continue to believe what I believed from the start...that we were never close to a Durant deal. Now I'm going to sit back and see what magic TC will come up with the rest of the month.

I don’t think TC inherited a particularly difficult cap situation. He created a particularly difficult one by trading for Rudy. KAT will make $53.1M next season. TC was attempting to trade for a player, Durant, who will make $54M next season and was apparently prepared to give him the two year extension reported to be around nearly $60M per year for two more years, which is almost exactly what we would have paid Towns for the remainder of his contract. I don’t see TC deserving a reward for cap management or a pass on disrupting continuity based on what he inherited. Having said that, I think the return for KAT was reasonable but if KAT’s salary drove the deal then why did TC wait two years to trade KAT? A really savvy move of a chess playing thinking several steps ahead would have been trading KAT when they acquired Rudy when the return for KAT would have likely been much greater. I want to be clear — I think TC is a good basketball executive. I just don’t think his performance here has been at the same high chess level as Sam Presti. I think his approach has been too scatter-shot without grounding in a consistent strategy. Just imagine the Wolves under TC without the guys he inherited from Rosas - specifically Ant, Jaden and Naz.

We can’t know what TC was offering for KD, but the reports, coupled with the obviously salary match constraints, strongly suggest that TC’s offer included Donte and either Randle or Rudy. We also know that the Suns were insisting on young talent and/or picks. I think there was enough consensus reporting that the Suns were very interested in what the Wolves were offering, which means the offer likely included at least one of our three best young guys (Dilly, TSJ and/or Clark) and probably one of our two current draft picks. I think we know for sure that Durant didn’t not want to sign an extension here. I doubt the reporting got that wrong. Put all of this together and I think we have a pretty good idea of what TC offered for Durant and why it didn’t come to fruition. Of course, this is all speculation, but there were enough fairly consistent reports and salary cap realities, to indicate what TC was likely offering. That’s why I’m relieved Durant didn’t want to come here.

We might just have to agree to disagree on this one, FNG.

[FNG]

Yes, we do disagree on this one, Lip. I think the difference is you’re judging him with respect to the Durant deal based on information that is reported to only be coming from Suns sources…I’m judging him by his actions, and he didn’t make a deal for Durant. TC himself has said nothing, and the deals he was reported to have offered are preposterous…it seems he was just being used by the suns to get a better price. Has anyone actually ever heard TC say he was going after Durant? I never have…I’ve only heard other people say it. I suspect he’s been chuckling through this whole process.

I don’t disagree that perhaps he could have dealt KAT earlier…others here have suggested that too. But then again, he got us to a WCF with KAT, and then got us there again after getting out of his obscene contract. Pretty good work if you ask me!