Trade season

[60WinTim]

I am starting to cool on the "trade for a starting PG" idea. While still a work in progress, the ANT-at-PG transition is looking good. And Donte as ANT's wingman is pretty darn good because he is above average at almost everything. So unless you are giving up on ANT-at-PG, why trade for a starting PG and bump Donte out of the lineup?

Fast forward to the playoffs where an 8-man rotation is the norm: you have your starting 5 and NAZ, Mike and Clark off the bench. Who are you planning on bumping out of the 8-man rotation?

[60WinTim]

But since we are talking trades anyway...

How about Randle to Chicago for Tre Jones, Vukevic and a future protected 1st round pick? There was an article today about Chicago looking for its version of Siakam. Randle might be a good fit (of course, he is a good fit here, too...).

That would be selling high on Randle, adjusting our frontcourt makeup, and adding a backup PG.

[Q-is-here]

I am starting to cool on the "trade for a starting PG" idea. While still a work in progress, the ANT-at-PG transition is looking good. And Donte as ANT's wingman is pretty darn good because he is above average at almost everything. So unless you are giving up on ANT-at-PG, why trade for a starting PG and bump Donte out of the lineup?

Fast forward to the playoffs where an 8-man rotation is the norm: you have your starting 5 and NAZ, Mike and Clark off the bench. Who are you planning on bumping out of the 8-man rotation?

Yeah, most of Ant's contemporaries that play "lead" guard - SGA, Doncic, Cunningham, Brunson, Maxey - are all essentially the starting point guards for their teams. It's pretty rare these days to have a high scoring/lead guard paired with a pure point guard that can also score and create offense. Donovan Mitchell is the one exception, as he has Garland in Cleveland and Conley in Utah.

You also have to look at the starting five performance so far. Of the 11 five-man units that have played 10 or more games and 100 or more minutes together, the Wolves starting 5 has the 2nd best net rating at +16.7 with only OKC's starting 5 ahead of them at +18.3. The Houston starting 5 is at +14.9, Detroit's at +12.1, and Denver's at +11.9.

This is not to absolve Ant of his mental lapses and tunnel vision. He can do better. But the fact our starting 5 is playing so well without "Daddy" Mike Conley having to be the brains of the outfit is encouraging.

[DNatagal]

I am starting to cool on the "trade for a starting PG" idea. While still a work in progress, the ANT-at-PG transition is looking good. And Donte as ANT's wingman is pretty darn good because he is above average at almost everything. So unless you are giving up on ANT-at-PG, why trade for a starting PG and bump Donte out of the lineup?

Fast forward to the playoffs where an 8-man rotation is the norm: you have your starting 5 and NAZ, Mike and Clark off the bench. Who are you planning on bumping out of the 8-man rotation?

Yeah, most of Ant's contemporaries that play "lead" guard - SGA, Doncic, Cunningham, Brunson, Maxey - are all essentially the starting point guards for their teams. It's pretty rare these days to have a high scoring/lead guard paired with a pure point guard that can also score and create offense. Donovan Mitchell is the one exception, as he has Garland in Cleveland and Conley in Utah.

You also have to look at the starting five performance so far. Of the 11 five-man units that have played 10 or more games and 100 or more minutes together, the Wolves starting 5 has the 2nd best net rating at +16.7 with only OKC's starting 5 ahead of them at +18.3. The Houston starting 5 is at +14.9, Detroit's at +12.1, and Denver's at +11.9.

This is not to absolve Ant of his mental lapses and tunnel vision. He can do better. But the fact our starting 5 is playing so well without "Daddy" Mike Conley having to be the brains of the outfit is encouraging.

If the Wolves move the ball on offense like they did in the 4th last night with Ant in the bench, do you think Ant can ever learn to actually be a point guard? Did he learn anything?? His hero ball makes the offense stop cold. I have been pushing for an actual set offense from Finch, and maybe they need it when Ant is on the court?

[rapsuperstar31]

I am starting to cool on the "trade for a starting PG" idea. While still a work in progress, the ANT-at-PG transition is looking good. And Donte as ANT's wingman is pretty darn good because he is above average at almost everything. So unless you are giving up on ANT-at-PG, why trade for a starting PG and bump Donte out of the lineup?

Fast forward to the playoffs where an 8-man rotation is the norm: you have your starting 5 and NAZ, Mike and Clark off the bench. Who are you planning on bumping out of the 8-man rotation?

Yeah, most of Ant's contemporaries that play "lead" guard - SGA, Doncic, Cunningham, Brunson, Maxey - are all essentially the starting point guards for their teams. It's pretty rare these days to have a high scoring/lead guard paired with a pure point guard that can also score and create offense. Donovan Mitchell is the one exception, as he has Garland in Cleveland and Conley in Utah.

You also have to look at the starting five performance so far. Of the 11 five-man units that have played 10 or more games and 100 or more minutes together, the Wolves starting 5 has the 2nd best net rating at +16.7 with only OKC's starting 5 ahead of them at +18.3. The Houston starting 5 is at +14.9, Detroit's at +12.1, and Denver's at +11.9.

This is not to absolve Ant of his mental lapses and tunnel vision. He can do better. But the fact our starting 5 is playing so well without "Daddy" Mike Conley having to be the brains of the outfit is encouraging.

If the Wolves move the ball on offense like they did in the 4th last night with Ant in the bench, do you think Ant can ever learn to actually be a point guard? Did he learn anything?? His hero ball makes the offense stop cold. I have been pushing for an actual set offense from Finch, and maybe they need it when Ant is on the court?

Cade averages a good amount of assists, but still goes into hero mode in the clutch. Ant's shooting fantastic in the clutch, just needs to lower the turnovers.