Minnesota Sports Forum

I think we should all take Kek's advice and relax. We may be a flawed team that has to make another major move, but that time isn't here yet. LFG

All we need to do is bench or trade DLO and play a low usage or pseudo point guard.

Please stop with the comparisons to last year. Last year we started off bad and then... a bunch of teams got key injuries. Sure we got better, but I'd argue that the bigger reason for improved record was our health compared to other teams. Please stop acting like we were a legit 46 win team last year and please stop acting like we were even a legit playoff team. Like lip said, we were absolutely a team on the rise, but we had NO business making a "win now" move, especially the wrong win now move. This is being proven over and over again to start this season. I know you're all just looking for hope but there is no logical basis for comparing last year to this year.

D-Mac wrote:Please stop with the comparisons to last year. Last year we started off bad and then... a bunch of teams got key injuries. Sure we got better, but I'd argue that the bigger reason for improved record was our health compared to other teams. Please stop acting like we were a legit 46 win team last year and please stop acting like we were even a legit playoff team. Like lip said, we were absolutely a team on the rise, but we had NO business making a "win now" move, especially the wrong win now move. This is being proven over and over again to start this season. I know you're all just looking for hope but there is no logical basis for comparing last year to this year.

The trade was a bet on Ant, Jaden and even Nowell making leaps too. We haven't seen it yet...

It was also a trade that was suppose to allow DLO to have his best year ever. Not happening yet....

You can say you knew all these players sucked or wouldn't progress but most thought they would and we still have time to se it.

We still needed a Center, KAT has proven over and over he is a liability and foul machine on defense at the 5. He simply never progressed into a good defender. KAT is better suited as a 4, he just needs to defend the 3 and rebound, quit getting sucked in so much on drives. I'm sick of seeing guys hit those wide open corner 3's. Goes for other Wolves defenders as well.

I'm still happy with the trade. Rudy is a 3 time DPOY. He is the best defender in the NBA. You should be able to win 50 games with a bunch of scrubs and Rudy guarding the rim. I still expect the Wolves to do it.

Finally lets just say they didn't make any trades and kept the picks. Do you really think you expect to find a good starter or all star with say the 20th pick? The only way to guarantee improvement is to trade those garbage late 1sts and go for it.

WolvesFan21 wrote:

D-Mac wrote:Please stop with the comparisons to last year. Last year we started off bad and then... a bunch of teams got key injuries. Sure we got better, but I'd argue that the bigger reason for improved record was our health compared to other teams. Please stop acting like we were a legit 46 win team last year and please stop acting like we were even a legit playoff team. Like lip said, we were absolutely a team on the rise, but we had NO business making a "win now" move, especially the wrong win now move. This is being proven over and over again to start this season. I know you're all just looking for hope but there is no logical basis for comparing last year to this year.

The trade was a bet on Ant, Jaden and even Nowell making leaps too. We haven't seen it yet...

It was also a trade that was suppose to allow DLO to have his best year ever. Not happening yet....

You can say you knew all these players sucked or wouldn't progress but most thought they would and we still have time to se it.

We still needed a Center, KAT has proven over and over he is a liability and foul machine on defense at the 5. He simply never progressed into a good defender. KAT is better suited as a 4, he just needs to defend the 3 and rebound, quit getting sucked in so much on drives. I'm sick of seeing guys hit those wide open corner 3's. Goes for other Wolves defenders as well.

I'm still happy with the trade. Rudy is a 3 time DPOY. He is the best defender in the NBA. You should be able to win 50 games with a bunch of scrubs and Rudy guarding the rim. I still expect the Wolves to do it.

Finally lets just say they didn't make any trades and kept the picks. Do you really think you expect to find a good starter or all star with say the 20th pick? The only way to guarantee improvement is to trade those garbage late 1sts and go for it.

I share D-Loser's view of the Gobert trade, but my take is a bit different. The Gobert trade was clearly a high-risk bet. As you said it was largely a bet on the development of Ant, McDaniels and Nowell. But the Gobert deal is the sort of bet you make when you're desperate or when you're very close and just need that one piece to push you across the championship threshold. The reason it was a bad deal in my view is that neither situation existed when the deal was made. The Wolves finished strong with 46 wins and took Memphis 6 deep in the playoffs. So the franchise certainly wasn't desperate for something big. Yet, the team's success wasn't long-lived enough to conclude that this team was one player away from being a championship contender - especially if that one player isn't a Shaq, LeBron, Kobe or Durant.

The smart thing to do after last season was to spend the off season focused on (1) monitoring and developing the young guys like Ant - making sure, for example, that he was taking his conditioning and the game of basketball seriously; and (2) perhaps tweaking the roster though free agency (SLO MO) and perhaps a minor deal or two. The key then would have been to use this season to test the development of the team's young players along with the solidity and sustainability of last season's success. The team would have had trade assets, including future picks, and cap room to maneuver in response to this season. Based on what TC said when he came here, that's exactly what we should have expected. He said, his main goal was to stay out of the way. He also said he needed time to find out what he had here with this team. He also said there are no short cuts to success. TC had a philosophy or approach that made sense, but the Gobert deal ran contrary to that philosophy. There are certainly good arguments for the Gobert deal and the jury is still out on the final verdict. But I continue to believe that the deal did not make sense for this team at this time. And it did not square with the approach TC said he was going to take.

I think its fair to assume a lot of our team has the capability to play better in isolation. They dont look like a team yet. I havent lost all hope but its been pretty bad with such a weak schedule so far.

I'll call myself one of the biggest hatters on the boards right now. Why? Expectations - You overpay for a fit that may or may not work out and yeah there are going to be high expectations.

KAT says it's championship or bust and then has similar issues to every other year we've seen him? Where has he improved? People and announcers are claiming his passing? Really? He won the skills competition, he's always had immense talent as a scorer and creator of offense. Some of you are giving credit saying he is more emotionally controlled? What in prime time games on ESPN and TNT with his father at the game? I'm not giving credit to that at all, he still is as emotionally flawed as ever more worried about a refs call then getting back on defense.

You guys keep relaxing, I'll remain in reality and continue to say I don't see a team with a leader. I see more of a flawed team that looks exposable.

Keep relaxing #Championship or Bust

Tactical unit wrote:I'll call myself one of the biggest hatters on the boards right now. Why? Expectations - You overpay for a fit that may or may not work out and yeah there are going to be high expectations.

KAT says it's championship or bust and then has similar issues to every other year we've seen him? Where has he improved? People and announcers are claiming his passing? Really? He won the skills competition, he's always had immense talent as a scorer and creator of offense. Some of you are giving credit saying he is more emotionally controlled? What in prime time games on ESPN and TNT with his father at the game? I'm not giving credit to that at all, he still is as emotionally flawed as ever more worried about a refs call then getting back on defense.

You guys keep relaxing, I'll remain in reality and continue to say I don't see a team with a leader. I see more of a flawed team that looks exposable.

Keep relaxing #Championship or Bust

We have a couple of long-standing traditions with the Timberwolves.

1) Having a perceived "empty stats" big guy (See Garnett, Love, Towns) on losing teams... who we blame for losing.
2) Having A LOT more patience for young guys.

Towns is about to turn 27. Yes... he's still mostly the same guy he's been for years. He has flaws. He can be maddening to watch. He can be dumb. Petulant. Whiny. Et al. That being said, it's been good enough to be an All Star and sometimes 3rd team All NBA guy.

Towns right now:
22.3 ppg / 9.0 reb / 5.6 ast / 50.6% fg / 36.4% 3fg / +0.5 VORP / +3.5 BPM / 1.4 Win Shares

I've heard multiple talking heads already declare Anthony Edwards the "best" player on the Timberwolves. I assume it's in part because he's the shiny new toy, showed one of the most impressive midseason improvements as a rookie and continued improving in year 2.

But he arrived for the season overweight and out of shape.

Edwards right now:
22.2 ppg / 5.7 reb / 3.5 ast / 45.5% fg / 34.9% 3fg / -0.1 VORP / -2.5 BPM / 0.4 WS

Jaden McDaniels was reportedly "untouchable" in the Gobert trade, which meant the Wolves mortgaged more of the team's future in his growth and development. He's a long, rangy big wing which every team covets. Year 3 is a big year for most "untouchable" guys.

McDaniels right now:
9.9 ppg / 3.0 reb / 1.2 ast / 55.1% fg / 30.8% 3fg / 0.0 VORP / -2.6 BPM / 0.5 WS

D'Angelo Russell. Well, we're all probably in agreement with this guy, sans Camden. But just for fun...

Russell right now:
13.5 ppg / 4.0 reb / 5.6 ast / 37.9% fg / 29.7% 3fg / 0.0 VORP / -2.0 BPM / 0.1 WS

____________________

Hey, I get the frustration with Towns. If we're being honest, he's not an easy guy to root for because of the same issues we see over and over and over again. But, that's still been good enough for him to be a net positive player game after game, week after week, season after season.

Flaws and all... Towns remains the team's clearcut best player right now. And that's the team's problem... not Towns' fault.

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

Tactical unit wrote:I'll call myself one of the biggest hatters on the boards right now. Why? Expectations - You overpay for a fit that may or may not work out and yeah there are going to be high expectations.

KAT says it's championship or bust and then has similar issues to every other year we've seen him? Where has he improved? People and announcers are claiming his passing? Really? He won the skills competition, he's always had immense talent as a scorer and creator of offense. Some of you are giving credit saying he is more emotionally controlled? What in prime time games on ESPN and TNT with his father at the game? I'm not giving credit to that at all, he still is as emotionally flawed as ever more worried about a refs call then getting back on defense.

You guys keep relaxing, I'll remain in reality and continue to say I don't see a team with a leader. I see more of a flawed team that looks exposable.

Keep relaxing #Championship or Bust

We have a couple of long-standing traditions with the Timberwolves.

1) Having a perceived "empty stats" big guy (See Garnett, Love, Towns) on losing teams... who we blame for losing.
2) Having A LOT more patience for young guys.

Towns is about to turn 27. Yes... he's still mostly the same guy he's been for years. He has flaws. He can be maddening to watch. He can be dumb. Petulant. Whiny. Et al. That being said, it's been good enough to be an All Star and sometimes 3rd team All NBA guy.

Towns right now:
22.3 ppg / 9.0 reb / 5.6 ast / 50.6% fg / 36.4% 3fg / +0.5 VORP / +3.5 BPM / 1.4 Win Shares

I've heard multiple talking heads already declare Anthony Edwards the "best" player on the Timberwolves. I assume it's in part because he's the shiny new toy, showed one of the most impressive midseason improvements as a rookie and continued improving in year 2.

But he arrived for the season overweight and out of shape.

Edwards right now:
22.2 ppg / 5.7 reb / 3.5 ast / 45.5% fg / 34.9% 3fg / -0.1 VORP / -2.5 BPM / 0.4 WS

Jaden McDaniels was reportedly "untouchable" in the Gobert trade, which meant the Wolves mortgaged more of the team's future in his growth and development. He's a long, rangy big wing which every team covets. Year 3 is a big year for most "untouchable" guys.

McDaniels right now:
9.9 ppg / 3.0 reb / 1.2 ast / 55.1% fg / 30.8% 3fg / 0.0 VORP / -2.6 BPM / 0.5 WS

D'Angelo Russell. Well, we're all probably in agreement with this guy, sans Camden. But just for fun...

Russell right now:
13.5 ppg / 4.0 reb / 5.6 ast / 37.9% fg / 29.7% 3fg / 0.0 VORP / -2.0 BPM / 0.1 WS

____________________

Hey, I get the frustration with Towns. If we're being honest, he's not an easy guy to root for because of the same issues we see over and over and over again. But, that's still been good enough for him to be a net positive player game after game, week after week, season after season.

Flaws and all... Towns remains the team's clearcut best player right now. And that's the team's problem... not Towns' fault.

Actually Abe, Towns could shut the hell up when it comes to crying at the refs. He could start giving a shit about getting back on defense, he could play so hard that you actually see him gassed on the floor knowing he's actually going all out. He could set the example and demand more effort from these young players. Instead he makes dumb comments like Championship or bust and cries to the refs the majority of the game. Follows that up with spurts of effort, highs and lows!

WolvesFan21 wrote:

D-Mac wrote:Please stop with the comparisons to last year. Last year we started off bad and then... a bunch of teams got key injuries. Sure we got better, but I'd argue that the bigger reason for improved record was our health compared to other teams. Please stop acting like we were a legit 46 win team last year and please stop acting like we were even a legit playoff team. Like lip said, we were absolutely a team on the rise, but we had NO business making a "win now" move, especially the wrong win now move. This is being proven over and over again to start this season. I know you're all just looking for hope but there is no logical basis for comparing last year to this year.

The trade was a bet on Ant, Jaden and even Nowell making leaps too. We haven't seen it yet...

It was also a trade that was suppose to allow DLO to have his best year ever. Not happening yet....

You can say you knew all these players sucked or wouldn't progress but most thought they would and we still have time to se it.

We still needed a Center, KAT has proven over and over he is a liability and foul machine on defense at the 5. He simply never progressed into a good defender. KAT is better suited as a 4, he just needs to defend the 3 and rebound, quit getting sucked in so much on drives. I'm sick of seeing guys hit those wide open corner 3's. Goes for other Wolves defenders as well.

I'm still happy with the trade. Rudy is a 3 time DPOY. He is the best defender in the NBA. You should be able to win 50 games with a bunch of scrubs and Rudy guarding the rim. I still expect the Wolves to do it.

Finally lets just say they didn't make any trades and kept the picks. Do you really think you expect to find a good starter or all star with say the 20th pick? The only way to guarantee improvement is to trade those garbage late 1sts and go for it.

I agree with most of this. I will say that I knew Dlo sucked and the trade sucked... the other struggles I didn't expect. What are you saying about a starter with the 20th pick? I don't think we needed a starter. I was good with leaving vando starting and then bring Kessler, Naz and an MLE FA off the bench.