Minnesota Sports Forum

apollotsg wrote:LOL - he plays like he is on a football field!

Took me awhile to figure out what was going on with that video... but it was oddly captivating.

I couldn't look away. I watched so much more than I wanted to...

Why leave starters off? We have so many players that were starters that weren't that great at basketball but had other qualities that seemed likeable. Perhaps Minnesota nice keeps these players around longer than they deserve, giving them more money than they deserve.

Gorgui would be top right?

Ultimately Rubio and Wiggins too?

Both just ended up being not that good at basketball, but seemed to nice people who worked hard to try and be useful at NBA basketball.

thedoper wrote:Why leave starters off? We have so many players that were starters that weren't that great at basketball but had other qualities that seemed likeable. Perhaps Minnesota nice keeps these players around longer than they deserve, giving them more money than they deserve.

Gorgui would be top right?

Ultimately Rubio and Wiggins too?

Both just ended up being not that good at basketball, but seemed to nice people who worked hard to try and be useful at NBA basketball.

It's all relative.

Was Rubio really "not good" ... or simply "not a star?"

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

thedoper wrote:Why leave starters off? We have so many players that were starters that weren't that great at basketball but had other qualities that seemed likeable. Perhaps Minnesota nice keeps these players around longer than they deserve, giving them more money than they deserve.

Gorgui would be top right?

Ultimately Rubio and Wiggins too?

Both just ended up being not that good at basketball, but seemed to nice people who worked hard to try and be useful at NBA basketball.

It's all relative.

Was Rubio really "not good" ... or simply "not a star?"

I wonder if Doper even read my original post. Lots of guys on my list started games for the Wolves. Rubio seems pretty good at basketball to me. Many teams would be Absolutely thrilled to have him as a backup. That's not a bad basketball player.

monsterpile wrote:

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

thedoper wrote:Why leave starters off? We have so many players that were starters that weren't that great at basketball but had other qualities that seemed likeable. Perhaps Minnesota nice keeps these players around longer than they deserve, giving them more money than they deserve.

Gorgui would be top right?

Ultimately Rubio and Wiggins too?

Both just ended up being not that good at basketball, but seemed to nice people who worked hard to try and be useful at NBA basketball.

It's all relative.

Was Rubio really "not good" ... or simply "not a star?"

I wonder if Doper even read my original post. Lots of guys on my list started games for the Wolves. Rubio seems pretty good at basketball to me. Many teams would be Absolutely thrilled to have him as a backup. That's not a bad basketball player.

I like the idea of this thread and your original post. But there were players that didn't fit into my most liked or hated but seemed to fit better here. G, Rubio, and Wiggins all seemed to fit that bill of players that ended up being not that great but I liked them anyway. I guess in my mind Good seems to be linked to expectations, especially when there best seemed so promising in the case of Rubio and Wiggins. Both were "bad" relative to their peak performances I suppose. Sorry to hijack your thread. We can get back to talking about Craig Smith if you prefer. :)

1. Robbie Hummel -- A should-be, would-be star out of Purdue. The guy just got the short end of the stick with injuries. Loved when the Wolves drafted him. Hummel is like that coach's son who just knows how to play the game of basketball. Good things happened when he got minutes even though it didn't always make sense. He played point guard for a game out of necessity and it wasn't a train wreck. The NBA could use more like him.

2. Luke Ridnour -- Cool Hand Luke. Let's be real. He shouldn't have been a starting point guard, but the guy was a pro's pro. Never heard much of anything about him. Money from mid-range, or so it felt like. Loved shooting while leaning left. That game-winner against Utah was fun. I'll always remember Ridnour in positive light.

3. Dante Cunningham -- Money from 18-feet and consistent hustle on both ends. Easy to root for. Played within himself. Would have been fine seeing him play in Minnesota longer despite it being irrelevant. You knew what you were getting with DC on a nightly basis and I valued that.

4. Alexey Shved -- Change your face. Part of an iconic moment in Wolves fandom. Undrafted. Came out of no where to be quite useful his rookie season. Still shocked he made the Rising Stars roster. Never afraid to let it fly despite it going in less and less every shot.

5. Ronny Turiaf -- Who doesn't love Turiaf? That's the better question. Arguably the best cheerleader in NBA history. He had a productive stint of games for the Wolves before landing back on the bench in suit and tie.

6. Michael Beasley -- Elite talent and ability. Fun personality. Always kept it loose. I still rewatch moments of "Be Easy" Beasley to this day. No internal drive. Weed ruined his career, in my opinion. Similar case to Andrew Wiggins albeit he never got paid the max and was overall more likable to me.

7. Tyus Jones -- Good things happened when he was on the court. High IQ guy and player. Easy teammate from what others have said. Played within himself. Wasn't worth what Memphis paid for him, but will always be liked by Minnesota fans.

8. Greg Stiemsma -- I like guys that protect their teammates and are willing to scrap. For a while, Stiemsma was the one player on the team that I would have bet on to get in a fight on any given night.

9. Chase Budinger -- Just what the Wolves needed except couldn't stay healthy. Loved the idea of him. Smart player. Good interview most of the time. Think it's cool he was able to go back to volleyball.

10. Jeff Adrien -- see: Greg Stiemsma. Also see: brick shithouse.

thedoper wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

thedoper wrote:Why leave starters off? We have so many players that were starters that weren't that great at basketball but had other qualities that seemed likeable. Perhaps Minnesota nice keeps these players around longer than they deserve, giving them more money than they deserve.

Gorgui would be top right?

Ultimately Rubio and Wiggins too?

Both just ended up being not that good at basketball, but seemed to nice people who worked hard to try and be useful at NBA basketball.

It's all relative.

Was Rubio really "not good" ... or simply "not a star?"

I wonder if Doper even read my original post. Lots of guys on my list started games for the Wolves. Rubio seems pretty good at basketball to me. Many teams would be Absolutely thrilled to have him as a backup. That's not a bad basketball player.

I like the idea of this thread and your original post. But there were players that didn't fit into my most liked or hated but seemed to fit better here. G, Rubio, and Wiggins all seemed to fit that bill of players that ended up being not that great but I liked them anyway. I guess in my mind Good seems to be linked to expectations, especially when there best seemed so promising in the case of Rubio and Wiggins. Both were "bad" relative to their peak performances I suppose. Sorry to hijack your thread. We can get back to talking about Craig Smith if you prefer. :)

Start your own thread about guys that didn't live up to expectations then. :) there are probably 100,000 posts about a Rubio and Wiggins probably even Dieng. This thread isn't for guys like them. Having said that...I get what you are saying and post abo it those guys all you want. Lol

Camden0916 wrote:1. Robbie Hummel -- A should-be, would-be star out of Purdue. The guy just got the short end of the stick with injuries. Loved when the Wolves drafted him. Hummel is like that coach's son who just knows how to play the game of basketball. Good things happened when he got minutes even though it didn't always make sense. He played point guard for a game out of necessity and it wasn't a train wreck. The NBA could use more like him.

2. Luke Ridnour -- Cool Hand Luke. Let's be real. He shouldn't have been a starting point guard, but the guy was a pro's pro. Never heard much of anything about him. Money from mid-range, or so it felt like. Loved shooting while leaning left. That game-winner against Utah was fun. I'll always remember Ridnour in positive light.

3. Dante Cunningham -- Money from 18-feet and consistent hustle on both ends. Easy to root for. Played within himself. Would have been fine seeing him play in Minnesota longer despite it being irrelevant. You knew what you were getting with DC on a nightly basis and I valued that.

4. Alexey Shved -- Change your face. Part of an iconic moment in Wolves fandom. Undrafted. Came out of no where to be quite useful his rookie season. Still shocked he made the Rising Stars roster. Never afraid to let it fly despite it going in less and less every shot.

5. Ronny Turiaf -- Who doesn't love Turiaf? That's the better question. Arguably the best cheerleader in NBA history. He had a productive stint of games for the Wolves before landing back on the bench in suit and tie.

6. Michael Beasley -- Elite talent and ability. Fun personality. Always kept it loose. I still rewatch moments of "Be Easy" Beasley to this day. No internal drive. Weed ruined his career, in my opinion. Similar case to Andrew Wiggins albeit he never got paid the max and was overall more likable to me.

7. Tyus Jones -- Good things happened when he was on the court. High IQ guy and player. Easy teammate from what others have said. Played within himself. Wasn't worth what Memphis paid for him, but will always be liked by Minnesota fans.

8. Greg Stiemsma -- I like guys that protect their teammates and are willing to scrap. For a while, Stiemsma was the one player on the team that I would have bet on to get in a fight on any given night.

9. Chase Budinger -- Just what the Wolves needed except couldn't stay healthy. Loved the idea of him. Smart player. Good interview most of the time. Think it's cool he was able to go back to volleyball.

10. Jeff Adrien -- see: Greg Stiemsma. Also see: brick shithouse.

Good Call on Beasley. There were a lot of disappointments in those years. There was a 10 game stretch of AK47 where you really saw what a gifted basketball player he must of been in his prime before injuries got him too.

Randy Foye was a good dude.

thedoper wrote:

Camden0916 wrote:1. Robbie Hummel -- A should-be, would-be star out of Purdue. The guy just got the short end of the stick with injuries. Loved when the Wolves drafted him. Hummel is like that coach's son who just knows how to play the game of basketball. Good things happened when he got minutes even though it didn't always make sense. He played point guard for a game out of necessity and it wasn't a train wreck. The NBA could use more like him.

2. Luke Ridnour -- Cool Hand Luke. Let's be real. He shouldn't have been a starting point guard, but the guy was a pro's pro. Never heard much of anything about him. Money from mid-range, or so it felt like. Loved shooting while leaning left. That game-winner against Utah was fun. I'll always remember Ridnour in positive light.

3. Dante Cunningham -- Money from 18-feet and consistent hustle on both ends. Easy to root for. Played within himself. Would have been fine seeing him play in Minnesota longer despite it being irrelevant. You knew what you were getting with DC on a nightly basis and I valued that.

4. Alexey Shved -- Change your face. Part of an iconic moment in Wolves fandom. Undrafted. Came out of no where to be quite useful his rookie season. Still shocked he made the Rising Stars roster. Never afraid to let it fly despite it going in less and less every shot.

5. Ronny Turiaf -- Who doesn't love Turiaf? That's the better question. Arguably the best cheerleader in NBA history. He had a productive stint of games for the Wolves before landing back on the bench in suit and tie.

6. Michael Beasley -- Elite talent and ability. Fun personality. Always kept it loose. I still rewatch moments of "Be Easy" Beasley to this day. No internal drive. Weed ruined his career, in my opinion. Similar case to Andrew Wiggins albeit he never got paid the max and was overall more likable to me.

7. Tyus Jones -- Good things happened when he was on the court. High IQ guy and player. Easy teammate from what others have said. Played within himself. Wasn't worth what Memphis paid for him, but will always be liked by Minnesota fans.

8. Greg Stiemsma -- I like guys that protect their teammates and are willing to scrap. For a while, Stiemsma was the one player on the team that I would have bet on to get in a fight on any given night.

9. Chase Budinger -- Just what the Wolves needed except couldn't stay healthy. Loved the idea of him. Smart player. Good interview most of the time. Think it's cool he was able to go back to volleyball.

10. Jeff Adrien -- see: Greg Stiemsma. Also see: brick shithouse.

Good Call on Beasley. There were a lot of disappointments in those years. There was a 10 game stretch of AK47 where you really saw what a gifted basketball player he must of been in his prime before injuries got him too.

Fun list Cam. They don't all fit my criteria but it's in the spirit of the thread which I think it talking abut some other guys. I enjoyed the love you had for Ridnour.

I think one of the things that makes Beasley easier to like is...you have some idea of why he didn't succeed. Weed...being weird, he also did have some injuries That kept him from getting rolling but Wiggins...Nobody Really knows. I mean Wiggins can't even tell you. Beasley would tell you something. It might be some weird crap that doesn't make any sense but he would tell you SOMETHING And he would either be true Gil or telling some sort of weird joke but it's something. Lol