Minnesota Sports Forum

I am not sure why the ball is not going into LaVines hands in those situations and Rubio could be on the bench if we had another wing. I would rather get Vucevic then Dragic at this time.

Camden wrote:

CoolBreeze44 wrote:

longstrangetrip wrote:

Q12543 wrote:I think the question LST is that if you have a PG out there that really needs to be accounted for defensively and opens the floor up more for our "big 3", does that take our offense from Top 10 (which is what it is now with Rubio) to Top 3 or 4?

Defensively, PGs have less of an overall impact than wings and bigs. That's not to say we wouldn't take a hit with Dragic defensively, but how much would that be versus what we gain offensively?

I'm on the fence with this one, but frankly, I don't think there is a deal out there that works for all parties involved.

I don't disagree that Dragic makes us more dangerous offensively, and especially when Thibs turns to the offensive set that some of us don't like with Wig on the ball and Ricky in the corner...there's no question that Dragon looks much better in that corner than Ricky! But I think you might be undervaluing the defensive gap between the two. Ricky's long arms and lane-clogging instincts disrupt offensive flow in a way that doesn't always show up in the conventional numbers, and we lose that with Dragic. I think that is the main reason for his superior on/off numbers compared to Dragic that you posted earlier.

LST, I think if you have a Dragic, the need for Wig to be on the ball in those situations goes away.

Bingo. The main reason Thibs does it now is because he wants the ball-handler to be a threat to score. Rubio doesn't have that ability and we need LaVine to space the floor.

Exactly.

Agree completely. I think a end of the game lineup with a shooter in place of Rubio with the ball in Lavine's hands would be very nice. It would open the floor for post players and driving lanes for the wings.

Camden wrote:I think the on/off difference is probably because of the disastrous play from our backup point guards over the years. Also, the Rubio we know is a damn good defender, BUT we've seen that his impact on team defense is minimal. That's likely because of the position he plays.

I think Dragic is a slam dunk upgrade over Rubio.

The thing that was curious to me was the difference in the ON stats: 0.0 for Dragic and slightly positive for Rubio. It's not dramatic, but given all the crappy teams Rubio has been on - and a tough year so far this season for him - it's amazing that he still has a Career On rating that is positive.

Dragic has been up and down. This season both his On and On/Off net ratings are negative.

I'm not crazy about the idea of swapping Ricky for Dragic. Eventually, it comes down to numbers and the ON stats in Q's post tell the tale. Any net offensive improvement Dragic might bring is largely offset by net defensive decline. Again, the numbers on overall team impact tell the tale. I understand the value of a scoring PG, but we have to consider the fact that our team, unlike most others, is loaded with scorers in our starting lineup. If any team can flourish with a pass-first PG it's the Wolves. And with so many scorers, a scoring PG could actually be disruptive.

Bottom line is that a Rubio/Dragic deal simply wouldn't significantly move the needle, except that it would put our starting PG's age well above the age range of our core players. Patience is the watch-word right now. With the team showing signs of turning the corner, we need to ride this out for the rest of the season and limit any in-season deals to more minor deals that might involve Bazz, Payne, Jones, Rush or even Belly. The Wolves front office should keep its powder dry and take a fresh look next June when we know how this team has performed for a full season under Thibs and know exactly where we're at in the draft. Then we can look at things carefully and comprehensively, including possible free agent opportunities, before making any deals.

Lip, I agree that is why if Orlando wants to do a trade it would be Dunn for Vucevic. Thibs has a history of bringing in PGs off the street and making them work. I hope the best for Dunn, but like what Vucevic brings now.

I'm 200% behind a Dunn for Vucevic deal. Tyus and Zach get the backup PG minutes. Oh yes, I like that.

Not sure why Orlando would want Dunn (or Rubio for that matter) if they don't like Payton. Both are cut from the same cloth - more defensively oriented and struggle with their outside shots.

Q - Honestly I don't know either, but I think Dunn has more promise to them at this point.

Vucevic is supposed to be one of the worst defensive bigs in the league. I agree with what Cam said in an earlier post, on/off numbers are great but don't tell the full story. Can't base a decision just on that number. With that said I'm not advocating to do the Dragic deal.

I tend to agree with what Lip said. Wait this year out, we have 2/3 of the season to fully evaluate the team. At that point Dunn could show progression so they feel comfortable with him starting next year. That's still very possible IMO. Rubio could still be the guy I guess, although this year hasn't been good, this is his 6th year. At some point he is what he is.