Minnesota Sports Forum

Know who's an above average, durable (plays in 95% of team's games per year) player? We had him this season. Yep. The most hated man on the board: Thaddeus Young.

I don't get the hate for Young. Other then to take a jab at Cam.

Hmm...maybe I'm missing something, but I've never sensed any hate for Thad on this board. There was a lot of sympathy for him when his mom died, and them some head scratching about how long a sabbatical he took and how poorly he played when he returned. And there have been frequent comments about his weak rebounding numbers for a PF. But there have also been several comments about his character and his cleverness offensively. But hate? I'm not seeing that. I don't think he made us a better team, but that is just an opinion.

Hicks123 wrote:

Q12543 wrote:I agree Hicks. We absolutely don't need KG wasting a roster spot when he will likely play no more than 50 games, and less than half of each game no less. Plus each year of additional age is another year of his skills and athleticism deteriorating. If anything, he will be even more limited and injury prone next year.

For those of you who would rebut, "but it's well worth the price for his mentorship", why can't he be a player development coach or special assistant?

The whole KG trade was a sugar high. We were taken to great emotional heights for one night. But frankly, other than that one fleeting moment, it's been kind of a joke.....

I called this out at the time, as well as after the like 2 decent defensive games we played. It was always a sham. At no point is KG going to help our team win by playing for the Wolves. Maybe as a player development coach....but being a good defensive player doesn't just magically make that same player a great developer of talent. Thus the reason so few players transition successfully to head coaching assignments.

Hicks and Q- Did you guys watch the Wizards and Portland games? I was lucky to be at both games, and I can't imaging how anyone can conclude that KG didn't make the Wolves substantially better and help our team win. Maybe you could attribute the Wizards win to a "sugar high"...it was pretty magical in the arena that night. But the Portland game was almost 2 weeks later and the euphoria had died down, and yet we played one of our best games of the season. Yes, KG makes us better on defense, but he also has a big impact on offense. He knows the game, and the ball just moves around better when he's on the court. The KG mentoring narrative is largely a crock...he has little impact on the team when he is not playing. But he has a huge impact on the team when he is on the court.

I look at next year differently than you guys also. KG hasn't been out the past few weeks because he is injured, broken down or sick...despite what Flip says. He's been out because he helps the Wolves win, and that's a poor strategy the last month of a lost season. I don't; expect him to play both ends of a BTB all the time, but I would not be surprised if he was in the lineup at the same rate he was with the Nets this season. Look it up...he played 52 out of 61 games, or 85% of their games. Only Wiggins, Dieng and LaVine have played in at least 85% of the Wolves' games this year, so KG is a relative Iron Man compared to the rest of the wolves! And sure, he only averages 20 minutes a game, but again...anyone who observed his 40 minutes against the Wizards and Trailblazers knows how valuable those 20 minutes are. Flip will likely offer to pay KG $8million for the next two years, and it will be money well spent. I have no problem with KG playing 20 minutes at PF in 85% of our games...my bigger issue is who plays the other 28.

longstrangetrip wrote:Hmm...maybe I'm missing something, but I've never sensed any hate for Thad on this board. There was a lot of sympathy for him when his mom died, and them some head scratching about how long a sabbatical he took and how poorly he played when he returned. And there have been frequent comments about his weak rebounding numbers for a PF. But there have also been several comments about his character and his cleverness offensively. But hate? I'm not seeing that. I don't think he made us a better team, but that is just an opinion.

That first line is a joke, right? Thad was playing with rookies and guys who shouldn't even be rotation players and this board crucified him for not carrying them on his back. Maybe time passed has erased the memories for you, but it was Thad hate after hate.

Camden wrote:

longstrangetrip wrote:Hmm...maybe I'm missing something, but I've never sensed any hate for Thad on this board. There was a lot of sympathy for him when his mom died, and them some head scratching about how long a sabbatical he took and how poorly he played when he returned. And there have been frequent comments about his weak rebounding numbers for a PF. But there have also been several comments about his character and his cleverness offensively. But hate? I'm not seeing that. I don't think he made us a better team, but that is just an opinion.

That first line is a joke, right? Thad was playing with rookies and guys who shouldn't even be rotation players and this board crucified him for not carrying them on his back. Maybe time passed has erased the memories for you, but it was Thad hate after hate.

I don't agree, cam. I think posters pointed out the deficiencies in his game (and frankly he didn't rebound well whether he was playing with rookies or our real starters), but I never sensed the "hate" that I have read here for JJ or, in at least in my case, Kevin Love. The value of this board is pointing out what players do well and what they don't do well, and that's good...and it's fine when there are disagreements. But criticism and hate are two totally different concepts...JJ got a lot of hate here, and Thad got a lot of criticism (like so many Wolves do), and both were deserved in my estimation.

KGs greatest value to this roster is still to play his limited minutes. He literally could lead the team on the court to playing inspired basketball. Im not so sure he can do that from the bench in a suit. Heck, we have a pretty good idea recently that he does not do that.

longstrangetrip wrote:

Hicks123 wrote:

Q12543 wrote:I agree Hicks. We absolutely don't need KG wasting a roster spot when he will likely play no more than 50 games, and less than half of each game no less. Plus each year of additional age is another year of his skills and athleticism deteriorating. If anything, he will be even more limited and injury prone next year.

For those of you who would rebut, "but it's well worth the price for his mentorship", why can't he be a player development coach or special assistant?

The whole KG trade was a sugar high. We were taken to great emotional heights for one night. But frankly, other than that one fleeting moment, it's been kind of a joke.....

I called this out at the time, as well as after the like 2 decent defensive games we played. It was always a sham. At no point is KG going to help our team win by playing for the Wolves. Maybe as a player development coach....but being a good defensive player doesn't just magically make that same player a great developer of talent. Thus the reason so few players transition successfully to head coaching assignments.

Hicks and Q- Did you guys watch the Wizards and Portland games? I was lucky to be at both games, and I can't imaging how anyone can conclude that KG didn't make the Wolves substantially better and help our team win. Maybe you could attribute the Wizards win to a "sugar high"...it was pretty magical in the arena that night. But the Portland game was almost 2 weeks later and the euphoria had died down, and yet we played one of our best games of the season. Yes, KG makes us better on defense, but he also has a big impact on offense. He knows the game, and the ball just moves around better when he's on the court. The KG mentoring narrative is largely a crock...he has little impact on the team when he is not playing. But he has a huge impact on the team when he is on the court.

I look at next year differently than you guys also. KG hasn't been out the past few weeks because he is injured, broken down or sick...despite what Flip says. He's been out because he helps the Wolves win, and that's a poor strategy the last month of a lost season. I don't; expect him to play both ends of a BTB all the time, but I would not be surprised if he was in the lineup at the same rate he was with the Nets this season. Look it up...he played 52 out of 61 games, or 85% of their games. Only Wiggins, Dieng and LaVine have played in at least 85% of the Wolves' games this year, so KG is a relative Iron Man compared to the rest of the wolves! And sure, he only averages 20 minutes a game, but again...anyone who observed his 40 minutes against the Wizards and Trailblazers knows how valuable those 20 minutes are. Flip will likely offer to pay KG $8million for the next two years, and it will be money well spent. I have no problem with KG playing 20 minutes at PF in 85% of our games...my bigger issue is who plays the other 28.

1. You assume that KG will play 85% of our games next season despite being a year older and on a team notorious for its injury issues over the past few years. I'd be willing to bet a lot of money that he wouldn't even come close to your projections. I think your heart is bigger than your head in this case.

2. So given the fact he will only play a subset of games for a small subset of minutes, what good does it really do? What kind of continuity can be built?

3. KG's situation is different from Pek in that we are stuck with Pek, so using him off the bench as a big body when he is able to play makes sense since we're on the hook for paying him anyway. KG's contract expires after this season and there is no reason for us to waste a roster spot and valuable cap dollars on a player that won't play many minutes for us.

longstrangetrip wrote:

Camden wrote:

longstrangetrip wrote:Hmm...maybe I'm missing something, but I've never sensed any hate for Thad on this board. There was a lot of sympathy for him when his mom died, and them some head scratching about how long a sabbatical he took and how poorly he played when he returned. And there have been frequent comments about his weak rebounding numbers for a PF. But there have also been several comments about his character and his cleverness offensively. But hate? I'm not seeing that. I don't think he made us a better team, but that is just an opinion.

That first line is a joke, right? Thad was playing with rookies and guys who shouldn't even be rotation players and this board crucified him for not carrying them on his back. Maybe time passed has erased the memories for you, but it was Thad hate after hate.

I don't agree, cam. I think posters pointed out the deficiencies in his game (and frankly he didn't rebound well whether he was playing with rookies or our real starters), but I never sensed the "hate" that I have read here for JJ or, in at least in my case, Kevin Love. The value of this board is pointing out what players do well and what they don't do well, and that's good...and it's fine when there are disagreements. But criticism and hate are two totally different concepts...JJ got a lot of hate here, and Thad got a lot of criticism (like so many Wolves do), and both were deserved in my estimation.

I wasn't on here a ton but there was definitely Thad hate on here. He played bad and there were lots of reasons for it but I can say there was hate for the guy no doubt. PF has been a terrifically bad position for the Wolves this year.

Q, I acknowledge that my heart does tend to be bigger than my head at times when it comes to the Wolves, but I'm still not buying your argument. In predicting how many games KG will play next year, we each offer up an argument. I argue that his record this year while playing with a team where the games mattered is the most compelling argument. Sure, he will be one year older. But personally I didn't feel much different at 39 than I did at 38, and I don't expect KG will either. You offer the argument that the Wolves' woeful injury history will be a factor in the number of games KG plays, and I don't find that persuasive. The Wolves have a bad injury history primarily because of bad luck and injury prone guys. But when non injury prone guys, like Thad Young or Corey Brewer for instance, join the team, the "bad trainer" or "injury curse" doesn't seem to impact them. Guys like Pek are injury prone, and KG is not...and there's no reason to expect that to change just because he's wearing a different uniform.

Maybe KG doesn't play 85% of the games next year like he did with the Nets...maybe he plays more, or less... but it's the best data point we have to go on. I don't take any relevance from Flip benching him in the midst of a world class tanking job.