sjm34 wrote:You guys be sure to let me know how that core of Rubio - Pek is doing in 2015!
Ditto. Staying the course is not an option. Even if we only aspire to be a 7th or 8th seed, it's not like we're on a trajectory to get there. We haven't gotten better as the season has progressed. We were unusually healthy by NBA standards this season. Martin's health was unusually good compared to almost his entire career. Our two best players -- Love and Ricky -- have been healthy all season. Compare that to the time Memphis went with out their best player, Gasol. As SJM indicated, Love won't hang around after next season if we continue to be a team chasing the 8th seed.
Meantime, we are capped out with no valuable trade assets other than our core three and our 2014 1st round pick. Martin may have some value to a veteran contender and Barea my have some value as a spark off the bench for some teams AND as an expiring contract. What does this mean? It means if we want to have a good shot at keeping Love beyond next season and want more than just chasing the 8th seed, we will need to trade one of the other two in our core three. In my view, the guy to trade is Pek - for the best two-way wing we can get.
Wolves will have their best record in a decade, and are 9-6 since the ASB. Not sure why we aren't on a trajectory going up
Sure. If Kevin Love stays.
Are you confident he's staying?
If he leaves then everything is out the window regardless. If he does leave I'd rather have Pek and Rubio still here to build around instead of changing everything
I'd "prefer" another 15 - 67 Promise of Hope season over a couple of 28 - 54 campaigns of abject mediocrity.
sjm34 wrote:You guys be sure to let me know how that core of Rubio - Pek is doing in 2015!
Ditto. Staying the course is not an option. Even if we only aspire to be a 7th or 8th seed, it's not like we're on a trajectory to get there. We haven't gotten better as the season has progressed. We were unusually healthy by NBA standards this season. Martin's health was unusually good compared to almost his entire career. Our two best players -- Love and Ricky -- have been healthy all season. Compare that to the time Memphis went with out their best player, Gasol. As SJM indicated, Love won't hang around after next season if we continue to be a team chasing the 8th seed.
Meantime, we are capped out with no valuable trade assets other than our core three and our 2014 1st round pick. Martin may have some value to a veteran contender and Barea my have some value as a spark off the bench for some teams AND as an expiring contract. What does this mean? It means if we want to have a good shot at keeping Love beyond next season and want more than just chasing the 8th seed, we will need to trade one of the other two in our core three. In my view, the guy to trade is Pek - for the best two-way wing we can get.
Wolves will have their best record in a decade, and are 9-6 since the ASB. Not sure why we aren't on a trajectory going up
Sure. If Kevin Love stays.
Are you confident he's staying?
If he leaves then everything is out the window regardless. If he does leave I'd rather have Pek and Rubio still here to build around instead of changing everything
I'd "prefer" another 15 - 67 Promise of Hope season over a couple of 28 - 54 campaigns of abject mediocrity.
[Note: Personally, I'm tired of both options.]
eh tanking is just false hope most of the time. Teams have been tanking all this year because they draft looked so good. Most of the top prospects didn't look at all as good as they were hyped to be
sjm34 wrote:You guys be sure to let me know how that core of Rubio - Pek is doing in 2015!
Ditto. Staying the course is not an option. Even if we only aspire to be a 7th or 8th seed, it's not like we're on a trajectory to get there. We haven't gotten better as the season has progressed. We were unusually healthy by NBA standards this season. Martin's health was unusually good compared to almost his entire career. Our two best players -- Love and Ricky -- have been healthy all season. Compare that to the time Memphis went with out their best player, Gasol. As SJM indicated, Love won't hang around after next season if we continue to be a team chasing the 8th seed.
Meantime, we are capped out with no valuable trade assets other than our core three and our 2014 1st round pick. Martin may have some value to a veteran contender and Barea my have some value as a spark off the bench for some teams AND as an expiring contract. What does this mean? It means if we want to have a good shot at keeping Love beyond next season and want more than just chasing the 8th seed, we will need to trade one of the other two in our core three. In my view, the guy to trade is Pek - for the best two-way wing we can get.
Wolves will have their best record in a decade, and are 9-6 since the ASB. Not sure why we aren't on a trajectory going up
Sure. If Kevin Love stays.
Are you confident he's staying?
If he leaves then everything is out the window regardless. If he does leave I'd rather have Pek and Rubio still here to build around instead of changing everything
I'd "prefer" another 15 - 67 Promise of Hope season over a couple of 28 - 54 campaigns of abject mediocrity.
[Note: Personally, I'm tired of both options.]
eh tanking is just false hope most of the time. Teams have been tanking all this year because they draft looked so good. Most of the top prospects didn't look at all as good as they were hyped to be
Being a Wolves fan for most of my life -- and all of the organization's existence -- I know all too well that tanking is often futile. That's why I call it the "Promise of Hope"... because that's how it's sold/marketed to fans.
When your team sucks, there's only one thing to look forward to... one thing to hope for...
Horatio nailed it recently when he outlined how a team like Minnesota can make the leap. Basically, it's not via free agency or through trades. It's through the draft. Often, that means bottoming out. But after SEVERAL other failed attempts to do so in Minnesota, I don't blame any Wolves fans to be frustrated with that approach.
horatio81 wrote:I'm at a loss as to why people keep suggesting we "build something". With what bricks? We don't have assets to significantly improve the team. That's the whole problem!
Might as well try to take control of your future.
Taking control of the future probably means trading Love then. As you said the assets are not there to significantly improve the team. That is why staying the course and building something with consistency is the way to go. The Wolves may have flawed players but so does every team. They still have a starting lineup that is pretty darn good, a couple rookies that have shown some promise and a decent draft pick coming. The team does not need 30 million dollars to rebuild the bench. They need a smart MLE signing and then to find the hungriest and cheapest guys they can get. No more has beens looking to make a buck. It is certainly possible.
