kekgeek wrote: ↑Sun Apr 30, 2023 2:30 pm
The wolves traded Jimmy Butler for Roco, Saric, Bayless and a 2nd
Jimmy is such a stud
Jimmy’s incredible. And thanks for reminding us of yet another lopsided Wolves trade.
. The entire chain of events with Jimmy underscore how bad Thibs was as PBO. Consider the following:
1. It’s a trade Thibs shouldn’t have made. I thought it was a mistake to trade for Jimmy in first place because his age/career arc and temperament didn’t fit well with out top talent (KAT and Wiggins). Butler was significantly older and had a reputation for alienating other players, especially young ones, while with the Bulls. Nevertheless, while I mentioned my misgivings at the time, I wasn’t down on the trade because of what Butler could do to help the team. Turns out he was tremendous here, combining with KAT and Wiggins to get the team into the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. And if Butler hadn’t missed the last 20 games of the season, the Wolves were on track to finish in the top 4.
2. Thibs traded the wrong (and too many) assets for Jimmy. It’s been widely reported that the Bulls would have taken Wiggins without swapping first round picks. The Wolves would have retained LaVine and been in a position to draft Markkanen.
3. Thibs made the wrong pick with the 1st-round swap. After marking an ill-advised trade and trading the wrong assets, Thibs compounded his error by draft Patton instead of John Collins or Anunoby. Many in our forum group went on record wanting the Wolves to draft Anunoby. I liked by him and Collins.
4. Thibs failed to take the necessary steps to keep Butler. Having traded significant assets for Butler and given the team’s success, it was essential to keep Jimmy. We know that all Thibs had to do was pay Jimmy an amount on par with what Wiggins and KAT were getting. It was all about the money, which for Jimmy was respect given that he was much better than either Wiggins or KAT at the time. It was reported that Thibs thought the whole money issue would fade and that Jimmy would put contract issues aside and settle in as a Timberwolf as long as Thibs was there. We all know how that turned out.
5. Having failed to give Jimmy the contract he wanted, Thibs then put his head in the sand and let events spiral out of control. It was reported at the time that Thibs never met with Butler over the off season. It was typical Thibs. I’ve talked to a several folks in the Wolves organization who said that Jimmy’s anger was already obvious internally before it became public; yet Thibs failed to act. Given the decision not to give Jimmy a new contract, Thibs needed to move quickly and trade Jimmy before things boiled over to the point where it would impact Jimmy’s trade value. Thibs continued his ostrich behavior and we know what happened.
6. Finally, Thibs stubbornly refused to acknowledge that he had to trade Jimmy. As a result, even after things boiled over, Thibs apparently turned down better deals than the one the Wolves ended up with.
I’ve never thought Thibs was a bad head coach. But he was a terrible PBO. Of course, that’s not surprising. He hadn’t even worked in a front office before Glen Taylor hired him to run the Wolves for office. Moreover, Thibs had a reputation as someone who didn’t get along well with others - a stubborn, headstrong longer. That’s not the sort of person who succeeds as the head of an organization.
Of course, Thibs’ dunderhead moves as the Wolves PBO doesn’t stand out from other Wolves PBOs. Sadly, it fits right in with David Kahn drafting Flynn instead of Curry and signing Darko to a long-term deal. It’s right there with letting Chauncey Billups go in favor or Terrell Brandon and the illegal Joe Smith deal during McHale’s reign. It’s right there with Flip trading down to draft Bazz and then selling a first-round pick for cash instead of drafting Rudy Gobert. Rosas traded up for Culver, signed Juancho instead of Bobby Portis and included a lightly protected 1st along with Wiggins for DLO. Then Tim Connelly comes along and recreates his own NBA version of the Herschel Walker trade. Maybe there’s something in the water at 600 N. First Avenue. High levels of mercury can apparently reduce cognitive abilities. Or maybe it’s just bad ownership making bad front office hiring decisions.
Of all our past PBO, I think McHale and Rosas deserve some slack. McHale drafted KG at a time when NBA teams were afraid to draft players right out of high school. The next year he drafted Marbury who was the perfect fit for KG. He can’t have foreseen Marbury’s mental implosion. He drafted Wally Z. And eventually, he acquired Sam and Spree to combine with KG for the best season in Wolves history and one injury away from the NBA finals. Rosas made some bad moves, but he also made some really nice moves. His decision to draft Edwards alone wipes away all his blunders. He turned his mistakes into Juancho and Prince. He drafted Jaden near the bottom of the first round. And while I didn’t like the DLO deal, it wasn’t a terrible deal or anything close to any of the horrific front office blunders we’ve seen from other Wolves PBOs, including the recent Gobert blunder.
Sorry for going on so long. But the whole Butler ordeal here just reminded me of how incompetent Wolves front office executives have been over the years. If I could choose to have one of the Wolves past or current PBOs right now, it would be Rosas and it’s not even close. Alas, he just couldn’t control his impulses.