Minnesota Sports Forum

TeamRicky wrote:

60WinTim wrote:Zgoda or somebody also pointed out that GR3 will be eligible for an offer sheet from anyone next year (although the Wolves could match). Just one more notch going against GR3...

If we want to keep him, we match. His salary is very low and affordable, so I don't think that will be a worry. I sure hope we keep GR3, but not sure he's staying. I like him better than many of our prior first rounders who we gave at least two years to develop. Sure would be a shame to give up on an incredible talent like him and a very likeable guy too so soon.

I'd bet Flip was mentioning this knowledge in response to some questions so it may mean nothing. Still I think the way GR3 has been handled since the Love trade went through and Wiggins came to town may suggest Flip isn't sure were GR3 fits. They finally signed him he isn't everywhere making appearances like other guys are I wanted him bad in the 2nd round and he fell to us, but where does he fit? idk just saying

Another thing I noticed about Zach's brief stint -- he rebounded the ball. We struggled with that for a few stretches in the game.

Q12543 wrote:

TeamRicky wrote:

60WinTim wrote:Zgoda or somebody also pointed out that GR3 will be eligible for an offer sheet from anyone next year (although the Wolves could match). Just one more notch going against GR3...

If we want to keep him, we match. His salary is very low and affordable, so I don't think that will be a worry. I sure hope we keep GR3, but not sure he's staying. I like him better than many of our prior first rounders who we gave at least two years to develop. Sure would be a shame to give up on an incredible talent like him and a very likeable guy too so soon.

I'm not sure that he's an "incredible" talent. If he were, I think he would have done more damage at the college level. He does seem like a classic "do no harm" rotation player, with a bit of upside to boot. But I don't think he will ever be a game changer.

Q you know I really like GR3 but what you said here is about how I felt about him in the draft. When I wanted him was assuming we had about what we had at the wing spot last year and then Wiggins is here. Unless Wiggins flops which seems unlikely I just don't know where GR3 fits. I just don't see him suddenly blowing up into a bigtime scorer. He could become a Danny Green type which is pretty valuable and GR3 has a little more upside I suppose, but idk. I want to keep him around, but I feel also like I'm overvaluing him some now becasue he is a guy I wanted and we got and now I just don't want to let go.

60WinTim wrote:Another thing I noticed about Zach's brief stint -- he rebounded the ball. We struggled with that for a few stretches in the game.

That dunk he had was a wow moment.

CoolBreeze44 wrote:

60WinTim wrote:Another thing I noticed about Zach's brief stint -- he rebounded the ball. We struggled with that for a few stretches in the game.

That dunk he had was a wow moment.

Yup! But just as impressive was his layup while avoiding a charge. Nice body control.

monsterpile wrote:

Q12543 wrote:

TeamRicky wrote:

60WinTim wrote:Zgoda or somebody also pointed out that GR3 will be eligible for an offer sheet from anyone next year (although the Wolves could match). Just one more notch going against GR3...

If we want to keep him, we match. His salary is very low and affordable, so I don't think that will be a worry. I sure hope we keep GR3, but not sure he's staying. I like him better than many of our prior first rounders who we gave at least two years to develop. Sure would be a shame to give up on an incredible talent like him and a very likeable guy too so soon.

I'm not sure that he's an "incredible" talent. If he were, I think he would have done more damage at the college level. He does seem like a classic "do no harm" rotation player, with a bit of upside to boot. But I don't think he will ever be a game changer.

Q you know I really like GR3 but what you said here is about how I felt about him in the draft. When I wanted him was assuming we had about what we had at the wing spot last year and then Wiggins is here. Unless Wiggins flops which seems unlikely I just don't know where GR3 fits. I just don't see him suddenly blowing up into a bigtime scorer. He could become a Danny Green type which is pretty valuable and GR3 has a little more upside I suppose, but idk. I want to keep him around, but I feel also like I'm overvaluing him some now becasue he is a guy I wanted and we got and now I just don't want to let go.

Yeah, I hear you, but it comes down to how many young wings do we really need? Wiggins, LaVine, and Shabazz seems like enough, to go along with the veterans Martin, Brewer, and Budinger. The other option would be to see if we could fetch a future pick with a Shabazz or even Brewer trade.

Q12543 wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

Q12543 wrote:

TeamRicky wrote:

60WinTim wrote:Zgoda or somebody also pointed out that GR3 will be eligible for an offer sheet from anyone next year (although the Wolves could match). Just one more notch going against GR3...

If we want to keep him, we match. His salary is very low and affordable, so I don't think that will be a worry. I sure hope we keep GR3, but not sure he's staying. I like him better than many of our prior first rounders who we gave at least two years to develop. Sure would be a shame to give up on an incredible talent like him and a very likeable guy too so soon.

I'm not sure that he's an "incredible" talent. If he were, I think he would have done more damage at the college level. He does seem like a classic "do no harm" rotation player, with a bit of upside to boot. But I don't think he will ever be a game changer.

Q you know I really like GR3 but what you said here is about how I felt about him in the draft. When I wanted him was assuming we had about what we had at the wing spot last year and then Wiggins is here. Unless Wiggins flops which seems unlikely I just don't know where GR3 fits. I just don't see him suddenly blowing up into a bigtime scorer. He could become a Danny Green type which is pretty valuable and GR3 has a little more upside I suppose, but idk. I want to keep him around, but I feel also like I'm overvaluing him some now becasue he is a guy I wanted and we got and now I just don't want to let go.

Yeah, I hear you, but it comes down to how many young wings do we really need? Wiggins, LaVine, and Shabazz seems like enough, to go along with the veterans Martin, Brewer, and Budinger. The other option would be to see if we could fetch a future pick with a Shabazz or even Brewer trade.

The thing is next year Bud could be gone if he opts out maybe Bazz and Hummel show they suck and Brewer is around for just 1 more year and then the wing depth might not look so significant. Stuff changes so quickly in the NBA having GR3 around might turn out to be worthwhile. Of course we believe Hummel could be that useful bench dude so yeah who knows. Bottom line is GR3 is a very young 2nd round pick but he was a 2nd round pick for a reason although this draft was deep. When he ends up on another team and becomes the next Danny Green type it will suck. Of course the chances of that happening? what like 10%. lol I really wanted Danny Green and Lance Stephenson in the 2nd round so I nailed those picks but the teams they had success with deserve alot of credit for developing them.

GR3 is a much better athlete than Danny Green. I've seen him compared to Ariza on multiple sites. On one site I found this quote "Robinson has been compared to NBA wings such as Trevor Ariza, Jimmy Butler, Andre Iguodala, and Luol Deng. All of these players are extremely athletic wings who have used that athleticism to become top-flight defenders and very capable offensive players, but tend to be inconsistent shooters from the outside. "

Not saying he's going to amount to a hill of beans, but I would have fun watching him develop.

TeamRicky wrote:GR3 is a much better athlete than Danny Green. I've seen him compared to Ariza on multiple sites. On one site I found this quote "Robinson has been compared to NBA wings such as Trevor Ariza, Jimmy Butler, Andre Iguodala, and Luol Deng. All of these players are extremely athletic wings who have used that athleticism to become top-flight defenders and very capable offensive players, but tend to be inconsistent shooters from the outside. "

Not saying he's going to amount to a hill of beans, but I would have fun watching him develop.

Whatever you wanna say about who is more athletic IMO Ariza or Danny Green they are pretty much going to impact the game about the same amount and Green makes like half as much money cause the Spurs are geniuses. Ariza will give you more on defense because he is freakishly long (alot longer than GR3 who isn't even 6'7") so he can guard like 3-4 positions and Green will give you much more consistent shooting. Look the bottom line is if GR3 turns out to be a Danny Green type player any team would be thrilled to have a 3 and D guy thats a legit starting wing in the league where those guys aren't really that easy to find. I mention Danny Green because he is a solid team guy and also a guy I wanted ever since he was available in the draft. GR3 is pretty young so he has a little chance to be something more than just a solid starter and sure he is a better athlete than Green, but if you have watched GR3 like I have for 2 years he really plays like a role player which is good in a way. I just don't see a big upside to him and I really like him.

Really I hope we let JJ go even though he can actually be a fairly useful player. I like GR3 and Hummel more than keeping JJ around because he is a solid bench player. I wouldn't blame Flip if he kept him though. Ugh I really wish we had our own D-league team it would be so much easier to convince either Hummel or GR3 to go that team to develop them and keep their rights.

With the required preamble that this was only a preseason game, let me say...Wow, what a game! Yes, it was pre-season, but I watched two teams, and two coaches, who wanted to win. Tibs even put most of his starters back in to try to protect the lead, but to no avail. And after beating up on East bottom feeders, it was meaningful that our victim this time was a contender in the Bulls, with Derrick Rose scoring 27 and looking fully recovered.

We might as well admit it, because it was clear...JJ was our best player last night, as he scored 9 points and dished out 4 assists in only 12 minutes, along with 2 steals and no turnovers. But what impressed me more was HOW he brought us back in this game. We have all seen JJ win games before, but to me, he often did it in an out-of-control fashion. He would bring us back with wild drives to the basket and forced threes, and somehow I would feel unsatisfied after the win. But last night was different, as JJ looked like a real point guard. He took the open shot when they gave it to him, but otherwise effectively got his teammates involved. Yes, he was overmatched on defense, but who isn't against a healthy Derrick Rose? JJ won the game for us last night, and has earned a place on the roster. He may not like the role Flip puts him in...a third PG who only gets in when Flip needs a spark like last night...but he can be effective in that role.

It was especially satisfying to beat a good team on a night when our two best centers really struggled...let's be honest, Pek and Gorgui were terrible. Pek continues to be flustered around the basket against teams with length, and even though they both were terrible on offense last night, Noah and Gasol can be very intimidating inside with their length (and Gibson is even longer). And Gorgui had his worst game I can remember...looked like the 2013 Summer League Gorgui.

AB bounced back from being sick last game to have a really nice all-around game. He's now averaging 20 and 12 on a per 36 basis, the kind of numbers you expect from a former #1, and has used his quick feet and long arms effectively on defense too. What a pleasant surprise he has been.

Rubio was also stellar last night on both ends of the court. As someone else mentioned in the game thread, his jumper seemed to have more arc on it, and he hit it at a good rate. I'm not ready to pronounce Ricky's shooting woes as being gone, but he sure looked good last night. What a difference it makes in his effectiveness if the opponent has to respect his mid-range game.

Led by Thad Young's 4-5, the Wolves made 57 % of their 3-pointers, and Thad's scoring got us off to a great start. I have to say, though, that I was not pleased with Thad's overall game. Yes, he was hot from beyond the arc, but I prefer to see him operating around the basket with his creative array of moves. And 4 turnovers and only 2 rebounds is not what we are looking for from our starting PF. On the other hand, his defensive quickness was on display as he provided 5 steals. He's an interesting ballplayer, but he is going to help us more if he improves his rebounding. And his leadership was evident as Flip put him back in for the critical final 20 seconds of the game.

Chase did not have the same success beyond the arc as Thad (only 1-4), but he had a very good game also. He seems fully recovered from his knee issues, and is now shooting 50% in pre-season both overall and on threes, and also rebounding well. There seems to be a difference of opinion on this board about his defense, but I thought he was at least acceptable last night. He's going to be a good rotation player for us.

Finally, I have to mention Zach LaVine. How odd for Flip to put him out there for the final six minutes after Tibs put his starters back in, but it worked. His athleticism was dazzling last night, and he calmly sank the eventual game-winning free throws. I didn't focus on him defensively, but Zgoda said this morning that he was effectively guarding Rose (who was JJ on, then?), and if so, that is another example of Flip's confidence in him. What a great confidence building move by Flip.

All in all, a very entertaining game with a very satisfactory finish. Did we really just watch a Wolves' team come back from 13 down to beat the Bulls on front of a Bulls crowd? How many times did that happen last year. Wouldn't it be nice if this team continues to show the kind of grit that has been missing the past few years?