Keep Ricky in Minnesota

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

How does Conley not make us better? He is clearly better than Rubio. If you mean it doesn't make us better because there is no guarantee to keep him I guess I get it. But if we can get him long term we're better with Conley.

He might be better than Rubio, but the difference isn't to the point where it's really that meaningful. Also, paying Conley $20-24M per year, compared to Rubio at $14M, for that slight improvement just isn't worth it, in my opinion.

I do realize that I'm talking to someone who thinks Conley replacing Rubio makes this team we have right now a .500 ball club... So, in your case, Conley's an MVP candidate and it'd be a no-brainer to acquire him.

I think Conley is the 5th best PG in the league and gets grossly under-appreciated in Memphis. Plus this is the year to sign a top tier FA. Everyone will have cap room but it will precede a second cap jump next year. The rest of the League is going to be making moves this offseason, no reason why we shouldn't spend.

Curry, Westbrook, Wall, Lillard, Paul, Irving, Lowry, Thomas, Bledsoe. You'd take him over any of them? That's clearly why we see things so differently.

[thedoper]

How does Conley not make us better? He is clearly better than Rubio. If you mean it doesn't make us better because there is no guarantee to keep him I guess I get it. But if we can get him long term we're better with Conley.

He might be better than Rubio, but the difference isn't to the point where it's really that meaningful. Also, paying Conley $20-24M per year, compared to Rubio at $14M, for that slight improvement just isn't worth it, in my opinion.

I do realize that I'm talking to someone who thinks Conley replacing Rubio makes this team we have right now a .500 ball club... So, in your case, Conley's an MVP candidate and it'd be a no-brainer to acquire him.

I think Conley is the 5th best PG in the league and gets grossly under-appreciated in Memphis. Plus this is the year to sign a top tier FA. Everyone will have cap room but it will precede a second cap jump next year. The rest of the League is going to be making moves this offseason, no reason why we shouldn't spend.

To be fair, everybody and their three-legged dog has cap space and will be paying ridiculous prices this summer with more money than free agents available. Heck, Ryan Anderson might command $20M per year.

Is that the party Wolves fans want to be invited to when the team is still probably at least another season away from the playoffs? Let the teams more desperate to win and without as much of a promising foundation overpay for now.

Figure out where the team stands with a new GM and coach and direction. THEN... make that splash to add pieces in '17.



[Note: Wait. When's the lockout happening? 2017 or 2018? In any event... it IS happening. Definitely. Get ready.]

The downside of that is that you are paying 2017 prices based on an even bigger cap. This would potentially interfere with the younger core contracts. Im fine with being cautious, but a big name free agent wont break the bank if we do it this summer.

[thedoper]

How does Conley not make us better? He is clearly better than Rubio. If you mean it doesn't make us better because there is no guarantee to keep him I guess I get it. But if we can get him long term we're better with Conley.

He might be better than Rubio, but the difference isn't to the point where it's really that meaningful. Also, paying Conley $20-24M per year, compared to Rubio at $14M, for that slight improvement just isn't worth it, in my opinion.

I do realize that I'm talking to someone who thinks Conley replacing Rubio makes this team we have right now a .500 ball club... So, in your case, Conley's an MVP candidate and it'd be a no-brainer to acquire him.

I think Conley is the 5th best PG in the league and gets grossly under-appreciated in Memphis. Plus this is the year to sign a top tier FA. Everyone will have cap room but it will precede a second cap jump next year. The rest of the League is going to be making moves this offseason, no reason why we shouldn't spend.

Curry, Westbrook, Wall, Lillard, Paul, Irving, Lowry, Thomas, Bledsoe. You'd take him over any of them? That's clearly why we see things so differently.

Anyone but Curry Westbrook Wall and Paul factor in future progress in my mind. Right now Conley is a better basketball player than those other young guys in my mind. By the end of this next contract they may have passed him up, I am fine with that assessment. I am positive that Conley gives a huge bump to the next team he is on.

[AbeVigodaLive]

How does Conley not make us better? He is clearly better than Rubio. If you mean it doesn't make us better because there is no guarantee to keep him I guess I get it. But if we can get him long term we're better with Conley.

He might be better than Rubio, but the difference isn't to the point where it's really that meaningful. Also, paying Conley $20-24M per year, compared to Rubio at $14M, for that slight improvement just isn't worth it, in my opinion.

I do realize that I'm talking to someone who thinks Conley replacing Rubio makes this team we have right now a .500 ball club... So, in your case, Conley's an MVP candidate and it'd be a no-brainer to acquire him.

I think Conley is the 5th best PG in the league and gets grossly under-appreciated in Memphis. Plus this is the year to sign a top tier FA. Everyone will have cap room but it will precede a second cap jump next year. The rest of the League is going to be making moves this offseason, no reason why we shouldn't spend.

To be fair, everybody and their three-legged dog has cap space and will be paying ridiculous prices this summer with more money than free agents available. Heck, Ryan Anderson might command $20M per year.

Is that the party Wolves fans want to be invited to when the team is still probably at least another season away from the playoffs? Let the teams more desperate to win and without as much of a promising foundation overpay for now.

Figure out where the team stands with a new GM and coach and direction. THEN... make that splash to add pieces in '17.



[Note: Wait. When's the lockout happening? 2017 or 2018? In any event... it IS happening. Definitely. Get ready.]

The downside of that is that you are paying 2017 prices based on an even bigger cap. This would potentially interfere with the younger core contracts. Im fine with being cautious, but a big name free agent wont break the bank if we do it this summer.

Maybe.

Then again, maybe sanity returns when the league starts to realize how to work with those caps a bit better.


[Note: Ok... this is the NBA we're talking about. That's asking too much!]

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I like Conley, but you're wildly overrating him, and I didn't think that was possible to do because for a long time I thought of him as an underrated player. He's not sniffing top-five at his position, though, nor does he alone make this team a playoff contender. That's just not reality.

[thedoper]

I like Conley, but you're wildly overrating him, and I didn't think that was possible to do because for a long time I thought of him as an underrated player. He's not sniffing top-five at his position, though, nor does he alone make this team a playoff contender. That's just not reality.

Not your reality I get it. Hardly wild at all. Debateable differences between him and Irving, Bledsoe, Lowry and Thomas (any of whom who sit in your 5 spot I assume?) But none of those 4 are an open and shut better basketball player than Conley by any stretch of the imagination. We all can't live in your reality though.

[petecorcoran [enjin:6658618]]

I agree that it's somewhat silly to worry about how we play in the playoffs... until we're a little closer to making the playoffs. That said, this worrying about how Ricky will do when teams "force" him to shoot the ball is a little disingenuous. It's a lot easier to try to force the other team's best shooter to NOT shoot than to force the worst shooter to shoot. If PnR defense is forcing Ricky into 15-17 foot jump shots and he can't make them, put Ricky on the wing and go PnR with Lavine or Wiggins. Ricky will make enough open 3's to keep things honest. Wiggins has already proven he can be effective in PnR... and I'm confident Lavine can be too.

I don't want to pretend Ricky is an All-star, but until Lavine's defense shows up against quality 2's, until our interior defense improves, until our bench (assuming Zach starts) is better, and until our coach's game management improves, Ricky is way down the list of things this team needs to improve in order to make the playoffs.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I like Conley, but you're wildly overrating him, and I didn't think that was possible to do because for a long time I thought of him as an underrated player. He's not sniffing top-five at his position, though, nor does he alone make this team a playoff contender. That's just not reality.

Not your reality I get it. Hardly wild at all. Debateable differences between him and Irving, Bledsoe, Lowry and Thomas (any of whom who sit in your 5 spot I assume?) But none of those 4 are an open and shut better basketball player than Conley by any stretch of the imagination. We all can't live in your reality though.

Try Curry, Westbrook, Wall, Lillard and Paul. That is the top-five. And I do think the other four I listed are better than Conley, but even those guys aren't in the same tier that those five are in. Those are your MVP type guys.

[thedoper]

I like Conley, but you're wildly overrating him, and I didn't think that was possible to do because for a long time I thought of him as an underrated player. He's not sniffing top-five at his position, though, nor does he alone make this team a playoff contender. That's just not reality.

Not your reality I get it. Hardly wild at all. Debateable differences between him and Irving, Bledsoe, Lowry and Thomas (any of whom who sit in your 5 spot I assume?) But none of those 4 are an open and shut better basketball player than Conley by any stretch of the imagination. We all can't live in your reality though.

Try Curry, Westbrook, Wall, Lillard and Paul. That is the top-five. And I do think the other four I listed are better than Conley, but even those guys aren't in the same tier that those five are in. Those are your MVP type guys.

Love Lillard, don't think he defends yet sorry I left him out meant to include him. But I am fine with that as a sure fire top tier in your opinion. Don't think Lillard's inclusion is as open and shut as you make it sound, but he's nice now and going to be a huge impact guy for a long time. Would prefer Conley on our team because of his noted ability to defer yet still hit the shot when needed. So you have Conley around 9ish? Not even really worth debating anymore. Still substantially better than Rubio and worth the money in a quickly growing cap. We're not going to get him anyway.

Go wolves.

[kekgeek]

I like Conley, but you're wildly overrating him, and I didn't think that was possible to do because for a long time I thought of him as an underrated player. He's not sniffing top-five at his position, though, nor does he alone make this team a playoff contender. That's just not reality.

Not your reality I get it. Hardly wild at all. Debateable differences between him and Irving, Bledsoe, Lowry and Thomas (any of whom who sit in your 5 spot I assume?) But none of those 4 are an open and shut better basketball player than Conley by any stretch of the imagination. We all can't live in your reality though.

Try Curry, Westbrook, Wall, Lillard and Paul. That is the top-five. And I do think the other four I listed are better than Conley, but even those guys aren't in the same tier that those five are in. Those are your MVP type guys.

I think lowery and Irving are better (even though I think Irving is overrated). But then I think there is a drop off. So I have Conley 8 but don't think there is much difference between 8 and 13.

I think Westbrook, curry, paul are tier 1
Wall, Lillard, Lowry are tier 2
Irving tier 3
Conley, Thomas tier 4
Then Rubio, Teague, reggie Jackson are tier 5.

I think Bledsoe is extremely overrated

I am probably missing people also (think dragic, holiday, rondo, Parker (at this point of his career) are all lower on my list)