Minnesota Sports Forum

Celtics win @ Cleveland on their 2nd night of a back to back. We beat a good team last night!

Another great game for NAW tonight with 34 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Safe to say, we the Wolves miss him.

Yeah.

NAW is doing better than I thought he could as more of a main guy. He leads the Hawks in three-point attempts and is over 20 ppg on decent efficiency.

It's all hindsight (I think I'd have kept Reid over NAW, too), but did Reid's local popularity play into that decision at all?

AbeVigodaLive wrote: ↑Mon Dec 01, 2025 9:18 am Yeah.

NAW is doing better than I thought he could as more of a main guy. He leads the Hawks in three-point attempts and is over 20 ppg on decent efficiency.

It's all hindsight (I think I'd have kept Reid over NAW, too), but did Reid's local popularity play into that decision at all?

I would attached a few 2nds to Mike and sent him to Brooklyn to re-sign NAW at the time, and still feel like that is what we should have done. If Brooklyn would have bought him out in the summer, I believe we could have brought him back on a min.

AbeVigodaLive wrote: ↑Mon Dec 01, 2025 9:18 am Yeah.

NAW is doing better than I thought he could as more of a main guy. He leads the Hawks in three-point attempts and is over 20 ppg on decent efficiency.

It's all hindsight (I think I'd have kept Reid over NAW, too), but did Reid's local popularity play into that decision at all?

I haven't watched him much, but the stats suggest his defense has suffered a bit, which is to be expected given the usage and minutes he's carrying. His D-rating while on the court is higher than it ever was with the Wolves and his Defensive Estimated Plus Minus is in the 39th percentile, meaning just below average.

I think the player he is now with Atlanta is the player he originally wanted to become with the Pelicans and then Utah, but he just wasn't good enough as a shot-maker early in his career. It's interesting how things have come full circle for him, but in the middle he put himself on the map with his 7th man 3&D role and two trips to the WCF.

rapsuperstar31 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 01, 2025 9:35 am

AbeVigodaLive wrote: ↑Mon Dec 01, 2025 9:18 am Yeah.

NAW is doing better than I thought he could as more of a main guy. He leads the Hawks in three-point attempts and is over 20 ppg on decent efficiency.

It's all hindsight (I think I'd have kept Reid over NAW, too), but did Reid's local popularity play into that decision at all?

I would attached a few 2nds to Mike and sent him to Brooklyn to re-sign NAW at the time, and still feel like that is what we should have done. If Brooklyn would have bought him out in the summer, I believe we could have brought him back on a min.

I think Mike Conley was put on an unofficial "no trade" list the moment he re-signed here. And then Finch laminated it and put that list behind glass just in case.

AbeVigodaLive wrote: ↑Mon Dec 01, 2025 11:31 am

rapsuperstar31 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 01, 2025 9:35 am

AbeVigodaLive wrote: ↑Mon Dec 01, 2025 9:18 am Yeah.

NAW is doing better than I thought he could as more of a main guy. He leads the Hawks in three-point attempts and is over 20 ppg on decent efficiency.

It's all hindsight (I think I'd have kept Reid over NAW, too), but did Reid's local popularity play into that decision at all?

I would attached a few 2nds to Mike and sent him to Brooklyn to re-sign NAW at the time, and still feel like that is what we should have done. If Brooklyn would have bought him out in the summer, I believe we could have brought him back on a min.

I think Mike Conley was put on an unofficial "no trade" list the moment he re-signed here. And then Finch laminated it and put that list behind glass just in case.

I do believe Mike is probably going to have a lot of front office/coaching potential. But between him and Ingles it feels like we are going out of our way to ensure mentoring on the roster. Besides if Conley does become a coach or exec he will move to the best opportunity anyway.

AbeVigodaLive wrote: ↑Mon Dec 01, 2025 9:18 am Yeah.

NAW is doing better than I thought he could as more of a main guy. He leads the Hawks in three-point attempts and is over 20 ppg on decent efficiency.

It's all hindsight (I think I'd have kept Reid over NAW, too), but did Reid's local popularity play into that decision at all?

I think his folk hero status had a lot to do with deciding to keep him instead of NAW...it's ultimately a business, and Naz puts more casual fans in the seats.

Let's remember that Naz is making $10 million more than NAW, so the choice was between Naz and NAW plus $10 million to spend on a backup center. Naz is starting to play better at both ends, but I still think I would take NAW and Luke Kornet over him.

FNG wrote: ↑Mon Dec 01, 2025 1:13 pm

AbeVigodaLive wrote: ↑Mon Dec 01, 2025 9:18 am Yeah.

NAW is doing better than I thought he could as more of a main guy. He leads the Hawks in three-point attempts and is over 20 ppg on decent efficiency.

It's all hindsight (I think I'd have kept Reid over NAW, too), but did Reid's local popularity play into that decision at all?

I think his folk hero status had a lot to do with deciding to keep him instead of NAW...it's ultimately a business, and Naz puts more casual fans in the seats.

Let's remember that Naz is making $10 million more than NAW, so the choice was between Naz and NAW plus $10 million to spend on a backup center. Naz is starting to play better at both ends, but I still think I would take NAW and Luke Kornet over him.

But if you kept NAW, how are you fitting him into the rotation? Banning Mike to the bench? Sending Dilly, Clark and Shannon back down to the Iowa? There just wasn't room for NAW in the rotation assuming one or more of the young guys were ready for minutes.

60WinTim wrote: ↑Mon Dec 01, 2025 1:50 pm

FNG wrote: ↑Mon Dec 01, 2025 1:13 pm

AbeVigodaLive wrote: ↑Mon Dec 01, 2025 9:18 am Yeah.

NAW is doing better than I thought he could as more of a main guy. He leads the Hawks in three-point attempts and is over 20 ppg on decent efficiency.

It's all hindsight (I think I'd have kept Reid over NAW, too), but did Reid's local popularity play into that decision at all?

I think his folk hero status had a lot to do with deciding to keep him instead of NAW...it's ultimately a business, and Naz puts more casual fans in the seats.

Let's remember that Naz is making $10 million more than NAW, so the choice was between Naz and NAW plus $10 million to spend on a backup center. Naz is starting to play better at both ends, but I still think I would take NAW and Luke Kornet over him.

But if you kept NAW, how are you fitting him into the rotation? Banning Mike to the bench? Sending Dilly, Clark and Shannon back down to the Iowa? There just wasn't room for NAW in the rotation assuming one or more of the young guys were ready for minutes.

NAW would have had more value in trade talks. In a bigger trade Mike is salary filler, where NAW might be an enticing piece to a team wanting defense.