Minnesota Sports Forum

http://www.minnpost.com/sports/2015/02/timberwolves-emerge-wreckage

More good stuff from Britt Robson today. I agree with his takes, except where he says trading Mo will lead to steady minutes at PG from LaVine. I think Lo Brown is ready to take over much of Mo's back-up PG minutes, which will be diminished as Ricky moves closer to 36 minutes a game, and Zach will only be needed as a 3rd option.

I posted the article in this thread because of Robson's comments about Young. Britt has been especially harsh about Thad over the past two months, but also recognizes his excellent play in the past week. Last night he tweeted out that his resurgence was "good to see but also an indictment of sorts". He elaborates on that concept in this article, accusing Thad of giving up just when we needed him most, after Rubio went down. Most of us on this board scratched our heads at his uninspired play and made the same criticism. I guess we'll never know how much of Thad's lost two months were related to grieving his mother's death, and how much was just due to a lack of effort that the Philly fans never saw. Regardless, it's terrific to see him playing the way he has played the last five games...he has thrived either playing SF or playing PF since Ricky's return. Someone else mentioned it, but his ripping the ball away from a completely dominating Hassan Whiteside in the 4th quarter was one of the highlights of the game. Let's hope he can keep it up.

Thad's a quitter, he may have had some better games, but Robson is right on, when the going got rough, he faded. He'll be a decent backup for us if he opts in, but that's it.

If you're wanting to find a way to reason out how Thad played the last two months, here's something you can consider. He just lost his Mom, with whom he was very close, his team is losing games badly every day, and his teammates keep going down. He's surrounded by a ton of loss on all fronts, being asked to shoulder a bigger burden for his team every night, when, due to the loss of his Mother, he should be the one leaning on others to get through a tough time.

I know I have, and others have suggested as well, that basketball should essentially be his refuge, he's a professional, etc., but a person can only take so much. I think Thad just needed to work through all the loss and figure out how to be a stronger man/player on the other side. His play as of late is indicative of him figuring that out, as well as finally getting some help.

He still has flaws as a player that won't likely ever change, but I want to highlight his humanity a bit more, something I know I've ignored at times when piling on him for poor play.

BizarroJerry wrote:Thad's a quitter, he may have had some better games, but Robson is right on, when the going got rough, he faded. He'll be a decent backup for us if he opts in, but that's it.

I disagree he's a quitter. Look at the hopeless years in Philly and tell me he quit. Minnesota was/is no different, except his Mom died and his whole team (you know, the guys with talent that gives a person hope) was injured with no end in sight. The season basically ended in game 5.

Yes, he was horrible, and there are still times during this stretch where I think he leaves plays on the table, but to call him a quitter is shortsighted.

I think he is a great backup PF/SF, but I don't think he is a above average starter. He has played very well over the last 2 weeks, but he still struggles on D (besides his effort against Dirk), he is still a below average rebounded. We will see.

A lot of athletes can / have used the loss of a loved one for inspiration. How many times do you hear a guy say he will dedicate his season to a lost parent? If that's really what caused his poor play, I'm not sure he is the guy I want to be in the fox hole with.

Zach Parise went on a roll after his father died. That's the type of response you would like to see.

Ya, basically saying one of the reasons he mailed it in for two months was because his good teammates weren't playing is not a good look. He was supposed to be the best player on the team who was playing during those two months and instead he got small and forced a 19 year old rookie to try to carry the team night in and night out. You don't leave your teammates hanging like that when they need you most especially with how young they are. Wiggins stepped up to the challenge and fought and played well even though we were losing. Thad went small and gave up for 2 months.

khans2k5 wrote:Ya, basically saying one of the reasons he mailed it in for two months was because his good teammates weren't playing is not a good look. He was supposed to be the best player on the team who was playing during those two months and instead he got small and forced a 19 year old rookie to try to carry the team night in and night out. You don't leave your teammates hanging like that when they need you most especially with how young they are. Wiggins stepped up to the challenge and fought and played well even though we were losing. Thad went small and gave up for 2 months.

He suited up and played the games. He didn't go on a leave of absence and leave the team out to dry. He just played uninspired, defeated basketball. He played without a passion for the game... Probably because his mother had passed. Who are we to decide what way a person should grieve? I've never lost a parent, but I can imagine how it's a complete life changer. And while this forum has primarily been used for basketball discussion, it's 100% fair to say there are larger, more important things in life than what takes place on the hardwood.

I don't think Thad's a quitter. I don't think he left his team hanging in any way. Was his effort questionable at times? Absolutely, but it's just a case of a player playing with his head and not his heart. It's unfortunate he lost a family member, especially a mother, but I'm glad to see his play on the court come back to what's normal for him. Ripping him, though, seems way much.

What's worse: Thad Young giving questionable effort, yet playing in practically every one of these games knowing the uphill climb it would take to get just one win? Or Rubio/Pekovic/Martin being sideline due to injuries. There's an argument that Young's helped the young guys on the team the most this year simply by being available. His durability isn't something new either. Somehow he stays healthy, and I wonder if that's a positive indication of his off-season preparation.

Camden wrote:

khans2k5 wrote:Ya, basically saying one of the reasons he mailed it in for two months was because his good teammates weren't playing is not a good look. He was supposed to be the best player on the team who was playing during those two months and instead he got small and forced a 19 year old rookie to try to carry the team night in and night out. You don't leave your teammates hanging like that when they need you most especially with how young they are. Wiggins stepped up to the challenge and fought and played well even though we were losing. Thad went small and gave up for 2 months.

He suited up and played the games. He didn't go on a leave of absence and leave the team out to dry. He just played uninspired, defeated basketball. He played without a passion for the game... Probably because his mother had passed. Who are we to decide what way a person should grieve? I've never lost a parent, but I can imagine how it's a complete life changer. And while this forum has primarily been used for basketball discussion, it's 100% fair to say there are larger, more important things in life than what takes place on the hardwood.

I don't think Thad's a quitter. I don't think he left his team hanging in any way. Was his effort questionable at times? Absolutely, but it's just a case of a player playing with his head and not his heart. It's unfortunate he lost a family member, especially a mother, but I'm glad to see his play on the court come back to what's normal for him. Ripping him, though, seems way much.

What's worse: Thad Young giving questionable effort, yet playing in practically every one of these games knowing the uphill climb it would take to get just one win? Or Rubio/Pekovic/Martin being sideline due to injuries. There's an argument that Young's helped the young guys on the team the most this year simply by being available. His durability isn't something new either. Somehow he stays healthy, and I wonder if that's a positive indication of his off-season preparation.

Easily Thad giving questionable effort, Rubio/Pek/Martin couldn't go. I like the way Thad has been playing of late, but he still has some pretty big holes, I think he is best suited off the bench, playing like 20 minutes a game. I think he would be a very good bench player, but this year he has not been worth the draft pick and the money that we have been paying him.