Minnesota Sports Forum

I'm at somewhat of a disadvantage here, because I honestly haven't seen Stephenson play much, but let's keep in mind who he would be competing with if he came here...Shabazz Muhammad, and the stats clearly favor Lance. Abe, you talk about his high usage rate and his tendency to dribble too much. But his usage rate was less then Bazz's last year, and his assist rate was more than three times higher. And of course we know his defense is far superior.

Cutting Payne (or letting KG or Pek retire, if we were so lucky) and signing Stephenson helps with the big man/wing imbalance our roster currently has. We are also mostly in agreement that we will not be able to re-sign Bazz if we want to keep the flexibility to max our stars, so trying out backup SF replacement options seems prudent to me. Absent some evidence that he has been a serious locker room cancer, I'm struggling to understand the reluctance to sign him if Thibs wants him.

longstrangetrip wrote:I'm at somewhat of a disadvantage here, because I honestly haven't seen Stephenson play much, but let's keep in mind who he would be competing with if he came here...Shabazz Muhammad, and the stats clearly favor Lance. Abe, you talk about his high usage rate and his tendency to dribble too much. But his usage rate was less then Bazz's last year, and his assist rate was more than three times higher. And of course we know his defense is far superior.

Cutting Payne (or letting KG or Pek retire, if we were so lucky) and signing Stephenson helps with the big man/wing imbalance our roster currently has. We are also mostly in agreement that we will not be able to re-sign Bazz if we want to keep the flexibility to max our stars, so trying out backup SF replacement options seems prudent to me. Absent some evidence that he has been a serious locker room cancer, I'm struggling to understand the reluctance to sign him if Thibs wants him.

A few things:

1. The usage rate was over 25% while in Memphis... when he had success. That's what I was referring to... It was about 15% in LA.
2. Again, not a fan of Muhammad. I think both offer something... but come with legit flaws...
3. Again, I don't think Stephenson comes to MN for cheap unless he gets a legit ball-dominating role. Why would he take so little to play so little at only 25 years old. That being said... would a mercurial player like Stephenson who Charlotte gave up on after a season... and LA after 1/2 a season really be the type of guy to hand any sort of clout to on a young, impressionable Wolves team?

The counter is. Who do you want Wiggins, LaVine, Shabazz, and Dunn going against in camp?

I think if he is signed Thibs will have his role defend to him clearly from the start.

Lance is 25 clearly talented can do a lot of things on offense and can play defense but still isn't signed and has played for how many teams in the last couple years. LST what more evidence do you need? Keep in mind I am a Lance fan but there is no denying there is SOMETHING up with him or he would have gotten a bunch of money. In theory isn't Lance basically an Evan Turner type of player? Evan Turner is clearly more valued (he is overpaid but 10 million per would easily be worth it) but Lance if all was fine would have gotten a healthy offer by now. There is SOMETHING up.

In theory Lance does have the skill set to be a supporting player. He plays defense, good rebounder has had years where he hits the 3, and can play multiple positions. Like Abe said though it seems like Lance does better as a higher usage guy. Is he one of these guys that really only produces when he gets a lot of usage and possibly a bunch of minutes? Hey guess what these were the same questions being asked when he was going into the draft and part of why he fell to the 2nd round. I sorta hate to say it but he reminds me somewhat of guys like Beasley and Mayo top 3 picks who clearly have talent but just don't seem to be able to put it together and in Mayo's case he basically was a terrible shooter when he wasn't playing massive minutes. Of course now we know Mayo may have other problems but I think we all realize Beasley is at least um a different guy. Sounds a lot like Lance.

longstrangetrip wrote:I'm at somewhat of a disadvantage here, because I honestly haven't seen Stephenson play much, but let's keep in mind who he would be competing with if he came here...Shabazz Muhammad, and the stats clearly favor Lance. Abe, you talk about his high usage rate and his tendency to dribble too much. But his usage rate was less then Bazz's last year, and his assist rate was more than three times higher. And of course we know his defense is far superior.

Cutting Payne (or letting KG or Pek retire, if we were so lucky) and signing Stephenson helps with the big man/wing imbalance our roster currently has. We are also mostly in agreement that we will not be able to re-sign Bazz if we want to keep the flexibility to max our stars, so trying out backup SF replacement options seems prudent to me. Absent some evidence that he has been a serious locker room cancer, I'm struggling to understand the reluctance to sign him if Thibs wants him.

I applaud you. It is perfectly acceptable to admit you don't watch every minute of the NBA every year.

I stand by what I said earlier. The biggest problem the NBA, and to a lesser degree the NHL and MLB, has is guaranteed contracts. When you give someone like Stephenson, Artest, Stephen Jackson, etc job economic security, you are asking for trouble. Those guys aren't going to be listed in the DSM-4. They're just a-holes.

JasonIsDaMan wrote:

longstrangetrip wrote:I'm at somewhat of a disadvantage here, because I honestly haven't seen Stephenson play much, but let's keep in mind who he would be competing with if he came here...Shabazz Muhammad, and the stats clearly favor Lance. Abe, you talk about his high usage rate and his tendency to dribble too much. But his usage rate was less then Bazz's last year, and his assist rate was more than three times higher. And of course we know his defense is far superior.

Cutting Payne (or letting KG or Pek retire, if we were so lucky) and signing Stephenson helps with the big man/wing imbalance our roster currently has. We are also mostly in agreement that we will not be able to re-sign Bazz if we want to keep the flexibility to max our stars, so trying out backup SF replacement options seems prudent to me. Absent some evidence that he has been a serious locker room cancer, I'm struggling to understand the reluctance to sign him if Thibs wants him.

I applaud you. It is perfectly acceptable to admit you don't watch every minute of the NBA every year.

I stand by what I said earlier. The biggest problem the NBA, and to a lesser degree the NHL and MLB, has is guaranteed contracts. When you give someone like Stephenson, Artest, Stephen Jackson, etc job economic security, you are asking for trouble. Those guys aren't going to be listed in the DSM-4. They're just a-holes.

Man you are way behind on your DSM game. Metta World Peace is listed in the DSM-5. :)

monsterpile wrote:

JasonIsDaMan wrote:

longstrangetrip wrote:I'm at somewhat of a disadvantage here, because I honestly haven't seen Stephenson play much, but let's keep in mind who he would be competing with if he came here...Shabazz Muhammad, and the stats clearly favor Lance. Abe, you talk about his high usage rate and his tendency to dribble too much. But his usage rate was less then Bazz's last year, and his assist rate was more than three times higher. And of course we know his defense is far superior.

Cutting Payne (or letting KG or Pek retire, if we were so lucky) and signing Stephenson helps with the big man/wing imbalance our roster currently has. We are also mostly in agreement that we will not be able to re-sign Bazz if we want to keep the flexibility to max our stars, so trying out backup SF replacement options seems prudent to me. Absent some evidence that he has been a serious locker room cancer, I'm struggling to understand the reluctance to sign him if Thibs wants him.

I applaud you. It is perfectly acceptable to admit you don't watch every minute of the NBA every year.

I stand by what I said earlier. The biggest problem the NBA, and to a lesser degree the NHL and MLB, has is guaranteed contracts. When you give someone like Stephenson, Artest, Stephen Jackson, etc job economic security, you are asking for trouble. Those guys aren't going to be listed in the DSM-4. They're just a-holes.

Man you are way behind on your DSM game. Metta World Peace is listed in the DSM-5. :)

Wow. I had no idea there was a DSM-5. I apologize to the board.

JasonIsDaMan wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

JasonIsDaMan wrote:

longstrangetrip wrote:I'm at somewhat of a disadvantage here, because I honestly haven't seen Stephenson play much, but let's keep in mind who he would be competing with if he came here...Shabazz Muhammad, and the stats clearly favor Lance. Abe, you talk about his high usage rate and his tendency to dribble too much. But his usage rate was less then Bazz's last year, and his assist rate was more than three times higher. And of course we know his defense is far superior.

Cutting Payne (or letting KG or Pek retire, if we were so lucky) and signing Stephenson helps with the big man/wing imbalance our roster currently has. We are also mostly in agreement that we will not be able to re-sign Bazz if we want to keep the flexibility to max our stars, so trying out backup SF replacement options seems prudent to me. Absent some evidence that he has been a serious locker room cancer, I'm struggling to understand the reluctance to sign him if Thibs wants him.

I applaud you. It is perfectly acceptable to admit you don't watch every minute of the NBA every year.

I stand by what I said earlier. The biggest problem the NBA, and to a lesser degree the NHL and MLB, has is guaranteed contracts. When you give someone like Stephenson, Artest, Stephen Jackson, etc job economic security, you are asking for trouble. Those guys aren't going to be listed in the DSM-4. They're just a-holes.

Man you are way behind on your DSM game. Metta World Peace is listed in the DSM-5. :)

Wow. I had no idea there was a DSM-5. I apologize to the board.

There was a DSM-IV-TR also and the DSM-V that came out a couple years ago was said to be way overdue. I sorta want one. I would put it on my Amazon wish list but that's a big book and I am trying to cut back on stuff. Maybe I should get a kindle version or whatever. I'd probably rather have the real book though.

monsterpile wrote:

JasonIsDaMan wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

JasonIsDaMan wrote:

longstrangetrip wrote:I'm at somewhat of a disadvantage here, because I honestly haven't seen Stephenson play much, but let's keep in mind who he would be competing with if he came here...Shabazz Muhammad, and the stats clearly favor Lance. Abe, you talk about his high usage rate and his tendency to dribble too much. But his usage rate was less then Bazz's last year, and his assist rate was more than three times higher. And of course we know his defense is far superior.

Cutting Payne (or letting KG or Pek retire, if we were so lucky) and signing Stephenson helps with the big man/wing imbalance our roster currently has. We are also mostly in agreement that we will not be able to re-sign Bazz if we want to keep the flexibility to max our stars, so trying out backup SF replacement options seems prudent to me. Absent some evidence that he has been a serious locker room cancer, I'm struggling to understand the reluctance to sign him if Thibs wants him.

I applaud you. It is perfectly acceptable to admit you don't watch every minute of the NBA every year.

I stand by what I said earlier. The biggest problem the NBA, and to a lesser degree the NHL and MLB, has is guaranteed contracts. When you give someone like Stephenson, Artest, Stephen Jackson, etc job economic security, you are asking for trouble. Those guys aren't going to be listed in the DSM-4. They're just a-holes.

Man you are way behind on your DSM game. Metta World Peace is listed in the DSM-5. :)

Wow. I had no idea there was a DSM-5. I apologize to the board.

There was a DSM-IV-TR also and the DSM-V that came out a couple years ago was said to be way overdue. I sorta want one. I would put it on my Amazon wish list but that's a big book and I am trying to cut back on stuff. Maybe I should get a kindle version or whatever. I'd probably rather have the real book though.

Kindle version? That Kindle would have to be the size of a trumpet to hold that book.

JasonIsDaMan wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

JasonIsDaMan wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

JasonIsDaMan wrote:

longstrangetrip wrote:I'm at somewhat of a disadvantage here, because I honestly haven't seen Stephenson play much, but let's keep in mind who he would be competing with if he came here...Shabazz Muhammad, and the stats clearly favor Lance. Abe, you talk about his high usage rate and his tendency to dribble too much. But his usage rate was less then Bazz's last year, and his assist rate was more than three times higher. And of course we know his defense is far superior.

Cutting Payne (or letting KG or Pek retire, if we were so lucky) and signing Stephenson helps with the big man/wing imbalance our roster currently has. We are also mostly in agreement that we will not be able to re-sign Bazz if we want to keep the flexibility to max our stars, so trying out backup SF replacement options seems prudent to me. Absent some evidence that he has been a serious locker room cancer, I'm struggling to understand the reluctance to sign him if Thibs wants him.

I applaud you. It is perfectly acceptable to admit you don't watch every minute of the NBA every year.

I stand by what I said earlier. The biggest problem the NBA, and to a lesser degree the NHL and MLB, has is guaranteed contracts. When you give someone like Stephenson, Artest, Stephen Jackson, etc job economic security, you are asking for trouble. Those guys aren't going to be listed in the DSM-4. They're just a-holes.

Man you are way behind on your DSM game. Metta World Peace is listed in the DSM-5. :)

Wow. I had no idea there was a DSM-5. I apologize to the board.

There was a DSM-IV-TR also and the DSM-V that came out a couple years ago was said to be way overdue. I sorta want one. I would put it on my Amazon wish list but that's a big book and I am trying to cut back on stuff. Maybe I should get a kindle version or whatever. I'd probably rather have the real book though.

Kindle version? That Kindle would have to be the size of a trumpet to hold that book.

I looked it up and it's not an option but it's around a 1,000 page book so it wouldn't be that difficult to put it on a E-reader. Those books don't take up a great deal of memory. It looks like I should put it on my list the new and like new market has reasonable prices. I could let go of my DSM-IV-TR. I could actually do the 1 thing in one thing out which I am normally not exactly good at doing. Lol