Page 3 of 7
Re: Wiggins: "I want to be here forever"
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 6:40 pm
by Volans19
mrhockey89 wrote:Volans19 wrote:http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/08/kevin-love-says-he-loves-being-in-minnesota-wants-to-be-there/
http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/10482450/kevin-love-says-minnesota-timberwolves-better-team-los-angeles-lakers
I can link you to unlimited stories which include Love quotes that suggest he would need to be convinced to stay when clearly reading between the lines.
And there's a reason why those two articles BOTH indicate that all indications are the Love wanted to leave the Wolves.
Exactly. That was my point about Love.
That's great that Wiggins said he likes MN. Doesn't mean I'm going to believe it.
Re: Wiggins: "I want to be here forever"
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 6:41 pm
by mrhockey89
PorkChop wrote:All it takes is losing for players to change their minds. The great players are considered great in part becuz they're on winning teams . If Wiggins becomes the star player we hope he can become and the team continues to lose he will change his tune real quick. He has his legacy to think about. If LeBron could leave his home state than I don't put it past anyone.
I don't totally disagree with you Pork, but when you're trying to build a contender and your best player is non-committal to being committed to your team (Love ALWAYS blamed everyone else for the team's shortcomings and never once took personal responsibility for taking the team to the next level), it's difficult to turn things around. Remember when we had KG? KG's leadership and commitment had other top players very open/even interested in joining the Wolves. Kidd? Cassell? Spree? Iverson? If KG had been non-committal to the Wolves, none of those guys would have had any interest in the Wolves at any point.
Re: Wiggins: "I want to be here forever"
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 6:45 pm
by mrhockey89
Volans19 wrote:mrhockey89 wrote:
Exactly. That was my point about Love.
That's great that Wiggins said he likes MN. Doesn't mean I'm going to believe it.
Well, I bet he (Wiggins) believes it right now. Although I agree with everyone that consistent losing could eventually change that, at least he's not giving the national media/fans extra ammo to dismiss the Wolves future.
Re: Wiggins: "I want to be here forever"
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 6:56 pm
by Q12543 [enjin:6621299]
Hockey, It's not apples to apples. Some of the issues and uncertainty around Love started well after his rookie season, amidst the disastrous Rambis years, where he started vastly inferior players in front of him. On top of that, the front office swung and missed on three consecutive lottery picks (Flynn, Johnson, and Williams), failing to surround him with top talent.
If you were exposed to that sort of ineptitude, you would lose confidence in your front office and ownership too, although we can all agree Love didn't always make himself the most likeable guy around.
Wiggins just came off his rookie year. Let's hope like hell he doesn't have to live with the incompetency Love had to, otherwise he'll bolt too eventually.
Re: Wiggins: "I want to be here forever"
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 7:06 pm
by mrhockey89
Q, I don't disagree with what you are saying, but Kevin Love's negative attitude held this franchise down in it's own right. Yes, most of the blame goes (specifically) to the front office in passing on some amazing opportunities (passing on picking Curry for Flynn, failing to accept a trade offer of Flynn (a year after he was drafted when it was clear he wasn't that good) for the #10 pick which ended up being Paul George, etc). But when Love shut it down (in terms of attitude) on this team, it was a lost cause. Even if we made the playoffs that last year as a 7 or 8 seed, he was going to leave.
Re: Wiggins: "I want to be here forever"
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 7:13 pm
by TRKO [enjin:12664595]
Bottom line is if we build a great team around Wiggins he stays for a long time. If not he will get a wondering eye.
Re: Wiggins: "I want to be here forever"
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 7:21 pm
by Q12543 [enjin:6621299]
TRKO wrote:Bottom line is if we build a great team around Wiggins he stays for a long time. If not he will get a wondering eye.
Exactly. We already know Wiggins is a good kid and down to earth. Him saying how much he loves it here and wants to stay here makes us insecure Midwesterners feel better about things, but it's not really indicative of anything that could happen 4 or 5 years from now.
Re: Wiggins: "I want to be here forever"
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 7:27 pm
by Coolbreeze44
PorkChop wrote:At this point in his career it would be stupid to say anything else. KG didn't ask to be traded and fans hate him . Love basically demanded it and they hate him too . All Wiggens can do is live in the moment, fans will love him now for what he brings to the table and hate him later for what he didn't .
Lighten up PC. Enjoy the moment yourself.
Re: Wiggins: "I want to be here forever"
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 8:03 pm
by Monster
Comparing Love and Wiggins just isn't really fair imo. The only person that truly embraced Love here was McHale and he got moved along. Kahn and Rambis sorta talked down to him featured guys that are either out of the league or end of the bench guys over him. Fans never really bought into Love till it was too late. I am not saying Love didn't have something to do with that but the reality is it didn't happen.
Wiggins has had the love from day one. He has gotten the green light and a great opportunity on the floor. Wiggins came into a fantastic situation that Love didn't have and maybe very few other players ever really get considering fans were primed to be thrilled with him after Love leaving and Flip setting up just about anything you could think of to amp up the hype.
Bottom line is it's great to hear Wiggins say he wants to be here he doesn't mind the cold at all even sort of good naturally bristling when asked stuff about it and all that but man if this team sucks as bad at adding talent as they did when Love was around then it's gonna be bad news. Fortunately I don't think Flip is that much of a bumbling idiot so I think we will be good enough to keep Wiggins but things can change. These are good signs though. You want Wiggins as your cournerstone going forward to be bought in.
Re: Wiggins: "I want to be here forever"
Posted: Sat May 02, 2015 4:10 pm
by mrhockey89
Q12543 wrote:TRKO wrote:Bottom line is if we build a great team around Wiggins he stays for a long time. If not he will get a wondering eye.
Exactly. We already know Wiggins is a good kid and down to earth. Him saying how much he loves it here and wants to stay here makes us insecure Midwesterners feel better about things, but it's not really indicative of anything that could happen 4 or 5 years from now.
I agree, but I think it's far more than an insecurity thing. Love was never "one of us" and he never wanted to be. Love never even attempted to quelch the suggestion that he should/would go elsewhere, even when he was just starting to make a name for himself. He's been linked to the Lakers forever, and he's had the sense of entitlement almost the entire time he's been here. It's always been Love's attitude. In fact, years ago I posted (and I can dig it up again if necessary) that Love's had a sense of entitlement ever since high school. He's always felt he was too good for Minnesota. Sad, but true. He never was a leader, never embraced a damn thing, and I for one, even though I liked watching him drain all those 3's, won't miss him.
Wiggins may end up going elsewhere sometime, and he may even end up back in Canada if that is what he eventually wants, but at least he's embracing the situation he's in rather than acting like he's in a situation and is owed something.