If u could choose just one going forward.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Excellent post, mikkeman. I have been quick to point out Zach's horrible stats all year, but have also been enjoying his progression. Look at his last five games, with a lot of minutes at PG with Martin back...18.4 PPG, 6.2 APG, 5.4 RPG on 46% shooting (although only 15% on threes). Those are extraordinary stats for a 20-year-old rookie with little relevant college experience, especially since he has also reduced his turnovers to 3.6 in that span. There's no reason not to expect a VO or Greek Freak-like leap for Zach next year. Flip may have really found a steal with this 13th pick.

[TheGrey08]

Good post Mik. As for others wanting to always jump on Lavine about turnovers. Yes it's warranted to criticize a bit for those, but he is a rookie. I expect all rookies to turn it over a ton. I'm sure others expect the same and is probably why some people don't even bother listing them with the other stats.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

God I hate this saying. Yea no duh he's better then JJ, Lavine, Mo, and Ridnour. It doesn't mean anything past that.

I guess I should have been more specific, but I was meant he makes the players around him better. That is valuable and what makes him a good player. His shooting is what prevents him from being great, but I still have a sliver of hope.

I don't know how to take that.

Is it just a sign of how crappy and how far the team has been? Despite Rubio making everybody around him "better"... they still haven't even won half its games.

Or, is it just what we're supposed to say when one of the core players is a facilitating PG with more intangible assets instead of tangible stats to back it up?

Honestly, I think it's probably a bit of both.

Well we hang around .400-.500 with a healthy Ricky and around .250-.300 without him so I don't get why you can't see that the team is better with him on the floor. Ricky's game is not designed to carry a team. He is a glue guy that elevates everyone else's play so we need better players around him for the winning effect to fully take. Wiggins is a start and I think Lavine fits great in between both. We need a major frontcourt upgrade and we will be good to go in 2-3 years.

[alexftbl8181 [enjin:6648741]]

God I hate this saying. Yea no duh he's better then JJ, Lavine, Mo, and Ridnour. It doesn't mean anything past that.

I guess I should have been more specific, but I was meant he makes the players around him better. That is valuable and what makes him a good player. His shooting is what prevents him from being great, but I still have a sliver of hope.

I don't know how to take that.

Is it just a sign of how crappy and how far the team has been? Despite Rubio making everybody around him "better"... they still haven't even won half its games.

Or, is it just what we're supposed to say when one of the core players is a facilitating PG with more intangible assets instead of tangible stats to back it up?

Honestly, I think it's probably a bit of both.

Well we hang around .400-.500 with a healthy Ricky and around .250-.300 without him so I don't get why you can't see that the team is better with him on the floor. Ricky's game is not designed to carry a team. He is a glue guy that elevates everyone else's play so we need better players around him for the winning effect to fully take. Wiggins is a start and I think Lavine fits great in between both. We need a major frontcourt upgrade and we will be good to go in 2-3 years.

That's not entirely true. Wolves were .400-.500 with Rubio, Pek, and Martin all playing, and .250-.300 without them. When Rubio played, the Wolves pretty much had a full roster. Don't act like it was just Rubio's presence that made the Wolves a .500 team

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

God I hate this saying. Yea no duh he's better then JJ, Lavine, Mo, and Ridnour. It doesn't mean anything past that.

I guess I should have been more specific, but I was meant he makes the players around him better. That is valuable and what makes him a good player. His shooting is what prevents him from being great, but I still have a sliver of hope.

I don't know how to take that.

Is it just a sign of how crappy and how far the team has been? Despite Rubio making everybody around him "better"... they still haven't even won half its games.

Or, is it just what we're supposed to say when one of the core players is a facilitating PG with more intangible assets instead of tangible stats to back it up?

Honestly, I think it's probably a bit of both.

Well we hang around .400-.500 with a healthy Ricky and around .250-.300 without him so I don't get why you can't see that the team is better with him on the floor. Ricky's game is not designed to carry a team. He is a glue guy that elevates everyone else's play so we need better players around him for the winning effect to fully take. Wiggins is a start and I think Lavine fits great in between both. We need a major frontcourt upgrade and we will be good to go in 2-3 years.

That's not entirely true. Wolves were .400-.500 with Rubio, Pek, and Martin all playing, and .250-.300 without them. When Rubio played, the Wolves pretty much had a full roster. Don't act like it was just Rubio's presence that made the Wolves a .500 team

I agree with that, but how do you explain the lockout shortened season where we were primed to make the playoffs, Rubio goes down with the knee injury and the wheels almost come off? I think of it as Ricky is the icing and the rest of the team is the cake. If you have a good cake he can make it great. If you have a bad cake he can salvage part of the desert. He's not a guy who can carry a team, buy he can put a team over the top or at least make it watchable if the rest of the roster sucks.

[Monster]

There is a very real possibility that we have perimeter guys that compliment Rubio pretty well Wiggins is pretty much a lock to be a 20+ ppg guy and Bazz if healthy could be a 20ppg range guy too. Lavine is the anti Rubio type with a smooth jumper that can possibly get a shot whenever he wants and has no problem taking it. If those guys end up not being able to shoot the 3 effectively than it won't work but there is reasonable evidence those guys can shoot the 3 so there is hope. The problem now is what do we have for bigs? We really don't know but I think we have scorers that COULD actually fit well with Rubio on the perimeter. A spacing big would really be sweet with this group since we have 2 guys in wiggins and Bazz that have post games. Payne in theory of his supposed skillet from college really made/makes a lot of sense. Sigh... I am not saying go out and only look for spacing bigs because we need defense more but that would be a nice bonus.

[Porckchop]

Lavine in a landslide.

[TheGrey08]

Lavine in a landslide.

lol well played

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

We have both.

Game. Set. Match.

[Porckchop]

We have both.

Game. Set. Match.

Rubio plays the game but sits out
the set and the match.