Q12543 wrote:My issue with McLaughlin is that it looks like he works hard on defense, but he still has problems staying in front of his guy. That seems to be a theme with all our guards except Culver (or is he a PF now!?).
I'm interested in seeing what Hagans does in the G-League, as he has some defensive chops and I think Rubio eventually gets traded between the trade deadline and next offseason. That means the 2nd PG spot will open up again and I'd like to see J-Mac, Hagans, and the Argentinian kid compete for it.
Speaking of Hagans, he fulfills the #1 Commandment of Wolves picks/signings: Thou Shalt Not be Good at Both Defense and Outside Shooting. One can be good in either category or mediocre in both. But one can NEVER be good at both - simply not allowed.
Lol. We should give Rosas credit for staying true to that Commandment. :)
Are you thinking that Ricky will be traded AFTER this season's trade deadline? If so, do you think it will happen next off-season or sometime in the middle of next season? Do you think Rosas will trade him or are you anticipating another PBO in place who would do it? And finally, do you see Ricky being package with other assets for a star? Just curious about your overall thinking on this. I love Ricky but I don't think he moves the needle enough to justify having him in an over-crowded backcourt at $17M per year.
I just think if things continue to go down the drain that Ricky has a very tradeable contract and he can help any team he goes to. What we get back, whether it's a pick or part of a larger package for a vet, is something we can only guess at. But we know Rosas isn't afraid to wheel and deal.
There have been some positive Ed Davis comments here, and I admit he has always been one of my favorites. But it was obvious in this game that opponents completely ignore him on the offensive end of the court. I love his rebounding, but his offense might be the worst in the league. Fans complain about playing 4 on 5 when Rubio is on offense because of his poor shooting, but Davis creates a legitimate 4 on 5 situation.
FNG wrote:There have been some positive Ed Davis comments here, and I admit he has always been one of my favorites. But it was obvious in this game that opponents completely ignore him on the offensive end of the court. I love his rebounding, but his offense might be the worst in the league. Fans complain about playing 4 on 5 when Rubio is on offense because of his poor shooting, but Davis creates a legitimate 4 on 5 situation.
Good point, FNG. It can get really bad if you have Davis, Ricky and Culver on the court at the same time. Those are three guys that don't pose much of a perimeter scoring threat - Davis not at all.
monsterpile wrote:Just finished watching the game.
Russell was frustrating to watch in this one at times.
That Beasley contract is looking pretty good.
Naz Reid is a legit NBA player. Maybe he isn't a starter but he is a legit rotation player. Same with McLaughlin. It's really great we got these guys.
Layman has a nice game it was good to see.
Edwards settled too much but he also had a couple of those where he was given the ball late in the clock.
Vanderbilt was a mixed bag. At this point it might be worth seeing what his energy might look like earlier in the game.
Ed Davis can still play. IMO Center isn't the problem on this roster with Towns out.
Good observations, Monster. I'm glad to see your comment on Ed Davis. The same thought occurred to me as I was watching him. I was worried based on what I recall from him last season, but he definitely looked like he has gas left in his tank. I also agree with your take on Layman. He's simply being asked to do to much and, like others on this roster, he's being forced to guard much bigger players.
An important point to remember about Layman is that, while pretty tall, he has short arms. His standing reach is only 8'6 (identical to Okogie's) and his wingspan is 6'9.25, which is significantly less than Okogie's 7'0 span and slightly less than Culver's 6'9.5. I know we're supposedly in the era of positionless basketball, but I see Layman as a SF who, on a good team, should be 9th or 10th in the rotation unless/until he shows himself to be significantly better 3-point shooter than he's been so far in his career.
I agree with you on Naz and JMac as well, although I can see either or both eventually developing into a starter. Naz would look much better as our starting C or PF if he had a really good big along side him who could help defensively and on the boards. If VanVleet can't become not just a starter, but a really good one, then JMac can become at least a decent starter. I recommend you go back, if possible, and watch the post-trade deadline games against Miami and the Clippers. JMac was a key to both wins (perhaps the most important key) with his play all game and especially down the stretch. His quickness, ball-handling, instincts and toughness are really high level. And the guy just knows how to play.
I'm aware of everything about Layman. I agree he should be more of a guy off the bench than a starter. One thing is a very good at is attacking the basket in his spots including transition. His 2.5 steals per 36 minutes I think indicate some of the deflections etc that add to his value. I think he is sort of a guy that as he plays more will understand even more what he is good and not good at and become more effective. He isn't as bad of a shooter as he has shown so far this season. Hopefully this last game helps him break out. I also think he can play as a small ball 4 but more as a bench guy because there are times when teams are playing small. Hell there are teams that play players that are similar to Layman as starters like the Jazz.
I'm not ruling out either Reid or McLaughlin as possible starters. I just think at this point finding guys like them who are legitimately capable of playing legit roles on an NBA team (and I think on a good team) is a big win for the franchise. Both guys really seem to have some legit BBIQ as well. I'm just trying not to get carried away. :) I'm a pretty big fan of both of them it still seems like a revelation we have both of them. I agree on your comment about Naz being next to a better rebounder. I also think he helps on the boards more than his basic numbers just because of how big of a body he is. If some team was wanting to trade for Naz Reid I would be demanding at a lottery pick especially considering his salary for what 2 more years after this one? I think Reid could be a Thomas Bryant type player which is a nice thing to get for basically nothing. The problem is that is a Thomas Bryant type player good enough as a starter especially when you start having to pay them on a 2nd contract? Idk love having Reid on this team if fun to be able to watch a guy like him get and opportunity and actually do something with it. That's one of the reasons I'll keep watching this team.
Monster - It's a good mental health practice as a Wolves fan not to get too carried away with anything that seems positive. :)
I agree with your assessment of Layman, except I don't see him as a small-ball 4. He just doesn't have the length or strength to defend that position. Okogie has a bigger wingspan and is stronger, yet even he shouldn't be playing the 4. But given our current roster, Ryan's choices are limited.
