This team was built for Dlo

[Coolbreeze44]

I don't think there is any question he is a good guy, and I really like that about him. But as a player we know what he is now, and he's not going to change all that much going forward. I have no idea why TC didn't angle to get another point guard, either through the draft, trade or free agency. His actions led me to believe they might be looking to extend him. Personally I think that would be a bad move, but someone needs to play the position and JMac isn't starting material. It looks like the organization has kind of painted themselves into a corner.

[D-Mac [enjin:19736340]]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/269050/Wolves-Not-Interested-In-Extending-DAngelo-Russell

Yep! This is what I just saw. Like cool said, my confidence in the front office just went up a lot. I hope he has a good season and then we have a tough decision at year end, but I really don't see it. The whole point of my Original post was that this is the best situation Dlo will ever have in his career (past, present and future)... so it's now or never time... put up or shut up guy.

[Sundog]

Well, at the risk of triggering another post by Lip that the Wolves would have been better off trading for DeJounte Murray and Clint Capela instead of Gobert (I think he might be right, but please don't anyone tell him that), I think the front office has painted themselves into a corner on Dlo. I would sign him to an extension, because a) I think he's a high quality player and b) if he walks after next season, there's no plan for life after Dlo, after passing on TyTy to draft Jarret Culver 2.0. But maybe the plan is the Mudiay hail Mary.

[Lipoli390]

Did someone just say I might have been right about trading for DeJounte Murray and Clint Capela instead of Gobert? Probably not, but I thought I heard something along those lines.

[Sundog]

Did someone just say I might have been right about trading for DeJounte Murray and Clint Capela instead of Gobert? Probably not, but I thought I heard something along those lines.

I think it's just your tinnitus acting up

[Wolvesfan21]

Well, at the risk of triggering another post by Lip that the Wolves would have been better off trading for DeJounte Murray and Clint Capela instead of Gobert (I think he might be right, but please don't anyone tell him that), I think the front office has painted themselves into a corner on Dlo. I would sign him to an extension, because a) I think he's a high quality player and b) if he walks after next season, there's no plan for life after Dlo, after passing on TyTy to draft Jarret Culver 2.0. But maybe the plan is the Mudiay hail Mary.

Take a look at starting PG's around the league and tell me we are not even or better off with 20 of them. DLO was a poor shooter last year, got benched in the playoffs because he was so bad, has at best subpar defense and makes top 10 PG money.

You don't win big by overpaying for below avg players. I thought he was avg, but after I took a look at the list I think 20th in the league is about fair.

[FNG]

[

Well, at the risk of triggering another post by Lip that the Wolves would have been better off trading for DeJounte Murray and Clint Capela instead of Gobert (I think he might be right, but please don't anyone tell him that), I think the front office has painted themselves into a corner on Dlo. I would sign him to an extension, because a) I think he's a high quality player and b) if he walks after next season, there's no plan for life after Dlo, after passing on TyTy to draft Jarret Culver 2.0. But maybe the plan is the Mudiay hail Mary.

Take a look at starting PG's around the league and tell me we are not even or better off with 20 of them. DLO was a poor shooter last year, got benched in the playoffs because he was so bad, has at best subpar defense and makes top 10 PG money.

You don't win big by overpaying for below avg players. I thought he was avg, but after I took a look at the list I think 20th in the league is about fair.

Actually 23rd in the ranking just posted, but yeah...I agree it's about right. In all fairness to Russell though, it's a pretty impressive list of PGs. Just look at the other 4 in the group of 5 he is bunched with...Lowry, Conley, Cunningham and Giddey. Not bad.

I endorse the idea of waiting until the end of the season to decide what to do with DLo. Sundog is correct that there is no plan for life after DLo, but others are also correct that he may be too expensive and not the best fit for this team. While TC doesn't have a plan, I think he needs the season to evaluate other options. Does either Ant or Nowell have a future as a primary ball handler? Is JMac perhaps the solution as an inexpensive, pass-first pesky defender. Is there a cheap PG option out there that's able to play a supporting role? Or even the Mudiay hail Mary...can he show any of the enormous potential he once did? I think the answer will emerge as the season progresses.

[Carlos Danger]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/269050/Wolves-Not-Interested-In-Extending-DAngelo-Russell

Yep! This is what I just saw. Like cool said, my confidence in the front office just went up a lot. I hope he has a good season and then we have a tough decision at year end, but I really don't see it. The whole point of my Original post was that this is the best situation Dlo will ever have in his career (past, present and future)... so it's now or never time... put up or shut up guy.

Agree. But that's what makes it even more difficult in the end. Can you trust what you see over the next few months to change what we've seen over the last three years? I wouldn't. DLO had one really good season - his All Star year which was also his last contract year. Since signing that deal, his PER has dropped three years in a row. In 2+ years with us, he's accumulated 2.7 VORP. He did 3.4 VORP in his single All Star/Contract year alone. When we got DLO, I think many thought we were getting "All-Star DLO". In fact, "All Star DLO" was the mantra posted on here for a while. But he hasn't come close to repeating his All Star season. I'm sure this post will get attacked by the pro-DLO fan club. But this has nothing to do with blind hatred of DLO. It's about making the right decision for the Franchise going forward. If DLO was playing like his All Star year for us - we wouldn't be having these discussions - he would have already been extended.

[Q-is-here]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/269050/Wolves-Not-Interested-In-Extending-DAngelo-Russell

Yep! This is what I just saw. Like cool said, my confidence in the front office just went up a lot. I hope he has a good season and then we have a tough decision at year end, but I really don't see it. The whole point of my Original post was that this is the best situation Dlo will ever have in his career (past, present and future)... so it's now or never time... put up or shut up guy.

Agree. But that's what makes it even more difficult in the end. Can you trust what you see over the next few months to change what we've seen over the last three years? I wouldn't. DLO had one really good season - his All Star year which was also his last contract year. Since signing that deal, his PER has dropped three years in a row. In 2+ years with us, he's accumulated 2.7 VORP. He did 3.4 VORP in his single All Star/Contract year alone. When we got DLO, I think many thought we were getting "All-Star DLO". In fact, "All Star DLO" was the mantra posted on here for a while. But he hasn't come close to repeating his All Star season. I'm sure this post will get attacked by the pro-DLO fan club. But this has nothing to do with blind hatred of DLO. It's about making the right decision for the Franchise going forward. If DLO was playing like his All Star year for us - we wouldn't be having these discussions - he would have already been extended.

The problem though when you look at the advanced stats on him is that the picture is mixed. Yes, his PER and VORP are down, but go look at the win-loss record of the Wolves when he played versus not played and go look at his On/Off ratings last season. They point definitively to someone whose team was better when he was on the floor playing. And what's more important for a point guard than making your team better???

My point isn't to suggest that we absolutely have to hitch our wagon to him over the long run. My point is that it's a really tough decision because there is data that goes in both directions on his effectiveness.

[Carlos Danger]

The problem though when you look at the advanced stats on him is that the picture is mixed. Yes, his PER and VORP are down, but go look at the win-loss record of the Wolves when he played versus not played and go look at his On/Off ratings last season. They point definitively to someone whose team was better when he was on the floor playing. And what's more important for a point guard than making your team better???

My point isn't to suggest that we absolutely have to hitch our wagon to him over the long run. My point is that it's a really tough decision because there is data that goes in both directions on his effectiveness.

Q, the won/loss record - especially with KAT/DLO playing together has been brought up in almost every DLO discussion. I don't completely discount it. Wins are the end goal - we know that. But how do you evaluate the individual player? Certainly not by Wins/Losses. It's a team game and because of that, sometimes a team can carry a guy and vice-versa. Obviously that's where individual advance stats can sometimes shine a light on things.

You'll never read me write that DLO didn't help this team. He did. But not $30M/year worth. It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out. A hundred things can happen between now and the trade deadline to alter all of our perspectives on this.