1. Okogie showed little if any offensive improvement in this year's summer league over last season. That's very troubling.
2. KBD initially showed some improvement over last season in summer league, but then seemed to fissile. At his age with multiple years of college and a full NBA season under his belt, he should have really shined against summer league competition.
3. There is no evidence to suggest that Wiggins will improve at all this season given his 5 year track record of stagnation as an inefficient shooter who's effort comes and goes.
4. Covington's health/durability remains remains questionable. He missed two months with a knee injury that eventually required surgery from which he's still rehabbing. He hasn't played a game since that extended absence. Moreover, he has a history of questionable durability.
5. The Wolves haven't added anyone this offseason whose presence on the team is likely to improve last season's poor 3-point shooting.
6. Teague is coming off ankle surgery and his recent track record suggests a serious lack of durability.
Against that background are some potential positives:'
1. The hope that rookie Jarrett Culver or Nowell ends up in the conversation for rookie of the year.
2. The hope that Okogie or KBD takes a big leap forward in spite of their relatively disappointing showing in summer league
3. The hope that Vonleh, has a break-out season the reflects his selection as a high lottery pick several years ago.
4. The hope that Bell has a break-out season as a defensive stand-out who puts up stats that reflect the kind of production he provided in college.
5. The hope that Layman has a breakout season and becomes our own version of Danilo Gallinari.
That's a lot of hope. My prediction is that this team will win around 30 games. I don't think Covington will stay healthy. I'm not encouraged by what I've seen from Okogie or KBD. And I'm not optimistic about Culver becoming anything more than a solid rotation player. Hope I'm wrong. But as I've said many times, I can accept the bad season I'm predicting if we see signs that (1) Culver or Nowell will become really good, ultimately all-star caliber players, (2) Vonleh or Layman takes a huge leap forward at least as good starting caliber player/possible borderline allstar caliber player, and (3) we make the most out of next June's draft.
Layman becoming Gallo?!?! I was thinking I was being optimistic to think of him being sort of a Jae Crowder type. :) Hope springs eternal. Life always finds a way.
Most realistic player comp for layman is our very own wolves legend chase budinger. The houston and healthy version of chase. Layman is a bit bigger than chase but he is a rotation guy at best.
Im with you lip on concern of covingtons health. He has been injured for a long time now. I dont know the exact injury but if it takes this long, its not going to look good long term. I was one of the few who would have been okay trading covington this off season and health was and should be a factor.
5 years in and sad to say that andrew wiggins remains the wildcard. The talent has always been there but how to get that talent out on a nightly basis remains the mystery. I feel this year is going to be the last chance for andrew. He is either going to start being a consistent positive contributor that will be near worth his max contract or he is definitely gone mid season or next off season.
worldK wrote:Most realistic player comp for layman is our very own wolves legend chase budinger. The houston and healthy version of chase. Layman is a bit bigger than chase but he is a rotation guy at best.
Im with you lip on concern of covingtons health. He has been injured for a long time now. I dont know the exact injury but if it takes this long, its not going to look good long term. I was one of the few who would have been okay trading covington this off season and health was and should be a factor.
5 years in and sad to say that andrew wiggins remains the wildcard. The talent has always been there but how to get that talent out on a nightly basis remains the mystery. I feel this year is going to be the last chance for andrew. He is either going to start being a consistent positive contributor that will be near worth his max contract or he is definitely gone mid season or next off season.
The news was released April 1 that Covington had surgery. So we are a little over 3.5 month from that surgery. That's not a short amount of time but it's probably not as long as maybe it has seemed with a lot going on the past few weeks.
"The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday announced that forward Robert Covington underwent a successful diagnostic arthroscopic procedure Monday morning with debridement and removal of loose bodies in his right knee."
1. Okogie showed little if any offensive improvement in this year's summer league over last season. That's very troubling.
2. KBD initially showed some improvement over last season in summer league, but then seemed to fissile. At his age with multiple years of college and a full NBA season under his belt, he should have really shined against summer league competition.
3. There is no evidence to suggest that Wiggins will improve at all this season given his 5 year track record of stagnation as an inefficient shooter who's effort comes and goes.
4. Covington's health/durability remains remains questionable. He missed two months with a knee injury that eventually required surgery from which he's still rehabbing. He hasn't played a game since that extended absence. Moreover, he has a history of questionable durability.
5. The Wolves haven't added anyone this offseason whose presence on the team is likely to improve last season's poor 3-point shooting.
6. Teague is coming off ankle surgery and his recent track record suggests a serious lack of durability.
Against that background are some potential positives:'
1. The hope that rookie Jarrett Culver or Nowell ends up in the conversation for rookie of the year.
2. The hope that Okogie or KBD takes a big leap forward in spite of their relatively disappointing showing in summer league
3. The hope that Vonleh, has a break-out season the reflects his selection as a high lottery pick several years ago.
4. The hope that Bell has a break-out season as a defensive stand-out who puts up stats that reflect the kind of production he provided in college.
5. The hope that Layman has a breakout season and becomes our own version of Danilo Gallinari.
That's a lot of hope. My prediction is that this team will win around 30 games. I don't think Covington will stay healthy. I'm not encouraged by what I've seen from Okogie or KBD. And I'm not optimistic about Culver becoming anything more than a solid rotation player. Hope I'm wrong. But as I've said many times, I can accept the bad season I'm predicting if we see signs that (1) Culver or Nowell will become really good, ultimately all-star caliber players, (2) Vonleh or Layman takes a huge leap forward at least as good starting caliber player/possible borderline allstar caliber player, and (3) we make the most out of next June's draft.
Layman becoming Gallo?!?! I was thinking I was being optimistic to think of him being sort of a Jae Crowder type. :) Hope springs eternal. Life always finds a way.
worldK wrote:Most realistic player comp for layman is our very own wolves legend chase budinger. The houston and healthy version of chase. Layman is a bit bigger than chase but he is a rotation guy at best.
Im with you lip on concern of covingtons health. He has been injured for a long time now. I dont know the exact injury but if it takes this long, its not going to look good long term. I was one of the few who would have been okay trading covington this off season and health was and should be a factor.
5 years in and sad to say that andrew wiggins remains the wildcard. The talent has always been there but how to get that talent out on a nightly basis remains the mystery. I feel this year is going to be the last chance for andrew. He is either going to start being a consistent positive contributor that will be near worth his max contract or he is definitely gone mid season or next off season.
World - I agree with you on Wiggins. If he suddenly emerged as the player he's always had the potential to be, this team becomes relevant immediately. We all know that's highly unlikely, but stranger things have happened.
""I think that I'm very blessed that I have a great front office. I have a great coaching staff," Towns told WCCO's Cory Hepola during a live interview at his summer camp. "We think we have the best coaching staff possibly in the game right now from a talent, experience and just culture standpoint. And the culture we're building here is something special. So I'm a very happy. I'm very glad now we're introducing Culver and Noel to a culture that we possess now. You know, I don't think the situation before it would've been very beneficial for them."
crazy-canuck wrote:The new culture of the twolves.
""I think that I'm very blessed that I have a great front office. I have a great coaching staff," Towns told WCCO's Cory Hepola during a live interview at his summer camp. "We think we have the best coaching staff possibly in the game right now from a talent, experience and just culture standpoint. And the culture we're building here is something special. So I'm a very happy. I'm very glad now we're introducing Culver and Noel to a culture that we possess now. You know, I don't think the situation before it would've been very beneficial for them."
It may not work and success is what matters but Towns Glen Rosas Ryan all seem to line up as good folks wanting to have a family atmosphere. I think there can actually be an advantage to having that type of organization. Obviously the basketball people have to actually be good at their jobs but I makes a lot of sense to try and capitalize to some extent on Minnesota nice. Rosas seems like a good dude but he also doesn't seem to be someone that will be too attached as it seems like plenty of guys were and maybe are available in any type of deal. He also has a guy like Gupta who probably will keep things for getting too sentimental/status quo.
