The DLO Trade

[WildWolf2813]

It coulda been worse. Would you rather have trade 3 protected firsts or dealt 1 lightly protected one? Be real. Wiggins in Minnesota was the worst contract in the league. Short of reducing Wiggins' minutes to the low 20s, nothing would have come out of keeping Wiggins. Why as fans would you wanna lie to yourselves about keeping him here? And for what? For a draft pick you don't even think Rosas could get right?

[Coolbreeze44]

I have always seen Wig and D-Lo as overpaid players, but I actually have always preferred Wig to D-Lo straight up...to have given up a first round pick in addition in the trade is unforgivable. D-Lo is a better offensive player than Wig, but Wig's superiority on defense over Russell is greater than Russell's superiority on offense. The difference is even more accentuated this season. I've always thought Wig had the potential to be an excellent shot blocker, and he's finally coming into his own defensively at a still-young 25 years old. I'm not surprised that he is now 6th in the NBA in blocked shots, with the first 5 guys all centers. Neither player is a plus player and it's a travesty that they are getting paid a max salary, but I think Wig has the potential still to become a plus player. D-Lo on the other hand will always be a combo of LaVine, Crawford and Lou Williams at best.

I agree with the bold especially, and the overall post in general. They have both been known as scorers and though I would agree DLO is the better offensive player, Wig has averaged more points over his career. So the difference there isn't that great. The same can't be said on the defensive end.

[kekgeek]

Did you know that the Warriors are 6.9pts worse per 100 possessions when Wiggins is on the court this year compared to off it. What is Wiggins worst of his career. Do you also know that the Warriors are being out scored by 5.3 pts per 100 possessions when Wiggins is out on the court (27th percentile). Do you know the Warriors are getting outscored by 4.2 pts per 100 possessions when Wiggins and Curry share the floor together but if you take all lineups Curry is in that aren't shared with Wiggins the Warriors are outscoring by 1 pt per 100 possession. So the Warriors are 5.2 pts better in all lineups with Curry instead of with Wiggins.

Did you know the Wolves have been significantly better with Dlo off the court this year being out scored by 17.2 pts per 100 possessions when Dlo is on the court compared to off. Did you know the Wolves have been outscored by 17.7 pts per 100 possessions in lineups with Dlo. So terrible but here is the thing. Dlo is a +2.6 per 100 possessions when Kat and Dlo play together. So that is a 20.3 pts per 100 possessions difference when Dlo is able to play with Kat compared to not playing with Kat. When the Wolves best 3 players play together in Dlo, Kat and Beasley they have outscored opponents by 4.6pts per 100 possessions (75th percentile).

So in the end the trade could up being terrible but lets not make it out Wiggins has just been amazing. Warriors have been worse with Wiggins on the floor. The Warriors are being outscored when Wiggins is playing with their best player in Curry. The Wolves have had 4 games with Kat, Dlo and Beasley all year and they are doing damn well when they are all on the court together. Obviously this trade could end up killing the wolves I will not deny it. I do think it is a tad unfair to kill the trade when Rosas vision has played so few games together (In the end it might fail but its crazy what changing scenery can do for Wiggins reputation.)

[kekgeek]

I just think the Wolves really miss Kat. Like the Wolves 4 highest paid players are Kat, Dlo, Rubio, Beasley and they have shared the court together they have outscored opponents by 14.4 pts per 100 possessions. What is in the 96th percentile (small sample size)

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Yeah, when you have a guy like KAT that can generate 25 highly efficient points per game and take him out of the lineup, that just has a domino effect of guys then having to be put in roles they just aren't capable of fulfilling.

Having said that, it's still hard to see this team winning more than 40% or so of their games even with a healthy KAT. Just too many guys that can only impact the game on one end of the court while being super deficient on the other end. We knew what we were getting with DLO's crappy defense and "leadership", but I didn't expect the regression with shooting from Culver, Okogie, Rubio, and Edwards. Those guys are just killing us with their unwillingness or inability to make shots.

What a shock! A Wolves teams with players that either never improve or only get worse with shooting. Ugh.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

It's really unfortunate that D'Angelo Russell's had four absolute stinkers this season because outside of those four games -- Wizards, Lakers, Spurs, Hawks -- he's been pretty decent across the board, especially considering the circumstances (ie. playing without Karl-Anthony Towns for a number of games). Those handful of bad games have left a sour taste in some fans' mouths, understandably. And while there is no amnestying poor games from the record, especially from a notable player that makes max money, Russell's been an entirely different -- for the better -- player in the other 10 games this year.

10 G

24.4 PPG
46.5 FG% (8.8 FG - 18.9 FGA)
44.2 3P% (3.8 3P - 8.6 3PA)
75.0 FT% (3.0 FT - 4.0 FTA)
6.1 APG (3.0 TOV)
3.3 RPG
1.6 SPG

That's a player that closer resembles what he's been the last two seasons and what the Wolves traded for. Yes, the defense will never be a strength for D-Lo, but the shot creation and shot-making has been there in good volume. We might not enjoy his play style, but the production is difficult to ignore. Good D-Lo has shown up far more than bad D-Lo has this year despite what our memory wants us to think.

It's absolutely imperative that Minnesota gets that player next to a healthy Karl-Anthony Towns and Malik Beasley, and hopefully some of the younger, intriguing pieces can ascend into meaningful roles displacing the washed veterans currently getting significant minutes.

Edit: That's a TS% of .591 over those 10 games.

[FNG]

Did you know that the Warriors are 6.9pts worse per 100 possessions when Wiggins is on the court this year compared to off it. What is Wiggins worst of his career. Do you also know that the Warriors are being out scored by 5.3 pts per 100 possessions when Wiggins is out on the court (27th percentile). Do you know the Warriors are getting outscored by 4.2 pts per 100 possessions when Wiggins and Curry share the floor together but if you take all lineups Curry is in that aren't shared with Wiggins the Warriors are outscoring by 1 pt per 100 possession. So the Warriors are 5.2 pts better in all lineups with Curry instead of with Wiggins.

Did you know the Wolves have been significantly better with Dlo off the court this year being out scored by 17.2 pts per 100 possessions when Dlo is on the court compared to off. Did you know the Wolves have been outscored by 17.7 pts per 100 possessions in lineups with Dlo. So terrible but here is the thing. Dlo is a +2.6 per 100 possessions when Kat and Dlo play together. So that is a 20.3 pts per 100 possessions difference when Dlo is able to play with Kat compared to not playing with Kat. When the Wolves best 3 players play together in Dlo, Kat and Beasley they have outscored opponents by 4.6pts per 100 possessions (75th percentile).

So in the end the trade could up being terrible but lets not make it out Wiggins has just been amazing. Warriors have been worse with Wiggins on the floor. The Warriors are being outscored when Wiggins is playing with their best player in Curry. The Wolves have had 4 games with Kat, Dlo and Beasley all year and they are doing damn well when they are all on the court together. Obviously this trade could end up killing the wolves I will not deny it. I do think it is a tad unfair to kill the trade when Rosas vision has played so few games together (In the end it might fail but its crazy what changing scenery can do for Wiggins reputation.)

Very informative post, kekgeek. Wow, there's a couple great max performers in Wig and D-Lo, huh? Shouldn't a team always be better with a max player on the court than off? Sheesh...

That said, thanks for providing the better numbers for D-Lo when he's playing with KAT. That has to be considered a reason for some optimism, doesn't it? I'm way down on Rosas right now because of a trade I just didn't like at the time or now, but I would love to be proven wrong. It's a shame for both Rosas and Saunders that KAT and DLO haven't had a chance to play together much, and maybe this team has some promise if KAT can come back and play most of the rest of the season. His time off the court is the reason I give Rosas and Saunders an incomplete at this time.

[kekgeek]

Did you know that the Warriors are 6.9pts worse per 100 possessions when Wiggins is on the court this year compared to off it. What is Wiggins worst of his career. Do you also know that the Warriors are being out scored by 5.3 pts per 100 possessions when Wiggins is out on the court (27th percentile). Do you know the Warriors are getting outscored by 4.2 pts per 100 possessions when Wiggins and Curry share the floor together but if you take all lineups Curry is in that aren't shared with Wiggins the Warriors are outscoring by 1 pt per 100 possession. So the Warriors are 5.2 pts better in all lineups with Curry instead of with Wiggins.

Did you know the Wolves have been significantly better with Dlo off the court this year being out scored by 17.2 pts per 100 possessions when Dlo is on the court compared to off. Did you know the Wolves have been outscored by 17.7 pts per 100 possessions in lineups with Dlo. So terrible but here is the thing. Dlo is a +2.6 per 100 possessions when Kat and Dlo play together. So that is a 20.3 pts per 100 possessions difference when Dlo is able to play with Kat compared to not playing with Kat. When the Wolves best 3 players play together in Dlo, Kat and Beasley they have outscored opponents by 4.6pts per 100 possessions (75th percentile).

So in the end the trade could up being terrible but lets not make it out Wiggins has just been amazing. Warriors have been worse with Wiggins on the floor. The Warriors are being outscored when Wiggins is playing with their best player in Curry. The Wolves have had 4 games with Kat, Dlo and Beasley all year and they are doing damn well when they are all on the court together. Obviously this trade could end up killing the wolves I will not deny it. I do think it is a tad unfair to kill the trade when Rosas vision has played so few games together (In the end it might fail but its crazy what changing scenery can do for Wiggins reputation.)

Very informative post, kekgeek. Wow, there's a couple great max performers in Wig and D-Lo, huh? Shouldn't a team always be better with a max player on the court than off? Sheesh...

That said, thanks for providing the better numbers for D-Lo when he's playing with KAT. That has to be considered a reason for some optimism, doesn't it? I'm way down on Rosas right now because of a trade I just didn't like at the time or now, but I would love to be proven wrong. It's a shame for both Rosas and Saunders that KAT and DLO haven't had a chance to play together much, and maybe this team has some promise if KAT can come back and play most of the rest of the season. His time off the court is the reason I give Rosas and Saunders an incomplete at this time.

I want to say, Im not convinced that the trade is going to work out but I won't blame Rosas for trying to do the trade for all I said earlier about the Wolves had a 0% chance of succeeding with the Wiggins and Kat combo. I believed in the talent of Kat, so I was cool with gambling on that possible outlier season of Dlo. In the end it might not work, if I had to make a prediction will it work, I would say probably not. Just think there are more issues with this team then that Dlo trade. Like trading for Rubio, Culver might legit suck, Edwards is a massive question mark, resigning Hernangomez at that number, using Ryan Saunders as a scapegoat head coach.

We'll see where the Wolves will end up in the next couple months but I was cool and am still cool taking that gamble on Dlo even though it might not work out. I just knew that the Wiggins thing would never work with Kat.

[Coolbreeze44]

Question, how do DLO's numbers look in those games when he sits out for rest or a thigh bruise? Of course we won the first game without him rather easily. But what about last night's winnable game? Do your stats take into account when he's a no show?

[Coolbreeze44]

Or how about being a shitty teammate? How does that get factored in? How about wins and losses, do they not matter?