Let's get this party started....sleep is overrated! Lakers GDT

[60WinTim]

Thanks for sharing that, Lip. The KG acquisition was one of my favorite moves Flip has made, and it's great to hear Flip's perspective that he shared with you.

[Monster]

I've thought for years this was Ricky's team when it came to the guy who was going to do a lot of inspiring and leading. I just don't think he has been ready. He was young and hurt and...yeah. KG telling him was good I think he needed that boost to his confidence in that regard.

In the few games I have seen Rubio this season he looks like he is on a mission. It seems whatever he is doing the intensity is focused in a notch above what I have seen. Physically he looks better than ever.

[SameOldNudityDrew]

The problem with leadership in basketball is that usually the best player on your team is the leader by default. For years on the Wolves that was Kevin Love and he was just not a very good leader. While Love sulked and whined and looked disinterested, guys like Rubio and Brewer played balls out and showed that they really cared about the team and the game, but they were never good enough to really be considered the leaders of the team.

With Love gone, and with Wiggins and Towns still too young to take on the mantle, Rubio is definitely the leader of this team now, and that's a good thing because of his competitive attitude. He doesn't need to put up 20 points a game (and he won't) but as a distributing PG who is now a little older than the other guys, he is in a good position to really be the leader of the team.

PGs, especially distributing PGs, are in a good position to be leaders, but it's easiest when they are not younger and significantly worse than any other players on the roster. Rubio may never be as good as guys like Nash and CP3, but he's good enough that with this young roster he should step up and start to fill the kind of leadership role that Jason Kidd or Chauncey Billups played later in their careers, when other guys were clearly better than them on their teams, but they were still respected. Rondo is an example of the inverse. From the beginning, he was a very good distributing PG with terrible leadership skills, but with the big three in Boston, he still wasn't the leader of that team so it didn't hurt. When those guys were gone and he became the de facto leader of that team, the culture of that team went downhill fast.

Wiggins is so quiet, and Towns is still kinda, I don't want to say goofy or naive, but let's just say you can tell he's not much older than a high schooler, although I really appreciate his positivity. Unless and until Wiggins becomes more vocal and assertive, and Towns becomes a little more serious and experienced, I can see Rubio continuing to serve as a sort of leader after they both eclipse him in terms of on-court performance. Along with KG, I really hope their passion for the game rubs off on Wiggins and Towns and helps set a competitive, winning culture on the team. We haven't had that in a long time.

[SameOldNudityDrew]

Last thought on leadership. A lot of people say that when you are acquiring a top tier talent, character doesn't really matter as much because they are so talented. I know, because I used to say that! But because those guys often become the leaders of your team, especially having gone through the Love years, I've changed my view on that. Now I think character is even MORE important for the super-talented players.

This is why I think I've gone reverse on Cousins. I wanted Cousins SO BAD in that draft. I posted to my "I WANT COUSINS" thread on that board multiple times every day leading up to that draft. I know I annoyed plenty of people here (especially all the Favors fans) insisting how much better he'd be than anybody not named John Wall in that draft. His combination of size and skill were (and are) just totally unheard of. He was a true center with the body control of a SG who could handle the ball, pass, and shoot from outside as well as bang hard down low.

BUT as everybody in the national media has gotten on the Cousins train in the last couple years, I'm totally off. The guy is a one-of-a-kind talent, but that makes him the leader of that team, and as the leader his personality becomes so important. I was totally wrong to have dismissed those concerns earlier. Frankly, unless we had someone else who Cousins would have to respect (and we definitely don't have a better player yet), I would not want Cousins on my team for the same reason I'm glad to have Love off my team. Their personalities are different, but both are bad leaders.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I had some doubts at the time, but I now consider the KG acquisition one of Flip's greatest moves among a list of many excellent moves as PBO.

Huh? I don't disagree that signing him this past off-season was a pretty solid move even if he is overpaid like hell, but acquiring him last year via trade was one of Flip's silliest moves at the helm.

[bleedspeed]

Lip - I agree that getting KG back is one of his best moves besides the trade for Wiggins. That trade really helped this team in moving forward post Love with promise. There are only so many young guys you can have on a team and develop. I will be curious how a team like the Nuggets does with developing Mudiay. He is the future, but they have a solid team around him when healthy that are in their prime.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Mentorship! I love it.

I don't know how much impact Garnett will have on Towns' overall game. The kid already has crazy talent. And the truly great ones already have a work ethic instilled in them. For example, Garnett had that with or without Sam Mitchell being there for him.

But Garnett can still provide a few nuggets from time to time. A couple of helpful on-court lessons or tips. But I see his impact being felt more OFF the court. What do you do with all that money? How do you handle fame? Groupies? Tailors? Dinners? Strength training? Sleep? Partying? Coaches? Agents? Investments? Brand opportunities? Groupies AND a girlfriend?

It's not only about mentoring a basketball player. It's about mentoring a millionaire athlete.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Good discussion about KG, Rubio, Cousins et al. I have been an unabashed supporter of the KG acquisition since Day 1, and as I see how well he is moving so far this season, I am even more on board. I know we go on and on about the meaning of the "mentorship" angle, but I think its importance can not be overstated...both in actions and words. Here's where I see KG changing the behaviors of our young players:

1) Preparation: Watch KG before a game sometime, and you can't help but be impressed. His intensity is on display, and he doesn't waste one second of the pre-game. While some players "work on" shots and moves that they will never use in a game, KG knows the value of repetition, and only works on things he knows will happen in the game. That's why he has made a living popping the dreaded long two...yes, it's as efficient shot, but not when you work on it with KG's intensity and focus. Some announcer pointed out that KG was already dripping with sweat before the game even started. The young players see this, and try to replicate it.

2) Bench behavior: You'll never see KG acting like Beasley or Derrick Williams on the bench. No yukking it up or grab ass shenanigans. Instead, he is laser focused on what is happening on the court. He watches tendencies of his opponents that he can use to his advantage, is the first to jump up and celebrate when a teammate does something good, and sees area of improvement for his teammates which he immediately conveys to them when they return to the bench. Any clowning around risks getting the KG glare. Miller and Prince also demonstrate proper bench behavior, and it has to rub off on the youngsters.

3) On-court teaching: It's fun to watch KG yelling and pointing on defense, and watching his activity on the perimeter. Our young players learn when KG tells them when they are out of position on defense. The number of uncontested perimeter shots is very low whenever KG is on the court, and his encouragement of proper rotation is a major contributor.

I'm sure there are other areas where KG's mentorship is meaningful, like assistance at practices. I can't think of a better guy then KG to help guys like Towns, Wiggins, LaVine, etc. make the most of their considerable gifts and become NBA stars.

[SameOldNudityDrew]

Mentorship! I love it.

I don't know how much impact Garnett will have on Towns' overall game. The kid already has crazy talent. And the truly great ones already have a work ethic instilled in them. For example, Garnett had that with or without Sam Mitchell being there for him.

But Garnett can still provide a few nuggets from time to time. A couple of helpful on-court lessons or tips. But I see his impact being felt more OFF the court. What do you do with all that money? How do you handle fame? Groupies? Tailors? Dinners? Strength training? Sleep? Partying? Coaches? Agents? Investments? Brand opportunities? Groupies AND a girlfriend?

It's not only about mentoring a basketball player. It's about mentoring a millionaire athlete.

Great point Abe. These kids (and most of them are practically kids) have so much money and attention thrown at them at such a young age, you can see how it can really get to their heads. Pick any random college sophomore guy, give him millions of dollars, tons of attention, have girls throw themselves at him, and you know what you're going to get 9 times out of 10. Having some vets who have been there should definitely help with off the court stuff, and that is important.

Also some good points in the following post, LST.

[Monster]

Sometimes I think we dismiss environment too easily. How many times have we dismissed certain franchises in various sports as a joke or dumpster fire or basically assume they will fail because the environment of culture coaching and management sucks etc. The Wolves sadly were one of those organizations for quite a few years. Knowing more about Flip know than I ever did before now makes me see what a terrific environment KG was drafted into although just months earlier it was easily the worst franchise in the league before Glen bought them and hired McHale and ended up with Flip as well. Between McHale, Flip and some guys McHale brought in KG had everything early to succeed. Would he have turned out to be the positive guy he is now if he was drafted into the craptastic wolves a few years ago? Idk we don't know we will never know. Clearly he would have still been a very good basketball player but there is a bit of a dark side to KG. If he went to an environment that was very poor MAYBE he ends up with a less positive attitude and who knows MAYBE that even keeps him from being quite the on court player he turned out to be. MAYBE

I think we should reasonably appriciate any moves that seem like ones that support a positive professional environment. Flip set up a lot of that this year adding vets and Arnie and had been laying the ground work on other things for a while. This franchise needed someone to come in and change the culture and also get some other things rolling to make it a more legit franchise. It seems Flip was a good fit for both of those things.

As for the vet leadership maybe we will see some positive outcomes this year that we can if we want to attribute to those guys. Maybe down the road players will have some story about how Prince said one thing to them that stick with them the rest of their playing careers and changed their life and later spurred them on to cure cancer. We can't quantify the effect they will have but I have a hard time dismissing it as very very minor. Ultimately it's up to the players themselves and the talent that they possess but giving them a good environment to succeed sure would help. Hopefully the Wolves end up being that spot for the next few years. We can't say right now if it is. I would say right now that at the very least it seems like it's not a bad one.