AbeVigodaLive wrote:Washington Wizards... winners of 6 straight... and 8 out of 9.
Beal.
Westbrook.
Raul Neto.
Deni Avdija.
Alex Len.
Davis Bertans.
Daniel Gafford.
Ish Smith.
Isaac Bonga.
Robin Lopez.
Garrison Mathews.
Look at that lineup. Yuck! And yet... the Wolves haven't won two games in a row in months...
Very humbling for those of us that get enamored with aspects of our roster. The Knicks roster doesn't look very sexy either and they have reeled off 8 straight.
Think of it this way... would most Wolves fans want Towns + Russell or Beal + Westbrook?
Then... would most Wolves fans want Edwards, Beasley, Rubio, McDaniels, Reid, Okogie, Vanderbilt and Hernangomez or that poop platter of complementary players from the Wizards?
Many would opt for the Wolves in both cases, right? And yet... the Wolves stink only .5 game ahead of the worst team in the league that is trying to lose.
Don't disagree Abe with your "who would you rather have on paper" assessment. But you hit the nail on the head with the dis-synergies associated with putting a group of players together in Wolves uniforms. Generally speaking, the culture of losing, poor defense, and tanking tends to overtake the sum of the individual parts.
AbeVigodaLive wrote:Bertans can shoot. He doesn't screw up much because he literally does nothing else on the court. He's a liability defensively. And he relies 100% on his teammates.
That being said... there's value in guys who know their roles. And do at least one thing well.
He's being paid $80M over 5 years for that. Is a specialized role player worth that? Might depend on the parts around him. Until recently, when Westbrook got closer to normal and helped garner more wins, most Wizards fans would have said no.
Bertrans definitely needs a couple of high usage ball handlers around him to thrive, but I'd consider him a massive upgrade over any of our existing PFs.
Bertrand takes a 3 about on average about every 3 mins he is on the court and makes over 40 percent of them and he isn't doing that living in the corners either. I don't think he is a good defender but I don't think he is a massive liability. Is he worth 5 years 8 million? Maybe not but he is probably worth more than 10 million a year.
As for the Wizards relative success it doesn't exactly surprise me that much. It helps to have a worthwhile vet head coach like Scott Brooks who also happens to have a previous relationship with Westbrook. It would be nice if Finch was an worthwhile coach and he stayed here.
Stephen A. Smith says the Warriors should get rid of Andrew Wiggins
"I'd give Andrew Wiggins away for a bag of cookies! There's something about him that says he doesn't want it"
(Via @NBATheJump ) https://t.co/5EqYLM4UY9
Well... the Jazz seemed to get the Wolves out of their system quickly. After losing twice... and shooting 16 - 57 on three pointers (28%) vs. Minnesota... they bounced back vs. Sacramento.
154 - 105.
They went 24 - 41 behind the arc. (59%) "Make or miss league."
AbeVigodaLive wrote:Well... the Jazz seemed to get the Wolves out of their system quickly. After losing twice... and shooting 16 - 57 on three pointers (28%) vs. Minnesota... they bounced back vs. Sacramento.
154 - 105.
They went 24 - 41 behind the arc. (59%) "Make or miss league."
Wow! It makes me feel like the Wolves must have done some things right. I get that there was some luck involved too, as we've seen time and again teams crush us with a barrage of 3's even when well contested and by guys not typically known as shooters. Good to see us be on the right end of the variability gods.
Russell Westbrook had 14 points, 21 rebounds and 24 assists tonight. He's the only player other than Wilt Chamberlin to have multiple 20 rebound/20 assist games. And this will be his fourth season averaging a triple double. Oscar Robinson is the only other player in NBA history to average a triple double and he only did it once - a record many thought would never be broken. This will be the third time Westbrook has broken that record. But it's not just the numbers. Westbrook plays with passion a la Allen Iverson.
lipoli390 wrote:Russell Westbrook had 14 points, 21 rebounds and 24 assists tonight. He's the only player other than Wilt Chamberlin to have multiple 20 rebound/20 assist games. And this will be his fourth season averaging a triple double. Oscar Robinson is the only other player in NBA history to average a triple double and he only did it once - a record many thought would never be broken. This will be the third time Westbrook has broken that record. But it's not just the numbers. Westbrook plays with passion a la Allen Iverson.
Russell Westbrook is at the top of the class when it comes to the "high motor" hall of fame. Just amazing.
lipoli390 wrote:Russell Westbrook had 14 points, 21 rebounds and 24 assists tonight. He's the only player other than Wilt Chamberlin to have multiple 20 rebound/20 assist games. And this will be his fourth season averaging a triple double. Oscar Robinson is the only other player in NBA history to average a triple double and he only did it once - a record many thought would never be broken. This will be the third time Westbrook has broken that record. But it's not just the numbers. Westbrook plays with passion a la Allen Iverson.
Russell Westbrook is at the top of the class when it comes to the "high motor" hall of fame. Just amazing.
Ugh, I wish he could just learn not to shoot so many damn jumpers! He did it last night and look at the results. All of the benefits of peak Westbrook with none of the efficiency negatives.
He's such a unique player. So gifted. Plays balls-to-the-wall every night. But he's just seemed incapable of really reflecting on what his one weakness is and cutting it out. Ironically, his ego seems to be a key source of his strength and also the root of his weakness. He'd make a great character in a Greek myth.
Love this coverage of the Lakers potentially headed for the play in tournament. Everyone called Cuban a whiner but now that its going to affect Lebron everyone hates it. This is Karma at its best.
Okongwu had a breakout game tonight against the Cavs. He final got significant minutes and he produced with 21 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal. He only missed one of his shots from the field. The Hawks have an embarrassment of riches in their front court with Collins, Capela, Gallinari, Bogdanovic, Hunter, Fernando and Okongwu. I have to believe that Atlanta will move at least one if not two of those 7 players this offseason. I'd love to do a deal for Capela or Okongwu.
