Minnesota Sports Forum

FNG wrote:Tough to celebrate D'Angelo's great game last night when we're in a dogfight with the Lakers, but it's also impossible to ignore, as he had one of those 4th quarter explosions that we loved when we benefitted from them. The other TimberLakers were terrible ( a combined -31 with 6 turnovers!), but DLo won the game with a brilliant 4th quarter. He was the only starter with a positive +/-, 15 points better than the next best starter. If this becomes a regular thing, we will know the Wolves are clearly cursed!

It won't become a regular thing. But I'll add that DLO was consistently productive offensively this season. DLO will have some terrific games with the Lakers the rest of this season, carrying his team offensively just like a lot of games he had here. For some, that will feed the myth that players leave Minnesota and suddenly become great. There are examples of players doing well after they leave the Wolves, but it's not the result of a curse or some inexplicable cosmic force. It's simply a matter of bad Wolves front office executives who give up good players too soon or bad coaches who do a poor job of developing young players or not using them well.

Billups is the only former Wolves player who went on to become great. McHale and Flip knew he was good, but Flip refused to give Billups a shot at starting over Brandon so Billups bolted. If you look back at his stats his last season here, Billups was performing well. At a season ticket-holder gathering back then, McHale told us that Billups was dominating in practice and he said that was typically it's only a matter of time before that sort of practice performance shows itself in games. Yet, the Wolves let him go because Flip wanted go with the old vet, Terrell Brandon. The Wolves let Tyus Jones walk even though he was already performing well here. Wiggins had one really good season after leaving here, but he was a third wheel among championship teammates. The Wolves coaches continued to treat Wiggins as the #1 guy, which is understandable given his talent and draft position, but it was clear early on that he didn't have the ball skills or the temperament to assume that role.

Now we'll get to watch the development and success of Kessler and Vanderbilt. Not a curse. Just another set of bad front office decisions. And on those nights when DLO carries the Lakers offensively the rest of this season, we'll miss DLO as well. On those nights when his shot's not falling and he's turning the ball over, some will say they're glad he's gone.

Giannis not playing again for the Bucks tonight. IMO he no longer warrants MVP consideration. It's not like he can't play or wouldn't be playing if this were the playoffs. Give the MVP to someone else. Tired of this shit.

CoolBreeze44 wrote:Giannis not playing again for the Bucks tonight. IMO he no longer warrants MVP consideration. It's not like he can't play or wouldn't be playing if this were the playoffs. Give the MVP to someone else. Tired of this shit.

I think he should be out of the running for manufacturing the triple double last week.

lipoli390 wrote:

FNG wrote:Tough to celebrate D'Angelo's great game last night when we're in a dogfight with the Lakers, but it's also impossible to ignore, as he had one of those 4th quarter explosions that we loved when we benefitted from them. The other TimberLakers were terrible ( a combined -31 with 6 turnovers!), but DLo won the game with a brilliant 4th quarter. He was the only starter with a positive +/-, 15 points better than the next best starter. If this becomes a regular thing, we will know the Wolves are clearly cursed!

It won't become a regular thing. But I'll add that DLO was consistently productive offensively this season. DLO will have some terrific games with the Lakers the rest of this season, carrying his team offensively just like a lot of games he had here. For some, that will feed the myth that players leave Minnesota and suddenly become great. There are examples of players doing well after they leave the Wolves, but it's not the result of a curse or some inexplicable cosmic force. It's simply a matter of bad Wolves front office executives who give up good players too soon or bad coaches who do a poor job of developing young players or not using them well.

Billups is the only former Wolves player who went on to become great. McHale and Flip knew he was good, but Flip refused to give Billups a shot at starting over Brandon so Billups bolted. If you look back at his stats his last season here, Billups was performing well. At a season ticket-holder gathering back then, McHale told us that Billups was dominating in practice and he said that was typically it's only a matter of time before that sort of practice performance shows itself in games. Yet, the Wolves let him go because Flip wanted go with the old vet, Terrell Brandon. The Wolves let Tyus Jones walk even though he was already performing well here. Wiggins had one really good season after leaving here, but he was a third wheel among championship teammates. The Wolves coaches continued to treat Wiggins as the #1 guy, which is understandable given his talent and draft position, but it was clear early on that he didn't have the ball skills or the temperament to assume that role.

Now we'll get to watch the development and success of Kessler and Vanderbilt. Not a curse. Just another set of bad front office decisions. And on those nights when DLO carries the Lakers offensively the rest of this season, we'll miss DLO as well. On those nights when his shot's not falling and he's turning the ball over, some will say they're glad he's gone.

Let's also not forget Russell wasn't healthy enough to play for 6+ games.

MASKED JOSH OKOGIE IS DIFFERENT!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Zy5SEDIBCeQ

DLO did it again - 33 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 1 block. He was a +14. Thankfully the Lakers lost.

lipoli390 wrote:DLO did it again - 33 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 1 block. He was a +14. Thankfully the Lakers lost.

Russell has been scoring well for the Lakers there is no doubt about that.

Just to keep perspective in 12 games since the trade the Lakers are 8-4 which includes a 4-2 record both with and without Russell. Its worth remembering he played less than 9 minutes in the win against GS.

Good news is Lakers lost, bad news is the Knicks got back on track so that 2nd rounder isn't getting better! Lol

monsterpile wrote:

lipoli390 wrote:DLO did it again - 33 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 1 block. He was a +14. Thankfully the Lakers lost.

Russell has been scoring well for the Lakers there is no doubt about that.

Just to keep perspective in 12 games since the trade the Lakers are 8-4 which includes a 4-2 record both with and without Russell. Its worth remembering he played less than 9 minutes in the win against GS.

Good news is Lakers lost, bad news is the Knicks got back on track so that 2nd rounder isn't getting better! Lol

Yep. Time to figure out who the next Spagnolo is.

lipoli390 wrote:DLO did it again - 33 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 1 block. He was a +14. Thankfully the Lakers lost.

13 for 19 shooting and 6 for 11 on 3's! And a +14, while every other starter other than AD were negative. (But yeah, as Monster points out below, a Klunker loss to the Knicks).

DLo, who has regularly ranked at the bottom of his teams in on/off throughout his career, now is the best on the Lakers in this stat. And Vando, who was a positive in on/off with the Wolves, ranks dead last among Laker starters since he joined them (Beas is the second worst), and was a -18 last night with a whopping 2 points!

Will this trend continue? We don't know...but I just peaked outside, and it appears the sun is going to rise in the East again this morning. That gives is some indication of how this is likely to turn out...

Russell is making himself A LOT of money right now.

Biggest market + high profile games + big production.

I'd still worry about how the guy would be performing without tens of millions of dollars hanging in the balance... when all of that money is guaranteed... but that's just conjecture at the end of the day.

And the future doesn't matter right now... when the Lakers and Wolves are in that wild mix of teams trying to make the playoffs.