Minnesota Sports Forum

Interesting debate over whether Thad or Bennett should start at PF or which one should get more minutes. I won't argue the defensive metric being discussed. Looking at some more straightforward stats makes Bennett look pretty good in comparison to Thad. Bennett has nearly as many rebounds per game as Thad in nearly half the minutes. He has essentially the same FG% to go with better three-point and free throw percentages than Thad.

But I think comparing the two based on stats misses the core point. That is, Thad is 26 years old and in his 8th NBA season while Bennett's a 21-year old 2nd year player who had limited minutes and a poor head coach as a rookie. The real question is this: what does this organization want to do going forward and to what extent does Thad or Bennett drive towards that goal? If the goal is to give this team its best chance of winning each game, then playing Thad more than Bennett makes sense. If the goal is to test and improve our young guys as part of a rebuilding effort, then playing Bennett more than Thad makes more sense.

So what should the Wolves do? Well, we currently have the second worst record in the NBA with absolutely no chance of coming anywhere near the 8th playoff seed even if Ricky, Pek and Martin all come back fully healthy within the next couple weeks. And although I see merit to giving the young guys the best chance of playing winning basketball to help develop good habits and the right culture, I just don't see Thad adding much incrementally to how well this team plays. Ricky adds a lot while both Pek and Martin help improve the team noticeably but to a lesser extent than Ricky. Young's positive incremental impact to the team's overall performance seems quite small. He's been our starting PF getting double Bennett's minutes and we're the worst defensive team in the NBA. So much for helping the young guys develop a defensive mindset. Viewed in context and from a broader perspective, playing Thad more than Bennett (or more than Hummel for that matter) doesn't seem to make much sense at all.

Bottom line is this. We are clearly a rebuilding team and we are more likely to benefit from our draft position next summer than any positive contribution we might get from Thad in the win column or in the team's overall performance. Therefore, I'd go with Bennett over Thad in minutes and starting status. Thad's slightly better profile on one defensive metric as a 26-year old 7-year veteran just doesn't seem to carry much weight in determining Thad's claim to playing time over Bennett or any other young player on our team.

I like Thad and think he can contribute positively in the right situation. This just isn't the right situation for him or for the Wolves. I suspect he has some decent trade value right now to a contender. So going beyond the PT/starter-status debate, it seems clear to me that Flip should trade Thad and re-sign Adrien. Then let's get on with the business of developing the young guys and continuing our rebuilding process. In the meantime, perhaps some of Adrien's toughness and tenacity will rub off on the young guys.

"If the goal is to test and improve our young guys as part of a rebuilding effort, then playing Bennett more than Thad makes more sense."

So, to help the growth/development of Wiggins/Dieng/Muhammad/LaVine, let's throw in a worse player around them and hope that works. That's logical. Young players NEED vets around them on the floor. It doesn't matter what your opinion on Thad, or Mo, is anymore. Their presence has been good for the young guys and there's no reason to disturb that by putting a clueless Bennett on the floor with them.

Lip, Very well said. I agree. I wonder how much confidence can be gained by AB with more minutes. It certainly is the year to see what we have in him.

If we were pulling off some scrappy wins then I would agree that it makes sense to keep a vet in there. But we aren't even getting close. Thad has been a waste of space, and is teaching the rookies nothing on the court. He must really be an amazing practice/locker room guy because I can't explain why we are still going to him.

Nobody notices that Thad and Bennett pretty much play the exact same game?

lipoli390 wrote:I like Thad and think he can contribute positively in the right situation. This just isn't the right situation for him or for the Wolves. I suspect he has some decent trade value right now to a contender. So going beyond the PT and starter-status debate, it seems clear to me that Flip should trade Thad and re-sign Adrien. Then let's get on with the business of developing the young guys and continuing our rebuilding process. In the meantime, perhaps some of Adrien's toughness and tenacity will rub off on the young guys.

I think this is the money-line. The reality is that neither Young or Bennett should be starting. The best way out of this mess is to trade Young for picks/cash and either re-sign Adrien or get back in return some other Adrien-like lunchpail PF on a cheap or expiring deal that can actually physically compete on a nightly basis.

Camden wrote:"If the goal is to test and improve our young guys as part of a rebuilding effort, then playing Bennett more than Thad makes more sense."

So, to help the growth/development of Wiggins/Dieng/Muhammad/LaVine, let's throw in a worse player around them and hope that works. That's logical. Young players NEED vets around them on the floor. It doesn't matter what your opinion on Thad, or Mo, is anymore. Their presence has been good for the young guys and there's no reason to disturb that by putting a clueless Bennett on the floor with them.

What on earth has Thad done to benefit the young players? He doesn't play hard. He gambles on defense instead of playing with fundamentals. He doesn't rebound. He does nothing in terms of help defense. The only real argument for him is his 2.5 APG's and empty scoring stats off of iso's and poor jumpers and that just isn't a good enough reason to say he is a benefit to the young guys. There is no way his play on the court has made his teammates better to the point where it is more worth it to postpone AB's development further by giving him limited minutes. I don't care how bad Bennett is, Thad is not playing that much better and he is not making his teammates better to the point where he needs to be on the floor for the development of others.

Camden wrote:"If the goal is to test and improve our young guys as part of a rebuilding effort, then playing Bennett more than Thad makes more sense."

So, to help the growth/development of Wiggins/Dieng/Muhammad/LaVine, let's throw in a worse player around them and hope that works. That's logical. Young players NEED vets around them on the floor. It doesn't matter what your opinion on Thad, or Mo, is anymore. Their presence has been good for the young guys and there's no reason to disturb that by putting a clueless Bennett on the floor with them.

Yes Cam. And Young does so much to help Wiggins and the other young players. lol.

The fact that Thad is even being compared to a second year player that hasnt figured it out yet is a real testament to Youngs ineptitude.
Is there tangible evidence that Thaddeus has been a viable veteran presence?

Excellent post, lipoli, summarizing why Flip should be favoring AB over Thad in doling out PF minutes in this lost year...I agree completely. I may be more disappointed in AB's year than anybody, because I had such high expectations for him coming into the season. But I still see the terrific physical gifts he possesses, and see him lingering around the basket where he belongs more frequently lately. Let's see what this guy has. If AB is not the answer, Flip will know he needs to target a PF in free agency.