monsterpile wrote:WolvesFan21 wrote:thedoper wrote:I think the biggest mistake with Wiggins was that they didn't let him go to RFA. That extra time would have been a healthy dose of reality for him.
Whether that was on Taylor or Thibs will have to wait for the book: "Losers: the Pathetic History of The Seattle Timberwolves Time in Minnesota."
I can write it, BUT Not sure how well it would sell. lol
People love to fantasize about Wiggins going to RFA but the guy was gonna get a bunch of money from some team last offseason. The upside would have been him being locked into fewer years (like 1)...or gone for nothing. The reality is Wiggins came off a season he put up nearly 24ppg even if it was on a bad team and all that...he looked primed to be more than he was. He didn't. 2-5 million less he would have got probably isn't going to change the franchise's trajectory if he isn't anything more than what people feel he is now. If that's the case (he isn't very good) we can deal him this summer either for something of value or probably for nothing and people get what they want anyway.
It's kinda like the whole Pek contract people got all upset about that extra year Pek got. It turns out it didn't matter that salary didn't have any negative effects including Glen as insurance likely covered a big part of the money. I think ultimately if the Wolves have to move on from Wiggins someone is gonna be willing to take a chance on him. He is gonna play well enough this year to make a team interested.
One thing Wiggins has going for him in a trade to another team is even though he is maddening as in what you are gonna get out of him he seems like a guy that doesn't have any other issues off the floor or with teammates etc.
Monster- I agree that letting Wiggins become a RFA wouldn't have made much of a difference. It certainly woudn't have changed the way Wiggins plays. He is what he is and it's what some analysts warned about when he was coming out of college. The big mistake the organization made with Wiggins was not trading him before last season. What was apparent to many Wolves fans who watched him closely should have been even more apparent early on to the Wolves coaching staff and management - namely Wiggins' poor ballhandling, relatively low basketball IQ and lack of intensity to go with inconsistent shooting. There was also the lack of improvement. The best organizations know when to move on from players by seeing their weaknesses earlier and more clearly than other teams. Wiggins' trade value was at its peak after his rookie season. It's declined ever since then. The last chance to get good value for him would have been before last season - before the max extension.
Another lesson in all of this is the fact that you can't count on a draft pick, even a top pick, panning out. That's why the best organizations in rebuilding mode load up on young talent and future picks.
It's what the Sixers did. They hit pay dirt on Simmons and Embiid, although they had to show a lot of patience waiting out injuries to those two players. The Sixers also did well picking Saric and being patient in the face of uncertainty over whether and when he'd come over from Europe. They also took a chance on Covington when he was young. As a result, they were able to easily overcome what's happened with Fultz. And they still have two extra 2nd round picks next June and Miami's unprotected 1st round pick in 2021.
The Celtics are another example, drafting Smart, Brown and Tatum while still having a high lottery pick to use in acquiring a still young star in Kyrie Irving. And they're still going to have Sacramento's lottery pick next June as a result of the Fultz deal last summer.
The Lakers have been loading up on young talent through the draft and free agency, landing in just the last three years the following: Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, Moritz Wagner, Ivica Zubac, Svi Mykhailiuk and even Alex Caruso. All of those young players are currently on the Lakers' roster. That young talent was part of what attracted LeBron to sign there. And in spite of signing LeBron, the Lakers will still have cap room to sign another star next summer.
The Wolves made bad picks, taking Bazz over the Greek Freak, Dunn over Murray or Hield and Patton over Collins or Anunoby. Even worse, the Wolves sold a first round pick for cash - a pick that could have been used to take Rudy Gobert. As those who've been on this board and its ESPN predecessor know, I'm not relying on hindsight in criticizing these draft decisions. If the Wolves had made smart draft decisions that many rubes like me would have made, the Wolves could have flourished in spite of the miss with Wiggins. Imagine a Wolves team with KAT, Giannis, Gobert and LaVine. Because of the impact Giannis and Gobert would have likely had, I'm not sure we would have drafted high enough to get Murray. But who knows. In any event, it wouldn't have mattered that much. KAT, Giannis, Gobert and LaVine wiht Rubio would leave been a contender. Moreover, with Giannis here, the Wolves could have traded Wiggins two years ago and gotten really good value for him. Any number of things could have happened. But the bottom line is that the Wolves not only made draft mistakes, but also did a half-ass rebuild by failing to amass enough young talent and draft assets to withstand the inevitable failure of one of their picks - in this case Wiggins.
As I see it, the Wolves are still in rebuild mode. KAT just turned 23 and is under contract for five more years after this season. So the Wolves need to use players like Teague, Rose and Taj to acquire young high-upside players and/or first round/high second round picks. We already have a nice start with young talent like Okogie, Tyus Jones and Dario Saric. Covington is in the heart of his prime on a team-friendly contract.
