Minnesota Sports Forum

TeamRicky wrote:

alexftbl8181 wrote:I feel this weird paradox with Bennett, is he so far lost that even a mentor on the caliber of KG can't guide him?

One great thing about the AB buy out is that KG is freed from having to spend so much time with AB and can devote more mentoring time with the other guys.

.....not sure if that's a blessing or a curse. Smitch in one ear and KG in the other could get old fast.

TeamRicky wrote:

alexftbl8181 wrote:I feel this weird paradox with Bennett, is he so far lost that even a mentor on the caliber of KG can't guide him?

One great thing about the AB buy out is that KG is freed from having to spend so much time with AB and can devote more mentoring time with the other guys.

your right, he needs to show Prince and Miller how to play the game the right way

Q12543 wrote:

TeamRicky wrote:

alexftbl8181 wrote:I feel this weird paradox with Bennett, is he so far lost that even a mentor on the caliber of KG can't guide him?

One great thing about the AB buy out is that KG is freed from having to spend so much time with AB and can devote more mentoring time with the other guys.

.....not sure if that's a blessing or a curse. Smitch in one ear and KG in the other could get old fast.

NO I CAN'T STOP YELLING, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW I TALK

What I don't understand is why its okay for everyone here to give up on AB when he's had 2 seasons riddled with injury, is only 21, and showed good improvement over the summer? Flip treated him poorly in my opinion. I wouldn't doubt he was held out last year with an "injury" like all the rest of our players. Wasn't he out for almost 2 months with a sprained ankle?? I also don't buy the logjam at the Big position this year. KG will miss games, pek may not play, towns/bjelica haven't played a minute in the NBA, Payne is as big of if not more of a project than Bennett, dieng is rock solid. With the shape Bennett was in he could've found mins between pf and sf. Prince never should've been signed.

I just don't understand how we have held out hope for 23-25 year old players like Payne, wes Johnson, Michael Beasley, Anthony Randolph, foye, etc. Etc. Yet we already cement Bennett as being no good. I see tremendous talent that just needs a coach behind it who gives him run on the court to get comfortable. Not one who yanks him at every first mistake.

I really see us/flip regretting this one in 2 years.

TheFuture wrote:What I don't understand is why its okay for everyone here to give up on AB when he's had 2 seasons riddled with injury, is only 21, and showed good improvement over the summer? Flip treated him poorly in my opinion. I wouldn't doubt he was held out last year with an "injury" like all the rest of our players. Wasn't he out for almost 2 months with a sprained ankle?? I also don't buy the logjam at the Big position this year. KG will miss games, pek may not play, towns/bjelica haven't played a minute in the NBA, Payne is as big of if not more of a project than Bennett, dieng is rock solid. With the shape Bennett was in he could've found mins between pf and sf. Prince never should've been signed.

I just don't understand how we have held out hope for 23-25 year old players like Payne, wes Johnson, Michael Beasley, Anthony Randolph, foye, etc. Etc. Yet we already cement Bennett as being no good. I see tremendous talent that just needs a coach behind it who gives him run on the court to get comfortable. Not one who yanks him at every first mistake.

I really see us/flip regretting this one in 2 years.

Flip screwed things up by dealing for Payne. Neither Bennett or Payne have proven anything yet. However, based on last year's sample with the Wolves, AB put up a PER of 11.4. Payne's was 7.8. AB is also 2 years younger than Payne. But it was obvious that Payne was Flip's guy and AB was going to go.

Had they not gone after Payne, we'd be going into this year with:
* PF combo of KG/Towns/Bjelica/AB
* An extra $2M (Payne's salary)
* An additional future 1st round pick

I haven't completely given up on Payne. But, that just seemed like an unnecessary deal at the time and more so after the additions of KG, Towns and Bjelica.

TheFuture wrote:What I don't understand is why its okay for everyone here to give up on AB when he's had 2 seasons riddled with injury, is only 21, and showed good improvement over the summer? Flip treated him poorly in my opinion. I wouldn't doubt he was held out last year with an "injury" like all the rest of our players. Wasn't he out for almost 2 months with a sprained ankle?? I also don't buy the logjam at the Big position this year. KG will miss games, pek may not play, towns/bjelica haven't played a minute in the NBA, Payne is as big of if not more of a project than Bennett, dieng is rock solid. With the shape Bennett was in he could've found mins between pf and sf. Prince never should've been signed.

I just don't understand how we have held out hope for 23-25 year old players like Payne, wes Johnson, Michael Beasley, Anthony Randolph, foye, etc. Etc. Yet we already cement Bennett as being no good. I see tremendous talent that just needs a coach behind it who gives him run on the court to get comfortable. Not one who yanks him at every first mistake.

I really see us/flip regretting this one in 2 years.

Bennett was a hostage of his contract situation. He's produced like a 2nd round pick while making a pretty coin. But main problem is his 7.3 mil option that has to be picked up 1 year in advance. All this made him impossible to trade on his own. No team wanted him. No one wants to pay him, wolves included. Once he clears waivers somebody with sign him to a cheap contract and give him time to develop. If he was making 1 mil instead of 6 with options for multiple years, Wolves would keep him too.

Brooklyn_Wolves wrote:

TheFuture wrote:What I don't understand is why its okay for everyone here to give up on AB when he's had 2 seasons riddled with injury, is only 21, and showed good improvement over the summer? Flip treated him poorly in my opinion. I wouldn't doubt he was held out last year with an "injury" like all the rest of our players. Wasn't he out for almost 2 months with a sprained ankle?? I also don't buy the logjam at the Big position this year. KG will miss games, pek may not play, towns/bjelica haven't played a minute in the NBA, Payne is as big of if not more of a project than Bennett, dieng is rock solid. With the shape Bennett was in he could've found mins between pf and sf. Prince never should've been signed.

I just don't understand how we have held out hope for 23-25 year old players like Payne, wes Johnson, Michael Beasley, Anthony Randolph, foye, etc. Etc. Yet we already cement Bennett as being no good. I see tremendous talent that just needs a coach behind it who gives him run on the court to get comfortable. Not one who yanks him at every first mistake.

I really see us/flip regretting this one in 2 years.

Bennett was a hostage of his contract situation. He's produced like a 2nd round pick while making a pretty coin. But main problem is his 7.3 mil option that has to be picked up 1 year in advance. All this made him impossible to trade on his own. No team wanted him. No one wants to pay him, wolves included. Once he clears waivers somebody with sign him to a cheap contract and give him time to develop. If he was making 1 mil instead of 6 with options for multiple years, Wolves would keep him too.

Yeah, this is exactly what happened with AB. If he had been drafted 7th or 8th and had a corresponding contract, we wouldn't be having this discussion...he would be a good option for the Wolves to develop. But his terrible contract combined with his spotty injury history made him untradeable. And with 4 other PFs in camp, the Wolves were not in a position to pick up that 7.3 option. I'm certain the Wolves know AB has more upside than AP...they just didn't have the luxury of taking a chance on that option.

I like AB and his potential, but there's certainly no reason to feel bad for him. He has his $3.8 million from the Wolves for this season already in the bank, and I think some team will make up the other $2 million...and get a bargain in the process. He will likely get enough playing time to earn a more reasonable contract going forward. He doesn't look like a starter at this time, especially in light of his defensive shortcomings, but he has a good future as at least a solid rotation guy. It just wasn't going to happen here though.

The logjam at PF is real though. Look at it this way out of 16 guys with a contract on this team only 7 can't (guards) or won't (Pek) play minutes at PF.

You can rip the Wolves for letting him go but the reality is he wanted out. My guess is that this was discussed since the end of last season. I can't blame Bennett for wanting out and the Wolves are partly to blame (curse them for trying to add talent lol) but it's not like the Wolves just wanted to totally dump him. Bennett wanted out and the Wolves facilitated that.

Bennett is now an official top pick reclamation project. If you look at what he has accomplished so far in the NBA it's REALLY hard to see this guy busting out and becoming a really good player. He has no proven skill to hang his hat on. Other guys at his age or even younger had done something by now. Darko was at least an elite shot blocker. Flynn had a decent rookie year as a starter. Anthony Randolph put up some really tantalizing all around stats etc. He hasn't even reached the level of success of Derrick Williams did at the same juncture. I know some people believe in him but I just don't see how a guy that can't seem to stay healthy and was a bad player his first 2 years with no real positive skill is going to suddenly become an all-star.

Would it be possible for the Wolves to resign him after clearing waivers and give him more years? Not happening but this got me thinking.

bleedspeed177 wrote:Would it be possible for the Wolves to resign him after clearing waivers and give him more years? Not happening but this got me thinking.

That is an interesting question I thought the answer was easier tog find but it wasn't. Lol It seems weird that you could and a quick look I didn't find anything that said you can't. If you trade a guy and that team waives them you can't resign them for a year but I didn't see anything about being waived or a buyout. I would be interested to know the answer.

http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q65