monsterpile wrote:Just listened to Connelly on Dan Barreiro from Thursday. I think it was a REALLY good listen and I think a good look into Connelly as a person as an executive. I'm gonna just recommend listening and not do a summery. There is enough there to be worth your time. IMHO.
As we think about what the Wolves should or will likely do this summer, it's probably worth returning to what Tim Connelly is saying. Here are some recent comments from Tim:
Tim Connelly on Anthony Edwards: "The guy can be as good as anybody in the world. That type of talent, he's certainly got the winning DNA that we're all looking for. So, I just don't want him to ever lose that joy. It's pretty special to watch a person who's that comfortable in his own skin. We can't skip steps to be an elite team. He can't skip steps to being an elite player. But there is no limit on what he can do. He can be the best player in the world." - via Chris Hine @ Minneapolis Star-Tribune
I hope he's [KAT's] here forever. I hope we have the type of team success that would allow us to look up and see Karl's jersey being hung up in the rafters. I reached out to a bunch of these guys, but I don't want to force relationships. You have to develop those things naturally. So, I've heard so many great things about him. I know how great a player he is on the court, but off the court it's been so consistent, just an unbelievably sweet guy that treats everyone in a really classy manner. I think he's been through so much, so many different faces and different chairs, from the front office to the coaching staff. So I think with continuity with Finchy [coach Chris Finch], you're going to see a better version of Karl and he's already a great player. ... I know he's good enough to win at a high-high level, and I know how much he cares about this city and this team, so I think that would be an unbelievably cool thing for Karl and this team that he only wears one jersey and we win a ton of games and we're old and fat and watch the jersey being hung in the rafters. I'm already old and fat, but older and fatter.
I think I'm generally a best player available [guy]. When that becomes really close, then you have to factor in need. ... Teams change so dramatically. Some of the times I've screwed up the most is when I was too tunnel-visioned trying to address needs and the team looks different two weeks later in free agency, looks different a year later after a trade. Then you look up and say, "I'm such a moron for not just taking the guy we had higher on the board. We liked him." I think generally, really good players find their way regardless of the roster. We'll be a best-player available team and if it's really close in the discussion, we'll be a bit more nuanced. I think generally, it's the best approach to take.
All of these comments by Tim reinforce what I think we already knew from comments he made when he first arrived a month ago. My main take-aways as applied to what Connelly's front office is likely to do this summer and beyond are the following:
1. They will build this team around KAT and Ant with Ant viewed as the team's #1 and KAT as the team's #2.
2. They won't take any short cuts - in Tim's words, "we can't skip steps." That tells me the Wolves front office won't engage in any swing-for-the-fence trades and won't lose patience with young players and picks.
3. They likely won't trade out of the first round, but will instead either keep the 19th pick or use it to trade up. Connelly seems intent on building a sustainable winner and, again, isn't inclined to take short cuts.
4. They'll draft players based on talent/ability, not on positional fit or need. I think Connelly made that crystal clear. And it's wasn't just a line. You can tell his approach is deeply rooted in his experience. He made that clear when he said, "some of the times I've screwed up the most is when I was too tunnel-visioned trying to address needs and the team looks different two weeks later. . ..". He went on to say, "I think generally, really good players find their way regardless of the roster...".
5. Finally, whether drafting, trading or signing free agents, character is really, really important to Connelly. And it's not just that he wants guys who are competitive and love the game, which clearly he does. He wants good people.
lipoli390 wrote:As we think about what the Wolves should or will likely do this summer, it's probably worth returning to what Tim Connelly is saying. Here's a recent comment from Tim:
Tim Connelly on Anthony Edwards: "The guy can be as good as anybody in the world. That type of talent, he's certainly got the winning DNA that we're all looking for. So, I just don't want him to ever lose that joy. It's pretty special to watch a person who's that comfortable in his own skin. We can't skip steps to be an elite team. He can't skip steps to being an elite player. But there is no limit on what he can do. He can be the best player in the world." - via Chris Hine @ Minneapolis Star-Tribune
I hope he's [KAT's] here forever. I hope we have the type of team success that would allow us to look up and see Karl's jersey being hung up in the rafters. I reached out to a bunch of these guys, but I don't want to force relationships. You have to develop those things naturally. So, I've heard so many great things about him. I know how great a player he is on the court, but off the court it's been so consistent, just an unbelievably sweet guy that treats everyone in a really classy manner. I think he's been through so much, so many different faces and different chairs, from the front office to the coaching staff. So I think with continuity with Finchy [coach Chris Finch], you're going to see a better version of Karl and he's already a great player. ... I know he's good enough to win at a high-high level, and I know how much he cares about this city and this team, so I think that would be an unbelievably cool thing for Karl and this team that he only wears one jersey and we win a ton of games and we're old and fat and watch the jersey being hung in the rafters. I'm already old and fat, but older and fatter.
I think I'm generally a best player available [guy]. When that becomes really close, then you have to factor in need. ... Teams change so dramatically. Some of the times I've screwed up the most is when I was too tunnel-visioned trying to address needs and the team looks different two weeks later in free agency, looks different a year later after a trade. Then you look up and say, "I'm such a moron for not just taking the guy we had higher on the board. We liked him." I think generally, really good players find their way regardless of the roster. We'll be a best-player available team and if it's really close in the discussion, we'll be a bit more nuanced. I think generally, it's the best approach to take.
All of these comments by Tim reinforce what I think we already knew from comments he made when he first arrived a couple weeks ago. My main take-aways as applied to what Connelly's front office is likely to do this summer and beyond are the following:
1. They will build this team around KAT and Ant with Ant viewed as the team's #1 and KAT as the team's #2.
2. They won't take any short cuts - in Tim's words, "we can't skip steps." That tells me the Wolves front office won't engage in any swing-for-the-fence trades and won't lose patience with young players and picks.
3. They likely won't trade out of the first round, but will instead either keep the 19th pick or use it to trade up. Connelly seems intent on building a sustainable winner and, again, isn't inclined to take short cuts.
4. They'll draft players based on talent/ability, not on positional fit or need. I think Connelly made that crystal clear. And it's wasn't just a line. You can tell his approach is deeply rooted in his experience. He made that clear when he said, "some of the times I've screwed up the most is when I was too tunnel-visioned trying to address needs and the team looks different two weeks later. . ..". He went on to say, "I think generally, really good players find their way regardless of the roster...".
5. Finally, whether drafting, trading or signing free agents, character is really, really important to Connelly. And it's not just that he wants guys who are competitive and love the game, which clearly he does. He wants good people.
Thanks for posting Lip. Connelly is a fun guy to listen to.
Jon Krawczynski: Tim Connelly on possibly of trading 19: "We're super open to it. We've had countless convos about using that pick to add a more quickly impactful piece. But 99% of these convos are just theoretical." - via Twitter JonKrawczynski
Dane Moore: Tim Connelly on the No. 19 pick on Thursday: "I think you want to get on base with 19. How much you want to swing for the fences, that depends on who is there. But there's some guys in our range that have skillsets that we presently lack." - via Twitter DaneMooreNBA
"We're super open to it"? Is Tim trying to invite low-ball offers for the pick? Tim has said several times that his draft philosophy is "best player available." But his comment above sounds like "best fit." Tim is known around the League as a great guy who builds a really nice family-oriented organizational culture. And he's been at the helm when Denver made some nice picks - Jokic, Porter Jr., Monte Morris. But I can't say I'm impressed when I hear him talk or see his comments in print. I guess we'll just have to see the results. The Wolves ownership really wanted him and are paying him a ton of money. I have to hope there's an impressive basketball intellect behind what I've seen since he arrived. Otherwise, maybe he was really lucky in Denver or simply had some great scouts he was smart enough to rely on. We'll see.
Lip, Tim Connelly's comments there seem to resonate with me.
I think there are several viable draft strategies depending on the situation. For instance, "swinging for the fences" and selecting the high-ceiling project makes more sense if the roster is depleted and lacking star talent. The accepted risk and bigger gamble is justified because the cupboard is bare. On the other hand, selecting the NBA-ready, high-floor contributor could make more sense for a playoff team looking to take the next step. Additionally, if a team's star players are already in place, I think a front office might prioritize drafting talent that specifically fits well around them versus taking the player who might have more perceived potential but at the cost of team fit and roster balance.
I mention all of that because I don't believe the Timberwolves need to hit a home run in this draft. I don't think they need to reach for the high-ceiling, low-floor type of player in hopes that he becomes a star for them. They're well-situated with Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards currently. I do think that they can't afford to come out of this draft empty-handed. They need to continue to add quality contributors when possible, especially through the draft. And that's what I think Connelly means when he says they want to get "on base" with the 19th overall pick. We should be looking for complimentary pieces that fit well with the current core, and that might come at the expense of perceived untapped potential.
Camden wrote:Lip, Tim Connelly's comments there seem to resonate with me.
I think there are several viable draft strategies depending on the situation. For instance, "swinging for the fences" and selecting the high-ceiling project makes more sense if the roster is depleted and lacking star talent. The accepted risk and bigger gamble is justified because the cupboard is bare. On the other hand, selecting the NBA-ready, high-floor contributor could make more sense for a playoff team looking to take the next step. Additionally, if a team's star players are already in place, I think a front office might prioritize drafting talent that specifically fits well around them versus taking the player who might have more perceived potential but at the cost of team fit and roster balance.
I mention all of that because I don't believe the Timberwolves need to hit a home run in this draft. I don't think they need to reach for the high-ceiling, low-floor type of player in hopes that he becomes a star for them. They're well-situated with Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards currently. I do think that they can't afford to come out of this draft empty-handed. They need to continue to add quality contributors when possible, especially through the draft. And that's what I think Connelly means when he says they want to get "on base" with the 19th overall pick. We should be looking for complimentary pieces that fit well with the current core, and that might come at the expense of perceived untapped potential.
There also isn't always a HR pick available when you are picking. Like Connelly said it depends on who is there. Maybe there is a guy that MIGHT be a HR guy but there is a lot of risk so that type is swing is one you do at 28 or 37 but you don't pass up a guy at #19 that you think has a really good chance at being good and also even has a small chance of being REALLY good.
In addition I don't think Connelly is a guy that's gonna be playing wild mind games with people. We shouldn't just take everything at his word because all of us know he can't just say everything that he is thinking but I think he is gonna actually say stuff because he is more of an ah shucks regular guy. So far whatever he has done has seemed to work more often than not. There is more than one way to do things.
Cam and Monster - Good comments and perspective in your responses. Regarding fit versus best player available, I see both sides. My issue is that Tim was recently adamant about drafting best player available with fit as something in the nature of a tie breaker. My idea of best player available isn't necessarily the guy with the biggest upside. To me it's a combination of upside and probability of eventually reaching that upside. That's how I would approach the first round of the draft under any circumstances. But I think it's a mistake to factor in fit except as a tie breaker among roughly equal alternatives.
It's OK to take a different, more fit-oriented, approach. I'm just a bit baffled by what looks like inconsistency from Connelly. I'm not sure where he's at - except that he's "very open" to trading the #19 pick. :)
I will say it is nice to have a POBO that the majority of the board trusts at the moment. It is funny reading these comments and I am think damn Connelly knows what he is doing. This has to be the fist POBO that this board trusts in a long time. Like 2 years ago multiple people called Rosas a villiage idiot after the Ant pick, the Rubio trade back that landed us Mcdaniels/Rubio/Bolmoro for Poku and James Johnson. Then Thibs never had trust of the majority of this board, Flip was new to the job, we all suffered through Kahn. It is nice to have a POBO that we believe in and it will all be shattered tonight when the Wolves draft a guy people had mocked in the 2nd round and Connelly because the new idiot on this board :)
kekgeek1 wrote:I will say it is nice to have a POBO that the majority of the board trusts at the moment. It is funny reading these comments and I am think damn Connelly knows what he is doing. This has to be the fist POBO that this board trusts in a long time. Like 2 years ago multiple people called Rosas a villiage idiot after the Ant pick, the Rubio trade back that landed us Mcdaniels/Rubio/Bolmoro for Poku and James Johnson. Then Thibs never had trust of the majority of this board, Flip was new to the job, we all suffered through Kahn. It is nice to have a POBO that we believe in and it will all be shattered tonight when the Wolves draft a guy people had mocked in the 2nd round and Connelly because the new idiot on this board :)
For the record, I called Rosas a village idiot when he traded up for Garland and ended up with Culver, and again when he re-signed Juancho. :). But I didn't mind his three 2020 picks and loved the deal for Beverley.
But yes, it is refreshing to have a POBO we all trust. I'm jaded by all of the prior incompetents we've had in that position so I tend make sure I don't judge Connelly prematurely or too harshly. I turned out to be wrong about Rosas - not wrong about the stupidity of his early moves, but premature in judging his a village idiot before he had ample opportunity to demonstrate he wasn't.
I saw this email shared on social media where some fans (possibly season tickets holders, not sure) were invited to have lunch with Tim Connelly on August 29th at the Lexus Courtside Club located in the Target Center from 11:30 - 1:00 PM. Complimentary parking included. Sounds like a very cool event that is being put together for the fans. I was wondering if we had any fans here that may have received the same email and/or if anyone was planning to attend. I think it would be a great experience and perhaps an opportunity to ask questions that we otherwise might not have the chance to get answers to.
