Cult of Accountability.

[AbeVigodaLive]

What's the secret to winning NBA basketball games? A lot of basketball minds have struggled with that during their tenure in Minnesota. So have Timberwolves fans. But alas, for whatever reason(s), the Wolves have plummeted to the very lowest depths in the annals of NBA history.

That being said... some quotes in Jon Krawsvzasinsafsminisky's latest piece in The Athletic jumped off the page. As I read it sleepy-eyed, I nearly spilled my lousy Folgers coffee all over myself in an "AHA!" moment. Take a peek:

"I'm giving it my all. I'm attacking this with full effort. I see so much, and what I see, I can't express it every time vocally, so I've got to go out and show it with my play as an example, and hopefully, it's contagious and guys can watch and fall into it, but it's only so much I can do."

"I feel like I'm saying the same thing every game."

"We're in a state of mind where we relax in the fourth. Last three minutes of the game, we relax a little bit. We don't lock into the scouting report. We kind of work against it. We don't help ourselves. That comes with youth. Every game, I feel like I'm repeating myself on our issues and what it could be, but time will heal, so we'll be alright."

"It falls back on the coach. It has to fall back on somebody."

____________________

Any guesses who owns those quotes? Anybody still wondering why this rebuilt team is the embarrassment of the NBA?

I don't like him as a player. And I don't like how this organization refuses to hold second-rate NBA "stars" accountable. "It's not my fault. I'm doing things the right way... it's everybody else's fault."

Things won't change in any meaningful way in the standings... until the lack of accountability that permeates through the organization changes... or at least until D. Russell is off this roster. Talented or not... he "doesn't get it."

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Couldn't agree more. He is not a guy you build around. But his salary demands/market price will never allow him to be in the right situation in the near to medium term. May be his next contract or the one after will have him priced in a way that makes more sense to a team that wants to win.

Right now he should be a $15-$20M per year starting PG on a team with at least two other legit max players. He will never be on a team that wins a lot of games so long as he is one of the two highest paid guys on the roster unless that roster is constructed with a near perfect set of lower paid role players.

[Monster]

Wait this is all Russell's fault? Might as well move the team and move on with my life if that's the case.

[BloopOracle]

I find Ryan's post game quotes much more egregious, to hear him marvel at how Steve Clifford played Vucevic 43 minutes that game because they were desperate for a win made me want to puke. If they are desperate then what the fuck are we?

[SameOldNudityDrew]

What's the secret to winning NBA basketball games? A lot of basketball minds have struggled with that during their tenure in Minnesota. So have Timberwolves fans. But alas, for whatever reason(s), the Wolves have plummeted to the very lowest depths in the annals of NBA history.

That being said... some quotes in Jon Krawsvzasinsafsminisky's latest piece in The Athletic jumped off the page. As I read it sleepy-eyed, I nearly spilled my lousy Folgers coffee all over myself in an "AHA!" moment. Take a peek:

"I'm giving it my all. I'm attacking this with full effort. I see so much, and what I see, I can't express it every time vocally, so I've got to go out and show it with my play as an example, and hopefully, it's contagious and guys can watch and fall into it, but it's only so much I can do."

"I feel like I'm saying the same thing every game."

"We're in a state of mind where we relax in the fourth. Last three minutes of the game, we relax a little bit. We don't lock into the scouting report. We kind of work against it. We don't help ourselves. That comes with youth. Every game, I feel like I'm repeating myself on our issues and what it could be, but time will heal, so we'll be alright."

"It falls back on the coach. It has to fall back on somebody."

____________________

Any guesses who owns those quotes? Anybody still wondering why this rebuilt team is the embarrassment of the NBA?

I don't like him as a player. And I don't like how this organization refuses to hold second-rate NBA "stars" accountable. "It's not my fault. I'm doing things the right way... it's everybody else's fault."

Things won't change in any meaningful way in the standings... until the lack of accountability that permeates through the organization changes... or at least until D. Russell is off this roster. Talented or not... he "doesn't get it."

He said this stuff?

God, I've thought this guy was bad leader for years. Ever since the whole Nick Young thing and well after, he always seemed like a guy who was just out for his stats and looking cool doing it, and that's it. I was never a big Wiggins fan, even when we first got him, and his contract was atrocious, but this dude just completely lacks the character needed to lead a decent team. Wiggins was vacant. No personality at all. But DLO seems like a superficial, selfish dick.

I've slammed DLO and KAT for their weak leadership for some time, along with their poor defense and non-physical style of play. I will say KAT is not as bad a character as DLO, and both have been a bit better on D this year than I expected (in a small sample size). And they are both clearly offensively talented players. But yeah, the maturity level just isn't there.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want fake "put it all on my shoulders" type of comments. What KAT said a week or so ago to that effect seemed almost to mock the idea that it could be his fault. It felt like the kinds of things Love was saying just before he asked to be traded.

Leadership without talent isn't going to win. But talent without leadership is a guarantee that we'll lose. I think we saw that during the Love years too.

Couldn't agree more Abe, we need to find a star with real character and leadership. The best players on your team set the tone for everyone else.

[Hicks123 [enjin:6700838]]

Couldn't agree more. He is not a guy you build around. But his salary demands/market price will never allow him to be in the right situation in the near to medium term. May be his next contract or the one after will have him priced in a way that makes more sense to a team that wants to win.

Right now he should be a $15-$20M per year starting PG on a team with at least two other legit max players. He will never be on a team that wins a lot of games so long as he is one of the two highest paid guys on the roster unless that roster is constructed with a near perfect set of lower paid role players.

Q,
Our issue with DLo is not unique to the Wolves. The overpaying of marginal players is killing many/most teams. The thought is always.....well, if we don't overpay, we end up with nothing. Wiggins was prime example. I stated at the time I would let him walk rather than signing that deal. It feels bad to lose a marginally good player any time, but it also then destroys a teams flexibility when said player is signed.

It used to be that a "max contract" was meant to be signed by only the best players. Now, it just means that any average to just above average dude is up for contract extension. I mean look at the list of salaries at top. Guys like Tobias Harris, Griffen, Wall, Middleton, Conley, Love, Siakam, Adams, Wiggins, Porzingas, Drummand, Hayward, Otto Porter, and the list goes on. All those guys making nearly $30M or more.

While there are many great players on that list.....I would argue NONE of them are worth their money. Why? Because at that pay grade vs cap, a guy like that needs to single handedly change direction of franchise. Those guys, are for the most part, good support players......but not near max guys from an impact standpoint.

You only pay "max impact" guys "max money". When you stray from this, you get what most teams have....high salary with middling teams. Like the Wolves.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Wait this is all Russell's fault? Might as well move the team and move on with my life if that's the case.

Of course it's not all DLO's fault. But he is one of the two highest paid players on a team on track to be one of the worst in franchise history. He seems to be pointing fingers at everything but himself. Real leaders don't do that.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Couldn't agree more. He is not a guy you build around. But his salary demands/market price will never allow him to be in the right situation in the near to medium term. May be his next contract or the one after will have him priced in a way that makes more sense to a team that wants to win.

Right now he should be a $15-$20M per year starting PG on a team with at least two other legit max players. He will never be on a team that wins a lot of games so long as he is one of the two highest paid guys on the roster unless that roster is constructed with a near perfect set of lower paid role players.

Q,
Our issue with DLo is not unique to the Wolves. The overpaying of marginal players is killing many/most teams. The thought is always.....well, if we don't overpay, we end up with nothing. Wiggins was prime example. I stated at the time I would let him walk rather than signing that deal. It feels bad to lose a marginally good player any time, but it also then destroys a teams flexibility when said player is signed.

It used to be that a "max contract" was meant to be signed by only the best players. Now, it just means that any average to just above average dude is up for contract extension. I mean look at the list of salaries at top. Guys like Tobias Harris, Griffen, Wall, Middleton, Conley, Love, Siakam, Adams, Wiggins, Porzingas, Drummand, Hayward, Otto Porter, and the list goes on. All those guys making nearly $30M or more.

While there are many great players on that list.....I would argue NONE of them are worth their money. Why? Because at that pay grade vs cap, a guy like that needs to single handedly change direction of franchise. Those guys, are for the most part, good support players......but not near max guys from an impact standpoint.

You only pay "max impact" guys "max money". When you stray from this, you get what most teams have....high salary with middling teams. Like the Wolves.

I hear you Hicks, but it's all relative. And we're not even close to middling - we're god awful!

The goal of a franchise is to discern between a good overpay and a bad overpay. DLO is a bad overpay that can be replaced with a $15-20M player. Middelton is a good overpay not as easily replaced with a lower paid player.

[thedoper]

Players come to this team and know they can do whatever the hell they want. We're a small market team desperate for anyone to look at us and just say hi. Sure we have high expectations in secret but no one is going to disrupt the ship for fear of these stars getting angry. We are losers, battered spouses, and the quicker we realize it and start showing up at Wolves events with "fire Glen" banners the better. I would love nothing more than a culture of accountability on this team but a lot would already have had to happen. Ryan never should have been hired, Dlo shouldnt have been acquired at all costs just to make KAT happy, Juancho and Ricky never should have been acquired. I just dont think that culture ever happens with Glen as owner. His given every shitty hire he made a way longer run then they deserved, which is the most apparent example of accountability we have on this team.

[FNG]

I've been down on DLO's character ever since the first time I heard him talk. Talented? Oh, yeah. Intelligent? It certainly seems so. But there's always been something missing with him that I just can't put my finger on. Magic saw it when he kicked his ass out of LA...said he lacked leadership and the ability to make teammates better. True, but there's something more than that. And that, plus his terrible on/off stats, is why I was never on board with the trade to get him. I was not on the Wiggins train, and I think his solid performance the past two weeks is likely another mirage, but there's no question I would prefer Wiggins and our pick to DLO- that's a no brainer for me.

All that said, Abe, I think you may have misinterpreted what DLO said about Saunders (and maybe Jon K did too if his take in the Athletic was DLO was putting the blame back on Saunders). I just watched the press conference, and DLO rolls his eyes when Jon mentions how Ryan is being ripped on social media, and reiterates that he thinks it's unfair that Ryan isn't getting the chance to really coach this team. His comment "it falls back on the coach" doesn't seem to me to be an indictment of Ryan by DLO, but rather just a comment about how the coach is usually the first one blamed when a team is playing poorly. Watch the video- it's pretty clear to me that's what DLO is saying.

All that said, I do see DLO as someone who very cleverly is able to shift the blame to his teammates while deflecting it from himself. That's part of what of what Magic saw, and also why he is already on his 4th team at age 25. He's a hot potato that was just thrown to Rosas, and I don't see anyone accepting Rosas's hot potato when he realizes it's not working out.

Now, a quick dash of optimism. While I think we all know DLO will never be a player who can lead a team, he doesn't have to here if KAT is healthy. This team was 2-2 with our two max guys healthy, and it could be argued that our very young team has gotten some developmental time with 3 guys out, and are ready to contribute more in supporting roles when KAT came back. So, while I will never be a fan of DLO's character and lack of accountability, I still harbor some hope for this roster upon KAT's return. We'll see...