Minnesota Sports Forum

Happy Birthday KG. I can't believe you are 40. I remember when you was the Kid. Thanks for all you've done for this organization.

I am probably in the minority, but I want KG back next season. I want his influence to continue with the kids. I want him to be part of the team's dramatic improvement and getting into the playoffs. I want his influence on this team as they make their first playoff run in over a decade.

I want all that.

I remember working in the summer selling books door to door in the Dakotas and the first I learned that we drafted KG was seeing it in someone's newspaper in their living room. That seems so...long ago for so so so many reasons.

60WinTim wrote:I am probably in the minority, but I want KG back next season. I want his influence to continue with the kids. I want him to be part of the team's dramatic improvement and getting into the playoffs. I want his influence on this team as they make their first playoff run in over a decade.

I want all that.

He seems to have gone radio silent. Perhaps he sees his future influence with the organization slipping away as Taylor went outside of the Country Club to nab a couple of heavy-hitters and appears to be all in as the majority owner for the foreseeable future.

I want him back too....as a player development coach for the bigs.

Happy birthday KG. Your 2004 season was incredible. I've never seen a better all around performance in one season.

60WinTim wrote:I am probably in the minority, but I want KG back next season. I want his influence to continue with the kids. I want him to be part of the team's dramatic improvement and getting into the playoffs. I want his influence on this team as they make their first playoff run in over a decade.

I want all that.

Tim, I am with you. I want KG back too. Great influence on the young pups and he knows Thibs defensive system so he can help the others learn it. I also think he still has a little bit left in the tank. I want him to go out on top (or at least with a nice playoff run). I'm not even sure why people are trying to make it an issue since he's under contract for this upcoming season and its not like we should expect him to leave money on the table.

TeamRicky wrote:

60WinTim wrote:I am probably in the minority, but I want KG back next season. I want his influence to continue with the kids. I want him to be part of the team's dramatic improvement and getting into the playoffs. I want his influence on this team as they make their first playoff run in over a decade.

I want all that.

Tim, I am with you. I want KG back too. Great influence on the young pups and he knows Thibs defensive system so he can help the others learn it. I also think he still has a little bit left in the tank. I want him to go out on top (or at least with a nice playoff run). I'm not even sure why people are trying to make it an issue since he's under contract for this upcoming season and its not like we should expect him to leave money on the table.

Yep, I want KG back too. In addition to the reasons you guys provide, let's not forget that KG was the team's plus/minus leader last season...both on a gross basis and per 36. (Rubio was the only other player on the plus side). He is so fundamentally sound that the offense and defense both operate more efficiently when he is on the court. If he is anywhere near the player he was before the Wolves put him down last season, I want him starting games in the same role Mitchell had him in. A KAT/KG/Deng/Wig/Rubio starting lineup might be the best defensive lineup in the league...and an upgrade offensively over last year's lineup with Tay at SF.

I only want KG back as a player if he can sustain through the whole season what he showed those few minutes he played in the small number of games before he was shut down. In the end, it will be up to KG. He'll want the money, but he won't want to embarrass himself either. So we'll see.

Long -- Looks like you're assuming we sign Deng as a FA. Thibs loved Deng in Chicago, so I can definitely see us making a run at signing him. If we do, I see him coming off the bench to provide a defensive presence on an otherwise defensively challenged second unit. KAT, Wiggins and Rubio are a strong defensive trio. if healthy, KG is still a very good defender and Gorgui showed he's got some game on the defensive end. Zach improved a lot defensively and remains, as Flip said, a guy with a lot of potential as a defender. I can see Deng, Belly, Bazz, Jones and dare I say Pek as a very solid second unit. If we could somehow sign both Noah and Deng, then look out!

lipoli390 wrote:I only want KG back as a player if he can sustain through the whole season what he showed those few minutes he played in the small number of games before he was shut down. In the end, it will be up to KG. He'll want the money, but he won't want to embarrass himself either. So we'll see.

Long -- Looks like you're assuming we sign Deng as a FA. Thibs loved Deng in Chicago, so I can definitely see us making a run at signing him. If we do, I see him coming off the bench to provide a defensive presence on an otherwise defensively challenged second unit. KAT, Wiggins and Rubio are a strong defensive trio. if healthy, KG is still a very good defender and Gorgui showed he's got some game on the defensive end. Zach improved a lot defensively and remains, as Flip said, a guy with a lot of potential as a defender. I can see Deng, Belly, Bazz, Jones and dare I say Pek as a very solid second unit. If we could somehow sign both Noah and Deng, then look out!

Yeah, maybe Thibs would want Deng on the second unit for defensive purposes (if we sign him). But I just have a feeling that he is going to prefer Wig playing the 2...at least until he develops into at least an average rebounder for a SF. And that would move Zach to the bench. We'll have to see...all conjecture at this point in time.

I'm on board with going after Noah too. He's always been one of my favorite guys in the NBA, and even though he's not what he used to be, I think he would be a terrific guy off the bench. Adjusting to a new coach's system can be difficult, but having three guys like KG, Noah and Deng who have all excelled defensively under Thibs could make the transition much easier.

Long - I doubt we can afford both Deng and Noah, assuming KG and Pek stay on the books. But I guess I don't yet have a good sense of the market under the new cap. If you had to choose between Deng and Noah for roughly the same price, who would you choose? I'm torn. I think I'd lean towards Noah if he's healthy because we could really use more interior defense and I like Noah's passing.