Minnesota Sports Forum

I am going to listen to it soon...

https://soundcloud.com/wolves-radio/draft17_thibslay_0620

That big shooter comment seems telling

I listened to it.....a few takeaways. I'm sure Tim will add on to whatever I missed:

- They said all the right things about the draft: Take the best player available, very deep draft through the late 1st round, open for any and all possibilities if it makes the team better (i.e. trading down, trading for a vet), yada, yada, yada. Although Layden did imply that it is difficult to find a deal that works and ultimately teams mostly just keep the guy they picked.

- Thibs repeated his oft-repeated mantra of the team's three biggest needs: 3-point shooting, defense, and toughness.

- Thibs sung Kris Dunn's praises once again - said you draft a guy for what he can do 2, 3, or 4 years into his career, not his first. He said he's been in every day this summer to work on his game. If ever there was a "Thibs guy", Kris Dunn is it. The love affair hasn't ended yet.

- Thibs also said Bjelly was a really important part of the team. He felt he was playing really good ball in the 4-5 weeks leading up to his injury. This is interesting...I wonder if his love of Bjelly perhaps means he is less likely to spend big money on a Jar Green or Milsap. Or may be he loves Bjelly in the role he had - a backup PF that has some little man skills, but plays pretty big on the glass. Anyway....Bjelly isn't going anywhere either.

- Tim posted this elsewhere, but Markkanen's name came up and Thibs did acknowledge his shooting and that being a big team need.

- He alluded to the team being able to be flexible in fitting in different types of players, saying that KAT can play the 4 or 5 and Wiggins can play the 2, 3, or 4 (I do not think he can play the 4....). What I guess that means is we can think of anyone from a DeAndre Jordan being an option and then KAT starts at the 4 to Paul Milsap or Jar Green being an option and then KAT starts at the 5. It doesn't seem like Thibs is too caught up in positional dogmas when it comes to free agents/trades/drafting. If they are a good player, he will figure out a way to fit them in.

And that's all I got.

Thibs still plays it tight to the vest. As far as the draft goes, we seemed to learn more about their plans from Taylor's brief comments than anything Thibs said!

Pek was brought up in the end, but Thibs did not elaborate one iota on the implications it had for the Wolves cap space.

I did appreciate hearing the updates on Dunn and Belly.

And yes, Q, Thibs is very consistent with what he says about what the team needs.

Q12543 wrote:I listened to it.....a few takeaways. I'm sure Tim will add on to whatever I missed:

- They said all the right things about the draft: Take the best player available, very deep draft through the late 1st round, open for any and all possibilities if it makes the team better (i.e. trading down, trading for a vet), yada, yada, yada. Although Layden did imply that it is difficult to find a deal that works and ultimately teams mostly just keep the guy they picked.

- Thibs repeated his oft-repeated mantra of the team's three biggest needs: 3-point shooting, defense, and toughness.

- Thibs sung Kris Dunn's praises once again - said you draft a guy for what he can do 2, 3, or 4 years into his career, not his first. He said he's been in every day this summer to work on his game. If ever there was a "Thibs guy", Kris Dunn is it. The love affair hasn't ended yet.

- Thibs also said Bjelly was a really important part of the team. He felt he was playing really good ball in the 4-5 weeks leading up to his injury. This is interesting...I wonder if his love of Bjelly perhaps means he is less likely to spend big money on a Jar Green or Milsap. Or may be he loves Bjelly in the role he had - a backup PF that has some little man skills, but plays pretty big on the glass. Anyway....Bjelly isn't going anywhere either.

- Tim posted this elsewhere, but Markkanen's name came up and Thibs did acknowledge his shooting and that being a big team need.

- He alluded to the team being able to be flexible in fitting in different types of players, saying that KAT can play the 4 or 5 and Wiggins can play the 2, 3, or 4 (I do not think he can play the 4....). What I guess that means is we can think of anyone from a DeAndre Jordan being an option and then KAT starts at the 4 to Paul Milsap or Jar Green being an option and then KAT starts at the 5. It doesn't seem like Thibs is too caught up in positional dogmas when it comes to free agents/trades/drafting. If they are a good player, he will figure out a way to fit them in.

And that's all I got.

Maybe in minimal minutes like Harrison Barnes in his GSW days. It's probably less dependent on Wiggins ability at the 4 and more KAT's ability to cover Wiggins' inability at the 4 if that makes any sense.

Q12543 wrote:I listened to it.....a few takeaways. I'm sure Tim will add on to whatever I missed:

- They said all the right things about the draft: Take the best player available, very deep draft through the late 1st round, open for any and all possibilities if it makes the team better (i.e. trading down, trading for a vet), yada, yada, yada. Although Layden did imply that it is difficult to find a deal that works and ultimately teams mostly just keep the guy they picked.

- Thibs repeated his oft-repeated mantra of the team's three biggest needs: 3-point shooting, defense, and toughness.

- Thibs sung Kris Dunn's praises once again - said you draft a guy for what he can do 2, 3, or 4 years into his career, not his first. He said he's been in every day this summer to work on his game. If ever there was a "Thibs guy", Kris Dunn is it. The love affair hasn't ended yet.

- Thibs also said Bjelly was a really important part of the team. He felt he was playing really good ball in the 4-5 weeks leading up to his injury. This is interesting...I wonder if his love of Bjelly perhaps means he is less likely to spend big money on a Jar Green or Milsap. Or may be he loves Bjelly in the role he had - a backup PF that has some little man skills, but plays pretty big on the glass. Anyway....Bjelly isn't going anywhere either.

- Tim posted this elsewhere, but Markkanen's name came up and Thibs did acknowledge his shooting and that being a big team need.

- He alluded to the team being able to be flexible in fitting in different types of players, saying that KAT can play the 4 or 5 and Wiggins can play the 2, 3, or 4 (I do not think he can play the 4....). What I guess that means is we can think of anyone from a DeAndre Jordan being an option and then KAT starts at the 4 to Paul Milsap or Jar Green being an option and then KAT starts at the 5. It doesn't seem like Thibs is too caught up in positional dogmas when it comes to free agents/trades/drafting. If they are a good player, he will figure out a way to fit them in.

And that's all I got.

Q - Did you think Thibs' comments, especially his acknowledgment of Markkenan's shooting, suggested an inclination to draft him?

Based on everything we've heard and seen from Thibs since the day he arrived, he appears to love three players above all others: Dunn, Belly and Gorgui. Thibs rarely praises any player publicly, yet he repeatedly went out of his way to praise these three during the season even when they did not impress in the box score. I'm sure Thibs recognizes that KAT, Wiggins and LaVine are by far the most talented players on the roster. But you can clearly see who he values most as key role players on the team -- Dunn, Dieng and Belly.

Given the three needs Thibs has repeatedly identified, I don't see him drafting or signing someone who doesn't have at least two of those three attributes. But who knows.

I don't know why you guys accuse Thibs of playing it close to the vest. If you listen closely, I think he told us exactly what he is going to do tomorrow night. I pretty clearly heard him say he was either going to keep the pick, trade it for a vet, trade down, or trade up. I will guarantee he will do one of these 4 things Thursday. Why he would let the cat out of the bag before the draft is beyond me though.

lipoli390 wrote:

Q12543 wrote:I listened to it.....a few takeaways. I'm sure Tim will add on to whatever I missed:

- They said all the right things about the draft: Take the best player available, very deep draft through the late 1st round, open for any and all possibilities if it makes the team better (i.e. trading down, trading for a vet), yada, yada, yada. Although Layden did imply that it is difficult to find a deal that works and ultimately teams mostly just keep the guy they picked.

- Thibs repeated his oft-repeated mantra of the team's three biggest needs: 3-point shooting, defense, and toughness.

- Thibs sung Kris Dunn's praises once again - said you draft a guy for what he can do 2, 3, or 4 years into his career, not his first. He said he's been in every day this summer to work on his game. If ever there was a "Thibs guy", Kris Dunn is it. The love affair hasn't ended yet.

- Thibs also said Bjelly was a really important part of the team. He felt he was playing really good ball in the 4-5 weeks leading up to his injury. This is interesting...I wonder if his love of Bjelly perhaps means he is less likely to spend big money on a Jar Green or Milsap. Or may be he loves Bjelly in the role he had - a backup PF that has some little man skills, but plays pretty big on the glass. Anyway....Bjelly isn't going anywhere either.

- Tim posted this elsewhere, but Markkanen's name came up and Thibs did acknowledge his shooting and that being a big team need.

- He alluded to the team being able to be flexible in fitting in different types of players, saying that KAT can play the 4 or 5 and Wiggins can play the 2, 3, or 4 (I do not think he can play the 4....). What I guess that means is we can think of anyone from a DeAndre Jordan being an option and then KAT starts at the 4 to Paul Milsap or Jar Green being an option and then KAT starts at the 5. It doesn't seem like Thibs is too caught up in positional dogmas when it comes to free agents/trades/drafting. If they are a good player, he will figure out a way to fit them in.

And that's all I got.

Q - Did you think Thibs' comments, especially his acknowledgment of Markkenan's shooting, suggested an inclination to draft him?

I don't think so Lip. I would be really surprised if we drafted Markkenan.

foye2smith wrote:

Q12543 wrote:I listened to it.....a few takeaways. I'm sure Tim will add on to whatever I missed:

- They said all the right things about the draft: Take the best player available, very deep draft through the late 1st round, open for any and all possibilities if it makes the team better (i.e. trading down, trading for a vet), yada, yada, yada. Although Layden did imply that it is difficult to find a deal that works and ultimately teams mostly just keep the guy they picked.

- Thibs repeated his oft-repeated mantra of the team's three biggest needs: 3-point shooting, defense, and toughness.

- Thibs sung Kris Dunn's praises once again - said you draft a guy for what he can do 2, 3, or 4 years into his career, not his first. He said he's been in every day this summer to work on his game. If ever there was a "Thibs guy", Kris Dunn is it. The love affair hasn't ended yet.

- Thibs also said Bjelly was a really important part of the team. He felt he was playing really good ball in the 4-5 weeks leading up to his injury. This is interesting...I wonder if his love of Bjelly perhaps means he is less likely to spend big money on a Jar Green or Milsap. Or may be he loves Bjelly in the role he had - a backup PF that has some little man skills, but plays pretty big on the glass. Anyway....Bjelly isn't going anywhere either.

- Tim posted this elsewhere, but Markkanen's name came up and Thibs did acknowledge his shooting and that being a big team need.

- He alluded to the team being able to be flexible in fitting in different types of players, saying that KAT can play the 4 or 5 and Wiggins can play the 2, 3, or 4 (I do not think he can play the 4....). What I guess that means is we can think of anyone from a DeAndre Jordan being an option and then KAT starts at the 4 to Paul Milsap or Jar Green being an option and then KAT starts at the 5. It doesn't seem like Thibs is too caught up in positional dogmas when it comes to free agents/trades/drafting. If they are a good player, he will figure out a way to fit them in.

And that's all I got.

Maybe in minimal minutes like Harrison Barnes in his GSW days. It's probably less dependent on Wiggins ability at the 4 and more KAT's ability to cover Wiggins' inability at the 4 if that makes any sense.

Thibs said Wiggins can play 3 positions he didn't say which 3 positions.