Turkey of the Year

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

My prediction this year is Glen Taylor. I'm sure he's won before. What a mess he's made and just when it looks to get better, we eventually go backwards. Your picks?

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Would have been a fine choice, but sadly Patrick has announced he won't be doing TOTY this year. End of an era...

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

Would have been a fine choice, but sadly Patrick has announced he won't be doing TOTY this year. End of an era...

Oh didn't know that. So who you picking?

[Lipoli390]

Tom Thibodeau is my pick. He made what he surely considered his signature move as PBO when he dealt for Jimmy Butler last year. I still remember the typically sour-faced curmudgeon sporting a grin that nearly wrapped around his entire head as introduced his prize, Jimmy Butler, to a throng of reporters and other assembled at the introductory presser in June of 2017.

Then flash forward to 2018. Butler tore his miniscus and missed 23 games, forcing the Wolves to settle for an 8th seed and quick playoff exit against the Rockets. Jimmy then refused to join the team for the plane ride home after their final playoff defeat. Shortly thereafter, in May of this year, Thibodeau's adopted son and prize acquisition told him he want out and wouldn't re-sign here next summer.

Unwilling to accept reality, Thibodeau continued all summer to plan for the season with Butler at his side. Since matters obviously hadn't been resolved, Butler insisted on a formal meeting with Thibodeau in early September. That meeting was initially expected to take place at the Wolves offices. But at the last minute, Thibodeau was informed by Jimmy that he would have to fly to LA and meet Butler there. Thibodeau dutifully obliged his darling Jimmy and did exactly what he was told. One can only imagine what that must have been like as Thibodeau walked into a room and sat down with Jimmy and his agent. At some point in that conversation, Jimmy told Thibodeau exactly what he had told him back in May -- he wanted out and wouldn't re-sign next summer. Apparently Thibodeau told Jimmy he would attempt to satisfy his demand. But realizing that Thibodeau didn't appear to get it through his head back in May, this time Jimmy's agent made the trade demand public.

Yet, the saga continued to drag on for 2 months after that meeting, with reports that Thibodeau was asking for too much, leading other GMs to believe Thibodeau wasn't serious about trading Jimmy. This two-month period was highlighted by Jimmy's impromptu appearance at the Wolves 2nd pre-season practice in which Jimmy apparently paraded up and down the floor shouting obscenities and ridiculing his teammates and management, specifically including his surrogate papa, Thibodeau. Yet, Thibodeau soldiered on, thinking that at some point that either Butler would have a bizarre change of heart or some other team would cave and give us a Beal or Simmons for return for Butler. Meanwhile, Jimmy played when he wanted to play and screamed at his teammates in those moments he seemed interested while the neutered Thibodeau said nothing, simply obliging and covering for Jimmy along the way. The saga finally ended with the Wolves getting two good role players on good contracts for one of the League's best two-way players.

If that's not the story of this year's Turkey of the Year I don't know what is.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Would have been a fine choice, but sadly Patrick has announced he won't be doing TOTY this year. End of an era...

Oh didn't know that. So who you picking?

I just checked Reusse's twitter. He said there would be no Turkey of the Year this year due to complications with the committee, but then he said there would be "something". So maybe there will be a winner without the long clever column. If there is one, I don't know if we could find a better choice than Lip's...Tom Thibodeau.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

So no official Turkey of the Year this year, but instead 10 TATs (the authentic turkeys) highlighted by PJ Fleck. No mention of Glen or Thibs, but Butler appears as a very deserving #2.

[bleedspeed]

So no official Turkey of the Year this year, but instead 10 TATs (the authentic turkeys) highlighted by PJ Fleck. No mention of Glen or Thibs, but Butler appears as a very deserving #2.

Well Glen Taylor owns the Star Tribune so what do you expect.

[Lipoli390]

So no official Turkey of the Year this year, but instead 10 TATs (the authentic turkeys) highlighted by PJ Fleck. No mention of Glen or Thibs, but Butler appears as a very deserving #2.

I don't consider Butler a Turkey. Jerk of the year, maybe. But Turkey to me means loser. Butler emerged a big winner this year, getting his wish to leave the Wolves and end up with a top 3 contender in the East. He took control of the situation from the beginning and made Wolves management look like idiots.

[thedoper]

So no official Turkey of the Year this year, but instead 10 TATs (the authentic turkeys) highlighted by PJ Fleck. No mention of Glen or Thibs, but Butler appears as a very deserving #2.

I don't consider Butler a Turkey. Jerk of the year, maybe. But Turkey to me means loser. Butler emerged a big winner this year, getting his wish to leave the Wolves and end up with a top 3 contender in the East. He took control of the situation from the beginning and made Wolves management look like idiots.

Yeah. He even threw games with very little backlash from the National media. Taylor and Thibs are more prime (no pun intended) targets.

[Monster]

John Shuster made the list because he promoted an Olympic sport where he won a gold medal? Ruesse is a weird dude.