Minnesota Sports Forum

Was there ever a real solution to making this team a serious contender to GS or Houston?

Not at all, Not yet. This is why I don't see the huge deal in letting KAT and Wiggins run out their first extensions and see where they're at development wise after those first 7 years. Either they've become legit players propping up a playoff team and the GS dynasty starts trailing off or they're not and in that case there was never really a chance of this iteration of the team competing for a championship to begin with.

thedoper wrote:Not at all, Not yet. This is why I don't see the huge deal in letting KAT and Wiggins run out their first extensions and see where they're at development wise after those first 7 years. Either they've become legit players propping up a playoff team and the GS dynasty starts trailing off or they're not and in that case there was never really a chance of this iteration of the team competing for a championship to begin with.

I agree, Doper. Whether the Wolves can eventually be a title contenders depends on where the team is at 4 years from now and that depends on the development of KAT and Wiggins over that time frame -- unless the Wolves strike gold (or even silver) in the draft between now and then.

Then why is there so much unrest about how this past season turned out . Clearly the foreseeable future doesn't bode well for any team not named GS. Blame can be spread multiple ways with all kinds of solutions but the result is undeniable . Let's just field a competitive team. The NBA doesn't allow anything better than that for small market teams at this time.

Pork, you're right it's a bit refreshing to know that it probably doesn't matter anyway. With that said, it'd stink to lose Butler for nothing in a year (I'm on board with trading him at the deadline because I think he and Kyrie have already made their minds up that they're going to NYK.

I think what's most disappointing though is that with all these young assets, Thibs basically traded half of them away to get us competing now, and it's likely to be gone in an instant. Mortgaged our future on guys like Rubio who wanted to be here (to get older with Teague), Lavine, Maarkinan, and Dunn, and we're going to have very little to show for it, outside of a taste of the playoffs. Perhaps there's a value in the team making the playoffs, but in a year or so when we're back at square 2 (not square 1 since we'll have Towns still), we will be back to the basement and wondering if Towns will walk after his 2nd contract or if he'll have the loyalty to stick it out while our younger guys improve.

Sad to say, but it looks like the 76ers did it right

mrhockey89 wrote:Pork, you're right it's a bit refreshing to know that it probably doesn't matter anyway. With that said, it'd stink to lose Butler for nothing in a year (I'm on board with trading him at the deadline because I think he and Kyrie have already made their minds up that they're going to NYK.

I think what's most disappointing though is that with all these young assets, Thibs basically traded half of them away to get us competing now, and it's likely to be gone in an instant. Mortgaged our future on guys like Rubio who wanted to be here (to get older with Teague), Lavine, Maarkinan, and Dunn, and we're going to have very little to show for it, outside of a taste of the playoffs. Perhaps there's a value in the team making the playoffs, but in a year or so when we're back at square 2 (not square 1 since we'll have Towns still), we will be back to the basement and wondering if Towns will walk after his 2nd contract or if he'll have the loyalty to stick it out while our younger guys improve.

Sad to say, but it looks like the 76ers did it right

Wasn't trading Rubio (a little over 2 years younger than Teague) a step towards your direction of youth and potential by adding a draft pick that became Okogie? It seems to me the Wolves last offseason gave up 3 young talents in Lavine Dunn and #7 (Markkanen) for #16 (Patton*) and #20 (Okogie). Yes 2 of those prospects are better than the others but it's not as if the Wolves traded away all that youth and replaced them with 32 year olds or something.

* You mentioned the Sixers doing it right. It seems like they have had to endure some draft picks with injury problems. Maybe we shouldn't write of Patton yet right? :)

The bottom line is whether the talent the Wolves have now or add in the future develops. Some of that is on the franchise to facilitate that. Let's see what happens. How many good players in the league right now are guys picked outside of the lottery?

PorkChop wrote:Then why is there so much unrest about how this past season turned out . Clearly the foreseeable future doesn't bode well for any team not named GS. Blame can be spread multiple ways with all kinds of solutions but the result is undeniable . Let's just field a competitive team. The NBA doesn't allow anything better than that for small market teams at this time.

GSW is a small market.

I think the negativity comes from Thibs. He's a negative person so it all starts up top.

To be honest I am feeling a bit down on this team. I feel we may have played our hand a season or two too early. It isn't all doom and gloom though, we still have a potential 4th seed team in a ridiculously strong Western Conference. Ain't no one getting passed GSW this upcoming season.

The offseason is still early in the scheme of things but it is a bit of a concern that we haven't added another experienced wing yet. Both our players who were gap stoppers last year - Belly and Crawford are no longer with this team and all we've added is Tolliver who is really only a stretch four and a couple of unproven rookies. Add to that Thibs reluctance to play rookies at the best of times and Butler's injury concerns.

Trading Jeff Teague for a back up wing and a bit of cap relief is the only realistic option I see this team improving in the short term.

mrhockey89 wrote:Pork, you're right it's a bit refreshing to know that it probably doesn't matter anyway. With that said, it'd stink to lose Butler for nothing in a year (I'm on board with trading him at the deadline because I think he and Kyrie have already made their minds up that they're going to NYK.

I think what's most disappointing though is that with all these young assets, Thibs basically traded half of them away to get us competing now, and it's likely to be gone in an instant. Mortgaged our future on guys like Rubio who wanted to be here (to get older with Teague), Lavine, Maarkinan, and Dunn, and we're going to have very little to show for it, outside of a taste of the playoffs. Perhaps there's a value in the team making the playoffs, but in a year or so when we're back at square 2 (not square 1 since we'll have Towns still), we will be back to the basement and wondering if Towns will walk after his 2nd contract or if he'll have the loyalty to stick it out while our younger guys improve.

Sad to say, but it looks like the 76ers did it right

Spot on post Hockey. When you can take the emotion out of having a taste of the playoffs you are left with basically nothing to show for this current rebuild. I agree totally.

WolvesFan21 wrote:

PorkChop wrote:Then why is there so much unrest about how this past season turned out . Clearly the foreseeable future doesn't bode well for any team not named GS. Blame can be spread multiple ways with all kinds of solutions but the result is undeniable . Let's just field a competitive team. The NBA doesn't allow anything better than that for small market teams at this time.

GSW is a small market.

I think the negativity comes from Thibs. He's a negative person so it all starts up top.

WolvesFan, do you really believe GSW plays in a small market?