I hate the Chicago Bulls. But I love veteran players...

[AbeVigodaLive]

Why couldn't they have just agreed to the rumored Jimmy Butler trade?

Butler is showing signs of improvement for the 6th straight season:

25.8 ppg
6.7 reb
4.1 ast
48% fg

Probably can't sustain that pace. But at this point... that's pretty damn impressive. The bigger issue is that he'd be the veteran presence this team so desperately lacks right now.

Sorry for the rehashing. But let's use this for an actual thread, even though we've discussed this a bit already...

What vets could/should the Wolves go after either this season or next summer on your ultimate wishlist:

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

Iggy and Taj Gibson would be the 2 I would want to add.

[Monster]

Britt's latest column talked about the lack of vets.

https://www.minnpost.com/sports%252F2016%252F11%252Fwolves-could-really-use-kg-right-now

It goes along with something I was thinking about yesterday. Who is the leader of this team when it comes to players? The short answer is IMO this team doesn't have one either on the court or off it. They aren't devoid of leaders but nobody that's the guy. That's gonna be significant when it comes to the on court product in the short term.

To me there is some good news though. The young guys get to learn to be leaders. By the accounts aibhave seen these guys are good dudes. Dieng seems like a guy that is gonna be a great lead by example guy as sort of an elder statesmen a of the young guys along with Rubio. The players are learning from an experienced coaching staff. I'd guess Lucas is on the roster as a vet who fills a bit of a leadership role. He is a coach in waiting seems very comfortable in his own skin and has been around the league and spent time with Thibs. Of the vet guys this team brought on he seems the most vocal guy among more laid back dudes in Aldrich, Hill and Rush.

Thinking about all this makes me convinced the Wolves struggles are mental and it's on Thibs and his staff to get these guys to learn to find their place not just executing plays making the right plays but also becoming leaders learning how to become a professional basketball player. There have already been sole growing pains and I expect more. It may pay off down the road if the process is furthered because these guys got a chance to learn all this on the fly.

[thedoper]

Britt's latest column talked about the lack of vets.

https://www.minnpost.com/sports%252F2016%252F11%252Fwolves-could-really-use-kg-right-now

It goes along with something I was thinking about yesterday. Who is the leader of this team when it comes to players? The short answer is IMO this team doesn't have one either on the court or off it. They aren't devoid of leaders but nobody that's the guy. That's gonna be significant when it comes to the on court product in the short term.

To me there is some good news though. The young guys get to learn to be leaders. By the accounts aibhave seen these guys are good dudes. Dieng seems like a guy that is gonna be a great lead by example guy as sort of an elder statesmen a of the young guys along with Rubio. The players are learning from an experienced coaching staff. I'd guess Lucas is on the roster as a vet who fills a bit of a leadership role. He is a coach in waiting seems very comfortable in his own skin and has been around the league and spent time with Thibs. Of the vet guys this team brought on he seems the most vocal guy among more laid back dudes in Aldrich, Hill and Rush.

Thinking about all this makes me convinced the Wolves struggles are mental and it's on Thibs and his staff to get these guys to learn to find their place not just executing plays making the right plays but also becoming leaders learning how to become a professional basketball player. There have already been sole growing pains and I expect more. It may pay off down the road if the process is furthered because these guys got a chance to learn all this on the fly.

Isn't it supposed to be Rubio? He's made it through 3 GMs. If he is as great of a player with his intangibles shouldn't he be that guy? I really think for whatever reason (ahem....shooting, winning, being foreign) Rubio is not respected as a leader by players in this league or on this team.

[WildWolf2813]

Britt's latest column talked about the lack of vets.

https://www.minnpost.com/sports%252F2016%252F11%252Fwolves-could-really-use-kg-right-now

It goes along with something I was thinking about yesterday. Who is the leader of this team when it comes to players? The short answer is IMO this team doesn't have one either on the court or off it. They aren't devoid of leaders but nobody that's the guy. That's gonna be significant when it comes to the on court product in the short term.

To me there is some good news though. The young guys get to learn to be leaders. By the accounts aibhave seen these guys are good dudes. Dieng seems like a guy that is gonna be a great lead by example guy as sort of an elder statesmen a of the young guys along with Rubio. The players are learning from an experienced coaching staff. I'd guess Lucas is on the roster as a vet who fills a bit of a leadership role. He is a coach in waiting seems very comfortable in his own skin and has been around the league and spent time with Thibs. Of the vet guys this team brought on he seems the most vocal guy among more laid back dudes in Aldrich, Hill and Rush.

Thinking about all this makes me convinced the Wolves struggles are mental and it's on Thibs and his staff to get these guys to learn to find their place not just executing plays making the right plays but also becoming leaders learning how to become a professional basketball player. There have already been sole growing pains and I expect more. It may pay off down the road if the process is furthered because these guys got a chance to learn all this on the fly.

Isn't it supposed to be Rubio? He's made it through 3 GMs. If he is as great of a player with his intangibles shouldn't he be that guy? I really think for whatever reason (ahem....shooting, winning, being foreign) Rubio is not respected as a leader by players in this league or on this team.

I think you're dead on. Ricky SHOULD be the leader, but when it feels like Ricky isn't wanted by Thibs and co., it's hard to assume that leadership with confidence. Everything from the time Wiggins has arrived has been one giant force feed to make Wiggins something he might not ever be.

[thedoper]

Ricky's play this year is not on Thibs. He has played awful man D, there's no way around it at this point. He has been bad, and Thibs should have no reason to be loyal to him.

[Monster]

Britt's latest column talked about the lack of vets.

https://www.minnpost.com/sports%252F2016%252F11%252Fwolves-could-really-use-kg-right-now

It goes along with something I was thinking about yesterday. Who is the leader of this team when it comes to players? The short answer is IMO this team doesn't have one either on the court or off it. They aren't devoid of leaders but nobody that's the guy. That's gonna be significant when it comes to the on court product in the short term.

To me there is some good news though. The young guys get to learn to be leaders. By the accounts aibhave seen these guys are good dudes. Dieng seems like a guy that is gonna be a great lead by example guy as sort of an elder statesmen a of the young guys along with Rubio. The players are learning from an experienced coaching staff. I'd guess Lucas is on the roster as a vet who fills a bit of a leadership role. He is a coach in waiting seems very comfortable in his own skin and has been around the league and spent time with Thibs. Of the vet guys this team brought on he seems the most vocal guy among more laid back dudes in Aldrich, Hill and Rush.

Thinking about all this makes me convinced the Wolves struggles are mental and it's on Thibs and his staff to get these guys to learn to find their place not just executing plays making the right plays but also becoming leaders learning how to become a professional basketball player. There have already been sole growing pains and I expect more. It may pay off down the road if the process is furthered because these guys got a chance to learn all this on the fly.

Isn't it supposed to be Rubio? He's made it through 3 GMs. If he is as great of a player with his intangibles shouldn't he be that guy? I really think for whatever reason (ahem....shooting, winning, being foreign) Rubio is not respected as a leader by players in this league or on this team.

I think you're dead on. Ricky SHOULD be the leader, but when it feels like Ricky isn't wanted by Thibs and co., it's hard to assume that leadership with confidence. Everything from the time Wiggins has arrived has been one giant force feed to make Wiggins something he might not ever be.

I'll make the point again about Rubio that i made in another thread. He has played 280ish games. He has only played 60ish games more than Dieng. Yeah Rubio SHOULD be one of the leaders but we forget through all of this he isnt quite the polished guy we would think he is because of injuries and therefore lack of games and a chunk of his game he has played he wasn't fully healthy. I'm not making excuses for Rubio just being really realistic with the level of experience leadership this team has or more accurately doesn't have. It's pretty significant.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Britt's latest column talked about the lack of vets.

https://www.minnpost.com/sports%252F2016%252F11%252Fwolves-could-really-use-kg-right-now

It goes along with something I was thinking about yesterday. Who is the leader of this team when it comes to players? The short answer is IMO this team doesn't have one either on the court or off it. They aren't devoid of leaders but nobody that's the guy. That's gonna be significant when it comes to the on court product in the short term.

To me there is some good news though. The young guys get to learn to be leaders. By the accounts aibhave seen these guys are good dudes. Dieng seems like a guy that is gonna be a great lead by example guy as sort of an elder statesmen a of the young guys along with Rubio. The players are learning from an experienced coaching staff. I'd guess Lucas is on the roster as a vet who fills a bit of a leadership role. He is a coach in waiting seems very comfortable in his own skin and has been around the league and spent time with Thibs. Of the vet guys this team brought on he seems the most vocal guy among more laid back dudes in Aldrich, Hill and Rush.

Thinking about all this makes me convinced the Wolves struggles are mental and it's on Thibs and his staff to get these guys to learn to find their place not just executing plays making the right plays but also becoming leaders learning how to become a professional basketball player. There have already been sole growing pains and I expect more. It may pay off down the road if the process is furthered because these guys got a chance to learn all this on the fly.

Isn't it supposed to be Rubio? He's made it through 3 GMs. If he is as great of a player with his intangibles shouldn't he be that guy? I really think for whatever reason (ahem....shooting, winning, being foreign) Rubio is not respected as a leader by players in this league or on this team.

I think you're dead on. Ricky SHOULD be the leader, but when it feels like Ricky isn't wanted by Thibs and co., it's hard to assume that leadership with confidence. Everything from the time Wiggins has arrived has been one giant force feed to make Wiggins something he might not ever be.

I'll make the point again about Rubio that i made in another thread. He has played 280ish games. He has only played 60ish games more than Dieng. Yeah Rubio SHOULD be one of the leaders but we forget through all of this he isnt quite the polished guy we would think he is because of injuries and therefore lack of games and a chunk of his game he has played he wasn't fully healthy. I'm not making excuses for Rubio just being really realistic with the level of experience leadership this team has or more accurately doesn't have. It's pretty significant.

And only a handful (at most?) games for a team with a record above .500. I think that's important, too.