The Final Two Roster Spots - PG Position

[Lipoli390]

After the welcome signing of Bazz, the Wolves now have 2 regular roster spots left among the 14 Thibs intends to fill before the season starts.

Given the current roster balance, I would expect the Wolves to sign a PG to fill one of those two roster slots -- which could be Aaron Brooks, Trey Burke, Deron Williams, CJ Watson or Isaiah Canaan.

The Wolves could go in several different directions to fill the last slot. They could sign the best 3-point shooter remaining among the current free agents. If so, they'd probably sign Dunleavy or Barbosa, unless Thibs and Layden consider Cunningham a 3-point shooter based solely on last season. Otherwise, the Wolves could look for a player with any number of other skill sets. They could, for example, look for the best available rebounder, which statistically would be Thomas Robinson and Andrew Bogut, followed by David Lee. If the Wolves want more size they might opt for Bogut, but his injury history is alarming to say the least. Cunningham might offer the most versatility as a guy who can play both PF and SF, defend fairly well and score the ball relatively well.

In this thread, I'm asking the following question. Which of the following current free agent PGs would be your first choice for the Wolves to sign?

[SameOldNudityDrew]

Am I crazy to think we have a bigger needs than another PG? In particular, I'm thinking of a defender or three point shooter we can sprinkle out there with all our drive-oriented scorers.

Teague is an ironman, who only played fewer than 70 games once in 8 seasons. He's averaged 79 games per season the last 5 seasons.

Tyus is at least a capable backup point, and his effectiveness when playing suggests any other PG we sign is only for insurance.

Plus, we still have Jamal Crawford and Jimmy Butler, who are both capable of playing the point. Butler in particular has shown he could actually be a very effective point, and he's capable of defending the position as well.

So while Canaan, Watson, or maybe Brooks make sense, I'd rather try to get two wings like Dante Cunningham and Tony Allen. We probably won't get these guys, but that's what I'd prefer if we could get them.

I'm convinced enough of Cunningham's three point shot to like him, and he's a solid defender too. We're competing against playing time with New Orleans though, because Cunningham would probably be a starter for them now.

Tony Allen is still a great defender, and he's probably just waiting for the Grizz to sign Jamychal Green before re-upping there too. He'd also probably start there, and it seems like a forgone conclusion he's going back there.

Still, if we got those two, we could have a deep roster like this:

Teague/Tyus/Crawford
Wiggins/Allen
Butler/Bazz/Bjelica
Taj/Cunningham
Towns/Gorgui/Aldrich/Patton

Getting those two would give us more flexibility in terms of who to put out there. You could put Allen out there next to Wiggins and/or Crawford to minimize their defensive liabilities.

Cunningham's versatility makes him a nice fit because he could help stretch the floor a bit (especially next to Allen) and also pick up a bit of defensive slack with quicker forwards next to Towns or Bjelica.

I love Gorgui, but I'd almost rather feature him off the bench and play Taj as a starter who doesn't need offensive touches and can just focus on defense, hopefully also forcing Towns to learn to defend 5s, since I think that should be his full-time position in the future.

A reserve lineup like the one below could be pretty good on both sides of the ball:

Crawford
Allen
Bazz
Cunningham
Gorgui

You could also stagger the lineup a bit, pulling Allen off the bench relatively early and playing him next to Wiggins with most of the starting unit and then bringing Butler back onto the floor with the reserves. That lineup of Allen with the starters would still have plenty of scoring and wouldn't hurt us defensively, although we'd be giving up a bit of three point shooting. If you were concerned about 3 point shooting, you could also put Cunningham out there instead of Taj, although the rebounding might suffer.

Teague
Allen
Wiggins
Taj/Cunningham
Towns

And that reserve+Butler lineup would definitely cause lots of problems for other teams' backups. It would provide a solid defensive frontcourt, scoring in the front and backcourt, and Butler getting to play superstar against backups or forcing the other team to adjust their lineups to keep a great defender out there on him.

Tyus
Bazz
Butler
Cunningham/Taj
Gorgui

Wow, actually, that Butler+reserves lineup would be at least as good as some teams' starters come to think of it. I'd gladly put that lineup up against the starting units of the Bulls, Hawks, Pacers, Nets, Magic, Suns, Lakers, and Kings.

This is probably a pipe dream though, because those guys are going to want to play, and especially with Thibs as coach, some of those guys won't play at all. Let's assume (safely) that Aldrich and Patton won't play this year at all. That still leaves 12 guys, and Thibs doesn't seem to play more than 10. Who else wouldn't play? Bjelica? We need his passing and he could potentially help stretch the floor a bit so that wouldn't be ideal, but he'd probably be an odd man out if we got Cunningham. That's still 11 guys who would really deserve to play, and Thibs would have to adjust the way he doles out minutes to adjust to that--which would actually be a good thing if he did it, but I'm not holding my breath.

In other words, with the signing of Bazz, these last two spots are most likely insurance anyway. I can see why Allen and Cunningham wouldn't take them, which would be a shame, because we still really need what they could bring, particularly defense.

[Squishypoo [enjin:6648839]]

Am I crazy to think we have a bigger needs than another PG? In particular, I'm thinking of a defender or three point shooter we can sprinkle out there with all our drive-oriented scorers.

Teague is an ironman, who only played fewer than 70 games once in 8 seasons. He's averaged 79 games per season the last 5 seasons.

Tyus is at least a capable backup point, and his effectiveness when playing suggests any other PG we sign is only for insurance.

Plus, we still have Jamal Crawford and Jimmy Butler, who are both capable of playing the point. Butler in particular has shown he could actually be a very effective point, and he's capable of defending the position as well.

So while Canaan, Watson, or maybe Brooks make sense, I'd rather try to get two wings like Dante Cunningham and Tony Allen. We probably won't get these guys, but that's what I'd prefer if we could get them.

I'm convinced enough of Cunningham's three point shot to like him, and he's a solid defender too. We're competing against playing time with New Orleans though, because Cunningham would probably be a starter for them now.

Tony Allen is still a great defender, and he's probably just waiting for the Grizz to sign Jamychal Green before re-upping there too. He'd also probably start there, and it seems like a forgone conclusion he's going back there.

Still, if we got those two, we could have a deep roster like this:

Teague/Tyus/Crawford
Wiggins/Allen
Butler/Bazz/Bjelica

Taj/Cunningham
Towns/Gorgui/Aldrich/Patton

Getting those two would give us more flexibility in terms of who to put out there. You could put Allen out there next to Wiggins and/or Crawford to minimize their defensive liabilities.

Cunningham's versatility makes him a nice fit because he could help stretch the floor a bit (especially next to Allen) and also pick up a bit of defensive slack with quicker forwards next to Towns or Bjelica.

I love Gorgui, but I'd almost rather feature him off the bench and play Taj as a starter who doesn't need offensive touches and can just focus on defense, hopefully also forcing Towns to learn to defend 5s, since I think that should be his full-time position in the future.

A reserve lineup like the one below could be pretty good on both sides of the ball:

Crawford
Allen
Bazz
Cunningham
Gorgui

You could also stagger the lineup a bit, pulling Allen off the bench relatively early and playing him next to Wiggins with most of the starting unit and then bringing Butler back onto the floor with the reserves. That lineup of Allen with the starters would still have plenty of scoring and wouldn't hurt us defensively, although we'd be giving up a bit of three point shooting. If you were concerned about 3 point shooting, you could also put Cunningham out there instead of Taj, although the rebounding might suffer.

Teague
Allen
Wiggins
Taj/Cunningham
Towns

And that reserve+Butler lineup would definitely cause lots of problems for other teams' backups. It would provide a solid defensive frontcourt, scoring in the front and backcourt, and Butler getting to play superstar against backups or forcing the other team to adjust their lineups to keep a great defender out there on him.

Tyus
Bazz
Butler
Cunningham/Taj
Gorgui

Wow, actually, that Butler+reserves lineup would be at least as good as some teams' starters come to think of it. I'd gladly put that lineup up against the starting units of the Bulls, Hawks, Pacers, Nets, Magic, Suns, Lakers, and Kings.

This is probably a pipe dream though, because those guys are going to want to play, and especially with Thibs as coach, some of those guys won't play at all. Let's assume (safely) that Aldrich and Patton won't play this year at all. That still leaves 12 guys, and Thibs doesn't seem to play more than 10. Who else wouldn't play? Bjelica? We need his passing and he could potentially help stretch the floor a bit so that wouldn't be ideal, but he'd probably be an odd man out if we got Cunningham. That's still 11 guys who would really deserve to play, and Thibs would have to adjust the way he doles out minutes to adjust to that--which would actually be a good thing if he did it, but I'm not holding my breath.

In other words, with the signing of Bazz, these last two spots are most likely insurance anyway. I can see why Allen and Cunningham wouldn't take them, which would be a shame, because we still really need what they could bring, particularly defense.

Tony Allen was picked up by Pelicans a few days ago. They all so picked up Martell Webster.

[SameOldNudityDrew]

Am I crazy to think we have a bigger needs than another PG? In particular, I'm thinking of a defender or three point shooter we can sprinkle out there with all our drive-oriented scorers.

Teague is an ironman, who only played fewer than 70 games once in 8 seasons. He's averaged 79 games per season the last 5 seasons.

Tyus is at least a capable backup point, and his effectiveness when playing suggests any other PG we sign is only for insurance.

Plus, we still have Jamal Crawford and Jimmy Butler, who are both capable of playing the point. Butler in particular has shown he could actually be a very effective point, and he's capable of defending the position as well.

So while Canaan, Watson, or maybe Brooks make sense, I'd rather try to get two wings like Dante Cunningham and Tony Allen. We probably won't get these guys, but that's what I'd prefer if we could get them.

I'm convinced enough of Cunningham's three point shot to like him, and he's a solid defender too. We're competing against playing time with New Orleans though, because Cunningham would probably be a starter for them now.

Tony Allen is still a great defender, and he's probably just waiting for the Grizz to sign Jamychal Green before re-upping there too. He'd also probably start there, and it seems like a forgone conclusion he's going back there.

Still, if we got those two, we could have a deep roster like this:

Teague/Tyus/Crawford
Wiggins/Allen
Butler/Bazz/Bjelica

Taj/Cunningham
Towns/Gorgui/Aldrich/Patton

Getting those two would give us more flexibility in terms of who to put out there. You could put Allen out there next to Wiggins and/or Crawford to minimize their defensive liabilities.

Cunningham's versatility makes him a nice fit because he could help stretch the floor a bit (especially next to Allen) and also pick up a bit of defensive slack with quicker forwards next to Towns or Bjelica.

I love Gorgui, but I'd almost rather feature him off the bench and play Taj as a starter who doesn't need offensive touches and can just focus on defense, hopefully also forcing Towns to learn to defend 5s, since I think that should be his full-time position in the future.

A reserve lineup like the one below could be pretty good on both sides of the ball:

Crawford
Allen
Bazz
Cunningham
Gorgui

You could also stagger the lineup a bit, pulling Allen off the bench relatively early and playing him next to Wiggins with most of the starting unit and then bringing Butler back onto the floor with the reserves. That lineup of Allen with the starters would still have plenty of scoring and wouldn't hurt us defensively, although we'd be giving up a bit of three point shooting. If you were concerned about 3 point shooting, you could also put Cunningham out there instead of Taj, although the rebounding might suffer.

Teague
Allen
Wiggins
Taj/Cunningham
Towns

And that reserve+Butler lineup would definitely cause lots of problems for other teams' backups. It would provide a solid defensive frontcourt, scoring in the front and backcourt, and Butler getting to play superstar against backups or forcing the other team to adjust their lineups to keep a great defender out there on him.

Tyus
Bazz
Butler
Cunningham/Taj
Gorgui

Wow, actually, that Butler+reserves lineup would be at least as good as some teams' starters come to think of it. I'd gladly put that lineup up against the starting units of the Bulls, Hawks, Pacers, Nets, Magic, Suns, Lakers, and Kings.

This is probably a pipe dream though, because those guys are going to want to play, and especially with Thibs as coach, some of those guys won't play at all. Let's assume (safely) that Aldrich and Patton won't play this year at all. That still leaves 12 guys, and Thibs doesn't seem to play more than 10. Who else wouldn't play? Bjelica? We need his passing and he could potentially help stretch the floor a bit so that wouldn't be ideal, but he'd probably be an odd man out if we got Cunningham. That's still 11 guys who would really deserve to play, and Thibs would have to adjust the way he doles out minutes to adjust to that--which would actually be a good thing if he did it, but I'm not holding my breath.

In other words, with the signing of Bazz, these last two spots are most likely insurance anyway. I can see why Allen and Cunningham wouldn't take them, which would be a shame, because we still really need what they could bring, particularly defense.

Tony Allen was picked up by Pelicans a few days ago. They all so picked up Martell Webster.

Bummer.

[Monster]

FWIW the reports are that my guy Trey Burke looked like garbage in his wolves workout and he probably isn't an option.

I'll take Barbosa on this team but I am not sure he really plays PG anymore.

Honestly I would take any of the guys you listed although I don't know if Vasquez can play after all his injuries and I am a fan of his game. I play ball with a guy that kinda looks a lot like him. Their games aren't very similar though. lol

I might pick Canaan because I think he might fit the roster the best as a guy that might actually defend should hit 3's can get hot every once in a while and probably would be thrilled to have an NBA contract. If Teague went down I'm not sure any of these guys would be good enough to get you by for very long as a starter.

[Lipoli390]

FWIW the reports are that my guy Trey Burke looked like garbage in his wolves workout and he probably isn't an option.

I'll take Barbosa on this team but I am not sure he really plays PG anymore.

Honestly I would take any of the guys you listed although I don't know if Vasquez can play after all his injuries and I am a fan of his game. I play ball with a guy that kinda looks a lot like him. Their games aren't very similar though. lol

I might pick Canaan because I think he might fit the roster the best as a guy that might actually defend should hit 3's can get hot every once in a while and probably would be thrilled to have an NBA contract. If Teague went down I'm not sure any of these guys would be good enough to get you by for very long as a starter.

Interesting info on Burke. I hadn't heard that. I've always liked Barbosa, but I wouldn't sign him unless confident he could play PG and sure that he still has enough left in the tank. Good point about none of these guys being able to adequately fill in for Teague if he goes down for an extended stretch. I think Canaan is probably the best fit since he's probably the best 2-way player of the bunch and might actually be able to fill in if Teague goes down for a stretch and Jones can't do the job well enough.

[Monster]

FWIW the reports are that my guy Trey Burke looked like garbage in his wolves workout and he probably isn't an option.

I'll take Barbosa on this team but I am not sure he really plays PG anymore.

Honestly I would take any of the guys you listed although I don't know if Vasquez can play after all his injuries and I am a fan of his game. I play ball with a guy that kinda looks a lot like him. Their games aren't very similar though. lol

I might pick Canaan because I think he might fit the roster the best as a guy that might actually defend should hit 3's can get hot every once in a while and probably would be thrilled to have an NBA contract. If Teague went down I'm not sure any of these guys would be good enough to get you by for very long as a starter.

Interesting info on Burke. I hadn't heard that. I've always liked Barbosa, but I wouldn't sign him unless confident he could play PG and sure that he still has enough left in the tank. Good point about none of these guys being able to adequately fill in for Teague if he goes down for an extended stretch. I think Canaan is probably the best fit since he's probably the best 2-way player of the bunch and might actually be able to fill in if Teague goes down for a stretch and Jones can't do the job well enough.

I agree with all you said. To me Barbosa is sort of a Crawford type with a different game skills. I think he can still play but that's not a certainty.

As I mentioned in another thread a guy I would be intruiged by if the Bucks let him go is Gary Patton II. He is young probably won't shoot well but is long fairly athletic and will likely be a defender and do shot player. That would be a nice compliment to Teague and Tyus. He would likely have some versatility defensively and therefore positionwise. The Bucks have another young PG they signed so it's possible Patton gets cut as his deal isn't guaranteed. That's an upside play to get him but it could pay off.

[Lipoli390]

FWIW the reports are that my guy Trey Burke looked like garbage in his wolves workout and he probably isn't an option.

I'll take Barbosa on this team but I am not sure he really plays PG anymore.

Honestly I would take any of the guys you listed although I don't know if Vasquez can play after all his injuries and I am a fan of his game. I play ball with a guy that kinda looks a lot like him. Their games aren't very similar though. lol

I might pick Canaan because I think he might fit the roster the best as a guy that might actually defend should hit 3's can get hot every once in a while and probably would be thrilled to have an NBA contract. If Teague went down I'm not sure any of these guys would be good enough to get you by for very long as a starter.

Interesting info on Burke. I hadn't heard that. I've always liked Barbosa, but I wouldn't sign him unless confident he could play PG and sure that he still has enough left in the tank. Good point about none of these guys being able to adequately fill in for Teague if he goes down for an extended stretch. I think Canaan is probably the best fit since he's probably the best 2-way player of the bunch and might actually be able to fill in if Teague goes down for a stretch and Jones can't do the job well enough.

I agree with all you said. To me Barbosa is sort of a Crawford type with a different game skills. I think he can still play but that's not a certainty.

As I mentioned in another thread a guy I would be intruiged by if the Bucks let him go is Gary Patton II. He is young probably won't shoot well but is long fairly athletic and will likely be a defender and do shot player. That would be a nice compliment to Teague and Tyus. He would likely have some versatility defensively and therefore positionwise. The Bucks have another young PG they signed so it's possible Patton gets cut as his deal isn't guaranteed. That's an upside play to get him but it could pay off.

I like the Gary Payton II idea if the Bucks cut him. When you get down to the 13 and 14th roster spots, it makes sense to think about getting a younger guy who's hungry and might develop into something long term. And it makes particular sense for the Wolves when the player is known as as defender and "do-shit" guy. Adding competitiveness and toughnes makes sense for a Wolves team that now seems poised for a possible playoff run. Butler might see some of himself in Payton and take him under his wing in practice. Who knows what Payton could become.

[bleedspeed]

Payton is intriguing, but I really want someone that can play when we need to call on someone. It would be awesome to have both, but seems like Aaron Brooks/Barbosa might be the best option.

[Monster]

Payton is intriguing, but I really want someone that can play when we need to call on someone. It would be awesome to have both, but seems like Aaron Brooks/Barbosa might be the best option.

In theory...Payton gives you a guy that is a better defender if he comes in. Idk if he really will bring that as a young experienced player but like I said the fit makes sense. Wolfson reported that the Bucks have entered the mix for Brandon Rush so it's possible they add another guy more likely to make the roster than Payton or another cheap young player. He is my latest fringe young player crush although I really liked him in the 2016 draft as a guy I would want to take a flyer on.

Edit: Rush signed with the Bucks. That means they will need to cut 2 guys. I would think adding Rush puts James young as a possible cut. Lip weren't you a guy wanting to bring in James Young?