Minnesota Sports Forum

The starting five has been improving and propelled a few nice wins and some other very close games versus good teams and it's really exciting to think about how good they may become. Here's my thoughts on the current roster.

Rubio - I thought you were going to be awesome when drafted, then I gave up on you a few months into this season thinking you'd never have enough offensive game to be a legit NBA PG. As of late it appears that you might actually become the player I originally thought. I love how hard you play and the way you involve others, keep taking your game to new levels!

LaVine - You're now playing SG, took Sam long enough but the important part is that your only starting to scratch the surface. A gym rat with this much talent and swag, the sky is the limit!

Wiggins - It just seems like you should be more dominant or rather have more consistency, yes that's it....I want to see you dominate on a more regular basis. I love the talent though and can't wait to see what you become.

Dieng - I was stationed in Louisville when you won the national championship and thought you were a steal in the late 1st round. You're actually outdoing my expectations and I hope you work with the dream again it appears to have made a big difference. I hope we can afford to keep you around with the rest of the core.

KAT - I didn't think it was close as to who MN should have drafted in the 1st round and you're proving to the league that you are going to be the best big man in the league very soon.

Coach : Sam you've toned down as the year has gone on but you were overboard with negative emotion for the majority of the year. You also took way to long to give Zach the starting SG role and have had questionable rotations frequently. While I do think you've improved as the season has gone on, I don't think you're the man for the job. I've heard no negative rumblings from players about you so I'm less of a Sam hater than I was just a few months ago.

Jones - I think you've improved during the year, looking forward to seeing how you continue to develop and hope you become more aggressive and look to score more next season.

Smith - I have enjoyed watching and evaluating you, I like how you set picks, board, and you even rotate pretty well defensively. I doubt Pek stays healthy ever again so you match up well enough with bigger players that Pek would likely take, so if you come on the cheap I'd consider bringing you back for 2017.

KG - If paying you for another year keeps your influence around the team, then I'm on board.

Prince - Well worth the 1.5 million and seeing how you didn't ask for a trade / buyout I got to think you return next season. Wonder if you'd be a good head coach?

Muhammed - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_2gcG-KnVc
The above link is why I thought you were a wasted pick, you became more than I thought and even left me wanting to see what you could develop into. I'm now back to thinking you're a poor defensive player and your offensive moves are borderline predictable. You're not good enough to be a ball hog and I really hope you get traded.

Bjelica - I had such high hopes for you, even thinking you might be Toni Kukoc like. Maybe you're adjusting still either way you need to work really hard this off season. At least you ain't getting paid all that much.

Pek - While I think about how punishing you could be off the bench in the perfect scenario, I also realize you are too big to be putting all that weight stress on your joints, and will probably just get hurt time and time again.

Payne - I don't think anyone on this board really liked the trade for you, but some of us trusted in Flips drafting and seen you as a lottery ticket with high upside (that was me). Your problem is you're frequently out of position and appear to be lost at times.

Rudez - I like how you rotate defensively and who doesn't like a long range shooter. Problem is you're not big enough to be a PF and too slow to be a SF. I'm done with you.

Good thoughts Tactical.

On Greg Smith, I have zero interest in bringing him back. I like the the fact that he's a big body that doesn't try to do too much, but he is incapable of defending without fouling. And this team needs capable defenders more than anything.

Nice write up TU, and I tend to agree with you on almost everything. But I'd like to get KG off the books, I know he won't retire, but I can wish. The good thing about this squad is like you said we have a legit starting 5 that we can go with into next year.

Q12543 wrote:Good thoughts Tactical.

On Greg Smith, I have zero interest in bringing him back. I like the the fact that he's a big body that doesn't try to do too much, but he is incapable of defending without fouling. And this team needs capable defenders more than anything.

I am not saying for sure bring Greg Smith back for sure but it feels like the guy has some clue about what he is trying to do its just he seems a little rusty. this was a guy that good franchises saw value in not that long ago and he is 25 and has enough physical attributes to be effective. I'd bring him back on a non-guaranteed deal for next year hoping i could upgrade him but I can still see him possibly being effective. I understand he hasn't shown enough so far to really make anyone want him back, but I think there could be something worthwhile there. He only has to improve so much to be effective because of the type of role his game involves.

I AM excited about the talent we have, and the draft pick. I hope they stay, after their rookie deals are over. Which is why Sam staying worries me.

To expand a little on Greg Smith, he really needs to develop a mid range game so that he can be more of an option in pick in role because he sets decent picks. He also has to be cheap for me to have any interest because you can find players as good or better than him rather easily. However he does match up with the larger bigs in the league better than KAT and Dieng would and I don't trust Pek to be healthy, so I see him having a definitive role. Also doesn't seem like the type to complain or cause problems if he doesn't play every night and I can't recall him wasting time crying to the refs about calls.

Tactical unit wrote:To expand a little on Greg Smith, he really needs to develop a mid range game so that he can be more of an option in pick in role because he sets decent picks. He also has to be cheap for me to have any interest because you can find players as good or better than him rather easily. However he does match up with the larger bigs in the league better than KAT and Dieng would and I don't trust Pek to be healthy, so I see him having a definitive role. Also doesn't seem like the type to complain or cause problems if he doesn't play every night and I can't recall him wasting time crying to the refs about calls.

I'd be happy with him just having good hands to catch passes and finish around the rim at a high rate. I don't think he is going to develop much of a jump shot. That's ok he is more of a 15mpg at the most type player (unless he becomes a very solid defensive player) not a legit rotation guy.