JAZZ / WOLVES GT - 9 EST, 8 CENTRAL, 12 NOON QUEENSLAND

[Nitroglycerin]

Remember when Sixers fans said Thad Young wil be a fan favorite? Yeah...
I'm more mad at Budinger than Young because Young has a valid reason but the fact is he's playing terrible

[Calinks]

Man. Watching the replay, Jazz really took their defense to another level. They shamed us. Hayward was picking off passes like it was nobodies business. Look at the highlights, we had like 3 passes picked off in 4 possessions. Then for the final shot Shabazz couldn't even find an open man for three because all their defenders were totally draped over our guys and were way faster. I hope the pups take note, especially Wiggins because he is capable of such defense. It's another level than what we have been playing. It takes a lot more pressure than we have managed to muster to play like a good team.

[Foye]

Is it legal to have guys that jump this high? I thought that's why we never had any before.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYIgGyDkTQQ[/youtube]

[cpfsf]

Ricky and Pek will improve this team just enough to dash any hopes of Okafor.

don't tell anyone but I have a sneaking suspicion Towns might be better

ditto. it's not something i'm ready to make a sig over yet.

[Feilong]

Don't worry, Pek is not returning any time soon. And when he returns how many games will he play until bursitis reappears?
Ricky will make the team better but we will end bottom 3 anyway.
Bud has negative value. I think Bennett has zero value (which is more than Bud's) so it's easier to trade Bennett.
For next year i would like to see:
Rubio, Martin, Wiggins, Lavine, Bazz, Adrien, Dieng
Daniels (probably)
Pek (trade him for anything ... e.g McGee)
Thad (disappointed, expected more from him, trade him for a 2nd)
Bennett (trade)
Hummel (who cares)
Bud (try something in the off-season)

[Devilzsidewalk]

Ricky and Pek will improve this team just enough to dash any hopes of Okafor.

don't tell anyone but I have a sneaking suspicion Towns might be better

ditto. it's not something i'm ready to make a sig over yet.

Yea I'm not ultra confident in it yet either. I'd still go Okafor #1 because he looks like the answer to the question "what if young Eddy Curry was durable and fast and motivated and in good shape?" - which is absolutely a candidate for best center in the NBA.

but Towns seems like he might be the answer to the question "what if Al Horford was a 7 footer?" which to me also seems like a best center candidate, but maybe a little better rounded on defense and on the glass.

But I don't know yet, I'll need to see more (youtube clips).

[Devilzsidewalk]

Don't worry, Pek is not returning any time soon. And when he returns how many games will he play until bursitis reappears?
Ricky will make the team better but we will end bottom 3 anyway.
Bud has negative value. I think Bennett has zero value (which is more than Bud's) so it's easier to trade Bennett.
For next year i would like to see:
Rubio, Martin, Wiggins, Lavine, Bazz, Adrien, Dieng
Daniels (probably)
Pek (trade him for anything ... e.g McGee)
Thad (disappointed, expected more from him, trade him for a 2nd)
Bennett (trade)
Hummel (who cares)
Bud (try something in the off-season)

I think I agree with everything. Bennett looks like the latest in the Derrick Williams/Thomas Robinson line of 6'8" PFs that were big time scorers in college because they weren't being defended by 6'10" PFs that were equally athletic. He's good enough to get a job in the NBA for awhile, but I think he's a better fit for a stacked veteran team who can afford to give him a smaller role and development. Wolves can't afford to develop lesser prospects. They need some energy and hustle in the frontcourt desperately. A guy like Adrien creates opportunities for himself with his hustle, but Bennett seems like he needs his offensive looks set up for him.

[Feilong]

I would do Bennett + Bud for Barniani and just let him warm the bench but i doubt Knicks would do it.

[A1FromDay1]

Nobody mentioned Wiggins' bad inbound pass at the end of the game, are you ok with that?

[mandurugo]

they really need to trade Thad to a team playing meaningful games so he can taste the Corey Brewer rejuvenation tonic. He's had a terrible year off the court, and not great on the court either. I'm sure it'd be better for everybody if he could be in the playoff hunt somewhere and the wolves could get a young hungry guy who hasn't been beaten down by years of losing.

I guess I didn't watch enough Sixers games to know the turbulence that is Thad Young's game. He's all over the place and not in a good way. He plays so out of control on offense, it's a miracle anything goes down for him. Defensively is even worse. He's constantly out of position and gambles for the steal and misses

I think with all the injuries he feels like he really has to step up and be the man. If he was the third option of offense I'd feel a lot better about his game. Or if he and Bennet had continued the season like they started it, I wouldn't be too concerned about the PF spot. We'll have to see how it plays out as players return.

[sheefo13]

I will keep it positive to what i saw yesterday. It was good to see Wiggins and Shabazz co-exist and both score more than twenty. It was good to see them both go off together. Also Lavine shows flashes of decent defense although he got torches by Burke and sometimes shows the ability to get to the rim and penetrate like a PG should. I think the matchup against the jazz Saturday will be fun. Also, one game closer to getting Rubio game and one more loss that could help us get a better pick.

[C.lupus]

they really need to trade Thad to a team playing meaningful games so he can taste the Corey Brewer rejuvenation tonic. He's had a terrible year off the court, and not great on the court either. I'm sure it'd be better for everybody if he could be in the playoff hunt somewhere and the wolves could get a young hungry guy who hasn't been beaten down by years of losing.

I guess I didn't watch enough Sixers games to know the turbulence that is Thad Young's game. He's all over the place and not in a good way. He plays so out of control on offense, it's a miracle anything goes down for him. Defensively is even worse. He's constantly out of position and gambles for the steal and misses

I think with all the injuries he feels like he really has to step up and be the man. If he was the third option of offense I'd feel a lot better about his game. Or if he and Bennet had continued the season like they started it, I wouldn't be too concerned about the PF spot. We'll have to see how it plays out as players return.

I agree. Thad looked pretty good at the beginning of the year and he looked good in Philly when they had some talent surrounding him. He's just trying too hard on the court and forcing things.

[Devilzsidewalk]

Nobody mentioned Wiggins' bad inbound pass at the end of the game, are you ok with that?

I'm ok with it - nobody helped him out. Ref was at the 4 count, Shabazz flashed to the corner half-heartedly early as a decoy I guess because then he stood in the corner and didn't move, Adrien set a pick and didn't move, Daniels wasn't doing anything to get open. It seemed like nobody was prepared for the possibility that Mo might not be able to shake free because nobody else did anything to get open for the inbound pass.

[Worm Guts]

Nobody mentioned Wiggins' bad inbound pass at the end of the game, are you ok with that?

I'm ok with it - nobody helped him out. Ref was at the 4 count, Shabazz flashed to the corner half-heartedly early as a decoy I guess because then he stood in the corner and didn't move, Adrien set a pick and didn't move, Daniels wasn't doing anything to get open. It seemed like nobody was prepared for the possibility that Mo might not be able to shake free because nobody else did anything to get open for the inbound pass.

But why is Wiggins inbounding when he probably makes the best bail out option?

[Mattya]

I guess I didn't watch enough Sixers games to know the turbulence that is Thad Young's game. He's all over the place and not in a good way. He plays so out of control on offense, it's a miracle anything goes down for him. Defensively is even worse. He's constantly out of position and gambles for the steal and misses

I think with all the injuries he feels like he really has to step up and be the man. If he was the third option of offense I'd feel a lot better about his game. Or if he and Bennet had continued the season like they started it, I wouldn't be too concerned about the PF spot. We'll have to see how it plays out as players return.

I agree. Thad looked pretty good at the beginning of the year and he looked good in Philly when they had some talent surrounding him. He's just trying too hard on the court and forcing things.

Yeah we need to keep in mind that he is playing without Rubio and he lost his mother not to long ago. Ever since then he hasn't looked the same to me. I'll give him more time. I think he would make a good sixth man in the future.

[Foye]

I think with all the injuries he feels like he really has to step up and be the man. If he was the third option of offense I'd feel a lot better about his game. Or if he and Bennet had continued the season like they started it, I wouldn't be too concerned about the PF spot. We'll have to see how it plays out as players return.

I agree. Thad looked pretty good at the beginning of the year and he looked good in Philly when they had some talent surrounding him. He's just trying too hard on the court and forcing things.

Yeah we need to keep in mind that he is playing without Rubio and he lost his mother not to long ago. Ever since then he hasn't looked the same to me. I'll give him more time. I think he would make a good sixth man in the future.

Even if he regains shooting form...the issues that he does not block shots or rebounds do not go away. He is a solid 6th men yes but we better sooner than later find a starting caliber PF.

[AQuintus]

the issues that he does not block shots or rebounds do not go away.

This. Regardless of his offense, his huge problems on defense mean that he shouldn't be starting longterm (and I seriously doubt that he'll still be here after next year at the latest, regardless).

[A1FromDay1]

Nobody mentioned Wiggins' bad inbound pass at the end of the game, are you ok with that?

I'm ok with it - nobody helped him out. Ref was at the 4 count, Shabazz flashed to the corner half-heartedly early as a decoy I guess because then he stood in the corner and didn't move, Adrien set a pick and didn't move, Daniels wasn't doing anything to get open. It seemed like nobody was prepared for the possibility that Mo might not be able to shake free because nobody else did anything to get open for the inbound pass.

I didn't realize the count was up to 4. Adrien was open after the pick but he didn't know/care and was not looking, Shabazz would have been a safer option I think - maybe they got a deflection but not a steal at midcourt. And I wouldn't have had Wiggins inbounding in the first place.

[urinesane]

Nobody mentioned Wiggins' bad inbound pass at the end of the game, are you ok with that?

I'm ok with it - nobody helped him out. Ref was at the 4 count, Shabazz flashed to the corner half-heartedly early as a decoy I guess because then he stood in the corner and didn't move, Adrien set a pick and didn't move, Daniels wasn't doing anything to get open. It seemed like nobody was prepared for the possibility that Mo might not be able to shake free because nobody else did anything to get open for the inbound pass.

But why is Wiggins inbounding when he probably makes the best bail out option?

If you throw it in to Wiggins, you have to worry about him being trapped since his ball handling isn't great.

[Worm Guts]

That shouldn't be a concern in the front court.