ummm.........game thread?

[Merc_Porto]

Let's Send Pekovic and Budinger to China.

17 $M / year in nothing.
****.

[zeemwolves]

I was surprised by hamilton, he was much better than expected in some plays both on offence and defence

[C.lupus]

Fans have flocked for good. See you guy next year.

These late games don't help. They are past my bed time.

[C.lupus]

So, I obviously didn't watch the game (and don't plan to). Did Pek get injured again? Why only 8 minutes? Low minutes for Wiggins, too. Was it a rest the guys in a blowout situation?

[Worm Guts]

It feels like we've gone into tank mode. We gave a lot of minutes to players I wouldn't expect to play and under 30 minutes for Rubio and Wiggins.

[packforfreedom]

that awkward moment, when Justin Hamilton is our best player....

but he's actually way better than expected, he's very mobile, moves good without the ball, has three point range and can do some damage in the post. solid pickup.

the game itself was a disgrace, Wiggins needs to step, he doesn't seem to care anymore which is not acceptable. Even though I'm one of the biggest Pek supporters, he seems kind of done.

please let this season end.

[guest81]

that awkward moment, when Justin Hamilton is our best player....

but he's actually way better than expected, he's very mobile, moves good without the ball, has three point range and can do some damage in the post. solid pickup.

the game itself was a disgrace, Wiggins needs to step, he doesn't seem to care anymore which is not acceptable. Even though I'm one of the biggest Pek supporters, he seems kind of done.

please let this season end.

Wiggins has played the most minutes in the NBA, could it be that he's tired?

Also we need to stop saying players are good or not based on a one game sample size

[minimus]

just watched the game couple of thoughts

1) they put physical defenders on RR, Wiggins and Martin. As result PHO completely took away perimeter game. Martin couldn't earn FT, Rubio missed layups, Wiggins couldn’t postup bigger Morris.
2) Hamilton is everything we need from 3rd string C. He is clearly not explosive enough and he does not have length to be effective defensive bigman. However, he has high BB IQ, disciplined both in defense and in offense. He registered 2 blocks, but I counted at least 3 more possession when he altered and caused missed shots or bad shots. Suprising mobility, good hands, good touch around the rim, very quick for his size, fights for position, good positioning, very active.
3) I like Payne motor, saying that I understand that he shows every aspect of his play: highlight reel dunks and stupid TO, clean blocks and bad positioning in defense, good ball handling skills + good finishes around the rim and bad shot technique. But he shows everything that AB lacks: aggressiveness, willingness to defend etc. I wonder how much he can improve during last games and in offseason.
4) We didn't have answer to Morris. He is too big for Wiggins, too quick for Dieng, too skilled for Payne. Maybe healthy Hummel could defend him, but we don't have versatile defender like Dray, Green or Millsap in our team.
5) Flip must rest Rubio more. He looks tired, I don’t want to see another season ending injury. I we need to see Brown in action, since our backup PG situation is not resolved yet.
6) When Dieng doesn't try to dribble he is pretty decent offensive player. his bank shot looks automatic, hook shot is good weapon too. Plus he passes the ball.

[Takingbaconback]

If wolves can dump Dieng for a mid-late first rounder, they should do it. Hamilton might not have those spectacular Dieng blocks but he can stay in front of his man and alter shots. He's also much more aware on the court and doesn't have consistent mental lapses that Dieng suffers from. I say trade him now while there are still GMs that believe he can eventually be a starter or something.

[Calinks]

Dieng actually played well until he got tired. Wolves shouldn't be looking to dump him, that's asinine. He's a great back up big. HAmilton had one damn game and was extremely motivated. Let's be fair here.

I think this team needs a new system, and a different approach to coaching. Maybe Flip's style is just too outdated. We need to be much more active beyond the three point line, cut down the long two's, and a lot more active defensively. I think Dieng played a bit better in Adelman's system. The good news is I think the roster is rounding out pretty nicely as is. We got some good shooters, a couple of player capable of slashing, and some decent defenders. I think a few more tweaks, some good health, and a quality top 4 big can put us in 8th seed contention next season. I don't think we will make the playoffs but we could get 40 wins with the right approach.

[Takingbaconback]

It's not asinine if you think he's going to be a backup center of the future. I rather get a mid to late first round pick to keep churning for talent rather than being happy about a backup center who looks lost half the time he's out there. Terrible consistency and not a lot of impact. Has these great plays here and there but the overall impact is low because he doesn't have a good enough basketball mind to process what's happening on the floor.

If we can get a guy like Christian Wood/Tyus Jones for Dieng, it's an easy trade in my mind.

[Note30]

It's not asinine if you think he's going to be a backup center of the future. I rather get a mid to late first round pick to keep churning for talent rather than being happy about a backup center who looks lost half the time he's out there. Terrible consistency and not a lot of impact. Has these great plays here and there but the overall impact is low because he doesn't have a good enough basketball mind to process what's happening on the floor.

If we can get a guy like Christian Wood/Tyus Jones for Dieng, it's an easy trade in my mind.

You're crazy. Like bat **** crazy. Dieng is one of the only low tier prospects thats worked out for us that we've drafted. Him and Bazz. You assume that we can pick another talent thats BETTER THAN HIM???!! At the 15-22 spot? Dude we hit a decent score at that range. FYI his impact is decent to average, and if you don't get that you really don't understand ball. He can still become a key player on our team, he just needs to up his strength and his mental toughness and he'll be fine.

Both prospects you mentioned are run of the mill guys.

[Note30]

Dieng actually played well until he got tired. Wolves shouldn't be looking to dump him, that's asinine. He's a great back up big. HAmilton had one damn game and was extremely motivated. Let's be fair here.

I think this team needs a new system, and a different approach to coaching. Maybe Flip's style is just too outdated. We need to be much more active beyond the three point line, cut down the long two's, and a lot more active defensively. I think Dieng played a bit better in Adelman's system. The good news is I think the roster is rounding out pretty nicely as is. We got some good shooters, a couple of player capable of slashing, and some decent defenders. I think a few more tweaks, some good health, and a quality top 4 big can put us in 8th seed contention next season. I don't think we will make the playoffs but we could get 40 wins with the right approach.

True and true.

[Takingbaconback]

It's not asinine if you think he's going to be a backup center of the future. I rather get a mid to late first round pick to keep churning for talent rather than being happy about a backup center who looks lost half the time he's out there. Terrible consistency and not a lot of impact. Has these great plays here and there but the overall impact is low because he doesn't have a good enough basketball mind to process what's happening on the floor.

If we can get a guy like Christian Wood/Tyus Jones for Dieng, it's an easy trade in my mind.

You're crazy. Like bat **** crazy. Dieng is one of the only low tier prospects thats worked out for us that we've drafted. Him and Bazz. You assume that we can pick another talent thats BETTER THAN HIM???!! At the 15-22 spot? Dude we hit a decent score at that range. FYI his impact is decent to average, and if you don't get that you really don't understand ball. He can still become a key player on our team, he just needs to up his strength and his mental toughness and he'll be fine.

Both prospects you mentioned are run of the mill guys.

It's not about mental toughness. It's about mental awareness and understanding of basketball. Dieng is already mentally tough, he's a steady guy who isn't afraid of making mistakes. He's not a good defender, not a good rebounder, and kills offensive flow.

Idk if you have realized what type of teams are winning basketball games these days. It isn't about one guy doing it all, it's about a well oiled system in which everybody on the floor knows where to go, when to go, when to pass, when to shoot. The point is winning teams are filled with players who can process information as quick as possible and execute. It's all about constant movement and rotation. Dieng has to think 2-3 full seconds before knowing what to do, his pick and rolls are useless because he doesn't know how to set a screen or get himself into a position where Ricky can pass him the ball. He doesn't box out well because he's usually out of position. He also lumbers to getting to a spot whether it is to receive a pass, set a pick, get into position for a rebound. It never is a sharp cut or a strong move, always some delayed weak procedure.

Not to say he doesn't do some good things like his blocks and his touch is nice for a big man especially on the perimeter. Looking at his mental acumen, however, I seriously doubt his value will ever be higher than now. He is pretty much destined to be a backup C if he's staying on the wolves so why not keep looking for better talent?

A guy like Jordan Clarkson got picked with what the 42nd? pick last year. Gobert got picked with 27th pick the year before that. Dieng is not a good basketball player right now, he's a good prospect. There are definitely better players to be had with the mid-late first round draft.

[Worm Guts]

I see times where Gorgui doesn't look instinctive, but I also have seen pretty drastic improvements in skill set . The bank shot, the wrong foot fadeaways are things I never imagined he would be trying. Statistically, his PER and TS are already above league average.
I've never seem him take 2-3 seconds for rotations. He seems to overcommit to rotations and really position himself poorly.

[Takingbaconback]

I see times where Gorgui doesn't look instinctive, but I also have seen pretty drastic improvements in skill set . The bank shot, the wrong foot fadeaways are things I never imagined he would be trying. Statistically, his PER and TS are already above league average.
I've never seem him take 2-3 seconds for rotations. He seems to overcommit to rotations and really position himself poorly.

I meant 2-3 seconds on offense when he has the ball in his hands and he just keeps looking around. Then realizes he's doing nothing, looks up at the basket, and finally decides to just shoot one up cuz there's nothing else he can do by that point.

[Worm Guts]

I think he's just waiting for a cutter to pop open

[Calinks]

The chances of us drafting another mid first round players as good as or better than Dieng are very low. I think you are just too hard on him. He is a really nice piece, a great back up big. He's not a superstar but he is a guy who can be a key piece on a good team. On top of all that, he is a big man who is durable. That in and of itself is huge in the NBA today. We should not be looking to part with him for another gamble that will have to invest years into in hopes of being as serviceable a player.

[Maefteda]

Give Gorgui some time... He's been our only big for long stretches this season, has had Bennett, Thad, Adrien, KG and Payne as rotating PF partners the whole season, while also being played at PF next to Pek.

We are flooding him with too much playing time and too many frontcourt partners. For a guy who already thinks too much than just reacting to what happens on the court, he's gonna be flustered. Not too mention that he's played way too much basketball since last March, with the end of last season, the FIBA World Cup and being the only healthy big for us this season.

He was beasting when he consistently got minutes with Love last year, so we know he can play. Let him have some consistency and we will reap the rewards.