Future lineup thoughts

[minimus]

Hi all,
KAT-Dieng-Wiggins-LaVine-RR lineup has been performing well. However there were many nights when our bench let us down. I see following issues with current setup

1) When LaVine is not scoring we have difficult nights in offense. He is our our best 3pt shooter by far.
2) KAT and Dieng are playing and meshing in offense very well. However, they tend to give up easy points to bigger opponent. Also more experienced teams are trying to play against Dieng a lot of PnR on perimeter
3) We have good shooters from the bench in Rudez, Tyus and Shabazz. However we dont have quality, versatile defender who can cover most dangerous opponent scorers when starters are resting, that is why Prince is playing so much.
4) Our offense with 2nd unit is stagnant primary because within our bench players we dont have a player who can create for others.
I still like Bjelica potential as our stretch four and point forward. He is not used properly in current system. He has BB IQ, he knows how to play off the ball, he plays PnR, pick and pop. But he is more a system player than superstar, he wont fix our offensive by himself.

Based on this I think that:
1) we could definitely use Dunn, Hield, Murray, Valentine scoring and playmaking abilities
2) we need a quality defender on perimeter. it can be good defender at any position PG, SG or SF.
3) we have two potential stretch fours in Rudez and Bjelica
4) Greg Smith has been efficient offensive player who can play good defense against bigmen in the post. He is not spectacular, but solid player
5) if we cannot find players in NBA market, I'd monitor closely players in Europe. The difference between salaries after salary cap rise will help to make their decision easier

What do you think? I don't see any real scenario where we sign a star FA, also I don't see any NBA ready player at #5 pick who can step into starting lineup. So I believe that starting lineup is set. I expect more from coaching change: better lineup management, better use of role players.

[Dleavitt24]

Just looked at the 2016 free agent market. Its unlikely we get the people we want in FA. Would be nice to get a bismack, or ezil as a defensive big...don't see it happing. I'd throw money at delly beacuase he's a PG who's scrappy like rubio but shoots almost 50% from 3. Hard to see Cleveland letting him go. If we wanna be a contender someday we cant skip steps and lock in with option 2 players. I sure hope FA see MIN as a good location otherwise winning will be tough again next year. Probably have to trade Mohammed ext, to get quality pieces back.

Example 1 -
Rubio/delly/Jones
Lavine/Wiggins
Wiggins/j. brown
M.Williams/dieng
Towns/ plumlee
Muhammed traded for future pick maybe another role player.

Example 2
Rubio/Jones
Lavine/murray-hield/luwawu*
Wiggins/muhammed
Dieng/ bjelica
Towns/ezeli-byiombo

Example 3
Rubio/Jones
Wiggins/lavine
Batum*/muhammed
Dieng/ellenson-bender-rabb-skal
Towns/mahimi*
*French connection

Example 4
Rubio/dunn/Jones
Lavine/e.gordon-bazemore-fournier
Wiggins/kid-gilchrist-covington
Dieng/ leuer/bjelica
Towns/ smith

Muhammed for Gilchrist or Covington

Example 5
Rubio/delly
Lavine/j.simmons
Wiggins/muhammed
Dieng/bjelica
Towns/poeltl

Tried to be realistic, hard to do. You start to realize which options are easier to do than others. I liked the idea of Kidd Gilchrist even though the Injuries because if shooters can be added he's fits the speed of the team and can play PF. His shooting is an issue but has improved. Imagining example 4 makes me salvate.

[Raymond437]

Rubio-LaVine-Wiggins-Towns-Biyombo
Jones-Hield-Tucker-Bjelica-Dieng

[minimus]

I like Kidd-Gilchrist, but his jumper is so broken... I feel like Shabazz will be traded for better fit.

[Note30]

Muhammed for Gilchrist or Covington

No way in hell Buzz City does this. Gilchrist is one of the best defenders in the NBA, and thats putting it lightly for a 22 year old. He's a monster. I've watched this guy up close, he has the potential to be the best defender the NBA has ever seen.

If we could grab him I'd do it in a heartbeat. Play him behind Wiggins and start him for small ball/big lineup purposes (replacing Zach or Dieng.

[Dleavitt24]

Yeh I don't think Muhammed gets him, but u could put a package together that might make the hornet's think. He would be a nice fit to fill the defense and rebounding we need from our wings.

[Dleavitt24]

I like Kidd-Gilchrist, but his jumper is so broken... I feel like Shabazz will be traded for better fit.

In the brief time he was back this season he had a reworked jumper...maybe there hope. He was 3 for 18 in his career before this year. He went 3\7 in 7 games this year.

I'd like to see
Rubio\murray\jones
Lavine\murray\wiggins
Wiggins\MKG\prince?
Dieng\MKG\bjelica\ Garnett?
Towns\Smith\payne

[Merc_Porto]

I would like to trade the pick + Shabazz for N.Noel. They have a logjam in the frount court.

Sign Bayless and Dudley.

Rubio - J.Bayless* - Jones
Lavine - Dudley*
Wiggins - Dudley*
Noel* - Dieng - Bjelica
Towns - Dieng

[NewWolvesOrder]

Trade the pick to Philly for Covington and Sabonis (Heat Pick)

Trade Bjelica for Lavoy Allen

Sign Dellavedova to a front loaded biggish contract so Cavs can't offer same total money and he leaves them.

Possibly trade Bazz for the best future asset, as I don't see enough minutes in my rotation for him to be happy with.

Keep Rudez for injury insurance

Rubio / Delly/ Jones
LaVine / Delly/ Wiggins / Bazz?
Wiggins / Covington / Bazz?/ Rudez
Dieng / Covington / Sabonis
Towns / Allen / Dieng

Starting unit stays the same, it seems to work fine. Our current bench sucks. I think we need 3&D players and physical bigs who can defend.
Delly is PG/SG who can shoot, defend and bring intensity, toughness, dive for loose balls.
Tyus only plays when opponents don't have a matchup to abuse him on D.
Covington is an athletic combo forward who plays D and shoots 3, very good tool if you go for smallball.
Sabonis is a very good rebounder and energy defender to bring off the bench if you get killed on the boards and lack intensity. He also has enough skills to replace Deing as a future PF.
L. Allen is a big bodied defender to bring in the game when either Deing or KAT is getting killed by physical frontcourt.

And no more hockey lineup changes. Bench players should be used to bring a certain lacking skillset in game. I'd keep at least one of KAT Wiggs or Zach to have a scorer on the floor at all times.

[Krapinsky]

Trade Bazz + Payne for T. Gibson. If they won't take Payne, then just waive him.

Trade Bjelica for C.J Watson + 2nd rounder (#41)

Sign Miles Plumlee

Trade #5 + #41 to Denver for #8 + #16 (Draft Hield + T. Prince)

Hire Thibs

Rubio/Watson/Jones
Hield/Lavine
Wiggins/Prince
Dieng/Gibson
Towns/Plumlee

[TwolvesFanRome]

Sincerely I expect an important trade...or an important sign from FA market...

I would like a shooting guard with points in hands with good defense too.

Do not know about you, I follow the TWolves from Carr and Gugliotta here in Rome...and I'm tired of not seeing a goddamn playoffs or a star to sign for us...it's time to raise up...

Anyway...

Rubio Middleton Wiggins Noel Towns

According to you, it's a realistic S5 or not?


What you expect from this summer ?

[NewWolvesOrder]

Sincerely I expect an important trade...or an important sign from FA market...

I would like a shooting guard with points in hands with good defense too.

Do not know about you, I follow the TWolves from Carr and Gugliotta here in Rome...and I'm tired of not seeing a goddamn playoffs or a star to sign for us...it's time to raise up...

Anyway...

Rubio Middleton Wiggins Noel Towns

According to you, it's a realistic S5 or not?


What you expect from this summer ?

That lineup is highly highly unrealistic. Bucks love Mids so you have to pay through the nose for him, Noel won't come cheap either. Even if you have somehow pulled that off you would have zero bench again and zero assets left. So you're going nowhere.

Get a f-ing bench this summer!

[mondry]

Lavine + Dieng for Booker + Len

Rubio / Booker / Wiggins / Len / Towns

championship!

[NewWolvesOrder]

Lavine + Dieng for Booker + Len

Rubio / Booker / Wiggins / Len / Towns

championship!

like there's a way Suns agree to it

And what year is the parade scheduled for?

[rick_21]

I see a lot of unrealistic Shabazz Muhammad trade ideas here. I don't think the guy has almost any value around the league, but keep dreaming.

The poster that expects a big trade or an important FA signing... you can keep dreaming too. This franchise has not make neither of those in more than ten years.

[minimus]

I see a lot of unrealistic Shabazz Muhammad trade ideas here. I don't think the guy has almost any value around the league, but keep dreaming.

The poster that expects a big trade or an important FA signing... you can keep dreaming too. This franchise has not make neither of those in more than ten years.

What about Love for Wiggins trade? It was very good trade for us. Nemanja contract looked bargain, before that injury. Pek, Martin and Bud contracts are meh, but Shabazz and Gorgui for Trey Burke was solid trade. Zach was steal at #13

The problem is that this franchise has to prove that they can win games, before they attract big FA, they havent showed it yet. And I don't know who will take decisions about trades and draft picks. Flip did very good job on scouting and trades. He was a beautiful basketball mind.

[Note30]

We need a big man who can pull down rebounds and shoot the 3. We need a hustle PG who can defend and create and then we need another shooter in addition to the big man who can shoot. We will be complete at that point.

Matthew Dellavedova looks like an amazing option for this squad. He's young, hustles, has played on a contender that went to the Finals and can play the 1&2.

The big man who can pull down rebounds and shoot the 3 is a weak point right now. We need to address this. A stop gap solution is fine but someone like Aaron Gordon or Kevin Love (ironically) would be perfect. Maybe David Lee or Humphries if we're having trouble in FA.

The shooter. Ideally Hield or Valentine or a trade down to Valentine. or something but we desperately need a reliable shooter in the lineup.

[TheZachAttack]

Judging on these guys abilities now...Lavine, Towns, and Wiggins getting 15 shots a game is an easy 20 point bet. Those guys will be taking up 45+ shots and scoring 60+ per game combined for awhile. Dieng works as well, but you have to play matchups putting him and Towns together because a big team will destroy the Wolves on the boards. I don't think there is many teams with guys as big as Chandler and Len though. Bjelica in theory should be able to be a stretch 4 off the bench to play 20-25 minutes a game. Gorgui is an ideal 3rd big who plays 25-30 minutes a game. Towns will get 30-35 minutes. We really just need a huge rotation big who can really box out and rebound and be big.

To me Tyus is coming along pretty strongly as a backup PG, I like the improvements he's making and I like him carving out a 15-20 minute a night role spelling Rubio. He can shoot and run offense and is smart. I'm not completely sold on building around Shabazz as your scorer on the second unit. He's fine, but his shooting holds him back. Wiggins and Lavine will play 30-35 minutes a night minimum at the 2 and the 3. There aren't many minutes to go around. All we really need is a guy who can shoot the lights out of the ball and play good perimeter defense.

Starters Rubio - Lavine - Wiggins - 1st Round Pick - Towns
Bench was Tyus - 3/D Wing - Shabazz- Bjelica - Dieng


I think that should be the rough plan as of now.

[TheZachAttack]

Other alternative is something like...

Rubio-Lavine-Wiggins-Dieng-Towns
Tyus-Buddy Hield-Shabazz-Bjelica-Rebounding/Screen/Boxout Presence


Towns will be posting 20-23 points and 10-12 rebounds a game. Gorgui's proven he can average like 11-13 points 8-9 rebounds a game in like 30 min. With how many points Lavine and Wiggins get back leaking out and scoring easy buckets off of outlet passes...maybe the focus should be to get the 1 thing we really don't have other than Lavine. Buddy Hield would open up a lot of things for the Wolves offense.

Counter argument is that the Wolves offense isn't the problem, the defense is. Counter argument to that is that Rubio's great defensively. And the only reason that Wiggins, Lavine, or Towns could be considered bad defensively mostly has to do with youth and issues like bulk and lack of familiarity with team defense should correct largely simply with experience.

[Klomp]

Counter argument is that the Wolves offense isn't the problem, the defense is.

The offense isn't the problem, but shooting is. Look at how many points we have to make up in every game because guys either won't or can't shoot from long range. Unfortunately, the second unit has a couple guys who are willing to shoot but can't make shots.

Bazz is 2-11 on 3s in March. Bjelica has missed his last five 3s. Payne is 12-36 on FGs since the all-star break. Prince refuses to shoot. Jones is the only guy on the second unit who can shoot, but he also has to run the offense, which includes passing to what I just listed.

That's just offensively. As you said, defense is the bigger problem for this team. That's what Mitchell was trying to say with his comments about the bench tonight. These bench guys tend to be so shot-hungry that they don't put in the effort on defense or on the glass. Prince is the only one who brings consistent effort in these areas.

Because of that, I wouldn't be surprised to see Dunn as the pick. He's the most reliable defender at the top of the draft after the Top 3 guys. Play him and Tyus in the backcourt. Tyus can make up for his lack of shooting somewhat, though more shooting would need to be added at other spots.

Summary: Second unit is a mess. Send help fast!