How will the w/l play out this season?

johnny_sack · Post #1 » by **johnny_sack** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 9:36 am

Just wondering about this - i know its only preseason, but the signs are pointing to the team being significantly improved this season.

So, my question becomes - how good do we want our team to be (given the fact that our 1st rounder is only top 11 protected (i think?)). What sort of record are we potentially looking at achieving? I think 30 wins is about the mark (but who knows), but of course handing over the pick becomes a possibility at anything approaching high 30's. Is picking up one more quality young player (the higher the pick the greater the potential) that critical.

Or

Do we play as well as we can - forgetting that guillotine (in the form of the pick protection), and hope that we can get that 1 extra quality player (that we possibly miss out on through the draft - but then again, we might fluke it with our other 1st rounders) in free agency/trade.

I for one am excited about the team this year - but have a feeling how this season plays (w/l) out will have a pretty big bearing on the team in the mid/long term.

Go Wolves... Shaddy for 6th Man of the year!!!

P.S. - I worry about this team turning into the 93-94 Nuggets (if you know what i mean).

Post #2 » by **Basti** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 9:52 am

I don't know what we should do right now. I would say we should rack up as many wins as possible and if we should have 20 wins by midseason and there are some decent prospects in the upcoming draftclass within the area we might pick I wouldn't mind seeing us "developping our younger players and giving them significant minutes and increase their trade value" (if you know what I mean)

shrink · Post #3 » by **shrink** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 2:38 pm

When we got Foye back in the second half of the season, and the Wolves were starting to learn to play together, they went 16-26, so if they would just maintain that pace, they'd have 32 wins. However, we added Mike Miller and Kevin Love, and our young players are all a year better, and not coming off injuries. I was concerned about the turnover on the squad, but hopefully all the off-season work they put in will help minimize that, and the 6-2 preseason means they won't struggle so badly when the real season begins. Assuming some problems this season, like injuries that always can happen, I think 37 wins is a realistic number. I think we have talent, and we won't always lose those close games in the fourth quarter. 37 is a huge leap from 22, but hopefully that will put us on the NBA's radar, and we'll start getting some national publicity and local excitement.

Post #4 » by **C.lupus** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 3:16 pm

The strategy should ALWAYS be to win as many games as possible, then let the chips fall where they fall. I think 35 wins, or thereabouts, is realistic. If we end up losing our pick to the Clippers this year because we won too many games, so be it. Word is this is a relatively weak draft anyway. We also have potentially 3 more picks. Win baby win. And worry about the draft next summer.

4ho5ive · Post #5 » by **4ho5ive** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 6:49 pm

I got the over/under at 31. Thats where i think we will end up. I would rather pay off the debt to the Clips now when the next few drafts are considered relatively weak. Maybe package our other picks to move up and grab a Thabeet or other.

john2jer · Post #6 » by **john2jer** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 2:56 pm

The Wolves are going to miss the play-offs by 1 game, then win the lottery getting the top pick. The Celtics will all get hurt and finished with the 4th pick, thus becoming our pick, Miami will get the 11th, thus becoming ours, and Utah will get the 24th, again becoming ours. The Clippers will finish with the 2nd worst pick.

We will then make a trade of the 4th, 11th, and 24th pick for the 2nd pick and our pick back. We might have to let them throw in Tim Thomas to balance this, though.

So we end up with #1 and #2.

#1 - Ricky Rubio
#2 - BJ Mullens

C - Mullens/Love/Madsen
PF - Jefferson/Thomas/Smith
SF - Miller/Gomes/Cardinal
SG - Brewer/McCants
PG - Foye/Rubio/Telfair

Kobe says OMG, WTF, ROFL, and then signs for the MLE, maybe a bit more because we'll be under the cap, still, I think, and we can afford to be nice. I think he's earned a contract paying a little more than the exception. Kobe would look nice coming off the bench behind Brewer.

Then it's touchdown dance on Washington Avenue in June! Someone cue Mark Madsen!