Around the NBA : 2017/18 Season

[kulaz3000]

I think this Wolves team is going to be my 2nd team during the rebuilding era for us. It still stings seeing Butler, Gibson, and Thibs on a different team.

I think they are going to honestly underwhelm this season. It may take a season for them to truly gel to be honest. The way that team is built, it's just not going to work in this modern day of basketball, they just don't have enough ball spacers.

They will win more this season and likely sneak into the playoffs just because they have so much talent, but I think they will be an early playoff exit team. It's definitely not a team I would fear playing against if I'm a contender, that's for sure.

[jc23]

damn, lin and Hayward are two of the nicer guys in the league too, both are easy to root for and it looks they will miss the entire season. That nets pick via Boston just got better.

[HomoSapien]

I think this Wolves team is going to be my 2nd team during the rebuilding era for us. It still stings seeing Butler, Gibson, and Thibs on a different team.

I think they are going to honestly underwhelm this season. It may take a season for them to truly gel to be honest. The way that team is built, it's just not going to work in this modern day of basketball, they just don't have enough ball spacers.

They will win more this season and likely sneak into the playoffs just because they have so much talent, but I think they will be an early playoff exit team. It's definitely not a team I would fear playing against if I'm a contender, that's for sure.

Oh, yeah. I don't think they'll be a contender or anything, but it'll be fun watching a young team fight for it's first playoff appearance in 13 years. I'd be surprised if they made it past the 1st round, but I think they'll be entertaining.

[Chicagoat]

Man Russell looked like a different man tonight. The Nets have some amazing culture to turn things around after the Billy King era. Hopefully we make some front office changes soon. We got our players send one another to the hospital.

[kulaz3000]

The Pelicans need to move on from Cousins, and quickly. It's just not going to work. I implore the gamble, but it's just not going to work and it's clear as day. Might as well try to get rid of him while you still can, and get something in return for him.

I feel terrible for AD because all he has done is be on losing team after losing team his entire career, his career is just going to waste.

[Ice Man]

It would be a stretch to call Andrew Wiggins a good player. I would be terrified to owe him $30 million per year for 5 years.

[kulaz3000]

Just purely based on stats only, Dennis Smith Jr, looks to be having the best rookie debut so far in this young season. He looks to be playing a solid game.

I can openly admit that I've been in support of Lauri over Smith Jr, but that doesn't mean I don't want these young kids to succeed even when they aren't on our team. I'll be looking at how he does closely, but not only this season but for the next few seasons, because I know if Smith Jr has a better rookie season than Lauri, we'll be hearing a lot of discussion about him on these boards.

[FecesOfDeath]

Rubio is really sucking up to his coach with almost the same exact hairstyle.

[Rerisen]

Rose -7 on the night, only Cav starter in the negatives.

Once again, he started well, then faded in the second half. I'm not sure what that's all about, but it has been an established pattern in recent years. I used to think it was fitness, but he looks pretty fit now and he's not playing big minutes. Just a puzzle. But he's the opposite of the 4th quarter/game-closing dynamo that used to be his reputation. If this were baseball, he'd be Mr. April.

He can still score somewhat, but with the loss of that elite tier athleticism, it has really reduced his ability to run a team well. Due to most of his playmaking came out off just physically beating the D then making the right pass.

Also he used to get up defensively for tough matchups, doesn't seem to care much on that end ever now.

He should be a 6th man at best. He's kind of just a bigger Nate Robinson with a worse 3pt shot now.

[kulaz3000]

It would be a stretch to call Andrew Wiggins a good player. I would be terrified to owe him $30 million per year for 5 years.

I can admit that I wanted him in return for Butler, and argued quite passionately for him, but I'm so glad that we didn't. He is what he is at this stage in his career, and I don't ever see him making that leap that many of us expected him to make.

He is a solid starter type of player, which is fine, but not when you're making franchise player type of money.

[TheSuzerain]

The Pelicans need to move on from Cousins, and quickly. It's just not going to work. I implore the gamble, but it's just not going to work and it's clear as day. Might as well try to get rid of him while you still can, and get something in return for him.

I feel terrible for AD because all he has done is be on losing team after losing team his entire career, his career is just going to waste.

I don't think AD should escape blame.

If the Pelicans are mediocre this year (likely), then AD really needs to stop being called a superstar.

[TheSuzerain]

TWolves got too many guys firing from mid range. Taj and Dieng need to knock that **** off.

[Rerisen]

TWolves got too many guys firing from mid range. Taj and Dieng need to knock that **** off.

Yep need a few gunners off the bench.

[HomoSapien]

Rudy Gay looks great. Hasn't lost any noticeable athleticism.

[TheSuzerain]

TWolves got too many guys firing from mid range. Taj and Dieng need to knock that **** off.

Yep need a few gunners off the bench.

I mean they've got Shabazz and Crawford for that.

I'd say they've got too many gunners. Not enough complementary offensive pieces.

[Costa78]

I don’t mean for this to come off negatively cause I genuinely loved Jimmy as a player. One thing I don’t miss is the ball stopping. Watching him play for the Wolves with all that young talent and I have to question how that’s going to work long term. KAT, Wiggins, and Jimmy all need the ball to be effective. Someone is going to have to sacrifice if that team is going anywhere.

[kulaz3000]

TWolves got too many guys firing from mid range. Taj and Dieng need to knock that **** off.

But that's their game, and you can add Jimmy Butler, Wiggins and Teague to that list. This is the team that Thib's built, of players who made a name for themselves as mid-range shooters. They aren't going to be able to flip the switch suddenly.

On paper they look great, but in the starting line up there are just way too many players that need the ball in their hands to be effective. Hell, the Derrick Rose team of 2011 was a better team in terms of fit, but way less in terms of talent.

I'm not rooting for Thib's and the Wolves to fail, because I love Thib's, Butler and especially Taj, and have respect for KAT, but short term or long term, the team with how it's currently built is not going to ever contend for a championship. They'll need to move Taj, Wiggins or Teague for more reliable shooters to make it work.

If you think about it, I think they would have been better if they had Kat, Lauri, Wiggins, Lavine and Teague.

[Rerisen]

TWolves got too many guys firing from mid range. Taj and Dieng need to knock that **** off.

Yep need a few gunners off the bench.

I mean they've got Shabazz and Crawford for that.

I'd say they've got too many gunners. Not enough complementary offensive pieces.

It might just be lack of familiarity, or could be Thibs archaic offense, but the spacing isn't good and the offense looks kind of stilted, we used to see that a lot with him.

Surprising amount of confusion on defensive rotations too.

[TheSuzerain]

TWolves got too many guys firing from mid range. Taj and Dieng need to knock that **** off.

But that's their game, and you can add Jimmy Butler, Wiggins and Teague to that list. This is the team that Thib's built, of players who made a name for themselves as mid-range shooters. They aren't going to be able to flip the switch suddenly.

On paper they look great, but in the starting line up there are just way too many players that need the ball in their hands to be effective. Hell, the Derrick Rose team of 2011 was a better team in terms of fit, but way less in terms of talent.

I'm not rooting for Thib's and the Wolves to fail, because I love Thib's, Butler and especially Taj, and have respect for KAT, but short term or long term, the team with how it's currently built is not going to ever contend for a championship. They'll need to move Taj, Wiggins or Teague for more reliable shooters to make it work.

If you think about it, I think they would have been better if they had Kat, Lauri, Wiggins, Lavine and Teague.

Butler/Towns is an elite foundation that fits together perfectly.

But I do think they kind of botched the build around them. I understand feeling obligated to retain Wiggins. Not sure about rounding out the squad with Teague and Taj though. Should have went after Millsap and/or George Hill. Hell, Justin Holiday would fit that team like a glove.

[nomorezorro]

i have always thought the most "valid" criticism of jimmy is that he's a player whose skills are maximized if you build a team around him specifically, rather than him being a plug-and-play type of guy. (and it's questionable-at-best whether he's as good as the type of people you usually build your team around)

like, i dunno what a guy like jeff teague is gonna do next to jimmy. he should be surrounded by shooters and slashers, because he's very deliberate with the ball. he's a relatively willing passer, but in a last-pass-before-an-assist kind of way, not a free-wheeling ball-movement offense kind of way