**** 7-21 MN Wolves vs 14-14 Indiana Pacers - 7:00pm CT FSN ****

[Mattya]

I don't understand the Beasley should be sixth man stuff

he should be seen as JJ Redick, a shooter (who shouldn't try to create) that takes defensive pressure off better players/creators

what is he going to do as a "6th man" when he can't create anything?

He's not Rose or Crawford and putting him in that type of role where he is the offensive focal point won't work

he can punish defenses when he gets open looks created by guys like KAT, and hopefully ANT, that the D is geared to stop

Agree. Yes I do think the bench needs more bunch but I don't think the answer is demoting Beasley. We just need to find some better role guys to fill out the roster.

Agree we don’t need to bring Beasley off the bench. The punch off the bench if we are healthy should be Rubio, Nowell, McDaniels, Vando and Reid. With starters sprinkled in. The issue is that we don’t have a veteran quality power forward. Vando is a solid hustle minutes type guy currently not someone you should be relying on to start.

[RiRuHoops]

I don't understand the Beasley should be sixth man stuff

he should be seen as JJ Redick, a shooter (who shouldn't try to create) that takes defensive pressure off better players/creators

what is he going to do as a "6th man" when he can't create anything?

He's not Rose or Crawford and putting him in that type of role where he is the offensive focal point won't work

he can punish defenses when he gets open looks created by guys like KAT, and hopefully ANT, that the D is geared to stop

Agree. Yes I do think the bench needs more bunch but I don't think the answer is demoting Beasley. We just need to find some better role guys to fill out the roster.

Agree we don’t need to bring Beasley off the bench. The punch off the bench if we are healthy should be Rubio, Nowell, McDaniels, Vando and Reid. With starters sprinkled in. The issue is that we don’t have a veteran quality power forward. Vando is a solid hustle minutes type guy currently not someone you should be relying on to start.

don't see much punch in that lineup.

Also I assume Russell back to S5 to torpedo Wolves defense along with Beasley and Ant. Great.

[PharmD]

Ant was the worst player on the team today. He's an exciting player but not a winning player yet.

3 of 15 with 3 dunks

He had three dunks in one game? Well blow me down, that's development finally!

They were impressive dunks too

[Mattya]

Agree. Yes I do think the bench needs more bunch but I don't think the answer is demoting Beasley. We just need to find some better role guys to fill out the roster.

Agree we don’t need to bring Beasley off the bench. The punch off the bench if we are healthy should be Rubio, Nowell, McDaniels, Vando and Reid. With starters sprinkled in. The issue is that we don’t have a veteran quality power forward. Vando is a solid hustle minutes type guy currently not someone you should be relying on to start.

don't see much punch in that lineup.

Also I assume Russell back to S5 to torpedo Wolves defense along with Beasley and Ant. Great.

I do.

You should be arguing to trade the core if this is how you feel.

[LesGrossman]

Its fun to see guys praise a dude one game because his hero ball chucking threes fall and slam him the next because they (predictably) dont. Whoever writes such nonsense has never played competetive Basketball. This is a very important insight for you:
* Noone intentionally misses shots
* Noone can make shots by "putting more effort into it" or "focus". If there was a switch that one has to turn on, it would basically end the game. Noone can tell you why they miss a shot they usually make.
* Noone is "amazing" or "meh" because they make or miss shots, as long as those shots are the result of a reasonable decision
* On the other hand, a poor decision does not magically turn into a good one because of the result

The key to winning for this team of mostly inexperienced, low IQ players is to pass the ball around until a good shot shows up, or otherwise leave the decision to a vet like Ricky who will set them up so they can shine. Coach needs to understand that, but fans need to understand that too and not get lost in the moment when the dude hits a few miracle shots. Not sustainable.

Edit. The reality with this team how ever is that the coach is actually encouraging bad decision making, and guys playing out of their comfort/ability zone (which in this case is a really bad thing). I'm totally certain that all three major culprits of selfish, dumb and low IQ / low % ego ball (DLo, Ant, Beasley) will eventually find their way back into the starting lineup and everyone will wonder how we can continue to lose despite all the talent.

[Sugarless]

Ant was the worst player on the team today. He's an exciting player but not a winning player yet.

3 of 15 with 3 dunks

Yup, but the potential is clearly there to prioritize.

The Wolves have been prioritizing potential for the past 15 years. Look how far that's taken them.

[Worm Guts]

There's no doubt Edwards takes bad shots, but I will say over the last 10 years the idea of what a good shot is has changed dramatically. It's pretty common for the elite perimeter players now to take 30 foot 3's, step back 3's, whatever. We're still figuring out what a good shot is for him. I think both him and us are sometimes fooled when he makes a few a row.

[TRik]

3 of 15 with 3 dunks

Yup, but the potential is clearly there to prioritize.

The Wolves have been prioritizing potential for the past 15 years. Look how far that's taken them.

I completely get that perennially losing takes its toll and as a franchise and fanbase you just want to taste winning again at some point.

I just think that Edwards is basically the only other player on the roster besides KAT that has the type of talent needed to build around. Hopefully McDaniels develops into another one.

If the Wolves prioritise any of their other mediocre assets just to try and compete for like 9th place it’ll only contribute to more wasted years.

Players like Beasley and Dlo are fools gold to losing franchises.

[LesGrossman]

Yup, but the potential is clearly there to prioritize.

The Wolves have been prioritizing potential for the past 15 years. Look how far that's taken them.

I completely get that perennially losing takes its toll and as a franchise and fanbase you just want to taste winning again at some point.

I just think that Edwards is basically the only other player on the roster besides KAT that has the type of talent needed to build around. Hopefully McDaniels develops into another one.

If the Wolves prioritise any of their other mediocre assets just to try and compete for like 9th place it’ll only contribute to more wasted years.

Players like Beasley and Dlo are fools gold to losing franchises.

Could you explain what you mean by prioritising? Do you mean its okay to allow him to throw up bad shots? Why?

Why cant he be coached and continue to improve? This guys' ego is already big enough, i think its crucial to show him his mistakes, and point out that they actually were mistakes. Potential is nothing without development. Wiggins had a lot of potential and wasnt developed at all until he went to GSW.

[TRik]

The Wolves have been prioritizing potential for the past 15 years. Look how far that's taken them.

I completely get that perennially losing takes its toll and as a franchise and fanbase you just want to taste winning again at some point.

I just think that Edwards is basically the only other player on the roster besides KAT that has the type of talent needed to build around. Hopefully McDaniels develops into another one.

If the Wolves prioritise any of their other mediocre assets just to try and compete for like 9th place it’ll only contribute to more wasted years.

Players like Beasley and Dlo are fools gold to losing franchises.

Could you explain what you mean by prioritising? Do you mean its okay to allow him to throw up bad shots? Why?

Why cant he be coached and continue to improve? This guys' ego is already big enough, i think its crucial to show him his mistakes, and point out that they actually were mistakes. Potential is nothing without development. Wiggins had a lot of potential and wasnt developed at all until he went to GSW.

I mean, essentially just demonstrating that it is deeply important to the franchise right now to help him develop and get important game and situational experience. Give him the ball and let him learn with it. I see him as a leading star for the Wolves, along with KAT, that will dig us out of the gutter in the next few years.

I completely agree, however, that we should have strong coaching and accountability to back that up.

[LesGrossman]

I completely get that perennially losing takes its toll and as a franchise and fanbase you just want to taste winning again at some point.

I just think that Edwards is basically the only other player on the roster besides KAT that has the type of talent needed to build around. Hopefully McDaniels develops into another one.

If the Wolves prioritise any of their other mediocre assets just to try and compete for like 9th place it’ll only contribute to more wasted years.

Players like Beasley and Dlo are fools gold to losing franchises.

Could you explain what you mean by prioritising? Do you mean its okay to allow him to throw up bad shots? Why?

Why cant he be coached and continue to improve? This guys' ego is already big enough, i think its crucial to show him his mistakes, and point out that they actually were mistakes. Potential is nothing without development. Wiggins had a lot of potential and wasnt developed at all until he went to GSW.

I mean, essentially just demonstrating that it is deeply important to the franchise right now to help him develop and get important game and situational experience. Give him the ball and let him learn with it. I see him as a leading star for the Wolves, along with KAT, that will dig us out of the gutter in the next few years.

I completely agree, however, that we should have strong coaching and accountability to back that up.

i dont think there was a learning point in that last shot. Watching him, and his body language, i feel like he wanted to be the guy more than he cared about the team get a desperately needed win. That vibe is what i get from several of the players. Hero ball is a bad trend and poor coaching. There is nothing more beautiful than passing good for great, and have no ego in this game. But the values we see emphatized all over the media is all about person cult. That must be countered not reinforced. Very disappointed by KAT's statement to be honest.

[Sugarless]

Could you explain what you mean by prioritising? Do you mean its okay to allow him to throw up bad shots? Why?

Why cant he be coached and continue to improve? This guys' ego is already big enough, i think its crucial to show him his mistakes, and point out that they actually were mistakes. Potential is nothing without development. Wiggins had a lot of potential and wasnt developed at all until he went to GSW.

I mean, essentially just demonstrating that it is deeply important to the franchise right now to help him develop and get important game and situational experience. Give him the ball and let him learn with it. I see him as a leading star for the Wolves, along with KAT, that will dig us out of the gutter in the next few years.

I completely agree, however, that we should have strong coaching and accountability to back that up.

i dont think there was a learning point in that last shot. Watching him, and his body language, i feel like he wanted to be the guy more than he cared about the team get a desperately needed win. That vibe is what i get from several of the players. Hero ball is a bad trend and poor coaching. There is nothing more beautiful than passing good for great, and have no ego in this game. But the values we see emphatized all over the media is all about person cult. That must be countered not reinforced. Very disappointed by KAT's statement to be honest.

And this is exactly the problem with the Wolves throughout the years, and what's so damn frustrating. It's not that they don't have a culture, it's that THIS is their culture: losing, prioritizing entitled young guys with no accountability over team success and TRUE individual development. How is a 19 yo kid going to learn from his mistakes if the whole franchise and fanbase are behind him telling him he did great? You have to learn when you're wrong, you have to be told if you don't realize yourself (and most of these kids don't), not be cheered and be put in a position to commit the same mistake over and over.

Not to talk about the value of actually learning what it takes to win, BY WINNING, which is the best way to get guys to buy into an idea, into effort, into smart plays and team ball. There is a whole lot of value in being a 9th seed for a team like the Wolves, but they don't get it. They can't see the Suns (to tell the most recent example, and one that's easy to relate to considering what they were two years ago, what they did last year and where they are now, with several guys that share many similarities, beyond having Rubio himself as a bridge) and realize how being close the playoffs one year makes guys want to win more, how it helps young players grow, trust one another and become confident in a good way, instead of cocky and self-entitled.