Progress appreciation thread

[eyeteeth]

This team has come a long way. If anyone had told us that they had seen the future and we would be flirting with +.500 ball and a have a realistic shot of the playoffs we would all of us have been happy with it. Despite some individual disappointments, I think this team is nearly optimal in their growth and development. For such a young team with so little opportunity to learn the new coach's system, we are rocking out. The future is bright.

[weasel]

I agree. Every player except for Darko! and Tolliver have shown improvement this year. Wes and Beas have lost their shot, but the rest of thier game has moved forward and when/if they find their shots again I think we are going to have a lot of happy people on this board. Not specfically because they found it, but because those two finding thier shot again will make us a very dangerous team.

[Vindicater]

Adelman has been fantastic.

[Devilzsidewalk]

i'd chalk about 90% of it up to Rubio actually since every player looks the same as last year. Not that I'm not thrilled w/ Adelman, there's something to be said for having a coach that acknowledges the importance of letting players run the plays they're good at and defending three point shots, so he definitely gets credit for that.

[Piecake]

I think the majority of our players are worse than last year. At least last year they could actually hit that wide open shot. We were pretty deadly from 3. This year? Everyone but Love and Beas is terrible

[C.lupus]

I blame the lockout, condensed season, and no practices for most of that. Injuries haven't helped, either. Still, with all that, the team is doing a lot better than I had imagined they would. Rubio gets credit, Love worked hard in the off season and came in in great shape so he gets some credit, and Adelman gets credit. His rotations are mind boggling at times but despite playing Ridnour out of position, the team's defense is light years better than last year.

A consolidation trade that brings in a legit SG and a real training camp and this team will rock and roll next year.

[zerogravity15]

I'm glad to see the team playing better with a shot at the playoffs. Rubio lived up to expectations (I wasn't expecting him to be this good) and gave the team a positive jolt. I think eventually Wes will find his jumper again.

[Klomp]

It will be very interesting to see where the Wolves go from here, heading into the trade deadline. Right now, the only guys I see having guaranteed spots on next year's team are Love, Rubio, Pekovic, Williams, one of Barea/Ridnour, and Lee. Thats just my opinion based on what I've seen and heard. Others may end up staying, but I wouldn't be shocked to see any or all of them gone by Opening Night 2012.

[Piecake]

It will be very interesting to see where the Wolves go from here, heading into the trade deadline. Right now, the only guys I see having guaranteed spots on next year's team are Love, Rubio, Pekovic, Williams, one of Barea/Ridnour, and Lee. Thats just my opinion based on what I've seen and heard. Others may end up staying, but I wouldn't be shocked to see any or all of them gone by Opening Night 2012.

Yup, thats is exactly who I think should stay around as well. I'd like to see what Williams can do with an off-season and training camp before we trade him away (unless the deal is good and makes a whole lot of sense), but the rest of them? They really havent shown that we should keep them, and Im perfectly fine with keeping one of ridnour or barea, so long as its in a back up role, probably ridnour due to contract unless barea starts playing a lot better

[Klomp]

Im perfectly fine with keeping one of ridnour or barea, so long as its in a back up role, probably ridnour due to contract unless barea starts playing a lot better

I think Barea's mentorship for Rubio is more valuable to this team than Ridnour's cheaper deal.

[jade_hippo]

JJ just needs some adjustment time after all the injuries and to never be on the court at the same time as Ridnour. I also agree this team will likely see a lot of turnover in the offseason, but I'm going to be excited since it won't be for the purpose of rebuilding but fine-tuning since we for the first time in a decade have direction!

[Piecake]

Im perfectly fine with keeping one of ridnour or barea, so long as its in a back up role, probably ridnour due to contract unless barea starts playing a lot better

I think Barea's mentorship for Rubio is more valuable to this team than Ridnour's cheaper deal.

Really? How so? I guess the only thing I can think of is that Barea definitely goes all out all the time and gets in the paint constantly, which is definitely something Rubio needs to do to stay real effective (though not out of control like Barea does it). One thing Barea definitely does not do is hand the ball off to another guard or putz around on the point line

[Narf]

I think the majority of our players are worse than last year. At least last year they could actually hit that wide open shot. We were pretty deadly from 3. This year? Everyone but Love and Beas is terrible

You have it backwards.
even though we're shooting terrible, we're still a much better team. If Ridnour shoots like he did last year we'd be 3 wins better. Is it really Adelman's fault that Ridnour's shot isn't falling? I don't think so.

[Piecake]

I think the majority of our players are worse than last year. At least last year they could actually hit that wide open shot. We were pretty deadly from 3. This year? Everyone but Love and Beas is terrible

You have it backwards.
even though we're shooting terrible, we're still a much better team. If Ridnour shoots like he did last year we'd be 3 wins better. Is it really Adelman's fault that Ridnour's shot isn't falling? I don't think so.

I think we are a much better team because Rubio Love and Pekovic are playing great. The other players were better last year because at least they could hit an open shot. Right now, it seems that we are pretty much winning in spite of them most games. Sure, Ridnour has had a some good shooting games, but he defintiely shot better last year, but everyone else has just been worse

Maybe I just worded my first post confusingly since my love and beas comment was in reference to 3 point shooting

[shangrila]

I think the lack of practice time has really screwed with guys like Johnson, Tolliver, Beasley and even Williams. Next year they should all be better, assuming they all come back.

But yeah, I definitely appreciate the way this team is playing. They need more pieces and they likely won't make the playoffs this year, but for the first time in what feels like a decade there's actually some light in this tunnel.

[Klomp]

Im perfectly fine with keeping one of ridnour or barea, so long as its in a back up role, probably ridnour due to contract unless barea starts playing a lot better

I think Barea's mentorship for Rubio is more valuable to this team than Ridnour's cheaper deal.

Really? How so? I guess the only thing I can think of is that Barea definitely goes all out all the time and gets in the paint constantly, which is definitely something Rubio needs to do to stay real effective (though not out of control like Barea does it). One thing Barea definitely does not do is hand the ball off to another guard or putz around on the point line

I'm talking more about off-court, just the overall learning how to adjust to the NBA.

From a young spark plug on the veteran-laden Dallas Mavericks, Barea, 27, is now an elder statesman of sorts and a mentor in every way to the Timberwolves' Spanish-speaking and once-reluctant No. 5 pick.

"I think that was one of things. I also think what helps me is I came from a great team, great system in Dallas, and I was a big part of the championship team," Barea said after a long day of meeting his new teammates and coaches and beginning the process of settling into his new home of Minneapolis. "I’m going to help him as much as I can. He’s a good kid and I know, I went through it, how hard it is the first couple of years, the ups and downs of the NBA. So, I’m going try to keep him positive and help him out as much as I can."

Hard to believe that Barea, a native of Puerto Rico who had a brilliant, if not a mostly anonymous career at Northeastern, is a five-year NBA veteran, his last three seasons spent as a 20-minute-a-night backup to Jason Kidd, while at times also playing alongside the future Hall of Famer, which could become a similar situation with the slick playmaker from Spain.

"He’s a great kid, talented, but he’s a rookie," Barea said. "He’s young. It’s going to be his first year in the NBA; it’s never easy so I’m going to help him as much as I can with whatever I know."

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/maverick ... th-twolves

[Klomp]

I think the lack of practice time has really screwed with guys like Johnson, Tolliver, Beasley and even Williams. Next year they should all be better, assuming they all come back.

But yeah, I definitely appreciate the way this team is playing. They need more pieces and they likely won't make the playoffs this year, but for the first time in what feels like a decade there's actually some light in this tunnel.

I do think this is a big part of some of our issues, and I am surprised we are doing so well without so many practices.

[Tirion]

appreciate the losing streak.
appreciate getting punked by Knicks at home without Amare/Melo.
appreciate Wes Johnson and Darko Milicic.
appreciate no wing play.
appreciate Kahn saying that making payoffs is not a priority.

[Dewey]

I think the lack of practice time has really screwed with guys like Johnson, Tolliver, Beasley and even Williams. Next year they should all be better, assuming they all come back.

But yeah, I definitely appreciate the way this team is playing. They need more pieces and they likely won't make the playoffs this year, but for the first time in what feels like a decade there's actually some light in this tunnel.

Seriously?, our guys "still" can't shoot because of practice time? ... How many years do they need to acquire an acceptable level of "practice time" to the point they make baskets? We're talking the NBA where good players shoot everyday throught out the off-season ... not K-6

[Dewey]

I think the lack of practice time has really screwed with guys like Johnson, Tolliver, Beasley and even Williams. Next year they should all be better, assuming they all come back.

But yeah, I definitely appreciate the way this team is playing. They need more pieces and they likely won't make the playoffs this year, but for the first time in what feels like a decade there's actually some light in this tunnel.

I do think this is a big part of some of our issues, and I am surprised we are doing so well without so many practices.

I agree it hurts on the execution side ... but it should not impact a players ability to make an open shot.