| POR @ MIN | GAME 16

[TheProdigy]

Butler did have a sensational game for you. However, you struggled to win.

I'd keep in mind that Dario and Covington are both far easier to "plug in and play", while Philadelphia is naturally going to have a longer process subbing an All-Star into their line-up.

Should be a great trade for both teams in the end.

It should be, but because I'm bitter about Butler and Tankathon I hope it doesn't work out for the 76ers.

Come on man. Once upon a time, the team you root for had Mark Madsen hoisting 3 pointers at the end of season to help with draft position. Get over it.

[KGdaBom]

I'd keep in mind that Dario and Covington are both far easier to "plug in and play", while Philadelphia is naturally going to have a longer process subbing an All-Star into their line-up.

Should be a great trade for both teams in the end.

It should be, but because I'm bitter about Butler and Tankathon I hope it doesn't work out for the 76ers.

Come on man. Once upon a time, the team you root for had Mark Madsen hoisting 3 pointers at the end of season to help with draft position. Get over it.

That is absolutely true, but it was one game not 3-5 years.

[walk with me]

I think everyone needs to relax about the bench comments. We won big and thibs is still tinkering I’m sure.

Was only a year ago that people were calling thibs a moron for not playing shabazz, Jamal, MGH and Cole more and now 3 out of the 4 are out of the nba and 1 of the 4 barely even plays any more.

Josh and Tolliver will gave their time. They just need to be patient.

To develop a young player a coach should give him consistent playing time and define his role both in offense and defense. What we see now is typical conflicts of interests. Coach who wants to win right now at all costs (to save his face hence career) and GM/Owner who should care about long term success. As we all have learned from the past Thibs acts as he still is HC only. Idk about his role now after latest talks with Glen, maybe Thibs was told that he should focus only on coaching. Then GM should speak with him about Tyus, Okogie role, development. If we don't see Tyus with us next seasons then trade him. If Okogie is our best hope then give him playing time. To this moment Okogie has done everything to earn his minutes. I don't see why he cant get 10-15 minutes considering Teague atrocious defense and Rose injuries. I used to say that winning cures all, but I've learned that it does not, see Butler situation. I see that we still have a lot of pending issues. We finally have got a deep roster, but our coach might not be able to take advantage of it. We finally have got two promising rookies but they might not receive playing time behind veterans who migthr not be with us next season.

So I have plenty of questions now. They are mainly about management, vision. And we should be proactive in continuously improving this team, processes. It might seem like Butler trade was a final of story. But in my opinion it is only beginning, there is a lot of work to do and it is not only about players. One thing is clear: KAT and Wiggins has responded well, professionally to all blame that Butler and his camp put on them. Both KAT and Wiggins seem to be improved and motivated. Now it is time for coach, management and owner to start to clean up mess.

Oh man...

You don’t prioritize youth development over winning regardless who’s on your bench.

Josh is on the team for 4 more years so he’ll have 4 more years to develop. Right now you play the best match ups and try to win. I don’t even understand you guys sometimes which is why I post here less. Who should josh play in front of?

Drose who can score 50 and creates for all the shooters we now have available with the 2nd unit?
Tyus who people still claim should start?
Covington who’s 1st team all defense?
Saric who’s 1000x better than bjelly?
Teague who’s legitimately a starting Pg?
Wiggins? Kat? Taj?

There factually isn’t space for okogie if your goal is trying to figure out what combinations of rotations WORK! Jim Peterson mentioned this during the game but he’s wrong. You can’t play okogie over anyone (Drose especially) unless you pull gorgui from playing totally. But at that point you’re basically giving up on gorgui.

Josh is cute but HE IS ON THE ROSTER FOR FOUR MORE YEARS!!!! HE WILL HAVE HIS TIME!!! Right now the objective is playoffs.

He doesn’t shoot better than anyone infront of him
He can’t score better than anyone infront of him
He doesn’t create better than anyone infeont of him

He brings terrific energy off the bench defensively and scrap play wise but at this moment that IS NOT more valuable than those infront of him. This is an absurd thing to complain about in the middle of a winning streak. When we start struggling let’s revisit this convo, but for now let’s ride what’s working.

[TheProdigy]

It should be, but because I'm bitter about Butler and Tankathon I hope it doesn't work out for the 76ers.

Come on man. Once upon a time, the team you root for had Mark Madsen hoisting 3 pointers at the end of season to help with draft position. Get over it.

That is absolutely true, but it was one game not 3-5 years.

The difference is that the Timberwolves were fully committed to the tank job, top to bottom. Even the players were in on it. I don't recall the Philly players ever purposely throwing games.

I would say that's a more blatant form of tanking.

[TheProdigy]

Double post.

[KGdaBom]

I think everyone needs to relax about the bench comments. We won big and thibs is still tinkering I’m sure.

Was only a year ago that people were calling thibs a moron for not playing shabazz, Jamal, MGH and Cole more and now 3 out of the 4 are out of the nba and 1 of the 4 barely even plays any more.

Josh and Tolliver will gave their time. They just need to be patient.

To develop a young player a coach should give him consistent playing time and define his role both in offense and defense. What we see now is typical conflicts of interests. Coach who wants to win right now at all costs (to save his face hence career) and GM/Owner who should care about long term success. As we all have learned from the past Thibs acts as he still is HC only. Idk about his role now after latest talks with Glen, maybe Thibs was told that he should focus only on coaching. Then GM should speak with him about Tyus, Okogie role, development. If we don't see Tyus with us next seasons then trade him. If Okogie is our best hope then give him playing time. To this moment Okogie has done everything to earn his minutes. I don't see why he cant get 10-15 minutes considering Teague atrocious defense and Rose injuries. I used to say that winning cures all, but I've learned that it does not, see Butler situation. I see that we still have a lot of pending issues. We finally have got a deep roster, but our coach might not be able to take advantage of it. We finally have got two promising rookies but they might not receive playing time behind veterans who migthr not be with us next season.

So I have plenty of questions now. They are mainly about management, vision. And we should be proactive in continuously improving this team, processes. It might seem like Butler trade was a final of story. But in my opinion it is only beginning, there is a lot of work to do and it is not only about players. One thing is clear: KAT and Wiggins has responded well, professionally to all blame that Butler and his camp put on them. Both KAT and Wiggins seem to be improved and motivated. Now it is time for coach, management and owner to start to clean up mess.

Oh man...

You don’t prioritize youth development over winning regardless who’s on your bench.

Josh is on the team for 4 more years so he’ll have 4 more years to develop. Right now you play the best match ups and try to win. I don’t even understand you guys sometimes which is why I post here less. Who should josh play in front of?

Drose who can score 50 and creates for all the shooters we now have available with the 2nd unit?
Tyus who people still claim should start?
Covington who’s 1st team all defense?
Saric who’s 1000x better than bjelly?
Teague who’s legitimately a starting Pg?
Wiggins? Kat? Taj?

There factually isn’t space for okogie if your goal is trying to figure out what combinations of rotations WORK! Jim Peterson mentioned this during the game but he’s wrong. You can’t play okogie over anyone (Drose especially) unless you pull gorgui from playing totally. But at that point you’re basically giving up on gorgui.

Josh is cute but HE IS ON THE ROSTER FOR FOUR MORE YEARS!!!! HE WILL HAVE HIS TIME!!! Right now the objective is playoffs.

He doesn’t shoot better than anyone infront of him
He can’t score better than anyone infront of him
He doesn’t create better than anyone infeont of him

He brings terrific energy off the bench defensively and scrap play wise but at this moment that IS NOT more valuable than those infront of him. This is an absurd thing to complain about in the middle of a winning streak. When we start struggling let’s revisit this convo, but for now let’s ride what’s working.

I agree with a lot of what you say, but there is room for Okogie. Keep Rose healthy by having him play backup PG for 18 minutes and 10 minutes at the SG spot. Give Okogie 10 minutes at the SG and have him and Wiggins split the minutes backing up RoCo.

[KGdaBom]

Come on man. Once upon a time, the team you root for had Mark Madsen hoisting 3 pointers at the end of season to help with draft position. Get over it.

That is absolutely true, but it was one game not 3-5 years.

The difference is that the Timberwolves were fully committed to the tank job, top to bottom. Even the players were in on it. I don't recall the Philly players ever purposely throwing games.

I would say that's a more blatant form of tanking.

Yep for one game we did blatantly tank. Not 3-5 years of it. Madsen was trying to make those threes so you could say the Wolves players weren't tanking. The coach was by telling him to launch them. The 76ers tanking was done by making sure they didn't have enough talent to be able to win games. If you want to try to convince me that what the 76ers were doing was OK save your time and effort. That will never happen. They disgusted me.

By the way you can delete duplicate posts by just clicking the X.
Also I love your screen name. Reminds me of somebody else that is very cool . I had this name since KG's rookie season. How long have you had yours?

[walk with me]

Honestly, after watching last night, I like DRose and Tyus together on that second unit. I also thought I wanted to see Saric move to the starting lineup with Gibson playing the 5 with the second unit. That would allow Toliver to play the 4 with that unit and Dieng being the one out of the rotation. I feel bad for Toliver, but it seemed to work pretty well the last two games.

Thibs said after the game tonight that the team really has 7 starters. I think he is counting Saric and DRose, and 11 guys who should and could play in the rotation. I like the positive energy that Okogie brings to the team, but he is a poor shooter and while he gives great effort and energy on defense, he does have a problem of staying in front of his guy sometimes. The other thing I noticed is that when DRose plays PG with the second unit, he sometimes becomes too ball dominant, at least for my liking. Having Tyus out there with him, or Teague for that matter, keeps the ball moving better because he doesn't have to handle the ball so much. I get the defensive problems having two PG on the floor at the same time can cause, but with the second unit it isn't as big of a deal as it would be if he was starting.

Perfect post.

I don’t agree about Drose being too ball dominant though. Over the course of the season it’ll just open up space for shooters cause teams will pack the paint when Drose has the ball, Drose is a willing passer so more 3s and more assists. But besides that perfect post.

[walk with me]

I agree with a lot of what you say, but there is room for Okogie. Keep Rose healthy by having him play backup PG for 18 minutes and 10 minutes at the SG spot. Give Okogie 10 minutes at the SG and have him and Wiggins split the minutes backing up RoCo.

I mean theoretically it’s possible but again but is it for the sake of just getting josh minutes or is it actually a move to win games? All the moves we make should be moves to win games. Josh will have his time.

[KGdaBom]

I agree with a lot of what you say, but there is room for Okogie. Keep Rose healthy by having him play backup PG for 18 minutes and 10 minutes at the SG spot. Give Okogie 10 minutes at the SG and have him and Wiggins split the minutes backing up RoCo.

I mean theoretically it’s possible but again but is it for the sake of just getting josh minutes or is it actually a move to win games? All the moves we make should be moves to win games. Josh will have his time.

I think it is a move to win games. Maybe we have a slightly better chance of winning Sunday's game by freezing Josh out, but by limiting minutes of other players we keep them fresher down the road. By playing Okogie he gains experience and skill that will help him play better down the road. Hence we win more games overall.

[Killboard]

Couldnt watch live feed, watching now almost at halftime, some quick thoughts:

I really love the new guys. Covington is really a perfect fit. He plays big enough to cover Wiggins biggest concerns as a defender: box out wings, help in the paint with big guys, communicating and make effort plays. And not only that but he is quick enough to go against any 2 or 3 player in the league, which helps a lot because not many teams have offensive threats at both wings positions.

Saric will be a great fit too. I think the team needs to do a good job with him and make him feel part of the long term to help his transition but he gives toughness without give away skill, that's pretty unique for a big man.

Both guys help a lot with spacing. When the play gets disrupted because a deflected pass or there wasnt great ball movement, we can actually launch 3's with any of the guys on the floor which is a LOT better than a long 2. Even if you miss it keeps players involved in the passing game and keeps their hands hot for the next try. That's how you increase the amount of 3's taken, all your "bad shots" (disrupted plays) should be 3's.

Rose fits a lot better with Jimmy gone. He can actually be a gunner without hurting the team. I just hope Okogie isnt out of the rotation and Thibs is taking the game to game 9 man rotation, giving rest to guys from game to game.

[TheProdigy]

That is absolutely true, but it was one game not 3-5 years.

The difference is that the Timberwolves were fully committed to the tank job, top to bottom. Even the players were in on it. I don't recall the Philly players ever purposely throwing games.

I would say that's a more blatant form of tanking.

Yep for one game we did blatantly tank. Not 3-5 years of it. Madsen was trying to make those threes so you could say the Wolves players weren't tanking. The coach was by telling him to launch them. The 76ers tanking was done by making sure they didn't have enough talent to be able to win games. If you want to try to convince me that what the 76ers were doing was OK save your time and effort. That will never happen. They disgusted me.

By the way you can delete duplicate posts by just clicking the X.

And it wasn't just one game. What about the next season when KG sat out the last week when he wasn't injured. That could definitely be considered tanking as well.

There are multiple ways to construct a team. The Sixers chose to clean house and support a youth movement. Their tank job wouldn't have lasted so long if they hadn't wasted so many picks on the Anthony Bennetts, Jahlil Okafors, etc.

In the end, the results support the method. You may not like it, but you still choose to support this team which has had a history of tanking itself. Just seems hypocritical...

[KGdaBom]

The difference is that the Timberwolves were fully committed to the tank job, top to bottom. Even the players were in on it. I don't recall the Philly players ever purposely throwing games.

I would say that's a more blatant form of tanking.

Yep for one game we did blatantly tank. Not 3-5 years of it. Madsen was trying to make those threes so you could say the Wolves players weren't tanking. The coach was by telling him to launch them. The 76ers tanking was done by making sure they didn't have enough talent to be able to win games. If you want to try to convince me that what the 76ers were doing was OK save your time and effort. That will never happen. They disgusted me.

By the way you can delete duplicate posts by just clicking the X.

And it wasn't just one game. What about the next season when KG sat out the last week when he wasn't injured. That could definitely be considered tanking as well.

There are multiple ways to construct a team. The Sixers chose to clean house and support a youth movement. Their tank job wouldn't have lasted so long if they hadn't wasted so many picks on the Anthony Bennetts, Jahlil Okafors, etc.

In the end, the results support the method. You may not like it, but you still choose to support this team which has had a history of tanking itself. Just seems hypocritical...

I agree there has been more than one game of tanking in the Wolves history. I call it situational tanking. Late in the season when a loss or two can make a big difference in draft position. I think that is terrible. I don't justify it and don't support it. However, the 76ers were in all in tank mode before the season ever started for multiple full seasons in a row. How can you consider those to be the same thing? As I told you save your breath on trying to convince me that Tankathon was OK. It wasn't. It made a mockery of the game so bad that the NBA stepped in to stop it.

[TheProdigy]

Also I love your screen name. Reminds me of somebody else that is very cool . I had this name since KG's rookie season. How long have you had yours?

Thanks. Sounds like you've been a long suffering fan as long as I have. I had a KG poster in my room growing up that said "Da Kid". That's where the name came from.

[K4P]

Lol @ Okogie needing minutes
Okogie is a rookie he’ll get his time

[KGdaBom]

Lol @ Okogie needing minutes
Okogie is a rookie he’ll get his time

I think Okogie deserves some minutes in the best interest of the team. Keep Rose and Wiggins and RoCo fresh and healthy.

[KGdaBom]

Also I love your screen name. Reminds me of somebody else that is very cool . I had this name since KG's rookie season. How long have you had yours?

Thanks. Sounds like you've been a long suffering fan as long as I have. I had a KG poster in my room growing up that said "Da Kid". That's where the name came from.

KG was the first player straight from HS to the NBA in a very long time. Maybe since Moses Malone. It was thought that the Wolves were making a huge gamble. I had seen KG play in the McDonald's All American game and he was a man amongst boys. I loved the pick.

[Killboard]

The difference is that the Timberwolves were fully committed to the tank job, top to bottom. Even the players were in on it. I don't recall the Philly players ever purposely throwing games.

I would say that's a more blatant form of tanking.

Yep for one game we did blatantly tank. Not 3-5 years of it. Madsen was trying to make those threes so you could say the Wolves players weren't tanking. The coach was by telling him to launch them. The 76ers tanking was done by making sure they didn't have enough talent to be able to win games. If you want to try to convince me that what the 76ers were doing was OK save your time and effort. That will never happen. They disgusted me.

By the way you can delete duplicate posts by just clicking the X.

And it wasn't just one game. What about the next season when KG sat out the last week when he wasn't injured. That could definitely be considered tanking as well.

There are multiple ways to construct a team. The Sixers chose to clean house and support a youth movement. Their tank job wouldn't have lasted so long if they hadn't wasted so many picks on the Anthony Bennetts, Jahlil Okafors, etc.

In the end, the results support the method. You may not like it, but you still choose to support this team which has had a history of tanking itself. Just seems hypocritical...

A notable difference is Philly actually had a playoff team when all this started. They blowed up to start the process.

[Klomp]

Lol @ Okogie needing minutes
Okogie is a rookie he’ll get his time

I think Okogie deserves some minutes in the best interest of the team. Keep Rose and Wiggins and RoCo fresh and healthy.

In all of your made-up rotations of how you would structure things, you're forgetting Tyus. He's ahead of Okogie in the pecking order too. That's why Rose is playing so many minutes as SG.

[Tukkerwolf]

Lol @ Okogie needing minutes
Okogie is a rookie he’ll get his time

I think Okogie deserves some minutes in the best interest of the team. Keep Rose and Wiggins and RoCo fresh and healthy.

In all of your made-up rotations of how you would structure things, you're forgetting Tyus. He's ahead of Okogie in the pecking order too. That's why Rose is playing so many minutes as SG.

I do think that when Tyus and Teague were playing and RoCo got his 4th foul Thibs should/could have brought Okogie instead of Rose. If RoCo didn't get that foul he would have played so it wasn't eating Rose' s minutes...