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I was debating whether I liked being a playoff treadmill team. Fodder for the first seed in the west or being perennially towards the top of the draft with a chance to be obtain the 1st pick.
I actually think I prefer the latter. I remember it was depressing watching KG get predictably ousted in the first round for x years.

I'd for sure take playoffs at this point. I could see taking top of the draft after several first round exits, but that's not where we are.

If I’m being totally honest with myself, I think most seasons I have preferred the lottery. Now, that doesn’t mean I have ever watched a game and hoped for a loss, but most years we have been severely lacking in talent, to be a true competitor.

This year, I would definitely prefer making the playoffs. Even if we get there, I think we will be immediately bounced, since our roster is just loaded with one-way players that would be schemed against by any competent playoff team. My preference would be to see a lot of transactions that build a better team around Ant AND KAT.

I noted on the trade board that KAT has seen a lot of losing, and gets blamed for it, but the most talented player he’s played with, besides a season of Jimmy Butler, is probably .. Andrew Wiggins! Yuck!

Ant has the potential to finally be the star next to KAT that he has never had. And people want to reward his loyalty by trading him away now?!? Ant-KAT is a decent core .. I think the playoffs are possible, but the GM needs to have a good season, overhauling Rosas’ misfit toys.

I think it depends on how your roster is constructed. Do you have your star to build around?

While high-end talent always helps, I'd counter by saying continued losing hurts just the same.

2019 lottery pick Jarrett Culver. 2017 lottery pick traded for Jimmy Butler and took Justin Patterson. 2016 lottery pick Kris Dunn. 2015 we took KAT at #1 but it hardly counts because he was a no brainer. Best player by a mile. 2014, we took Zach Lavine and traded for Andrew Wiggins. We gave away Lavine for a 1 year rental in Butler and we watched Wiggins become the worst contract in the NBA. 2013 we trade the #9 seed for Gorgui and Shabaz. 2011 we select Derrick Williams #2. 2010 we use #4 for Wesley freaking Johnson. I could go on. Lottery draft picks are not miracles or tickets to the top, in our case they are more like fools gold. Terrible scouting and management (and coaching,) have squandered them time after time. Success brings free agents and winning culture. I would gladly take 7 years of being the eight seed to 7 wasted picks and being the perennial league joke.

I'd 100% rather make the playoffs

We can remove the part where we are Minnesota Timberwolves and what that means with this kind of owner-management.
But let's say we would get a top-3 pick in this past draft and we would get a guy like Mobley to join Ant...

Yeah, forget the Playoff first-round treadmill team for the next years because we would be much better than that for sure.

Of course the Top of the draft lottery every single time for a team like ours.

Build a winning culture, please. You make the playoffs, let people see you have some young studs to build with, then maybe you can attract a couple decent vets to help out instead of bargain bin garbage.

How many teams in history have gone from bottom of the conference immediately to the top of the conference? We're talking about being middle of the road like it's the end of the journey, when in fact it's only halfway there. You almost always have to be playoff first round in order to keep building to be at the top of the league.

If we ever reach the heights of being an 8th seed treadmill team, I'll let you know.

Been stuck in the dumpster for so long, I think I need to see a play off team to keep my sanity (as well as the team's) in check. This is just for this year of course. In the over all grand scheme of things, being a treadmill team is not good.

I'd much rather be a treadmill team than whatever we are now.

winforlose wrote:2019 lottery pick Jarrett Culver. 2017 lottery pick traded for Jimmy Butler and took Justin Patterson. 2016 lottery pick Kris Dunn. 2015 we took KAT at #1 but it hardly counts because he was a no brainer. Best player by a mile. 2014, we took Zach Lavine and traded for Andrew Wiggins. We gave away Lavine for a 1 year rental in Butler and we watched Wiggins become the worst contract in the NBA. 2013 we trade the #9 seed for Gorgui and Shabaz. 2011 we select Derrick Williams #2. 2010 we use #4 for Wesley freaking Johnson. I could go on. Lottery draft picks are not miracles or tickets to the top, in our case they are more like fools gold. Terrible scouting and management (and coaching,) have squandered them time after time. Success brings free agents and winning culture. I would gladly take 7 years of being the eight seed to 7 wasted picks and being the perennial league joke.

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Slim Tubby wrote:

winforlose wrote:2019 lottery pick Jarrett Culver. 2017 lottery pick traded for Jimmy Butler and took Justin Patterson. 2016 lottery pick Kris Dunn. 2015 we took KAT at #1 but it hardly counts because he was a no brainer. Best player by a mile. 2014, we took Zach Lavine and traded for Andrew Wiggins. We gave away Lavine for a 1 year rental in Butler and we watched Wiggins become the worst contract in the NBA. 2013 we trade the #9 seed for Gorgui and Shabaz. 2011 we select Derrick Williams #2. 2010 we use #4 for Wesley freaking Johnson. I could go on. Lottery draft picks are not miracles or tickets to the top, in our case they are more like fools gold. Terrible scouting and management (and coaching,) have squandered them time after time. Success brings free agents and winning culture. I would gladly take 7 years of being the eight seed to 7 wasted picks and being the perennial league joke.

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Though it may be sad, it also happens to be true. The perfect answer to the poll and to you

Watching KG drag the club to the playoffs every year for nearly a decade was significantly more entertaining than almost all of the lottery seasons we've witnessed since.

Only time I’d want to be a lottery team is if there was a generational talent at the top of the draft like a Lebron or KD. Otherwise, I’ll take the playoffs, build a winning culture and hope somebody takes the leap to make ya a contender.

I’d like to make the playoffs 8th seed with these young guys first then see where it goes.

Our talent level is much higher than the Orlando Magic trip of Vuc, Formier, Gordon who had the 8 seed for 3 seasons before they blew it up and went full rebuild.

voted for Playoff first round treadmill team

with the talent we have we would be a very scary team in the PO

In terms of player age, the Wolves are the 5th youngest team in team in the NBA with some fairly high end talent that still has a ton of unrealized potential upside. I don't see the choice as being between a treadmill team or a lottery team. If things come together there is a very real chance of the team having a 4-5 year gradual ascent towards the top of the playoff standings, especially if the front office can fix the ridiculously unbalanced roster.