"If anyone's to blame..."

[bluethunder0005]

7 games into a season is far to quick to be making serious judgments. We are without our starting PG and SG. Right now our bench lacks scoring depth and ability to move the ball. Put Wes and Ridnour with the 2nd unit and it looks a lot better.

The defense is the only thing that really concerns me right now. The offense will come around as Flynn and Webster come back, Johnson develops more, Love becomes more consistent, and Beasley adjusts for being a full time SF for the first time in his career.

I knew the first part of the schedule would be awful for this team. Look at the bright side though they did beat down a 46 win team last year. That was a sign of some good defense, they just have to pick themselves up and do it.

[eToasT]

7 games into a season is far to quick to be making serious judgments..

Sooo the lakers are 7-0 is it too early to make judgments that they're really good just like prior years?

We're going to be awful just like prior years, I forsee a possible kahn/rambis firing after this year if Mr. Taylor finally gets impatient.

[teven_1]

7 games into a season is far to quick to be making serious judgments..

Sooo the lakers are 7-0 is it too early to make judgments that they're really good just like prior years?

We're going to be awful just like prior years, I forsee a possible kahn/rambis firing after this year if Mr. Taylor finally gets impatient.

well based purely on 7 games it would be a little silly to predict that the Lakers are just as good as last year. You are reinforcing this conclusion based on what you saw last year, not merely those 7 games.

I mean like I said you're asking Rambis to turn water into wine. If we improve as the year goes on based on how we play as a team and if our players develop that will be a good sign and player development dosen't happen overnight or in the first 7 games

[shangrila]

I still would have traded Love instead of Jefferson; we lack inside scoring and Darko is just not a post up guy(His hooks kill me). Imagine how much space Beas and Wes would have if we had a serious inside threat like Al still here + whatever we could get for Love.

I'm starting to feel this way too. Al's inside presence would have at least given the team somewhere to go offensively until Beasley worked it out and Love's ability to spread the floor is pointless without either a big guy or wing player that can consistently score inside. I mean, a lineup of Ridnour-Johnson-Beasley-Jefferson-Darko would have beaten Houston.

[teven_1]

I still would have traded Love instead of Jefferson; we lack inside scoring and Darko is just not a post up guy(His hooks kill me). Imagine how much space Beas and Wes would have if we had a serious inside threat like Al still here + whatever we could get for Love.

I'm starting to feel this way too. Al's inside presence would have at least given the team somewhere to go offensively until Beasley worked it out and Love's ability to spread the floor is pointless without either a big guy or wing player that can consistently score inside. I mean, a lineup of Ridnour-Johnson-Beasley-Jefferson-Darko would have beaten Houston.

Also Al jeff said he felt like Darko was his left hand or vice versa. Al jeff was a 20-10 guy. There were a lot of good reasons to keep Al Jeff.
Come to think of it I just kinda accepted trading Jeff and keeping Love because Love was younger but JESUS CHRIST I just wikid it AL jeff is only 25 years old dear god WHY???

[Gadbwah]

I just cried a little

[GopherIt!]

Jrue Holiday would look nice in a Wolves uni right about now.

[Krapinsky]

I thought I was the only one that wanted to keep Al and trade Love? Remember when I was tryign to trade Love to the Kings for Johnson (assuming we'd pick Cousins at 4) or to the Warriors for Randolph/Johnson (if Sac passed on him)?

[LOBO 7]

I thought I was the only one that wanted to keep Al and trade Love? Remember when I was tryign to trade Love to the Kings for Johnson (assuming we'd pick Cousins at 4) or to the Warriors for Randolph/Johnson (if Sac passed on him)?

Remember when I wanted to trade him for Ibaka?

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=1007393

I would still do Love + filler for Ibaka/Harden

[LOBO 7]

^
P.S. Krapinsky, that is the thread where you coined one of my favorite terms: Tony Ronzone- as in "I have a major Tony Ronzone for Serge Ibaka.

[Calinks]

I thought I was the only one that wanted to keep Al and trade Love? Remember when I was tryign to trade Love to the Kings for Johnson (assuming we'd pick Cousins at 4) or to the Warriors for Randolph/Johnson (if Sac passed on him)?

Yea, right. People were getting pissed at me becasue I was saying that I think trading Al at that point and time was a bad idea. I saw it coming a mile away though becasue as soon as Love started playing last year everybody was gushing over him. Then Al was playing poorly so everybody started grating on him. He was basically whagt Corey Brewer is this year.

I always felt like Al would get back to form but even now I don't think he's back yet. Huge injuries like his can take over a year to really come back from so there is still hope but he's still not the same player he was two seasons ago. That Al Jefferson was an offensive stalwart that could almost carry an offense by himself. My big fear was that we would move Al and he would get back to that form and start dropping 25 points on a regular basis.

So far Al is looking like a marginally improved version of himself last year. He's missing a lot of easy shot he never missed before and he looks slower which is strange becasue he's skinner than he was two years ago. Anyway I wish him well and I hope he does become the player he once was. Yea he is not a defensive monster but at least he brings a couple of blocks which Love doesn't do. And offensively, they aren't even in the same discussion right now. I think one reason why Love looked so great last year was becasue we had a guy like Al out there who got so much attention. Nobody gives a crap about Darko. Both Love and Darko need a big like an Al Jefferson that can draw that attention and let them do their dirty work.

I'm also biased in all of this because I prefer half court basketball and inside out game. Run and gun is fin if done right but I feel like it's not winning basketball when it comes to the playoffs. I wasn't happy when Kahn and Rambis said that's the direction we are going with. Even still, at this point I will take a Golden State like style of play because at least we would be able to rack up some wins.

[eyeteeth]

I still would have traded Love instead of Jefferson; we lack inside scoring and Darko is just not a post up guy(His hooks kill me). Imagine how much space Beas and Wes would have if we had a serious inside threat like Al still here + whatever we could get for Love.

I'm starting to feel this way too. Al's inside presence would have at least given the team somewhere to go offensively until Beasley worked it out and Love's ability to spread the floor is pointless without either a big guy or wing player that can consistently score inside. I mean, a lineup of Ridnour-Johnson-Beasley-Jefferson-Darko would have beaten Houston.

Also Al jeff said he felt like Darko was his left hand or vice versa. Al jeff was a 20-10 guy. There were a lot of good reasons to keep Al Jeff.
Come to think of it I just kinda accepted trading Jeff and keeping Love because Love was younger but JESUS CHRIST I just wikid it AL jeff is only 25 years old dear god WHY???

Jefferson doesn't pass, doesn't rebound and plays defense precisely as poorly as KLove. Al is a black whole on any kind of team offense. He was unhappy and unmotivated. He had the higher trade value. What part of this argument didn't you lose on the first go around?

Love is a 20-15 guy if he plays 5 more minutes a game, plus he passes the ball and cares about teamwork. The big thing that Al has that Love doesn't is that he draws double teams. But if he can't pass to the open man out of them, then who cares?

[Cyborg21]

theres a lot of talent on this team, I blame Rambis for not managing it correctly.

[shangrila]

Jefferson doesn't pass, doesn't rebound and plays defense precisely as poorly as KLove. Al is a black whole on any kind of team offense. He was unhappy and unmotivated. He had the higher trade value. What part of this argument didn't you lose on the first go around?

I agree he doesn't play defence or pass, but how doesn't he rebound? He's averaged around 10 a game ever since he was given decent minutes. He wasn't unmotivated either and he was unhappy more about losing then being here. And considering all we got back for him was Kosta Koufos and a couple of mid round picks, if we're lucky, shows he didn't have better trade value.

Love is a 20-15 guy if he plays 5 more minutes a game, plus he passes the ball and cares about teamwork. The big thing that Al has that Love doesn't is that he draws double teams. But if he can't pass to the open man out of them, then who cares?

Love is not a 20ppg and 15rpg type of player, not with 5 or 500 more minutes. He won't ever hit that 20ppg because he'd need to take way too many shots with his craphouse percentages to touch that mark. He passes the ball but he sure as hell doesn't care about teamwork, just watch his defensive rotations.

I'll admit, I was behind trading Jefferson at the time. But after seeing this team in action it's clear that the things Jefferson brings, like a go-to scoring ability and an inside presence, are needed a lot more then Love's slightly overrated passing ability and ability to stretch the floor.

[Breakdown777]

Here's hoping that Peko emerges as a Mini-Jefferson (heck, even a more brutish version of Scola would do)..we'd have someone with an established post game, and everything shakes out in the end. With some more time for everyone to get used to the system and the league, I think this team the way it is made up could work. For that to happen...

-Rambis needs to get his rotations set (not worried about this until Webster and Flynn get back).
-Rambis needs to learn how to out-coach, or improve on his techniques. (not so much zen-master mind game stuff. More alterations during halftime. Better game planning. Less lame excuses. etc.)
-we need that post presence I eluded to above.
-Beasley needs to become that number one option (if/when he get's more settled into the offensive scheme, I think this is entirely possible).
-Our PG need to make good decisions more often (won't be as big a problem once Rubio comes over).
-Our wings need to work on their handles.
-Everyone needs to show effort.

IF these things happen (even if they improve) I could see this team as a grizzles-like dark horse. Even if all these things happen, I still think we aren't elite enough defensively to be a contender.

[jade_hippo]

Here's hoping that Peko emerges as a Mini-Jefferson (heck, even a more brutish version of Scola would do)..we'd have someone with an established post game, and everything shakes out in the end. With some more time for everyone to get used to the system and the league, I think this team the way it is made up could work. For that to happen...

-Rambis needs to get his rotations set (not worried about this until Webster and Flynn get back).
-Rambis needs to learn how to out-coach, or improve on his techniques. (not so much zen-master mind game stuff. More alterations during halftime. Better game planning. Less lame excuses. etc.)

-we need that post presence I eluded to above-Beasley needs to become that number one option (if/when he get's more settled into the offensive scheme, I think this is entirely possible).
-Our PG need to make good decisions more often (won't be as big a problem once Rubio comes over).
-Our wings need to work on their handles.
-Everyone needs to show effort.

IF these things happen (even if they improve) I could see this team as a grizzles-like dark horse. Even if all these things happen, I still think we aren't elite enough defensively to be a contender.

THESE TWO!! the rest will come as a result. I feel bad, I called these guys out last night and they go out and show they have a pulse still...

[horaceworthy]

Love is not a 20ppg and 15rpg type of player, not with 5 or 500 more minutes. He won't ever hit that 20ppg because he'd need to take way too many shots with his craphouse percentages to touch that mark. He passes the ball but he sure as hell doesn't care about teamwork, just watch his defensive rotations.

I'll admit, I was behind trading Jefferson at the time. But after seeing this team in action it's clear that the things Jefferson brings, like a go-to scoring ability and an inside presence, are needed a lot more then Love's slightly overrated passing ability and ability to stretch the floor.

Can't really criticize Love's scoring efficiency and defensive rotations at the same time you're trying to argue for Jefferson. Doesn't really work.

It isn't clear at all that Jefferson's skill set is needed here more than Love's. Switch the two and the Wolves would still be a bad team, people would just be complaining about different things, like Jefferson and Darko clogging the paint, the poor rebounding of the frontcourt, a lack of ball movement, etc. I realize the grass always seems greener somewhere else when you're 2-7, but let's not get carried away.

The blunt truth is that parting ways this summer was in the best interests of both the Wolves and Jefferson. Big Al's one of my favorite players, but he was getting ground up by all the losing. All that was happening here was developing/maintaining bad habits. Getting traded to Utah was the best thing that could have happened to him. He gets a fresh start in a stable, winning culture and the Wolves opened up a starting slot for Love, gained a couple mid 1st rounders, and hit the reset button on $13M in salary.