Are Love and Rubio good enough?

[Worm Guts]

Are they good enough to be the best 2 players on a championship caliber team? Or are we still looking for our superstar? I bring this up because I still see people occasionally talking about how we need a number one option, but Love is already one of the top 5 most productive players in the NBA. We obviously need an upgrade on the wing in any situation, but what caliber player do we need?

[[RCG]]

We need a capable wing player. If you look at the PER of Beasley, Johnson, Webster, Ellington they're terrible. I don't think we necessarily need a true #1. Love isn't going to make his own shots but he produces like a #1 and Rubio can make the players around him better if they aren't total boneheads. Above average wings would do wonders for this team.

[Piecake]

Are they good enough to be the best 2 players on a championship caliber team? Or are we still looking for our superstar? I bring this up because I still see people occasionally talking about how we need a number one option, but Love is already one of the top 5 most productive players in the NBA. We obviously need an upgrade on the wing in any situation, but what caliber player do we need?

I think they are good enough. I know people think we need a number 1 option on the wing, but I really dont think so. I think we would be better served by having wings our there who can defend, hit the 3, and move well without the ball since our ball dominant player is Rubio, not our wings.

I think how well we are playing right now with how terrible our wing play is should give credence that we really dont need an allstar at the wing, we just need players who are competent to good. Will we be favored to win it all with a lineup like that? I dont know, but I think we would have a chance

[jpatrick]

I think we need a stud scorer on the wing. Love and Rubio are both studs because they have such unique skills but neither is a go to one on one scorer you need to be a championship team. I dont think that wing has to be our best player, just a gifted scorer who can get his own shot.

[C.lupus]

I think they are good enough, too. We just need some competence at the wings. Somebody who can consistently hit a shot and, ideally, have the ability to create occasionally. Seeing Rubio and Love right now at 21 and 23 years old, it's almost scary to think what they could be in 5 years, just hitting their prime.

[moss_is_1]

They should both be top 15-20 players in the league during their prime IMO. That should be good enough, we don't need to find a player that will be better then both of them, but someone who will be a top ~30 player in the league on the wing probably?

[SportsGuy8]

Along with strong Pek, they're good enough for a championship IF they can get great role-players at SG & SF positions. And by great I mean Battier, Bruce Bowen type (maybe not that great, as such players are obviously very hard to find, but still close to that level). Defenders that can hit open shots.

It would be a nice bonus if such a player was also capable of creating his own shot, but then we're talking about All-Stars, and it's obviously unlikely the Wolves will be able to get such a player.

Example of a championship starting 5 (obviously the Wolves can't get Afflalo & Batum, it's just an example):
Rubio
Afflalo
Batum
Love
Pek

That would be . Rubio, 3 great shooters and a BEAST. With probably the best defensive back-court & wing in the league.

[C.lupus]

Example of a championship starting 5 (obviously the Wolves can't get Afflalo & Batum, it's just an example):
Rubio
Afflalo
Batum
Love
Pek

That would be . Rubio, 3 great shooters and a BEAST. With probably the best defensive back-court & wing in the league.

That lineup would do some real damage and it's actually feasible to assemble.

[zerogravity15]

They should both be top 15-20 players in the league during their prime IMO. That should be good enough, we don't need to find a player that will be better then both of them, but someone who will be a top ~30 player in the league on the wing probably?

This is what I'm thinking. We need another player that's top 25 or 30. Preferably a wing that can score 15-20 ppg consistently and play good defense on the perimeter.

[SportsGuy8]

Example of a championship starting 5 (obviously the Wolves can't get Afflalo & Batum, it's just an example):
Rubio
Afflalo
Batum
Love
Pek

That would be . Rubio, 3 great shooters and a BEAST. With probably the best defensive back-court & wing in the league.

That lineup would do some real damage and it's actually feasible to assemble.

Yeah, the good thing is that with some luck, you can get such players with low 1st round picks. Getting a player like Batum is hard, because it was a specific situation (he only dropped to 25 because there were worries about his heart problems), but a player like Afflalo was not only just the 27th pick, but he was also let go by another team (Pistons), traded for basically nothing.

Getting another top 20 guy is obviously highly unlikely, but getting players like Afflalo is actually quite possible (players like Batum a bit less possible), provided your FO knows what they're doing (+ some luck is always needed).

P.s.: Some even go undrafted. Bowen, or a guy like Wesley Matthews ... Far from perfect, but a HUGE upgrade.

[LordBaldric]

If Pek continues his beastly play and Rubio improves his shot over the next couple years I think a couple legit good players at the 2 & 3 might be enough to make us contenders. I we got another superstar player, watch out NBA!

[Klomp]

It depends on who we get as our third wheel. Pek is not the third best player on a title team. I don't think we need to have a LeBron or Durant, but I think an Iguodala or Granger would make us a title contender.

[Calinks]

I think they will be. We need that third guy and good role players.

[southern wolf]

Assuming they keep improving into their primes, I think we just need a third guy on the wing who can give us around 20 ppg and solid defence, Beasley was close to that last season... without the defence.

[mark blunt]

I mean it's not my money but we could do worse than adding a couple extra million to a Batum offer this summer. That may be the difference between becoming a top 6-8 team for the next 5 years and fighting for a playoff spot for the last 3 years of the Love era.

[jade_hippo]

If you look at our team right now, adding one player like Reddick or Ray Allen makes us a dangerous team. I think that right there is all the proof we need to say Rubio/Love/Pek are enough. Like someone else said, none of those 3 are really superstars, but they have such unique skill sets it just seems to work.

[theGreatRC]

Love is good enough, Rubio needs to add a go-to move to be "Good enough". Right now RR is a facilitator and great defender, but not someone you can rely on to consistently get you a big bucket. (Although he has gotten buckets for us early, he needs a move that can't be **** with..like Rose's floater/Parker's floater/Melo's jab to pull-up J, etc)

We don't need a #1 option, we just need a wing player capable of creating his own offense so Love isn't doubled in the playoffs if we really want to win the whole thing. 1on1 Love can do his thing against 90% of the players in the league.

[kmgarnett21]

Like others have said, Love/Rubio are good enough but this team is just missing a decent to great SG. Of course, getting an All Star SG would be awesome. But if you put a JJ Redick or Wes Matthews on this team, and they are a legit threat in the playoffs.

[Busch Legion]

Right now? I don't think so... But if Love keeps on improving like he has, and if Rubio can improve his shot a bit, yeah they can be.

[pumunga]

as is, as a team, good nuff