Why can't the Timberwolves put something good together?

[GoBobs]

Who are their vets with playoff experience/success? Look at the Hawks. They were successful because they surrounded young/collins with gallo/capella/L. Williams. You can’t surround towns with rookies and other young players and expect to go anywhere.

[elchengue20]

Offensively KAT can be a 1st option on a Playoff team.

Problem is hes a Center and hes below average defensively. Center is the most important position on defense. Talented Centers who are bad on defense can put pretty numbers but they wont lead you to many wins.

Plus, the roster from their 4th man to the 15th is pretty much garbage. They should trade KAT and DAngelo and start a rebuild around Edwards.

[ForeverTFC]

Culture.

Teams that are perpetually bad have bad culture. And that starts from the top in any organization.

[BostonCouchGM]

KAT....he's a fraud. Scores well in losing efforts. No defense.

this. Small market teams have only a couple of different ways they can compete. a) they luck out and draft a generational player like Lebron in Cleveland, Giannis in Millwaukee, Duncan in San Antonio or Jokic in Denver b) draft really good role players and have a couple really good players plus elite coaching like the 2004 Pistons, and so many other teams that have gotten far but never over the hump.

The issue for MN is KAT is a huge liability defensively. He can't bang down low and he can't guard the perimeter. He has giant slow feet. And while he's a good shooter he can't create his own shot. You HAVE to hit when you pick that high and they missed with KAT. Edwards is the better player/prospect and a good start for them but they need to trade away everyone and build around him and I don't see them doing that. They should surround Edwards with 3 and D guys he can kick to. He can be a Beal type impact but he needs to be given the keys.

The good thing is, 3 and D betas are a dime a dozen in the NBA. The hard part is finding a gem like Edwards and then not ruining him before he develops into a superstar.

[bstein14]

I'm in aggrement that it falls on KAT. It's why Butler didn't want to stay there. You can't have your franchise get a bunch of shots but not but in on doing everything needed to win. Other role players aren't going to sell out and work their asses off while the guy getting all the FGAs just goes through the motions on the defensive end of the floor. He just isn't a leader that a team is going to rally behind.

[shangrila]

Who are their vets with playoff experience/success? Look at the Hawks. They were successful because they surrounded young/collins with gallo/capella/L. Williams. You can’t surround towns with rookies and other young players and expect to go anywhere.

The problem, in part, is the timing.

See, we were where the Hawks were before Thibs came. We had all 3 of our "core" guys (Wiggins, Towns and LaVine) on rookie contracts and boatloads of capspace to sign guys like that. Instead? Thibs blew his load on a Jeff Teague/Taj Gibson combo that ate up all the capspace we had. Taj was ok, if overpaid, and Teague sucked...so that was that.

That's partly why I'd be ok with resetting around Edwards. If you move Towns, then add the return from him with a potentially high pick of our own this year and DLo expiring next year we might just get that window open again before Edwards' needs to be extended to really sign some impact players.

[a8bil]

KAT....he's a fraud. Scores well in losing efforts. No defense.

this. Small market teams have only a couple of different ways they can compete. a) they luck out and draft a generational player like Lebron in Cleveland, Giannis in Millwaukee, Duncan in San Antonio or Jokic in Denver b) draft really good role players and have a couple really good players plus elite coaching like the 2004 Pistons, and so many other teams that have gotten far but never over the hump.

The issue for MN is KAT is a huge liability defensively. He can't bang down low and he can't guard the perimeter. He has giant slow feet. And while he's a good shooter he can't create his own shot. You HAVE to hit when you pick that high and they missed with KAT. Edwards is the better player/prospect and a good start for them but they need to trade away everyone and build around him and I don't see them doing that. They should surround Edwards with 3 and D guys he can kick to. He can be a Beal type impact but he needs to be given the keys.

The good thing is, 3 and D betas are a dime a dozen in the NBA. The hard part is finding a gem like Edwards and then not ruining him before he develops into a superstar.

The only thing is you can't fully blame KAT...its the T-wolves that don't realize he's just a complimentary player who should be subordinate to Edwards (total alpha) and one other player. But they keep treating him like he's their number 1.

[NoDopeOnSundays]

KAT....he's a fraud. Scores well in losing efforts. No defense.

this. Small market teams have only a couple of different ways they can compete. a) they luck out and draft a generational player like Lebron in Cleveland, Giannis in Millwaukee, Duncan in San Antonio or Jokic in Denver b) draft really good role players and have a couple really good players plus elite coaching like the 2004 Pistons, and so many other teams that have gotten far but never over the hump.

The issue for MN is KAT is a huge liability defensively. He can't bang down low and he can't guard the perimeter. He has giant slow feet. And while he's a good shooter he can't create his own shot. You HAVE to hit when you pick that high and they missed with KAT. Edwards is the better player/prospect and a good start for them but they need to trade away everyone and build around him and I don't see them doing that. They should surround Edwards with 3 and D guys he can kick to. He can be a Beal type impact but he needs to be given the keys.

The good thing is, 3 and D betas are a dime a dozen in the NBA. The hard part is finding a gem like Edwards and then not ruining him before he develops into a superstar.

The only thing is you can't fully blame KAT...its the T-wolves that don't realize he's just a complimentary player who should be subordinate to Edwards (total alpha) and one other player. But they keep treating him like he's their number 1.

Changing his role in the offense won't clean up his defense.

[a8bil]

this. Small market teams have only a couple of different ways they can compete. a) they luck out and draft a generational player like Lebron in Cleveland, Giannis in Millwaukee, Duncan in San Antonio or Jokic in Denver b) draft really good role players and have a couple really good players plus elite coaching like the 2004 Pistons, and so many other teams that have gotten far but never over the hump.

The issue for MN is KAT is a huge liability defensively. He can't bang down low and he can't guard the perimeter. He has giant slow feet. And while he's a good shooter he can't create his own shot. You HAVE to hit when you pick that high and they missed with KAT. Edwards is the better player/prospect and a good start for them but they need to trade away everyone and build around him and I don't see them doing that. They should surround Edwards with 3 and D guys he can kick to. He can be a Beal type impact but he needs to be given the keys.

The good thing is, 3 and D betas are a dime a dozen in the NBA. The hard part is finding a gem like Edwards and then not ruining him before he develops into a superstar.

The only thing is you can't fully blame KAT...its the T-wolves that don't realize he's just a complimentary player who should be subordinate to Edwards (total alpha) and one other player. But they keep treating him like he's their number 1.

Changing his role in the offense won't clean up his defense.

Good point.

[Black Jack]

I honestly would trade Towns soon-to get max value. See what Edwards plus TONS of young assets can become

Bingo. I would trade Towns now to max out assets received in return. Sad fact is it's unlikely they will ever contend with him. Let Edwards plus a new generation run.

[SharpyShuffle]

I honestly would trade Towns soon-to get max value. See what Edwards plus TONS of young assets can become

Bingo. I would trade Towns now to max out assets received in return. Sad fact is it's unlikely they will ever contend with him. Let Edwards plus a new generation run.

The time to trade Towns for max value was 2-3 years ago.

The problem with trading Towns now is that they won't get a top-quality young player for him. No LaMelo, no Mobley, probably not even a Barnes. They need another young gun full of promise to pair with Edwards but they might just have to settle for picks and a few B-tier prospects. The GSW package for example.

The other option is trade Edwards and try and put an actual team around KAT - try to get Simmons and another potential star (SGA would be the ideal since OKC seem to want to keep tanking and Edwards fits that timeline). It depends on how high Edwards' value is: if the league feels he's really got true superstar potential -as in, top-5 player- then maybe you can use him as the centerpiece of a megadeal that gets rid of trash contracts like D'lo and replaces them with second-tier stars. But that may be wishful thinking.

[SharpyShuffle]

I honestly would trade Towns soon-to get max value. See what Edwards plus TONS of young assets can become

Bingo. I would trade Towns now to max out assets received in return. Sad fact is it's unlikely they will ever contend with him. Let Edwards plus a new generation run.

The time to trade Towns for max value was 2-3 years ago.

The problem with trading Towns now is that they won't get a top-quality young player for him. No LaMelo, no Mobley, probably not even a Barnes. They need another young gun full of promise to pair with Edwards but they might just have to settle for picks and a few B-tier prospects. The GSW package for example.

The other option is trade Edwards and try and put an actual team around KAT - try to get Simmons and another potential star (SGA would be the ideal since OKC seem to want to keep tanking and Edwards fits that timeline). It depends on how high Edwards' value is: if the league feels he's really got true superstar potential -as in, top-5 player- then maybe you can use him as the centerpiece of a megadeal that gets rid of trash contracts like D'lo and replaces them with second-tier stars. But that may be wishful thinking.

[MikeM]

KAT....he's a fraud. Scores well in losing efforts. No defense.

At the same time, they'd have way more wins if he got more shots. Russell and Edwards take 37 shots a game for a .500 TS%. If you gave even 5 of those shots to KAT, they'd have more wins.

The guy is shooting 47% from 3 on 6 shots a game. He's basically the best shooting C of all-time and he is 3rd in shot attempts on the TEAM.

[Marvin Martian]

MIN had something good going with prime Kevin Love and almost made the playoffs in a stacked Western conference. But they gave up too early for no reason

[MrBigShot]

Early in the season but KAT is averaging 23.6ppg to Edwards' 23.4. And that's with KAT taking ~16 shots a game while Edwards is taking ~22, Ant's potential is sky high but he is chucking it up big time right now. Russell is taking 16 shots a game to average a whopping 17ppg.

I think with KAT, eventually he will land in a well run organization with a good amount of talent around him, and then people will stop thinking he's an empty stat liability. Kind of like the way people's perception of Devin Booker changed.

[a8bil]

KAT....he's a fraud. Scores well in losing efforts. No defense.

At the same time, they'd have way more wins if he got more shots. Russell and Edwards take 37 shots a game for a .500 TS%. If you gave even 5 of those shots to KAT, they'd have more wins.

The guy is shooting 47% from 3 on 6 shots a game. He's basically the best shooting C of all-time and he is 3rd in shot attempts on the TEAM.

Which says he should be Kyle Korver in their offense...nothing more.

[a8bil]

Early in the season but KAT is averaging 23.6ppg to Edwards' 23.4. And that's with KAT taking ~16 shots a game while Edwards is taking ~22, Ant's potential is sky high but he is chucking it up big time right now. Russell is taking 16 shots a game to average a whopping 17ppg.

I think with KAT, eventually he will land in a well run organization with a good amount of talent around him, and then people will stop thinking he's an empty stat liability. Kind of like the way people's perception of Devin Booker changed.

LOl...not even close. Booker just needed some help. KAT has had so much help over the years and it amounted to nothing. He's had too many coaches, too many quality players go through that organization to believe KAT is not the problem. KAT should be treated like a decent 3-4 option scorer...but someone has to motivate him to play defense.

[Lalouie]

because they are who they are,,,from the top down. they took over where the clips left off. they inhereted that mantle from the clips.....well earned.

i'd like to know why portland recycles the same wash every year. does this make nurkic the most overrated missing piece in the nba?

[Crazy-Canuck]

Just taking out the dlo trade:

Rubio/jmac
Ant/beas/okogie
Wiggs/mcD
Kuminga/vandy
Kat/reid

I take that over the current roster easily.

[WindyCityBorn]

They waste picks. They have had so many lottery picks with just Edwards and KAT to show for it.
Wesley Johnson #4
Derrick Williams #2
Shabazz Muhammad #13 (traded down from #9)
Zach Lavine #13 (traded for Butler rental)
Kris Dunn #5 (barely in the league)
Josh Okogie #20 (low pick because Butler dragged them to the playoffs)
Jarret Culver #6

Granted that trade was worth it even after Butler started to act up to get out of the Timberwolves.

How was it worth it? The were decent for like a year and half and then went right back to sucking.