2018 Minnesota Timberwolves Off-Season Thread

Perfectly reasonable and understandable position. Would even agree with it if the Wolves had a pass first PG who could get Wiggins a few easy baskets every game. Problem is they don't have that guy. Add in the frustration that comes from being the 3rd or sometimes 4th option when he's on the floor with Butler, Towns and Teague, and just can't see how Wiggins will ever be happy or come close to justifying his salary around here.

Maybe the only way Wiggins is going to get to play with a Coach who can adjust and/or design things to play to his strengths as a player is to go somewhere else. Thibodeau signed a 5 year, $40 million contract in '16. Don't know what the status of that deal is now, but can't see Taylor eating it either.

I agree with all of this. I envision a coach that will have Wiggins on the move, puting him in places to succeed. A lot of people are giving Wiggins flack for standing on the perimeter and not moving. That looks more like an offense design than Wiggins being lazy. He's not the best ball handler, so if he were on the move more often from screens and cuts, he could catch the ball in a position that would fit his strengths. The guy is 6'8 and can jump. He should be a lot more dangerous in the paint.
 

I agree with all of this. I envision a coach that will have Wiggins on the move, puting him in places to succeed. A lot of people are giving Wiggins flack for standing on the perimeter and not moving. 1.That looks more like an offense design than Wiggins being lazy. He's not the best ball handler, so if he were on the move more often from screens and cuts, he could catch the ball in a position that would fit his strengths. 2. The guy is 6'8 and can jump. He should be a lot more dangerous in the paint.

1. Agreed. Offense at times this year looks like the 1st Half of the season last year. Where Thibs took the ball out off Rubio's hands and gave it too LaVine, Dunn and Wiggins (!) and had them run the Offense. He then had Rubio a very bad shooter, stand in the corner waiting to shoot 3's!

That by the way, is why many people who follow the Wolves closely (putting you in that group) don't automatically genuflect to the Wolves record this year. Would say we all have great appreciation for getting into the playoffs. Just that they would have had a much better increase then the 2 games from '16 to '17 if Thibs hadn't thrown away the first half of that season with his horrible experiments. They should have been 40+ in wins rather then the 30 that they had in '16-'17.

Lousy coaching decisions or tanking last season? Only Thibs and Taylor know for sure.

Will give Thibs credit for getting them to the playoffs this season but will never give him credit for that increase in wins.

2. As long as teams get rewarded for sagging 3, 4 guys into the paint rather than guarding all the Wolves outside the paint no Wolves player will get the points they deserve around the basket. That's why they REALLY need some 3 point shooters.
 

1. Agreed. Offense at times this year looks like the 1st Half of the season last year. Where Thibs took the ball out off Rubio's hands and gave it too LaVine, Dunn and Wiggins (!) and had them run the Offense. He then had Rubio a very bad shooter, stand in the corner waiting to shoot 3's!

That by the way, is why many people who follow the Wolves closely (putting you in that group) don't automatically genuflect to the Wolves record this year. Would say we all have great appreciation for getting into the playoffs. Just that they would have had a much better increase then the 2 games from '16 to '17 if Thibs hadn't thrown away the first half of that season with his horrible experiments. They should have been 40+ in wins rather then the 30 that they had in '16-'17.

Lousy coaching decisions or tanking last season? Only Thibs and Taylor know for sure.

Will give Thibs credit for getting them to the playoffs this season but will never give him credit for that increase in wins.

2. As long as teams get rewarded for sagging 3, 4 guys into the paint rather than guarding all the Wolves outside the paint no Wolves player will get the points they deserve around the basket. That's why they REALLY need some 3 point shooters.

J.J. is a free agent this year. With Crawford leaving.....???
 




Redick. But he might be too expensive for us. Plus he probably wouldn't want to leave Phila.

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Its insane he got $20+ million . I bet he gets a teams mid-level this year.
 

"VanGundy, Pistons Part Ways after 4 years"

Because Glen Taylor is an idiot, this will probably be Thibs, Wolves part ways in 2 years. Both VG and TT will get paid for one last year to walk away. VG has put that franchise in shambles. Thibs will do the same.
 

Its insane he got $20+ million . I bet he gets a teams mid-level this year.

He'll get a lot more than that, but he won't be getting $20 million again. That was a one time deal since Philly had to spend more money.
 

Redick. But he might be too expensive for us. Plus he probably wouldn't want to leave Phila.

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We have zero money to spend on FA's beyond the mid-level. He would be absolutely perfect for this team though.
 



He'll get a lot more than that, but he won't be getting $20 million again. That was a one time deal since Philly had to spend more money.

Maybe. I don't know a lot of teams under the cap that will give JJ 10-15 per. Maybe for one year? That'd be awesome if Wolves could get him. (Although that pass he made in game 3 against the Celtics was abysmal)
 

Maybe. I don't know a lot of teams under the cap that will give JJ 10-15 per. Maybe for one year? That'd be awesome if Wolves could get him. (Although that pass he made in game 3 against the Celtics was abysmal)

He's worth at least 17-18 in my mind. Plays defense, hits 3's and can handle the ball a little. He'll get one more big contract...it just won't be from us.
 

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Howl Wolves!!

You always want to boot the guy who has the confidence of your best player.

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You always want to boot the guy who has the confidence of your best player.

Here are the rosters for most of Thibodeau's tenure at the Chicago Bulls. Including Coaching Staffs.

Good source for figuring out who he will hire and trade for. You know after striking out badly on Hill, Aldrich, Rush, Casspi, Shabazz, Dieng, Stephenson etc. Tommy T. has probably convinced himself the only way he's gonna win is to resurrect those Bulls rosters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlV3oQ3pLA0&ab_channel=MrHenripoincare

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/2012.html

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/2014.html

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/2015.html
 

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Howl Wolves!!
 

@JonKrawczynski:

Timberwolves coach Rick Brunson has resigned. More to come on this

Bet there is.
 

Former Gopher coach Bill Fitch chimes in, per Shama:

Bill Fitch, the former Gopher coach who went on to win an NBA title with the Celtics, is retired and living in the Houston area. He follows the NBA closely and was asked about the Timberwolves. “I’d let them know they’re better than what they’ve shown,” he said to Sports Headliners.

The Wolves were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs and there is speculation team unity might be an issue. Fitch said if he were coaching a group with chemistry problems there would be an offseason team party at his house, a planned wake-up call. The message: if the players aren’t on the same page in training camp, they will wear out the court from all the running ordered by the coach. “You can’t win without it (unity),” Fitch said.

How do the Timberwolves improve their personnel? Add another big player to push center Karl-Anthony Towns in practice and help him in games, Fitch suggested. “You never have enough strong big men,” he said.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Howl Wolves!!
 

Former Gopher coach Bill Fitch chimes in, per Shama:

Bill Fitch, the former Gopher coach who went on to win an NBA title with the Celtics, is retired and living in the Houston area. He follows the NBA closely and was asked about the Timberwolves. “I’d let them know they’re better than what they’ve shown,” he said to Sports Headliners.

The Wolves were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs and there is speculation team unity might be an issue. Fitch said if he were coaching a group with chemistry problems there would be an offseason team party at his house, a planned wake-up call. The message: if the players aren’t on the same page in training camp, they will wear out the court from all the running ordered by the coach. “You can’t win without it (unity),” Fitch said.

How do the Timberwolves improve their personnel? Add another big player to push center Karl-Anthony Towns in practice and help him in games, Fitch suggested. “You never have enough strong big men,” he said.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Howl Wolves!!

Fitch is right about them being better then what theyve shown.

However, he's definitely on the old school side of the spectrum. Not sure his tactics would turn things around. And its a coaching issue, not a chemistry one.
 

Fitch is right about them being better then what theyve shown.

However, he's definitely on the old school side of the spectrum. Not sure his tactics would turn things around. And its a coaching issue, not a chemistry one.

Thibs is the main culprit of the chemistry issues according to everything I've read and heard. He just doesn't have it in him to try to fix it. Thibs feels winning will cure all issues. Trouble with that is you often need good chemistry to win in today's game.
 

Thibs is the main culprit of the chemistry issues according to everything I've read and heard. He just doesn't have it in him to try to fix it. Thibs feels winning will cure all issues. Trouble with that is you often need good chemistry to win in today's game.

I haven't read anything on the players not liking him. I thought Thibs had issue with others at corporate...
 

I haven't read anything on the players not liking him. I thought Thibs had issue with others at corporate...

The young guys don't like him. The vets are fine with him. The vets don't like the young guys. The young guys don't like the vets. That is a summary of what has been written over the last season.
 

The young guys don't like him. The vets are fine with him. The vets don't like the young guys. The young guys don't like the vets. That is a summary of what has been written over the last season.

Got it. So the next chapter is to get rid of the young guys hahaha.

Check out this tweet. Could Lowe mean trade Wiggins and Towns?

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And I am joking about towns
 

RandBall: If Wolves explore trading Andrew Wiggins, here are some possible deals

So consider this an exercise in assessing Wiggins’ potential value and what he might fetch in return if — a big if — the Wolves decided to go that route. As I see it, there are four realistic types of deals given where the Wolves are in their development:

1) Go big or go home: I think the single biggest thing missing on the Wolves’ roster right now is a shot-blocking, defensive-minded big man. If you want an eraser that fixes a lot of defensive deficiencies, go get yourself one of those. Tom Thibodeau had one in Chicago with Joakim Noah when he had all those highly ranked defenses. He lacks a player like that in Minnesota, and the defense has suffered accordingly.

Names to consider: Two guys come to mind. One is the Heat’s Hassan Whiteside and the other is Detroit’s Andre Drummond. Both are defensive beasts who can also score. Both have big salaries that would match up with Wiggins’ max deal. Whiteside is being mentioned in rumors as a trade bait because of a lackluster performance in this year’s playoffs. Drummond has been mentioned in trade rumors in the past, too — most prominently to Boston.

So what’s the problem: Whiteside is under contract for just two more seasons, and one of those is a player option. The Wolves would be trading their relative problem for the Heat’s relative problem, and if you deal for him and it doesn’t work out, you could be left with nothing. And in both cases, the Wolves would also probably need to move Gorgui Dieng — lest they have a TON of salary tied up in big men, along with Towns and Taj Gibson.

2) Cut and run: The Wolves could flat-out decide the Wiggins extension was a mistake and take on useful players on shorter-term contracts to get out from the deal while still charting a course for a repeat trip to the playoffs.

Names to consider: A team like Brooklyn — bereft of elite young talent because of damaging deals involving draft picks — could view Wiggins as a key piece around which to build. The Nets could send back DeMarre Carroll or Allen Crabbe (shooters who would help next year) and enough spare parts to make the money work.

So what’s the problem: Brooklyn would be getting the best player in the deal, and the Wolves would be giving up on Wiggins at a relatively young age — with the potential to look foolish down the road.

3) The unlikely home run: Tom Thibodeau swung a franchise-changing deal for Jimmy Butler last offseason. Could he do it again this offseason?

Name to consider: Kawhi Leonard. He’s one of the best players in the NBA, and his situation in San Antonio is strained to say the least. He would give the Wolves a devastating Big Three along with Butler and Towns, and mayyyybe Spurs coach Gregg Popovich would look at Wiggins and think he can maximize his potential.

So what’s the problem: Leonard is due for a massive contract, and his health is in question. Also, if the Spurs trade Leonard, can’t they do better than this? (Yes).

4) Opportunity knocks: Sometimes a playoff flameout creates momentum for change via a trade. I could see two potential teams in this sphere: The Raptors and the Blazers.

Names to consider: Toronto has some intriguing matches. DeMar DeRozan had a rough postseason and is neither a great three-point shooter nor lockdown defender, but he’s become a very good scorer and all-around offensive threat. He’s basically an older (almost 29) version of Wiggins and is essentially the kind of player Wolves fans now hope Wiggins will become. The Raptors were the East’s No. 1 seed but were swept by the Cavs, with DeRozan shrinking along the way. Wiggins is a Canada native who could be a megastar in Toronto. Point guard Kyle Lowry is another name to consider in a deal (along with other parts) that would presumably include both Wiggins and Jeff Teague in return.

http://www.startribune.com/if-wolve...ggins-here-are-some-possible-deals/482312701/

Howl Wolves!!
 

What would be wrong with a DeRozan-Butler combo? Out of the available free agents.....DeRozan is one of the more intriguing prospects in my opinion. Figured that it would impossible to get him. I'd be very interested depending on what we'd have to give up.
 

If anyone wants to take a crack at some potential trades here you go. Problem with using Wiggins in a trade is when his new big contract because of the Poison Pill Provision. In real life it expires on 6/30/18.

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine
 

What would be wrong with a DeRozan-Butler combo? Out of the available free agents.....DeRozan is one of the more intriguing prospects in my opinion. Figured that it would impossible to get him. I'd be very interested depending on what we'd have to give up.

DeRozan is a worse 3pt shooter than Wiggins is. 3pt shooting is a must for this team if they want to get better.
 

I’m not sure if the salaries work but:
1. Wiggins/? for Kevin Love and Tristin Thompson
2. Wiggins/? for Zach LaVine/Kris Dunn

I like the first because it works for both teams. The Cavs get more athletic and a player who can stay on the floor plus a face for the future. The wolves get a shooter and a defensive presence in the middle.

The second; Zach would be a better fit for this team than Wiggins. Dunn would add that defensive presence off the bench.


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I’m not sure if the salaries work but:
1. Wiggins/? for Kevin Love and Tristin Thompson

Wiggins and Gorgi for Love and Thompson works. I'd do it, but I doubt Taylor or the Cavs would do it with Gorgi's deal being longer than Thompson's.
 

Wiggins and Gorgi for Love and Thompson works. I'd do it, but I doubt Taylor or the Cavs would do it with Gorgi's deal being longer than Thompson's.

They main reason I like it is because Towns could play his natural position of PF when teamed with Tristan and Love would open the floor for him when he did play center (majority of the time.) The downside is they never could all play together.


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They main reason I like it is because Towns could play his natural position of PF when teamed with Tristan and Love would open the floor for him when he did play center (majority of the time.) The downside is they never could all play together.


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Love and Towns would be the worst defensive duo in the league I'm afraid. I'd rather do a trade with Miami or Brooklyn and get pieces that fill needs. I envision a Tyus trade coming now that it is obvious that Thibs is going to oversign for Rose. Maybe Wiggins and Jones will get us more than Wiggins on his own.
 




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