2018 Minnesota Timberwolves Off-Season Thread

Donate To GopherHole
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Howl Wolves!!
 

dpodoll68 said:
We finally make the playoffs for the first time in 14 years, and suddenly everyone wants to fire the coach/GM and gut the roster. What am I missing here?
Click to expand...

I get what you are saying, but I think Thibs is well on his way to destroying this team.

The salary cap issues are for real and there isn't one positive way to look at it. They are royally screwed money wise.

The roster is a mess balance wise. From 3-ball shooting to depth, this team is one injury away from disaster.

The young guys hate playing for him. The ex-Bulls hate playing with the young guys. That's on the Gm/coach. How successful can a team really be with that sort of disfunction?

Making the playoffs with that roster is not a huge success. What happened 10 years ago means nothing. All that mattered was that Thibs put everything into making the team relevant. 8th seeds are not relevant. This team should have been a lot better. A lot better. The Butler injury is such a weak excuse as most teams had worse injury issues.

Taylor gets blame for this as well, but the Wiggins situation was bungled badly.

Thibs wanted to sign Bazz to a $40 million dollar deal. That alone should get someone fired.

The inability to adapt his style of play, at all, is very concerning for the future of this team. Thibs is cleary a "do things my way" only coach. His way hasn't kept up with a changing game.

Taylor could just bury his head and hope for the best but what is the ceiling with a team like this? Players hate the coach. Management hates the coach. The coach refuses to adapt. Salary cap completey messed up. Terrible roster balance. Sounds like a team that could limp into the playoffs for a few more seasons because of Towns, and maybe Butler, and then back to 17 wins.

There is a reason the fanatic Wolves fans (people way more into the team/game than us) want him gone in the worst way. Thibs is like the guy who can't see the pile-up about to happen despite causing it.
 

tikited said:
I get what you are saying, but I think Thibs is well on his way to destroying this team.

The salary cap issues are for real and there isn't one positive way to look at it. They are royally screwed money wise.

The roster is a mess balance wise. From 3-ball shooting to depth, this team is one injury away from disaster.

The young guys hate playing for him. The ex-Bulls hate playing with the young guys. That's on the Gm/coach. How successful can a team really be with that sort of disfunction?

Making the playoffs with that roster is not a huge success. What happened 10 years ago means nothing. All that mattered was that Thibs put everything into making the team relevant. 8th seeds are not relevant. This team should have been a lot better. A lot better. The Butler injury is such a weak excuse as most teams had worse injury issues.

Taylor gets blame for this as well, but the Wiggins situation was bungled badly.

Thibs wanted to sign Bazz to a $40 million dollar deal. That alone should get someone fired.

The inability to adapt his style of play, at all, is very concerning for the future of this team. Thibs is cleary a "do things my way" only coach. His way hasn't kept up with a changing game.

Taylor could just bury his head and hope for the best but what is the ceiling with a team like this? Players hate the coach. Management hates the coach. The coach refuses to adapt. Salary cap completey messed up. Terrible roster balance. Sounds like a team that could limp into the playoffs for a few more seasons because of Towns, and maybe Butler, and then back to 17 wins.

There is a reason the fanatic Wolves fans (people way more into the team/game than us) want him gone in the worst way. Thibs is like the guy who can't see the pile-up about to happen despite causing it.
Click to expand...

Great points and argument. I haven’t watched enough of the wolves to VEHEMENTLY disagree. My sons and their friends have hijacked my tickets the last few years.

Based on Thibs history and the fact that the main reason he was hired (defense) the team absolutely sucks at; I’m trending your way.[emoji848]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

tikited said:
I get what you are saying, but I think Thibs is well on his way to destroying this team.

The salary cap issues are for real and there isn't one positive way to look at it. They are royally screwed money wise.

The roster is a mess balance wise. From 3-ball shooting to depth, this team is one injury away from disaster.

The young guys hate playing for him. The ex-Bulls hate playing with the young guys. That's on the Gm/coach. How successful can a team really be with that sort of disfunction?

Making the playoffs with that roster is not a huge success. What happened 10 years ago means nothing. All that mattered was that Thibs put everything into making the team relevant. 8th seeds are not relevant. This team should have been a lot better. A lot better. The Butler injury is such a weak excuse as most teams had worse injury issues.

Taylor gets blame for this as well, but the Wiggins situation was bungled badly.

Thibs wanted to sign Bazz to a $40 million dollar deal. That alone should get someone fired.

The inability to adapt his style of play, at all, is very concerning for the future of this team. Thibs is cleary a "do things my way" only coach. His way hasn't kept up with a changing game.

Taylor could just bury his head and hope for the best but what is the ceiling with a team like this? Players hate the coach. Management hates the coach. The coach refuses to adapt. Salary cap completey messed up. Terrible roster balance. Sounds like a team that could limp into the playoffs for a few more seasons because of Towns, and maybe Butler, and then back to 17 wins.

There is a reason the fanatic Wolves fans (people way more into the team/game than us) want him gone in the worst way. Thibs is like the guy who can't see the pile-up about to happen despite causing it.
Click to expand...

I agree with most of what you said. The Bazzy deal didn't get done. The Dieng deal was appropriate in the context of the time it was done. Even the Wigs deal had to get done for overall credibility reasons, though we knew this was a likely outcome. The huge mistake was trading the wrong guy to Chicago. This team has the appearance of having hit its ceiling on and off the floor in two years. They have nowhere to go on salaries unless Taylor decides to pay a big tax and Thibs has lost at least half of this team on the floor. I wouldn't be surprised if Towns doesn't re-sign.
 

I've been trying to find a copy online of the timberwolves' lease and amendments to figure out how difficult it would be for a buyer to break it or buy his way out of it. It's a public document, so it should be available. Any suggestions on where to look?
 


STrib: Building around Butler, Towns, Wiggins is Wolves' goal

Without saying exactly how they intend to do so, Timberwolves coach/president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau and General Manager Scott Layden made it clear Monday during a postseason meeting with reporters that they want to sign All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns to contract extensions, while also being aggressive in improving the team elsewhere.

How they do both — with Andrew Wiggins already sign to a maximum contract — and still have salary space to surround all three with a roster with improved three-point shooting, defense and depth is the big question.

Thibodeau called a 47-victory regular season and a first-round loss to top-seeded Houston after 14 years away from the playoffs a success and the “next step” toward contending for a title.

“When you haven’t done something for 14 years, it’s a major step for our organization,” Thibodeau said. “And it’s not easy to do. Winning in this league is very difficult and we should understand that. When you lose for 14 years, that says a lot and to change it, it’s a massive change in your culture.”

Thibodeau made it clear Monday the Wolves’ culture change starts with Butler. This summer, he can sign an extension to stay in Minnesota through 2023 before he can opt out of his current contract in the summer of 2019.

Thibodeau said Butler experienced just “general soreness” in his knee at season’s end, but won’t need any other procedures after he had February surgery on his meniscus.

“At an appropriate time, we’ll talk to him,” Thibodeau said. “What he did for our organization, we certainly know how important he is and so every day our communication with him is critical. It’s important for him to feel good about everything that we’re doing here.”

The Wolves can sign Towns to a five-year maximum contract extension this summer; under the NBA’s labor agreement they can give two players coming off their rookie contracts such an offer. They used the first to sign Wiggins last October to an extension worth at least $146 million.

“Obviously, you know how we feel about Karl also, so we feel the same way about him being here,” Thibodeau said. “We want him here for a long time and at the appropriate time we’ll sit down and talk with him. But he’s a huge part of our future.”

http://www.startribune.com/building-around-butler-towns-wiggins-is-wolves-goal/481300211/

Howl Wolves!!
 

Chip: Timberwolves' defense improved, but needs another substantial leap

The roster needs more players who possess defensive aptitude, whether those players come via trades, free agency or draft. Thibodeau and GM Scott Layden face a challenging offseason in trying to strengthen the roster while attempting to sign Towns and Butler to extensions.

Thibodeau acknowledged that the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors have separated themselves from the pack in the Western Conference. The gap between those two and the rest of the field is daunting. The Wolves saw that gap firsthand in the first round, in both shooting and defense.

The Wolves had the lowest output in three-pointers in the NBA, so any improvement there should be substantial. But to become a legitimate contender requires more than subtle improvement on defense. They won’t take that next important step by simply being average on that end.

http://www.startribune.com/timberwo...but-needs-another-substantial-leap/481315471/

Howl Wolves!!
 

I'm predicting a breakout year for Wiggins next year. I still like his game a lot. He got better at D and rebounding, but he had a really bad shooting year. I think those shots fall next year.
 




I guess Thibs having a end of year presser means hes back. Bummer.
 

@JonKrawczynski
15m15 minutes ago

League sources tell @TheAthleticMIN that Jamal Crawford is declining his player option for next season with Wolves.
 

JimmyJamesMD said:
I'm predicting a breakout year for Wiggins next year. I still like his game a lot. He got better at D and rebounding, but he had a really bad shooting year. I think those shots fall next year.
Click to expand...

I don't think his shooting is the real problem, it's his lack of team play, lack of floor vision, and mediocre defense. The TWolves drafted in him, a selfish scorer. Selfish scorers have always been and still are a dime a dozen.
 

Iceland12 said:
@JonKrawczynski
15m15 minutes ago

League sources tell @TheAthleticMIN that Jamal Crawford is declining his player option for next season with Wolves.
Click to expand...

This is great news!!!!
 



tikited said:
This is great news!!!!
Click to expand...

I like Crawford, but at this point in his career, he doesn't deserve the role his think he deserves. He may not have had the minutes he was anticipating, but he sure got to shoot as much as he would have on any other team.

The metrics are just awful for the Wolves when he is out there because he cant stay in front of anyone. He's a good catch and shoot guy from three point land; he needs to embrace that more.
 

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 


For those familiar with the Rick James/Charlie Murphy skits from Chappell, this is an awesome tweet. In fact, it might be one of my favs

[URL="[/URL]
 

Souhan: Is Crawford's decision a bad omen for the Wolves

Jamal Crawford declined his player option. He is leaving the Timberwolves.

An ESPN report noted that Wolves star Jimmy Butler wanted Crawford to remain.

This is the first important move of an offseason that could set the Wolves up as winners, or put them on the precipice of regression.

Here are the questions raised by Crawford's departure:

-Can Tom Thibodeau attract quality bench players? He signed Cole Aldrich, then didn't play him. He signed Jamal Crawford, then didn't play him as much as Crawford wanted or expected. Thibs plays his starters massive minutes. Even if you don't disagree with that strategy, it makes attracting quality bench players in free agency difficult. Crawford is well-liked and well-networked around the NBA. If he tells players they wouldn't enjoy playing for Thibs in Minnesota, that's a blow.

-If Thibs can't build a strong bench, does that make Butler less likely to re-sign with the Wolves?

-Does this make it more likely that the Wolves will pursue a trade - whether of Andrew Wiggins, their first-round pick, or some combination of assets? The Wolves are even more desperately in need of three-point shooting and bench scoring now, and don't have enough cap space to spend on high-profile free agents.

-Does this make it more likely that the Wolves invest in Derrick Rose?

This is the NBA. It's about personalities and relationships. Given Thibs' reputation, Butler may have to become the Wolves' top ambassador and recruiter.

http://www.startribune.com/timberwolves-crawford-move-an-omen/481626121/

Howl Wolves!!
 


per Sid:

• Even with Jamal Crawford opting out of the final year of his contract, the Timberwolves are currently slated to pay nine players $109 million next season, which is already over the expected NBA salary cap. That’s before you consider that the team will try to match certain offers for forward Nemanja Bjelica while also trying to improve their wing play off the bench. The last time the Wolves were over the cap was in 2015-16, but that was by just $650,000. The luxury tax tab for next season could be well over $10 million.

http://www.startribune.com/vikings-are-eager-to-put-last-season-s-sour-ending-behind-them/481836821/

Howl Wolves!!
 


Pioneer Press: Derrick Rose, Timberwolves are a good match, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be back

In five playoff games, Rose averaged 14.2 points and 2.6 assists, shooting 51 percent from the field and 70 percent from 3-point range. After Game 3, in which Rose poured in 17 points, Houston coach Mike D’Antoni proclaimed “he’s got his juice back.”

In the month and a half he spent in Minnesota, Rose proved he’s still an NBA player capable of contributing to a good team, and was well worth the Wolves’ minimum-salary investment. The question now is this: Will Rose, who re-enters free agency this summer, be back in Minnesota next season?

“We thought Derrick was a terrific addition for us,” Thibodeau said when posed that question at his end-of-season press conference. “Obviously he’s a free agent, so we’ll address that down the road. But I thought he was playing very well for us.”

Despite his hot hand in the postseason, Rose doesn’t solve the Wolves’ outside shooting woes. But he does supply perimeter depth to a team in desperate need of it, particularly with Jamal Crawford’s impending exit. Thibodeau has long loved having a true scorer leading his second unit, and Rose proved he is more than capable of being that guy without sacrificing too much defensively.

As for Rose’s interest, in mid-April he told the Pioneer Press he “would love to be back” with the Timberwolves. He was comfortable with the familiarity of playing under Thibodeau and alongside former Bulls teammates Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler, calling Minnesota “the perfect, perfect environment” where he could just play and not think.

“In the past, when I’m out there thinking or I’m not playing my game, that’s when I tend to drift off,” Rose said. “But being here, being around the guys, the attitude, the atmosphere is different, so it keeps everybody engaged.”

https://www.twincities.com/2018/05/...good-match-but-that-doesnt-mean-hell-be-back/

Howl Wolves!!
 

BleedGopher said:
per Sid:

• Even with Jamal Crawford opting out of the final year of his contract, the Timberwolves are currently slated to pay nine players $109 million next season, which is already over the expected NBA salary cap. That’s before you consider that the team will try to match certain offers for forward Nemanja Bjelica while also trying to improve their wing play off the bench. The last time the Wolves were over the cap was in 2015-16, but that was by just $650,000. The luxury tax tab for next season could be well over $10 million.

http://www.startribune.com/vikings-are-eager-to-put-last-season-s-sour-ending-behind-them/481836821/

Howl Wolves!!
Click to expand...

Crawford is seriously opting out? Fine by me.
 

stocker08 said:
Crawford is seriously opting out? Fine by me.
Click to expand...

It makes sense.

1. He was probably lied to about playing time.
2. Seems like a small amount of people like Thibs, so the odds are JCraw isnt one of him.
3. Chances are he can get a similar one year deal on a team that give better playing time. Not saying hes selfish, but he comes across he would rather play on a loser if it meant he plays a fair amount instead of a championship contender where his minutes are up and down. I just think he likes to contribute
 

JimmyJamesMD said:
It makes sense.

1. He was probably lied to about playing time.
2. Seems like a small amount of people like Thibs, so the odds are JCraw isnt one of him.
3. Chances are he can get a similar one year deal on a team that give better playing time. Not saying hes selfish, but he comes across he would rather play on a loser if it meant he plays a fair amount instead of a championship contender where his minutes are up and down. I just think he likes to contribute
Click to expand...

If he wants playing time on a contender and similar money...he might be in for a surprise. Right now he is a minimum salary type of player with a mid-level salary way of self perception.
 

tikited said:
If he wants playing time on a contender and similar money...he might be in for a surprise. Right now he is a minimum salary type of player with a mid-level salary way of self perception.
Click to expand...

I agree. But if he thought differently, he wouldnt be opting out
 

Trade Proposal From The Ringer

Position on trade proposal and rumors is concrete. 90+% of them are pure b.s. The numbers of proposed to actual are just abysmal. That said, here's one Kevin O'Connor, an NBA writer from The Ringer. It's buried in a long story on the Raptors.

Like the deal, with the caveat that "cap space" often has meant nothing to the Wolves in the past. Free Agents just haven't wanted to sign here.

Unless of course they are Ex-Bulls.

"Nonetheless, if I were Ujiri, I’d still seek a deal with a team that’s also in need of a shake-up. The Timberwolves stand out since Jimmy Butler can become an unrestricted free agent in 2019 and Butler has expressed displeasure with Minnesota’s youth for not understanding the “urgency” of their situation. The Wolves need to keep Butler happy, and he’s friends with Lowry from their time playing together on Team USA at the Olympics. There are also rumblings that Butler recruited Lowry to the Wolves last offseason.

The obvious trade target would be Andrew Wiggins, who has failed to live up to expectations in Minnesota but has still shown flashes. Maybe things would click for him back home in Canada. If the Wolves already have buyer’s remorse, then maybe there’s a mega-deal to be done centering around Wiggins and Jeff Teague going to Toronto for Lowry, Miles, and Pascal Siakam. The Wolves would get rid of Wiggins’s deal and give themselves immense cap flexibility when Butler is a free agent in 2019; perhaps they’d become a destination. The Raptors could view Wiggins as a building block for the next era while serving as a versatile contributor who can help now. But a backcourt with Teague and DeRozan would be laughably bad defensively, so perhaps a deal that ships Teague to a third team would make more sense.

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/5/5/17323668/toronto-raptors-lebron-cavs-next-moves
 

Iceland12 said:
Position on trade proposal and rumors is concrete. 90+% of them are pure b.s. The numbers of proposed to actual are just abysmal. That said, here's one Kevin O'Connor, an NBA writer from The Ringer. It's buried in a long story on the Raptors.

Like the deal, with the caveat that "cap space" often has meant nothing to the Wolves in the past. Free Agents just haven't wanted to sign here.

Unless of course they are Ex-Bulls.

"Nonetheless, if I were Ujiri, I’d still seek a deal with a team that’s also in need of a shake-up. The Timberwolves stand out since Jimmy Butler can become an unrestricted free agent in 2019 and Butler has expressed displeasure with Minnesota’s youth for not understanding the “urgency” of their situation. The Wolves need to keep Butler happy, and he’s friends with Lowry from their time playing together on Team USA at the Olympics. There are also rumblings that Butler recruited Lowry to the Wolves last offseason.

The obvious trade target would be Andrew Wiggins, who has failed to live up to expectations in Minnesota but has still shown flashes. Maybe things would click for him back home in Canada. If the Wolves already have buyer’s remorse, then maybe there’s a mega-deal to be done centering around Wiggins and Jeff Teague going to Toronto for Lowry, Miles, and Pascal Siakam. The Wolves would get rid of Wiggins’s deal and give themselves immense cap flexibility when Butler is a free agent in 2019; perhaps they’d become a destination. The Raptors could view Wiggins as a building block for the next era while serving as a versatile contributor who can help now. But a backcourt with Teague and DeRozan would be laughably bad defensively, so perhaps a deal that ships Teague to a third team would make more sense.

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/5/5/17323668/toronto-raptors-lebron-cavs-next-moves
Click to expand...

I'm just not ready to give up on Wiggins. I'm ready to give up on the coach. I need to see Wiggins with a good coach before I can write him off. I know its the fashionable thing right now, but they need him if they want to win a title.
 

JimmyJamesMD said:
I'm just not ready to give up on Wiggins. I'm ready to give up on the coach. I need to see Wiggins with a good coach before I can write him off. I know its the fashionable thing right now, but they need him if they want to win a title.
Click to expand...

Let me get this straight...The Wolves get to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years in a very tough Western Conference and the coach sucks while an underachieving player who is now a veteran needs a longer look?
Wiggins will never be like Kobe because Kobe, unlike Wiggins, played great defense. Wiggins is a weak@$$ version of Carmelo Anthony. At least Anthony could post-up a guy. Wiggins is just a reed getting pushed around by the wind. He doesn't want to fight and curls up in a ball when pushed. He's had his chance to show he's a man. He's failed. Time to get someone who cares to work hard at all aspects of the craft.
 

JimmyJamesMD said:
I'm just not ready to give up on Wiggins. I'm ready to give up on the coach. I need to see Wiggins with a good coach before I can write him off. I know its the fashionable thing right now, but they need him if they want to win a title.
Click to expand...

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.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom