2020-2021 Minnesota Timberwolves In-Season Thread

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forever a gopher said:
While I’d normally agree with you, I’m not sure it matters. Going back to KAT in 2015, they’ve had the #1, 5, 7, 6, 1 overall picks, and it hasn’t seemed to make a difference. They are turning into the Cleveland Browns of the NBA. Constant high picks, constant turnover at GM and coach, and a subpar owner.
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Oh I completely agree even when they do the right thing it’s the wrong thing. I go back to the fact they had Thibs and Butler and in 2 years it’s blown back up again. KAT may have a chronic wrist issue after what happened this year. All in all if they win 25 games this year that would be amazing.
 

Well we're on Pace to give up 150 to the Blazers. The worst thing is we call a timeout to straighten things out and and come out of it and look even worse. We'd be struggling to score ourselves if Russell wasn't absolutely on fire.
 

Wolves have now lost 6 straight.

Howl Wolves!!
 

Should have drafted Ball then traded KAT and Russell and built around Ball and the future picks.
 



tmvander said:
Should have drafted Ball then traded KAT and Russell and built around Ball and the future picks.
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IMHO that can't happen. Mainly because of salary considerations.

Towns is in the 1st year of a 5 year extension for $158,253,000. Russell is in the 2nd year of a 4 year contract worth $117,325,500.

The Wolves are over the cap. Which means they'd have to take back that much money. Then that team(s) would have to pony-up those future picks.

That said so far Ball has been early Rubio. Flashy passer, good rebounder for a guard, but can't shoot. Can't speak to his Defense. Rubio had more assists but their scoring, 11.8 a game vs. 10.6, is pretty much the same. Don't know if Ball will develop a better shot, but until he does the comparison is quite valid. It's a small sample, but that "flashy, but can't shoot was the knock on Ball before he was drafted. Still, seems like a good comparison.

Though NBA experts are loath to make it. ;)
 
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JimmyJamesMD said:
Fire Rosas and Saunders
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Yep.

Not sure if they'll admit they're wrong bout Rosas yet but Saunders seems to be way, way over his head. Since KAT never plays, his relationship with Saunders shouldn't matter. Not sure though that Taylor will ever fire Ryan.
 

Iceland12 said:
IMHO that can't happen. Mainly because of salary considerations.

Towns is in the 1st year of a 5 year extension for $158,253,000. Russell is in the 2nd year of a 4 year contract worth $117,325,500.

The Wolves are over the cap. Which means they'd have to take back that much money. Then that team(s) would have to pony-up those future picks.

That said so far Ball has been early Rubio. Flashy passer, good rebounder for a guard, but can't shoot. Can't speak to his Defense. Rubio had more assists but their scoring, 11.8 a game vs. 10.6, is pretty much the same. Don't know if Ball will develop a better shot, but until he does the comparison is quite valid.

Though NBA experts are loath to make it. ;)
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I can't speak to the defense either but I think he's shooting around 35% from 3. That isn't great by any stretch but I'd take it. I just think as a guy to build around Ball is better than Edwards. Edwards probably fits our current team better but if you could trade Towns and Russell I think I'd rather have Ball than Edwards.
 

Iceland12 said:
Yep.

Not sure if they'll admit they're wrong bout Rosas yet but Saunders seems to be way, way over his head. Since KAT never plays, his relationship with Saunders shouldn't matter. Not sure though that Taylor will ever fire Ryan.
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Maybe why he wants to sell. So he doesnt have to fire him.
 



tmvander said:
I can't speak to the defense either but I think he's shooting around 35% from 3. That isn't great by any stretch but I'd take it. I just think as a guy to build around Ball is better than Edwards. Edwards probably fits our current team better but if you could trade Towns and Russell I think I'd rather have Ball than Edwards.
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I'd still take Edwards over Ball in a second but Ball has played pretty well so far after a bad start.

Jimmy and Iceland:
I'm all for firing Ryan. Pitino like situation for me. Likable but not the right guy imo. I will give Rosas one more trade deadline to win me back. His small ball crap is beyond stupid for the team we have.
 

JimmyJamesMD said:
Maybe why he wants to sell. So he doesnt have to fire him.
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That's what I've heard. Or better yet that Taylor "doesn't have the fire in him" to keep the team. If I remember the article(s) written about the sale he wants to get financial things in order before he dies. His family wants no part of running the club. Can't blame them for that.

Also can't see Taylor getting $1.5 billion to keep them here either. Sure of one thing though.

If they do go elsewhere, it won't be a Minneapolis Lakers or North Stars situation. These stiffs aren' winning a title anytime soon.

If ever.
 
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tmvander said:
I can't speak to the defense either but I think he's shooting around 35% from 3. That isn't great by any stretch but I'd take it. I just think as a guy to build around Ball is better than Edwards. Edwards probably fits our current team better but if you could trade Towns and Russell I think I'd rather have Ball than Edwards.
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Towns and Russell need to go. I wanted to trade them both to the Suns this season, or wherever. Use Towns to trade Russell too. You essentially need to pay to get rid of Russell. Towns aint winning you no championships anyways.

I wanted Edwards. But I would take Ball too if it meant them getting their chance to get clock. Edwards needs to play more minutes than anybody and be the primary scorer. Find out what they have.

I'll never understand the Wiggins Russell trade. The argument was you had to pay (first rounder) to get rid of Wig's contract. Russell has essentially the exact same contract. Only make sense if they trade for a player on an expiring.
 

JimmyJamesMD said:
Towns and Russell need to go. I wanted to trade them both to the Suns this season, or wherever. Use Towns to trade Russell too. You essentially need to pay to get rid of Russell. Towns aint winning you no championships anyways.

I wanted Edwards. But I would take Ball too if it meant them getting their chance to get clock. Edwards needs to play more minutes than anybody and be the primary scorer. Find out what they have.

I'll never understand the Wiggins Russell trade. The argument was you had to pay (first rounder) to get rid of Wig's contract. Russell has essentially the exact same contract. Only make sense if they trade for a player on an expiring.
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The Wiggins trade was still an incredible thing. I can't believe it only took one pick to make it happen. Wiggins/contract is that bad. No one else was going to take him. Wash. wasn't even interested in Wall for Wiggins according to Canis guys in the know. Trouble is...you were correct about D-Lo. Can shoot it but can't defend a lick.
 



tikited said:
The Wiggins trade was still an incredible thing. I can't believe it only took one pick to make it happen. Wiggins/contract is that bad. No one else was going to take him. Wash. wasn't even interested in Wall for Wiggins according to Canis guys in the know. Trouble is...you were correct about D-Lo. Can shoot it but can't defend a lick.
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in my mind, should have been a 1 (bad contract) for 1 (bad contract) deal. No draft assets included. Both of them should be a role player. My own preference is to pay $25 mil to wigs to be a role player
 

The list of "The Wolves should have done that" is probably miles long. What we do know is that Rosas is building that team around 3 pt shooting.

They're shooting the 3 at 32% Meanwhile inside the line they're shooting 52%. Math doesn't work in the Wolves favor that way. Add in lousy defense and they'll just keep on losing. Maybe set a team record for consecutive losses.

Don't want them to throw open the doors to Target Center yet. Wouldn't be prudent.

But if they set a cap at say 2,000 people, that might cover the people who are paying their own non-deductible money.

They really need Towns.
 

Karl-Anthony Towns nearing return for Timberwolves

The Timberwolves got a welcome bit of news on the injury front Friday as the team listed center Karl-Anthony Towns as questionable for Saturday's game against San Antonio.

That's an upgrade for Towns over his status entering the last few games when the team has ruled him out in the previous days' injury reports. Towns has missed the last six games, all Wolves losses, because of a dislocated wrist he suffered Dec. 26 in a win over Utah.

Towns has been pushing to play and the Wolves are going to see how he responds Saturday morning during shootaround and perhaps warmups before gauging his readiness, a source said..

www.startribune.com

Karl-Anthony Towns nearing return for Timberwolves

Wolves star center Karl-Anthony Towns has missed past six games — all losses — but could return Saturday
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com
 

Karl-Anthony Towns did indeed start tonight for the Wolves.

It's 14-11 Wolves at the 6:40 mark of the 1st.
 

They're going to O.T. tied at 113. Beasley has 24, Towns has 23, 11 rebounds and 4 assists. Rubio has 8 assists.

DeRozan had 36 for San Antonio.
 


Sigh. Tough ending. Beasley can score. I'd rather have he taken the last shot at the end of regulation and not DRuss.

7 loses in a row.

Howl Wolves!!
 

DeRosan just killed is at the end of regulation. Tough having 19 year old rookie Edwards on him. Nothing against Edwards, that's just a gigantic mismatch at this point.

Spurs were 24/29 on free throws, the Wolves 11/17. There's your game right there.
 

At least they looked like a competent basketball team again with Towns back. That was an entertaining game to watch.
 

No Karl-Anthony tonight as a precaution. Though they got Okogie back.

They broke that losing streak too, 96-88.
 


Great to get the win. Gotta avoid the long losing streaks.

Howl Wolves!!
 

From The Athletic a story posted yesterday about KAT deciding to come back. It's behind a paywall and it's LONG, but here's what stood out to me:

(Doctors had told him it could take up to 8 weeks to heal)

“The last two weeks have just been constant rehab every single moment,” Towns said. “As soon as I wake up I’m rehabbing until I sleep. Doing just a lot of stuff.”..

“The actual words I said was, ‘F*** it.’ I just put my jersey on and said, ‘It’s time to go play,'” Towns said. “Obviously, it wasn’t the best decision for my personal health at all. But it was the best decision I could make for my team, so that’s what I did.”..

Towns has in the past heard criticism about being “soft,” a label that started to be thrown at him during Jimmy Butler’s volatile stay in Minnesota. But he has shown a different kind of strength during a heartbreaking offseason that included the loss of his mother and six other loved ones to COVID-19. Now here he was, coming back sooner than expected from a painful injury and trying to steady the ship that was sinking right in front of his eyes..

theathletic.com

'I'll always ride with KAT': The message of Karl-Anthony Towns' fast comeback

Karl-Anthony Towns' return brought a big jolt to a Timberwolves team that was hopeless without him, even if Saturday ended in another loss.
theathletic.com theathletic.com
 

What a potential Timberwolves sale means for NBA expansion

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said recently the league may dust off long dormant expansion plans, igniting prospective cities and ownership groups. The prospect has league officials and current owners watching a drawn-out sales process of the Minnesota Timberwolves as an indicator for franchise value health.

After putting the Wolves on the market in both 2012 and 2015 only to back out each time, longtime owner Glen Taylor announced again in July 2020 that he was selling the team. It has not been a brisk process as firm offers have been tepid, sources said.

Taylor, 79, has gotten as far as a term sheet with a group led by Daniel Straus, a New Jersey-based health care magnate and former Memphis Grizzlies minority owner, but the sides haven't been able to finish the deal. They're still talking, sources said, and Straus remains the favorite to get the team, but Taylor's history of pulling the team off the market leaves doubt.

Valuations put the Wolves in the $1.3-1.5 billion range including debt, sources said, less than what Taylor was hoping to fetch. Straus, sources said, revised his offer after it was clear fans would not be in arenas en masse this season, assuring steeper short-term losses.

"I think Glen was hoping team values were still going up," one owner said. "I think we're finding out they may not be right now."

www.espn.com

What a potential Timberwolves sale means for NBA expansion

The next NBA team to sell could provide some indication of whether franchise values will continue to overperform.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

Howl Wolves!!
 

per Shama:

With the Timberwolves off to one of the worst starts among NBA teams, have to believe Gersson Rosas, president of basketball operations, is on the phone regarding trades including with former boss Daryl Morey of the Sixers. The two worked extensively together in Houston with the Rockets.

Among the issues for the 3-7 Wolves is guard D’Angelo Russell’s domination of the ball late in games. Instead of involving others, he too often tries to be scoring champion James Harden when results more resemble Isaiah Rider.


Howl Wolves!!
 


Minnesota announced earlier that their Friday night game against the Memphis Grizzlies had been postponed due to contact tracing in the Timberwolves' organization. Yesterday, Wolves announced that Ricky Rubio and Juancho Hernangomez would miss tonight's game because of COVID 19. Juancho would be out at least for 10 days.

Now, they just announced that Towns will be out also because he tested positive. Since he lost his mom and 6 other family members to Covid, it's getting me saying very hard on KAT.

"Prior to tonight's game, I received yet another awful call that I tested positive for COVID," Towns said in a statement shared on social media. "I will immediately isolate and follow every protocol. I pray every day that this nightmare of a virus will subside and I beg everyone to continue to take it seriously by taking all the necessary precautions.

"... It breaks my heart that my family, and particularly my father and sister continue to suffer from the anxiety that comes along with this diagnosis as we know all too well what the end result could be. To my niece and nephew ... I promise you I will not end up in a box next to grandma and I will beat this."

www.espn.com

Towns says he's tested positive for COVID-19

Karl-Anthony Towns, whose mother died from complications related to COVID-19 in April, says he has tested positive for the virus.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
 
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