The Minnesota Timberwolves Offseason Thread - Kris Dunn at No. 5 in Most Recent DX Mock

[kidkain]

Besides the Lavine hate I'm with Carver ...

There is no reason with how good towns has been to be playing him anything under 30 minutes a game

 

[RyGuy45]

Towns sat out the fourth quarter for the third time in the last four games.

Mitchell is old school -- there is something he is not seeing out of Towns and he's making him earn it. I don't know what to think really.

The coaching situation is going to be interesting but we've known that from the beginning. Who is even making the call at the end of the year? Who is in charge here? Who is going to have the stones to bring in a new guy who will wipe out the current country club coaching staff as well as Saunders' and Adelman's kids?

 

[hood17]

^Totally agree we all know McHale will be in Minny soon if he's not there already. But I would like to see Thibs but I don't know who management will be once Glen sells. Will they get a long an all that. I'd rather see a healthy Rubio and this young squad get out there and show why we're the next DAMN dynasty that's coming.

 

[jpzx]

I would have to think Milt Newton is in charge now when it comes to making changes at season's end. The long-term future decisions: I don't know really, it's an underreported thing.

And McHale... I don't know. This franchise to him is an inevitable gravitational pull that I can't stop.

 

[bonafide hustla]

SMitch gotta go.

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somebody hire that man a PR agent he sounds silly

his mins argument doesn't make sense. You run young guys into the ground. Wiggins averaged almost 37 mins a game last year
his pNr argument doesn't make sense. Teams only run pNr in the 4th or....?

unless you Minny faithful justify it. Sounds like he just doesn't like Towns. Wiggins the quiet, hard working scrappy defender who's coming into his own offensively. Towns the heralded flashy offensive superstar? But Towns is a playmaker on D. I don't get it. Might be a reach, but nothing else makes sense to me

 

[kidkain]

We really had a shot at the 8th seed SMitch killing any hope of that with his decision making...

Bringing in Prince at the end of close games like he's the defender he used to be

 

[carver]

Said it in the NBA thread.

We had a shot at the 8th.. This fool single handedly is losing us game with these terrible coaching decision. His rotations suck, can't draw a play up to save his life. Along with many other things.

I mean, he took towns out of the game with 37 seconds left down 2 on a defensive possession. Dieng was in the game and he's bottom 5 centers at defending the rim percentage wise when he contest the shot. KAT is top 4! When Portland subbed in aminu he took towns out because apparently aminu is a ball handler and 3pt shooter. But on that possession dame drove and simply laid the ball in.. Aminu was sitting under the basket where Towns would have been if he were in the game. Dame also got the layup because Dieng was in terrible position. Princes corpse did absolutely nothing to affect the shot. KAT stops that play from happening. Period.

SMitch is an idiot and is holding the team back.

 

[RyGuy45]

2-9 at home

Wiggins is back to dealing with his shot... Since Thanksgiving eve he's 38-95 (.400) and 5-22 (.227) from downtown.

Throw in the fact for the year LaVine is shooting .432, KMart is shooting .348, and Rubio is shooting .347 and our guards are struggling mightily getting the ball in the basket.

 

[hood17]

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[bonafide hustla]

Every time I watch Towns, it makes me think: more and more: that this guy could be the best PF to play the game in the future. It's really early, but I legitimately feel that way based on his ability alone. I'm as high on this guy as I've ever been on a player. I think some of those Wiggins touches need to go to KAT, and ultimately KAT needs to be the centerpiece of it all within the next year or two. Wiggins is still developing, so you don't want to stunt that. But I think they should be attacking inside to out, not the other way around

 

[hood17]

Agree he's the PF I've wanted here since KG left. I think in this new NBA he's a center. But either way he has to be our Duncan for the next decade plus.

 

[jpzx]

I have no problem with Sam limiting KAT's minutes, it's exactly what most criticized Flip for not doing last year with Wiggins.

I don't blame Sam Mitchell for anything to do with the W-L record either - you play almost every three days/going from city-to-city. It's on individuals to sort of 'get up' themselves on the day of games. Obviously with the 76ers or teams with little to no veterans - it's a more important aspect to the job, like in Brett Brown's case.

But the T-Wolves have multiple, from different championship-winning teams (Prince, KG) and the players want to avoid disappointment in the eyes of Garnett as much as Mitchell if I had to guess. One's just fear, one's just fear of losing minutes. Same effect. It's not like in the NFL where a coach has a week to surround his team with a well-constructed game plan, I don't think coaches could affect records that much in situations where you can't flesh out an opponent; dissect for weaknesses. They might alter something late in games with substitution preferences/play drawn up, but for 95% of the game the players are out there deviating when they want to and making the best on-court decisions they saw at the time, so if it's tied or close at the end of games that's on them ultimately.

Was looking up last three games stuff - 3PA:3PM ratios.

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[jpzx]

@DWolfsonKSTP: By the way, heard the Nets and Lakers are two of the teams that like Shabazz. He has fans. But Milt is not moving him anytime soon. #twolves

Then on Kevin Martin:

"No buzz yet [about the potential of him being traded at the deadline]. Heard the Kings like him. But so do Sam and Milt."

 

[bonafide hustla]

I have no problem with Sam limiting KAT's minutes, it's exactly what most criticized Flip for not doing last year with Wiggins.

Can't argue with that, but Wiggins averaged 36 mins a game as a raw rookie. Towns is averaging 27. Towns should be right at 30 or slightly above imo.


Duncan averaged 39 mins as a rookie.

Besides all that, if you aren't giving guys tons of mins when they're young, when do you? When they're older?

 

[jpzx]

I think we have to play it different with Towns though considering every No. 1 pick since at least 1980 averaged 27 minutes per game or more in college.

Towns was at 21 minutes per game - because of the the platoon system Calipari was implementing, which Cal said he wouldn't do again. So not only is Towns not accustomed to an 82-game regular season schedule (he played 40 games last year or so?) but the minutes he played in those 40 games were far less. Not saying we need to bring him along slowly forever, but I don't want to get into a situation where gets an injury because his body's being overexerted somewhat, tries to play through it, compensates (puts weight on another joint/muscle that he wouldn't typically) and an even worse injury occurs. I dunno.

 

[jpzx]

Timberwolves PR @Twolves_PR
X-rays taken this am at Mayo Clinic on Kevin Martin's right wrist were negative.

Kent Youngblood @BloodStrib
Martin's wrist is still sore. But he said he hopes to play Friday in Denver.

 

[jpzx]

APNewsBreak: Timberwolves looking to trade Kevin Martin

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves have made veteran scorer Kevin Martin available in trade talks, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday night.

With second-year guard Zach LaVine showing promise as a scorer and Andrew Wiggins playing more at the shooting guard position, the Wolves are looking to move Martin to free up more playing time for their youngsters. The person requested anonymity because the team does not publicly discuss trade discussions.

The Wolves have had conversations with two teams about Martin early this season, but had been reluctant to make a move while they were off to a surprising 8-8 start. They have lost eight of their past nine games, including 107-102 to the New Knicks on Wednesday night, prompting the team to place even greater emphasis on developing LaVine, Wiggins and Shabazz Muhammad.

Martin is averaging 12.7 points in 26 minutes this season. He has carved out a reputation over the past 12 years of being one of the league's most efficient scorers, using a herky-jerky shooting motion and a remarkable knack for drawing fouls from opposing defenders to score in bunches, either as a starting shooting guard or as a sixth man.

"You look at his numbers every year, very efficient offensive player," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said on Tuesday. "He has the uncanny ability to draw contact and get to the line."

But he has gone through an uncharacteristically long shooting slump this season. Martin missed a game for personal reasons on Nov. 7 and has struggled mightily to rediscover his shooting touch. Martin is shooting a career-worst 36.7 percent from the field and just 34.8 percent from 3-point range this season.

He started the season coming off the bench, but interim coach Sam Mitchell inserted him into the starting lineup on Nov. 23 in hopes of getting him going.

In three games last week, Martin averaged 26.0 points on 46 percent shooting and shot 47.6 percent from 3-point range. That included a 37-point outburst against the Lakers in which he bruised his right wrist.

He played well in the next two games, then shot 1 for 8 in an ugly loss to Denver on Tuesday night before sitting out the second night of the back-to-back against the Knicks.

Martin has a player option for next season worth close to $7.4 million, but it is unclear this early in the season if he plans to exercise that option or become a free agent and seek one more multiyear contract when he will be 33 years old.

In his second year in the league, LaVine is averaging 16.7 points over the last 19 games and shooting 37.5 percent from 3-point range. He has primarily been backing up Ricky Rubio at point guard, a decision Mitchell has employed in part for LaVine's long-term development and in part because the team has a log jam on the wing with Martin, Wiggins, Muhammad and Tayshaun Prince all seeing time.

 

[RyGuy45]

Ughhhh....lost 8 of last 9. At the rate we are going the Wolves are going to be right back again among the top tier lotto balls

Rubio though.....last night sat out 14 minutes but finished with 9 PTs/12 AST/10 REB/8 STL.

Same old song and dance with this team right now....29th out of 30 teams in three-pointers attempted and made

I'm interested to see what if anything they could even get for Martin. It won't be much.

 

[carver]

Yeah.. We have had nothing but old school coaches which is why we'd rather take long 2s than 3s.

I don't mind the losing as long as the young guys are playing. SMitch however believes these youngins don't develop during the season and development only happens in the off season I just want him gone and we get a young guy in here to coach these pups and get a fast pace going with all these young athletic players

 

[hood17]

I don't even know. The future is so bright I'm going to let this year just be whatever.

 

[Brownstone]

Our best player is going to be 21 next year, and our second best player will be 20 next year. That being said I would like atlas 30 wins this year. I do not care about draft position anymore. We need players, skilled undervalued pieces that can shoot and actually play basketball. I like Rubio with this team, and his contract is looking really good right now. I feel Martin won't finish the year with the team, and after this year we should try to buy out Pek. He is not going to start over Towns, and for 15 million he should not be playing second unit. 

 

[RyGuy45]

109-99 loss to Philadelphia

This season is slowly becoming another trainwreck.

Say what you want about the youth this team has or the interim coaching, etc. But there is no reason a team with Rubio, Wiggins, and Towns should currently be sitting (yet again) in last place in their division, and 25th out of 30 teams in winning percentage heading to yet another top of the draft. The entire Mitchell experience right now is laughable - if you read his post game quotes you see every game is players don't get it, players aren't listening, we don't know how to play defense, etc. At least we know now there is no chance he is back next year. Wait sorry with this franchise we know anything can happen

What amazes me as a Wolves observer for 25 years is that no one can get these guys to apparently collectively try on defense. Rambis was here and night after night harped on how there was no defense, Adelman comes in and says the same thing, Saunders comes in and more or less gave up attempting to yell at the guys to play defense, now Mitchell's theme all year has been no one can figure out how to play defense. It's interesting to keep watching it honestly.

 

[hood17]

I'm all for Thibs to coach this team next season. I don't know if Wiggins will be a volume shooter but if he's somewhere between Kawahi and Jimmy B's ceiling I'll be okay with it. I think the coach will have a huge factor into what type of score Wiggins will be. I think Towns is really THE GUY here because of how talented he is. Him just moving off of down screens and taking mid rand jumpers so smoothly :x

Who do you guys have on your coach wishlist?

Any info on what teams want Kmart or is he still out?

 

[651akathepaul]

I would LOVE Thibs.

 

[jpzx]

Timberwolves hold 90-minute meeting after loss to 76ers

JON KRAWCZYNSKI, Associated Press (POSTED: Jan 5, 2016 4:55 PM ET)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The day after the Minnesota Timberwolves' most embarrassing performance of the season, the reeling group gathered at their practice facility ready to get back to work.

Only they didn't practice at all. Instead, interim coach Sam Mitchell brought the team together at center court for 90 minutes of talk and soul searching, giving each player the opportunity to offer his view on what wasn't working and what had to change going forward.
Such is life for a team that has lost seven of the last eight games and was run out of the gym in Philadelphia on Monday night by a 76ers team that had won just three times before then.

"I think it was good for us, for our young guys to hear what they think of each other and what they expect from each other," Mitchell said. "It was all positive. But everybody was just honest with each other, with the expectations of each other, what we need to give, from each other, to make our team more complete."

The Timberwolves were one of the surprise teams in the league early in the season, getting off to an 8-8 start with victories at Atlanta, Chicago and Miami. With Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, Zach LaVine and Ricky Rubio forming a promising young core buttressed by Kevin Garnett, Tayshaun Prince and Andre Miller, the worst seemed to be over for a franchise that hasn't made the playoffs since 2004.

The progress has been much harder to see lately, with lackluster efforts against struggling opponents like the 76ers, Bucks and Nuggets and a ghastly 5-13 record at Target Center.

They haven't scored 100 points in their last eight games, have seen their once-solid defense crumble and shoot 3-pointers like teams did 20 years ago. Most troubling, they have exhibited very little energy while Mitchell has lamented over and over again just how long it takes for young players to learn how to play and compete at the NBA level.

Now the Wolves have joined the Lakers, Suns and Kings -- all franchises in some sort of turmoil or disrepair -- on the list of teams who have lost to Philly.

"I think we've touched the bottom now," Rubio said. "So we've got to find it somehow. Maybe because we're young and the rookie wall is on our minds or whatever. I don't want to say any excuses. It's us being aggressive going out there and wanting to win."

Throughout the season, Garnett, Prince and Miller have been the most vocal in practices and in the locker room. But Tuesday's meeting gave the youngsters a chance to make their voices heard.

"They have a lot to say," Mitchell said. "They have feelings, they have their perspective. They have things they feel like are fair, and things that are unfair. So you give them a chance -- you give anyone a chance -- to say what they're thinking."

Mitchell tried to focus the conversation on sacrifice, setting aside concerns about stats or playing time for what is best for the team. He told the story of how he neared the end of his playing career and voluntarily gave up his starting spot to a young Garnett, a move that he said opened doors for his post-playing career as a coach.

"You can hear it in their voice. You can see it in their face. You can tell the sincerity of it and that it's coming from the heart," Mitchell said. "The hardest thing in this league is to say to another player, `You've got more talent than me. I expect more out of you."'

Whether the session will help solve some of the issues plaguing the team remains to be seen. They host the Nuggets on Wednesday night, Kevin Love and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night and the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.

"It's probably the best practice of the year, for us," Towns said. "Especially more like a therapeutic session, allowing us even more to come together as a team and as a family."

Mitchell said both Kevin Martin, who has not played for the last seven games while the Wolves try to trade him, and Nikola Pekovic, who has not played this year after having offseason surgery on his Achilles, could return to the lineup on Wednesday night.
That's a little bit of good news for a roster that sorely needs some right now.

"I would say we can beat anybody but we can lose to anybody because that's what young teams do," Mitchell said. "Our thing for our young guys is being more consistent in our play, our focus and our concentration. And bring it to the table the best that you have every night."

Really anticipating a blowout tonight of the Denver Nuggets. Think Minnesota finds a feel-good three-point shooting performance (DEN 30th out of 30 at defending the three) and Kevin Garnett in particular has killed the Nuggets on the boards this year. I'm not joking - 11 percent of his rebounds this season have come against them in the three games the Timberwolves have played against them this season already.

I recognize he's playing in spurts, but ELEVEN PERCENT!???