One Brow
Well-Known Member
Only in the sense they were vastly superior players, and still had off years.
You don't think these players were better than Gobert? Then I'm laughing at you.
Official Utah/Minnesota/Philadelphia Pick Watch
- Thread starter Elizah Huge
- Start date
HermanG
Well-Known Member
2021-22
GSW - 2nd in DRtg, 16th in ORtg
2020-21
Bucks - 9th in DRtg, 5th in ORtg
2019-20
Lakers - 3rd in DRtg, 11th in ORtg
2018-19
Raptors - 5th in both
2017-18
GSW - 11th in DRtg, 3rd in ORtg
Based on last 5 years.. Id say defense is equally important.
Jaanipoeg
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A no LeBron/DLo/Vando/Beasley Lakers squad is up 8 on a healthy bucks team at half. I'm disgustingly pulling for a hot finish that gets them ahead of Minnesota. It's a lot of ground to cover, but I think they have life in them again. Probably jinxing it here and they'll end up losing by 15, but oh well. Even if it's bad for a Lakers loss is still fun.
So after all the moves made over the last few days where do you guys think the wolves end up? They are currently 8th and based on all the moves yesterday I think all 7 teams ahead of them have a pretty good shot at staying ahead. Right now the warriors are a half game back of the wolves and the blazers 1.5 games. The warriors passing them as usual hangs on Curry's health. Luckily the all star game is coming up so that hopefully gives Curry enough time to get back after the break. If that happens then I think they can jump the wolves. I don't have a hole lot of confidence in the blazers passing them. Then you have the lakers who are currently 4 back of the wolves. I think that may be too big of a hole for them to make up with how they like to rest Lebron and AD. The lakers goal may simply be to get into the play in rather than try to move into the top 6 and avoid it. The thunder are there as well but I think they probably fall off the last quarter of the season rather than make a playoff push. As of now I think the wolves probably end up with the 9th seed.
DLo a little bitch
Kind of mad at the huge favor Utah did to Minnesota.
We got rid of a locker room cancer for them and paid them extra.
We got rid of a locker room cancer for them and paid them extra.
Handlogten's Heros
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Conley is good buddies with Ryan. Our saboteur Rudy wasn't doing a good enough job so we sent Conley to finish the job. He gonna have a slow start and pull his hamstring... then in a couple years he gets a cushy front office job here in Utah for his work.
DLo is an *** clown though. Had thought he had matured from his LA days but he's still the dude snitching on Nick Young. I do think they will miss what he gave them the last 5-6 weeks cuz he was shooting the **** outta the ball. Not sure he was going to continue doing that. Mike will likely be quite good for them but I think they were always going to be at least a play in team. I don't see them cracking the top 6 though... so there is still hope for a late lotto pick there.
Have a hard time seeing Minnesota not getting better. Obviously Conley's health is a huge swing factor. Adds a level of uncertainty that could help the pick.
Yeah, there will be some learning curve with a new team, but Rudy being there should make the transition easier for Mike.
The defense will get better. Edwards will get more touches. When KAT comes back the offense will function better than if it was Ant/KAT/DLo all trying to get shots.
And you liked NAW. I kind of like him too, but the vibes between him and Hardy just werent there. I think NAW is better than Austin Rivers, like way better. IDK if they will actually play him over Rivers cuz of vet status stuff, but he's way better.
Handlogten's Heros
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I was joking on the Conley stuff. I think Rivers has been really good for them... not sure its a huge improvement if at all... more a depth piece or injury insurance.
The will improve but I don't expect them to move up the standings. They have 15 road games left vs. 9 at home. They have pretty tough opponents on top of it. To get in the top 6 they have to pass 2 of NO/Dallas/Clips/Phoenix while making sure GS and Porty don't pass them (I think they are safe there). I think they can improve and end up exactly where they are in the standings. It would take an Ant injury to miss the play in. I think it would take them getting super hot to rise above the play in. I think the KAT assimilation will be a rough 3-4 games and margins are razor thin.
If they end up in the lotto its because they lost the play in tournament. As it stands if it started today they'd have to win either a road game against the Pelicans or a home game against the Warriors or Blazers. They would probably be able to do that... but its no certainty. If I was placing odds... I'd say there is a 70% the pick is outside the lotto... but its still like 17/18 which is good and I think we could move up to the 9-12 range if we wanted to by using other picks.
Jaanipoeg
Well-Known Member
Yeah I struggle to see them not getting better as well. Conley is just a winning player (playoffs aside). I feel that Danny believes this trade has a higher chance of variance for the Wolves to have done it. I have been trying to talk myself into us overpaying to boost the Lakers so that they can pass the Wolves, but they are 4 games back and that seems pretty huge with only ~25 games left. There's the chance of them being more likely to knock them out in the play-in I guess.
IDK. Conley's hammy is always an issue, and maybe we thought them have a $20M cap hit next season with a 36 year old Conley would be beneficial. Still feel like we made the Wolves better, didn't improve the Lakers enough for them to pass the Wolves. The pick is decent, the deadline didn't end up being the seller's market that was hypothesized.
Handlogten's Heros
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I think you just have to make moves that directly affect your own roster. If all things are equal it is better to not help teams you don't want to... but the most important thing is that we offloaded vets and will improve our own draft prospects by leaps and bounds. Its not a move that benefits them long term. There were scenarios where they could have had cap space but those are now gone.
Remember the rough start we had when we first traded for Conley? Minnesota could have a rough final stretch here. It’s hard to integrate a new PG mid-season. They’re getting smacked by Memphis.
Coach Ellis
Well-Known Member
I want that pick in the lottery so badly!
Still think the Jazz fall off at the end here and into a top 10 pick, but it would be so amazing to have the timberwolves join them there.
SoberasHotRod
Well-Known Member
Watched part of the Twolves game and I think Conley makes them look better, despite what the box score says. Rudy looked much happier too.
I think the question will be how long it will take for Conley to get used to everybody. I saw him make a few passes to nobody, expecting someone to be in a certain position. Hopefully, for our draft pick, it happens later rather than sooner.
I think the question will be how long it will take for Conley to get used to everybody. I saw him make a few passes to nobody, expecting someone to be in a certain position. Hopefully, for our draft pick, it happens later rather than sooner.
The last time someone had a dream here, it was about getting the number 3 pick and taking Kanter. Do you know what happened next?
Hearsky
Well-Known Member
Meh, that is a somewhat impressive dream. Had the dream included Kanter being the worst defensive player in history, Turkish govt. putting a bounty on his head and Enis changing his last name to "Freedom" I would be super impressed. Don't let your dreams limit you.
HermanG
Well-Known Member
Watched that Lakers game skipping some of it (focus on Vando and Beasley minutes) and we did them a solid.
Lebron was out, AD had a serious case of fumbleitis (TO, not catching passes, missing bunnies) but they got depth now. Others picked up the slack and bench held up their end of the bargain.
Beasley looked horrible on both ends... like even worse than with us.. but Vando was a beast in his limited minutes.
Oh and beating GSW in their building has been hard with or without Steph playing.
Lebron was out, AD had a serious case of fumbleitis (TO, not catching passes, missing bunnies) but they got depth now. Others picked up the slack and bench held up their end of the bargain.
Beasley looked horrible on both ends... like even worse than with us.. but Vando was a beast in his limited minutes.
Oh and beating GSW in their building has been hard with or without Steph playing.
We play Indiana tomorrow who is currently in the 6th spot in the lottery. It will be a huge swing game for us either way. A win puts us up by 4 in the loss column and a loss puts us down by 2 in the loss column. If we lose we will be tied for 7th in the lottery going by losses.
Minnesota plays at Dallas tomorrow which bodes well for us I think. They follow that up with two home games against Washington and Charlotte before heading on a tough road trip. If Minnesota loses against Dallas and goes 1-1 against the other two we will be in a great spot. They have a really rough remaining schedule after that.
Minnesota plays at Dallas tomorrow which bodes well for us I think. They follow that up with two home games against Washington and Charlotte before heading on a tough road trip. If Minnesota loses against Dallas and goes 1-1 against the other two we will be in a great spot. They have a really rough remaining schedule after that.
We play the Thunder 4 times and the Spurs 3 times in our last 22 games of the season. Those Thunder games will have huge implications on the final standings.