The Timberwolves made a bevy of deals prior to the trade deadline, bringing in seven new players. The team is in a grand rebuild and every move is calculated, as Britt Robson of The Athletic writes.
“’Why didn’t we make trades for other positions?’ Because we wanted these guys,” President of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said.. “We had to make sure we made the right decisions.”
The team’s biggest acquisition was D’Angelo Russell. The Wolves didn’t sign a point guard in free agency because they had their eyes set on Russell. Rosas had been pursuing the former No. 2 overall pick to be the court partner to Karl-Anthony Towns essentially since he came on board.
The former Rockets executive now has ownership of the existing roster, similar to how Tom Thibodeau went all-in on the TimberBulls. Will it work long-term?
Do you believe the core Minnesota has assembled will reach great heights? Or will they, like past Timberwolves teams, fail to make any major noise?
Let us know in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!
KAT = KG 2.0
Towns will never achieve success in Minnesota.
That’s a strange comment… you’re saying he’s better than KG? But he’s never gonna have success in MN?
who said better? he said =
He said = and then also 2.0 – that usually means an advanced version of the original and in sports people use comparisons like that to say someone is better
Probably is anyway, no need to get all worked up about it, no difference between the 2 of them.
Go home.
What’d ya mean?
Not you lol
MVP you don’t give a reason? If you’re like me you believe the defense is gone and they’ll just try to entertain and outscore teams.
KG carried the wolves to the WCF by himself. He won mvp in an era of Iverson, Kobe, Shaq, Wade, james. Towns is garbage. With the core of him and Russell I’d be surprised if they make the playoffs lol
They gonna miss the playoffs just like usual. They aren’t top 8 in the West with that roster. Even if they get Anthony Edwards or melo ball or wiseman they still aren’t a playoff team.
How do u know?
I’ve seen ur act u just say a bunch of nonsense and everyone suppose think ur right I bet u never played a sport ur probably a patriots fan to boot
They won’t do much winning this year. They will try to get the group interested in defense next year but I doubt they ever get far, with that or in the playoffs. Towns, Culver & Layman have good on/offs so that’s a good omen.
I did think MIN would break through this year and they started okay but there is a sense the stars gave up at some point.
They benched their PG Teague after 16 games without much change in PT but the tail-off started. Teague was not good on 3s, mediocre overall. He got better on 3s before the trade but was still so-so at best. With ATL, not good, 31.
If they can resign both Malik Beasley and J Hernangomez I could see them making noise towards the 8 seed next season … a full year to gel and earn together … they could surely surprise
A team with DeAngelo Russell starting for them may win… but will never WIN. Very low ceiling. Similar to Kyrie (without James). I would have called him simply LeBron, except the memo went out that he had to be referenced the same as every other player. #trueStory
So why did you call Irving Kyrie?
So you could comment
Oh thx man
Wolves need a serious upgrade at SF. I don’t see it happening through the draft or in free agency this year. Maybe Okoro, but that depends on if he can learn to hit spot up 3’s. For free agency, I like Jerami Grant or Bertans, but I think they are better suited at the 4. I think they might be better off trading this years pick(s) for a proven SF that fits the timeline. Maybe to the Suns for Oubre or Bridges? Could probably get more assets just because it’s a high pick. This draft has almost no SF/PF’s that fit this team.
Should trade for Wiggins
Or Covington
I think we may have to trade Culver if we resign Beasley. Okogie needs to stay, and it’s hard to envision a team being successful with so many shooting guards. Especially when Culver and Okogie can’t shoot. Culver is the odd man out for the right fit for this team.
They are also very young and shooting sometimes improves drastically for young guards/forwards
@Chris Crouse my ocd is kicking in and I have seen small typos in each of your last 3 articles, just FYI.
they would be better if they still had me
They will be good. Eventually will turn into Portland where it’s they are a really good team, but everyone know they aren’t going to win when they need to.
If they pick a good one they could be very good in next years…
The problem is they can’t pick a PG or wiseman… So they have to be very lucky
They would be better if they had a haircut rule like the Yankees.
Sure, because playing in Minnesota isn’t already a hard enough sell to players? You want to mandate how they look to? That’s a ticket to 24-58 forever.
No disrespect to the players who seek to individualize themselves or honor their heritage through their haircuts or length of their hair, but that factor has nothing to do with achieving success on the court.
Statement hair has not historically made a championship statement. Current “high hair” may provide an advantage of a taller appearance but that has not been proven.
Compare to tattoos. Dark arms have the advantage of being less visible to refs who might call a pushing or swiping foul. What statement a tattoo makes probably does not matter much.
The team’s first ever draft choice was POOH.
The team has almost consistently played to that level (and the various associated synonyms for POOP) ever since it’s 1989 inception. No matter the: players on the roster, the players on the floor, the head coach, the person in charge or the owner, the team will continue to play to that level. The team is CURSED (that is what most everyone familiar with the team and it’s history does when commenting on the team…….CURSE).
Lol… don’t believe there’s a curse though but that’s a funny take
If not CURSED, then surely SNAKEBIT.
Especially and most particularly (except KG & KAT) in the NBA DRAFT !!
DLo can’t defend. KAT can’t defend. None of them is a top-10 player in the league and their supporting cast is unremarkable. Without any meaningful additions, their future won’t look much different from their present: struggling to get one of the last seeds to go down in the first round if they succeed.
KAT can defend, he’s just a conscientious objector
KAT is a better defender than many fans give him credit for, his problem is that some idiotic pundit said he didn’t & now all the brainless lemming fans copy what the guy said & claim he can’t defend, SMH!
BTW KAT has been consistently for 3 of the last 4 years a top 5 player, performing at MVP caliber level.
The better question is… do you even watch him play?
The answer is obviously not, otherwise you wouldn’t come out with outrageous comments like this.
Top 5 and MVP caliber level in 3 of the last 4 years? No, not really. He has been all NBA THIRD team just once. Which means he is not a top-10 player in this league.
Lol I’m a wolves fan and it’s absolutely true that towns is at best an average defender with ability to be above average or maybe better. But he’s not, he’s consistently out of position and often chases blocks which leaves the rim open. He should be way better. He’s not. But his opponents at the rim % is pretty good
I like the move they made to get in Russell and I think being able to also get themselves Beasley and Hernagomez were nice.
The problem is firstly no defence, Russell KAT Beasley between them isn’t much defence.
Secondly they have 4 young SGs Beasley Evans Culver Okogie and a lack of quality SF and PF so I would suggest trading Culver to get something in there.
I think if they can manage to keep Beasley without over paying (around 14m) then they have a good chance of being a 7th or 8th seed with some smart work in FA and the draft.
Once the players gel and maybe you get a absolute bargain or a steal in the offseason I think the wolves could be a team that continues to improve yea after year and makes the play offs.
I’d target Glenn Robinson and Derrick Favours
Plus a high first rounder pick, try trade down for 2 mid 10’s for a PG and PF
1. Russell.
2. Beasley. Okogie. Evans
3. Robinson. Layman
4. Favours. Johnson.
5. Towns. Spellman. Reid
Too early to give up on rookie, or “Rosas guys” in general. Culver, Reid, Nowell, McLaughlin. James Johnson will get a “mesh” trial with Towns eventually (KAT is injured.).
Even football is getting into mesh!– between QBs & RBs in RPOs. But that is more formulaic.
Never to early. The early the better in terms of value just look at Malik Monk, Zhaire Smith, Justin Robinson all SGs taken in the top 20 picks of the first round who have really hurt their trade value by either lack of minutes, poor game play and many more reasons.
Trade Culver now while teams may still see value. No point in having 4 young SGs cause you can’t give all of them minutes
Culver to the Suns for Bridges?
Mikal looks like more of a sure thing now. The plan must be to get someone like Rubio (29yo) who can get Booker’s confidence; or defend his guy.
I’d certainly accept that if I’m the wolves but unsure the suns accept.
Maybe Culver for Colin Sexton
Or Culver for Derrick White
The idiots once had Robinson.
They drafted him in the 2nd round in 2014.
You remember?
If you follow the Timberpuppies, it’s probably as much of a news flash for you as it is for the team itself that there IS a Second Round as the team seemingly NEVER knows just what the heck to do with the pick = either:
Trading it away
Drafting a foreign player who never sees the NBA
Selling the pick/player to another team
Losing the player via waivers (Glenn Robinson III)
This has been yet another in an endless series of moves that further enforces the ineptitude of the Minnesota:
Timberwolves, no wait =
T-Wolves, no wait =
Timberkahns, UCK =
Timberbulls, no wait =
Timberrockets, no wait =
Timberpuppies, THAT’S IT !!
What are you on about I said Robinson was reddening to Justin Robinson who the Clippers took in the first round not so long ago who now plays for the Wizards….
As for you thing about Glenn Robinson, yes the wolves had him after he was drafted in the second round but maybe he would like to go back there if they gave him a good contract and he could then prove them wrong.
Robinson has a good mix of defence and shooting and at 26 would fit nicely with Towns Russell and Beasley
Culver has a plus 3.3 on/off and has played at 1-3, only 58% at the 2. His defensive abilities and title-leading history is just what MINN needs to complement Towns & D’lo. With D’lo now entrenched at PG, Culver will likely not have to cover that anymore.
Monk was already going worse at Kentucky; no comparison. Those mentioned (if right) were just body players, while Culver was moved to lead guard in Texas and they took off. Culver is no longer the savior, a good thing.
IDK how to calculate for position but his splits show best for the last 8 games, starting, after rest, & on the road. He seems to be poor at coming off the bench & hitting.
The trading talk is likely because he has some value.