OT: Are the Timberwolves a disappointment?

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by KingSpeed, Dec 4, 2016.

Moderators: 6

Moderators

  1. BrianFromWA
  2. Chris Craig
  3. Darkwebs
  4. Ed O
  5. PtldPlatypus
  6. SlyPokerDog
Page 2 of 4
  1. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2013
    Messages:
    68,340
    Likes Received:
    67,380
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Thibs....best defensive coordinator on the planet......a mediocre offensive coach...I always thought he should just play to his strengths....some think he's like sandpaper off the court
     
    riverman, Dec 5, 2016
    #21
  2. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2008
    Messages:
    19,094
    Likes Received:
    22,763
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Playing next to a former MVP you could give the ball to and get out of the way with the game on the line.

    It seems to be an arms race with Thibs. Which will happen first: will his players buy into his methods or will they tune him out and start to hate him? The Bulls bought in initially, but eventually grew weary of him. Too soon to tell with the Wolves. Winning cures all, but right now they aren't winning any more than they did last year. Less actually. Lat year they won 29 games and so far this year, they are on pace to win 24.

    BNM
     
    Boob-No-More, Dec 5, 2016
    #22
  3. Denny Crane

    Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    May 24, 2007
    Messages:
    72,978
    Likes Received:
    10,673
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Never lost a case
    Location:
    Boston Legal
    The mediocre offensive coach has 3x 20 PPG scorers. That's good offense.
     
    Denny Crane, Dec 5, 2016
    #23
  4. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2013
    Messages:
    68,340
    Likes Received:
    67,380
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I've watched several of their games...they look confused but the young high draft picks find a way to get those pts...he's just starting but under Thibs with an MVP pt guard, they slid backwards over his tenure in Chicago.
     
    riverman, Dec 5, 2016
    #24
  5. Denny Crane

    Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    May 24, 2007
    Messages:
    72,978
    Likes Received:
    10,673
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Never lost a case
    Location:
    Boston Legal
    He won at a higher rate than anyone in history over those 5 years.

    5th in team offense the year Rose got hurt and missed more than half the season. He runs plays to his players' strengths.

    He started Carlos Boozer over Taj Gibson for four years. Played him big minutes, too.

    He's played twin towers (Noah and Gasol) and created an offense that made Joakim Noah into 1st team All NBA center as a point center. He took a team that was gutted, as if to tank, and won 48 games and to the 2nd round.

    You don't coach for decades and not learn both sides of the court.
     
    Denny Crane, Dec 5, 2016
    #25
  6. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2008
    Messages:
    19,094
    Likes Received:
    22,763
    Trophy Points:
    113
    No he didn't. Over the five years he was in CHI, his teams won 254 games. Over those same five seasons, Pop won 286 games in SAS and Eric Spoelstra won 261 games in MIA.

    And that's just those specific 5 years. If you're talking any five year span in NBA history, there are a ton of coaches who have had a higher won-loss percentage over a five year span.

    BNM
     
    Boob-No-More, Dec 5, 2016
    #26
  7. Denny Crane

    Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    May 24, 2007
    Messages:
    72,978
    Likes Received:
    10,673
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Never lost a case
    Location:
    Boston Legal
    First 5 as head coach.
     
    Denny Crane, Dec 5, 2016
    #27
  8. Denny Crane

    Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    May 24, 2007
    Messages:
    72,978
    Likes Received:
    10,673
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Never lost a case
    Location:
    Boston Legal
    Denny Crane, Dec 5, 2016
    #28
  9. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2008
    Messages:
    19,094
    Likes Received:
    22,763
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Again, not true. As a Bulls fan, you should know that Phil Jackson's teams went 295 - 115 over his first five seasons as an NBA coach. That's a winning percentage of .720.

    As a Blazers fan, you should know that Rick Adelman's teams went 277 - 133 over his first five full seasons as a head coach. That's a winning percentage of .676.

    Thibs' teams were 254 - 140 over his five seasons in CHI. That's a winning percentage of .645.

    And those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

    BNM
     
    Boob-No-More, Dec 5, 2016
    #29
  10. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2008
    Messages:
    19,094
    Likes Received:
    22,763
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Boob-No-More, Dec 5, 2016
    #30
  11. Denny Crane

    Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    May 24, 2007
    Messages:
    72,978
    Likes Received:
    10,673
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Never lost a case
    Location:
    Boston Legal
    Good for you.
     
    Denny Crane, Dec 5, 2016
    #31
  12. Denny Crane

    Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    May 24, 2007
    Messages:
    72,978
    Likes Received:
    10,673
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Never lost a case
    Location:
    Boston Legal
    He's 8th on the list in 5 seasons. He's first per 82 games.

    Edit 2nd behind Bird.
     
    Denny Crane, Dec 5, 2016
    #32
  13. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

    Joined:
    May 7, 2015
    Messages:
    44,577
    Likes Received:
    38,667
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Vancouver, WA
    I knew they wouldnt be as good as people thought they would be. Wiggins isn't much better than Rudy Gay. He can score but is below average at everything else. Lavine can score but is below everything at everything else. Dunn and Rubio are below average NBA PGs, and they have no bench at the wing spots.
     
    BonesJones, Dec 5, 2016
    #33
  14. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2008
    Messages:
    19,094
    Likes Received:
    22,763
    Trophy Points:
    113
    And that's just since 1980. NBA history goes back to 1946-47. If you're going to claim something is one of the best in history, you need to include all of history.

    Plus, it's kind of a made up metric to suit their agenda from the same people whose models gave Trump a 23% chance of winning the morning of the election. They are great at crunching numbers, but not always great at interpretting the results.

    BNM
     
    Boob-No-More, Dec 5, 2016
    #34
  15. MARIS61

    MARIS61 Real American

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2008
    Messages:
    28,007
    Likes Received:
    5,012
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    retired Yankee
    Location:
    Beautiful Central Oregon
    The Brush Puppies have surprised me by jumping out of the gate at a torrid 6-14 pace.

    A full 2 games ahead of what I expected.
     
    MARIS61, Dec 5, 2016
    #35
    Boob-No-More likes this.
  16. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2013
    Messages:
    68,340
    Likes Received:
    67,380
    Trophy Points:
    113
    eye test.....Thibs is a great defensive coach...yeah Denny, he knows the game very well.....but even YOU dumped the Bulls....I always thought it was the front office but Thibs isn't a very diplomatic guy
     
    riverman, Dec 5, 2016
    #36
  17. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2013
    Messages:
    68,340
    Likes Received:
    67,380
    Trophy Points:
    113
    ??
     
    riverman, Dec 5, 2016
    #37
  18. Denny Crane

    Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    May 24, 2007
    Messages:
    72,978
    Likes Received:
    10,673
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Never lost a case
    Location:
    Boston Legal
    Those people got their start as sports sabermatricians. Their models are what they are.

    In an injury plagued season for the team, the Bulls traded away 40 MPG Luol Deng, with the intent of tanking for a draft pick. 59 games later, the Bulls were in the playoffs with 48 wins, led by DJ Augustine. There was no healthy talent on the team aside from Carlos Boozer on his last legs, Taj Gibson, and Noah. He built an offense around Noah, who had 8 games of 10+ assists and finished with 5.4 APG.

    That is Thibs designing a winning offense around the players he had to work with.

    Previous seasons, the offense was geared around Rose, setting picks for him, etc.

    Several midget PGs stepped in for Rose and had career seasons. Nate Robinson, John Lucas III, Aaron Brooks, and Augustine.

    And like I said, given Pau and Noah, he designed a twin towers offense.

    That's three very different offenses in 5 seasons. And in the last season, he was playing really old guys: Hinrich, Gasol, Dunleavy - and won. Second round, won 2 games against LeBron and the Cavs.

    Rose was already good, but under Thibs won MVP. I am shocked that Noah stuck in the league, or at most be anything but a role player... he ended up being a two time all star under Thibs. Jimmy Butler was a #30 pick who grew to become an all star and in the conversation for best SG, and DPOY.

    Sorry, but I disagree that he's not as good at offense as defense. Defense is what you do to win games when you're outmatched talentwise. If that's what he had to do he did it. And won.

    Asked if he'd prefer a starter for his offense or defense, Thibs would say "offense."

    He started and played Carlos Boozer, one of the worst defenders I ever saw. And won 60+ games back to back.

    He's got the three kids in Minny scoring big. Once they buy in to trying on defense, that team is going to be way better than any of those Bulls teams.
     
    Denny Crane, Dec 5, 2016
    #38
  19. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2013
    Messages:
    68,340
    Likes Received:
    67,380
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Sounds like what Stotts did last year
     
    riverman, Dec 5, 2016
    #39
  20. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2013
    Messages:
    68,340
    Likes Received:
    67,380
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I have no doubt about this...provided he pays attention to team culture...something he has lacked in the past....don't get me wrong...it was a smart hire my Minny ...we'll see what he does with it....Chicago fired him if I remember right
     
    riverman, Dec 5, 2016
    #40
Page 2 of 4

Share This Page