With the Holiday season looming, the Timberwolves sitting in the top four in the Western Conference, and all of us available to collect our thoughts, what better time than now for a Timberwolves roundtable discussion?
We gathered up Dane Moore, David Naylor, Zach Bennett, Mitchell Hansen, and Tom Schreier to discuss the first third of the NBA season.
What’s the one on-court gift you want from Santa Thibs this year?
Mitch – Yep, I’m going to go there. The one on-court gift I would like to see from Santa Thibs is better management of minutes. I don’t necessarily have an issue with the high number of overall minutes that the starters are logging, but would like to see Thibs’ management of those minutes improve. As we’ve seen recently, the Wolves starters look dead tired when the game comes down to the fourth quarter, which has cost them a few wins already this season. Thibs won’t let up on playing his starters a lot throughout the game or sticking to his nine-man rotation, so let’s just come to terms with that. High starter minutes will continue to be a thing, but better management of those minutes and how long guys are on the floor could benefit the Wolves down the stretch of the year. (Also, it’s kind of terrifying to think of Thibs in a Santa costume).
Dane – I want Tom Thibodeau to go full-Russell Westbrook. But, Dane, what does that mean?
Thanks for asking.
Westbrook is a particularly prickly character when he is asked questions he doesn’t like. Numerous times last season when Westbrook’s “efficiency” and “stat chasing” were questioned, he snapped off. He looked at a camera and just got mad. I want that from Thibs.
Much like Westbrook’s chasing of triple-doubles and immense usage was inexplicable, so too is Thibodeau’s minute distribution and coaching style. We know in the case of Westbrook, last season, that he was simply making the most out of one season. He lost Kevin Durant and was left with scraps surrounding him, so he turned up the dial. It might not have been completely based in logic but Westbrook embraced what he was doing last season.
That’s what I want from Thibs — I want him to embrace it. I am tired of the ambiguity.
Tim – A way to get Wiggins back on track offensively. It’s a bummer seeing his defense take off the way it has, only for his offense to fall off completely. He’s missing shots that he’s made his entire career – shots at the rim, even – and it has to be eating at him. The more he misses those bunnies, the more he’ll get in his own head. If Santa Thibs could expedite this struggle process so we can get back to the offensive Wiggins of old – matched with the new defensive success.
Tom – While I’m inclined to agree with Tim here, I’m more confident that Wiggins will find himself offensively than I am that Thibs will go to his bench more. I think there’s potential there, however, if it’s used correctly. Tyus Jones showed flashes of offensive production when Jeff Teague was out, and he’s vastly improved defensively. I’d go as far as to say that he’s offered some reason to believe he could be a starter one day — or, at the very least, it’s something that can reasonably be discussed.
Jamal Crawford has also been productive when given more minutes, and Thibodeau suggested that Marcus Georges-Hunt could complement his shortcomings defensively by locking down shooters on the perimeter. Thibodeau also has to figure out what he’s going to do with Shabazz Muhammad, who struggled in the first 20 games of the season, but has shown offensive flashes and the ability to grab boards in the past.
Zach – At the top of the Timberwolves’ Christmas list should be another rotation player. In light of all the minute distribution-related hubbub regarding Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins and Taj Gibson — don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about — Santa Thibs would score serious points in the court of public opinion if he were to bring aboard someone capable of playing any combination of the 2 or 3 or 4 positions. Further, I’m fairly certain Butler, Wiggins and Gibson wouldn’t mind a few extra minutes of rest here, either.
David- I’m inclined to agree with Zach. The rotation player could come from within the organization in the form of more minutes and trust for Marcus Georges-Hunt to develop, or the occasional bit of run for Iowa Wolves star and Timberwolves two-way player Anthony Brown, or even the emergence of draft pick Justin Patton as he works his way back from his preseason injury.
It could also come from outside the organization, which seems more likely considering Thibs’ track record of trusting young players with big minutes and decisions. The gaping hole that Shabazz Muhammad’s fall from the rotation has left means that there are few players in the NBA who wouldn’t be at least a minimal upgrade for what has happened at backup wing this year.
What player deserves the most gifts?
Mitch – Jimmy Butler, for sure. Everyone knew what kind of player the Wolves were getting when they acquired Butler this offseason, but he has been outstanding of late. He has single-handedly kept the Wolves in games — and led them to wins — numerous times this season. After decent, but not spectacular, play in the first month or so of the year, Butler has returned to playing like the All-Star everyone hoped for. He clearly has been and will continue to be the Wolves’ best player this year. Plus, the dude is hilarious.
Dane – If this question is about exceeding expectations, the answer is Taj Gibson.
Jimmy Butler has been fantastic but Jimmy Butler has always been fantastic. When the offseason was analyzed a key factor in the process was obtaining players Tom Thibodeau felt comfortable; players that new “the system.”
We knew Gibson knew the system and would help teach and probably wouldn’t mess things up. He has done all those things while also developing into one of the Western Conference’s most valuable second big men.
Tim – Jimmy Butler gave Minnesota the gift of its best player since Kevin Garnett, and it’s time that the favor is returned, whatever that means. At some point, it became clear to everyone that this is his team. Towns and Wiggins, while stars in individual games, seem to have accepted that. With Butler at the lead, the Wolves are 19-13 and looking better every day. Give the man his gifts.
Tom – I know everyone is gonna go Jimmy Butler here, and it’s hard to disagree. He just seems to have a “will to” that allows him to dominate late in games. The term “closer” has been thrown around with him, which led to a hilarious quote by Karl-Anthony Towns where he said that the Texas-raised, football-obsessed Butler may not even know what baseball is.
Still, if I’m Saint Nick, I’m putting my presents under KAT’s tree. His defense has been a shortcoming, so much so that basketball sage Britt Robson has openly questioned whether it will come together for him in recent columns. But he’s still an incredibly gifted offensive player that has the potential to take over as the team’s star after Butler crosses the age-30 threshold. We’ve gone from praising him too much, to dogging him incessantly. The truth is somewhere in the middle: He’s a superbly talented young player that needs to focus more on his defense. He’s still a star in this league that has a chance to be a once-in-a-generation talent if he plays on both ends of the court.
Zach – Jimmy Butler.
The dude is every bit as good as advertised, and has clearly asserted himself as the go-to guy on a roster comprised primarily of young, promising — albeit unproven — talent (read: Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns). Although, what else could anyone possibly give the guy who has clearly been handed keys to the proverbial car that is the Timberwolves. This is Jimmy’s team, now. No doubt about it.
David – I will let my recency bias color my answer here — and go a different direction from my colleagues. Give Jamal Crawford some nice big presents under the tree.
I was among many who questioned the contract that Jamal signed over the summer, both for the length and the player that the Wolves were getting. I will be happy to admit that I was very wrong about Jamal Crawford the basketball player. Yes, he will have games where the shot isn’t dropping and the fouls aren’t getting called. We’ve already seen it this year on a few occasions. His style is unorthodox and unique to him, which doesn’t fit the mold of the 2017-18 NBA’s focus on everything being ‘just so.’
However, Crawford has almost single-handedly kept the Timberwolves in some games this season, including each of the last two. While Butler and Towns have shouldered large portions of the offensive load in closing games, Crawford has just gone out and gotten buckets at points in games where the Wolves needed a spark, exactly what you need from your sixth man. Other players have been better, other players have had bigger impacts. But Crawford’s impact on points of the game where some of the bigger stars are sitting should not be forgotten.
Which deserves the biggest lump of coal?
Mitch – It has to be Shabazz Muhammad. He’s gone from being one of the primary options among the Wolves’ second unit a season ago, to being almost begged to come back and re-sign in Minnesota by his teammates this offseason, to not playing — while healthy — at all during nearly the entire month of December. His poor production in limited minutes to start the year while also not being able to do literally really anything else besides score are obviously the biggest reasons for his minutes shrinking. Now, he has to somehow try and earn those minutes back, which might take having to buy Thibs a new house or something during the holidays.
Dane – It’s Wiggins.
Shabazz Muhammad has departed from the rotation due to poor play. And don’t get me wrong, it was very poor play. But, Shabazz Muhammad is a MINIMUM CONTRACT PLAYER. That inherently means he is a fringe NBA player; a hiccup away from the G-League or Euroleague.
Andrew Wiggins is a MAXIMUM CONTRACT PLAYER. This should imply he is a good hiccup — do those exist? — away from the All-Star game. Instead. Wiggins has struggled immensely. Given his career-long inefficiency, I’m tempted to not even use the words “cold streak” here.
How about coal streak?
Tim – Getting matched with a player of Jamal Crawford’s skillset put him at a disadvantage from the start, but Shabazz Muhammad never adjusted. Crawford is a good passer, but tends to work more with bigs off the dribble than his backcourt mates. Bazz thrived off passes inside from Ricky Rubio, and hasn’t been able to match that thus far without him. His ability to grab offensive boards, hit 3s and make any spark has been nonexistent thus far, and that’s why he’s out of the rotation.
Tom – I’m gonna go GM Thibs here. He’s only in the second year of a five-year deal, but he’s already opened himself up to criticism with his roster management. He signed Gorgui Dieng to a four-year, $64 million deal — which his play merited — and then glued him to the bench once Taj Gibson arrived. Cole Aldrich is making over $7 million this year, and doesn’t see the floor. Shabazz Muhammad is in Coach Thibs’ doghouse.
The team could use a cinder block to put on the floor when facing players like Boogie Cousins, Marc Gasol and Dwight Howard, and it needs wing depth so that Andrew Wiggins and Jimmy Butler can take a breather every once in a while. While Thibodeau the coach is getting a lot of heat for playing his players too much, having a bench he could trust would go a long way to mitigating that problem. Thibs isn’t going anywhere soon, and he deserves time to see his vision through, but his roster management will be closely monitored from here on out.
Zach – Here’s an idea: Let’s compromise and have Shabazz Muhammad and Nemanja Bjelica split a large pile of coal. Shooting under 40 percent from the field, having made just 4-of-19 3-point attempts in 22 appearances this season, Muhammad clearly is yet to satisfy, let alone impress Thibodeau enough to earn constant minutes on a game-by-game basis. However, in his defense, the argument can be made that this is merely the player fans have come to know so well — how much more could one reasonably expect from Muhammad?
As for Bjelica, well, it’s more-or-less the same story. An athletic big Thibs can deploy at the 4, Bjelica’s shooting, passing and ball-handling abilities have tremendous value in today’s proverbial Modern NBA. We’ve known this since before he even arrived in Minnesota, but have yet to see his talents showcased for more than a handful of weeks at a time — at the most.
Being that this is a contract year for Bjelica, he should be doing everything in his power to keep himself off the naughty list. Unfortunately, he’s really leaving a lot left to be desired.
I’m still rooting for you, Belly.
David – Yeah, it’s Bazz. Wiggins has struggled over the past few weeks, but has continued to make impact plays on the defensive end of the floor and, almost more importantly, the team has continued to win games with him struggling — credit some superhuman Jimmy Butler efforts for that.
While the ceiling of expectation is astronomically higher for Wiggins, Bazz basically needed to get on the floor and soak up minutes without being a detriment to the team. He could not manage even that, and the choice to sign this particular minimum-contract player over many other possibilities is a questionable one.
Who’s the one trade target highest on your list?
Mitch – One player I’d really like the Wolves to look at is Rodney Hood out of Utah. As our guy Dane Moore wrote about a few weeks ago — great story plug, I know — Hood is a player who would thrive in a role coming off the bench in Minnesota, something he has shown he’s capable of for the Jazz most of this season. Hood is having a career year and is shooting over 40 percent from deep, which could be very valuable for the Wolves, especially later in the year. With the play of rookie Donovan Mitchell, Utah might end up looking to get something in return for Hood this season, as he is in the last year of his current contract. For me, the Wolves should be giving the Jazz a call before the deadline.
Dane – One potential rental I like is Tyreke Evans. His deal is expiring and he’s balling out for a dysfunctional Memphis team. His price would theoretically be lower given his contract situation and the Wolves could reassess come the offseason.
I don’t think a better player is out there for under $10 million in salary — meaning Dieng wouldn’t need to be attached in the deal — that could be acquired for the Oklahoma City first-round pick. But I’m speculating.
Evans is 28 years old, and because of that, would also be intriguing beyond just this season. But, yeah, that’s a murky and highly hypothetical calculus too.
Tim – LeBron.
Next question.
Okay, fine. Off Dane’s post — listed above — I think Marco Belinelli would fit about as perfectly as anyone, and could be the most gettable. The Hawks aren’t going anywhere, and have to be in the mindset of acquiring assets. Cole Aldrich and Belinelli’s contracts match up, so tossing the Thunder’s first-round pick at them might get the deal done.
Both contracts are expiring, so neither gives up anything too intense. The single year runs the risk of being dangerous in terms of its value for a first rounder, but the potential for short-term success might be worth it.
Tom – I love the Belinelli idea. The Wolves need 3-point shooters, and I would not move any assets outside of Cole Aldrich’s expiring contract and a pick. Jones is too valuable as a backup point guard — plus he’s One of Us — Nemanja Bjelica’s shooting and ball movement is sorely needed and Dieng, 27, is in his prime and could take over some of Gibson’s minutes if his play falters with age. Belinelli is on an Atlanta team that is going nowhere, and his ability to shoot the 3 gives him an immediate role off the bench.
Zach – Just spitballing here, but Will Barton. I won’t delve into why because literally any wing player who could relieve the aforementioned Butler and Wiggins would be fine. The Wolves entered the 2017 offseason in need of more depth at the wing position, and still haven’t fulfilled that necessity. Criminy Christmas!
David – If I may be totally selfish for a minute, I can think of a veteran wing currently wasting away taking up minutes on a team sitting outside of the playoff picture in the Western Conference who, regardless of how much most of his team’s fans seem to dislike his game, cannot possibly be worse than Bazz has been. This player’s contract expires after this season, and a player who’s tied for the second-highest single-game scoring output in Timberwolves franchise history could get you buckets right when you need them.
Bring Corey Brewer home, Thibs. I know he fits everything you love about team defense about as poorly as any player in the league, but he’ll be great. Hypnotize the Lakers’ front office into a straight swap of Brewer for Cole Aldrich and we’ll all go home happy.
Yes, I know he can’t shoot 3s.
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