Timberwolves @ Suns Wednesday game thread, 11-15-2023

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Yup. If he came out like a dog with fleas, which he’s looked like at Portland for a team he doesn’t hate, his value would have plummeted even further today than it was before the season when we made the trade.

Yup, I’m not sure Portland could even move his contract for equal value at this point with his contract.

 

[Yuma]

Yup, I’m not sure Portland could even move his contract for equal value at this point with his contract.

BUT he's BETTER than Nurkic. OR we should have been able to get WAY better players than we did for him!

 

[1982baskets]

BUT he's BETTER than Nurkic. OR we should have been able to get WAY better players than we did for him!

He is better than Nurkic, which is why he makes 32,459,000 roughly this year, while Nurkic makes 16,875,000. You are getting a player that is starting level, who is able to match up with starting bigs (when you need that) who gives you screen setting, passing, rolling and some rebounds. All the things we wanted from Ayton, and while Ayton may be better at some of those things than Nurkic, he was not exactly a good fit. Instead now you have a player who starts willing to do that, plus a good shooting perimeter player with championship experience in Grayson Allen. Time will tell if it was a good trade, but so far I prefer it to the Bradley Beal trade. I feel with Durant, when that trade was made. The ball will run through him and Book. We needed pieces that would fit around that. And we're in win now mode. With tha in mind, I don't see how we could have waited to get a better deal than that for Ayton.

If anything we would regret, it could be the Beal trade. For this to work, Beal will need to transform into a multi dimensional player who can defend, and be a major two way player. Complementing Book and KD. Not sure Beal will hold up to that, but I'm all for it if it does.

 

[Hoop Head]

He is better than Nurkic, which is why he makes 32,459,000 roughly this year, while Nurkic makes 16,875,000. You are getting a player that is starting level, who is able to match up with starting bigs (when you need that) who gives you screen setting, passing, rolling and some rebounds. All the things we wanted from Ayton, and while Ayton may be better at some of those things than Nurkic, he was not exactly a good fit. Instead now you have a player who starts willing to do that, plus a good shooting perimeter player with championship experience in Grayson Allen. Time will tell if it was a good trade, but so far I prefer it to the Bradley Beal trade. I feel with Durant, when that trade was made. The ball will run through him and Book. We needed pieces that would fit around that. And we're in win now mode. With tha in mind, I don't see how we could have waited to get a better deal than that for Ayton.

If anything we would regret, it could be the Beal trade. For this to work, Beal will need to transform into a multi dimensional player who can defend, and be a major two way player. Complementing Book and KD. Not sure Beal will hold up to that, but I'm all for it if it does.

Beal needs to become Boston's Ray Allen. If he can do that, and I believe he can, then we'll be fine. He needs to get healthy. I'm hoping this sort of extended rest/rehab will alleviate the issues.

 

[gimpy]

Beal needs to "play".

 

[Yuma]

Beal needs to "play".

The game I saw last year against us, I can't wait for that version of Beal to show up. He practically closed out the game by himself to keep us from winning in the fourth. I think games right now this early in the season, I don't care if he misses these. I want him full fire power for the playoffs, because he is one of those guys that can win a game by himself when he's right.

 

[1982baskets]

The game I saw last year against us, I can't wait for that version of Beal to show up. He practically closed out the game by himself to keep us from winning in the fourth. I think games right now this early in the season, I don't care if he misses these. I want him full fire power for the playoffs, because he is one of those guys that can win a game by himself when he's right.

Agreed. Practically half our games, we've been coughing up leads in the fourth. This is where Beal has the most value on paper. He has to pace himself and then peak his aggression late in the games. Which is why him coming in off the bench fresh at the end of the 3rd Q would be huge. But, I'm not saying it has to be that way. If we look at the season so far, easily could be 12-4 right now with better 4th Q play. That's where having Beal could possibly help a lot.