Calling Me Crazy
by Stop-n-Pop on Nov 26, 2009 9:46 PM CST
49 comments
Imagine back to a year ago. Corey Brewer played in his 15th and final game of the season and I don't think there were more than 10 or 12 fans in Minnesota who believed that he could be classified as anything other than a bust. He couldn't shoot, he couldn't really dribble, he wasn't that good of a passer, he wasn't reliable in transition, he wasn't that good of a defender, and, to top all of that off, he went down hard with a horrible season-ending knee injury.
Flash forward to the 15th game of the 2009/10 season and the former Final Four MVP is putting up his first career double-double while playing stout (and potentially game-altering, were he on a better squad) defense, showing up in transition, exhibiting a passable proficiency in the 1/2 court offense, and, most importantly, showing himself to have something of a winning attitude (which puts him in the rare company of Kevin Love on the Wolves' roster).
Let's take a look at how this year's Brewer compares to last year's pre-injury version in a few key broad areas:
| 08/09 | 09/10 | |
| Minutes | 307 | 477 |
| PER | 11.2 | 11.8 |
| Reb% | 9.3 | 8.2 |
| Ast% | 18.3 | 13.3 |
| To% | 9.5 | 11.5 |
| eFG | 43.9 | 40.2 |
| FG/FG | 16 | 14 |
OK, so he was rebounding, assisting, free throwing, and shooting at a better rate last season and he wasn't turning it over as much. But this year he looks like a different (and better) player. What gives?
For one, Brewer is a much larger part of the Wolves' offense this season, posting a usage rate 5.2% higher than it was last year at this time. He is putting up similar rates as last season but with much higher net stats. In a sense, this is a good thing. He was showing some improvement last year before his injury and it can be considered a success that he is able to maintain that trajectory this season with an increased number of possessions.
Is it a matter of him shooting better from certain spots on the court? A quick check of NBA Hot Spots shows us that he's pretty much the same type of shooter as he was last year: hitting about 1/2 his shots from in close (i.e. the crazy layups) while being best from the left side of the court and from straight away in limited attempts. His shot selection has remained very similar (he's taking a few more jumpers) to last year's effort and his time clock usage is nearly identical.
What is it then? Outside of there simply being more of Corey Brewer to go around on this, that, or the other possession, is there anything on the stat sheet that really sticks out in terms of being able to put a finger on the general sense that he is, night in and night out, the only Wolves player out there showing improvement and that he gives a damn? Is it a question of relativity? After all, Brewer does bost some of the best on/off numbers on the team. It's not his shooting (although he is shooting slightly better from 2 this year). His TS and eFG are down. Nearly all of his per/possession and facilitation numbers are down. Even his WS/40 numbers are down.
Before I go on with a post about why I think Brewer is vastly improved I'd like to hear from all of you about what you think. Is he improved? If so, what has improved? How is it that a guy who looked like he couldn't even dribble at times during his rookie season now looks like someone who could function on a winning NBA team?
What say you?
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I'm torn about the guy
I defend him a lot because he’s the only one who brings effort every minute he’s out there, which says more than it should considering how bad they’ve been and how their effort wanes if a team makes a run on them. He’s a lightning rod because his game is ugly and his contributions are tough to notice if one isn’t paying enough attention. It’d be interesting to just focus on him during a game; it seems like Gomes gets some tough assignments on defense, too, but it’s not clear whether they’re giving him help and not giving Brewer help or if Brewer’s being told to freelance to force turnovers or if Gomes has just been more effective on that end. His inability to finish strong hurts him greatly and only magnifies the importance of having a wing who can get easy shots inside. If he’s still starting in 2 years, they’re not a playoff team, but I’d still want him in the rotation. I think he’ll be more effective on both ends when he’s asked to do less.
by pagingstanleyroberts on Nov 26, 2009 10:19 PM CST reply actions
I've actually watched him, just him for a couple possessions, and I noticed that he puts way more effort than anyone else.
He’s the only person who was actually running 80% of the time. He was paying attention almost the whole time and results in great defense. He could become a very good player if he could improve his offensive efficiency.
Seriously? He’s only 41-81 from right under the basket according to the Hot Spots that you put up. That’s horrible! Somehow, Ryan Gomes, Sasha Pavlovic, Ramon Sessions, and Damien Wilkins are even worse than him from there. Is that even possible? How can an NBA player miss over 50% of their layups? Most 6th graders should be able to do better than that if they played basketball.
My personal opinion
is that he is going to be the next Shane Battier. The man just does some good things while he is out there. He is constantly trying. And that’s the best thing that can be said of him. His dribbling has improved by leaps and bounds, but it is still below average. His instincts near the basket seem so far above average in transition, but terrible in a half court set. His transition defense, dare I say it, might be the best in the league out of the guys not named Lebron James. I wish stats were kept about transition blocks because I’d think his % stats would be sky high (in comparison to the average). He has the motor to beat anyone dribbling a basketball down the court, if not out of speed then out of pure effort. When he gets to the other end, he seems to be able to time the block perfectly to make it look like he wont be able to get there while just barely getting there (much like Lebron, he catches people napping thinking they are getting an easy transition layup).
He is among the league leaders in steals (second right now?), which usually are followed by a fast break because he immediately takes off as fast as he can towards our basket when he gets the ball in his hands. Most guys get the ball and look for the PG. This leads to probably 3-4 pts per game by itself.
Who can blame him for the assist numbers? No body can finish. Most of Jefferson’s plays have never been assisted and it seems to remain that way. Hollins and Brewer are usually the only ones who are turnings passes into assists… and it’s kind of difficult to assist yourself (ask Nate Robinson, he got called for a travel).
I’d think his rebounding is down because he is defending perimeter players. Against Denver (when I believe he was guarding Carmelo most of the night?) he rebounded at a tremendous rate. Carmelo is going to be inside most of the night, so Brewer is there for more rebounds. Also, I’d have to believe that Brewer’s assignment is to fly down the court when he can be reasonably sure that we will secure the rebound, so he is often half way down the court by the time the ball is within a foot of anyone’s hands.
He’s been terrible at free throws this year which could be dragging down his TS% by quite a bit (.614 at almost 3 attempts per game). On top of that, his 3% is horrid. Hopefully this would get better a) with time and b) with a perimeter oriented player so Corey can focus on what he is good at. Also, I’d have to believe that his EFG and TS%s in the first half are… quite honestly, ridiculously high in comparison. It seems that he has dropped off significantly in the second half so far this year. Probably because the team gets down by a lot and he is simply told to do more. He is the only one trying once we are down and thus the only one open (often for a 3 point shot). This leads to him trying to do more than he can actually do (as of yet), which obviously lowers his efficiency ratings.
That’s just my opinion. I think he is one of the most valuable assets on a team filled with assets and not much else.
Shane Battier comparison
Only seems apt if he is judged in terms of overall (future?) impact and not in similar style. Yes, they are both defensively-talented wing players, but that’s really where the comparison ends.
Battier is extremely cerebral and deliberate in his approach to the game. He’s pretty limited athletically, so his strongest asset is his mind. Without his impressive brain, could you really point out anything aside from height that is NBA-worthy? The guy has very few standout abilties to speak of, but he still gets the job done quietly. He’s thinking about the statistics of the game and how to render his man most inefficient, because he’s really too limited to focus on much else. Which in his case is a good thing. I get the feeling that his mind is cool and calculating. He knows what he can do, and does it. He knows what he cannot do, and limits it. He plays within himself because he knows that’s what is best for the team.
Brewer, on the other hand, seems like his body is always a step ahead of his mind. It’s like he knows what to do but he can never get everything in sync. Like we always hear, he’s out of control. He’s much more athletically gifted than Battier and much more versatile, as unlikely as that sounds. I just think that he’d be better served studying film and statistics and by better understanding his limits. I want him to play within his boundaries and stop trying to do everything at all times; though with Corey it’s a bit more difficult to do than with Shane. Because A. he’s ostensibly not as bright as Battier (nor as limited), and B. he’s younger and still developing, making it harder to know what to control and how.
I'm not basing it off playing style
I’m talking about contribution type. Great defender who does the little things. Never going to be a 20ppg scorer. Not great at anything but at least average if not good at everything. Brewer is gonna get his steals and even a couple blocks here and there. Like Battier. I think you are underestimating Brewer’s intelligence, as I don’t think he is dumb by any means, but he isn’t gonna be the smartest player on the court. But he doesn’t need to be to contribute the little things.
You’re right about Brewer not being as limited, but I have trouble seeing him every being more than, as I said before, the Battier-type player. Which isn’t a bad thing. In fact its a great thing. Scorers are easier to find than your Battiers. At the same time, I think Brewer’s usage rate is beign artificially inflated by the style of the game. The triangle has always focused on a wing player and Brewer just happens to be a wing player who is playing the best within the system. Hence he gets more open shots and takes more shots. Hopefully eventually, he will learn the corner three and everyone else will learn to get open better. Then his rotation pass becomes just as important as making the shot.
Wasn't necessarily disagreeing with the comparison
Just wanted to see where you were coming from and use the original comparison to see how Brewer can be more like the best in the biz. I agree, Brewer is by no means dumb, but he like most NBA players isn’t on the level of Battier in the brains department. Brewer is just thinking too fast or too much, it’s not a problem of intelligence.
In comparison to Battier he almost has the problem of having too many abilites to consider without as much control over them as needed. I think we both agree that it’d be fantastic if he turned out to be a Battier-level player. He just needs teammates to relegate him to his specialized role instead of the jack-of-all-trades he’s trying to be right now.
Yeah
though I think it’d be very beneficial for our team for him to learn to be the “jack-of-all-trades” now, so he can be the guy who can do everything when called upon later. I don’t think anyone wants him as our number one option in a couple years still (although it’d be cool if he actually earned it). That’d be ugly.
I suppose
Good to test and expand his limits now so he improves and so we know what we have at hand in the future. I"m just hoping all of my wishful thinking towards him at least is rewarded by some form of worthwhile returns down the road, and he’s still got me on that excitement/uneasiness line.
I think if we're a playoff team in two years, we WILL be starting Brewer
His shooting I think will improve to be solid when the rest of the team comes together and he’s able to pick his spots more. He’s steadily improved his ability to finish in traffic this year.
His defense is nothing short of incredible, and you’re absolutely right, that it’s just hard to see because the rest of the team is so bad on that end of the floor. Championship defense always starts in the post and radiates out. We have no anchor, no one to see the floor and direct traffic. Corey makes all the right plays on defense, but he’s used to having Al Horford and Joakim Noah behind him to cut of driving lanes, rotate, and block shots. If we find a couple guys who do that, Brewer’s value will magnify exponentially.
The reason we shouldn’t bring him off the bench is because his game isn’t suited for it. He’s a defender and intangibles guy….bench play is all about sheer statistical production.
How many teams bring their best defender in off the bench? If anything, the best teams do the opposite…starting their best defenders and bringing in firepower off the bench. Bowen used to start over Michael Finley and Manu Ginobili. Now Keith Bogans does. Dahntay Jones used to start over JR Smith, now Aaron Afflalo does. Nic Batum was starting over Travis Outlaw and Rudy Fernandez before he got hurt. Ronnie Brewer starts over Andrei Kirilenko. Rodrigue Beaubois is starting over Jason Terry. Shane Battier has always started over whoever the Rockets have off the bench, and will probably be starting over TMac if/when McGrady returns.
I definitely think Corey is a key piece to a winning team….he has every ability to be 1/2 of a championship defensive scheme. When you look at him on our current team, ok, he looks rough, he goes out of control sometimes. But think of it this way….can you see him functioning in the starting lineups of the Spurs? Magic? Nuggets? Blazers? Cavs? I sure can. Think how good he’d look alongside Tim Duncan, taking the place of Keith Bogans. Think how good he’d look in the running system in Orlando, funneling scorers into Dwight Howard. Alongside Melo. Alongside LeBron. Between Aldridge and Roy.
He’s simply being asked to play outside his game right now, and he doesn’t have the help a good defensive team should have. Get us a scoring wing and a couple good post defenders and I’ll bet he’s not only a damn good starter, he’ll be perennially talked about as defensive player of the year.
Agreed, except for
the bit about defensive player of the year. Of all the people you mentioned that start over the scorers, none of them get too much consideration for DPOY. It’s usually anchor bigs like Big Ben, Camby, Garnett, Howard, etc. Artest and Battier are some exceptions. And I have a feeling thats only cuz they are/were also terrific offensive players (for Battier you might have to go back to his days with the Griz).
Well, I don't think he'll win...just that he'll be in the conversation
Although personally, I think Bowen was robbed of the DPotY award tree years straight when he was a Spur. I mean, c’mon….Larry Hughes???
On the other hand, Hughes is an example of why Corey could win a couple times. It’s a statistics driven award unfortunately….Hughes won because he led the league in steals that year, and Corey has already shown he can pick pockets with the best of them. Tied for 4th in steals per game right now, and we as a team are 4th in the league in steals largely because of that. If we find some interior defense and start winning games….you never know.
While Bowen was a tremendous defender
he was also known for his cheap plays. Cheap plays which happened a couple too many times to be a coincidence. So I am glad he didn’t win. There are too many good individual defenders for a guy like Bowen to win it in a largely defensive system when he has Duncan (another player who could have won the award any given year) backing him up. Big Ben was a tremendous defender. He did everything you could ask for on defense. Steals, blocks, rebounds, overall solid man and help defense. The man was good. Looks like he is trying to make a comeback too…
I disagree on Brewer
His increased usage rate is one of the worst things about the Timberwolves right now. He’s taking more shots than anyone on the team and he’s shooting 38.6%. That’s a disgusting low shooting percentage. When you’re the first option on a team, it’s unacceptable. Second, while he’s putting up some acceptable numbers right now, that’s solely a factor of his playing time. His reb% and ast% are lower than Sasha Pavlovic’s, for God’s sake. Right now the Wolves currently have an Offensive Rating of 94.8, which is eighth worst in HISTORY. Not Wolves history, NBA history. And as the primary scorer, that falls on him as much as anyone.
And while you mention that he has the second best /- numbers. But there’s flaws with that. First, he has the second largest standard of error or anyone on the team. That combines with the issue that he only looks good using the 1 year rate. He’s actually n the negative for the 2 years numbers. Second, those numbers are fairly worthless until the middle of the year. The rate of error is too ridiculously high for anyone that not playing 40 minutes a night for the information to have any value at this point.
If you look at at 82games.com, it tells a very different story. First, he’s giving up a 21.7 PER to opposing shooting guards. That includes a 59.8% eFG%, and Corey surrendering more rebounds, more free throws, and more assists. And while I understand the defense around him is suspect, the fact that teams are succeeding at such a high level means you can’t simply throw all the blame on everyone else.
Now let’s talk 82.games +/- (which doesn’t need a standard error attached, since it’s not regressed to hell and back). Brewer has the fifth highest number on the team, and it’s not close. When I say it’s not close, I mean the difference is 4.5 pts/100 poss between Brewer and #4 (Cardinal). Also, he actually has a negative defensive number. Again, this is partly due to his teammates, but he’s not completely free of blame on this regard.
Brewer is basically the Timberwolves’ version of Nicky Punto. He’s cover your eyes bad on offense, but he tries. so. hard! that his slightly above average defense causes fans to consider him the second coming of Ozzie Smith (or Scottie Pippen.
I think opponent PER
is more suspect than the Timberwolves’ defense. Just because he is our SG doesn’t mean he is guarding the SG. If you remember, he guarded Brandon Roy and Stephen Jackson, both of whom were pretty ineffective against us. But in the Portland game, Brandon Roy was a 3 because they were using a 3 guard lineup. He is getting the defensive PER for the SG even though he is guarding the opposing team’s SF. Carmelo Anthony had a terrible game last night (relatively) with Brewer guarding him in tandem with Gomes. His defensive PER is probably as far off as anybody’s in the league.
The Nick Punto reference is weak. Maybe Gomez (before he was traded). Both are young, solid defensive players who are trying to put it together on offense. Both have shown flashes (Brewer usually does in the first half of most games then falls off the planet in the second). Nick Punto is on our team because he can play defense. He is old and no one expects him to improve much on offense. Brewer still has potential as does Gomez.
His on off court numbers for 82games (which I am not good with as I don’t use this website much) are 5th behind Hart, Pecherov, Ellington, and Gomes. The funny thing about this is that Brewer’s replacement is ahead of him (with a small sample size) while anyone replacing Gomes is…well… not. It’s easy to be positive when your team is just that much worse when you are off the court. So in reality, Pecherov is the only Wolves player who has a +/- better than Brewer who isn’t at least moderately suspect. Also, if you want to go through the entire Wolves roster, you will see that all but 2 players (Pavlovic and Cardinal) I believe, have Brewer in their best-producing line-up. It’d be interesting to see the worst lineups for everyone too, but from what we can see, the Wolves do better when he is on the court with them.
The numbers don't lie
Not to break up a chain of long, well thought out posts, but here’s my short and sweet take: We have enough statistics to measure offense to definitively say that Brewer isn’t better there. With the exception of usage rate, he’s either the same or worse there as he was a year ago, and it’s debatable as to whether a higher usage rate is a good thing for him. So to make a case that he’s better, you would have to convince me he’s made major strides on the other, harder to statistically quantify side of the ball. I’m not seeing it. He’s a great defender, but he was two years ago. Overall: not overly improved.
I think like Big Al coming from Boston
if Brewer’s usage rate goes back down to what it was, we will see his efficiency go up in correlation. Big Al is suffering from the same thing here, he is a terrific offensive player, but he has never been too efficient. If he sported a usage rate of 15-20, I’m convinced he would be much much more efficient. Like this, I think once we get our “scoring wing”, Brewer’s production will rise. Right now I think he is given a green light to take the open shot even though he probably won’t make it. Sooner or later, I hope he is told to look for a pass first (and also hopefully his shot will improve at least a bit).
"green light to take the open shot even though he probably won't make it"
This line is hard to get over. We’ve got an NBA player that is expected to one day start/play major minutes for an contending team, who can’t be expected to make open shots? How is Brewer ever going to be on the floor for significant minutes if he has a poor expectation when taking open shots?
Brewer is an above average defensive player, but to make that skill valuable he’s got to play minutes. Minutes that his horrid offense can’t justify. Do we really think that Brewer is so good on D that it’s worth his atrocious offense? I know people love the guy personally, but without the expectations that come with being a high lotto picka and the homer glasses, what do you have? Would anyone actually advocate trading for a guy like Brewer with a contract eating into our cap space next year if he were putting up the same numbers as a former 2nd rounder playing for the Nets?
Oh, for the halcyon days of Brewer's rookie season
if Brewer’s usage rate goes back down to what it was, we will see his efficiency go up in correlation.
You’re responding to a post that says his efficiency is down because he’s being used more, and you’re saying if his usage goes back down he’s going to be more efficient. Oh, okay, so at that point we’ll have what? An offensive player as effective as Corey Brewer in his rookie year? That’s the uphill side for Corey, the “upside”? As Cathy of comic strip fame might say it, “Aaaaack.”
I do think Brewer might be sheltered if the team had a great all-round scoring wing opposite him, okay. So would anyone else. Stretching to the point where we think he’d be really effective? Well, there’s no actual evidence of that other than that we’d hope for it. Right now the guy’s incredibly, strikingly inconsistent about everything he does on the offensive end of the court. Every dribble, every attempted layup, is a new experience.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
What?
So Corey Brewer to you is Kobe or bust? I’d personally be happy with Shane Battier as I have said before. I don’t want him to be our perennial allstar and don’t expect him to be. I am expecting him to become more efficient when used at a lower rate. That’s nothing crazy. The upside for Brewer being Battier sounds darn good to me. I guess I just don’t understand why you think someone can’t be a contributor with a low efficiency. Not everyone on the team can have a 25% usage rate.
Where is there ANY evidence for this?
The argument is that Corey will become more efficient when/if his usage goes back to what it was.
He wasn’t effective then, or close to it. And we just don’t have any evidence that particularly suggests he’s going to be.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
Apart from his efficiency,
he is pretty darn efficient. I’d love to have him on the court if he wasn’t the focal point of the offense. Even if he takes 6 or so shots a game, he is a positive contributor. The only time he turns out to be a negative contributor is when he takes shots like tonight when he is 1-11.
I never, ever, ever
Thought I’d hear a Cathy reference on a basketball blog. Excuse me while I put the pieces of my head back together…
I considered Garfield
But the excellent, surrealist “Garfield without words” has redeemed it somewhat for me.
Worth a look once in a while.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
Special Wolves' version
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
If you like that one, then I highly recommend the original surrealist, edited Garfield strip, Garfield minus Garfield. It’s awesome:
When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead. True story.
I thought about posting that too
Can’t get enough of that site. It’s either absurd or incredibly depressing. Thank god that gentleman had that idea pop into his head and had the initiative to make it an internet reality.
I don't know if he is improved...
but he and Ryan Hollins were the best T-Wolves on the floor on Wednesday night. Everyone else was terrible. I know Big Al is coming back from an injury, but I have never been super impressed with his game (post moves are the exception), and I’m starting to think that he is one of those best players on a bad team kind of guys. Other examples are Elton Brand, Shariff Abdur Rahim, and others like them. I can’t help thinking that Al is one of them.
I wish Hollins was showing more on the boards
His rebounding for a 7-footer with springs in his legs is…. poor.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
We might not
agree on Corey Brewer. But this is something we can definitely agree on! Hollins should be grabbing at least 8 rebounds a game as opposed to the 4 or 5 he ends up with. A guard could end up with that just from staying on the defensive end when the shot goes up instead of streaking down the court for the outlet. A guy who is positioned as close to the basket as he is should be grabbing more…. a lot more.
We've maybe just seen the results of this
Rambis starting Wilkins over Hollins, with the lineup shifted over and Gomes at PF, got Damien a big armful of boards last night….
And, unfortunately, Gomes tallied only 3 rebounds during his big scoring night.
Coaching has got to be hard.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
ONE-TRICK PONIES ON A SEE-SAW
That’s Al and Corey. With ball-hog point guard Jonny Flynn getting minutes, Al and his low post O show isn’t getting the touches he should. On Wednesday he was on the downside of the see-saw. Meanwhile, Corey “Hustle Points” Brewer was far more of a focal point. He’s riding high.
I won't give up on a young point guard..
…until 3 years in but doesn’t the Flynn pick seem like something McHale would have done? He had a good tourney that was above his track record and he’s a character guy. How ironic would that be if Kahn’s first pick was that McHale-esque?
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
Mchale would of picked Jennings damn it
Wolves Coverage Comment
In a typical November I would expect 8 or so posts from Britt Robson and a dozen or so from Stop n Pop. Twenty quality threads from two of the best Wolves minds. This season’s November score – Robson – ZERO, SnP – Very few
Add the fact that one-third of Wolves games will not be aired on TV, only one guy calls the games on radio, the Strib beat is getting chopped up to a bunch of folks and the only conclusion is that Wolves coverage is shrinking rapidly.
I haven’t sung the “Wolves leave town” song in a while, but I’m getting my pipes ready once again. Shrinking coverage is the canary in the coal mine. Mark my words.
Been thinking the same thing
4 pro sports teams in this market is pushing it even in a good economy. MN is a hockey state and Xcel is a superior venue, so the Wolves were put on notice when that arena was built and the Wild rolled back into town. The team almost moved to NO before and in this market the Twins could have easily been contracted.
When we are examining the FO moves on paper, it’s easy to say of course it will take 2-3 years to lay the foundation for what we hope is a championship-level team. The problem is that if no one buys tickets, if the public at large doesn’t care to the point where the team can’t sell sponsorships or ad buys – now you have minimal revenue to match up against tens of millions in salary outlays alone.
I don’t think they have 3 years to bring what I hear referred to as the “casual fans” back into the fold. If you are going to stick to your guns on the timeline to win, you need at least a marketable player or two and/or some creative, effective marketing. And I don’t see the ineptness of the “Re-re-building” slogan and ad buy as a good sign that they realize this. When the team does come back to winning, I would prefer that it be here v. Vegas or some other city.
4 pro teams AND 3 major college teams
Gopher football, hockey and hoops. We are the 15th largest MSA, the smallest along with Denver with all 4 pro sports. Then layer the college in.
Plus, national NBA TV viewership put us last or second to last in front of Pittsburgh. Not a hoops town.
by A.K. Agikamik on Nov 27, 2009 6:00 PM CST up reply actions
Agreed..
…I’m having a hard time even watching these games…let alone writing about them. The Wolves got dumped off of ESPN for OKC/Milwaukee. My local sporting goods store has more North Star shirts than T-Wolves gear. I don’t think they have 3 years either. They’ll lose Jefferson (if they haven’t already) before 3 years are up. This thing needs to turn around this off season or I think it’s over. They’ll be below the local Lacrosse team (if they aren’t already).
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
What us the biggest factor
In getting dumped…..
- four letter not wishing to televise a 1-14 team (not even once)
or
- the emergence of Brandon Jennings?
Judd: "...I've since watched some Steven Seagal movies and I realise that pressure points are no laughing matter.".
by Auswolf on Nov 27, 2009 3:28 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Both
To be fair, the Rockets aren’t on the national schedule, either, and no one was assuming the Wolves would be better than them.
by pagingstanleyroberts on Nov 27, 2009 7:07 PM CST up reply actions
Not seeing much improvement
Brewer still misses wide-open jumpers by a mile. That’s the part of his game that needs improvement, and I haven’t seen it yet.
I love the guy for all he does on defense, and even for his uncanny cutting ability in the half-court offense. But defense and intangibles aren’t enough to be a starting wing on a contender. He’s one of our best players, but that is obviously not saying much.
nope
it was dumped for okc/milwaukee. it’s on league pass.
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
www.canishoopus.com
That's not fair.
I’m guessing that most people would watch the Timberwolves over random high school football teams.
Like the guy...
…not the player.
Hmm, maybe he could be a defensive starter on a playoff team if they had 3 offensive stars. But I don’t think we’re going to have that anytime soon.
I suppose we are so talent-poor that he has some appeal, but I think this is a “in the valley of the blind the one-eyed man is king.”
We need to keep our standards high and I’d rather we let him go than have him taking up cap space. Like him at 2 million a year, not much more than that.
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