Butler Boat !!!

[chuck0609]

I don't buy this Ainge is scared stuff... 10 years ago when he struck out on Oden and Durant he flipped his team around immediately and had a contender for about 4 seasons and got a ring....

I don't buy the Celtics as being close to a championship caliber team right now-- so I kinda like what he's doing cause he's really getting assets while maintaining a competitive product on the floor...

I agree. he didn't see an option that made the Celtics BETTER than the Cavs now.

Although its like a wake here, the Cavs remain the second best team in the NBA, and the best team in the east by a pretty BIG margin. Danny is just waiting for his time- which is essentially LBJ leaving or getting old.

We still don't know what he'll do in FA and again added a young asset last night to a team that reached the ECF.

 

[PIP]

I agree. he didn't see an option that made the Celtics BETTER than the Cavs now.

Although its like a wake here, the Cavs remain the second best team in the NBA, and the best team in the east by a pretty BIG margin. Danny is just waiting for his time- which is essentially LBJ leaving or getting old.

We still don't know what he'll do in FA and again added a young asset last night to a team that reached the ECF.

Pretty much. Ainge will pounce on a franchise changing move when he feels the Celtics path is clear... The dynamics in the east right now are different than the west...

So many people are talking how Butler is going to enhance the Wolves ?? The best player on the 8th seed in the east is gonna somehow transform the 12th seed in the west to an upper echelon team ???

Probably not....

 

[chuck0609]

Pretty much. Ainge will pounce on a franchise changing move when he feels the Celtics path is clear... The dynamics in the east right now are different than the west...

So many people are talking how Butler is going to enhance the Wolves ?? The best player on the 8th seed in the east is gonna somehow transform the 12th seed in the west to an upper echelon team ???

Probably not....

The Wolves are interesting because it adds a legit superstar to a very good young core who should improve. I don't think they're top 4 in the west YET, but are in contention for 6-8 if they have improvement and can gel.

Butler takes some pressure off Wiggins and Towns.

 

[priceFTW]

Pretty much. Ainge will pounce on a franchise changing move when he feels the Celtics path is clear... The dynamics in the east right now are different than the west...

So many people are talking how Butler is going to enhance the Wolves ?? The best player on the 8th seed in the east is gonna somehow transform the 12th seed in the west to an upper echelon team ???

Probably not....

I see what you're saying, but when you look at the numbers, there's plenty to be excited about if you're a TWolves fan.

Though they may have only won 31 games, their Pythagorean win total was 38 based on ORating minus DRating. Their SRS was -.64, something you don't see from 12th seeds very often. They blew 27 second half leads last year, many of them double digit ones. They easily could have won 40 games with a very young team. They now add a very good second half player and closer in Butler to help them maintain those leads. In addition, their peak play was very good as they could beat down many different teams in the league and compete with every one of the best teams when playing well and that's WITHOUT Butler and with a negative black hole player like Lavine who played no defense at all. That peak play ceiling just got higher.

But mostly, people undervalue how good Butler was and how bad the rest of the Bulls were. With him on court, they were a 50 win type of team and with him off court, they were a top 3 lotto type of team. He spent most of the season in the top 5 of RPM and was a top 5 two way force all season.

Towns is going to get better. He's already one of the most offensively skilled big men perhaps ever in the league and needs to improve defensively as he was trash on that end last year. One more year of Thibs and a defensive leader like Butler will help accelerate that growth.

Wiggins can now concentrate even more on defense and perhaps make progress in that area. With Butler on court, the opposition's defensive focus won't be on him. He, too, can make a leap this year.

Their issue is going to be shooting and how well they progress defensively. The defense will improve for sure. Not sure how they'll address the shooting. I can see them winning 50+ games and being a team nobody would want to play in a series.

 

[Real Deal]

I see what you're saying, but when you look at the numbers, there's plenty to be excited about if you're a TWolves fan.

Though they may have only won 31 games, their Pythagorean win total was 38 based on ORating minus DRating. Their SRS was -.64, something you don't see from 12th seeds very often. They blew 27 second half leads last year, many of them double digit ones. They easily could have won 40 games with a very young team. They now add a very good second half player and closer in Butler to help them maintain those leads. In addition, their peak play was very good as they could beat down many different teams in the league and compete with every one of the best teams when playing well and that's WITHOUT Butler and with a negative black hole player like Lavine who played no defense at all. That peak play ceiling just got higher.

But mostly, people undervalue how good Butler was and how bad the rest of the Bulls were. With him on court, they were a 50 win type of team and with him off court, they were a top 3 lotto type of team. He spent most of the season in the top 5 of RPM and was a top 5 two way force all season.

Towns is going to get better. He's already one of the most offensively skilled big men perhaps ever in the league and needs to improve defensively as he was trash on that end last year. One more year of Thibs and a defensive leader like Butler will help accelerate that growth.

Wiggins can now concentrate even more on defense and perhaps make progress in that area. With Butler on court, the opposition's defensive focus won't be on him. He, too, can make a leap this year.

Their issue is going to be shooting and how well they progress defensively. The defense will improve for sure. Not sure how they'll address the shooting. I can see them winning 50+ games and being a team nobody would want to play in a series.

Yeah Wiggins better concentrate more on defense now, guy had a -3 DBPM .

But I'm definitely looking forward to Twolves fans finally bask in the glory.

 

[godfather]

I think Towns makes that dramatic leap defensively with Butler there.

LaVine and Wiggins (maybe he'll get better) were awful defenders for Minny. Towns has been asked to be that dynamic/perfect two way player so young in his career.

He's got big time ability on both ends. If he makes that leap, look out.

 

[Snarly]

Butler went West and George is going no where helpful... I like this so far. It puts heat on the GS with the Wolves who will be better than we think. However what this does is excel a team to fight in the West the Asshats fuckbois will win this year in the West but the Wolves are on their way.

 

[Ethan]

Timberwolves gave GS problems last year... Without Butler.
GS has problems guarding the paint with a dominate big man, who can also stretch the floor.
So now they got Butler along with Wiggins and KAT who will be going into their 3rd-4th seasons.
Expect a breakout year for the Twolves. Best case scenario, they make it to 5th in the West and face GS in the second round.

 

[Kizzle]

To me its a good trade for both teams.

 

[Rich]

I don't buy this Ainge is scared stuff... 10 years ago when he struck out on Oden and Durant he flipped his team around immediately and had a contender for about 4 seasons and got a ring....

I don't buy the Celtics as being close to a championship caliber team right now-- so I kinda like what he's doing cause he's really getting assets while maintaining a competitive product on the floor...

The assets are losing value over time. Terry Rosier and Marcus Smart aren't as valuable as the pick where they were drafted. Every year that goes by and Crowder and Bradley get closer to free agency their value drops.

They missed a chance to turn unknown assets into a top 10 player and, really, it woildnt have cost them all that much. A whiff.

 

[wremy]

They should have given NY whatever they wanted for Porzingis

 

[Simmy]

Happy for Minny. Let's be honest, if Butler wasn't coming to CLE, heading west to a solid young team preparing to challenge Golden State was always going to be the next best thing.

If I'm a Minny fan, I'm checking my roster (2x #1 picks in Towns and Wiggins and now a top 15 player in Butler) and I'm tooting my horn knowing in a year or two, my team has it's own solid and damaging Big 3 core to build around.

 

[PIP]

The assets are losing value over time. Terry Rosier and Marcus Smart aren't as valuable as the pick where they were drafted. Every year that goes by and Crowder and Bradley get closer to free agency their value drops.

They missed a chance to turn unknown assets into a top 10 player and, really, it woildnt have cost them all that much. A whiff.

Problem is it doesn't matter who Boston obtains at the very least until 2018 and Ainge knows it...

If Boston would have traded the Smart or Rozier selection back when they were drafted the Celtics still would not be competing for another banner...

Just like if they would have traded #3 last year before drafting Jaylen Brown for let's say DeMarcus Cousins ?? They would not have been in the finals this year...

Ainge will pounce when the Cavs are legitametly vulnerable to not being a contender... Which is what blows my mind (the way the people view the Cavs..) For as tough as we see GSW-- every single opponent in the east feels that way about Cleveland--- maybe except Washington ?? because A. They've never faced this Cavs era in a series and B. They're cocky and know they have some matchup problems for the Cavs...

The only thing I'd worry about with Ainge would be if he legit passed on Josh Jackson for some BS reason and took Tatum instead as reported ??

However, the man has built a championship caliber team that won it all and built another contending team with a different coach and different roster with a ton of assets-- so I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt...