38 thoughts on “June 22, 2017: So, Cats Can Clear a Room”
You may have already heard this, but I didn't see it mentioned here anywhere. Twins minor leaguer Cam Booser got a fifty-game suspension for using a "drug of abuse".
I'm trying really hard not to make the obvious joke here.
Today is the day of the NBA draft. How will the Wolves screw up this time? I Kahn't imagine.
This draft seems to be filled with interchangeable "I dunno how good he will be" options.
Wolves playoff time!
I didn't ( and still don't) like the Dunn pick from last year. But, I still feel a lot less concerned about things because of not-Kahn running things. I would, however, really, really love to see the rumored Dunn-Lavine (or Wiggins)-7th pick for Jimmy Butler thing to be real and happen.
I just found out this actually happened. That's awesome! I'll kind of miss lavine, but butler is sooooo good.
Also, how great is Phil Jackson these days? (SBG bait)
yeah, i was thinking that (a banner reminded me). i'll keep them up for a little bit in memoriam.
the first comment in that article is an old classic by the painter:
That's sad. The "Eastern Promises" one is one of my favorites.
Not least because it always reminds me of the Dread Pirate's related story.
Update: I got a second ticket to today's game so HPR can come, but he did get to play the mensch and agreed that if I only got one, AJR should go.
I wonder if AJR is disappointed that she doesn't get one-on-one with me.
Is anyone else from here going to the game?
If anyone is, Section 214, row 4.
I went to my first MN United game at TCF last night and I had a blast.
First it was a fun game. 5 goals, 2 red cards, 2 own goals (one per team) and lots of action. The Loons played well and were in control most of the game. It was especially fun as Portland beat MN 5-1 in their first game. The crowd was fun, diverse, and knew its soccer. I had pretty decent seats as I scored $40 seats for $15 on the street. I gave the guy my number in case he needed to drop tix in the future.
Of course it helped that it was a gorgeous summer night. Also TCF is a decent place to watch a game as there are few poor seats. Rode my bike to and from the game and was home by 9:30p. I will definitely be back.
AND!! they are broadcast on regular TV!
I turned the game on in the second half and my boy and girl both sat down and started actively rooting, which was a surprise given minimal prior exposure to Loons/pro soccer. I might have to try to take them to a game.
Glad to hear it was such a good experience, we're planning to take the family there later in the season for an afternoon game.
Fun game to watch on TV, the Ramirez self-volley goal was a thing of beauty.
I used it before Sturgill's song. I guess I picked it up from Hawking's book, though I would have guessed it was from a Robert Fulghum book. I guess I read both authors around the same time in my youth.
Ricky
Wiggy
Jimmy Butler
Dieng
KAT
that looks mighty fine to me.
I'm feeling ... I don't know
Steep price, but I can't believe they pulled it off!
I think its worth gibing up Zach and Dunn for Jimmy Butler. I say that being a Zach supporter.
I don't even think that's a steep price. (Well, its steep for the Bulls) I like Lavine, and I know he improved immensely from his terrible rookie year and all, but I don't think his ceiling was ever going to be "Jimmy Butler". Dunn's shot is so broken, and he showed he was so completely unable to run an offense, that I can't see him ever being much. And then a pick exchange. (I still can't believe this part)
It's weird being a fan of the team doing the fleecing.
Just in general with NBA trades, it seems that if you get the best player in the trade, you've won the trade. There are probably some exceptions to that, but Butler's neither super old nor super young. It's harder to get in a Herschel Walker situation where you can start someone else's dynasty by trading for one of their star players.
Yes. NBA is all about your best 2-3 players. If you improve that, the rest takes care of itself.
Holy crap. I just saw that. Yes, steep price. But did anyone really think that the 7 pick would yield a major impact player?
Butler is a major impact player and should make Rubio that much better. Run and fun, kids.
They still need some outside shooting, however.
Justin Patton? I don't know anything about him.
Kings picked up Fox, Justin Jackson, and Harry Stiles. Err, Giles. Good trade, I think. Jackson should contribute and back up Rudy Gay.
Cauley-Stein
Labissier
Gay
Hield
Fox/Collison
That is a lineup that can compete. Labissier is going to be a stud.
WINNERS
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Wolves sent 2016 first-round pick Kris Dunn, shooting guard Zach LaVine and the No. 7 pick to Chicago for Butler and the No. 16 pick. Given rumored asking prices and Butler’s status as an All-Star with two years left on his contract, this is a steal for Minnesota. Butler, a two-way destroyer, joins his old coach, Tom Thibodeau, and joins a core of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins that should rank among the best in the league in two years, if not right now. To reel in the final piece of that core, all the Wolves had to do was move down nine spots and relinquish a decent two-guard coming off an ACL tear, and a second-year point guard who really struggled as a rookie. This trade is an A+.
Underscoring that A+: Minnesota used the No. 16 pick to take Creighton big man Justin Patton, while Chicago used No. 7 on Arizona big Lauri Markkanen. The gap between those two players in no way makes up for the gap between Butler and the players the Wolves used to get him.
a decent two-guard coming off an ACL tear
yeah, i love levine, but i think this kind of an overlooked point.
LOSERS
Chicago Bulls
Although their haul in the trade might have seemed a bit meager, the deal wasn’t a complete disaster for the Bulls. They weren’t going anywhere with their roster as it was previously constructed. They had to move Butler, and it’s not like they got nothing for him. But they got a lot less than many expected them to. And they became a loser when they used the second most valuable of the three assets — or arguably the most valuable, considering LaVine is on the final year of his rookie deal — to select Lauri Markkanen, a one-dimensional player who doesn’t really have the star potential of Malik Monk or Dennis Smith Jr., both of whom were still on the board.
Dwyane Wade
On Wednesday, Wade opted in to year two of his contract in Chicago. On Thursday, he lost his top running mate, and is now stuck on a team that is building for the future, not the present — a team that won’t come close to last year’s win total of 41. Wade, 35, almost surely won’t be around to be a part of that future, and must ride out a full season that will likely be a wasted one — unless, of course, he can negotiate some sort of buyout.
I am convinced the Wolves won the trade. Here is a comment I found on espn fb comments from a Chicago fan who is "ok with the trade."
butler is very skilled and disciplined, but he's the most boring dunker i've seen
When your biggest downside is that you are a boring dunker, I have high hopes!
I don't know how good the Wolves will be overall, but this will make them better.
Someone at CBS sports hot taked it an A+ for the waves and a D- for the Bulls whole saying that it would've been a trade worth Making for the wolves if they'd gotten no draft pick in exchange.
The most optimistic review I've seen.
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton graded the trade Thursday night. He gave the Bulls an “F” and the Wolves an “A+”. “Now that this deal has come, it’s far better than anyone could have imagined or perhaps even dreamed,” Pelton wrote.
"For Minnesota, I think it’s a terrific pickup, because Butler gives them an established veteran, a terrific defensive player, a guy who can make shots at the end of games,” former Wolves general manager David Kahn said in a video posted on Sports Illustrated. “And I think that it’s sort of that veteran presence that can galvanize the entire team. … For Minnesota, this is a way to say, ‘You know what? We’re going to be a lot better next year.’ "
Butler averaged 23.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists a game last season, shooting 46 percent from the field and 37 percent from three.
“(They’re) adding a legit scorer and a big-time competitor,” an NBA scout said. “Ricky (Rubio) has targets all over the floor.”
Butler also averaged 1.9 steals and is widely considered one of the league’s best perimeter defenders. He was a second-team all-defensive player for the three seasons before this past season. The 2016-17 season’s team has not been announced.
*why anyone in Minnesota would give two shits what David Khan thinks is beyond me. Hot garbage because, if he was paying attention at all, the Wolves have a couple of guys who have no trouble with big shots at the end of games.
My favorite team since I was a kid are the Sixers. They're fan base is so excited about the future (Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Markelle Fulz) that they have pretty much already sold out every home game. Now with this trade for the Wolves, I think I'm going to be putting out money for watching the NBA games online.
You may have already heard this, but I didn't see it mentioned here anywhere. Twins minor leaguer Cam Booser got a fifty-game suspension for using a "drug of abuse".
I'm trying really hard not to make the obvious joke here.
Today is the day of the NBA draft. How will the Wolves screw up this time? I Kahn't imagine.
This draft seems to be filled with interchangeable "I dunno how good he will be" options.
Wolves playoff time!
I didn't ( and still don't) like the Dunn pick from last year. But, I still feel a lot less concerned about things because of not-Kahn running things. I would, however, really, really love to see the rumored Dunn-Lavine (or Wiggins)-7th pick for Jimmy Butler thing to be real and happen.
I just found out this actually happened. That's awesome! I'll kind of miss lavine, but butler is sooooo good.
Also, how great is Phil Jackson these days? (SBG bait)
You can't be snoozin' on Phil, yo.
That's right. Always set your alarm around me.
I don't think anyone mentioned it, but sadly, the Wolves have waived The Godfather.
Does that mean some banner retirements?
yeah, i was thinking that (a banner reminded me). i'll keep them up for a little bit in memoriam.
the first comment in that article is an old classic by the painter:
That's sad. The "Eastern Promises" one is one of my favorites.
Not least because it always reminds me of the Dread Pirate's related story.
Update: I got a second ticket to today's game so HPR can come, but he did get to play the mensch and agreed that if I only got one, AJR should go.
I wonder if AJR is disappointed that she doesn't get one-on-one with me.
Is anyone else from here going to the game?
If anyone is, Section 214, row 4.
I went to my first MN United game at TCF last night and I had a blast.
First it was a fun game. 5 goals, 2 red cards, 2 own goals (one per team) and lots of action. The Loons played well and were in control most of the game. It was especially fun as Portland beat MN 5-1 in their first game. The crowd was fun, diverse, and knew its soccer. I had pretty decent seats as I scored $40 seats for $15 on the street. I gave the guy my number in case he needed to drop tix in the future.
Of course it helped that it was a gorgeous summer night. Also TCF is a decent place to watch a game as there are few poor seats. Rode my bike to and from the game and was home by 9:30p. I will definitely be back.
AND!! they are broadcast on regular TV!
I turned the game on in the second half and my boy and girl both sat down and started actively rooting, which was a surprise given minimal prior exposure to Loons/pro soccer. I might have to try to take them to a game.
Glad to hear it was such a good experience, we're planning to take the family there later in the season for an afternoon game.
Fun game to watch on TV, the Ramirez self-volley goal was a thing of beauty.
John Green is ripping off Sturgill Simpson!
Well, now, that's a common phrase. Well, maybe not common, but still, it has a whole Wikipedia page.
Sturgill ripped off an author first...
I used it before Sturgill's song. I guess I picked it up from Hawking's book, though I would have guessed it was from a Robert Fulghum book. I guess I read both authors around the same time in my youth.
Ricky
Wiggy
Jimmy Butler
Dieng
KAT
that looks mighty fine to me.
I'm feeling ... I don't know
Steep price, but I can't believe they pulled it off!
I think its worth gibing up Zach and Dunn for Jimmy Butler. I say that being a Zach supporter.
I don't even think that's a steep price. (Well, its steep for the Bulls) I like Lavine, and I know he improved immensely from his terrible rookie year and all, but I don't think his ceiling was ever going to be "Jimmy Butler". Dunn's shot is so broken, and he showed he was so completely unable to run an offense, that I can't see him ever being much. And then a pick exchange. (I still can't believe this part)
It's weird being a fan of the team doing the fleecing.
Just in general with NBA trades, it seems that if you get the best player in the trade, you've won the trade. There are probably some exceptions to that, but Butler's neither super old nor super young. It's harder to get in a Herschel Walker situation where you can start someone else's dynasty by trading for one of their star players.
Yes. NBA is all about your best 2-3 players. If you improve that, the rest takes care of itself.
Holy crap. I just saw that. Yes, steep price. But did anyone really think that the 7 pick would yield a major impact player?
Butler is a major impact player and should make Rubio that much better. Run and fun, kids.
They still need some outside shooting, however.
Justin Patton? I don't know anything about him.
Kings picked up Fox, Justin Jackson, and Harry Stiles. Err, Giles. Good trade, I think. Jackson should contribute and back up Rudy Gay.
Cauley-Stein
Labissier
Gay
Hield
Fox/Collison
That is a lineup that can compete. Labissier is going to be a stud.
a decent two-guard coming off an ACL tear
yeah, i love levine, but i think this kind of an overlooked point.
I am convinced the Wolves won the trade. Here is a comment I found on espn fb comments from a Chicago fan who is "ok with the trade."
When your biggest downside is that you are a boring dunker, I have high hopes!
I don't know how good the Wolves will be overall, but this will make them better.
Someone at CBS sports hot taked it an A+ for the waves and a D- for the Bulls whole saying that it would've been a trade worth Making for the wolves if they'd gotten no draft pick in exchange.
The most optimistic review I've seen.
*why anyone in Minnesota would give two shits what David Khan thinks is beyond me. Hot garbage because, if he was paying attention at all, the Wolves have a couple of guys who have no trouble with big shots at the end of games.
My favorite team since I was a kid are the Sixers. They're fan base is so excited about the future (Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Markelle Fulz) that they have pretty much already sold out every home game. Now with this trade for the Wolves, I think I'm going to be putting out money for watching the NBA games online.