Cup of Coffee

March 27, 2018: Thi(b)s Team Sucks

51 Comments

Okay, yeah, it was one game. A game against arguably the worst team in the league. That had just come off a 61(!) point loss. That had never won a road game this season. That was also missing key starters.

This entire team looks completely lost. I think I know where the main problem lies...

51 thoughts on “March 27, 2018: Thi(b)s Team Sucks”

  1. I've noticed some quotes from Teague and Taj that seem to be subtly calling out the coach.

    1. And based on the box score, I think Thibs is passive-aggressively throwing it back in their face by playing Tyus just 5 minutes. (Seriously? 5 frickin minutes for your best bench player!?)

    2. It is a pretty big deal if Thibs loses the support of one of those two.

      This is such a joyless team, being relevant was supposed to be a lot more fun.

      1. As I said to SBG on twitter, I haven't had the motivation to turn a game on since the Rose signing and that sucks because I love watching Butler, Kat, Bjelica, and Jones (and Gibson, who has been much better than I thought he'd be) play.

        Hurry up and get here, Opening Day!

    3. Some prime Nate/S-n-P over at Canis:

      In terms of overall Wolvesdom, last night’s tilt was one of the great Wolves losses of all time. Playing against an openly tanking team who had just lost by 61 and who was fielding a d league roster, the Wolves lost in a way that perfectly highlights their systemic weaknesses and deficiencies. Running guys into the ground? Check. No backup wings? Check. 6 shots for your generational offensive talent well into the second half? Check. No in game adjustments? Check. Relying on people "trying harder" instead of trying something different? Check. Getting outgunned beyond the arc (and mostly because of corner threes that were generated with high school level offensive schemes against the scheme of a supposed defensive genius)? Check. Screaming idiot on the sideline? Check.

      1. Oy vey ... this got a chuckle of resigned acknowledgment of its accuracy.

        As I do now and then, after the game, I stopped in over there to review the game travesty thread ... the intro worked for what "should have" been the result, but was so far off from what actually transpired. Rather than relive it from start-finish, I scrolled to the bottom of the comments and read 'em backwards. Many (most) of them folks see it clearly, and said so from end->beginning.

    4. My favorite 2 teams are the Sixers and the Wolves. Can't believe the Sixers have already clinched a playoff spot and the Wolves are barely clinging to the 8th spot. It certainly helps the Sixers being in the East, but the Wolves keep losing to the bad Eastern teams. Both teams have a dynamic generational young big man in the middle. I think KAT is better than Embiid at this point, but that may change as Embiid gets more experience (assuming he stays healthy). The stark contrast in the teams is that Embiid is averaging 3 more shots attempts per game despite averaging 5 less minutes played per game. I also wonder if Thibs would even want Ben Simmons on his team, who is the Sixers' unorthodox 6-10 point guard that has not even made a 3-pointer all season and has only attempted 11, presumably with the shot clock and/or game clock running down. He is basically a 6-10 Ricky Rubio that is far better at and attacking the rim and finishing at the rim.

  3. Today I am exactly as old as Hall-of-Famer Harry "Slug" Heilmann was when he died. Which is kind of depressing. But I am also exactly as old as Jerry Lewis was the day The King of Comedy was released,.

    1. I know the Twins don't have a spot for him now, but I still think he'd hit if he was given the chance.

      1. He has hit decently in the majors (102 OPS+) but just not well enough for a poor defensive first baseman and/or DH. With expanding pitching staffs, players that don't have positional flexibility and would require a pinch runner in late-game situations are becoming less and less desirable unless they are just mashing the ball.

        1. He has mashed the ball at times. The thing is that he's been streaky, and every time he's hit a cold streak the Twins have benched him and then sent him to the minors, rather than giving him a chance to work his way out of it. It won't happen with the Twins, but I think if he could get to a team that would put him in the lineup and leave him alone, he'd be a good batter. Unfortunately, he's twenty-seven now, and he's just about out of time for it to happen.

            1. I don’t like the Ortiz comp for Vargas. Vargas strikes out way, way more often—like 30% to 20%—and doesn’t walk as often. I think he’s a lot more likely to be like Jason Kubel than David Ortiz. Useful, but not particularly special.

              1. I didn't mean to imply I thought Vargas would be David Ortiz. But I think he'd be a good batter if he was given the chance. No way to prove that, of course, and there may never be, because it's looking less and less likely that he'll be given the chance.

          2. I suspect you're right, in that if he was given 500 at-bats at first or at DH he wouldn't embarrass his team. Might do something like Garret Jones after he left the Twins and have around a 110 OPS+ for a few years, maybe even a little higher. I would be surprised if he was more than that. Ortiz had Nintendo numbers in the minor leagues.

            1. Garrett Jones is the Twins-related comp I’ve had in mind, too. Uniting Vargas’ build with his limited utility & hitting profile, though, I keep thinking of Wily Mo Peña.

              1. Wily Mo Pena still kicking around! Hit 15 homers in 70 games for Chiba Lotte in Japan.

    2. I find this interesting

      Max Kepler 263 g 1022 pa 36 hr
      Kennys Vargas 236 g 859 pa 35 hr

      ~150 pa is significant, but also not (Vargas has pinch hit a lot more than Kepler), but no one is saying Max Kepler to be the next David Ortiz.

      1. Bigger they are, the harder they fall ... at least that’s what we told each other.

    1. What would be cool is if one of them rolled it and the others swept it to the plate.

      It will be a massive creative failure if they don't do this.

  7. Oh darn.

    Just informed by FSN that there will be no more “Circle Me Bert” and Minnesota Lottery winners for this coming season. I want to thank all the fans that made signs over the past 15+ seasons. Doesn’t mean you can’t still bring signs! Go Twins

    Im guessing the Lotto didnt pony up enough money.

      1. Another possibility is that the Lottery people just thought the bit had gotten stale and it was time to go in a different direction.

    1. BR estimates his opponent quality this spring training as equivalent to AA. So I would hope he did well against a level he's already surpassed.

      1. He's mostly played center field in the minors, and he's stolen around twenty bases a season, so I'm guessing he's fast and a good defender. If so, and if he just hits a little, that's not too bad from a fourth outfielder.

  9. Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. just hit a walkoff home run for Toronto in an exhibition game in Montreal. That's pretty cool.

  10. This just in (to me), Bob Motzko - most recently head coach of the SCSU Huskies - will be the next Gophers hockey coach.

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