24 thoughts on “April 26, 2018: Thibs or no Thibs”
I've been asking that question for a couple months now. Each time I come to the conclusion: No Thibs.
Detroit has passed the Twins in the standings. This is unacceptable.
I haven't been motivated to watch, but I'm still holding out hope in an "it's early in the season still" way. Sucks though, that's for sure.
I agree its too early, and I do think the Twins will be fine and compete for a Playoff spot, but the Fightin' Gardys are supposed to be terrible and this "Cant beat an AL East team" thing has sunk the twins in the standings
Yeah, that Rays series really hurts.
Everything I’ve learned in the last decade of following baseball tells me to be patient, and yet there’s a part of me that wants to write a cranky email to Falvey & Levine about their roster construction & the continued ineptitude against the Yankmes. I don’t know if the Twins need a Charles Atlas kit, or what.
Thibs has to realize that this is a different NBA, one that is incumbent on making 3-pointers. You can't win a game trading twos versus threes. If you want to go that route, you need to be perfect in every other aspect of the game. That's a tall order. The Rockets scored 100 points more than the Wolves on 3 pointers.
Especially the kind of twos that the T-Wolves take.
Oh man, that Wiggins contract.....
(and whatever Thibs idiotically gives to #25)
I've seen people in the "Wiggins is young!" camp point to DeMar DeRozan, he's the best-case scenario at this point, right? DeRozan's PER has been above 20 the last three years after not topping 15 during his first four seasons.
Ahhh, how I miss the "He's only twenty-whatever!" argument. Good times.
But yeah, Wiggins following the DeRozan path would be best case, but DeRozan is also a pretty big outlier. My money would say Wiggins is on more of a Derrick Williams path.
Oh, I definitely agree that the DeRozan path seems very unlikely.
I was about to compare Wiggins to Rudy Gay, but he's actually had a better career than I thought. That might actually be the second-best scenario.
Gay has been a very good player for a long time. Wiggins should be so good.
The Wolves could have kept Sam Mitchell if they wanted to play Mid Range Ball (and probably would still have Ricky on the team)
Here’s the data. From Twitter but I’ll assume it’s correct:
Timberwolves had a higher FG%, won the rebounding battle, shot a better % from 3, shot the same amount of FT (made 2 less) and had only 4 TO more per game. Difference, Rockets had a higher EFG% because they took more threes.
I just don't see Thibs coming to that realization now if it didn't happen during his sabbatical where he went around observing coaches in different sports. He's a grumpy old man who believes in his system and will probably keep signing former Bulls to try to make it work here.
Thibs after his sabbatical:
I see the Twins DFA’d Kinley yesterday. Meanwhile, JT Chargois has a 31.3% strikeout rate and 1.000 WHIP with the Dodgers in the early going. Yes, he’s only thrown 8 innings, but he’s been good enough that he’d easily be the third-best reliever in the Twins’ bullpen right now behind Pressly & Reed.
I said at the time I didn't understand what they saw in Kinley. He's 27, he's barely pitched above AA, and his AA numbers aren't particularly good. I didn't understand it and still don't understand it.
I knew I married well:
Phil: Did you hear about today's Twins game?
Philosofette: No, tell me.
Phil: I'll tell you the set up, then you tell me how it ended. Twins up 3-1 going to the bottom of the 9th.
Philosofette: Even Nathan wouldn't have made that save.
I've been asking that question for a couple months now. Each time I come to the conclusion: No Thibs.
Detroit has passed the Twins in the standings. This is unacceptable.
I haven't been motivated to watch, but I'm still holding out hope in an "it's early in the season still" way. Sucks though, that's for sure.
I agree its too early, and I do think the Twins will be fine and compete for a Playoff spot, but the Fightin' Gardys are supposed to be terrible and this "Cant beat an AL East team" thing has sunk the twins in the standings
Yeah, that Rays series really hurts.
Everything I’ve learned in the last decade of following baseball tells me to be patient, and yet there’s a part of me that wants to write a cranky email to Falvey & Levine about their roster construction & the continued ineptitude against the Yankmes. I don’t know if the Twins need a Charles Atlas kit, or what.
Thibs has to realize that this is a different NBA, one that is incumbent on making 3-pointers. You can't win a game trading twos versus threes. If you want to go that route, you need to be perfect in every other aspect of the game. That's a tall order. The Rockets scored 100 points more than the Wolves on 3 pointers.
Especially the kind of twos that the T-Wolves take.
Oh man, that Wiggins contract.....
(and whatever Thibs idiotically gives to #25)
I've seen people in the "Wiggins is young!" camp point to DeMar DeRozan, he's the best-case scenario at this point, right? DeRozan's PER has been above 20 the last three years after not topping 15 during his first four seasons.
Ahhh, how I miss the "He's only twenty-whatever!" argument. Good times.
But yeah, Wiggins following the DeRozan path would be best case, but DeRozan is also a pretty big outlier. My money would say Wiggins is on more of a Derrick Williams path.
Oh, I definitely agree that the DeRozan path seems very unlikely.
I was about to compare Wiggins to Rudy Gay, but he's actually had a better career than I thought. That might actually be the second-best scenario.
Gay has been a very good player for a long time. Wiggins should be so good.
The Wolves could have kept Sam Mitchell if they wanted to play Mid Range Ball (and probably would still have Ricky on the team)
Here’s the data. From Twitter but I’ll assume it’s correct:
Timberwolves had a higher FG%, won the rebounding battle, shot a better % from 3, shot the same amount of FT (made 2 less) and had only 4 TO more per game. Difference, Rockets had a higher EFG% because they took more threes.
Checking basketball-reference's series page.
Here's their four factors at the top:
3>2
Go back to your mother’s basement stat nerd.
Maybe I will! (Its nicer than my house, anyway)
I just don't see Thibs coming to that realization now if it didn't happen during his sabbatical where he went around observing coaches in different sports. He's a grumpy old man who believes in his system and will probably keep signing former Bulls to try to make it work here.
Thibs after his sabbatical:
I see the Twins DFA’d Kinley yesterday. Meanwhile, JT Chargois has a 31.3% strikeout rate and 1.000 WHIP with the Dodgers in the early going. Yes, he’s only thrown 8 innings, but he’s been good enough that he’d easily be the third-best reliever in the Twins’ bullpen right now behind Pressly & Reed.
I said at the time I didn't understand what they saw in Kinley. He's 27, he's barely pitched above AA, and his AA numbers aren't particularly good. I didn't understand it and still don't understand it.
I knew I married well:
Phil: Did you hear about today's Twins game?
Philosofette: No, tell me.
Phil: I'll tell you the set up, then you tell me how it ended. Twins up 3-1 going to the bottom of the 9th.
Philosofette: Even Nathan wouldn't have made that save.