T'Wolves: How High is Zach LaVine's Ceiling?

(Getty Images: Jeff Gross)

Remember when we took that skinny backup combo guard with the 13th pick in the 2014 draft? Completely raw? Overwhelmingly athletic? Unproven?

As of today: he has the possibility of being one of the greatest Timberwolves of all time. Yeah, I said it.  You read correctly. 

I'm not even close to joking.  LaVine has the talent to be great.  Not only because of his dunks, which still are pretty amazing.  Look here:

Mmm. Feels so good.  

Anyways, let me explain my man crush.  LaVine over the last year and a half has shown me something just as great as his dunks: his jump shot. His jump shot is marvelous.  I mean, his form is astounding, the rotation on his ball is crisp, and his elevation (obviously) is perfect.  Of course, his shooting percentage isn’t there yet, but with all young shooters that happens.  Just watching where he releases the ball in his jump and the arc of the shot is incredible.  I honestly think in a few years he will be one of the top "average percentage" shooters in the league for guards. 

(Getty Images: Gary Dineen)

Best part is, no one even thought he was going to be that good of an outside shooter.  You know that feeling you get when you watch someone shoot a 3 pointer like 4 feet behind the line and you scream, “What are you doing? Get a better shot!”  Well with LaVine, I always have a feeling the ball will drop which is a nice feeling to have.  So, other than his freakish dunks and silky-smooth jump shot (that will continue to increase in percentage), what else is there?  Oh, I have the answers. Calm down, grasshopper.

LaVine, with time, will be built enough to match up with shooting guards.  He’s a twig of a man right now, but he’s also 20 years old.  He will fill out into his own and be able to body up the shooting guard position. I know this because I am not a grasshopper, you are.  So let's continue.

(USA TODAY Sports: Brad Rempel)

Why does that matter, you ask?  Because he’s been seen as a point guard for most of his career but I don’t think that’s the right spot for him and the Timberwolves are now finding that out by moving him to shooting guard.  This matters, because now you have a point guard mindset in a shooting guard body.  He will, in a few years, be able to get you 20-25 points a night as well as get you 5-7 assists and 4-6 rebounds.  He looks to pass as well as score.  Many players…(Wiggins, I’m looking at you, bro) don’t do the small things to win games.  I remember watching a behind the scenes clip of Michael Jordan talking to Carmelo Anthony about stats.  Jordan told Melo, “points will always come, but it’s all the rest of the stats that matter.” Boom.  The greatest dropping knowledge.  Rebounds, assists, steals, blocks: All matter.  You need to play a complete game to be a complete player.

I think LaVine has shown he can do those other things with the opportunities he is given.  He will score.  He will make mind-blowing dunks.  But he knows the other things matter just as much.

If LaVine does what I know he can, from the ages of 22-34 a consistent average of 20-25 points, 5-7 assists and 4-6 rebounds being reached= Greatest Timberwolves Shooting Guard.  Jigga Whaa? Isn't that a great thought combining him with possibly the greatest small forward and center the T'Wolves will probably ever have?  Ahhh.  The feels right now. 

Don’t think so or you don’t agree with me.  Well let’s just watch and find out.

Vikings: Big Problems Bring on Big Changes

With the NFL Combine underway, it's time we talked about the black sheep on the team. We had to talk about this at some point, so lets just pull it off like a Hello Kitty band-aid.  The Vikings biggest problem on offense: the line.  Now, granted I've already blamed many of the offensive deficiencies on Norv Turner and Adrian Peterson and I still stand behind what I said.  However, the line isn't exactly where it should be if we are considering the Vikings as a contender.  It's probably the one thing holding us back to be honest.

(USA TODAY Sports: Bruce Kluckhohn)

Of course you can't scoff at a line that helped lead the Vikings to their first division title since 2009. When you have two of your most important starters go down in the preseason, you basically plan for the worst. An 11-5 record was probably above anyone's standard thinking at that point of the year. So let's try and put together the pieces of a position that are completely scattered at the moment.

Offensive Line: T Matt Kalil (26), C John Sullivan (30), C Joe Berger (33), G Brandon Fusco (27), T Phil Loadholt (29), T T.J. Clemmings (24), G Mike Harris (27), G Austin Shepherd (23)

(AP Photo: Jim Mone)

These positions are of course the heart, nay, the sole of the offense.  The only thing that can make or break an offense from working well like a greased-up-deaf-guy.  And it’s pretty broken as I see it now.  Let’s just begin with who we know will probably be starting next year.

Matt Kalil at left tackle.  He wasn’t horrible.  He wasn’t great.  He was...Matt Kalil.  He will be at the left tackle spot next year unless the Vikings decide to unload him to get cap space.  Hopefully he gains some more passion for the game (after admitting he lost it) so he can go back to his top 10 potential. I believe he can, I just don’t think he believes he can.  That’s what scares me.  It's heart breaking for a rookie tackle who went to the pro bowl and that had so much talent, turn into such a dirty rug (aka gets beat constantly). He has the ability to be a top 5 but plays like a bottom 5. Get your head in the game, Kalil.

John Sullivan will be back (hopefully) to take over the center spot once again.  He was an All-Star type player and when healthy was the leader of this line.  The problem here is that his injury is one that is hard to come back from completely.  Having issues with a back (believe me I know that pain and I don't lift anything and I still find ways to hurt myself) is difficult to recover from. And his replacement, Berger, didn’t do so bad. So, I give you...

(USA TODAY Sports: Brad Rempel)

Joe Berger: the best damn lineman the Vikings had all year.  With a healthy Sullivan back in the lineup I can see the Vikings moving Berger back to the left guard spot.  If Sully stays hurt and is unable to play, Berger will stay at the center position where he was the only bright spot on the line.  Let's just pray and make human (Packer) sacrifices to the football gods so Sully can play again. Then we can have possibly 3 spots taken care of for next year. If Sully can't play and we let him go, we still have a solid center in place.  (Cool, that's the only spot on the line I'm not worried about.  1/5 Alright!) Sully being healthy will help out tremendously because for some reason my next person, Mike Harris, was doing pretty bad at left guard.

Mike Harris: Nope.

Brandon Fusco 2 years ago was one of the top rated guards and last year, he was unnoticeable by the fans and by the approaching defensive lineman. Maybe with a move back to right guard he will bring himself back to the future with some sweet new shades and new attitude. Otherwise, he might be on his way out if he's not already.

Phil Loadholt and T.J. Clemmings are the big question marks at right tackle.  I think that T.J. Clemmings is a very rough project, but he did show some promise during the year.  Loadholt was always a solid player at the right tackle spot, but wasn’t anything to brag about (unlike my humbleness which makes me the best person ever).  I could see either being at the RT spot and the other take over at whatever whole we may need to fill if for some god forsaken reason, we don’t add offensive linemen through FA or the draft.  Clemmings could also be a replacement at either guard position, but I'm not sure about that switch.  

Free Agent options:
Anyone. Honestly. We have a group of below average guys and any upgrade would be wonderful.
G Jahri Evans from NO
G Alex Boone from SF

Draft options:
T Jack Conklin: Michigan
T Taylor Decker: Ohio State
T Jason Spriggs: Indiana
G Vidal Alexander: TCU
G Denver Kickland: Arkansas

I’d honestly draft or sign 2 guards and 2 tackles just for good measure. Maybe a center, too.  A whole line.  Bring in a whole new line.  Not really, but maybe.  This is a position I wouldn't mind stock piling for the future of Teddy and the Vikings.

Skol!

T'Wolves: Is Rubio the Right Fit for Their Future?

(Getty Images: Jim McIsaac)

This is a subject I've been debating since the first year Rubio came to play for the Timberwolves. Everyone loved his ability as dynamic passer transitioning to the NBA, which he has shown he can do when he's healthy.  (Let's look past the fact that we had the #5 and #6 pick that year and we didn't select Steph Curry. Johnny Flynn was super great though, right?) His 'no look' passes, his dimes that thread the needle, and his alley oops that always seem to be on point: So what's the deal with everyone wanting to get rid of him?

36.5% shooting percentage. Barf City.

This is the biggest flaw anyone can find on Rubio and it's something that people just won't let go of. And I totally get it.  Fans want each player to be a franchise guy who does everything for their team.  When a fan finds a reason they don't like a player, they focus only on that statistic and beat it into the ground.

Instead of telling you all the reasons why you are wrong about wanting to trade Rubio, I'll lay it out in an argumentative manner and try to represent both sides as best as I can fathom with logic and statistics.  So, here we go!

Team Trade Rubio:

(Star Tribune: Marlin Levison)

We will go with the most obvious reason to start off: He can't shoot.  Well, let me rephrase that.  He can shoot, but not at a level that all the other point-guards.  35.7 % is pretty atrotious. Even in the picture above you can see he gets no elevation on his jump shot.  I mean he's not even close to being a decent shooter.  He's a full 16% under the top shooter in the league in Tony Parker at 51.4%. That is something you can't really have on a starting roster in the NBA. At least if you want to win games, which the Wolves are having a hard time doing so far this year.

(Star Tribune: Marlin Levison)

Rubio is also extremely injury prone.  In 2012 Rubio tore his ACL after only playing 41 games which carried over to 2013 in which it only allowed him to play 57 games.  After a healthy campaign in 2014, he severely sprained his ankle which led him to only appearing in 22 games in 2015.  It doesn't help his cause that he is a gritty player who takes charges, crashes boards, and dives after loose balls. If he can stay healthy through the rest of 2016 and again in 2017, he can slowly remove that label from himself.  Until then, it will be a liability for his team and his future in the NBA.

He lacks speed at a generally speedy-needy position. He gets beat to the rim.  A lot.  It's very frustrating during games seeing Ricky get beat to the rim. It allows the point guard to either score an easy layup, feed a big man for a dunk (because their defender switches to defend the rim), or a dish to an outside shooter who is now open because the shift crashes to the inside to help the middle.  This has been a big problem with Ricky from the get go and it causes an even bigger problem for the team (that's 23rd in points against and 26th in opponent field goal percentage) to win games.

And Finally, worst of all: He isn't even American! I mean, come on dude. So, un-point-guard like. 10 points deducted from Timberdor.  Nay, 100 points!

Kidding, of course.

Team Keep Rubio:

Again, starting with the strongest argument from the opposite side: Rubio is a pure passer.  One of the purest passers in the league.  He's 3rd in assists per 48 minutes at 13.8 only behind Rajon Rondo and Russell Westbrook.  Which is very good company.  Also, he's 5th in the league in assists per game at 8.8.  He basically just gets it done on the offensive end for a young group of players who aren't all on the same page yet and that's saying a lot.  If you haven't watched his highlight reel, I suggest you do.

He isn't prone to turning the ball over.  Rubio's assist to turnover ratio is second best in the league at 3.79.  It's nice to have someone who is the main point on your team that can facilitate like he can. Teams dream of having a player who's in control that can keep the ball out of the other team's hands as well as distribute like he does.  This deals a lot with his vision on the court, which I think is matched by only the greatest in the game.

He has some of the quickest hands in the league on defense and is 3rd in steals at 2.16 (2nd is 2.17). That isn't a statistic to completely look over.  He can either force the other team into bad situations or knock it out of a unsuspecting players hands for an easy 'pickpocket'.

Rubio, without a doubt, is a very passionate player.  He wears his heart on his sleeve and he uses that energy at the end of games to step up his play on both sides of the court.  I've never seen him let his emotions make him reckless or give up too early.  Passion is a must in the NBA if a player wants to win or make the next step as a player, and Rubio has that passion.

Conclusion:

KEEP HIM!

(Getty Images: David Sherman)

I could talk for days about Rubio and what he can and cannot do. However, we don't have that kind of time. Looking at both sides of this argument, I fully stand on the side of the Wolves keeping Rubio. Everything except for the speed on defense, Rubio is trying to correct.  If he stays healthy and he shows that he can improve on his shot (which he is working on with a separate coach) he will be a top 5 point-guard in my eyes.  The reason I say that, is we've become too connected with the idea that every player needs to average over 15 points to be considered an all-star type player.  I disagree in the case of a point guard.  Rubio, in the basic sense, is what a true point-guard should be.  Yeah, it would be nice if his shooting percentage was 10 percent higher (and he's passionate enough to become a better shooter).   But that's not who he is and that's not what a true point is.  A point guard is the coach on the floor, the eyes on the court, the skill player, and the one who is supposed to create opportunities for others.  That is the main goal of the point by definition.

It sucks he's not a pure scorer like Westbrook, Curry, or Lillard; and that's okay.  We have weapons like Towns, Wiggins, LaVine, and Dieng that can score, too. It'd be nice for everything to be perfect with Rubio and while I think his shooting will improve, everything takes time.  He's still 25.  And he has the tools that many would dream of having in his vision and passing abilities.

Let's hold on to him, because in a few years when these young pups grow into their own, they will need a leader who will do the dirty work so they can look like stars.  That man is Ricky Rubio.

Twins: 2016 Overview to a Kill

(AP Photo: Jim Mone)

First and foremost, thank you Paul Molitor for finally getting the Twins over the .500 mark for the first time since 2010.  Minnesota is already one of the most depressing places to be a sports fan, so I'm grateful for the light at the end of the tunnel.  However, Minnesota is great place to live if you are not a sports fan, can survive ice-cold winters, and passive aggressive comments like "you look great today" when you know you look butt ugly.

It's nice to have a winning team on the diamond that we can watch once again.  I, for one, didn't really know what to think when Molitor became the head coach because I didn't know to much about his coaching career.  Of course, growing up in Minnesota, I knew all about his playing career because his name was mentioned all the time.   He put up some pretty neat statistics, won some shiny awards for hitting like a champ, and even became a champ in 1993 (also the MVP of that series).  So basically he's a guy who knows how to win and I love those types of guys because I'm a winner.  Oh, what have I won, you ask?  How about 1st place in my summer basketball league's shooting contest when I was 13, punk!  Yeah, I know what it takes to be a winner.

Last year, the Twins needed a change because things were getting ugly real fast. I have always had the mentality that bringing in a new coach can always jolt the system enough to produce positive change, and Molitor did it in his first year beyond what I could have predicted.  Going from 70 wins to 83 wins is a pretty big deal. And for all you superstitious people out there, we got 13 more wins and the whole team didn't die! Huzzah!

(Getty Images: Leon Halip)

Our starting pitching looks like it's on the rise.  Maybe.  Possibly.  With Ervin Santana (7-5 record) not spending half the year on the bench because he wanted a juice smoothie, we should have the #1/2 spot filled next to Phil Hughes.  I say 1 or 2 because I don't really know if Hughes is a #1 in my eyes.  He's very inconsistent, but I think we knew that when we got him.  After a nice 16-10 year, he followed up with a 11-9 meh year. With Gibson, Milone, and Duffy finding their own, we should have a pretty decent rotation.  However, I fully expect Jose Berrios to come up this year and nab a spot in the rotation.  But who will fall out of the lineup when he shows up on a chariot made of gold and fine marble?  My guess is Hughes, who will be traded midseason for something like a pick and minor league players.  Or a solid, full-eye-contact high five. He's my odd man out because Milone and Duffy will out play him and he will slowly have one of his meh years again.  (I could be wrong, but at that point you won't remember what I predicted.  If I'm right, I will remind you that I was right.  Win-win for me.)

The defense looks to be set up to an extent.  I could see Buxton being moved back to the minors if he doesn't figure out the major's pitching yet.  Santana (Danny) or Rosario can play center if we need them to.  I guess they are putting Sano in the outfield as well, which still confuses me.  I mean, did we really need to keep Plouffe at 3rd? Sano should have been put there, and Plouffe should have been sent packing.  The only reason I say that is because we have players like Buxton, Rosario, Kepler, and Walker all coming into their own, why put another guy in the outfield and ruin what you have?  Maybe Sano will play one year in the OF and we will move Plouffe at some point so Sano can replace him at 3rd.  Well, a boy can dream, right?

Oh, and I do think Mauer needs to go too! (I'll go into more of that later. Sorry ladies who love him for his face. Sorry guys who awkwardly still love him for his 'talent'.  Sorry mom for not achieving anything in my life yet. Sorry for making so many Nickelback jokes.)

(No. No I'm not. I'm not going to say sorry to you for my Nickelback jokes.  They will never get old.  You know who you are...)

(Getty Images: Leon Halip)

Leaving Mauer out of this, I don't know what to think of the infield.  Dozier is the only guy who I think is a solid fit.  Plouffe...buddy...I don't know whose balls you juggled to pull off 7.25 million for this year, but that is way too much for a .244 batting average.  You must have some special 'Jazz hands'.  Escobar at short stop was pretty decent, but I would definitely like to see some more consistent batting from him.   Still a solid guy all around.

Mauer? No, not right now.  I'll deal with you later.  Hopefully Byung-ho Park will transition well into the MLB to where we can dump the chump at 1st.

The bullpen should be a lot more consistent this year with the addition of Abed, to tag along with Perkins, Jepsen and Pressly.  We will talk about them more later in spring training as well.  I've rambled on too much!

Farewell my Twin brothers and sisters! I'm excited for this new year to begin!