With free agency coming soon, there are a lot of areas the Timberwolves can address. However, Tom Thibodeau needs to make sure it’s the right players for this team.
Free agency can be a dangerous game. In fact, look no further than New York. The Knicks have displayed perfectly well what can happen when bringing in talent without properly accounting how well they all fit together.
For the most part, the players mentioned in the following slides are pretty talented, and it might seem like a good idea to sign them. However, looking deeper into the issue reveals that these signings will prove to be counter productive. Thibodeau must avoid these pitfalls at all cost.
Let’s take a look at the top-five free agents that Tom Thibodeau and his Wolves must avoid this summer.
Derrick Rose
The Rose-Thibodeau reunion seems like a good idea at first: neither one of them has been able to reach higher heights of success then when they were together, and their run in Chicago includes a coach of the year award for Thibodeau and an MVP award for Rose.
However, that was a long time ago and their respective situations are different now. Rose is no longer the phenomenal player he used to be. With knee injuries becoming a nearly yearly injury, it’s hard to believe that’s ever going to change.
Some people might look at his work in New York and feel like he’s still pretty good. However, if you look past his raw points per game, his play looks uninspiring at best.
Rose’s scoring comes mostly from inside the arc as he shoots a poor 22 percent from three-oint range. His inside scoring doesn’t make up for the lack of shooting as he only attempted four free throws per game last season. Additionally, he’s proven to have tunnel vision, averaging only four assists per game in New York.
His poor play making chops has really hindered the development of Kristaps Porzingis. That should serve as a cautionary tale for the Timberwolves, who need their young core to keep learning. Add in his poor defense and you essentially get a player who answers none of the Timberwolves problems.
This would also likely mean the departure of Ricky Rubio, who by all means is a better fit and a better player then Rose at this point in their respective careers. Best-case scenario, Rose serves as his backup. Even then, he would be hurting Dunn’s development by cutting away at his minutes, a player who the Timberwolves should not give up on.
One can’t forget to mention that he has suffered yet another knee injury. While it’s not his fault, this makes him very unreliable for the most part. We also can’t predict if he’s going to be even worse after fully recovering.
Thibodeau should not let nostalgia lead him into making this bad signing. The reunion might seem attractive but he needs to see Rose for what he has objectively become: an injury-prone scoring-guard who can’t shoot or defend.
J.J Redick
Make no mistake about it, Redick is a good fit for this team. He provides the shooting and spacing the Timberwolves lack.
He’s a 42 percent career three-point shooter and he’d continue in Minnesota. He can also either come off the bench for the team or space the floor with the starters.
However, his contract likely be too steep. Redick is looking for a contract that could pay him up to $20 million per season. With the cap going up again this year and the competition for his talents very present, the number turns out to be very realistic.
As good a shooter as Redick is, $20 million is simply too much for a 32-year-old. The contract is going to be even harder to justify if he doesn’t age as well as expected. The Timberwolves are better off looking for multiple cheaper options to cover their shooting rather then overpaying for the Clippers sharpshooter.
Blake Griffin
While Blake’s stock seems to have fallen off a little, make no mistake about it, he’s still one of the best power forwards in the league.
If he opts not to return to Los Angeles this summer, the Timberwolves need to refrain themselves from pursuing him. He is a superstar but the fit is simply not good.
The Timberwolves primary weaknesses are they’re depth, shooting and defense. These are all areas that Blake could not help cover for. If anything his contract would prevent Thibodeau from adding depth to the team. His shooting, while improved, isn’t good enough to be depended on and he’s never been quite a game changer on the defensive end.
Additionally, he has been injury prone of late, missing at least 15 games every season over the last three years. His acquisition would simply make no sense for a team who’s already got offensive stars anyways.
Shaun Livingston
Due to his unique skill-set, Livingston is one of the most enjoyable players to watch. While most players in the league are hoisting up threes at record breaking rates, Livingston makes a living inside the arc. He’ll torture smaller guards in the post, where his length allows him to get a clean look over any guard.
Additionally, he’s a great secondary play-maker and rebounder. On the defensive end, he can switch onto anyone making him very valuable.
However, he has the luxury of playing for the Warriors, a team with enough shooting to keep the proper spacing when he’s on the floor. Very few teams are positioned to maximize his talents and the Timberwolves are not one of them. They simply do not have the shooters to do so.
Additionally, the Wolves already has too many players mostly living inside the arc — look no further than Andrew Wiggins, who mainly operates within the mid-range. Signing Livingston would simply be a bit unnecessary and redundant. There’s no denying his talent, but he just wouldn’t be a good fit.
Nick Young
It’s always great to see a player come back to form. Nick Young isn’t just an NBA meme anymore. He proved this season that he has value, shooting 40 percent from the three and scoring at a good rate.
However, there is always the chance that this is an outlier season. He is also 31 years old and wants to sign a multi-year deal this summer. Essentially, the Timberwolves would be signing a slightly better, but older, version of Shabazz at best. At worst, he goes back to his old ways and proves to be completely useless for the team.
Add in the fact that Thibodeau might just murder him 10 contested threes into the season, and you get what might be one of the worst contracts in the league.
Next: Trade Ideas For Timberwolves Lottery Pick
While in theory this signing could work as he would provide great shooting and depth, his past history makes him too much of a risk for the Timberwolves to gamble on.