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As terribly as the Wolves have played lately, there is the legitimate excuse that their core duo of KAT and DLo, remarkably enough, have played just 5 games together, and never more than two in a row, since DLo was acquired 11 almost exactly a year ago (!) 1/
But that excuse can only hold up so much resistance in the face of a fairly long string of exceptionally uninspired + incompetent performances by the remaining members of the roster. 2/
Increasingly the Wolves are beginning to face the grim territory of needing even the "moral victory" of a competitive performance if they are to salvage any credibility through the middle part of the season. And if they don't, changes inexorably will have to be made. 3/
Everybody knows that Ryan Saunders would be the likely scapegoat of that widespread need for change. Not that Ryan is blameless--hardly, he is at least as much at fault as the POBO Rosas + the players themselves. But that still leaves a lot of blame that doesn't accrue to him. 4/
Looking at the Wolves upcoming schedule is grim. Tonight that play a team that has the NBA's most bully-boy frontcourt in Zion+Adams. The Wolves counter with....what? Naz + Vando? Davis + Okogie? Jaden McDaniels? Layman?
After the Pels, there are a couple games with the Warriors, which will include the unpleasant sideshow of DLo-Wiggins comparison, with plenty of both passion and disparaging ammunition on both sides. But gaping difference is roster around those two...like Steph Curry. 6/
After two with the Warriors, Wolves play the Cavs, who have just beaten the Brooklyn Golden Boys twice in a row with an inferior roster, coached by JB Bickerstaff, a Ryan Saunders facsimile who is a couple of hard lessons further down the road. 7/
The challenge for all the Wolves players who claim to fiercely support and appreciate the steadfast "players's coach" vibes Ryan exudes, is to play well enough not to force management to scapegoat him during this 4-game stretch. 8/
The challenge for Ryan is to blend poise and innovation in the middle of a shitstorm partly of his making, and move enough emotional and chalkboard levers to lower the temperature on the fan-base bloodlust wanting him gone. 9/
The challenge for Rosas is to determine whether firing Ryan will accomplish anything more than a temporary cessation of the negative maelstrom surrounding this franchise as folks look for a difference. 10/
If interim coach David Vanterpool doesn't stem the fairly overwhelming tide of negative momentum if and when a change was made, then the focus becomes all the holes + mistakes dotting the roster. And the seat of Rosas becomes the hot one. end/
