I'm starting this thread to take a break from all the partisan bickering on USMB to discuss a phenomenon in the NBA.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have 10 white players on their 15 man roster. Now consider the average black/white ratio is closer to 10 black players and 5 white players per roster in the NBA. The Wolves are now the whitest team in the NBA since the 1980's Boston Celtic Team.
Black leaders in the Twin Cities aren't too happy about this.
My take is that these leaders are too focused on the color thing and have not even taken the time to study exactly how this happened.
First the roster's make up for the 2012-2013 season:
5 American-born white players
5 Black-American players
5 foreign players that happen to be white
Last season's team had a ratio of 6 white players and 9 black players.
The Wolves organization made a commitment to their coach Rick Adelman to put together team that would work well in his "pass offense". Their primary targets where Nicolas Batum and Jordan Hill, both black. Batum accepted the Wolves offer but Portland matched the offer and Hill was resigned by the Lakers. So Minnesota ended up picking up Andrei Kirilenko and Brandon Roy. (plus Chase Budinger, Dante Cunningham, Lou Amundson
Alexey Shved and Greg Stiemsma). All these players are hustle players, who also have high basketball IQs. Most of the players that the Wolves got rid of were players with attitude problems. "me first" and weren't hustle ball players.
Here's an interesting article:
Timberwolves: Pale in comparison to the rest of the NBA
Timberwolves: Pale in comparison to the rest of the NBA | StarTribune.com
The bottomline is that these moves put together a team that consists of players with similiar BBIO's, consistent hustle, were unselfish and team first players. Yes it mostly white. Had the deals for Batum and Hill worked out the team still would of had the same qualities with a different ration of black and white.
In conclusion, the critics of the ethnic make up of the wolves only focus on the color of the team and not the events that led to the color ratio or the solid chemistry of a team made of very similar player characteristics.
My thought-Go Wolves!
Other thoughts?
The Minnesota Timberwolves have 10 white players on their 15 man roster. Now consider the average black/white ratio is closer to 10 black players and 5 white players per roster in the NBA. The Wolves are now the whitest team in the NBA since the 1980's Boston Celtic Team.
Black leaders in the Twin Cities aren't too happy about this.
My take is that these leaders are too focused on the color thing and have not even taken the time to study exactly how this happened.
First the roster's make up for the 2012-2013 season:
5 American-born white players
5 Black-American players
5 foreign players that happen to be white
Last season's team had a ratio of 6 white players and 9 black players.
The Wolves organization made a commitment to their coach Rick Adelman to put together team that would work well in his "pass offense". Their primary targets where Nicolas Batum and Jordan Hill, both black. Batum accepted the Wolves offer but Portland matched the offer and Hill was resigned by the Lakers. So Minnesota ended up picking up Andrei Kirilenko and Brandon Roy. (plus Chase Budinger, Dante Cunningham, Lou Amundson
Alexey Shved and Greg Stiemsma). All these players are hustle players, who also have high basketball IQs. Most of the players that the Wolves got rid of were players with attitude problems. "me first" and weren't hustle ball players.
Here's an interesting article:
Timberwolves: Pale in comparison to the rest of the NBA
Timberwolves: Pale in comparison to the rest of the NBA | StarTribune.com
The bottomline is that these moves put together a team that consists of players with similiar BBIO's, consistent hustle, were unselfish and team first players. Yes it mostly white. Had the deals for Batum and Hill worked out the team still would of had the same qualities with a different ration of black and white.
In conclusion, the critics of the ethnic make up of the wolves only focus on the color of the team and not the events that led to the color ratio or the solid chemistry of a team made of very similar player characteristics.
My thought-Go Wolves!
Other thoughts?
