5 players who would like a do-over on the 2016-17 NBA season
By John Buhler
Omri Casspi
Small Forward, Minnesota Timberwolves
If any player in the NBA deserves a good bit of fortune next year, it has to be Minnesota Timberwolves small forward Omri Casspi. Let’s collectively get this guy on a playoff-caliber next season. His 2016-17 has been nightmarish.
Where the genesis of most NBA nightmares start, let’s begin with Casspi’s first team of the season with the highly dysfunctional Sacramento Kings. 2016-17 was Casspi’s fifth season playing for the Kings over two stints. He had carved out a nice rotational wing role under the previous coaching regimes, but he and new head coach Dave Joerger could never get on the same page.
Casspi saw his minutes slashed in Sacramento, as he only appeared in 22 games for the Kings this season. Since he was not a part of Joerger’s Kings wing rotation, Casspi was promptly shipped with perpetual Kings ice cream headache DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans at the All-Star Break.
Maybe Casspi and Cousins were tight? However, that didn’t matter, as Casspi broke his thumb in his first game with the Pelicans. He was waived to open up a roster spot. After a few weeks on the open market, Casspi signed with his third non-playoff team in the Western Conference in Minnesota.
Casspi will be a free agent this summer. He might stick with the Timberwolves on his new deal, as this seems to be a good fit for him. Then again, he may want to sign with a sure-thing next fall. Minnesota may still be too young to reach the Western Conference Playoffs in 2018. Two things are certain should Casspi re-up with the Timberwolves: 1.) Head coach Tom Thibodeau is going to yell at him. 2.) Thibodeau is going to grind Casspi into the ground defensively.