Blakeley
Jul 07, 2008 May 30, 2012 46 2509
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Who says "no"...Phoenix/Houston/Wolves Blockbuster
by Blakeley on Apr 21, 2012 7:17 PM EDT
on Canis Hoopus
Hi Canis Hoopus Land! I missed you. Who says no to this trade...
DX: Derrick Williams' Situational Statistics
Derrick Williams is the most highly touted prospect in this group, and his situational stats do nothing to diminish his standing.
Williams shouldered a heavy load for Arizona this season at 16.4 possessions per game (5th in this group), but was nevertheless the most efficient forward of the players we looked at, scoring 1.16 points per possession. That's especially impressive considering how heavily defenses keyed in on stopping him, how little playmaking Arizona had besides him, and the way in which he generated his offense.
In fact, Williams' offensive efficiency ranks higher than every other player in this draft besides Jon Diebler (1.3 PPP) and ironically enough, fellow #1 overall pick candidate Kyrie Irving (1.2).
The key to Williams' efficiency begins with his ability to get to the free throw line, where he knocks down 75% of his attempts. He got to the free throw line on over 1/4th of his possessions, which ranks 2nd in this draft behind Tristan Thompson.
Williams may not shoot the most jumpers of this group—only 25% of his shots come in this form-- a far cry from Kyle Singler and Robin Benzing at 63% or Chris Singleton at 56%-- but he makes more of the jumpers he does take (56%, or 1.6 points per shot) than anyone, and not by a small margin.
Williams appears to do a great job trusting Arizona's offense and waiting for good opportunities to come to him rather than hunting shots—something that his NBA coach will surely appreciate. Williams amazingly enough only took 5 pull-up jumpers all season, representing just 1% of his total offense.
This can be viewed as either a positive or a negative. On one hand he refused to settle for these low-percentage opportunities (which with the shorter 3-point line, are truly bad shots in the collegiate game). On the other hand, this may be a part of his game that he'll need to work on, particularly if he's expected to create offense from the perimeter in the NBA as heavily as he did in college.
Williams was indeed one of the most dangerous shot-creators in the college game amongst big men (he played almost all his minutes at Center at Arizona), scoring an outstanding 1.3 points per possession (#1) in isolation situations and getting fouled on nearly a third of his possessions (#1). By comparison, the next most effective isolation threat in this group, Kyle Singler, scored just .99 points per possession, getting to the free throw line at half the rate. None of the other first round prospects were anywhere near as effective.
This did come at the expense of turning the ball over on 16% of his possessions (3rd), though.
Williams' versatility shines through in the rest of his game, as he did an excellent job scoring in post-up situations (1.06 PPP), pick and roll finishes (1.37 PPP), and cuts (1.26). Some of the credit for this should go to Arizona's coaching staff, which obviously knew precisely how to exploit Williams' strengths and did a great job putting him in position to succeed.
From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Situational-Statistics-the-2011-Forward-Crop-3762#ixzz1PlPhxL3i
http://www.draftexpress.com
12 months ago
Blakeley
4 comments
3 recs
4-Way Draft Day Trade: Who says No???
by Blakeley on Jun 15, 2011 10:44 AM EDT
on Canis Hoopus
I offered this trade up in a random comment section, but I want to see who everyone thinks would say "No" to this deal. Here it is...
Utah Receives: #2 and #19
Toronto Receives: #3, Flynn, and Darko
Charlotte Receives: #5, Webster, and Ellington
Minnesota Receives: #9, #12, T. Thomas, and L. Barbosa.
********************************************
Why Utah does it: They move down from 12 to 19 in order to move up to 2 in a two player draft. Small price to pay considering Derrick Williams fits much better with the current roster.
Why Toronto does it: They take on what amounts to one extra year of Barbosa's contract in Darko so that they can move from 5 to 3 and have their choice of any of the Euro Big men (Kanter/Valanciunas/Vesely). They also supposedly like Brandon Knight, so that could be an option as well. Finally the are one of the few teams who has ever been interested in Jonny Flynn, so there's that too.
Why Charlotte does it: If the Gerald Wallace trade is any indication, Michael Jordan is definitely willing to shed long term salaries. I'm pretty sure that willingness would extend to Tyrus Thomas, a player who earned just over 20 mpg under Paul Silas but is currently on the books for 4 more years at about 8.5 million a year. Therefore it's not as if using 9 and 19 to move up to 5 (and shed Thomas' salary) is that much of a price. Plus, the Bobcats supposedly covet Kemba Walker, and they'll have a chance to take him if they move ahead of Sacramento.
Why Minnesota does it: In theory, the Wolves would draft Biyombo at 9 and Burks at 12. So they move down from 2, but pick two players who might fit better than the player they draft at 2. They also pick up Tyrus Thomas, a long, athletic, AND PRODUCTIVE player who would compliment both Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio perfectly. Finally, they get Barbosa (who would have to accept his player option to make this trade work) a veteran shooting guard who can spread the floor next to Rubio.
So who says no, what say you!!
Kahn vs. Irving (with poll!!!)
by Blakeley on May 18, 2011 9:33 AM EDT
on Canis Hoopus
If you haven't seen it already, here is video of Kahn's idiotic statement where he was either
A) Joking about kids getting cancer and Abe Polin dying
or
B) Perpetuating NBA conspiracy theories.
Needless to say a fine is coming, and Kahn who was hanging by a thread before, MIGHT just be on his way out. What's crazy is: this never would have happened if the Wolves had just won the lottery. So did the Wolves just win the lottery (losing Kahn) by not winning the lottery?
So which would you prefer?
Wolves win the lottery and keep Kahn.
or
Wolves get the #2 pick, Kahn makes his statement, and is subsequently fired.
Vote and discuss!!!
Granger for Beasley
by Blakeley on Apr 22, 2011 11:56 AM EDT
on Canis Hoopus
It's officially Random Trade Idea Friday! Yay!!!!!!!!
If you were GM of the Timberwolves, would you do this trade: Beasley and Webster for Danny Granger.
Why the Twolves do it...
The Wolves are searching for a veteran presence, and relative to the rest of the roster Danny Granger fills that role. Granger is more of a true SF than Beasley, and might be better able to space the floor with Rubio on his way this summer (supposedly).
Why the Pacers do it...
As the Pacers prepare for a big summer, they'll be looking for someone who can create his own shot. Michael Beasley fits that mold. It's also becoming evident that Paul George might be a better long-term SF option than Granger. Finally Beasley's positional flexibility balances out the Pacer's roster quite a bit.The Pacers can go small by playing Beas at 4 and George at the 3 with Hibbert or Hansbrough at the 5, or they can go big with George at the 2 and Beas at the 3.
So who says NO to this deal? What say you!
Taylor: Kahn is safe
Nooooooooo!!!!
Great Article by Steve Aschburner
Former Star Trib beat writer Steve Aschburner demonstrates that he still understands the Timberwolves organization as well as anyone out there. It's almost as if he used the comment section of this site as his main resource.
about 1 year ago
Blakeley
13 comments
1 recs
Just filed to ESPN.com: Sources say we're about to have a surprising late addition to the buyout market: New York is buying out Corey Brewer
Sources say Celts, Spurs, Mavs and OKC have all registered immediate interest in Brewer, who holds obvious appeal to all as wing defender
over 1 year ago
Blakeley
206 comments
3 recs
Free Agent Fandom
by Blakeley on Feb 25, 2011 11:21 AM EST
on Canis Hoopus
It's pretty clear that no one here is a bandwagon fan. The sheer fact that we still follow this crappy team is evidence enough. That being said, I thought I would propose this hypothetical question...
If you were going to switch allegiances, which team would you follow? Below the jump I've broken the choices down into 5 groups..
30 comments
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1 recs |
Tweet
Wolves Players in the Clutch
by Blakeley on Jan 24, 2011 1:06 PM EST
on Canis Hoopus
Interesting article at Arturo's Silly Little Stats about Clutch Performance. He uses 82games.com's information in order to produce the spreadsheet. For the Timberwolves, there's a big takeaway for Michael Beasley fans. It looks like his clutch performance efficiency thus far leaves quite a bit to be desired.
Of the highest usage players in the NBA, only Bargnani and Cousins are worse then Beasley when it comes to scoring and/or creating in the clutch (that's my interpretation of the data, although I'm open to someone else's thoughts).
When you consider all of the Timberwolves players listed (Ridnour, Brewer, Beasley, and Love) then only Love seems to perform especially well in the clutch, but even he performs somewhat below his average.
Considering the inefficiency of Beasley, Brewer, and Ridnour...it might be time to start running a lot more through Kevin Love during the end of the game.
That's my take, what say you?
Interested in Joining a Fantasy Football League?
by Blakeley on Aug 16, 2010 9:52 AM EDT
on Daily Norseman
Hello Daily Norseman faithful!
I'm a regular over at Canis Hoopus, but I thought it was worth posting over here as well as I am hoping to start an online Fantasy Football Auction League on espn.com. Would anyone else be interested in joining? I'm thinking $20 entry fee, with the Auction date being up in the air depending upon everyone's availability. I've made a 10 team league, but if we find enough people who want to play we could add to the league or make multiple ones. I'd also be interested in Keeper Leagues if anyone else is down.
If you are interested, pop me an email at stevenboghurtz@gmail.com or comment on this post with your email and I can send you one.
Hopefully we can get it going! Yay for Fantasy Football!
Interested in Joining a Fantasy Football League?
by Blakeley on Aug 15, 2010 1:17 PM EDT
on Canis Hoopus
Hello Canis Hoopus faithful!
I was hoping to start an online Fantasy Football Auction League on espn.com. Would anyone else be interested in joining? I'm thinking $20 entry fee, with the Auction date being up in the air depending upon everyone's availability. I've made a 10 team league, but if we find enough people who want to play we could add to the league or make multiple ones. I'd also be interested in Keeper Leagues if anyone else is down.
Throwing this idea out at the Daily Norseman would probably make more sense, but I wanted to see check the interest of Canis Hoopus readers first.
If you are interested, pop me an email at stevenboghurtz@gmail.com or comment on this post with your email and I can send you one.
Hopefully we can get it going! Yay for Fantasy Football!
Kevin Love: Team USA Starter
by Blakeley on Jul 22, 2010 6:32 PM EDT
on Canis Hoopus
Here is a tweet from Marc Spears of Yahoo posted today:
SpearsNBAYahoo: Rondo, Billups, Durant, Love and Odom on floor for USA playing college stars. You like that as USA World starters?
And a tweet from Ric Bucher today:
RicBucher: Also: KLove could be a major factor for Team USA. Has all the internat'l big-man tools, including 3-pt range, aka Brad Miller on '98 squad.
With David Lee, Stoudemire, and Robin Lopez all having to drop out...Love seems like a sure thing to make the team. The other bigs fighting for a spot are Brook Lopez, Tyson Chandler, JaVale McGee, and Jeff Green. Even though I'm a Love apologist, I have to assume that many of the people on this page would be pretty excited to see Love start on the USA basketball team...even though it's just pre-pre-preliminary games.
That being said, it's still surprising that Love could beat out Brook Lopez, Tyson Chandler, and Jeff Green for starting spots this summer, after being unable to usurp Ryan Hollins/Darko Milicic last season. He must have really improved this off-season!
"Born to be hated, dying to be loved"
It's an insider story, so apologies to any non-insiders...but it's an interesting insight into the mind of a player who is slowly coming to terms with no longer being "the man." The writer quotes McHale, Wittman, Love, and others. A nice change of pace from the "anonymous sources" we've become accustomed to. In the end though, I think McCants comes off as clueless as many people believed him to be.
Kahn is a Moron
by Blakeley on Jul 2, 2010 9:36 AM EDT
on Canis Hoopus
I think everyone needs to review our roster and answer this simple question...
"How long will it be until the Wolves contend for a championship?"
Because after looking at our roster and our salary cap info, I believe we are F'd. We'll discuss under the jump...
Evan Turner Already Dropping???
by Blakeley on May 17, 2010 12:23 PM EDT
on Canis Hoopus
I know I've been banging this drum quite a bit, but I thought I'd highlight a recent article posted by Jonah Ballow on Timberwolves.com You can find it at this link
In the article each team's lead writer (the Jonah Ballow equivalent) writes a summary of their team needs. Most teams are set on John Wall as the #1 pick, but it looks like quite a few would justify picking Favors or Cousins at #2 or #3. I'll highlight some of the comments after the jump....
Current Wolves vs. Hypothetical Wolves
by Blakeley on May 4, 2010 11:55 AM EDT
on Canis Hoopus
Sometimes I think about last year's draft and I get depressed. Supposedly if Sacramento had drafted Ricky Rubio, the Wolves were prepared to draft Tyreke Evans and Stephen Curry at #5 and #6....which would have been sweet.
But how much better off would we have been? Lets discuss after the jump...
Love compared to other PF's
by Blakeley on Apr 27, 2010 4:50 PM EDT
on Canis Hoopus
I've recently been taking a lot of crap for saying that Kevin Love projects to help his team win more games in the future then Carmelo Anthony does currently. While many people on this board might agree that Kevin Love is under-rated, no one really wants to go as far as to wholeheartedly agree with me. That is fine....
But rather then letting this belief die in the face of cliched arguments, I've decided to fan the flames. Below the jump you will find 5 different 21/22 year old power forwards...which of these players do you believe was the most productive?
Al Jefferson Trade-a-Palooza
by Blakeley on Apr 12, 2010 10:13 AM EDT
on Canis Hoopus
So this time of year sucks, and there aren't many positives to take away from this Timberwolves team...So how bout we throw out some Al Jefferson trades!
Recent public statements by Kahn seem to insinuate that Al is staying and Love is going, but I still find it hard to fathom that Kahn believes:
A) We should employ a fast paced offense that flows into the triangle.
and
B) Al Jefferson is a better fit for that offense than Kevin Love.
I could understand believing:
C) Neither Big AL or Love fit in our offense.
But there's no way Kahn can believe both A) and B) right? Right????
So in that vain, lets throw out some of the most realistic Big Al trade ideas (from past and present posters). At the very least thinking about this and/or the draft is more interesting then the current product we see take the floor each night. You'll find the deals after the Jump...
139 comments
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1 recs |
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Jonny Flynn's Trade Value??
by Blakeley on Apr 9, 2010 4:56 PM EDT
on Canis Hoopus
Many people (myself included) have thrown around the idea of trading Jonny Flynn in the off-season. This has got me thinking: What is the most we could possibly get for Jonny Flynn? Below the Jump, you'll find my ordered list of what I believe to be the Jonny Flynn trade value spectrum. For the purpose of speculation, I'm working off the assumption that Jonny Flynn could only be traded in a 1 for 1 deal to a team that is in the market for a point guard. Please read and discuss...
Rudy Fernandez Available???
by Blakeley on Apr 6, 2010 10:43 AM EDT
on Canis Hoopus
Many have discussed the idea of bringing Rudy Fernandez over to the Wolves for two obvious reasons.
1. He is a Wing that can shoot.
2. Rudy and Rubio are like totally BFF!
Well, now it looks like if Rudy has his way, then he might be available. In a recent interview with an Oregon sports writer, Rudy Fernandez had this to say:
“Last year, we had a different team, and at least I had Sergio, who understood my game,” Fernandez was quoted as saying. “I have noticed a change this year. I don’t get the ball as much, and the system is different.
“I try to play the way (McMillan) wants, but I don’t feel the trust that he had in me the first year.”
Asked by Eurosport if he would be amenable to a return to Spain – where he played professionally from 2003-08 – next season, Fernandez replied, “Right now, in this situation, I don’t rule out anything ... because I just want to play. I don’t mind where.”
"I don't mind where"?? Minnesota could be "where"!!!
Most of us would love to see Rudy Fernandez running on the wing for the Wolves. My question is what is the most you would be willing to give up in a 2 or 3 way trade to get him? Please answer below and discuss..
Does Utah give us hope?
by Blakeley on Apr 2, 2010 4:08 PM EDT
on Canis Hoopus
Recently John Hollinger wrote an article about the the Utah Jazz being legitimate contenders for this year's championship. You can view the link HERE(insider access required).
Essentially Hollinger states that at this point because of Boozer/Kirilenko's reemergence, health, and Wes Matthews..the Jazz have improved a ton. He didn't say it explicitly, but he implies that he would probably take then over the Lakers at this point in time.
I think this is important as they are the contender that most closely resemble the Wolves in terms of roster make-up. Let's analyze after the jump...
The Most Likely Al Jefferson Destination
by Blakeley on Mar 3, 2010 10:54 AM EST
on Canis Hoopus
I love thinking about trade possiblities, but I hate coming up with obviously lopsided deals for the Timberwolves. I think this deal I've proposed favors both teams, while also being consistent with past rumors...
Detroit gets...
Utah Pick (currently #25)
Minnesota gets...
Detroit Pick (Currently #7)
After taking into account rookie salaries, this deal matches up on the trade machine.
Detroit has been looking for a young big, and they get the best one available in Jefferson. Minnesota gets the opportunity to draft Al's replacement at #7(Favors, Davis, Aldrich, Whiteside) while also getting a starting SF and veteran presence with championship experience.
Why Our Rebounding Has Been Terrible
by Blakeley on Feb 21, 2010 8:04 AM EST
on Canis Hoopus
Maybe I should be more specific.
Currently Ryan Hollins has a Rebound Rate of 9.2. Most of you I assume know that that's bad, but do we really know how bad? Let's put it in relative terms...
Since 1946, there have been 1434 Seasons by NBA Centers who have played as many minutes as Ryan Hollins. Of those seasons, only 14 times has a Center managed to post a worse Rebound Rate then Ryan Hollins' 9.2...
14!!!!!!!!!!
Since Ryan Hollins was entered into the starting line-up, he has averaged about 24 minutes/game. Of the 14 centers ahead of Ryan Hollins on the list, only 3 played more minutes/game than Ryan Hollins is currently playing.
So there you have it. If you want to know why our rebounding has been so atrocious recently, look no further then the epically bad rebounder we're currently starting at Center.It's that simple.
Here is the basketball-reference link.
In other news, Kevin Love's Rebound Rate of 21.6 is currently good for the 19th best season by any forward that has played 1000 minutes. That's 19th best out of 3554!!
Darko...A Timberwolf???
by Blakeley on Feb 17, 2010 3:46 PM EST
on Canis Hoopus
From ESPN's Chad Ford...
The Timberwolves also inquired about a possible Darko Milicic-for-Brian Cardinal deal. The Knicks might be inclined to pull the trigger (it could save them some cash this year) depending on what happens with the Rockets and Celtics.
In my opinion, if the arrival Darko would mean less playing time for Ryan SucksAlot then I'm all for it! If it means less playing time for Kevin Love, Al Jefferson, or really anyone else...THEN BOOO!! Don't do it!
What do you guys think? Would you say this is the epitome of "modest in nature"?
Vote Corey over MJ NOW!!!!
by Blakeley on Feb 8, 2010 4:28 PM EST
on Canis Hoopus
This will only be around for the rest of the day, but if you see this then you should follow this link and vote for Corey Brewer's posterizing dunk over MJ's dunk. This may be Corey's only shot at greatness. It kind of stinks that he's going against Jordan in the first round though, doesn't seem to stand much of a chance.
Here's the link...Link
The other dunks on the list are pretty good, but I think the worst omission is Vince Carter over Fredrick Weiss. Now that was a dunk!
Rubio for Turner?
by Blakeley on Feb 2, 2010 2:45 PM EST
on Canis Hoopus
The perfect question for a light Wolves Newsday. Here is a short post on a Nets website by Chris Mannix of SI.com.
Is it John Wall or bust for the Nets? Should they fail to land the No. 1 pick (and the chance to draft the Kentucky superfreshman), league sources expect New Jersey to explore trading its choice-which, barring a miraculous turnaround, can be no worse than fourth. One option could be Ricky Rubio. The Timberwolves hold the rights to the Spanish point guard, who signed a six-year deal with Regal Barcelona last summer that does not have a buyout clause until 2011. However if the Nets—who are high on Rubio’s wish list—were to acquire his rights, he would try to negotiate a buyout after this season….
My question is this: If the Wolves were able to trade Rubio for the 2nd pick (presumably to draft Evan Turner), would you do the deal? Discuss...
Chad Ford's T-wolves Trade Idea
by Blakeley on Dec 22, 2009 1:38 PM EST
on Canis Hoopus
During Today's Chat, Chad Ford threw out this trade idea...
I think the Kings are already beginning to explore their options with Kevin Martin. Clearly Tyreke Evans is the teams new alpha dog and they'd be better off with him playing the 2 and getting a real point guard on the team. I think there will be a lot of interest in Martin when he comes back and could definitely see the Kings making a move by the trade deadline. I wonder if the Wolves would send a package of Mark Blount and Oleksiy Pecherov's expiring contract and the rights to Ricky Rubio whether the Kings would bite. Would be a great deal for both teams.
What do you guys think? Who wins this deal?
**NEWS FLASH: JONNY FLYNN NOT BAD!
by Blakeley on Nov 24, 2009 10:16 AM EST
on Canis Hoopus
I wanted to check on something because I think A LOT of people on this board are jumping the gun in saying that Jonny Flynn may not be a starting caliber guard in the NBA. Therefore, below the jump I have included the rookie stats of some other high profile guards that have entered the league in the last few years. For the basis of comparison, I made all stats per 40 minutes.
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