I always enjoy a round (or several) of pretend off-season planning beginning around this time. Recently, the true crux of a Wolves off-season dealt with evaluating the top draft prospects, but thankfully we're out of the range of top 5 type picks and appear to have identified a core of 3 players from which we can build around. While the days of top 5 picks are hopefully gone for the foreseeable future, we've still got some assets that a good GM would/should be able to turn into a very good team...

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Sorry for the spam if you're uninterested.

I have a pair of lower level seats that I'm interested in splitting. There would be two 10 game blocks available. Section 104, row R (I will give seat numbers if you're interested). I locked them in a year ago on the cheap, $10 a ticket...so $200 for the pair for the 10 games. We'd do a "draft" for who gets which games. Please email me at dschroeder01@yahoo.com if interested.

Derrick Williams is a very good basketball player.  Regardless of the fit questions with the current roster, I believe he was the right pick for the Timberwolves at #2.  Williams season at Arizona was very, very good.  He was offensively efficient, plays with a chip on his shoulder and carries some of the swagger that I think we need.

As with any prospect transitioning to the pros, there are some questions that Mr. Williams will need to answer.  There are also some specific questions out there regarding Williams working out well with the Timberwolves.  With guys like Kevin Love, Michael Beasley and Anthony Randolph already on the roster almost all of these questions revolve around a central question:  Can Derrick Williams play SF?

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Can anyone shed any light on the specifics of how a lockout would effect Rubio?  If he decides to stay in Europe over the lockout scare, is he committed to a whole season there?  Or, could he buyout his contract, sign a new one with stipulation that he comes over after any potential lockout?  I have no idea if something like that is within the rules, but if it was, I'd imagine it would have to be negotiated up front.  I guess an equivalent would be an American player like Kobe signing to play in Italy during the lockout.  Would that commit him to play the whole season overseas?

To me this draft is looking like a one man show at the top.  Irving or bust.  If we're lucky enough to pick #1, Rubio becomes an obvious trading chip.  Rubio hasn't developed the way we'd have hoped, but he's still a guy that projects much better in the NBA.  If he can/will come over this offseason, his trade value is much much higher than if he's staying in Europe.

Alec Burks hasn't officially declared yet, but he's an intriguing prospect with his production and athletcism at a position of need (Iguodala like?).  His deficiencies (shooting) can be improved upon and would be complemented by Irving's skill set.  Irving/Burks would be a nice tandem to build around in the backcourt IMO.

Depending on how the lottery shakes out, I could see Toronto being an interesting trade partner.  The city has an international flair and has drafted/signed international players frequently.  They're currently slotted 3rd, but are more likely to pick 4th or 5th which would be the range for a guy like Burks in this draft.  Toronto needs a PG and Rubio's style would seem to fit with their core of Derozan, Ed Davis and Bargnani.  Would you trade Rubio to Toronto to draft a guy like Burks?

If we could pull off Irving/Burks, keep Ridnour, Webster and Tolliver as useful backups and roster balance/consolidate talent at SF and C using any combo of #20, the future Utah pick, Beasley, Johnson, the remains of Flynn and potentially Darko or Pek we could look a lot better next year.

It's still way, way too early to make any real assesment on this year, but the first two preseason games have given us a glimpse of what could be.  Kahn and Rambis have transformed this team, shaping it to fit the system that they want to run.  The talent level still has a long way to go before we can discuss title contention, but there's no doubt that this team has been built for the system.

I've long been a talent over system guy when looking at NBA teams, but I've been thinking there's definitely more to it than that.  I think we can all agree that to win a title, almost every team needs to have at least one upper echelon player.  Kobe, Shaq, KG, Duncan or a Wade.   Only the Pistons come to mind as a team that won without a true star player.  In a market like ours, it's going to be pretty tough to land that player.  It will almost certainly have to come from the draft and by history, we'll have to get lucky to do it.  If only the lucky can get this kind of player, what do the unlucky do?

In the past, I would have said to always take the talent and sort out the fit or system later, but the percentages tell us that taking the best possible talent available in a given year still won't be enough.  History tells us that taking Cousins as the BPA won't get you a title.  DMC might turn into a wonderful pro, but he's not Tim Duncan.  I was firmly a DMC guy and am still sad we didn't take him, but I'll admit that it would have forced us into a different style than the one that Rambis and Kahn envision.  The truth is that there's only about 1 guy a year like that and our Durant isn't yet on the roster. 

So...what do you do while you wait?  And, what's the best way to wait? 

Become the Utah Jazz.

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Sorry for the solicitation.  Read further if interested and email me at dschroeder01@yahoo.com if interested.

I've got a pair of Wolves tickets for 10 games that just became available when a partner backed out on the payment.  The tickets are lower deck Section 104, Row R, Seats 20-21.  They're listed as $25 seats, but I got them for $10 so the total cost would be $200 for the ten games.  We had all already split the tickets with the available 10 game share consisting of these games:

NY Knicks Nov 12

LA Lakers Nov 19

SA Spurs Nov 24

OKC Thunder Dec 8

Den Nuggets Dec 29

Hou Rockets Jan 24

Mem Grizzlies Feb 2

Port Blazers Feb 14

NO Hornets  Feb 25

Utah Jazz Mar 11

Part of the holdup in a Carmelo deal is financial with the Nuggets hesitant to take on more salary to trade Carmelo:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5622392

"In the proposed deal, which was first reported by ESPN.com on Friday, the Nuggets would receive Utah's Andrei Kirilenko ($17.8 million), New Jersey rookie Derrick Favors ($4.1 million) and two future first-round draft picks for Anthony, who makes $17.1 million. Their payroll would increase by $4.8 million and since they are over the luxury tax, they'd pay another $4.8 million, meaning Denver would pay an extra $9.6 million this season to become a worse team. While Denver has not totally nixed the deal, the source told Broussard the financial implications make it very unlikely to happen in its current form. That goes a long way in explaining Denver's hesitancy regarding the trade. Several league sources told Broussard that Bret Bearup, a longtime consultant to Kroenke and his son Josh, has wanted to trade Anthony for quite some time, but the money aspect of this deal has kept even him from signing off on the move."

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I don't know if this is approriate for a post or not.  Sorry for the spam.  SnP and Wyn, please feel free to remove it if you deem necessary. 

I am trying to find a partner for a pair of lower level season tickets for the upcoming Wolves season.  I purchased the tickets before the lottery for a great price, $10/seat (list price now is $25 I believe). They're lower level, section 104, row R.  I'm pretty flexible and am looking to wind up with a half or even quarter season ticket on my end depending on what you might want.  Let me know if you're interested in tickets for 10 or 20 games.

Email me at dschroeder01@yahoo.com if you're interested.  Or, post a comment?

As an aside...would it feasible to have some kind of ticket link/feature on this site ?  I may be way out of line as far as what's permissible or not or what kind of work it would take to do (I don't know much about website stuff), but this is a pretty big collection of Wolves fans and an area to find a season ticket partner or offer up some free tickets might not be a bad feature.

Again sorry if this wasn't your cup of tea and mods, please remove if you would like.

Can someone clarify exactly what draft picks we owe and when? 

From here:  http://www.canishoopus.com/2010/7/12/1566341/minneapolis-st-paul-the-minnesota

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has acquired 6-9 forward Michael Beasley from the Miami Heat in exchange for the Wolves' second-round picks in the 2011 and 2014 NBA Drafts and cash considerations.

Beasley, 21, was the second overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. An NBA All-Rookie First Team selection following the 2008-09 season, Beasley averaged 14.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 78 games (all starts) for the Heat during the 2009-10 campaign. In his two NBA seasons, Beasley owns career averages of 14.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 159 career games.

A unanimous First Team All-American and the Big 12 Player of the Year following his lone season at Kansas State, Beasley averaged 26.2 points, 12.4 rebounds 1.64 blocks, 1.27 steals and 1.2 assists in 33 collegiate games. Beasley was also named the National Freshman of the Year by both The Sporting News and the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), and also received the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year award from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). Beasley led the nation in rebounding and ranked third in scoring during his one season with the Wildcats.

From the current Timberwolves.com site:  http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/timberwolves_acquire_michael_beasley_2010_07_13.html

Minneapolis/St. Paul - The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has acquired 6-9 forward Michael Beasley from the Miami Heat in exchange for the Wolves' second-round picks in the 2011 and 2014 NBA Drafts and cash considerations. As part of the deal, the Heat will also have the right to swap first-round picks with the Wolves in a future draft.

Beasley, 21, was the second overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. An NBA All-Rookie First Team selection following the 2008-09 season, Beasley averaged 14.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 78 games (all starts) for the Heat during the 2009-10 campaign. In his two NBA seasons, Beasley owns career averages of 14.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 159 career games.

A unanimous First Team All-American and the Big 12 Player of the Year following his lone season at Kansas State, Beasley averaged 26.2 points, 12.4 rebounds 1.64 blocks, 1.27 steals and 1.2 assists in 33 collegiate games. Beasley was also named the National Freshman of the Year by both The Sporting News and the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), and also received the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year award from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). Beasley led the nation in rebounding and ranked third in scoring during his one season with the Wildcats.

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The offseason is winding down and barring a few minor moves (ex. dealing Sessions and maybe Hollins for expirings/cap space) and hopefully finalizing the Pekovic deal, the Wolves appear pretty set with their roster. Kahn has been hyperactive again this summer and has taken his share of licks for it around here and by the media.  For discussion, what would you have done in his position this offseason? 

Ground rules:  For this exercise let's say the Wolves could've signed any lower tier FA. Ex. We could have signed Travis Outlaw to the same 5 year, $35 million contract.  Or signed/traded with Atlanta for Josh Childress on his 5 year, $33 million contract (Atlanta also got a future 2nd rounder).  Obviously a FA still would have to agree to come here, but let's not that bog us down o.k?

Also assume that we could have made the same use of our cap space and picks that other teams did. Ex. We could have taken Mo Pete's contract and offered our 16/23 (better picks than OKC gave up, 21/26) to get 11...if you were a big X. Henry guy (he went 12th).

Let's also run with widely rumored trades that the Wolves apparently turned down:  Flynn for the #10?  We're not positive that something like this was actually offered straight up, but it seemed somewhat legit and I believe Kahn himself mentioned that deal in particular.

We'll ignore some minor stuff such as changing the draft in our slots would slightly alter the rest of the picks.  I think this is safe to do given that  our picks weren't really in the same tiers.

How would you have managed our many assets? Give me your blueprint and we can preserve this for future viewing.  I'll post mine below the fold and feel free to comment, but don't forget to give your own...

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via twitter:  http://twitter.com/chadfordinsider

Breaking News: Wolves agree to a 4 year, $20 mil deal with Darko Milicic. Link coming shortly ...

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Let the Wes Johnson experiment begin...someone please save us from ourselves.

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nba/news/story?id=5322297

Barring a last-minute change in thinking, the New Jersey Nets will select Georgia Tech freshman Derrick Favors over Syracuse's Wesley Johnson with the No. 3 pick, ESPN.com was told Thursday morning

According to a source with knowledge of the selection, the Nets made the decision because they are not guaranteed to get a power forward such as Utah's Carlos Boozer, Toronto's Chris Bosh or Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire in free agency.

The source said that Favors is also the most tradeable asset available to the Nets for a possible deal -- more so than Johnson. The source said the Nets might make a deal Thursday night after selecting Favors, or wait to see if one comes in July during the free-agency period. The source said if the Nets make a deal they would have to include the pick of Favors.

Johnson and Boozer are represented by the same agent, Rob Pelinka, but he was adamant Wednesday that there was no package deal to get both players to New Jersey.

Favors

Pelinka obviously wanted Johnson to be selected as high as possible, but he said the two players are working independently.

Another source close to Boozer said he was still undecided on his ultimate destinations. His options include staying with Utah or looking at New Jersey, Chicago or Miami.

Unless something changes with the Nets, the first three selections in Thursday's draft will be Kentucky freshman John Wall to Washington, then Ohio State's Evan Turner to Philadelphia. Favors then will go to the Nets.

Washington can't say publicly that it would take Wall, but the Wizards have said it privately, and no one in the league is considering another option. Wall worked out only for the Wizards.

The Sixers did work out Turner, Johnson and DeMarcus Cousins.

But Turner told ESPN.com Wednesday he expects to be selected by the Sixers, and multiple sources close to coach Doug Collins said the Sixers would select Turner because of his maturity, professionalism and ability to make an impact immediately with new teammates Jrue Holiday and Andre Iguodala on the perimeter.

As new Wolves season ticket holder, I got the invite to the official draft party.  Has anyone been in previous years?  Is it worthwhile?  Any insight on whether or not it's better to watch on TV with computer handy or sit around watching at the official deal with members of the Wolves brass potentially available to answer questions?

I don't know if Kahn will be making an appearance or not.  Did he last year?  I wasn't on this blog last year at draft time, but I'd imagine it's pretty active.  I'd be hesitant to miss that to hear low level Wolves employees say nothing of use while Crunch and the dance team jump around.

Thoughts?

Seems like everyone is throwing out their best wild and crazy draft scenario.  I thought I'd throw my hat into the ring.


Here goes...

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From a poster on TWolvesCentral...

http://www.mnsportsfans.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28147

 

Rumors flying out of Portland that the Blazers are looking to do a deal with the T-Wolves for Al Jefferson. Players rumored going the other way are Joel Pryzbilla, Rudy Fernandez/ Martell Webster (One or the other) and numerous combinations of $'s and draft picks.

I'm not sure why Portland would have interest in Al with LMA, Camby, and potentially Oden. 

They'd need to do both Pryz and Webster to get to Al's salary and as much as like the idea of Rudy, that's not a great return on Al Jefferson.  Rudy's a nice role player and has the Rubio connection, but how good is he?  I don't remember him stepping up when Roy was hurt.  However, it would clear up a space for Elton Brand here if he comes along with a certain draft pick.

I doubt they'd consider dealing Batum in place of Rudy.

George Constanza was the perpetual "loser" in all his endeavors much like the recent history of our Timberwolves.  George had no luck at with his parents, at work or in love.  Still, for one classic Seinfeld episode, George was able to turn it around.  How?  By doing the exact opposite of his every instinct.  Don't lie about your job, living arrangements, etc.  "My name is George, I'm unemployed and I live with my parents."

How can the Wolves learn from George Constanza?

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Kahn said slyly that he thinks another unidentified player already deserves to be mentioned with Wall and Turner in the upper echelon of the draft, even before the workouts begin and players have the chance to improve their stock.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/05/17/kahn.draft.ap/index.html?rss=true

Gotta be Favors right?  I hope it's secretly Cousins with a smoke screen for Favors, but the rumblings suggest otherwise.

I don't agree with Favors over Cousins at all based on the big production difference and positional scarcity that Cousins bring, but I can at least understand why we'd like Favors.  Athletcism and a defensive rep.  I get that.  Now we're going beyond that suggesting that Favors is an elite prospect on the level of Turner/Wall?  The production just isn't there.  If Kahn really thinks this, then we're in trouble...he obviously would have no regard for statistics.

From Chad Ford:

Paul George, G/F, Fresno State
If you want the upside sleeper of the first round, look no further than George. He is a 6-foot-8 wing whose silky smooth play has drawn comparisons to everyone from Tracy McGrady to Wilson Chandler.

 

George is closer to Chandler than McGrady at the moment, but it's clear that he's the type of player who could explode with a little coaching. He's been in the gym with former NBA big man Don MacLean for the past three weeks working on the little things that separate the good wings from the great wings. Specifically, he's working on creating his own shot -- ball handling, first step and getting separation off the dribble.

  

In the workout we saw, George was terrific. He showed deep range on his jump shot, exploded to the rim and had terrific quickness. Scouts have had questions about his consistency and toughness. They've also worried about his love affair with the 3-pointer. But it was also clear that he was rarely pushed at Fresno State.

  

In this environment, playing alongside other NBA prospects, he looked much sharper and more focused. He needs to get stronger and improve his motor (something he admitted to me when we chatted) but MacLean told me George has been a sponge since coming into the gym.

 

George believes he may be more of a 2-guard than a 3. Some NBA teams agree. In fact his first workout is in San Antonio on Thursday. His workout partner: Kansas shooting guard Xavier Henry.

 

 

Damion James, F, Texas
Last year at this time, nearly every NBA team had written off James. After an unimpressive combine in Chicago, James withdrew from the draft and most NBA teams penciled him as a second-rounder in 2010.

  

But James has been gaining momentum all year. NBA teams loved his toughness, motor and athleticism. But they questioned what position he would play in the NBA. James has worked hard on his perimeter skills and this year became a much more convincing small forward.

  

James was in for his first day with MacLean, but he was already in terrific shape. He's got big hands, terrific strength and attacks every drill like he's trying to kill. In one drill, during which MacLean had players moving from box to box and dunking each time they came to the rim, James nearly ripped the rim from the backboard on every play.

  

While James isn't going to show the skill of a player like George in this type of setting, what he does show is plenty of fire. I think it's going to be a terrific selling point for him in the draft. He could rise in a way similar to what Tyler Hansbrough did in last year's draft. You can't teach toughness, motor and NBA readiness. With so many question marks in this draft, James is one of the few guys who you know, right out of the gate, what you are and aren't getting. By June, he could end up in the late lottery.

 

 

Jerome Jordan, C, Tulsa
At the start of the 2008-09 season, we had Jordan ranked in the lottery. Jordan was coming off a terrific summer run at the LeBron James Skills Academy, and a number of NBA scouts thought they were looking at a potentially dominant big man.

  

However, Jordan never quite developed the way many teams thought he would. He got better, but he rarely dominated. By the midpoint of his senior season, it seemed like most NBA teams had lost interest.

  

I think they'll be regaining it soon. I was really impressed with Jordan in his workout. He was light on his feet, showed a soft touch around the basket and looked absolutely huge.

  

Jordan has measured nearly 7-1 in shoes and has a big-time, 7-5 wingspan. Size-wise, he's the real deal, which was evident watching Jarvis Varnado struggle to get his shot off against him.

 

Jordan's two biggest weaknesses are correctable. He only started playing seriously when he was 17 years old, missed his senior season in high school and rarely played as a freshman at Tulsa. In other words, he has a lot of room to grow as a player. He also needs to add strength, especially in his lower body. He's made some progress in that area over the course of his college career, but he needs more time in the weight room.

  

Of all the players I saw Monday, he was the one I walked away convinced was too low on our Big Board. There is a dearth of centers in the draft, and Jordan has too much potential to slide out of the first round. Big guys rise as we get closer to draft night, and if Jordan continues to play like he did in Los Angeles, someone is going to take a chance on him in the 20s.

 

 

Jarvis Varnado, F, Mississippi State
Varnado is easier to get your arms around. He's been the most dominant shot blocker in college basketball the past few years, and it's hard to imagine he won't continue that success at the next level.

  

He's an explosive athlete with a downright freaky 7-4 wingspan. He has a knack for blocking shots, is a good rebounder and plays hard on every possession. He's slowly been improving on the offensive end, but he's never going to be a dominant offensive player.

  

Varnado held his own in the offensive drills and even hit a couple of 3-pointers, but that's not going to be his bread and butter. He's so active defensively that he reminds me a lot of the Nuggets' Chris Andersen.

  

If he can convince NBA GMs he could be that type of game-changing defensive presence, he could go in the 20s.

 

 

Paul George sounds really interesting.   I can't think of a better complementary wing to Evan Turner on paper.  I've only seen clips on YouTube though so maybe I'm jumping the gun.  I'd take a Wilson Chandler at 16.  Or, is he more like a Dorell Wright?  Or worse -Shawne Williams?  George definitely seems like a good option at 16 though.  Along with James Anderson, a really good wing prospect could be had there.

I'm really hoping we don't package 16 and 23 at this point.  IMO, there's going to be good options at both of those spots.  It wouldn't be surprising for a couple guys discussed and as sure lotto guys to fall to 16 and for guys discussed at 16 to be available at 23.

We've all seen the potential benefit of having a legitmate 7 foot center next to Love/Jefferson.  Even if one of those guys is traded, we're going to need that guy.  Kahn agrees.

Many have stated they'd be good with keeping Darko for the role provided it's for the right price.  I'm inclined to agree with the caveats that it would absolutely need to be at the right salary AND we couldn't get someone better.

Can we realistically get someone better?

I've been intrigued with Gortat since Dallas made him that big offer last year.  He's a legit 7 footer with above average athleticism and good strength.  He plays hard and the metrics seem to like him in his limited minutes.  He's got the full MLE contract though and the Magic don't play him near enough to justify that kind of money.  Maybe they can afford to pay him that much, but maybe not?

I wonder what exactly it would take to get him?  We've got the cap space to absorb the contract, but what kind of sweetener would it take for a team that would be trying to maintain some semblance of cost savings while maintaining talent?  Pekovic?  Would his low post game complement Howard at all?  The Magic could bring in over at probably half the cost of Gortat to fill a bench role.  A draft pick?  Could we somehow work Hollins in there?  It's actually hard to work out something that makes sense for the Magic as they've got high payroll and have a pretty deep team.  To actually upgrade they'd need to move Gortat and something else for a bigger salaried player.

What are your thoughts on Gortat?  Worth looking at?  Giving up Pekovic?  Overpaid?  Rather have Darko?

http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/End_of_Season_Press_Conference_2010_04_14.html

Lots of stuff here, nothing shattering though.

Some highlights:

Flynn and Sessions are sticking around for a few days so that Rambis can work with them on their shooting.  Sessions in particular needs lots of work.

Taylor is committed to spending money (sorry Poor Dick) and has reiterated that to Kahn several times.

FA:  We've got the money which is a must.  We won't get a FA with a short term outlook.  Kahn thinks that this area can be attractive (referenced the Mauer contract) in that fans support winning teams and that a player who sees a 10-12 year career ahead of him and is willing to work at building something.  Rudy Gay seems pretty obvious here as a target.

 Changes ahead?  We've got to get better from within and from outside the organization.  We need 3 or 4 new players.  No plan in Kahn's back pocket. 

Lottery:  Don't be overwrought about the lottery.  Again said that it's not where you land post lottery, it's where you land on draft night.  Also said that picking 4-6 can often yield just as good a player historically.  Don't be overwrought about the lottery.

Again said we need a #1 player.  Kahn said "we're not smart enough to think we know better than history" in terms of where that player will come from referencing how historically #1 guys come from the draft. 

Does he regret dumping the vets last year?  No.  Could have squeezed out a few more wins and made Rambis's job easier, but long term it was the right move.  Rambis agreed.

FA:  Won't go for a mercenary.  Kahn didn't seem to think that there were a ton of better FA sitiuations out there in terms of winning cultures.  Maybe a team with a star already in place (referring to Wade/Miami).  Brought up flexability of trading with our cap room and sign and trades. 

Wolves have doing research on potential FAs from the time Kahn arrived.

There will be a trickle down effect in FA based on LeBron and the upper level FAs.

The team was worse defensively than offensively.  Brewer is only the real defensive kind of guy we've got, but he's not perfect and needs a lot of help to do what he does best (per Rambis).

Per Rambis, the team didn't connect as a team.  "We were a team in that we had the same uniforms on."  That's it.  No real on court chemistry for any extended period of time.  Pockets here and there.  Rambis referenced Kobe and Roy as stabalizing guys that good teams need.

Kahn:  Everything is on the table.  All needs to be explored.  We're not good enough. 

Conclusion on Al and Love.  It's not that they can't coexist, they just need a 3rd guy to complement both.  Talked about the Celtics with Parish, Maxwell and McHale.  Maxwell only left after they won a title.  Lakers and Blazers now have 3 good bigs/depth.  Teams need depth on the frontline.  Wolves need additional players with Love and Jefferson.  If it's not Darko it's someone else.

I joined this site less than a year ago.  I have enjoyed the statistical emphasis placed on analysis by many of the regular members here.  This is the most statistically analytical Wolves site I've been a part of.  Given this, one thing I don't get...why does everyone love Corey Brewer?

Given the love of stats, I can't for the life of me figure out why so many seem to love/defend Corey Brewer.  It seems like he's many people's "favorite" player and I've seen countless future lineups with him in as a starter or least 6th man. Why?  Are we still hanging onto his draft position to justify giving him potential?  I know he's a hard worker and a nice guy, but I can't find any stat that says he's even an average player.

Brewer is sporting a PER of 11.9, TS% of 0.498, and a WP48 0.018 in this his "MIP" season.  His rebounding numbers are worse than when he was a rookie and his assist/steal advanced percentages are really unchanged.  He had the hot Jan/Feb, but since then has been back to earth.  The only thing I can see he's increased is his usage.

The MIP stuff is funny to me actually.  He's really improved because coming off his rookie season he had to make huge leaps to get to below average.

Corey was sold as a defensive wiz, but I've yet to see anything that shows he can be a plus in that regard.  He's disruptive, but not overtly and there's no stats (I know defensive metrics have big flaws) that suggest he's anything close to a shutdown defender even if that's an extinct bird these days. 

Can someone give me a logical reason for the Brewer love?  Personally, I would try to capatilize on his perceived MIP type status via a trade for a legitimate wing (in combo with something else:  Jefferson, etc.).  Flynn, Brewer, and Jefferson for Granger and TJ Ford?

Corey Brewer could maybe fit as a 4th wing off the bench behind some legitmate starters and a better shooting bench guy.  I just don't know how we resign him to that kind of contract when it's due after next year.   He's going to want a raise from his rookie deal. Personally I'd much rather jettison Brewer and put his money towards a Josh Childress.  $4-5 million per year forChildress is going to be much better value than Brewer's next deal IMO. 

Brewer's a likeable guy.  I'm just not seeing how he's a valuable asset on the court.  Tell me why I'm wrong.  Flame on.

Recent play and minutes would suggest that Al might be the guy that stays if one is moved this summer.  Darko and Al are playing more and there seems to be sentiment to keep that going.  Rambis seems to have a lot of pull with personnel decisions and it's obvious that Love isn't his favorite at this time. 

You can count me as someone who would prefer Love.  I think he brings more overall play to the table than Al conceding that he's far from perfect.  I do recognize though that dealing Al would pose challenges too.   Darko actually complements Al a little better than he does Love given how Darko and Love's passing overlaps a little. 

So...what are some realistic options in terms of what we could get back for Love?

The obvious would be us packaging him with our pick to move up for Turner/Wall if we don't land 1 or 2.  A steep price, but one could argue we need a star at all costs.

If we win the lottery, could we use Love and something else like Flynn, Charlotte/Utah picks, Pekovic or even Rubio to get the #2?

Love for Harden and Ibaka?  Love seems like the kind of guy Presti would love. 

In a package for Gay?  For Mayo?  I don't really want to be the team overpaying Gay.  Mayo is interesting, but I'm not sure how special he's going to be.  I'd probably try to get a guy like K. Azuibuke for less as opposed to Mayo.

Would Love get us any closer to Granger than Al?

Other ideas?

Evan Turner is a likely lock for a Top 5 pick in this summer's draft.

He's the Oscar Robertson Award winner for the nation's top college player.

So he's a no-brainer to go pro, right?

Well, one Ohio State teammate is casting some doubt on that.

From Mark Titus on Twitter: "(Turner) hasn't officially decided, but he's hinted to me by saying things like 'We're gonna be loaded next year.'

"He's also hinted by saying 'I'm going to stay for my senior year' and 'I'm not going to NBA this year.'"

Ohio State does have a great recruiting class headlined by Jared Sullinger (#2 recruit in the country).   Could Turner pull a Tim Duncan and return for a Senior season?  He's got to be a top 3 lock at this point (top 2 depending on how crazy DeMarcus Cousins turns out to be).  He better get some good insurance.  The fractured spine ended up being a benign injury, but I would have thought it would have highlighted just how quickly things can change.  I can see it now, the Wolves win the #2 pick and Turner stays in college.

I also enjoyed how this was described as being a hint:  'I'm going to stay for my senior year' and 'I'm not going to NBA this year.'"  Pretty subtle huh?

Honestly I'll believe it when I see it.  This stuff leaks out all the time, but in the end money talks.  Still...if anyone would stay in school it would be a guy like Turner.

We're in free fall to the finish line. We've got a mismatched roster and a stubborn coach. What's left, but to dream of better days.  It makes me feel better.  Piggybacking on multple things...

-Assume the Wolves stay at #2. A big assumption, but we can hope right?

-Draft day trade of Al and Brewer for Tayshaun Prince and the #6 (thanks Blakely?). I don't know how likely this is, but Detroit would seem like a team that might be willing to "win now" given how much money they spent last year and their committed salaries. They lack a true big. Brewer fills Prince's space for a year. We land a very good complementary 3 with defense, length and 3 point shooting. Prince is too old for our long term plans, but has a handy expiring contract.

-Trade up from 6 using the Charlotte pick for a top 4 pick to select D. Favors (or D. Cousins). In this fantasy we draft an uber athletic 4 with good defense and huge potential. This is really more of 3 team trade as the finances for the Detroit deal would require the pick to be sign/traded.

-Paul George falls to the Utah pick. 2nd rounders...sold to pay for....

-Waive/buyout Gomes. Renounce all other FA's. Darko does what he says he's going to and returns to Europe.

-Trade Pekovic's rights to San Antonio for Tiago Splitters after arranging a deal where we frontload a contract using our cap room. This could give Splitter enough upfront to cover him for when the lockout hits and would take advantage of his financial concerns over joining the cap locked Spurs.  SA nets a big man they might get cheaper and would complement Duncan's aging defense.  Maybe we spice the deal up a bit with something else.

-Sign Josh Childress with a portion of our remaining FA money. Additionally, look at a FA big and bringing back Wilkins for the minimum.

Flynn, Sessions, Turner
Turner, Ellington, George
Prince, Childress
Love, Favors
Splitter, Favors, Hollins

First off, I'm a Timberwolves fan. Almost everyone in MN are quite envious of your team. Congrats. You're like where we hope to be 3-4 years if we'd happen to get lucky with a draft pick like Wall or Turner to be our Durant (or half that guy...he's great).

Right now the Wolves 2 best players, Love and Jefferson, aren't looking like they can coexist long term. Wolves fans are quite high and Love so there's many who think Big Al will be traded. Al's playing hurt right now coming back from the ACL tear last year so his numbers are down, but I think whoever gets him in trade is going to get a great deal. Put him alongside better talent and I think he'd look better than this year's Zach Randolph -younger 20/10 guy, better attitude, better shot blocker and contract than Zach had/has. Personally, I would hate to trade Jefferson, but I like Love better (dude is good in a jack of all trades way, with elite rebounding skills) and one of them likely has to go.

Personally I think Al is more a center than a PF in today's NBA. I believe he'd fit quite well in OKC given the length/athletcism of Durant/Green. Is Jefferson a name that interests you? He's still so young that he'd fit well with your core group of talent. And...the guy can score on the block and rebound. By next year he should be at full strength more than a year out from the ACL.

I'd love some honest feedback on an offseason trade based in principle on these players: Al Jefferson and Wayne Ellington for James Harden, Serge Ibaka and a late first rounder.

Is Harden an untouchable for the Thunder? Perusing your site a little looks like many are high on Ibaka. I know most teams fans overvalue their players...I know I do (ask me who it would take for me to give up Rubio's rights). Is this kooky talk from a delusional Wolves fan, or the kind of deal where it makes you uncomfortable enough to actually be fair for both teams? It makes me uncomfortable to propose a deal where the Wolves give up a talented 25 year old 20/10/1.5 (healthy numbers) guy for 2 prospects who have proven little at the NBA level despite their upside. Is this the kind of deal where you deal a couple of your top farm system guys to land that big cleanup hitter your team needs?

A little more info: Ellington has come on lately and I threw him in to replace some of the shooting that Harden provides. Ellington looks like he's got rotation player talent.

Al's contract would eat up most of your cap space this summer. I don't know what your thoughts are on the Thunder's FA prospects, but I don't think Bosh will be coming to OK given the other cities he'll have to choose from. Al's reasonably priced given the contracts handed out to NBA big men IMO.

What say you?

It seems like there's a lot of statistically orientated people on this site.  Just wondering about something related to the Wolves inability to move up even 1 spot in the lottery despite numerous chances.  I've always been curious about the probability of having repeated high lotto seedings without capitalizing.  What's the correct way to compute this?

Would it be correct to muliply the probabilities that we didn't move up each year?  For instance, we had .924, .916 and .905 probabilities of not picking 1st, 2nd or 3rd last year.  Or multiplying together, a 76.6% chance of not moving into the top 3.  Is this correct?  If so, I went back to thru the infamous 1992 (Shaq) draft and multiplied all the chances we had to move up (or not move up for computation).  A couple years we actually maintained our top 3 status so I just multiplied the 2 opportunities for us to not move up those years.  I rounded off and found...

The Wolves had a 3% chance of not moving into or higher within the top 3 once in all our lotto chances since 1992.  There was a 97% chance of us moving up at least once during all of those lotto forays, but we haven't done it.

I'm no stats guy though so maybe someone can correct my error.

There's been plenty of discussion on whether the Wolves should package their expirings at the deadline for a high salaried player.  If not, the goal is cap space this summer, but then who's the target? 

Lot's of questions...few answers.

There's a couple things we know for sure:

1.  The Wolves have a long way to go towards being a legitmate contender. 

2.  We've got a nice, but incomplete, collection of younger players on roster.

3.  We have several assets going forward.

4.  We lack an alpha dog #1 player.

5.  Leaguewide finances are tight.

6.  An upcoming CBA renegotiation promises some major changes thus making financial flexability important.

How can the Wolves best take advantage?

Maybe by looking to the recent past?  In Kahn's short run, what's his best move?  In my opinion, the trade for #5 was a homerun.  We turned to marginal starters into a nearly untouchable asset at this point.  Sure we kind of lucked into Rubio given his financial situation (and we have to wait to realize his value), but the alternative was likely going to be Tyreke Evans, still not shabby. 

Instead of calculating how much we're going to have to overpay for Rudy Gay or which big contract we could absorb with our cap room, we should be looking for the next Washington situation.  A team that would entertain moving a high lottery pick for a platter we could prepare this year that would be much more intriguing than Foye/Miller.

With the present financial state of the league, the obvious incentive for a team to pass on a lotto pick would be salary relief/financial flexability.  Would a team be willing to move back in the draft a bit/take prospects (quality over quantity) to save $10 million plus?

A quick look at a few teams in the presumptive upper lottery:

Indiana- Desperately needs a PG in a draft devoid of lottery prospects should the Pacers miss out on #1.  Indy also has the bad contracts of TJ Ford and Mike Dunleavy.   We're likely going to have the cap space to absorb either one of those contracts.  We'll have the Charlotte and Utah picks, Pekovic's rights, and PG prospects -could go Sessions or Flynn depending on what Indy ends up with in the draft and what contract we take back.  A lot would depend on where our pick lands (Wall would make Flynn quite expendable), but assuming we don't move up, would a package of Sessions and our additional picks be enough for Indy's projected #5 pick and TJ Ford's contract?

Philadelphia- They're desperate to unload Dalembert and Brand without a taker.  They may manage to get rid of Dalembert if they package him with Iguodala, but if not?  Would Philly be willing to trade Dalembert and their pick for cap relief and some combo of our later picks and players?

Both of these deals would put in the mix for Cole Aldrich in addition to our pick while preserving any flexability we might have with a new CBA given the 1 year left for Ford or Dalembert.  I'm also making an assumption that it works within the rules for either team to select a player for us and complete the trade during as soon a July 1 rolls around and we clear our cap space.  I guess this is a pretty big assumption though?  Not sure of the trade rules in this regard.

Golden State-  A more extreme option given that the salary we'd be looking at would be Corey Maggette and his 3 years left.  His contract would run a full 2 years into a new CBA assuming that there was no lockout.  Any lockout would eat into those last 2 years.  Maggette's money would be much tougher to swallow; however, there's probably a better chance of it getting done given that they were apparently willing to move A. Randolph to a team willing to take Maggette earlier this year.  Maggette is what he is.  He doesn't fit the age profile we're looking for, but he's not supposed to.  He's the place filler- wing scorer that we'd be willing to take to get the #3 pick(?) in the draft.  Maggette is a mercenary.  He gets to the line like a madman.  His defensive rep is poor, but he pretty much blows Rudy Gay out of the water in advanced offensive stats (although he's not a 3 pt shooter, though neither is Rudy).  Maggette and their pick for cap space and our later firsts?

If we stay put at #2 and say GS ends up #4 - We add Turner and Cole Aldrich or Wes Johnson.

Flynn, Sessions

Turner, Ellington

Maggette, Brewer

Love, Pekovic

Al, Aldrich

There could be other options as well.  NJ might be willing to entertain offers if they don't wind up #1.  Utah is always cost conscious and AK47 is due to make $17+ million next year...they've got the NYK pick. 

I think finances are going to be huge this summer and the Wolves would be wise to take advantage.  We need that star and these guys are largely taken in the top 5.  Let's try to get another shot at getting lucky.

I can't say that I've seen much of Robin Lopez in the NBA. I remember his draft profile as a better defender than his brother with a little more athletcism. He seems like a decent shot blocker, but doesn't get much run for the Suns.

The rumors are that Phoenix may look to trade Amare by the deadline as they feel he's going to leave as a FA anyway. If that's the case they're likely in full rebuild mode and probably would like to shed Jason Richardson's last remaining year for 2010-11.

Jason Richardson isn't the ideal age and his contract for next year is huge at $14 million. He's strong, athletic and has turned himself into a very good 3 point shooter given his near 40% with a nice volume. His contract would eat up all of our cap space, but would be a big expiring/trade chip next year.

The point: Would you deal expirings and maybe a smaller asset for Richardson and Lopez?

If the Wolves are going to succeed with Al and Love we're going to need that perfect complementary big. Could R. Lopez be the atlhletic, 7 ft shot blocker that we need? He hasn't done much so far, but we're not getting an established player that fits the bill cheaply. We're going to get lucky or develop a guy like that. I don't know many details on Lopez. Does he have enough potential?

http://www.foxsportsnorth.com/pages/landing/?blockID=160837&feedID=3712

Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations David Kahn will chat with Wolves fans during Wednesday night's game against Oklahoma City. Watch the game on FOX Sports North -- Qwest Wolves Live begins at 6:30 p.m. -- and join David for a chat during the second and third quarters.

Any consensus questions we can stuff the ballot box with?

2 things I'd like to know:

1. Are the Wolves planning on really spending money this summer either via FA or by taking on a veteran contract? There are several people who believe the Wolves aren't going to spend the money based on some cirumstantial quotes pieced together from Kahn these past few months. This flys in the face of his "16 month" makeover he's talked about. I'd like some firming up on this point.

2. How are the Wolves planning to position themselves as far as maximizing cap space and the current roster? Picking up Brewer's option seems to have pushed us close to suboptimal cap space given that the threshold will likely drop again to the $52-53 million range. It's surely too pointed to say "we're going to have to trade Gomes, Hollins etc., but some more info would help sort out what they're thinking about where their cap will come in at. A more direct question might be: "What do you project your committed salaries to come in at next summer with an estimated cap of $53 million?" Provide a link to any of several salary sites out there???

It's hard to find a deal that makes any sense for both teams given a few of Al's limitations, relatively large contract and what we need in return. We're looking for a team with an athletic big, defensive minded, preferrably with similar star power to Al. A team that might be in the market for a dominant low post scorer who puts up 20/10 nightly who would still have the kind of complementary guys left (after the trade) to play with Al.

Golden State isn't a perfect fit (given Nellie ball vs. Al's style), but they have some pieces that are workable. There was a recent piece on ESPN about fixing the Warriors where their need for low post scoring was discussed.

-Biedrins is back in action, still on the mend from surgery? However, he's not playing much with his time going largely to Ronny Turiaf, a defensive minded shotblocker.

-The Warriors will eventually get B. Wright back, another defensive rangy post. Al playing next to Turiaf and Wright would help hide several of his deficiencies. It's easy to forget with grass is greener perspective that Al is still a very good player and that would be an interesting big man rotation.

-Randolph was once considered untouchable, but recently was essentially made available for a team willing to take Maggette's contract. If the Warriors were that eager to shed Maggette's deal (who's playing really well this year offensively), I can't imagine they wouldn't want to do the same for Biedrins -a guy that's losing time to Turiaf. Another option would be to include Maggette for expirings, but I think that's a bit excessive on our part given Biedrins and Maggette's contracts.

Can a losing team like the Warriors afford to play Biedrins $9 million/year as a complementary big? Especially when they don't have his offensive complement and have cheaper guys doing a lot of what he does?

Curry, Ellis
Ellis, Morrow
Maggette, Azubuike
Jefferson, Wright
Turiaf, Al

They add a high lotto pick to that...it's an interesting mix. If they get a new coach that doesn't think that NBA basketball is a video game.

Biedrins isn't a star, but he's a long near 7' guy who averages 10/10 on good shooting (horrible in FTs though) when healthy with 1.5 bpg. Randolph scares me given the persistent concerns regarding his attitude. He's got KG like potential on the court, but little chance to be that good mentally. Still, he looks like he's going to be a very productive player.

Love, Randolph, Biedrins, and Pekovic is a interesting mix of big men offering a little bit of everything.

Scoring: Pekovic, Randolph and Love all score in different ways.
Rebounding: All are decent led by Love's excellence.
Defense: Biedrins is the focus here with Randolph providing athletcism and Love good positional D. Pekovic is an unknown
Shot Blocking: Biedrins and Randolph are 1.5 bpg type guys. Probably the weakest post trade area.

Any other ideas?