I admit to knowing nothing about Kevin Murphy. DX seems to like him and predicts a possible Marshon Brooks type of ascent into the draft. Link: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Kevin-Murphy-17023/. Check out the video of his 50 point game, wow. Looks like he can do a bit of everything. DX and NBAdraft.net having him going early 2nd. Anyone know anything about him? Not sure if he would be a 2 or a 3 but he has good size for the wing position and looks to be pretty damn athletic...

The wolves are currently in the playoff hunt and they are still a team on the rise, but I see the excitement doubling for next year when Rubio comes back and if certain things pan out.

1. Malcolm Lee, you are a piece for the future...

Even in the very limited time we've seen him, ML has shown the ability to be a good defender with size and shows the ability to shake past his man and finish or make a play for a teammate. Those two things right there are enough to consider him in the mix of players who will be in the rotation next year. On top of that there is the innate confidence he shows and the athletcism that is present. I'd like to see him get some time at the 2 guard this year but I doubt he does. As long as we're in the playoff hunt the only time he'll see is emergency PG, which is too bad. I'd like to see what he has in the shooting department on the wing as well as the midrange game. And how he defends bigger 2 guards.

2. I don't like Derrick Williams right now....

A good deal of us have played the game at various levels and coached it as well. You can always tell when you've got a player who will be effective at his position and others who MIGHT be effective (to a lesser extent) if they can find a way to adjust. But it's the players who play naturally and don't have to adjust their games at all who end up being the most effective. These are the kind of players the oppenents themeselves have to adjust to. I keep hearing people say Derrick Williams will be a great player once he learns this, or once he learns that, or once he adjusts to this or that. Hell I can see in 4 games that Malcolm Lee will not have to adjust a thing when blowing past his defender. It's a natural ability. But Williams has so many things that he will need to adjust to. He will need to adjust his shot to finish better around the rim. He'll need to learn a floater. He'll need to adjust to learn how to defend larger 3's or quicker 4's. Adjust adjust adjust. I honestly didn't think there would be any of this when we drafted him. I kind of saw him as a player that Faried has turned into but with a better outside shot. I think I'd almost have the manimal on this team than DW at this point because he doesn't have to adjust to a thing. He just goes out and does his thing. Hell DW was outplayed by DJ fricking White last night. It was embarassing. So when people preach patience, I have a hard time with it. I am in the camp that because he has to learn so many adjustments, and the fact that I don't view him as a 3, that we would be better served to find a team that still loves him and use him to trade for SOMETHING. If we got the Utah pick I would not, however, package DW and the pick to move up to target a wing player. That's like trading the 2nd pick in the draft (which he was) and the 16th pick (which the Utah pick could be) for a pick in the late lotto. If you want to move up from 16 to target a wing then use other pieces, not DW. We have some other assets worth including in trades.

3. Why Terrence Ross would fit...

The most likely scenario for the wolves is the "less is more stance". I don't think we'll trade up from 16 (if we get the Utah pick), I don't think we'll land the dream 2 guard in the off season. I think the powers that be really like Malcolm Lee more than they are leading on. Adelman likes to play the vets and wait on the young'ns. Let's say we did land Kevin Martin in the off season and dealt Webster. We'd have a 2 guard rotation of Martin and Lee. Obviously Martin is the proven shooter of the 2 but they both have the ability to handle the ball well and drive and dish. Having excellent ball handling at the PG and SG positions would allow someone like Terrence Ross to play a very similar role on the wolves that he had as a husky. Nail the open J, use screens for the open J, 2-3 dribble shake and bake to create space in the mid range game, finish on the break, finish back door jams, etc. Plus he defends and rebounds well from the wing position. He is listed as a SG/SF. He is after all 6-7 and hits his head on the ceiling when he jumps.

If next year's core was:
Rubio/JJ
Martin/Lee
Ross/Wes (included Wes in there because I couldn't just include a wet paper bag)
Love/Tolly
Pec/??

Pretty sure that team would be at least a 5 seed in the playoffs. Another piece to add would be a backup post with size and athleticism for defensive purposes. If Williams were to be dealt for a player like Martin or some other piece I could live with it. But if not he'd be the super sub at the 4 and 3 positions. Thoughts?

Oh, if he has a decent mid-range game or can hit 3s above .400 and can get to the line, he might be worth it.

This is a quote from last year's final CH draft board from s-n-p. Let me just start by saying last year's draft was the worst in years to have a top 5 pick. How unlucky are the wolves? Imagine having the number 2 pick in this year's draft instead of last years. :-(

Anyways, I am getting veeeery frustrated with what I see in Derrick Williams. I know I know, he's only a rook. People keep saying that, that he'll "get it". The issue is that some skills shouldn't need to be honed. Either you have it or you don't. Think about all of the things that you thought D-Will was going to bring to the table right off the bat. My expectations were, at bare minimum, a thunderous dunking finisher who could EASILY finish at the rim, as well as a nice slasher using 2-3 direct line dribbles. The problem is, he isn't able to do those things at all, and those are basics that can't simply be developed. He is not explosive off of 2 feet to finish, arms don't seem long, takes too much time to collect himself when finishing. Another thing that bothers me is I expected a super high energy kind of player. It seems just the opposite. Maybe he hangs out with AR too much because he looks sleepy out there half the time. So those are the things I thought he would give us.

Then, on his pre-draft tour, he sold himself. We watched the videos. We heard the tweets. We watched sports science. We read the interviews. DW had proclaimed himself as a 3, not a 4, boasting of his outside shooting and ability to handle and penetrate. It all looked good on the internet. We bought it hook line and sinker. This is the NUMBER TWO pick in the draft people. You understand the value of the #2 pick, correct? This could go down as the worst draft pick in Wolves history when you consider the value of the pick and the type of player DW is, if he does not improve SIGNIFICANTLY.

I am flat out in trade DW mode. So many of you think he holds a great value on the market. I hope you are right. Right now I would trade him straight up for a guy like Anthony Morrow, who has a prooven and valuable, and quite needed NBA skill, shooting. I flat out doubt DW would be enough to land him though, as teams have had a chance to see what DW has to offer at this point, and it ain't much. Am I onto something or just on something?

Let me just say Toeing the line between nerd and loser really HURTS!! Change the word loser to the words "basketball god" and I think that more accurately describes it!!!

OK to the Rubio take.... As evidenced by the 500 record the wolves will soon have, Rubio has been the reason that the Minnesota Timberwolves have gone from bottom dwellers to becoming the team nobody wants to play. Rubio is not flawless. His jumper is scares children most of the time and although he is a maestro with the ball, he turns the ball over more than he should.

The positives far outweigh the negatives however, as he is constantly setting guys up, hustling, and doing a hell of a job on the boards for a point guard. And the fact that he has the Tim Tebow factor going seems to make his teammates want to do their best. That is evidenced mostly by the play of Anthony Randolph and Michael Beasley. Randolph gets to use his athleticism with Ricky on the court and Beas behaves himself a little better because I think he realizes that if he is a total ball stopper that he'll be warming the pine.

I get tired of hearing so much negativity directed towards Ricky Rubio. Not necessarily at CH, but on other sites out there, there are some haters hatin' way too much. RR can be a point guard on an NBA championship team. Would he be the main cog? Of course not. The more legitimate players the wolves surround him with, the less he will have to score. Can you imagine if this team had players like Pau Gasol and Eric Gordon? I guarantee you Ricky would shoot the ball at a MUCH higher percentage than he is now, as he would be WIDE open for his shots, as compared to right now. The team is still lacking a wing who can provide a consistent offensive punch. I would venture to say that MOST NBA teams do, but the wolves don't. If and when they get that elusive player, I believe the team will be a perennial contender. David Kahn is in the perfect position to put this team into legitimacy. Question is, can he, or will he do it, by somehow acquiring an all-star level wing player. But do not judge Rubio until that happens. You'll be sorry you did....

You're thinking it's ridiculous to write about a potential draft pick just a few weeks into the NBA season. I think it's ridiculous that the Timberwolves still need a two guard, but David Kahn and those before him in the front office have jacked up the position situation so badly, that all possibilities need to be explored. It's reaching desperation time folks.

Just got done watching the good old Apple Cup - Washington U vs. Washington State. May I just say that the Husky crowd ranks right up there with the best of them. Non-stop energy and enthusiasm. For a second there I thought I was watching a wolves game ;-) But I digress. Terrence Ross. Learn it. Know it. It was my first look at the kid and I came away very intrigued. He went off for 30 points (26 in the 2nd half) and 14 rebounds. I came away thinking that THIS is what Wes Johnson SHOULD be. A 6-6 (6-7 in shoes) kid weighing 200 pounds, jumps out of the gym, shoots the lights out. I saw a couple of parallels - physique and athleticism. After that the comparisons end. After Tony Wroten refused to pass the ball to Ross in the first half, he and others turned the tables in the 2nd and decided to hand things over to the talented sophomore. Ross' main weapon is the long ball, and man is it a thing of beauty. Great elevation on the shot, great rotation, so unlike Wes Johnson's crazy knuckle ball. Ross is crafty at using screens to get open, but he can also just rise up and nail one in your face. He even posted up at the elbow and did a humongous step back 3 fade away, nothing but net. Had an awesome dunk on an alley-oop, finished the play, got fouled, and scored 3 the old fashioned way. WSU played a lot of zone so he wasn't given the chance to really take a guy off the bounce. He is a player that needs to be watched in order to determine what kind of defender he is, as well as if he does have some ability to take his man off the dribble.

Right now Terrence Ross goes #15 on the nbadraft.net mock. DraftExpress has him at 14, and they have some very good things to say about the kid. One thing I really liked from DE is this:

Ross may have knocked down some big-time shots as a freshman, but he was at his best using his athleticism at the basket. The Huskies ran more than a few set plays to free up Ross for backdoor lob passes and the talented guard earned himself some easy buckets by getting up the floor in transition and cutting to the basket. An explosive leaper, Ross can finish plays above the rim when he has any sort of space and is capable of finishing acrobatically around defenders as well. Converting 63.8% of his finishing opportunities according to Synergy Sports Technology, Ross backs up his style with substance.

What a nice combo he and Rubio would be in my opinion. A great above the rim finisher with a (at least for the one game I watched) great perimeter shot. I need to watch more of him, as well as other 2 guards that will likely be in the draft, but if one game is an indicator, if the Wolves can somehow get a pick in the 10-15 range either from some sort of trade or from Utah making the playoffs (they won again tonight), nabbing Ross could be huge.

We can't control:

1. Darko - He costs the team on almost EVERY single possession both offensively and defensively. His feet are stuck in the mud. He has no lateral movement anymore and cannot get off the floor. So much so it has almost become a joke. Bogut made him look like a fool all night long on both ends of the floor. Sad thing is we have nothing behind him who resembles a decent center. Randolph is a head case and Pec is well, Pec. The problem is there is absolutely no way to mask deficiencies at the center position. You are what you are. We have problems at the 2 but with some creativity you can mask it a little more. That needs to be done asap. But Darko, what an epic fail.

2. Wes - The #2 biggest problem/disappointment on the team. If he could just make up for his lack of driving and finishing ability and overall non effective play with a dead-eye outside shot, I could live with him. But he isn't offering that either. You HAVE to provide either one or the other to offer anything. Not being able to offer either is absolutely killing the team. We have already seen that Malcolm Lee has some nice penetrating ability and is able to move the ball and facilitate. For that reason alone he should get some minutes. And of course Barea should get time there too. Wow does this team need a 2 guard. If Lee isn't able to give us something this season it will be a long year. Wes is looking like a bust of Flynn-like proportion.

3. Beas' attitude - I will never understand this dude. Loads of talent. But his attitude is straight sh@t. I mentioned recently he is a big cog in the offense but he doesn't give effort in so many areas. And his body language is atrocious. What a shame. Unfortunately I don't think he'll ever change. Because of that we'll never get much out of him if we were to try to trade him.

We CAN control

1. Williams - DW needs to learn a pull up J. Simple as that. He's able to get by his man from the 3 point line but he tries to go all the way to the hoop and ends up charging or forcing a bad shot. C'mon coaches, work with him on the pump fake, 1 or 2 quick dribbles, rise up from 12-15 and nail it. I honestly think that should be a staple of his offensive package.

2. Rotation - Kind of related to the Wes discussion above, we need to demote the pathetic-ness that is Wes and roll with Lee. And it's time to start Rubio. We need to give starting opportunities to Lee and Wayne.

Starters - Rubio, Lee/Wayne, Beas, Love, Pec (wow)

Main bench: Barea, Lee/Wayne, Luke, Williams, Tolliver

Crunch time: Rubio, Lee/Wayne (whoever shows something), Williams, Beas, Love

Crumbs off the bench - Wes, Randolph, Darko

This sounds like a negative post but it isn't. We could be 2-0. That being said we have some areas that need to be addressed and I believe we need to address the rotation and tweak DWill's offensive game a bit. Hopefully RA will not wait too long with his loyalty to Wes and Darko. They're killing me smalls, just killing me....

Until the wolves acquire a legitimate center, they should roll with Kevin Love at center. For the roster that the team has, it makes WAY too much sense. Yes, he is not the optimal defender at that position. But I believe that most of the time he would hold his own and do AT LEAST as good of a job defending centers compared to others on the roster. If during a game we see that we are struggling defensively protecting the rim or getting man handled by an all star center, then we switch things up. But I think to START the game, KL needs to be in the pivot. And here are the reasons...

1. 3 point shooting - You think KL makes a lot of 3's now? Wait till plodding centers try to D him up on the perimeter. Can you say mismatch?

2. Opens up the middle - Related to point number 1, when KL drags the opposing center to the perimeter, that opens up the middle for everyone else.

3. Best Players On Court - Putting KL at center would allow us to start DWill at the 4, Beas at the 3, ??? at the 2 (separate thread required), and of course Rubio at 1.

4. Randolph will benefit - Face it. He's not a center. He's 6-11 with handles and athleticism. Let him sub at the 4.

5. Wes J playing the 3 - He can play at his more natural position, the 3, since DWill will primarily be a 4.

I like what JJ brings to the table, just not sure he should be a starter. Optimally I'd like to see him dominate the ball with the 2nd team and get significant minutes. We flat out need a legit 2 guard, period. Maybe Malcolm Lee will show something, who knows. Thoughts?

With the liklihood of not drafting Irving ;-( and the real possibility of Rubio not coming over this year, I for one do not wan the wolves to go into next season with a point guard sitatuation similar to what we had this year.  Focusing on the draft, we've talked about the options.  Knight, Walker, Fredette, etc.  Another possibility we need to consider is Darius Morris (http://www.nbadraft.net/darius-morris-pure-point-guard).  He is a guy that wouldn't be a reach at #20.  He certainly has the size, ball handling, IQ, and intangibles to be a fine PG in the league.  He's not like any other point guard in the draft that is being considered in round 1.  All of the others seem to be scorers first or maybe combo PG's (with the exception of Irving who is the complete package IMO).  The one thing that Morris has is guile.  The dude's hoops IQ is off the charts.  He reminds me of Andre Miller in that respect.  Read the article if you haven't yet.  I have seen him play quite a bit, so I like what I see and I can see the potential that people talk about. 

Again, I would say this would be plan C or D for the point guard position, but you have to be ready for plans C through Z, which I don't think Kahn has ever planned for.  If all other possibilities fall through, and we draft at 3 or 4, we could afford to draft BPA available and not have to worry about reaching, and then nab Morris at 20.  You could take a Kanter, Williams, Biyombo, Burks with the top pick and then nab Morris later on.  It seems like the point guards drafted in the first round the last few years have been pretty successful, and the level of success hasn't necessarily been directly correlated to the exact position they've been drafted at.  In other words, we've seen PG's drafted in the teens and 20's turn out to be just as good if not better than those drafted sooner.  Maybe Morris could follow suit.  Thoughts?

I'm admitting it.  Not only won't I shed a tear if we end up dealing Rubio, I may actually even prefer it.  I just don't like his style of play for the NBA.  PG's of today are powerful, aggressive hoop drivers who can score and dish.  If you have one the odds are that you have a good team.  So you better try to get one.  I've been on record as saying I'd rather have Kyrie Irving than Rubio and now I am about to add Brandon Knight to that list (crickets chirping...).  Blast me if you want but the dude is a specimen physically.  He is really turning into a model NBA point guard.  He has a lot to learn but he has the tools and toughness.  It's probably a moot point though as Kahn's woody for Rubio sticks out like Will Farrel's did while talking to Ms. Corningstone.  I think Kahn may have some tough decisions to make come draft day.  If Williams, Sullinger, and Barnes keep playing at a high level, they could move ahead of Irving in the draft.  We could be sitting there with the 3rd pick with Irving in our laps.  And Kahn would pass.  And then I'd proceed to break a small appliance.  So my queries are, would YOU take Irving at 3 if he was there for us?  Would KAHN take Irving at 3 if he was there?  If Knight made it to our 2nd pick would you take him and would Kahn?  Discuss...

This is ridiculous.  Tell me I'm wrong on this.  Given these assumptions:

1. Kyrie Irving,  Alec Burks, and Harrison Barnes put their names into the draft.

2. We get pick #3.

We not only COULD, but SHOULD come away with Irving and either Burks or Barnes.  Even the average rube could be a good enough GM to make it happen, really.  This doesn't have to be rocket science.  A GM shouldn't be "attached" to any one player so much so that he is risking the very franchise he will COULD play for (Rubio).  And I say COULD because I won't believe it until I see his feet hit the floor at Target Center. 

So how do you do it?  Use your assets, plain and simple.  We have a player that is worth a lot and is highly coveted, and another player or 2 we could use to get it done.  AND we have draft picks.  First target is Irving.  He's not going past the first pick.  We bite the bullet and offer our 3rd pick and Rubio to Cleveland for the top pick.  We take Irving.  Ka ching, goal #1 accomplished.  Goal #2 - get into picks 6-10 to target either Burks or Barnes.  You first try and offer both the utah and memphis picks to a team to move up.  If that's not enough you offer one of the picks and a player.  Something like the memphis pick, a 2nd round pick, plus a player like flynn, or ridnour, or pek, or darko, or tolliver, or Ellington, or Webster.  If that isn't enough, you step it up a bit and offer both the utah and memphis picks and any combo of those players.  If that isn't enough, yes, consider throwing in Randolph or Beasley.  Ultimately yes, you want to keep Beas and Randolph, but if it allows you to nab Barnes or Burks, you bite the bullet. 

So, as you can see, it is all very realistic, and could be done without too much hassle.  If Irving and Burks/Barnes were nabbed, you'd have a stud up and coming back court that would put fear into the opponent in a relatively short amount of time.  You'd have Wes and Beas (hopefully, but if not, i could live with it) at the other wing position with one starting, one super sub.  You'd have Love doing his thing.  Then you have Randolph and Pec or Darko split time in the pivot.  That would still be the weak point, but Randolph could be a surprise if he adds some weight.  He is surely bigger than he was a couple years ago, that is for sure.  This team would be attractive enough for free agents to want to jump on board, I believe. 

What say you?

Just thought I'd start up a conversation about how some the better bigs in college are looking and how some of them could fit on the wolves next year.  The big thing right now with drafting is production vs. potential.  In this era it seems that potential is outweighing college production, and by a wide margin.  I haven't seen all the bigs listed on the draftexpress.com and nbadraft.net play, but I have seen a pretty good number.  I will focus on Perry Jones, Jared Sullinger, Marcus Morris, Tristan Thompson, and JuJuan Johnson.  Starting with Jones, I like him as much as the next guy, but I think he's so highly rated because of his athleticism.  I guess I could see his game to be a better fit in the NBA than in college, but why is he rated SO much higher than Tristan Thompson, another fab freshmen?  Their stats are very similar.  Very similar size.  Very athletic.  And what about JuJuan Johnson?  All he does is score 20 ppg, pull down 8 boards a game, and blocks almost 3 a game.  Talk about a well rounded offensive game.  Can do damage inside and out.  He is very similar in size to Jones and Thompson, yet doesn't get the PR because he didn't get all the McDonald's All American high school hype.  I think his production has a good chance of carrying over to the pros because of his style.  Ya he needs to get stronger, but that isn't his game.  There is a place in the NBA for finesse 4's who can score in a diverse fashion (can't believe he could be there early round 2 for our pick, he would be the SOD at that point).  Another big producer is Sullinger.  Some nights when I watch him I think he's going to be the next Barkley.  Then some nights I watch guards block his shot and the doubts start to creep in.  At this point I do think he will be a very good pro with similar limitations that Love has (getting off the floor).  He has a better offensive game than Love, but doesn't have Love's outside shot.  I think Sully is potentially better on D than Love.  And finally there is Marcus Morris.  Up until this year he was a solid producer and didn't do things with flash.  Now his production is up and he is looking flashy doing it.  He is a prototypical 4 and has a good chance to be a very good pro. 

I am in the camp right  now that if some of these guys are available and they are the best available player at our draft spot, that we don't hesitate to take them.  I know none of them are centers and we have Kevin Love as our anchor 4, but would you rather reach for a SG or Euro C at #3 having passed on Sullinger just to watch him become an all-star on another team?  I wouldn't.  There are a glut of 4's this year and that's just the way it is.  In the last several years, there has never been a glut of the position player that we have needed.  It's just not our luck, never will be.  So you draft best player available, even if it's redundant.  As long as you think that player will pan out to be a very good pro.  Then assuming the player is legit, you contemplate moving one of your redundant players for a position of need. 

Ultimately, we get the top pick and take Irving and call it a day.  But I suspect we'll draft around pick #4.  I don't think Barnes will come out, but even if he did, he'd be a reach at 4, and I don't think he's a prototypical 2 guard.  I like Burks and Selby, but that could be too high for those SG's as well.  So you take a Sullinger, Derek Williams (AU), Perry Jones.  Can't miss guys who are redundant.  Now if we end up getting a crap pick like #7, then you might consider Burks, Selby (probably not, I'm not as high on him as I was a couple weeks ago), maybe even a Kemba Walker.  The ultimate value picks in round 2 if it went something similar to the draft sites, would be JuJuan Johnson, Demitri McCamey, who is another guy who looks the part, produces, but doesn't have the jet quickness of some of the other more highly rated PG.  Still think he could be a good starting PG in the league though.  Pretty random post I know, was more or less wondering about everyone's thoughts on taking sure fire but redundant players over players who might be more of a need.  That and the skewed (possible) rankings of the current bigs in college.

What say you?

I see there is already some chatter about next year's draft here and on other boards.  Gotta love that.  Let the current wolves grow and develop and the future wolves carve out a draft spot.  I am here to tell you not to fear, that we will get our guy in the first round who will be a difference maker from day 1.  And we won't need a top 6-7 pick to nab him.  So we can forget all the tanking business when the season starts to come to an end.  This will be a win win situation.  There are 3 big weaknesses right now in our backcourt.  Defense, penetrating (scoring or dishing), and creating a shot.  Well my friends there just happens to be a guy who will be rising up draft boards this year that will give us just that.  Is he a 2 guard?  A PG?  The answer to both could be yes.  He's a combo special.  Right now he sits at #13 on draftexpress.com and #20 on nbadraft.net.  Josh Selby of Kansas is the player I'm talking about.  He is a hard nosed baller who can get his own and play defense, and looks to be an outstanding shooter/finisher as well.  He is listed at 6-3 right now.  Watch him rise up the charts as the year progresses.  Hopefully not too high though.  There are just too many reasons to draft him.  Could he start at the 2?  Maybe maybe not.  If he ends up measuring in at 6-4 or better with a long reach, it could be conceivable.  At bare minimum he would be everything Jonny Flynn was supposed to be.  A dynamic combo who breaks down defenses and pesters the hell out of anybody with the basketball.  Guys like that play in crunch time at the end of games and are difference makers, even if they don't have a true position.  Hell if he beats out Rubio at the PG position then who cares?  At least Kahn could say that he drafted him as a combo 2 guard and not get made fun of for drafting another PG.  I would like to see a matchup between KU and Duke later this year in the tourney if and when Kyrie Irving gets healthy.  I think we could learn a lot about them both.  Discuss....

I'd like to focus primarily on 2 guys - Sundiata Gaines and Wes Johnson.  As Karl Marx once said,

“History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.”

This quote can be used in many aspects of life, including basketball.  In this case with our point guard position.  Rambis is asking the SAME point guards to do the SAME thing night after night.  We are getting the SAME results on a consistently inconsistent basis.  Turnovers, terrible defense, below average shooting and scoring, no threat of penetration.  Lonny Flynour just isn't cutting the mustard.  But yet Rambis keeps pulling the string on the back of the doll thinking something different will happen.  Now if we were in a race for the 8th playoff seed I may tend to cut him some slack, but where not.  It's time for a heapin' helpin' of Sundiata Gaines.  Say it with me.  Sun-Di-Ah-Ta.  Sun-Di-Ah-Ta.  Is he the answer?  Probably not.  But he can't be any worse than Flynour.  But he could be better.  We may never know, as Rambis is one stubborn SOB.  Secondly, Wes Johnson. I can see the potential.  I've watched him his whole career, all the way back when he was a cyclone.  I can't pretend to know how Rambis runs his practices or tries to develop his players' skills.  Here's how we do it though.  For several practices in a row, you FORCE a player to focus on only one thing in scrimmage situations.  You don't tell the rest of the team what's going on.  You keep that a secret.  Rambis needs to tell Wes, in scrimmage situations, to drive the ball as deeply into the paint as he can on EVERY possession.  In fact demand it or punish him with heavy doses of cardio or singing in front of the vets or whatever else is necessary.  It won't be pretty at first, but once he gets that mind set, it will improve.  Then if that starts to translate to games, go to the next thing that I think Wes should work on - posting up.  Here's a 2 guard that is 6-7 with a huge wing span that can jump out of the gym.  I wonder if Rambis even knows that you can post up a guard.  Probably not - it doesn't fit the triangle is probably what he'd say.  Another reason he needs to be kicked out the door.  Anyways, had to get that off my chest.  Happy holidays all....

Not trying to make any case for him, just thought I'd ask if anyone has seen him play for the skyforce this year.  He's averaging 14 and 9.  The dude is almost 7 foot and weighs 300 lbs.  Looks like he is in better shape than he used to.  Here's his bio .  I bet he's better than Koufos.  Anyways, anyone see him play this year and could he be worth a flyer?

Everyone across the league has taken note of the tremendous stats that Kevin Love has put up and the big time turnaround in Darko Milicic's game.  Love is free-flowing offensively, showing some nice post moves and nailing open jumpers.  And of course he's a wrecking ball on the boards.  Darko's confidence is growing by the day, displaying a nice array of drop steps and jump hook finishes.  He has even attempted some pinch post face ups offensively, a sign of (over)confidence.  Wolves fans are giddy about these recent developments.  But maybe they should look at things from an outsider's point of view.  There are two main points to consider.  One, what do playoff contending teams' front lines look like?  And two, do those playoff contending teams run their offense through the post?  Let's consider point number one.  What do contending teams front lines look like.  If you look at 4's and 5's of some of the better teams that are out there right now and have done well in the playoffs in the recent past, what you'll likely see is a combination of length, athleticism, skill, and power.  Having all four of those assets seems to be almost paramount for a successfull playoff run.  If your 4 and 5 man cannot combine to give you those 4 assets, or are severly deficient in 1 or 2, you have a problem.  Kevin Love offers tremendous skill and power.  Large deficiencies in athleticism and length, and this cannot be debated.  Darko Milicic offers length, above average (although inconsistent) skill, and adequate power.  Compare this tandem against other successful teams (Lakers, Celtics, Magic, and others) and you'll get the point.  So to conclude point one, I am saying that to be a successful playoff team, we will have to thrive DESPITE our front line, even though they are performing very well at this point in time.  Point number two.  How do playoff contending teams use their bigs in the flow of their offense?  On this point I will talk specifically about Darko Milicic.  Noone can deny his improved play on the offensive end (love what he is doing on the defensive end).  But take a look at HOW is getting his points - in isolation situations.  He is a much better passer than Al Jefferson but at times I feel I'm watching him all over again this year when Darko gets the ball.  The ball gets entered.  Darko holds it, surveys, crab dribbles, and puts up the shot.  Lately that shot has been falling.  I believe that is beside the point.  It seems the wolves are very heavily dependent on that type of style.  Throw it down low, let the big guy do his thing.  I believe it leads to stagnation and it looks very similar to last year.  Again, think of the teams I mentioned above.  Do they use their bigs in this fashion?  I don't believe nearly as much as the Wolves do.  So to conclude on point number two, Darko is looking good offensively, but I believe he is opening up a slight black whole that I hope the whole team doesn't get sucked into.  I hope I can look back at this post 2 or 3 years down the line when the wolves are in the western conference finals and say what an idiot I was.  Heck, some of you may say that right now and I wouldn't blame you.  But I am saying that I don't think we'll ever get out of the first round with this front line, assuming we get there period.  Not unless we end up getting an all-star guard or wing or a big with 3 of the 4 assets mentioned above.  And those types of players don't exactly grow on the draft tree, but they MIGHT be able to be acquired in some sort of trade.  Hmmmm.....  Just sayin.....

There's a new breed of point guard in the NBA.  Powerful, quick, fearless, ultra athletic.  Westbrook, Rose, & Wall are examples of the new breed of lead guards in the association.  Two words come to mind for guards like this.  Wreak and Havoc.  On both ends of the floor.  These guys can dominate games, they put fear into the opposition.  Whether they are exploding past their hopeless defender or pulling up for a 20 footer, they change the game to a huge extent.  I will be watching Kemba Walker closely the rest of the year as I believe he has the potential to be that type of player.  I had hopes that Jonny Flynn would develop into that type of player.  He showed it in college at times.  I hope he gets back soon so we can get an accurate gauge the rest of the season to see what type of player he is along side this new breed of wolves.  Let's say Jonny only shows to be a spark plug type of guy and not the lead dog PG.  If Rubio give indication of not coming over or he is involved in a trade, Walker could be the guy.  Not saying it will happen.  Just putting it out there.  He averaged 30 ppg at the Maui Invitational against tough competition and is playing the best at his position so far this year, although the season is young.  Can I have your thoughts on how you think Walker will pan out in the NBA?

Let me start by saying that this group of guys has me excited for now, and the future as well.  Beasley and Love are becoming who we thought they could be, Wes has shown flashes and has a bright future, Darko provides nice interior defense and has recently showed more of an offensive pop, Brewer has found a nice niche with his defense and hustle, etc. etc. etc.  I am looking forward to the return of Flynn and the arrival of Rubio next year.  Our PG situation is bright in my opinion (I even like Sundiata Gaines for kripes sake, dude knows how to penetrate and dish/score, he's just young and raw).   I am also very pumped about Webster and his potential.  It is not out of the question that he could reach his potential much like Beas and Love and be a very good starting 2 guard.  That being said, with all of these pieces, other than Beasley, nobody jumps out at you as far as providing the ability to create his own shot.  Webster would be the next best, and Jonny has some of that as well.  But I believe the squad needs to find a 2 guard or combo guard who has that quality.  Again, ya Beas can do it.   But teams will figure out sooner or later that they need to double him more often.  Having a 2nd guy who can do that would be huge.  Whether that player is a starter or a reserve, comes from a trade or a draft pick, I think we need it to go to the next level.  It doesn't have to be a prototypical shooting guard.  It can be an undersized to if need be.  Not saying he's the guy, but a LaceDarius Dunn type of guy (Baylor) is the kind of guy we could land with a 2nd round pick.  Another guy who fits this description at the college level would be Josh Selby (Kansas).  I'm sure a lot of you guys know of others, maybe you can name a few candidates.  And then there are trade or free agent possilities.  Again, I'm hoping you guys can name a few names here as well.  Thoughts?

I am not advocating trading Kevin Love.  That being said there is no player who is untradeable.  After reading Oceanary's post about his conversations with Ronzone, I think we can conclude that it was more than "it's just lunch".  Two factors come into play here.  Rambis basically admitting that Love isn't our best player (and sending a signal right off the bat with a lack of playing time for KL), and Ronzone's admission of liking Beasley a lot.  On top of that admitting that he (and probably others in the organization) absolutely love Wes J and want him at the small forward in the starting lineup.  I believe this all adds up to another famed twolves death match.  This time it's Beasley vs. Love.  And translating from what we've heard, it would not surprise me if Mr. Love is headed out the door at some point this season.  Again, not saying I'm for or against that.  I am however wondering what the bounty is for Love.  I would say our two main needs are at shooting guard and center.  Ellington is a nice bench option and I do like Webster to start at the 2, but is he "the man" for the future at the 2 guard?  I don't know.  I also believe that Brewer will either be dealt or plain and simple left to rot on the bench.  Frankly he's not a 2 guard in the first place.  Right now our centers are the Manna from heaven, big Pec, and Koufos.  Koufos is expendable.  I like what Pec can do in doses.  Let's face it Darko is an average center.  We can do better. 

So we're looking at needing a 2 guard who can shoot the lights out and create his own shot and a center who is long and athletic and has an intimidation factor about him.  Unfortunately there isn't a ton of options in next year's draft at those two positions.  I will be watching shooting guards Alec Burks, Rodney Buford, and Josh Selby and bigs Enes Kanter, Renardo Sidney, and maybe a couple others, with interest.  As far as trading for a 2 guard or a center using Love as the trade bait, and maybe throwing in a pick or player, what are the options?  Iguadola?  Oden?  What say you?

The wolves need a starting caliber 2 guard.  They need a player who can create off the bounce.  The need a number one option on offense.  All of these needs have been mentioned by us at this site as well as coaches and front office personnel in the wolves organization.  Up until the acquisition of Mike Beasley, it seemed that since Kahn has been in the front office, that he has selected and acquired "nice guys".  Players who are squeaky clean with no baggage or attitude issues.  Then the Beasley acquisition.  Don't get me wrong I like that move, but if Kahn didn't mind so much Beasley's so called issues, why then did he not use that mindset for the draft?  ESPECIALLY when you could have done it at the end of the first round and even into round 2?  The player who we should have taken a flyer on was Lance Stephenson.  Ya I know it's only summer league but he appears to be the real deal and potentially would have at least ATTEMPTED to address the needs mentioned above.  I guess I would like Kahn to explain why Lance wasn't even considered.  Anyone have any clue as to why he may not have been?

John Salmons anyone?  We do need a 2 guard.  He did score 20 ppg last season.  He is a legitimate starting caliber player, can score in a variety of ways.  And he isn't a big name type of guy.  I could see the wolves going after him.  Not sure I have a feeling one way or the other, other than I was surprised to see he scored 20 a game last year.  Does he do anything for anyone?

Ya we took Prestes, a Euro-stash.  But one thing I think we should have addressed is the center position.  If we get Darko then we'll be average at the center position.  If he doesn't come back we are hosed and out gunned once again in the pivot, plain and simple.  We needed to take a flyer on Whiteside, Pittman, or Alabi.  My preference would have been to take either Terrico White or Lance Stevenson at #30, and Alabi at 45.  Ya, that's a ton of rooks.  Most likely one or both would not have panned out.  But maybe just maybe one of them would have.  I'm starting to not believe the front office about what they say we need and what we're actually acquiring.  They've mentioned the need for a penetrating scorer.  Why the hell then do you take Heyward when White and Stevenson are there?  They say we need length and athleticism.  Hayward gives you neither, Whiteside or Alabi would have fit nicely.  I guess I need an explanation.  I think we kind of wasted the last 1/2 of our draft when 2 of our needs could have been ATTEMPTED to have been met.

Getting the feeling the only way we get a top 3-4 wing in this draft is by trading down from our top spot.  Wes will be gone.  Don't like Aminu.  Teams will be wanting to move up to our spot for a top 4 talent.  We trade down to around 9 and have our choice of George or Henry.  Too many teams are rumored to like both of those players before 16 and they won't be willing to trade out of those spots down to 16.  If Kahn can get back into the top 10 with a 2nd pick he will have made a believer out of me.

It sounds like there may be a chance that Whiteside slides and makes it to our 16th pick.  Let's assume we ended up using the 4th pick on Favors.  Now we're sitting at 16 and Whiteside is there.  Henry and George are gone, but Anderson is there available at 16, as is Damion James.  The question is, what do you do?  Do you go for the freakish upside of Whiteside and pair him with Favors?  Or because it would be the last chance to address the wing position with any sort of legitimacy, you take either Anderson or James?  I tell you what.  A front line of Favors and Whiteside, if they both panned out, would be a scary one.  You'd still have a hole to fill at the wing position though.  What do you do in this case?  As of this moment in time (and I could change my mind tommorow), I really think I would take Whiteside and roll the dice on acquiring a wing in some other fashion.  What do you do?

Just wanted to see what we all thought about being able to move up to #2 by simply trading our #4 and #16 picks to Philly.  Let's assume they'd do the deal and no other players were involved.  Would you do it?  The question kind of boils down to if you like one player that much over 2 others.  Turner vs. Favors and Anderson.  Turner vs. Cousins and George.  Turner vs. Johnson and Whiteside.  You get my drift.

Poll

Would you give the #16 pick to move up to #2?

77%

Yes

78 votes

22%

No

23 votes

101 votes | Poll has closed

OK so maybe it's not totally new.  Dirk, Mehmet Okur, Channing Frye, Matt Bonner, etc. etc.  Bigs who are floor stetchers primarily.  Great outside shooters who help open the lane by bringing big defenders with them.  It seems like more and more teams are going in this direction whether it be a starter on a team or an important bench guy.  There are a few guys who fit that bill in this year's draft.  Motiejunas is the obvious one who belongs in that category but I think we all would rather go with a different pick.  That being said if he drops to 16 we would have to take a strong look.  I am actually going to pimp the only other player in the draft who I think has the potential to be a very good floor stetching 4 in the NBA - Craig Brackins.  I watched him his entire career at ISU and when teams play him one on one he destoys them.  Last year he saw a lot of double teams and teams played him really physically.  He still had a good year (not great), but he played a lot more on the block than I think he will in the NBA.  I don't think he'll last until our 2nd round pick, but if he did, what a steal.  If a lot of other players that we were hoping to draft are gone at #23, we could do worse than picking him there.  Of course a lot of this depends on the direction of the team.  Are we going to be a "gunning" team?  Will we move Jefferson or Love or both?  Will we be able to acquire a center with legit size?  If we end up in a scenario where we are planning to trade our bigs, and we end up with the 3rd pick and draft Cousins, Brackins would be a PERFECT compliment to Cousins.  And don't think that Brackins is just a shooter.  He rebounds and blocks shots and is a pretty good passer.  I pasted an article below about what he's been up to lately.  I'd like to hear others' thoughts on Brackins.  Where you think he SHOULD be drafted, how you see him fitting in on the wolves, etc.

Brackins working to fulfill NBA dream

Posted on May 17, 2010 by Eric Petersen.

AMES – Craig Brackins lives mere minutes off the Las Vegas Strip. He’s more interested in work than play.

"I’m too tired for that," the former Iowa State star said. "We don’t really do much. We are so focused on our stuff."

Brackins and a group of NBA Draft hopefuls that includes Big 12 Conference foes Sherron Collins of Kansas and Oklahoma State’s James Anderson have  spent the last two months working out three times a day, six days a week in preparation for June 24’s draft.

Brackins, who decided to forgo his final season of eligibility at ISU, says he’s in the best shape he’s ever been in.

"I think I’ve gotten a lot better," he said. "Shooting-wise, understanding my game. As an athlete in general I’ve improved. I’ve put in a lot of time. I’ve worked as hard as I ever have in my life. I’m ready."

This week marks the beginning of an important stretch for the 6-10, 230-pound forward.

Brackins was one of six players who worked out Monday for the Milwaukee Bucks. He’ll drive down to Chicago today for Wednesday’s start of the NBA’s annual pre-draft camp.

ISU assistant coach T.J. Otzelberger, Brackins’ primary recruiter, and new head coach Fred Hoiberg will be there to watch him.

Next week Brackins travels to Boston, Toronto and San Antonio for workouts with those teams.

"It’s big," he said. "These next couple of weeks are pretty important for me… I don’t’ really have any expectations. I’m pretty much all over the (draft) board."

Mock drafts have the Palmdale, Calif., native being picked anywhere from late in the first round to the middle of the second.

Brackins was a first-team all-Big 12 pick as a sophomore but struggled to duplicate those numbers last year. He averaged 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds for the Cyclones, who finished a disappointing 15-17.

In his words, this time and the next month leading up to the draft will largely be spent "showing people I can still play."

"Last year I was a lottery pick," Brackins said. "I don’t see what’s changed. Whatever they saw last year is still there."

He’s spoken to Hoiberg since the former Minnesota Timberwolves executive took over for Brackins’ head coach, Greg McDermott. Hoiberg saw Brackins , ISU’s 12th-leading scorer of all-time with 1,539 points, play several times in person the past two seasons.

"He thinks I’m going to have a great career," Brackins said, "and coming from him… I was very appreciative of that."

Brackins, Anderson and West Virginia’s Devin Ebanks have been roommates in Las Vegas.

They help to push one another.

"We have a good group," Brackins said. "We look out for each other."

That means limiting the visits to Las Vegas Blvd. casinos and clubs until after next month’s draft.

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Kahn has stated several times that we need a go to guy.  A superstar.  I guy who, at the end of game, you just say go get it done.  I don't think Rubio is that guy.  I'm not sure even if Wall is that guy.  Frankly I don't think there's anyone in this year's draft who is that guy.  So that leaves a player who's out there, who COULD be had with some sort of trade.  The word COULD is the key.  Let's be real.  This is Minnesota.  Not exactly the mecca destination of choice for NBA players.  So the type of player that could be targeted is one who is an all-star, but not an all-star starter type.  The question is, who is that player, and how much would you give up to get him?  Keep in mind we would need to PRY a player a way of this caliber with a significant trade offer.  To play this game, Love is worth a mid 1st round pick and so is Jefferson.  No higher.  Flynn worth a pick in the 20's.  Same with Brewer.

Just poking around at some highlights of different players.  I never saw Jones play.  But in his highlights, holy crap.  This guy knows how to put the ball in the hole from anywhere on the court.  He lists as the same height as Thornton but 10 pounds heftier (all muscle).  I sure would like to hear some input on him from people who might have seen him play.  Seems like the kind of guy some teams might have ranked way higher than some of the draft sites because of his offensive skills.  Can anyone help a brother out?

The NBA will be seeing a changing of the guard in 4-5 years.  The wolves have a chance to be perfectly positioned to take advantage of the aging perennial playoff teams.  I believe that an arguement can be made that the wolves should keep all 3 1st round picks to take young talent.  Let's look at some of the teams/players who will be either out of the league in a few years or on the decline:

I'll focus on the West:

1. Lakers - Kobe.  He's GOT to slow down at some point.  They have Gasol and Bynum.  But without Kobe that team is a borderline playoff team in a few years.

2. Dallas - Dirk.  He has the style of game that could actually hold up another 4-5 years but Kidd will slow down and overall that team will be on the slide.

3. Phoenix - Nash.  I have a feeling he'll retire in a couple years.  Stoudamire may or may not be with the team. 

4. San Antonio - Duncan.  He's already on the downslide.  He'll either be done or hanging on in Shaq like fashion.  They'll have Parker, but he's not enough to overcome the loss of Duncan.  Ginobili will be on the downslide and completely bald in 3-4 years.

Good teams in the West who will still be at their peak and not aging:  Denver (although Chauncey will be getting up there, but they have their replacement on the roster), Utah (Williams will still be a stud in 3-4 years, they always seem to bring in young guys when needed), Portland, OK City, Memphis will all be in their primes if they can keep their young talent and add another key piece or 2.  I can see them in the top portion of the west, with the bottom half giving room to teams who will have started the youth movement THIS year.  Several teams in the East are OBVIOUSLY going to have some major issues in a few years with aging/retiring players.

Anyways, I know that many think we won't have 3 rooks on the squad next year, but I guess I'm saying I wouldn't mind it.  Not saying it's my preference, but I can see the logic if that's the direction we go.  If Rubio turns out to fulfill his promise, we nab an all-star with one of our picks from this year, and another of the picks from this year turns out to be a good starter, then we'll have looked like geniuses.  My question is, would this work for you AND would the fans be able to live with another 2 years of non-playoff appearances (a goal would be to make it in 3 years)?

As fans and wolves front office personnel have lamented, the team is in desperate need of wings who:

1. Have legitimate size.

2. Can shoot.

3. Are athletic.

4. Can defend.

Yes there has been a lot of talk on this site about possibilities at this position, but recently there has been movement on various mock drafts with some key players at the 2 & 3 positions.

1. Paul George - SF, Fresno St.

I'll admit I've never seen him play.  He has moved up to mid teens on nbadraft.net, from mid 20's previously.  His bio compares him to Danny Granger.  Hmmm...  Gotta love the sound of that.

2. Avery Bradley - SG - Texas

Has moved up to mid teens as well.  I see him as a guy who's game translates extremely well to the pros.  A lot of fans on this site would probably be upset if we picked him, as we've had a crap run on undersized 2 guards in the last few years.  Hopefully if we pass on him he won't make fools of us.

3. Kyle Singler - SF, Duke

He really did put it all together in the big dance.  Really fulfilled his promise in front of everyone.  He can flat out shoot.  He showed a lot of other aspects to his game in the tourney too.  Has risen above Heyward to the late teens on NBAdraft.net.

4. Damion James - SF, Texas

Has risen to mid teens on draftexpress.com.  I think he may end up being better than some of the higher profile wings in this draft.

5. James Anderson - SG, Okie State

This is my guy.  He hasn't really moved up or down on either site, just want to get him on this post as someone I hope we consider.

6. Ebanks - SF, West Virginia

The 2 sites are way apart on him.  NBAdraft.net loves him in the mid teens, with draftexpress.com dissing him at the end of round 1. 

Other 2's and 3's that could be considered:

Willie Warren, Lance Stephenson, Gordon Heyward, Dominique Jones, Quincy Pondexter.

And of course you've got the top tier of Turner, Johnson, Aminu, Henry. 

At this point, if there is a choice between 2 guys, and we have them ranked close, I say we err on the side of length, size, and athleticism.  In other words, if Ebanks, Singler, and Heyward are there at our Utah pick and we like all 3, I'm hoping we would go with Ebanks (even though I'm not a huge fan of his).  You get my drift.  2 questions for you.  Who would you target among these prospects, and why do you think there has been such big movements recently even though the college hoops season has wrapped up some time ago?

Thought I'd start a post as to what all the positives would be with having Wall on this team would provide.  Maybe some ones we haven't all thought of.  Feel free to put in your negatives if you want I guess.  I bet after the Turner-ites do this, they'll re-think things a bit.  Even if you're a Turner-ite, please add any positives I may have left off.

1. Could play some 2 guard if need be.

2. Offers superstar potential that could lure free agents in the future.

3. Unquestioned speed and athleticism.

4. A huge upgrade defensively at PG.  So tired of watching our PG's play crap D.  This one is huge for me.

5. Has shown to both take games over AND defer.

6. Has potential to be the top player at his position in the future.

7. Star power would get fans into the seats.

8. Getting Wall could mean shipping out both Al and Love (a lot of people wouldn't mind this) for more athletic bigs who have the ability to get up and down the floor and run.

9. Would allow us to trade the Rubio asset and get something LEGITIMATE in return.  Let's face it, Rubio is still an unknown (Wall isn't).

10. Would provide a ton of new Hanny-isms.