IMO this trade is even worse than Roy/Foye

[DG4L]

I like Foye and I know some of you are still very optimistic but it's pretty clear that we got the short end of the deal on that one. Roy is now a top 25 player in the NBA while we still don't know what kind of player Foye, who's going to be 25 soon, will be. I still have high hopes for him but hopes do not equal production right now. I would trade Foye and anything on this roster other than Jefferson for Roy in a heart beat if I could, and I'm sure Portland would still decline. I'm not ripping Foye, again I like him, but that trade really hurt this franchise.

I don't think it's absurd to say that Mayo, at worse will be a solid guard that will bring great defense to the table. To me, that is his downside. His upside is an All Star guard that could potentially be a franchise player. His upside alone for a franchise desperately in need of a second star would have made him worth keeping. Mayo's marketability is also a big thing to consider. If Mayo goes on to have a good rookie season, you can bet that you will see his face on TV and other advertisements. He would have brought this franchise positive PR and a familiar face that fans could have embraced after trading KG. Now if/when he blows up in Memphis, this trade will forever be tied to the Wolves and you can bet the criticism will be very harsh and unforgiving. This might be one of those trades we talk about 5 years from now and thinking about what could have been (Jefferson + Mayo). I'm not ready fr

What's Love's upside? Feel free to chime in with your own comparisons, but I see Love being a Zach Randolph-type of player with better passing and better attitude. Very good offensive player, poor defensive player. I don't know what the hell McHale is thinking though. Which of the two undersized PF's (Jefferson being 6'9.75'' and Love being 6'9.5'') is going to play defense? AL needs a taller, quicker, explosive, more athletic big man next to him that can rotate on the KG's/Bosh's/Dirk's/Aldridge's/etc. Who's going to do that in this scenario? I'm very worried. To me, pairing these two up guarantees this franchise will never go anywhere in the longterm and will ensure that they will be rebuilding once again 3-4 years down the road. Remember, amost all the elite playoff teams had pretty good interior defense. Again, which of the Wolves' PF's are suddenly going to step up?

I'm still in total depression over this trade. If I'm going over the top here, please forgive me and do not be offended. I seriously shed a tear on Thursday night and still feel sick to my stomach. I thought Love would grow on me over time but I find myself disliking the trade even more. Someone please talk me into liking this trade. Someone please tell me why Jefferson and Love will work and why Mayo won't be the player I think he is.

[dunkonu21]

Jefferson has been a center his whole career, he has never played with someone as smart as him in the front court. That is why this can work. Jefferson started to play very good defense in the second half of the season even against much bigger players. The defense is going to take a long time to learn, as it would with any young team, but the Wolves and Wittman still put it at the top of their list.

[Baby Hook]

Mannix: McHale made a mistake
06.27.08 | SI.com's Chris Mannix thinks the Timberwolves made a big mistake drafting Kevin Love. Mannix thinks he may be serviceable. He said Kevin McHale is trying to get fired. Usually I don't disagree with guests in this space, but I'll bet $100 with anyone out there that Love goes to at least three All-Star games. I love Love.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpat ... ref=fromSI

That comes from Andrew Perloff from SI. What I don't understand is why people exclude the possiblity of Love becoming an All-Star or assuming that Mayo will be. I also dont know of a great comparison for Love, I dont think he scores as well as Randolph, but I think we will do almost everything else better.

[m23uza1hem36]

I don't assume Mayo will be a franchise player, I do think he will be a 20PPG+ player who can help a franchise back on it's feet, as for love, he's a guy that can shock people as well, I know for a fact he's talented enough to make it to the all-star game but will his talent talk in the NBA.

[D1SGRUNTL3D]

I thought the entire draft night was a disaster.

From the Mayo trade, to the Chalmers trade, to the Pekovic pick.

Just dumb all the way around

[lewdog]

I don't know what the hell McHale is thinking though. Which of the two undersized PF's (Jefferson being 6'9.75'' and Love being 6'9.5'') is going to play defense? AL needs a taller, quicker, explosive, more athletic big man next to him that can rotate on theKG's/Bosh's/Dirk's/Aldridge's/etc.

Agree. This is the main flaw of this trade. Big Al will again get worn down by bigger opponents because of his lack of size. When Al was teamed up with Theo for the ten games they played together... Al was much more productive on the defensive end.

I am totally disgusted by this organization for not addressing the need to get a quality big man for Al.
What a waste of a pick.

[DG4L]

I don't know what the hell McHale is thinking though. Which of the two undersized PF's (Jefferson being 6'9.75'' and Love being 6'9.5'') is going to play defense? AL needs a taller, quicker, explosive, more athletic big man next to him that can rotate on the KG's/Bosh's/Dirk's/Aldridge's/etc.

Agree. This is the main flaw of this trade. Big Al will again get worn down by bigger opponents because of his lack of size. When Al was teamed up with Theo for the ten games they played together... Al was much more productive on the defensive end.

I am totally disgusted by this organization for not addressing the need to get a quality big man for Al.
What a waste of a pick.

I feel that it was a waste of a pick as well. If they were sooo intent on finding a big man next to Jefferson, I would have been more content with trading down for Brook Lopez. And I wasn't very high on Brook Lopez to begin with but at least he's a legit 7 footer.

[Ashwinz.]

Collins and Cardinal as unfortunate as it seems to say as backup Frontcourt players will be of service to us while we get a GREAT chance to survey our decisions with Foye, McCants, Brewer over the coming season.

On the contrary to what some of you have stated, Pekovic is a quality big man that is technically a Timberwolf. Though we will not see him for a couple of years, It is a very nice rebuilding step to have acquired those disposable bigs, a cheap reserve in Richard, and have Miller/Love/Jefferson as a rebounding trio that will improve our rebuilding deficiencies. Watch Video of Pekovic -- I can't provide any links at this time.

That Frontcourt lineup could also provide for more fast break opportunities (oh boy were we lacking in this department) with Telfair (If Resigned), McCants, Foye, and most importantly, Brewer.

This trade, though hurtful when announced, was A GREAT step forward on all accounts.

[farzi]

As a Portland fan, I agree.

Roy is great, and I'm glad we have him. He's an all star in his 2nd year etc.

However, Mayo has superstar potential. And as someone who's seen Love since he was in highschool (and as someone who got posterized by him as a sr. (him being a sophomore)) I just don't see him having the same potential.

Adding Miller is nice, but not a long term solution.

Does adding him instead of a PG (moving Foye back to SG) mean they gave up on Brewer though?

[Carpe Diem]

When you look at Mayo in the best light and Love in the worst light it is easy to get depressed. Seems like this deal is similar to the Marbury/Allen trade a decade or so ago. Where we got the kid with the swagger who would fill the seats and be great while trading the good citizen with all the intangibles. Even if Mayo has a better career then Love, which I concede could very well be the case, you tend to forget that we also received a 16 plus ppg, 6 rpg, 3 apg long-range bomber as well.

As for the Foye/Roye deal, clearly as of today Portland got the better end of the deal. But I'd remind you of Foye's stats in May after coming back from a fairly serious injury. The jury is still out. This season is the make or break year for Foye as far as being a key asset.

As far as defense is concerned, Collins will likely see major minutes against teams with true 5's. But there are few teams in that category and starting two 4's with the skill sets that Al/Love bring will just as likely cause the other team to have to make adjustments as well. I'd rather have Collins, a veteran known for his defense, then some over-rated second rounder with fan boy buzz.

Moreover, look at what that incompetent sweater wearing bum has done with the roster in the last 12 months. We were an aging, overpaid underperforming squad in cap hell. This move in many ways completes the overhaul.

I am a T-Wolf fan true and true and will support this team no matter what. I was there for the Pooh era and will be there, God-willing, for another 50 years. I just wished I still lived in Minneapolis where I would be a season ticket holder instead of here in Dallas, whose owner gets all kinds of kudos for being masterful. Yet this team is a total mess right now. Dallas got caught holding the bag with a rapidly declining, aging pg and has traded away 1st rounders in the process.

[mayorhoiberg]

This trade, though hurtful when announced, was A GREAT step forward on all accounts.

Absolutely haven't heard it said better to this point.

My initial reaction to this trade was, in retrospect, a purely emotional one. I was severely disappointed that the Timberwolves passed on OJ Mayo's superstar potential for Kevin McHale's man crush.

But, in acquiring Mike Miller and Kevin Love, this franchise has taken a serious step forward while starting to establish an identity.

http://www.twolvesblog.com/contributors ... trade.html

This guy says it best when he lists the entire 2006-2007 roster. So, little more than a year ago, our roster included Mark Blount, Mike James, RIcky Davis, Eddie Griffin, Mark Jaric, Troy Hudson and a 21 million dollar elephant in the room.

We have none of those players now, and have started to rebuild a core of young players at every position on the roster... And still have 5 picks in next years' draft with which we can continue the process.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but the last 13 months have been really, really very good for Kevin McHale. And that includes Mayo for Love/Miller.

[funkatron101]

The one thing I will say is that Love really seems like he wants to play here. Which is always a good thing. Mayo didn't share that enthusiasm.