Poll: Who should the Wolves take with the #1 overall pick?

[horaceworthy]

I am not optimistic. Flip is stubborn, and often ignores reality.
Remember the Lavine at PG situation. He made his mind before the draft that Lavine is a PG and he continued playing him at PG even when it was obvious for everybody else that his natural position and where he excels is at SG.

Yeah, playing LaVine over Lorenzo Brown and the rest of the 3rd string PG types really speaks to Flip's stubbornness and detachment from reality.

How quickly you forgot the 2 months when Ricky was injured and Flip didn't care about acquiring a PG. He thought team needed a player like Raduljica.
And btw Brown who is not something special did a far better job at PG than Lavine.

There's not enough whiskey in the world to make me forget that stretch. Still, I'm glad Flip resisted the urge to bring in a Lorenzo Brown equivalent that wouldn't have moved the needle earlier, and instead let LaVine take his lumps. By the end of the year LaVine was actually looking like he belonged in the NBA. I wish he'd shown similar restraint and patience when it came to the Payne trade.

[Devilzsidewalk]

To avoid setting up ourselves for disappontment (especially the fans of Towns), here is what we guys should expect to happen over the next weeks. I made hints on my few posts here and you have seen signs of it come to fruition (we have already leaked reports on us being open to trading Rubio).

The guys under him are pushing Towns but Flip prefers Okafor (apparently unimpressed with Towns' video workout). Flip also likes other guys in this draft as well though. Russell is the name we floated but Mudiay and yes, Porzingis, are in play. The reason we are even taking a closer look on the two is for Flip to see if he will be comfortable trading down. If not, we are selecting Okafor with the 1st pick. We will not be adventurous here in this case.

Lakers' interest in Mudiay is legit. Kupchak knows Scott needs a dynamic guard like he had with Kidd (Nets) and CP3 (Hornets) to be successful. As serviceable as Clarkson is, he does not fit the bill. Mudiay should and LA will need a PG like him especially in our conference. They will choose Mudiay over Okafor but Towns will be too hard for them to pass on.

This is where the Knicks can come in, but it will take a promise from Phil that he will be taking Towns with the #1 pick. We'd prefer him in the East anyway if we pass on him. Knicks look like a team devoid of assets but they have guys on the cheap like Hardaway and Greek Freak Bro that could play well in the uptempo offense that Flip desires. They also have the cap space to absorb contracts that we would want to dump on them. Of course, their 2018 first round pick should be in play.

If things work out perfectly for us, this is how the draft will pan out:

1. Knicks - Towns (minus assets in trading up)
2. Lakers - Mudiay
3. Sixers - Russell
4. TWolves - Okafor (plus assets in trading down)

We get the guy we want at #1 with but using the #4 and have extra assets to show for it. Flip would have hit a grand slam and be deserving of Executive of the Year. If Okafor is gone, we would have done our homework and would be happy with Russell, Mudiay or the European KG.

Can't think of anything the Knicks have to offer unless they want to toss in a couple distant future unprotected picks. I still wouldn't do it because I don't want things to go wrong and end up with the European KG.

[dgwdum]

Yep. Kentucky didn't flop and try to take charges like Duke did all year.

They contested every shot/layup in the paint.

If you are going to make that excuse for towns then couldn't you say Okafor didn't try defensively because he was dukes best offensive weapon and they couldn't afford to lose him?



The truth is towns only played over 30 mins 3 times all year. He averaged only 2.6 fouls in those games. Yet he had 7 games where he played less than 20 minutes because he had 4+ fouls and had 13 total games of 4+ fouls. Which of those samples is the anomaly?



I'd say that while towns has the tools he will probably end up being foul prone the majority of his rookie year. By the end of the year he will probably start showing that great 2 way potential.

Yeah, because Duke teams have a long and storied history of playing defense...

Great rebuttal. I'm not advocating Okafor over towns. Towns has a higher ceiling and is a better fit for this team. I just think we shouldn't expect anything more than 10 & 8 his rookie year.

[Worm Guts]

I think his entire game is elite. What you have to realize is that while Duke's system was tailored just for Okafor, Kentucky's system is designed to suppress each players stats and games. Putting them into very defined roles. Here's an example, here are per 40 minute stats for Towns and Anthony Davis, the best young player in the game:

Towns: 19.5 pts 12.7 rebs 2.1 asts 4.2 blks
Davis: 17.7 pts 13.0 rebs 1.6 asts 5.8 blks

So, by your analysis, you would have taken Okafor over Davis? Davis was the better shot blocker compared to Towns in college, but not by a crazy amount, and the rest are basically equal or favor Towns. Moreover, Towns was put in a terrible position by Cal, being asked to be the low post scorer, a role he had not played in HS, on a line with two other non-shooter bigs, Lyles and WCS, which caused him to have no spacing, and he still matched Davis' numbers. I just don't see how he's not the #1 pick, especially given how it's almost unanimous among reporters and front office people that he is the most talented player in the draft.

He either suppressed him or hid his flaws. He didn't play as many minutes so he was always fresh and could always be aggressive. He also played with a ton of talented players who took the pressure off him. He's not Anthony Davis, no matter what the numbers look like.
I hate the consensus argument too, this isn't Lebron. Towns didn't take over the top spot on the DX mock until the last month of the season. Okafor was the consensus best player coming out of high school and for the majority of the season.

Davis played with

Marquis Teague
Doron Lamb
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Terrence Jones
Darius Miller
etc, etc....

Davis played with other good players, but he also played 32 mpg. Towns also played with a bunch of other bigs, which can be a good or bad thing statistically, but I thought it limited our ability to see Towns in all the situations we'd like to see him in.

[Klomp]

The guys under him are pushing Towns but Flip prefers Okafor (apparently unimpressed with Towns' video workout).

Do you really think he's sitting on Youtube watching videos of these guys? I'd be shocked.

[Worm Guts]

The guys under him are pushing Towns but Flip prefers Okafor (apparently unimpressed with Towns' video workout).

Do you really think he's sitting on Youtube watching videos of these guys? I'd be shocked.

I wouldn't be, he probably should be keeping close track of any info on these guys. That being said, there's a limited amount you should take away from someone working out unguarded in a gym.

[jpatrick]

The guys under him are pushing Towns but Flip prefers Okafor (apparently unimpressed with Towns' video workout).

Do you really think he's sitting on Youtube watching videos of these guys? I'd be shocked.

I wouldn't be, he probably should be keeping close track of any info on these guys. That being said, there's a limited amount you should take away from someone working out unguarded in a gym.

I agree with WG. I think they'll look at every piece of info possible, but they know that these edited workout videos going 1-on-0 are of limited value.

Towns needs to come here and go through a Flip-led workout if he wants to be the pick I think. From Doogie's tweet a couple days ago, it sounds like Flip may have to go to LA to see Okafor, which leads me to believe that he also would not be able to personally conduct the workout. I have to think if those two things happen (Towns comes here, Okafor does not), it helps Towns' chances enormously.

[Krapinsky]

I think this is now a no brainer.

Towns is the wildly more popular pick to go #1. From what I've read 13/14 lottery teams would have picked Towns #1 had they won the lottery.

Towns is the only way two player of the 2.

Towns is the only floor spacer of the 2. A need as long as Rubio, Wiggins, and Bazz are part of the puzzle.

Towns is the only one on record saying he would be happy to be the #1 pick. Okafor is hedging.

I think Flip is bluffing with the Okafor Love and by draft day he'll be saying it was Towns all along.

[C.lupus]

The guys under him are pushing Towns but Flip prefers Okafor (apparently unimpressed with Towns' video workout).

Do you really think he's sitting on Youtube watching videos of these guys? I'd be shocked.

I wouldn't be, he probably should be keeping close track of any info on these guys. That being said, there's a limited amount you should take away from someone working out unguarded in a gym.

Particularly when those videos are edited to only show the highlights.

[TRKO]

Okafor is going to have a workout video too and people will be falling all over themselves as well. I think letting game film do the talking is the wisest move.

[john2jer]

Name the skill that Towns showed in game last year at Kentucky that sold you on him or screamed elite? Is it his shot blocking, post game, athleticism, ect what is the one thing that is elite or draws you to Towns.

Defense, especially man/individual defense. He's an elite defender when manned up on someone, closing out, switching or rotating. That goes a long way when defending the PnR and teams that use a ton of action in their offense, which the nba has been moving towards. For a big man, he's a great ball handler.

[C.lupus]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/DWolfsonKSTP/status/606481715846995968[/tweet]

So who fits better with Wiggins?

[john2jer]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/DWolfsonKSTP/status/606481715846995968[/tweet]

So who fits better with Wiggins?

They both do. Both signify different directions with the team, and Wiggins can go either way.

[C.lupus]

Yeah, that's my feeling, too. There must be something that will separate them, though, for Doogie to make that statement.

[Merc_Porto]

They both do. Both signify different directions with the team, and Wiggins can go either way.

Which are the different directions ?

[Klomp]

They both do. Both signify different directions with the team, and Wiggins can go either way.

Which are the different directions ?

Throwback NBA or modern NBA

[Merc_Porto]

Throwback NBA or modern NBA

I see a new direction with Towns and i see a old direction (Love, Jefferson, Pekovic) with bad results with Okafor.
Look, the problem is not even Okafor, he is a good prospect, but we are talking about the #1 pick.

The #1 pick is a no brainer for almost every scout, every GM in this league except Flip (and yes, that was a report)
I dont even think there is a mock draft putting Okafor ahead of Towns out there.

Even for Flip own protecion, i mean, if he picks Okafor, and if Okafor fails or Towns proves to be better than Okafor.
Is going to be a huge failure.

To be fair, on the other hand, if he takes Okafor and he proves to be better than Towns is a huge home run. But the odds are not very high on that.

And nobody is going to protest that much if he goes for the obvious pick. (Towns) And that pick fails.

But the risk is too high in taking Okafor IMO.

[TwolvesFanRome]

The speeches are zero. K-A-Towns. Or it will be yet another absurd choice to draft. As criminally were made choices 2009 20100 2011.

So, please Flip, I pray you will not go wrong!

[Klomp]

And nobody is going to protest that much if he goes for the obvious pick. (Towns) And that pick fails.

That was funny.

[Merc_Porto]

And nobody is going to protest that much if he goes for the obvious pick. (Towns) And that pick fails.

That was funny.

I know, but its the true.
Its like we can always complain about picking D.Williams at #2, but again, a lot people use the excuse that D.Williams was the obvious choice at 2#.