Flip has done it! His 3 young pups are now grown and thriving in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game!

[moss_is_1]

Really loved Lavine after we picked him. Wished we had kept him over Wiggins, but he did have the knee injury.

[Dalvin]

I wonder how Wiggins would have developed if he had Finch as his coach all throughout those years here

[minimus]

I wonder how Wiggins would have developed if he had Finch as his coach all throughout those years here

First Team Defense

[shrink]

If people recall, LaVine was statistically the worst player in the NBA his first season. He wasn’t hitting shots until he started doing DHO’s, and he still was .. let’s be charitable and say, “questionable” .. where he would be on the floor defensively. Still, people saw signs with his well-earned leaping ability, and his tremendous work ethic. I don’t think Thibs would have turned down the Jimmy trade, but if LaVine hadn’t torn his ACL, I think that it would have been Wiggins that was dealt to CHI and not Zach, and this franchise would have a completely different trajectory.

EDIT: I would also add that today’s Zach LaVine wouldn’t have been MIN’s Zach LaVine. If Zach had stayed in MIN, he would have never got the chance to develop as the featured star, like he got in CHI. Maybe he could have become a more athletic CJ McCollum behind KAT (and potentially Jimmy Butler for a longer run).

[shrink]

That reminds me about one last point about how franchises are affected for years by individual choices:

The year before, 2013, we had the #9 pick, which we traded. McCollum went 10th. The trade brought in the #14 and #21.

With the #14, we drafted Shabazz Muhammad when Giannis went #15.

With the #21 pick, we got our center with Gorgui Dieng - Rudy Gobert was selected a few picks later.

Now, I’m not saying this to Monday morning quarterback. With any pick, there is often a player taken later who is a long shot that hits. But when the players are a 1-2 picks later (probably a few more later in the draft), your draft room probably has a list of 2-4 names, and they have to pick just one. I’m not going to blame Flip for missing on these three guys, but let me dream about how exponentially different this franchise would have been if he did.

[Klomp]

That reminds me about one last point about how franchises are affected for years by individual choices:

The year before, 2013, we had the #9 pick, which we traded. McCollum went 10th. The trade brought in the #14 and #21.

With the #14, we drafted Shabazz Muhammad when Giannis went #15.

With the #21 pick, we got our center with Gorgui Dieng - Rudy Gobert was selected a few picks later.

Now, I’m not saying this to Monday morning quarterback. With any pick, there is often a player taken later who is a long shot that hits. But when the players are a 1-2 picks later (probably a few more later in the draft), your draft room probably has a list of 2-4 names, and they have to pick just one. I’m not going to blame Flip for missing on these three guys, but let me dream about how exponentially different this franchise would have been if he did.

That draft was always the one big fault I had with Saunders. I understood his reasoning about passing on McCollum at the time, and as a result, the trade down. We were already an undersized backcourt (remember Ridnour at SG?), so a smaller combo guard didn't seem practical. But I said it at the time, it didn't feel like he respected internationals. It worked out the following year when he nailed how much Exum was glorified against weak competition while LaVine was scrutinized in the Pac 10. But in 2013, I wished the blind spot wasn't there.

[El Hespiritu]

Fair to credit Flip.

I'm sure he'd be delighted to see it.
And not because that proves he was right but he would be merely happy and proud for his kids' success.

I have no evidence but I have no doubts either.