McHale on KFAN

[Winter Wonder]

Was only able to half listen, but was McHale commenting on how much he liked Mayo and the possibility of combining him and Foye in the backcourt? Does that make Mayo the frontrunner now?

Did he comment on anyone else? or anything else of great interest that I missed?

[TrentTuckerForever]

I think he's the frontrunner because he's the 3rd best player in this draft. Chad Ford's moved him up to the Wolves spot in his latest mock:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2008 ... aft-080527

... and while I know McHale has made many mistakes in free agency and late in the draft, I don't think he's dumb enough to pass on the best player available. Sure, Mayo fits with Foye and Jefferson, but I think the Wolves take him because to pass on Mayo would be taking a lesser player.

[PaintPatrol]

I just caught the end of it but I heard him say how he/they really liked how Mayo started to play the last 6 weeks of the season. Thats about all I caught.

[shrink]

Someone who heard it posted the following at rubechat as well:

Also not new news but sounded very likely we were trading the 2 2nd rounders to get into the teens or twenties.

[TrentTuckerForever]

^It would make sense for the Wolves to take Love, R. Lopez, Spreights, Koufus or even Hibbert late in the first round. I'd love to see them sign Diop to a free agent deal, but I agree with someone (I think it was you, Shrink) who said that's a pipe dream. They need a center to complement Al, and it looks more and more like the draft will be the way they go to do it.

[Devilzsidewalk]

^It would make sense for the Wolves to take Love, R. Lopez, Spreights, Koufus or even Hibbert late in the first round. I'd love to see them sign Diop to a free agent deal, but I agree with someone (I think it was you, Shrink) who said that's a pipe dream. They need a center to complement Al, and it looks more and more like the draft will be the way they go to do it.

I'd be pretty amazed if Love makes it out of the top 8 or so, and I think Hibbert is lotto for sho...F'SHO!!!!

[Carpe Diem]

-= original quote snipped =-



I'd be pretty amazed if Love makes it out of the top 8 or so, and I think Hibbert is lotto for sho...F'SHO!!!!

Love, I agree. Hibbert was exposed this season and I think his stock will continue to decline as he works out against other bigs. He is the one that I would avoid. A move up to get Koufus is the most realistic and best option to me.

[TrentTuckerForever]

The big I'd like most in the teens or twenties is the OTHER Lopez. I think a legit 7 footer who plays like Varejao would look very nice next to Big Al.

[Winter Wonder]

Hibbert late is still not a bad option. Lacks athleticism, but is used to playing some high post due to the princeton-esque offense Georgetown would run at times. He is a nice passer from the freethrow line and that would be a deadly high low combo.... it would just be nice if he could attack the basket from there, but he should be able to hit that jumper.... if he can make it up and down the court....

Not saying he is the center I shoot for, but saying he could work. He plays man defense well enough and will rebound.

[karch34]

I caught some of the interview. They asked him what he thought about Mayo since that's the fans choice at #3. He said the kid is a great player and his only real knock was at times he tried to do too much, which is different as most players you try to get them to do more. He said the 10 turnover game against UCLA was him trying to do so much and that when he actually tried to do less he's so skilled that he played much better.

Mentioned Gallarni and Joe Alexander as others that he liked, but didn't say much.

Said they'd get a list of 10 guys that they're going to reduce to a smaller number that they'd target in the mid rounds if available.

Said a little about Hibbert not moving very well, but at the same time his immense size would be a big help.

Somewhat more candid interview than we've heard in the past. Actually cracked some jokes and seemed more like the likeable announcer from the old days.

[AmitabhaBuddha]

You can listen to the interview here.

http://www.kfan.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=KFAN_PADubay.xml

[TrentTuckerForever]

I caught some of the interview. They asked him what he thought about Mayo since that's the fans choice at #3. He said the kid is a great player and his only real knock was at times he tried to do too much, which is different as most players you try to get them to do more. He said the 10 turnover game against UCLA was him trying to do so much and that when he actually tried to do less he's so skilled that he played much better.

Mentioned Gallarni and Joe Alexander as others that he liked, but didn't say much.

Said they'd get a list of 10 guys that they're going to reduce to a smaller number that they'd target in the mid rounds if available.

Said a little about Hibbert not moving very well, but at the same time his immense size would be a big help.

Somewhat more candid interview than we've heard in the past. Actually cracked some jokes and seemed more like the likeable announcer from the old days.

I miss KFAN... I moved to Chicago about a year ago now and thought since this is such a big market that the talk radio would be superior to Minneapolis. Actually the reverse is true; if any of you guys have heard the Common Man doing his "Diamond Dan" schtick, that's what all these guys sound like here. Really cookie cutter.

On topic, I think McHale's comments on Mayo are practical (basketball-related) evidence of what some people call Mayo's "It" factor. Mayo wants to be the guy. There are some truly great players (Karl Malone, McHale as a player, our guy KG) who never wanted that pressure. I'm not sure if Foye or Jefferson want it, but if the Wolves end up with two alpha dog types on this team, that's a good problem to have. Mayo isn't the greatest physical prospect (although he isn't bad), but he has demonstrated that desire to be the best, which has come out in bad ways at times. But he's going to be that alpha dog, no question in my mind.

[horaceworthy]

On topic, I think McHale's comments on Mayo are practical (basketball-related) evidence of what some people call Mayo's "It" factor. Mayo wants to be the guy. There are some truly great players (Karl Malone, McHale as a player, our guy KG) who never wanted that pressure. I'm not sure if Foye or Jefferson want it, but if the Wolves end up with two alpha dog types on this team, that's a good problem to have. Mayo isn't the greatest physical prospect (although he isn't bad), but he has demonstrated that desire to be the best, which has come out in bad ways at times. But he's going to be that alpha dog, no question in my mind.

Really? I found it to be the opposite. I thought the comments were more indicative of what an anonymous GM/scout offered up earlier in the year, that Mayo could turn out well, but he's more of a complementary guy than an "alpha dog."

McHale said that when Mayo let the game come to him more, he experienced greater success. When he tried to take over, he struggled. So, Mayo experienced greater success when he took on less of an alpha dog role.

Not trying to pick on you, but I've been a little puzzled when people on various Wolves boards talk about Mayo's "it factor." Watching Mayo, what struck me is that he didn't seem to have a great sense of The Moment. You know, a sense of "nothing's happening for us, so I need to make something happen," or "the opponent's starting to get back in it, time to stick the dagger." For everything that KG brought to the table, he lacked a sense of The Moment, knowing when his team needed him to hit big shots (not always at the end of the game). That's why he worked so well with Cassell, because Sammy, for all his faults, had that in spades.

Maybe Mayo has it too, and was just held back by Floyd. He seemed to show some signs of it in a couple of those glorified high school talent shows that pass for All-Star games. He showed it a little bit in the first half of the tourney game against KSU. Unfortunately, he kind of faded out in the second half, and tended to do that in a few of the games of his I saw. He's got a good skill set, good feel for the game, and decent physical tools, I just didn't see that "it factor" from his in the games I saw at the collegiate level.

In regards to wanting to be the alpha dog, I don't have any questions about Al's desire to be that. I do have questions about his ability to be that on a championship team. I have similar questions about Mayo's ability as well. While having two guys who want to be The Man isn't the worst problem to have, it can get a little dicey if neither one has the ability to. Two Robins don't equal one Batman.

[PeeDee]

Interesting, McHale made a good argument against the exaggerated view that teams need an elite 'protypical point guard' to compete. Once again, the finals are shaping up to feature teams without that elite pg.

That argument sounds familiar...

[PeeDee]

McHale also said there are about 10 guys they're considering packaging the 2nd rounders to move up to get.

He said he really liked CDR as a scorer and gave Hibbert the standard media line.. "not very athletic, but really understands the game". He didn't really mention anyone else.

[revprodeji]

I like the interview. I wish he would do more. I always thought McHale was good with the press.

[karch34]

I like the interview. I wish he would do more. I always thought McHale was good with the press.

When he could be candid he was very good. I think there were times he fell into a rut, but when candid I always enjoyed him.

TTF, what channel are you listening to in Chicago? I love Score 670 out there and think the worst show on that station is way better than the best on KFAN. Granted I'm a Bears and Cubs fan so a lot of the stuff is probably more up my alley, but I feel the focus a lot more on sports than KFAN does, which is what I want to hear about when I listen to sports radio.

[Winter Wonder]

If I can't get them on the radio, I often go to the website and listen to them online. That could be an option for you.

[theGreatRC]

Anybody notice how Mchale doesn't mention Telfair or Smith, but mentions Gomes about players he is excited to see getting better?


My boy Craig Smith is not coming back I bet.

My first post ever on RealGM was about Craigers hopefully making the team.

[D1SGRUNTL3D]

Meh. I probably wouldnt lose any sleep if we got outbid for cookie