June 26-27, 2024 - Draft Days Thread (second round starts 3 pm)

[Klomp]

From Sam Vecenie

Since 2008, there have only been 11 seniors selected with an assist rate (AST/TO) of 1.2 or worse, per Bart Torvik’s database: Buddy Hield, Jimmer Fredette, Chris Duarte, Ochai Agbaji, Matisse Thybulle, Marshon Brooks, Quincy Pondexter, Lazar Hayward, Davon Reed, Carrick Felix and Orlando Johnson. Hield and Thybulle are the only two hits in that group.

Terrence Shannon Jr AST/TO: 1.14

This definitely isn't a Vecenie draft for us

Dillingham 15
Shannon 39

From Vecenie today: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5596270/2024/06/28/nba-draft-grades-every-team-2024/

I ended up with Dillingham at No. 15 on my board, but would have had him drastically higher on a board made specifically for the Wolves. Why? I’ll let Connelly explain.

“We have a lot of good things – the success in the playoffs, the regular season,”Connelly said during his post-draft news conference. “But we lacked probably a guy, besides Ant(hony Edwards), where it’s like, ‘Alright, just go get it.’ How do you get there? Free agency? We had limited options in free agency. Trades? The guys (on our team) that have value league-wide, we don’t want to trade them. And then you try to get creative. We thought he was the best shot creator in the draft. So he was a focus. There was a couple other guys that we really liked. We thought if we can get one of these three guys, even if the give (to another team) could be aggressive and it can be a lot, I don’t know how we can achieve that in the next two or three years via free agency. We don’t want to trade our core guys. It’s pretty simplistic. I think we’ve checked a major box that we lacked last year.”
--
I still have worries Dillingham is going to be able to play in playoff settings. NBA teams will absolutely hunt him with their best players and sets both on and off the ball. But he’s been selected into the absolute perfect environment to be able to thrive. He’s going to get to learn under veteran starting point guard Mike Conley. He’s going to play in a perfect scheme for his game surrounded by the perfect roster to help him. If Dillingham is going to reach his ceiling — and that ceiling is very real because of how creative he is as an on-ball player — he has the best chance possible to do it. And on top of that, he fills the exact need Minnesota needed. I loved this deal from the Wolves. With Anthony Edwards and the team you have now, you have a real chance. Go for it and see what happens in this three-year window.

[KGdaBom]

From Sam Vecenie

Since 2008, there have only been 11 seniors selected with an assist rate (AST/TO) of 1.2 or worse, per Bart Torvik’s database: Buddy Hield, Jimmer Fredette, Chris Duarte, Ochai Agbaji, Matisse Thybulle, Marshon Brooks, Quincy Pondexter, Lazar Hayward, Davon Reed, Carrick Felix and Orlando Johnson. Hield and Thybulle are the only two hits in that group.

Terrence Shannon Jr AST/TO: 1.14

This definitely isn't a Vecenie draft for us

Dillingham 15
Shannon 39

From Vecenie today: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5596270/2024/06/28/nba-draft-grades-every-team-2024/

I ended up with Dillingham at No. 15 on my board, but would have had him drastically higher on a board made specifically for the Wolves. Why? I’ll let Connelly explain.

“We have a lot of good things – the success in the playoffs, the regular season,”Connelly said during his post-draft news conference. “But we lacked probably a guy, besides Ant(hony Edwards), where it’s like, ‘Alright, just go get it.’ How do you get there? Free agency? We had limited options in free agency. Trades? The guys (on our team) that have value league-wide, we don’t want to trade them. And then you try to get creative. We thought he was the best shot creator in the draft. So he was a focus. There was a couple other guys that we really liked. We thought if we can get one of these three guys, even if the give (to another team) could be aggressive and it can be a lot, I don’t know how we can achieve that in the next two or three years via free agency. We don’t want to trade our core guys. It’s pretty simplistic. I think we’ve checked a major box that we lacked last year.”
--
I still have worries Dillingham is going to be able to play in playoff settings. NBA teams will absolutely hunt him with their best players and sets both on and off the ball. But he’s been selected into the absolute perfect environment to be able to thrive. He’s going to get to learn under veteran starting point guard Mike Conley. He’s going to play in a perfect scheme for his game surrounded by the perfect roster to help him. If Dillingham is going to reach his ceiling — and that ceiling is very real because of how creative he is as an on-ball player — he has the best chance possible to do it. And on top of that, he fills the exact need Minnesota needed. I loved this deal from the Wolves. With Anthony Edwards and the team you have now, you have a real chance. Go for it and see what happens in this three-year window.

It's possible that Dillingham was #1 overall on the Wolves draft board.

[jpatrick]

Would be interesting to know who those other two guys are. My guess is Sheppard for one. He’s not as much of a creator as Dillingham, but I think a better overall player and a perfect fit next to Ant. The other? I’m not sure. Maybe Holland? Not a lot of on-ball creators in this draft.

I might have said Topic but couldn’t imagine we’d take a guy expected to be out this year.

[Klomp]

Would be interesting to know who those other two guys are. My guess is Sheppard for one. He’s not as much of a creator as Dillingham, but I think a better overall player and a perfect fit next to Ant. The other? I’m not sure. Maybe Holland? Not a lot of on-ball creators in this draft.

I might have said Topic but couldn’t imagine we’d take a guy expected to be out this year.

My personal guess would be that Castle was the third with the Kentucky boys.

[TheProdigy]

So overall, an A-?

A+ yesterday, A overall.

That's why they call you "TheProdigy" because you're right. AA++++++ draft. No doubt. Connelly is King!

I'm not used to front office competence from any MN sports team. I expect idiot moves. Connelly is amazing. It can be done!

BTW, the Vikings killed it this draft and the Wild are on the way up.

There is no hope for the Twins until Pohlad sells.

After hearing we got a future 2nd, I give it an A+ grade overall. Connelly is already the best GM we've ever had and he's just getting started.

[KGdaBom]

Would be interesting to know who those other two guys are. My guess is Sheppard for one. He’s not as much of a creator as Dillingham, but I think a better overall player and a perfect fit next to Ant. The other? I’m not sure. Maybe Holland? Not a lot of on-ball creators in this draft.

I might have said Topic but couldn’t imagine we’d take a guy expected to be out this year.

My personal guess would be that Castle was the third with the Kentucky boys.

That's probably it.

[KGdaBom]

A+ yesterday, A overall.

That's why they call you "TheProdigy" because you're right. AA++++++ draft. No doubt. Connelly is King!

I'm not used to front office competence from any MN sports team. I expect idiot moves. Connelly is amazing. It can be done!

BTW, the Vikings killed it this draft and the Wild are on the way up.

There is no hope for the Twins until Pohlad sells.

After hearing we got a future 2nd, I give it an A+ grade overall. Connelly is already the best GM we've ever had and he's just getting started.

It's a future protected 2nd round pick. It might not even convey. Still no precise details last I checked.

[TheProdigy]

That's why they call you "TheProdigy" because you're right. AA++++++ draft. No doubt. Connelly is King!

I'm not used to front office competence from any MN sports team. I expect idiot moves. Connelly is amazing. It can be done!

BTW, the Vikings killed it this draft and the Wild are on the way up.

There is no hope for the Twins until Pohlad sells.

After hearing we got a future 2nd, I give it an A+ grade overall. Connelly is already the best GM we've ever had and he's just getting started.

It's a future protected 2nd round pick. It might not even convey. Still no precise details last I checked.

That's fine. I've always viewed "cash considerations" as a slap in the face to fans. A protected 2nd has little value, but it does have some value that can contribute to a franchise's future success. Cash considerations have no impact on the salary cap - They only line a billionaire owner's pockets.

[KGdaBom]

After hearing we got a future 2nd, I give it an A+ grade overall. Connelly is already the best GM we've ever had and he's just getting started.

It's a future protected 2nd round pick. It might not even convey. Still no precise details last I checked.

That's fine. I've always viewed "cash considerations" as a slap in the face to fans. A protected 2nd has little value, but it does have some value that can contribute to a franchise's future success. Cash considerations have no impact on the salary cap - They only line a billionaire owner's pockets.

We traded 57 for cash considerations if I understand correctly.

[TheProdigy]

It's a future protected 2nd round pick. It might not even convey. Still no precise details last I checked.

That's fine. I've always viewed "cash considerations" as a slap in the face to fans. A protected 2nd has little value, but it does have some value that can contribute to a franchise's future success. Cash considerations have no impact on the salary cap - They only line a billionaire owner's pockets.

We traded 57 for cash considerations if I understand correctly.

We did get a future 2nd trading down from 53, so I'm happy. Have to think the # of teams looking to trade into pick #57 would be minimal.

[younggunsmn]

Nice that we got a future protected 2nd, would be curious to see if it was from Raptors or Grizzlies, but with it being at the end of a weak draft, the protections on that pick are probably pretty high.
Pretty sad how we can't even get any info on it.
NBA.com links to Woj tweets when you go to their draft page, how sad is that.