Will Wolves @#$% this draft up?

[Gopherguy]

Check out this article by Ashburner on SI.com.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/w ... index.html

He hits on a ton of points and reinforces my belief that the Wolves will turn the best draft position into the worst draft bust this side of Ryan Leaf!

Points:
1. Should Beasley fall to the Wolves they have to draft him and would best be surved to keep him.

2. Drafting after Rose and Beasley, they have to draft Mayo in order to maximize the picks worth. Then they have to decide whether or not to keep OJ or trade him for what the office thinks is value. This is what should scare all of you to death, what is value? Getting Kaman(stiff) and the seven without getting our pick back is not going to help. I think Kaman is little better than Kandi, and for that matter when is the last time a trade with the Clips went in our favor? Trading to Memphis and the five is possible but we would not want Miller and who is avail to make up for the move down? Plus, I fear the Wolves would take Lopez instead of Love and render this all moot. I hope they can deal with Milwaukee for the eight and either Yi or Bogut and draft Gallinari, I just don't see Milw going for this. Basically I have no faith in their ability to maximize the drafting of Mayo. But that is the right and only smart move at the three.

3. Drafting Brook Lopez at any spot is going to end badly! This guy has stiff all over him. I would take Love, Gallinari, Alexander, Bayless, Randolph, etc. over him. He is hitting his head on his ceiling right now!

Well, I could go on! But it is giving me a headache.

Basically I'll be watchng the draft like a horror movie, "I know the bad guy(stupid draft move) is coming, I just don't know when!"

[Klomp]

Kaman is only a little better than Olowokandi? Kaman averaged 16 points, 13 rebounds this season. In his best season, Olowokandi averaged 12 points, 9 rebounds. 4 points, 4 rebounds might not seem like a big difference, but it is a huge one. Kaman would be a great fit alongside Jefferson, plus he's still only 26 and is signed longterm to a reasonable contract.

[D1SGRUNTL3D]

lol.

Kamans one of the top 5 centers in this league

[theGreatRC]

I was about to reply to the Kandi-Kaman comparison, but i've seen you guys are already on it.

[shrink]

While Steve Aschburner was one of the most knowledgable basketball writers in the Twin Cities, he often let his fandom, and then his anger, get the better of him in his writings. It seemed to me the wolves disappointed him in the past, and he was going to get even with them by giving everything a negative view, or tossing in unnecessary insults.

I think Ashy's new job in front of the nation at Sports Illustrated has made him confuse being "impartial" with being "against the team in your home town." While its true that huge homers lack credibity, the same could be said about guys that only complain. Both are biased.

[Gopherguy]

Kaman's career stats:

Career Season Averages
Year Team G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG
03-04 LAC 82 61 22.5 0.460 0.000 0.697 1.5 4.1 5.6 1.0 0.3 0.9 1.89 2.60 6.1
04-05 LAC 63 50 25.9 0.497 0.000 0.661 2.1 4.6 6.7 1.2 0.4 1.1 1.83 2.90 9.1
05-06 LAC 78 78 32.8 0.523 0.000 0.770 2.4 7.2 9.6 1.0 0.6 1.4 2.26 3.40 11.9
06-07 LAC 75 66 29.0 0.451 0.000 0.741 2.1 5.7 7.8 1.1 0.6 1.5 1.96 3.30 10.1
07-08 LAC 56 55 37.2 0.483 0.000 0.762 3.1 9.6 12.7 1.9 0.6 2.8 2.93 3.20 15.7
Career -- 354 310 29.1 0.484 0.000 0.738 2.2 6.1 8.3 1.2 0.5 1.4 2.14 3.10 10.3

Kandi's first five seasons:
Career Season Averages
Year Team G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG
98-99 LAC 45 36 28.4 0.431 0.000 0.483 2.7 5.3 7.9 0.6 0.6 1.2 1.89 3.00 8.9
99-00 LAC 80 77 31.2 0.437 0.000 0.651 2.4 5.8 8.2 0.5 0.4 1.8 2.21 3.80 9.8
00-01 LAC 82 82 25.9 0.435 0.000 0.545 2.0 4.4 6.4 0.6 0.4 1.3 2.06 3.00 8.5
01-02 LAC 80 79 32.1 0.433 0.000 0.622 2.1 6.8 8.9 1.1 0.7 1.8 2.19 2.70 11.1
02-03 LAC 36 36 38.0 0.427 0.000 0.657 1.6 7.5 9.1 1.3 0.5 2.2 2.72 3.10 12.3

Andrew Bogut stats:
Career Season Averages
Year Team G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG
05-06 MIL 82 77 28.6 0.533 0.000 0.629 2.3 4.7 7.0 2.3 0.6 0.8 1.52 3.20 9.4
06-07 MIL 66 66 34.2 0.553 0.200 0.577 2.5 6.3 8.8 3.0 0.7 0.5 2.27 3.30 12.3
07-08 MIL 78 78 34.9 0.511 0.000 0.587 3.1 6.6 9.8 2.6 0.8 1.7 2.21 3.30 14.3
Career -- 226 221 32.4 0.530 0.067 0.596 2.7 5.8 8.5 2.6 0.7 1.0 1.98 3.20 11.9

Man, you guys put alot of stock into one year for Kaman! Even though he pleyed his 63 out of 82 games without Elton Brand on the floor! If he is a top 5 center then the league has some pretty horrible centers! I'm sorry but the stats say to me that Kaman is more Kandi than you guys think!

Bogut is right there as well.

Rasho put up similiar numbers at one time, would you want him back?

I seriously hope that Beasley drops so McFail can't screw it up and drafts him. Then he packages McCants and the second rounders/Celtics pick/Miami pick in some form and gets high enough to Robin Lopez. Who I think would look great next to Al as a hustle defender/rebounder type.

Foye/Bassy
McCants/Brewer/Jaric
Beasley/Brewer/Gomes
Al/Beasley/Gomes
Lopez/Al/FA center/

I'd run with that lineup!

[collin_k41]

I'd take it easy if I were you Gopherguy. What makes you so sure all of these players outside of beasley will be a bust? I don't have total faith in the FO but with guys like freddy in there and the recent trades etc., my worries have subsided. The draft is a crapshoot anyways that's why the guy who turns out to be the best in a draft isn't always the first overall pick. Ease up and let the chips fall where they may.

[Gopherguy]

It's not that I think they will all be busts. I actually think that Mayo, Love and a lot of these other guys will be very good and could well do great things. The only one I really think is going to Ryan Leaf is Brook Lopez. He just kind of strikes me as an Ed O'bannon type. Already polished as well as he can be and will struggle mightily in the increased competition and athleticism of the NBA. And I fear McHale thinks differently.

Plus, we have drafted Ndudi, Avery, Paul Grant, Luc, Spencer, etc.. While teams behind us got excellent players.

In short, I think there is an all-star or two in the draft beyond Rose and Beasley, I just have doubt that the Wolves are able to pick them.

[collin_k41]

I wouldn't get TOO worried about us drafting Lopez at 3. I'd guess that they don't think he's good enough to be drafted at 3 either.

Maybe this will ease your worries. http://www.prosportsdaily.com/forums/sh ... ?p=5515591

[Gopherguy]

Thanks for the link! I had read that too.

I don't think they will draft him three but trade down to get him and trade Mayo for something instead of keeping him. If they just draft Mayo, I'm good.

Let's just hope it works out.

[collin_k41]

Yes, I agree there probably is a chance that we trade down and draft him but like you said I'm just gonna have to hope it works out.

[revprodeji]

I assume that we will not screw this up, but we will likely pick the 2nd or 3rd best option. The guy we pick will be nice, we will like him and he could fit. But likely we will not make the best decision.

of course, steam is Hoiberg is doing most of the research. Who knows.

[collin_k41]

Answer to the original question for this thread.....YES

[Ojmayo]

Answer to the original question for this thread.....YES

We all knew it was going to be yes from day one

[deeney0]

Nah, several of us foolishly had hope.

[collin_k41]

I know I had hope........gone

[revprodeji]

Guys, we have said all along we would trade down for love and a starter. (Miller) this is a good deal for us. We also dump a ton of cap. I know Mayo has hype. I love him too. But I love the hype, the "potential stud" talk. From a pure basketball perspective he had concerns. We got some pieces that fit and move in a good direction here.

[deeney0]

Nah, rev, Miller+5 isn't close to Kaman+7 or Bogut+8 because the post defense is seriously going to suffer.

[funkatron101]

Nah, rev, Miller+5 isn't close to Kaman+7 or Bogut+8 because the post defense is seriously going to suffer.

I don't think those rumors really had much to them.

[revprodeji]

The bogut deal was not gonna happen once they trade Yi. Simple as that. LAC did not want Mayo as much as we thought.

Miller can contribute now and brings production that makes him a very valuable spot. We are grossly underrating him. Love can contribute right now also.