Where do we go from here?

[shrink]

I'm particularly curious what this means for Ryan Gomes? It seems to me by adding Mike Miller and Kevin Love, that Gomes will not get nearly the minutes he did before. Is it possible he's gone, because some other team makes him an offer we can't match?

I have also been in favor of seeing McCants get six weeks of starts at the beginning of the season, to see if he can averages 20 PPG and gain some trade value, or earn his position. I suppose without Mayo and Jaric gone, he has a better chance at that. However, are starting line-up is this, right:

Foye
Brewer
Miller
Love
Jefferson

Telfair will get a deal, but Craig Smith is definitely gone, right?

[Devilzsidewalk]

not sure, I was thinking Miller/Gomes at the 2/3, but honestly that's kind of weird.

your lineup is best I think

[TrentTuckerForever]

Yup -

Miller
Jefferson
Love
Brewer
Foye

I think they resign Gomes or Smith (both are restricted and Gomes would be my preference, but whatever) and Telfair. Collins plays 18-20 mpg protecting Love and Jefferson on defense. McCants is the 6th man.

ATTENTION ALL WOLVES FANS - this isn't that bad. Not as sexy as Mayo, but I'd argue that, as the rosters stand right now, Love will bring more wins to his team next year than Mayo will.

[Devilzsidewalk]

I really don't like Collins though. I love his 2.4 PER on offense for NJ last year, and 6.1 for Memphis.

How is that even possible? He must punt the ball into the stands everytime he gets it on offense.

[TrentTuckerForever]

I really don't like Collins though. I love his 2.4 PER on offense for NJ last year, and 6.1 for Memphis.

How is that even possible? He must punt the ball into the stands everytime he gets it on offense.

PER is not a good way to measure the contributions of a player like Collins. Kurt Thomas' PER was 10.44 last year, Kendrick Perkins (playing next to KG's terrific passing) was 10.96... and yes, Collins' numbers were far worse than those guys. I'm just trying to point out that the contributions of "other" big men next to stars like KG and Duncan (and hopefully soon, Jefferson) are often less statistical and more intangible. Collins is a 'little things' guy, and he'll help the Wolves' undersized starters both on the court and off.

Hollinger's scouting report on Collins heading into last year:

Scouting report: Collins might be the worst finishing big man in basketball, as he can't jump at all and frequently gets his deliveries returned to sender. Over the past three years he's converted a laughable 44.3 percent of his shots in the immediate basket area. The Nets often use him as a high post facilitator and he's an OK passer from up there, but he constantly sets illegal screens and the 15-foot shot he'd made in past years deserted him last season.

What keeps Collins in the league is his defense. He was one of the best defensive centers in the league last season; amazingly, he didn't receive a single vote for All-Defense. Although he's not a shot-blocker, Collins is an attentive help defender who ranked 12th in the league by drawing 45 offensive fouls, according to 82games.com; per-minute, he ranked eighth.

Some of those offensive fouls came in post defense, where Collins' combination of bulk and thespian skills allows him to defend Shaquille O'Neal as well as anyone in the game. He does surprisingly well even against players with an obvious quickness advantage -- including Chris Bosh in the playoffs against Toronto. And although he's a poor rebounder, Collins will face-guard opponents to keep them off the glass.

2007-08 outlook: New Jersey can't possibly go through another season with Collins as its starting center, and that's why the Nets drafted Sean Williams and signed Jamaal Magloire in the offseason. While Collins has his uses -- he's one of the best post defenders in basketball -- it's impossible to live with such ridiculously weak offensive production for more than a few minutes a night. He and the Nets will both be better served by his taking on a lesser role as a defensive specialist off the bench.

[Winter Wonder]

I have no problem with Collins and his defensive abilities and offensive defficiencies. The problem is, having him on the court takes away time from one of the best players on the team or from this trade. Collins and Jefferson will work, Collins and Love will work, but you can't have the biggest trade assets all on the floor at once unless you have an amazing zone scheme going.

5. Collins
4. Jefferson
3. Love
2. Miller
1. Foye

That is brutally slow. So by picking up a defensive big and using him, we lose out on playing our #5 pick and best player. That is disappointing.

1. Foye / Telfair?
2. McCants / Brewer
3. Miller / Gomes? / Cardinal
4. Jefferson / Madsen
5. Love / Collins / Richards?

Now players can play other positions and we have flexibility due to this, but who else do we look at to round out the roster? Patrick O'Bryant someone we look at still? Looks like we now need PG help.

[collin_k41]

Should've kept chalmers...

[karch34]

I think Telfair and Gomes are both re-signed along with Richard. Smith, Snyder, and Doleac are gone.

I still think we look to trade McCants as I don't think the FO views him as a starter, but we might just showcase him as shrink mentioned.

PG: Foye, Telfair
SG: Miller(SF), McCants
SF: Gomes (PF), Brewer(SG), Cardinal
PF: Love, Madsen (C)
C: Jefferson (PF), Collins, Richard

Of course that puts us with 12 guys under contract so Smith could possibly be kept if he signs for cheap. Snyder re-signed only if McCants is gone. I think we look at signing a veteran PG for cheap and hopefully look at P.O.B, Diop, Kristic, etc.

I will say that having someone like Diop would make me like the Love pick more in that we could then throw Love, Jefferson, and Diop at PF/C and then fill with the others as necessary. I think that prevents Love from getting abused by certain PFs in some match ups and Jefferson taking a pounding with major minutes at C.

[revprodeji]

We never had chalmers, we dealt the pick before it was made.

Gomes will resign. This does not change that.

Miller plays 2/3 Brew plays 2/3 Gomes will either start at the 3 and let Brew grow, or he will come off the bench as a 3/4. That role fits Gomes very well.

[Ojmayo]

This is going to be yet another funny season for the wolves

Telfair
McCants
Cardinal
Gomez
Madsen



Lmao

[gold0259]

How bad does chicago need to unload Kirk Hindrich? Get them to take on Cardinals deal and ship Maddog as well, throw in a pick and presto.

[deeney0]

I think Gomes and Bassy stay, and Craigers is gone. I'm still hoping they find a way to trade McCants for a big in the next couple months.

[revprodeji]

I still see a glaring need for a defensive 5 off the bench. SOmeone who can come in use up all their fouls and scare the other team for a while. Maybe Collins can do that? It was kind of his role with NJ.

Other questions right now need to be...
1.) Is Foye our starting pg or sg?
2.) Is Brewer going to start? Will we grow thru those pains?
3.) if not, do we start Miller and Gomes?
4.) Will Gomes resign if he is the 6th man?
5.) What is McCants going to do?

We potentially have depth and offense.
Al/Love/Miller/Brew/Foye-----Not a bad starting group with 3 proven scorers and 2 other guys that are young and have hustle.
Our bench then is Collins-Gomes-McCants-Bassy. Not a bad group either. Maybe we resign snyder?

This is not a bad group. Not saying playoffs, but we could get 35-40 if they click. We are graphically underestimating the talent of Miller and what simple positioning and vet offense can provide a young team.

[Dan's with the Wolves]

I see the Wolves biggest need as a young defensive 1, 2, or 3 who can hits 3s at 40%+ to upgrade for Foye, McCants or Brewer.

With Foye, McCants and Miller they have 3 40%+ 3 point shooters. Which should provide a very good offensive complement to Love/Al down low. However, as it has been pointed out, they are not that good defensively. Maybe its just coaching, and they can provide good "team defense".

[Ojmayo]

Defense is the Key just as our old Franchise said. Jefferson could improve his D but as for Love I got no clue how his d is because I never actually watched more then 1 of his games on Tv. But I here its bad so we should trade McCants as many have suggested and trade him for Sean williams his young and averages 12 and 9 in 36minutes good enough.

[Basti]

not that I want to see McCants being traded but if we would trade him I'd really want to keep Snyder. he's a nice energy guy with a nice urge getting to the basket and I think he has a decent D. but then again, I wouldn't want to overpay for him. if he accepts ~2 million I'd gladly take him if McCants shouldn't be around by then.

oh and if we trade McCants, it should be for a (defensive) big man like Sean Williams

[Dan's with the Wolves]

if we trade McCants, it should be for a (defensive) big man like Sean Williams

If the Wolves trade McCants it should be for a three point shooter with better defensive skills. A Bruce Bowen/Raja Bell type player.

[Worm Guts]

The Wolves shouldn't trade McCants. He has high potential with low trade value and contract expires at the end of the season anyway. I say let it play out.

[Basti]

The Wolves shouldn't trade McCants. He has high potential with low trade value and contract expires at the end of the season anyway. I say let it play out.

I don't want him to be traded but if we did that it should be either a defensive big or a defensive swing with 3 point range as Dan said

[jpatrick]

Well, I think our main players fit into a few categories.

Young Core (sure to be back): Love, Jefferson, Brewer, Gomes, Foye
Veterans (sure to be on team): Miller
May or may not be back: Smith, Bassy, Richards, McCants
Gone: Snyder

I "hope" our starting lineup is Foye, Miller, Brewer, Love, Jefferson with Gomes backing up the 3 and 4, and we pickup a backup PG and backup shotblocking C to fill our top 8 in the rotation.

As far as the C position, we could just go with Collins but I hope not. I would be in favor of picking up O'Bryant and letting him and Collins battle it out for those minutes. Either way, I don't see us trading to fill this spot, probably pick up a FA or just let Collins/Richards have it.

As for the PG spot, we can try to sign Bassy but I don't see it after not making a qualifying offer. That means we don't want to pay him 3.5m, not even on a one year deal. I think he can go somewhere else and may around 3m on a multyear deal. Would anyone else be in favor of a S/T with Smith to Memphis for Lowry plus filler? I don't see how Smith fits in this team longterm anymore, so it's either try to S/T or lose him this offseason or next (if he takes the qualifying offer) for nothing.

McCants? I'm just not sure about him. I think he'll start the season on the team, but will he get enough minutes to be happy? Even if we assume Foye gets no minutes at SG (which is probably a faulty assumption), we'd be splitting the 2/3 between Brewer, Miller and Gomes (who'd also play the 4). He wasn't happy with his minutes last year, not sure how he'll take a reduction in those minutes...this is assuming of course we give minutes to Brewer and don't let him rot on the bench. I'd love to move McCants if he has any value, just not sure he does.

Long term, I think three positions could be upgraded depending on how our players play this year: PG (moving Foye to the bench), athletic scoring swingman (McGrady type) or shot blocking center (if Jefferson/Love become defensive nightmare). With that in mind, it looks like the top six in the 09 draft include two PGs, Rubio and Jennings, an athletic swingman, DeRozan, and two big centers, Thabeet and Mullens, the sixth would be Griffin, the PF from Oklahoma. Out of that group I really like Rubio, DeRozan and Griffin (although he doesn't fit our team at all). Wow, can't start thinking about next years draft already....who knows, we might be giving that pick to the Clips this year, but I kinda doubt that.