Searching for Bright Side to Johnson over Cousins?

[hammel123]

[I think this is pretty much the opposite of what our mentality should be. If we draft for ceiling and get a bust, we'll remain one of the worst teams, get another high lottery pick, and have another chance to draft a star. If we draft for floor...

The LA Clippers would like a word with you...

The Wolves as a small market team need to build just that - a TEAM. Cousins was the right pick for value in this draft, but Johnson was, is and probably always will be a better team player. I wish they could have gotten another asset for their draft position, but I'm not upset about the selection itself.

ok, so now you want a "team" player, and then people on this board turn their nose on Deng!? a winner in college and pro's, plays defense, moves the ball, starter on the playoff team, not much older than Johnson

your strategy should've been acquire solid vets who are used to winning (and who are given away for nothing in this ridiculous off-season) and then go for a home run with a talent like Cousins. Coming into a solid veteran group Cousins would have a chance to flourish, instead Minn got another group of green rookies, where no one knows who's the leader and the system. That's very Clipper like

[shangrila]

Deng has too many injury issues to be worth the risk and as much as people might not agree it's clear that Cousins didn't fit the up tempo offence that the FO and coaching staff are trying to put in.

[walchy]

[I think this is pretty much the opposite of what our mentality should be. If we draft for ceiling and get a bust, we'll remain one of the worst teams, get another high lottery pick, and have another chance to draft a star. If we draft for floor...

The LA Clippers would like a word with you...

The Wolves as a small market team need to build just that - a TEAM. Cousins was the right pick for value in this draft, but Johnson was, is and probably always will be a better team player. I wish they could have gotten another asset for their draft position, but I'm not upset about the selection itself.

ok, so now you want a "team" player, and then people on this board turn their nose on Deng!? a winner in college and pro's, plays defense, moves the ball, starter on the playoff team, not much older than Johnson

your strategy should've been acquire solid vets who are used to winning (and who are given away for nothing in this ridiculous off-season) and then go for a home run with a talent like Cousins. Coming into a solid veteran group Cousins would have a chance to flourish, instead Minn got another group of green rookies, where no one knows who's the leader and the system. That's very Clipper like

i think the biggest difference between the clippers and the wovles at this point, is that the wolves are trying to impliment a winning culture, and drafting / aquiring players who fit that and the system they want to use to get to that point, whereas the clippers are the clippers, and already have a culture of "clipperism" in place. (clipperism is another term for ongoing underperforming, as well as being completely and utterly cursed)

[SteelWolf]

Lets not forget that Wolves still ove Clippers draft pick, and he is unprotected in 2012, so i really doubt that you will be happy when Clips get top 3 pick with your drafting strategy of guys like Cousins that have 50/50 chance to be bust.

[Foye]

Lets not forget that Wolves still ove Clippers draft pick, and he is unprotected in 2012, so i really doubt that you will be happy when Clips get top 3 pick with your drafting strategy of guys like Cousins that have 50/50 chance to be bust.

By 2012 we wouldn't be a bottom 3 team. With or without Cousins busting.

[jade_hippo]

Lets not forget that Wolves still ove Clippers draft pick, and he is unprotected in 2012, so i really doubt that you will be happy when Clips get top 3 pick with your drafting strategy of guys like Cousins that have 50/50 chance to be bust.

Consider what Cleveland and Toronto will look like for the next 5 years, throw in SanAntonio and Boston all aging very very quickly GS could be due for a major rebuild, Philly is in the midst of an overhaul that won't be anything till Iggy/Brand/Kapono are gone... all have pretty icky looking forcasts baring somthing major happening.

**edit** ooooh Indiana... do they even have a plan?? They are a bad team held together by guts and Granger.

[MN Die Hard]

Man I would HATE a Jefferson/Gay S&T.....talk about wasting our best asset on a guy we could potentially sign outright.

[TrentTuckerForever]

ok, so now you want a "team" player, and then people on this board turn their nose on Deng!? a winner in college and pro's, plays defense, moves the ball, starter on the playoff team, not much older than Johnson

Deng's contract is the issue, not his play. How do the Wolves get Deng without giving up a better player (Jefferson) in return? I personally would consider a Deng for cap space deal, but I'm in the minority of Wolves' fans on that one.

your strategy should've been acquire solid vets who are used to winning (and who are given away for nothing in this ridiculous off-season) and then go for a home run with a talent like Cousins. Coming into a solid veteran group Cousins would have a chance to flourish, instead Minn got another group of green rookies, where no one knows who's the leader and the system. That's very Clipper like

Which "solid vets who are used to winning" did the Wolves give away for nothing? I hope you're not referring to Ryan Gomes (who's never played on a winning team.) Damien Wilkens? Brian Cardinal? Sasha Pavlovic? Or are you saying that the Wolves should acquire solid vets with their assets to build a winning culture? To me that sounds like the Gomes/Webster deal, but I guess that's out as part of this offseason.

I agree that a veteran team would be the best place for Cousins; would have loved to see the Jazz get him, for example. But pretending that the Wolves have that culture, or could have had that culture, just to suit your argument is dumb.

[TrentTuckerForever]

Man I would HATE a Jefferson/Gay S&T.....talk about wasting our best asset on a guy we could potentially sign outright.

Signing him outright depends on Heisley's threshold of pain... is it $12 million a year? $14? Max? We'd have to overpay to get Gay, and that's tough for the Wolves to do without including Al's salary.

[prefuse73]

If we sign darko and pek and don't know if we have the money to sign him outright regardless.

[Foye]

If we sign darko and pek and don't know if we have the money to sign him outright regardless.

S&T Pekovic to Memphis. They get their replacement for Zach Randolph and we get Gay.

[MN Die Hard]

If we sign darko and pek and don't know if we have the money to sign him outright regardless.

Good point.

[SSUBluesman]

The bright side is we'll have a never-ending supply of high lottery picks for Kahn to (hopefully) figure out this draft thing...


...oh wait...

[hammel123]

ok, so now you want a "team" player, and then people on this board turn their nose on Deng!? a winner in college and pro's, plays defense, moves the ball, starter on the playoff team, not much older than Johnson

Deng's contract is the issue, not his play. How do the Wolves get Deng without giving up a better player (Jefferson) in return? I personally would consider a Deng for cap space deal, but I'm in the minority of Wolves' fans on that one.

your strategy should've been acquire solid vets who are used to winning (and who are given away for nothing in this ridiculous off-season) and then go for a home run with a talent like Cousins. Coming into a solid veteran group Cousins would have a chance to flourish, instead Minn got another group of green rookies, where no one knows who's the leader and the system. That's very Clipper like

Which "solid vets who are used to winning" did the Wolves give away for nothing? I hope you're not referring to Ryan Gomes (who's never played on a winning team.) Damien Wilkens? Brian Cardinal? Sasha Pavlovic? Or are you saying that the Wolves should acquire solid vets with their assets to build a winning culture? To me that sounds like the Gomes/Webster deal, but I guess that's out as part of this offseason.

I agree that a veteran team would be the best place for Cousins; would have loved to see the Jazz get him, for example. But pretending that the Wolves have that culture, or could have had that culture, just to suit your argument is dumb.

please, read carefully, teams like NY/Miami/Chicago are giving away players for cap and draftpicks,Minn should've cashed in, you worry about Deng's 4 year contract then agitate to offer max to Rudy Gay

[TrentTuckerForever]

Oh, my mistake. You're right, the Wolves should trade for veterans. Young veterans from winning teams, who can impart some wisdom and perhaps play a bigger role for the Wolves.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/p ... yerId=2795

NY, Miami and Chicago are just giving guys away. I know! How about Michael Beasley? He'd increase our professionalism and make this the exact right place for a guy like Cousins. Kahn is such an idiot, why didn't he think of that!