Prospect Watch Thread

[Krapinsky]

Get Harrison Barnes.

Do OKC model with him as center piece at SG (1) (save that debate for draft board).

I have a hard time seeing how Barnes could be a franchise player. He's not going to be an elite scorer unless he learns to get to the line, something which he's currently really bad at, and he doesn't seem to be elite at anything else. He could be a nice solid player, maybe even an all-star, but he's not a franchise player.

I think he'll be an elite scorer. Maybe not 30ppg Kobe-Durant elite, but Joe Johnson-Roy 25ppg elite ... or is that even "elite"? He was projected as an elite scorer coming out of high school which is more than I can say about anyone else we could reasonably get at this point. Sure, he hasn't set the world on fire as a scorer in college, but a lot of players don't their freshman years.

Michael Jordan averaged 13 ppg his freshman year.
Joe Johnson averaged 16 ppg his freshman year.
Paul Pierce averaged 12 ppg.
Brandon Roy averaged 6ppg.

Wouldn't you be saying the same things in hindsight if you were just looking at the freshman years of those players --- "he's not a franchise player"? Didn't a lot of GM's probably think the same thing even after the year in which they were actually drafted? The only guy that was drafted top 3 of those guys was Jordan. Yet, somehow all became franchise players and at one point the best player in their respective draft class.

If he's 6-8 with good ball handling skills and a nice shot, I think he'll eventually develop into a player that can get to the spots he wants to on the floor and hit midrange jumpers. If he can do that in the way Pierce, Johnson, or Roy can, then the fouls will eventually come.

[Krapinsky]

I think the problem with drafting Marshall is another year will go buy and then we'll just have the same Rubio dilemma over again. At that point do we get rid of Marshall? I just don't think Marshall is the can't miss type of prospect you would draft in that scenario, since after only starting 2/3 of a year of college basketball you likely won't know what you have with him after only one year in the NBA.

If that's what it cam down to, honestly, I'd rather just give Flynn another year with a full training camp and a healthy hip. He certainly can't get any worse, and at this point his trading value can't get much lower.

Who knows, the entire 2011-2012 NBA season could be lost anyway.

[Worm Guts]

I think he'll be an elite scorer. Maybe not 30ppg Kobe-Durant elite, but Joe Johnson-Roy 25ppg elite ... or is that even "elite"? He was projected as an elite scorer coming out of high school which is more than I can say about anyone else we could reasonably get at this point. Sure, he hasn't set the world on fire as a scorer in college, but a lot of players don't their freshman years.

Michael Jordan averaged 13 ppg his freshman year.
Joe Johnson averaged 16 ppg his freshman year.
Paul Pierce averaged 12 ppg.
Brandon Roy averaged 6ppg.

Wouldn't you be saying the same things in hindsight if you were just looking at the freshman years of those players --- "he's not a franchise player"? Didn't a lot of GM's probably think the same thing even after the year in which they were actually drafted? The only guy that was drafted top 3 of those guys was Jordan. Yet, somehow all became franchise players and at one point the best player in their respective draft class.

If he's 6-8 with good ball handling skills and a nice shot, I think he'll eventually develop into a player that can get to the spots he wants to on the floor and hit midrange jumpers. If he can do that in the way Pierce, Johnson, or Roy can, then the fouls will eventually come.

It's not a given you develop the ability to draw fouls, alot of it is aggresiveness and whether people can keep up with you athletically. Pierce and Roy developed the ability to get the line, but both were better at that as freshmen than Barnes. Johnson still doesn't get to the line very much, but I don't think he's considered the type of player you can build a championship team around either. Also all three also developed the ability to facilitate at a high level which Barnes hasn't shown yet.

[Krapinsky]

Obviosuly, it's not a given or there would be no debate. But out of anyoen we can get, I'll throw my hat in with the guy that was the #1 HS recruit, that used to be compared to Kobe, and that has been coming on lately. If he doesn't pan out as a franchise guy, well I don't see a more probable guy in the draft, adn I don't see one obtainable by free agency, so worst case scenario we're still getting a good player, but just back at the drawing board looking for that franchise player.

Maybe the debate should be --- who can we get that gives us the best chance of having someone to build around - a la the OKC model? For me that's Harrison Barnes. I believe I asked something like this a few pages back and no one really had any alternative options.

[Devilzsidewalk]

the "so and so top prospect might stay in school" talk needs to end, I don't want to be looking at Mason Plumlee with a top 5 pick

[DrWilkes]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AJFWX-yLgY[/youtube]

game winner vs FSU
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieQE6HD6f50[/youtube]

game winner vs Miami
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TT5lYu_NiU[/youtube]

More of Harrison Barnes in 'God Mode'
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVNnrRHBi_8[/youtube]

[Yes We Kahn]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AJFWX-yLgY[/youtube]

[Grits n Gravy]

alec burks - 25, 10 boards, 4 assists, 4 steals 11-18 against kent state to move into semis, i only caught the last 5 minutes. oh and this was done while he was very sick and had an iv at the half. seems like an amazing slasher which would compliment wes and beasleys jumper oriented games. the knock on him is obviously his jumper but that seems to be something that is one of the easiest skills to learn in the league with the right coaching and work ethic..i'd love to have him here.

its a shame colorado didn't make the dance, would have been great to see him against top competition.

[horaceworthy]

I think the problem with drafting Marshall is another year will go buy and then we'll just have the same Rubio dilemma over again. At that point do we get rid of Marshall? I just don't think Marshall is the can't miss type of prospect you would draft in that scenario, since after only starting 2/3 of a year of college basketball you likely won't know what you have with him after only one year in the NBA.

If that's what it cam down to, honestly, I'd rather just give Flynn another year with a full training camp and a healthy hip. He certainly can't get any worse, and at this point his trading value can't get much lower.

Who knows, the entire 2011-2012 NBA season could be lost anyway.

I think it's odd to throw the can't miss term into the conversation, since we're discussing the #18 pick.

Personally, I'm done with Flynn, and I think both he and the Wolves are ready to part ways. I'm hoping they trade him for the best 2012 pick they can get (I'm not expecting much). I don't have anything against the guy, I just think a change of scenery would benefit both parties.

I don't think him only starting 2/3 of the year is worth bringing up at this point. He's the starter on a Sweet 16 caliber team and has more collegiate experience than the closest thing to a consensus #1 pick this draft has.

I do think that if there's no guarantee Rubio is coming over by the draft, they have to move forward as if PG is the #1 need. I think this draft has the potential to be somewhat like the '09 in terms of the quality and depth of it's PG class. It would suck for the Wolves to miss out on the party again.

I fully admit that I'm overly partial to creative lefties who can pass (as I showed last year with my Hobson/Monroe love), and this is another case of that. Marshall may be the best player in college basketball this year when it comes to impacting a game without taking shots. He's got the PG for a good Roy Williams team stamp of approval thing going for him, which, when it comes to things of that nature may only be 2nd to the Calipari PG stamp of approval.

He'd give the Wolves a chance to see what they're players look like when playing with a creative, pass first PG who has ridiculous court vision. He wouldn't fit with Rubio, but if both show they're capable of knocking down open 3's I'd be interested in seeing a backcourt with two 6'3"-6'4" playmakers, even though the dual floor general thing hasn't been tried much since Magic and Norm Nixon (and Rubio may very well balk at that anyway if Marshall blew up). The pick and the salary wouldn't be an unwieldy amount for a backup even if that's all Marshall becomes.

Mainly, I think someone with his skill set could help bump Love, Beasley, Wes and Randolph up a notch or two, and I don't think the Wolves could afford to pass on that type of player at #18 if the Rubio situation goes on unresolved for another year. He just does such a great job of making the team easier for his teammates, possibly better than any collegiate freshman PG since CP3. The Wolves sorely lack that quality on their roster right now.

This all probably moot, since there's a good chance Marshall stays in school, but I don't think there's a player who has impressed me more in the conference/postseason tournament portion of the season. I've missed watching a true floor general since Sammy whined his way out of here.

[bluethunder0005]

alec burks - 25, 10 boards, 4 assists, 4 steals 11-18 against kent state to move into semis, i only caught the last 5 minutes. oh and this was done while he was very sick and had an iv at the half. seems like an amazing slasher which would compliment wes and beasleys jumper oriented games. the knock on him is obviously his jumper but that seems to be something that is one of the easiest skills to learn in the league with the right coaching and work ethic..i'd love to have him here.

its a shame colorado didn't make the dance, would have been great to see him against top competition.

Burks is still my favorite player in this draft. He's got height, ball handling, and slashing ability. The only thing he needs to develop is some more muscle and a jump shot and both of those are the easiest to obtain in the NBA. I was hoping he'd make the tourney and his stock would rise so this team could justify taking him with our pick but now I'm just hoping his stock will fall so we can get him with the Memphis pick. I highly doubt it though, I bet he goes in the top 10.

[eyeteeth]

Obviosuly, it's not a given or there would be no debate. But out of anyoen we can get, I'll throw my hat in with the guy that was the #1 HS recruit, that used to be compared to Kobe, and that has been coming on lately. If he doesn't pan out as a franchise guy, well I don't see a more probable guy in the draft, adn I don't see one obtainable by free agency, so worst case scenario we're still getting a good player, but just back at the drawing board looking for that franchise player.

Maybe the debate should be --- who can we get that gives us the best chance of having someone to build around - a la the OKC model? For me that's Harrison Barnes. I believe I asked something like this a few pages back and no one really had any alternative options.

So if we take Barnes does he play behind Wes? Then what? Do we try to move Wes to the 3 after all?

I am more open to Derick Williams and a version of this process with Beasley, just because I think Wes is a higher probablility to reach his potential. Beas seems like a high upside risk at this point, and I would like to put somebody behind him that makes him worry about his job. And Williams is going to be a for real talent in this league. If you're looking for a player you can build around, I think he has that potential.

[C.lupus]

alec burks - 25, 10 boards, 4 assists, 4 steals 11-18 against kent state to move into semis, i only caught the last 5 minutes. oh and this was done while he was very sick and had an iv at the half. seems like an amazing slasher which would compliment wes and beasleys jumper oriented games. the knock on him is obviously his jumper but that seems to be something that is one of the easiest skills to learn in the league with the right coaching and work ethic..i'd love to have him here.

its a shame colorado didn't make the dance, would have been great to see him against top competition.

Burks is still my favorite player in this draft. He's got height, ball handling, and slashing ability. The only thing he needs to develop is some more muscle and a jump shot and both of those are the easiest to obtain in the NBA. I was hoping he'd make the tourney and his stock would rise so this team could justify taking him with our pick but now I'm just hoping his stock will fall so we can get him with the Memphis pick. I highly doubt it though, I bet he goes in the top 10.

When we get screwed in the lottery and only PFs are available, we could probably trade down for Burks.

[Krapinsky]

Burks' numbers are certainly getting impressive. I haven't been able to see the guy play enough though. Why haven't more people been talking about this guy like a top 5 pick?

[Esohny]

Burks' numbers are certainly getting impressive. I haven't been able to see the guy play enough though. Why haven't more people been talking about this guy like a top 5 pick?

I expect it's because he's not a great shooter, and he hasn't shown as quite many other skills like say, Tyreke Evans did to make people look past his shooting woes. It also might be because he wasn't on the top of people's lists coming out of high school.

But I wouldn't say that I've seen enough of him to decide whether that's an oversight, or he's just not a prospect that deserves top 5 mention.

[Krapinsky]

Burks' numbers are certainly getting impressive. I haven't been able to see the guy play enough though. Why haven't more people been talking about this guy like a top 5 pick?

I expect it's because he's not a great shooter, and he hasn't shown as quite many other skills like say, Tyreke Evans did to make people look past his shooting woes. It also might be because he wasn't on the top of people's lists coming out of high school.

But I wouldn't say that I've seen enough of him to decide whether that's an oversight, or he's just not a prospect that deserves top 5 mention.

I wonder if Turner's struggles this year have sort of hurt his stock?

[Krapinsky]

Obviosuly, it's not a given or there would be no debate. But out of anyoen we can get, I'll throw my hat in with the guy that was the #1 HS recruit, that used to be compared to Kobe, and that has been coming on lately. If he doesn't pan out as a franchise guy, well I don't see a more probable guy in the draft, adn I don't see one obtainable by free agency, so worst case scenario we're still getting a good player, but just back at the drawing board looking for that franchise player.

Maybe the debate should be --- who can we get that gives us the best chance of having someone to build around - a la the OKC model? For me that's Harrison Barnes. I believe I asked something like this a few pages back and no one really had any alternative options.

So if we take Barnes does he play behind Wes? Then what? Do we try to move Wes to the 3 after all?

I am more open to Derick Williams and a version of this process with Beasley, just because I think Wes is a higher probablility to reach his potential. Beas seems like a high upside risk at this point, and I would like to put somebody behind him that makes him worry about his job. And Williams is going to be a for real talent in this league. If you're looking for a player you can build around, I think he has that potential.

Ideally, Wes and Barnes would form the wing tandem going forward. Who you put at the 3 or 2 is up to you, but I think Barnes will be more comfortable guarding the perimter than Wes is. Beasley would be the odd man out. If you wanted to keep Beasley, maybe he would fit a 6th man role where he would back up the 3-4 spots and be the first off the bench depending on the situation (a la Lamar Odom).

I think Williams is best if you leave him at the 4. He would have a better chance transitioning to a 3 on other teams, if necessary, but not in our offense where he wouldn't be allowed to play off the ball as much as others.

[bluethunder0005]

Burks' numbers are certainly getting impressive. I haven't been able to see the guy play enough though. Why haven't more people been talking about this guy like a top 5 pick?

I expect it's because he's not a great shooter, and he hasn't shown as quite many other skills like say, Tyreke Evans did to make people look past his shooting woes. It also might be because he wasn't on the top of people's lists coming out of high school.

But I wouldn't say that I've seen enough of him to decide whether that's an oversight, or he's just not a prospect that deserves top 5 mention.

I wonder if Turner's struggles this year have sort of hurt his stock?

I think it has. On a scouting report I read it talked about him needing to develop some form of a jumpshot to have a smooth transition to the NBA. I just like that he's got size, ball handling ability, playmaking ability, and aggressiveness which leads to free throws. The rest depends on his work ethic. Developing a jumpshot and adding muscle are some of the easiest things to fix, especially in the NBA. It just matters if he wants to put in the work.

[phonzadellika]

I am more open to Derick Williams and a version of this process with Beasley, just because I think Wes is a higher probablility to reach his potential. Beas seems like a high upside risk at this point, and I would like to put somebody behind him that makes him worry about his job. And Williams is going to be a for real talent in this league. If you're looking for a player you can build around, I think he has that potential.

Ideally, Wes and Barnes would form the wing tandem going forward. Who you put at the 3 or 2 is up to you, but I think Barnes will be more comfortable guarding the perimter than Wes is. Beasley would be the odd man out. If you wanted to keep Beasley, maybe he would fit a 6th man role where he would back up the 3-4 spots and be the first off the bench depending on the situation (a la Lamar Odom).

Like Krapinsky, I think that Wes Johnson seems like he's likelier to hit his ceiling than Beas is...unless Beas starts doing some yoga or gets Kobe to vulcan-mind-trick him into becoming less of a headcase and more of a killer I don't know that Beas will ever fully cash in on his talent, which would be too bad. I'm also not sure that Beas would be really worried if there was a wing on the bench behind him, because that wing probably won't play over him unless he has a historic breakout game like Loves 31/31.

I think what I'm most worried about, especially if you went with Derrick Williams, is Rambis burying him on the bench a la Jefferson/Love in favor of Beas, even if the pick shows higher upside/more consistency/same offense as Beas but better D. When Beas is up for an extension, and is likely given one, Rambis could play his favorite instead of giving the better long-term prospect the time they need to develop their skills and become the 1st option. If the Wolves are going to draft a wing, I think they should move Beas for a legitimate C if they can or maybe a lottery 2012 pick or something. I don't really see that happening because of Kahn's 'no more wholesale changes' speech.

I still think Beasley can make substantial improvements to his game if he works hard and gets therapy or finds some other way to strengthen his mind, motivation, and concentration.I think if he were handed a 6th man role that he would regress, and if we draft a wing we need to cut ties. Beasley's limitations are all mental at this point, and I'm not sure that he's got what it takes to overcome and reach his potential.

[Klomp]

I don't care if we pick as high as 2. If Barnes is gone already, I have NO ISSUE taking Burks.

[Krapinsky]

Vecevic from USC is a guy that would fit out system nicely as a 5 and is at this point underrated IMO -- (though as a USC grad I have some homer in me there). I think he's a first round talent for sure.