Prospect Watch Thread

[shangrila]

Or, you know, people could show some patience for once

How many years of missing the playoffs until it's OK to lose your patience?

Your patience for rookies? It shouldn't matter.

[revprodeji]

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/21 ... _For_Draft

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Luc ... eira-5957/

This kid would need to be considered for the Memphis pick if he is available.

6'11 with a 7'6 wingspan. Skinny @ 220 but could be a good defender.

[Devilzsidewalk]

he makes Corey Brewer look like He-Man, but at that point in the draft why not

I'd rather trade up into the late lotto though for some more immediate help

[Klomp]

I'd be fine with him

[shangrila]

If they want immediate help they should be looking at veterans. Might as well swing for the fences with a Noguiera/Selby kind of pick at 20.

[Devilzsidewalk]

I mean more immediate developmentally; Nogueira looks like he'll need 4 years of weight training alone before he can play in the paint without any frontcourt player in the league backing him down for a layup

[deeney0]

Alright, I'm ready to start thinking about the draft now. Top goal should be to emerge with either Irving or Rubio wearing a Wolves uniform come November. I'm not prepared to debate the merits of which, but drafting Irving should mean trading Rubio and passing on Irving should mean there is a deal in place with Rubio.

(Rubio OR Irving) + Beasley + Love needs stellar defenders at 2 and 5. The discussion ought to be between drafting a guy like Biyombo or trading Beasley and taking Williams. I can see both points of view but in this weak draft I think the former makes more sense.

No interest in Burks or Knight. If Wolves are drafting #4 and 1-2-3 are Irving, Williams, Biyombo, its time to start talking about Kemba unless Ricky is a sure thing.

I know I'll be in the minority, but gimme Kyle Singler or E'Twaun Moore with the Memphis pick.

[moss_is_1]

I wonder what we could offer Arron Afflalo for the Nuggets to let him go. They have a lot on their plate already this offseason with Chandler, Nene, Kmart, Afflalo, and then JR Smith too. I would love to put him on our team, very good defender, nails the 3 at a high rate, has improved his dribble drive, and is very clutch.

[Worm Guts]

The only reason I could see for Denver trading Afflalo is we offered them way too much.

[LOBO 7]

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/213297/Lucas_Nogueira_Declares_For_Draft

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Luc ... eira-5957/

This kid would need to be considered for the Memphis pick if he is available.

6'11 with a 7'6 wingspan. Skinny @ 220 but could be a good defender.

Maybe if we somehow catastrophically fail to get Biyombo, but from everything I've seen and heard Nogueira is still really raw, more like a Whiteside type. The only reason I want Biyombo so bad is that I think he could step in and contribute right away, while Nogueira is still probably a few years away.

[horaceworthy]

Burks is a player that would go in the 20s most years. This draft sucks.

Burks is a better prospect than the guy the Wolves took #4 overall last year. It's shaping up to be a pretty typical draft. Unfortunately next year looks stacked and the Wolves may not be invited to the party.

[shangrila]

Burks is a player that would go in the 20s most years. This draft sucks.

Burks is a better prospect than the guy the Wolves took #4 overall last year. It's shaping up to be a pretty typical draft. Unfortunately next year looks stacked and the Wolves may not be invited to the party.

No he's not.

[PeeDee]

Burks might be a better prospect than the guy the Spurs took #20 overall last year. It's shaping up to be a pretty typical draft. Unfortunately next year looks stacked and the Wolves may not be invited to the party.

There you go, I fixed it for you. If you know anyone else that needs help, let me know.

[Krapinsky]

As an NBA SG I think Burks is a better prospect. As an NBA SG vs. Johnson as an NBA SF, it's closer. Not surprising, since at least more than one scout thought we reached with Johnson last year.

Burks was more productive as an 18 year old freshman than Johnson was as a 22 year old junior.

[Worm Guts]

We reached for Johnson last year, but by most accounts it was only 1 or 2 spots. Which is still way higher than Burks is typically projected.

[[RCG]]

We reached for Johnson last year, but by most accounts it was only 1 or 2 spots. Which is still way higher than Burks is typically projected.

Agreed.

[Krapinsky]

We reached for Johnson last year, but by most accounts it was only 1 or 2 spots. Which is still way higher than Burks is typically projected.

Agreed.

Even if 5, 6, 7 wasn't a "reach" by some accounts, it was still clear that we were getting a solid starter/role player with our high lottery pick. The plus on Johnson was he had a high floor and was seen as a player that wasn't going to be a bust. That doesn't necessarily mean he was the best prospect at any point in the lottery, but perhaps just an overly safe pick pegged by draft experts for a team that had just blew the last draft and was without any wing players at the time.

Joe (Minneapolis)

What is Wes Johnson's upside? He seems like a nice player, but a 23 year-old who really only had one big year in college screams role player to me.
David Thorpe (3:16 PM)

Me too. Nothing wrong with that, but drafting him at 5 isn't great.

Johnson was pegged at 8 by DX until the draft lottery/work outs and then shot up to 6, then 5, then 4. Burks is at 10 right now and could very well do the same.

In hindsight however, I tend to think that all things being equal the players with more media exposure --from bigger schools/better programs, in bigger conferences, and in bigger markets -- like Syracuse tend to become much more overrated by so called media draft experts as compared to a player they probably haven't seen as much, like Burks, who plays for a worse program, in a smaller conference, and in a smaller market. I think this is why in hindsight people could compare Johnson and George (who they had hardly seen) and convince themselves that Johnson was the better prospect, when it actuality he was merely the safer pick.

[horaceworthy]

Burks might be a better prospect than the guy the Spurs took #20 overall last year. It's shaping up to be a pretty typical draft. Unfortunately next year looks stacked and the Wolves may not be invited to the party.

There you go, I fixed it for you. If you know anyone else that needs help, let me know.

Fixed it for you may not be the lamest of all message board responses, but it's certainly up there. Wes was 3 years older than Burks, wasn't a full time perimeter player, and many of his flaws aren't of the type that one can reasonably expect to improve while in the NBA, notably his inability to put the ball on the floor. Burks is quicker, more productive, actually has a handle, and a jump shot has shown to be one of the skills it's most realistic to hope a player can improve at this level. The main problem with Burks is that he appears to drift at times, but given the disappearing acts that Wes had/has a habit of pulling, that really can't be held against him too much when discussing the two players.

We reached for Johnson last year, but by most accounts it was only 1 or 2 spots. Which is still way higher than Burks is typically projected.

As Krapinsky said, at this time last year Wes was projected at #8 by DX, while Burks is currently pegged at #10. Tough to call that "way higher".

[Worm Guts]

Wes is longer, more athletic, a better shooter and a better defender. I still think Johnson would be drafted higher if they were in the same draft (assuming Johnson as junior vs. Burks as sophmore).

[moss_is_1]

Burks can create his own shot, has better handles, is aggresive, younger, and can make plays for others.