Wolves Begin Telling Teams They Will Select Kanter

[finnegan]

The Wolves are telling other teams that they will take Enes Kanter instead of Derrick Williams, according to reports from both Chad Ford and Jonathan Givony.

Minnesota has been actively shopping the second overall pick for several weeks.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/214275/Wolves_Begin_Telling_Teams_They_Will_Select_Kanter

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/30601/latest-draft-buzz-the-top-five-picks

[finnegan]

I know that RealGM is reporting it more matter of factly, than the actual ESPN article. But it still seems news worthy.

If this does happen then Irving or Williams is a nice consolation prize.

I think that the Wolves at #2 are in a worse position that the Jazz at #3. There is pressure on Minnesota to make the correct pick, so they won't be referred to as the team that took x over y (i.e., bowie over jordan, or oden over durrant) and y turned out to be a far better player.

The Jazz have an "out" at #3 no matter who they pick. For example, if the Jazz take Kanter at #3 and Williams goes #2 and turns out to be better player then the Jazz just say -- "well we couldn't take Williams at #3, because Minnesota took him at #2."

Lots of pressure on Minnesota if it turns out the other way around!

[7-Day Dray]

I think it's a smokescreen, but I would be ESTATIC if this happened.

DERRICK WILLIAMS HERE WE COME!!!

[Reckless]

Why would they do this, I know it's Minnesota but still

[carrottop12]

Why would they do this, I know it's Minnesota but still

They think kanter is a better player/fit?

[finnegan]

Why would they do this, I know it's Minnesota but still

Kanter is a skilled Center, and I have quietly thought all along that there is a reasonable probabilty over time that Kanter proves to be the more valuable pick.

How many skilled true centers are there in the league?

I am not comparing their skills, but look what a skilled center does for teams ( Jabar, Olojuwan).

[7-Day Dray]

Why would they do this, I know it's Minnesota but still

Kanter is a skilled Center, and I have quietly thought all along that there is a reasonable probabilty over time that Kanter proves to be the more valuable pick.

How many skilled true centers are there in the league?

I am not comparing their skills, but look what a skilled center does for teams ( Jabar, Olojuwan).

But he's a terrible fit with Love, and I personally don't think you can win with a frontcourt like that. Him and Love are basically the same player, and while they may score a lot of points, Kanter/Love/Beasley would be TERRIBLE defensively. That would probably be the worst defensive frontcourt of ALL-TIME!

[HolyToledo]

He fits need for Twolves so I understand if they pick him. Quality centers are harder to find than Tweener forwards.

Would you draft Bogut (Kantor's ceiling) or Danny Granger (Williams ceiling)...clearly, we would all take Bogut. The problem with Kantor is he is an unknown and could be a bust and a huge gamble while Williams worst case scenario is a smart Beasily. He is a cant miss though with some limited upside.

Kahn is a gambler and does it his way so it will be interesting tommorrow. If I were him, I trade the pick even if the best deal is Gortat and the 13th pick.

Hey lets say Twolves pick Kantor, do the Jazz trade pick 3 (williams) for Gortat and 13th pick, probably not).

[woodstock17]

I know that RealGM is reporting it more matter of factly, than the actual ESPN article. But it still seems news worthy.

If this does happen then Irving or Williams is a nice consolation prize.

I think that the Wolves at #2 are in a worse position that the Jazz at #3. There is pressure on Minnesota to make the correct pick, so they won't be referred to as the team that took x over y (i.e., bowie over jordan, or oden over durrant) and y turned out to be a far better player.

The Jazz have an "out" at #3 no matter who they pick. For example, if the Jazz take Kanter at #3 and Williams goes #2 and turns out to be better player then the Jazz just say -- "well we couldn't take Williams at #3, because Minnesota took him at #2."

Lots of pressure on Minnesota if it turns out the other way around!

Unless the Jazz take Vesely or Knight then they put the pressure on themselves. I think Vesely and Knight have just as much of a chance to go 3 as Kanter does.

[Xanthis]

7 Day Dray you have formed quite the opinion on Kanter yet haven't seen any of his workouts. You either read too much Draft Express or think all guys with foreign last names are terrible.

[finnegan]

I know that RealGM is reporting it more matter of factly, than the actual ESPN article. But it still seems news worthy.

If this does happen then Irving or Williams is a nice consolation prize.

I think that the Wolves at #2 are in a worse position that the Jazz at #3. There is pressure on Minnesota to make the correct pick, so they won't be referred to as the team that took x over y (i.e., bowie over jordan, or oden over durrant) and y turned out to be a far better player.

The Jazz have an "out" at #3 no matter who they pick. For example, if the Jazz take Kanter at #3 and Williams goes #2 and turns out to be better player then the Jazz just say -- "well we couldn't take Williams at #3, because Minnesota took him at #2."

Lots of pressure on Minnesota if it turns out the other way around!

Unless the Jazz take Vesely or Knight then they put the pressure on themselves. I think Vesely and Knight have just as much of a chance to go 3 as Kanter does.

Vesely was supposed to be the next Kirilenko, and then he turns out to be an average defender. I think there is no way he goes #3 or turns out to be better than Kanter in the long run.

Knight may turn out to be decent, but I will be surprised if he is ever considered more valuable than either Kanter or Williams. Also since he is a PG, my guess is that there is less of a chance that he will ever be compared back to back with big men in terms of long term value.

[finnegan]

But he's a terrible fit with Love, and I personally don't think you can win with a frontcourt like that. Him and Love are basically the same player, and while they may score a lot of points, Kanter/Love/Beasley would be TERRIBLE defensively. That would probably be the worst defensive frontcourt of ALL-TIME!

I disagree with your premise. If two big men have high offensive skill that does not mean that you can immediately assume that they have no defensive skill, and/or that they would play poorly together.

[Litany]

As others have said, smokescreen.

For a while today, DX had the mock changed to Kanter going 2nd and Williams going 3rd, but a short while ago, DX was updated again and it has the Jazz taking Kanter 3rd and Kemba at 12. Wow, quite the slide for Walker.

I wonder how many more times it will change tomorrow, I'd imagine 5 lol.

[Jampod]

I read a tweet earlier today saying that we'd likely pass on Williams if he dropped. I can never sift through the bull on twitter though to tell what has some weight and what doesn't.

[HammerDunk]

Williams is Beasley. They don't want 2. They will either draft Kanter, or trade the pick to someone that wants Williams.

[The59Sound]

I read a tweet earlier today saying that we'd likely pass on Williams if he dropped. I can never sift through the bull on twitter though to tell what has some weight and what doesn't.

It's a joke to say we'd pass on Williams

Sidenote: Bogut is a bad comparison for Kanter; they're nothing alike. I'd also argue that Williams' ceiling is higher than Danny Granger.

[carrottop12]

So dx has moved kanter back to 3, and Williams back to 2. I really hope kanter still goes 2, I would love Williams.

[BringtheD]

The Twovles will be making a mistake if they draft Kanter, Kahn will lose his job after it looks like he's trying to fill a hole that he already has claimed to fill with 'manna from heaven', this is just the beginning, No one really knows what Kanter will deliver, it is all speculation at this point. Kahn puts the franchise in a hole that will take them a decade to get out of if they take Kanter anyway and he ends up not being the surprise component to their 'miraculous' turn around,it is a huge risk to think that Kanter would be the reason they have a turnaround season, alot to put on the shoulders of a rookie, in a locker room with no chemistry, and I dont' see Kanter a fit with what they have on the floor anymore than another player at #2. Twolves will have to face the piper at some point, if they continue to walk on the limb with 'risky' investments, they will always be broken and basement dwellers with no direction but down. To me, to see them do something stupid like take Kanter over Dwilliams, would be the worst possible to see Minnesota add someone who WON"T be a fit for them because then we'll never know if Kanter maybe couldn't have been a bust. They would be better off taking a player who would be happy playing in MInnesotta.

[Toothless]

Nobody believes the Wolves when they say the are picking Kanter. They say it is a smokescreen to drum up trade proposals. What if the Wolves are telling the truth? What if they have made their decision and are just letting others know exactly what they mean to do?

[BringtheD]

If Minnesota does intend to pick Kanter then they are passing up Dwill.2 who is closer to his upside then Kanter is. I think there are obvious reasons that Kanter should play in Utah, because the circumstances that would amount to him being a bust, are mitigated by facts; he has been watching the Jazz play for years, he will have the benfit of playing with Okur who can help with difficult language concepts, Okur is a hero, Utah has a tradition that Kanter can follow; Kanter is mostly a private person who is not going to be chasing large endorsment deals, Kanter loves to play for full houses, Kanter has firsthand knowledge of diverse cultures and thinks Utah is unique as one in America, Kanter would like to see a midmarket team win a championship and Uta is one place he feels that can happen.