Pre-Draft Thread / Workout Updates

[Twolf16]

My questions, looking for answers....
1. Do we think the Magic are going to take Mclemore?
2. Oladipo or Mclemore, which makes a better immediate impact and future impact?
3. Pros and Cons of signing Kirilenko to a longer contract?
4. I prefer a Center at pick 9 but lets say we grab KCP is he going to make that much of an impact? Greater than Shved can make?
5. Any possible trade scenarios where we can trade up to get Oladipo or Mclemore and still keep our No.9 pick?... Dumb question but im still curious if anyone has any ideas

[Twolf16]

Sorry Klomp.


What do you think is going on with Flip?

Is he confident that a deal is going to take place ?

Smokescreen?

Showing Borderline Passive-Aggressive Personality Disorder?

I think its confidence in knowing he offered to take on Thomas's contract in this deal for the 4th and the Bobcats responded in the affirmative.

I definitely think its confidence speaking and that he has a plan. Otherwise not really sure what kind of smoke screen that is...

[Wolves_Nation]

Flip will make the right decision.

I think it's the first time in years, we can say that about someone in our Front Office.

[Klomp]

Sorry Klomp.


What do you think is going on with Flip?

Is he confident that a deal is going to take place ?

Smokescreen?

Showing Borderline Passive-Aggressive Personality Disorder?

I think its confidence in knowing he offered to take on Thomas's contract in this deal for the 4th and the Bobcats responded in the affirmative.

I don't think its necessarily any of those. All he said is that he likes Oladipo over McLemore.

One of the things I found interesting from his KFAN interview was what he said about how he uses Twitter to clear any confusion in the media and tell the organization's side of the story.

PR was the biggest downfall of the previous regime. Flip is turning that around. I think he really learned a lot from his time at ESPN about dealing with the media because he knows how it is on the other end, and he saw how badly it was botched here.

As for smokescreen, Flip said no. Now is that another smokescreen? Perhaps...

[Peezo]

Here is my problem with Redick and every or any other shooting guard that just shoots and makes 3 pointers. Besides making 3's, the casual jumpers, and playing pretty bad D, they really dont bring anything else besides a contract they are usually not worth.

I know that the Wolves had the worst 3 point percentage in the league but its going to improve by a lot next year. Love will be healthy as will Budinger, and Shved and Rubio will most likely improve. People would not have been complaining about our 3 point percentage had everyone been healthy and if we were in the playoffs. So that is why we do not need to overestimate the percentage and go for a guy like Redick who has almost no other intangibles and a contract he is not worth.

If the wolves make any trades or move up in the draft it should be for a guy like Oladipo. A guy who has shown tremendous work ethic, improves every year, has a high shooting percentage, (on a small sample size) brings fantastic defense and athleticism, has a high basketball IQ, and runs the floor very well.

I really feel like people are just thinking about the 3 point percentage. We need to think about our future also and not worry so much about the 3. I mean its important but lets not over emphasize. So that is why I would take many guards over Redick.


So Im really hoping Flip makes some smart moves to move up in this draft. Also I don't have anything against Redick, I actually think he can be a good player in the right system but I feel like Oladipo or Mclemore suits us better.

I agreed with most of what you said here, but I'm glad you through in the part about Mclemore, because he would help this team too. I still think people are overrating Oladipo's shooting and underrating Mclemore's potential. Either way, I prefer both of them to a one-way 2-guard who will cost more money. If we do sign someone from this Free Agent class to play the SG, I really hope its not to a bloated contract. There is no one worth big money on the market.

[Maefteda]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbn5U7aI2Ng[/youtube]

Finally Len's scouting report is up. Liking the look of this guy. Tremendous upside, would bring much needed size and defense on C, and his weaknesses are either easily fixable or will already be taken care of with a true PG and the passing we have on our team. Love/Pek/Len is a scary frontcourt and if Pek and Len both turn out to be great starting C's, then we will have great leverage in a trade as plenty of teams are looking for good centers.

My draft board:

1. Oladipo
2. Noel
3. Len
4. McLemore
5. McCollum

I'm not too high on KCP or Shabazz, too many question marks. Bennett/Burke do not fit, while I can't see Noel or McLemore fall to us. I'm hoping either Zeller or Carter-Williams manage to sneak into the top 8 so we can get either Len or McCollum, but most of all I'd like to trade up for Oladipo.

[righterwriter]

Not sure what the point would be in announcing to the world that he had Oladipo lined up as the selection, via some sort of trade. All that does is give another team the opportunity to trade up and get him.

There are a few ways to look at it, imo:

- He wants the word out there for other GM's that he wants Oladipo, so if they can acquire the pick to get him somehow and want something on the Wolves, they should be in touch.
- He thinks that they have no chance at Oladipo, so he can speak freely about him.
- Flip wants fans to know that he is on top of things and can spot talent. That makes more sense than to build up the guys who will likely be there at #9 and then disappoint fans when he turns into a mediocre player.

[Klomp]

Len is 1b on my board, behind Oladipo

[southern wolf]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JerryZgoda/status/342638816257011714[/tweet]

I hope he has a good vet SG in his plans then.

I don't think I've ever heard a GM say that he'll pick based on need rather than BPA.

If it comes down to a pure PG or PF which we already have vs a SG, he damn well better pick based on need and take the SG.

[Gideon]

You would think all of this is some smokescreen Flip is creating right now with this Oladipo talk, but HOLYSMOKE he would have to be a great actor if it was the case. He kept talking about how Oladipo can help an NBA team right away...the man was gushing over Oladipo. But Flip says there is another guy in the draft as well that he is willing to trade upward.

I think Flip has been laying the groundwork with the Bobcats (or maybe PHX) and has some loose agreement in place.


The "smokescreen or loose agreement" both seem to be impossible to me at this point when you look at it logically, but it has to be one or the other......right?

Flip is trolling us.

Oladipo may be ahead of McLemore, but I bet he'd trade up for both ... if he can't trade up he'll take BPA/Zeller and trade for a Vet SG

Mclemore could be the 2nd guy Flip was speaking of on KFAN...but I just didn't feel love from Flip - to Mclemore.

Is Flip this much into acting?.....he would have to be for this to be a smokescreen.

I think Flip is confident of the Twolves being successful in trading up....for whoever.

Otto Porter could also make sense... he wouldn't be as sexy a pick as getting a SG who would step in and start for us right away. But he could back up AK (who is injured frequently, anyway) for a year or two and then become our starting SF for years to come. Porter is still a wing player, which is essentially what we need, and he probably has the highest floor of anybody in the draft.

I hope we get Oladipo, but if Flip also has another player on his radar as far as moving up (and if it's not McLemore), Porter would seem to be the most likely possibility to me. If we moved up and drafted Porter and then traded for somebody like Dudley, I would consider that a good offseason.

[FinnTheHuman]

Oladipo may be ahead of McLemore, but I bet he'd trade up for both ... if he can't trade up he'll take BPA/Zeller and trade for a Vet SG

Mclemore could be the 2nd guy Flip was speaking of on KFAN...but I just didn't feel love from Flip - to Mclemore.

Is Flip this much into acting?.....he would have to be for this to be a smokescreen.

I think Flip is confident of the Twolves being successful in trading up....for whoever.

Otto Porter could also make sense... he wouldn't be as sexy a pick as getting a SG who would step in and start for us right away. But he could back up AK (who is injured frequently, anyway) for a year or two and then become our starting SF for years to come. Porter is still a wing player, which is essentially what we need, and he probably has the highest floor of anybody in the draft.

I hope we get Oladipo, but if Flip also has another player on his radar as far as moving up (and if it's not McLemore), Porter would seem to be the most likely possibility to me. If we moved up and drafted Porter and then traded for somebody like Dudley, I would consider that a good offseason.

But would that mean letting Chase The Acceptable Face go?

[volk_bart]

Flip will make the right decision.

I hope you are right!

[Biff Cooper]

Something along the lines of the following:

Charlotte Bobcats trade their 1st Round Pick (4th overall) + Tyrus Thomas (8.7 Mil) to the Timberwolves

Minnesota Timberwolves trade their 1st Round Pick (9th overall) + Derrick Williams (5.0 Mil)+ Luke Ridnour (4.3 Mil) to the Bobcats.

The Wolves could very well trade for the 4th pick in the draft, but there is no way it will be this one-sided to Charlotte. There is no way they get to both dump TT and acquire DW to move back from 4 to 9.

[Biff Cooper]

Len is 1b on my board, behind Oladipo

Technically, that would probably make Len #2 on your draft board. If you had them rated the same, they would be 1a and 1b.

[righterwriter]

Something along the lines of the following:

Charlotte Bobcats trade their 1st Round Pick (4th overall) + Tyrus Thomas (8.7 Mil) to the Timberwolves

Minnesota Timberwolves trade their 1st Round Pick (9th overall) + Derrick Williams (5.0 Mil)+ Luke Ridnour (4.3 Mil) to the Bobcats.

The Wolves could very well trade for the 4th pick in the draft, but there is no way it will be this one-sided to Charlotte. There is no way they get to both dump TT and acquire DW to move back from 4 to 9.

If you want to make that cavernous leap from #9 to the much desired #4, you gotta believe that you'll have to eat a bad contract and give up something else.

The Bobcats don't need cap space as much as they need talent, but at the same time, Derrick Williams on his own isn't such a prize that they'd take a pretty inferior prospect at #9 just to get him. So Tyrus Thomas would simply have to be part of the deal.

There will be lots of teams trying to get to Oladipo/McLemore/Porter, as after them its a bit of a crapshoot. So whoever gets there will have to pay big or be stuck with the dregs of the lotto.

[minimus]

Flip also mentioned that he can draft best available player. I wish he will draft Alex Len with #9, Sergey Karasev with #26 as nbadraft.net predicts. Trade Williams + Barea to create space, find bargain SG (Morrow, C.Lee, Webster) for 15-20 minutes, develop Shved, Karasev, Len. Resign Pek, Bud. M.Lee showed some progress last year as perimeter defender.

Projected roster:
Pek, Steamer, Len
Love, Dante Cunningham, Chris Johnson
AK, Bud, Karasev, Mickael Gelabale
Bud/Shved/???/M.Lee
Rubio/Ridnour/Shved

What I like about this roster is depth at frontcourt position, a lot of upside. Good balance between young and veterans. Karasev is young Euro player with high basketball IQ, passing and shooting ability.

[Biff Cooper]

If you want to make that cavernous leap from #9 to the much desired #4, you gotta believe that you'll have to eat a bad contract and give up something else.

The Bobcats don't need cap space as much as they need talent, but at the same time, Derrick Williams on his own isn't such a prize that they'd take a pretty inferior prospect at #9 just to get him. So Tyrus Thomas would simply have to be part of the deal.

There will be lots of teams trying to get to Oladipo/McLemore/Porter, as after them its a bit of a crapshoot. So whoever gets there will have to pay big or be stuck with the dregs of the lotto.

Flip also said that if Derrick Williams were in this draft he'd be a top 5 pick and that the team can't afford to give up Derrick Williams just to move up in draft position. He's also said this draft is pretty deep, but there is not a surefire superstar in the draft. No way the proposed deal happens.

[C.lupus]

I still think people are overrating Oladipo's shooting and underrating Mclemore's potential. Either way, I prefer both of them to a one-way 2-guard who will cost more money. If we do sign someone from this Free Agent class to play the SG, I really hope its not to a bloated contract. There is no one worth big money on the market.

I'm not sure anyone is overrating Oladipo's shooting. that is the one negative that everybody brings up. I personally think his other positives outweigh that but that's just me. I agree with the rest of your post.



I also think we need to look beyond Charlotte. I don't think they fit that well as a trade partner and I think there is a very good chance both Oladipo and McLemore are off the board by the time they pick. The Wizards are the team I would eye. They've got a good young PG/SG combo already and might have an interest in getting Williams and a big at 9 (They may just go for Bennet, Porter, or Noel, though).

[Saltine]

I think the Wizards want Porter.

[Klomp]

On who the second guy is that Flip said he'd trade up for, my gut feeling is Alex Len.

Flip talked about roster and scheme fit quite a bit, and IMO that fits Len to a T.