News
Year-Round News & Updates on the Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves will definitely have AT LEAST one rookie on the squad for 2013-14. As of June 22nd, the TWolves own the ninth, twenty-sixth, fifty-second & fifty-eighth picks in the 2013 NBA Draft--being held on June 27th.
There has been plenty of speculation of what the Wolves will be doing with those picks or what kind of package they'll put together to move up into the Top 5. Let's first take a look at a scenario in which they don't move up and they make their four selections. Don't Move Up... #9: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Georgia), C.J. McCollum (Lehigh) or Sergey Karasev (Russia) If the Wolves keep their ninth pick, there's no question that they need to address their glaring need at the two-guard. Former President of Basketball Operation David Kahn try to slap a band-aid over it year after year with the failed experiments of Wesley Johnson and even more so, Brandon Roy. Drafting a player like Kentavious or Sergey--two shooting guards with two-guard size and solid shooting strokes. C.J. McCollum is an excellent shooter, but he lacks NBA shooting guard size--something that Flip Saunders has made a priority this summer. #26: Rudy Gobert (France), Kelly Olynyk (Gonzaga), Gorgui Dieng (Louisville), Jeff Withey (Kansas), Steven Adams (Pittsburgh), Lucas Nogueira (Brazil) or Mike Muscala (Bucknell). I think the gameplan here is pretty obvious: a big man to develop these next 2-3 years. It's likely that centers like Olynyk (more of a stretch four), Dieng & Adams will all be off the board at this point, however their inclusion here is an assumption that some players could slip slightly on the board. Any one of these big men would be solid options for the Wolves. A center like Gobert, Dieng, Withey or Adams may be the best options if they're looking for a reason to dump Greg Stiemsma (PLEASE do so!!). Olynyk, Nogueira & Muscala may be best suited as power forwards at the NBA level. All in all, the Wolves will almost definitely go with a shooting guard with their first pick and then a big man with their second first-round selection. #52 & #58: I literally have absolutely no idea who the Wolves will take with these picks. Could they actually select collegiate players? Will they look internationally at some players to pick & stash? Last season the Wolves took Robbie Hummel with the 58th overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft. Hummel played with the Wolves in the Summer League and that didn't lead to a contract offer with the Wolves. He instead took his talents to Spain for the season. Hummel is actually expected to join the Wolves in Summer League once again this summer (can always use three-point shooters, he's a long shot to make the opening day roster...but, you never know. Your guess on what the Wolves do with these two late second-round picks is probably better than mine! Let's Make a Deal... #1 or #2 or #3 or #4 or #5 The Wolves have been rumored to be talking to each team in the Top 5. As of today (6/22) the order stands at 1.) Cleveland; 2.) Orlando; 3.) Washington; 4.) Charlotte; 5.) Phoenix. The most likely trade partners include Cleveland, Orlando or Charlotte. If the Wolves did swing a deal it would be to land one of two players: either Indiana's Victor Oladipo (reportedly Flip's top target) or Kansas' Ben McLemore. Reports says Flip is very high on Oladipo, but I feel it's a bit overstated--how much Flip prefers Victor over McLemore. Some local Twin Cities media members debated this a couple weeks back, offering up the chance that this infatuation with Oladipo could be a bit of a smokescreen. I think Flip prefers Oladipo, but it's a bit closer between him & Ben than he's let on. Let's Make a Different Deal... Trade for a Veteran There are a number of veteran shooting guards that Minnesota could target with a package that would include (at least) the #9 pick. Some targets could include Boston's Courtney Lee or Jason Terry, Brooklyn's MarShon Brooks, Detroit's Rodney Stuckey, Indiana's Lance Stephenson, New York's Iman Shumpert, Orlando's Arron Afflalo, Philadelphia's Jason Richardson, Phoenix's Jared Dudley or Shannon Brown, Portland's Wesley Matthews or Sacramento's Marcus Thornton (among others). Let's Make a Slightly Different Deal... Trade Your Top Pick(s) and Chase a Free Agent In this scenario, the Wolves would package their top pick along with (maybe) one of their point guards to dump some salary so they could chase a free agent shooting guard like O.J. Mayo, Tony Allen, Tyreke Evans, Kevin Martin, J.J. Redick, etc. The Wolves could also choose to trade down from that #9 pick and select someone in the mid-first round that they could stash overseas for a few years and therefore would still allow them to dump some salary and snag one of these veteran two-guards. While this may be the unlikelier of these scenarios, you really can't rule anything out. That's all I've got for now, the draft is just five days away so stay tuned for plenty more draft news, stories & updates. Thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES!
0 Comments
When Andrei Kirilenko came to the Wolves a season ago I was ecstatic that the Wolves finally had a competent and talented small forward in their starting lineup. However, I was a little leery of the price tag he came at: $10million a year for two years, with the second year being a player option.
If Kirilenko accepts his player option, he'll make $10,219,420. He has until June 29th to either accept or decline that option. The only reason Andrei would decline the option is to seek a longer and likely less lucrative deal. Like anyone who watched the Wolves this season, I would love to have Kirilenko back in a TWolves uniform in 2013-14, but I hope he declines that option and signs a 2-3 year deal in the $6-7million a year range. That June 29 deadline comes two days after the 2013 NBA Draft and Kirilenko says he likely won't decide until that deadline day. That makes things hard for Flip Saunders if he's looking to make any trades on draft night. Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune believes that Kirilenko will ultimately accept the player option for the guaranteed $10million-plus and then test free agency in the summer of 2014. I'd have to agree, though of course, I'm hoping he declines and comes back on a 2-3 year deal worth substantially less. That's all for now, the NBA Draft is just six days away so stay with HOWL through this next week as we bring you all the stories, rumors & updates! Time for Part IV of the Mock Drafts 'Around the Net' series. If you missed the previous posts, you can find them here: Part One, Part Two, Part Three. This series is basically a look at some Mock Drafts on the Internet and who they have the Wolves selecting in the first round. The Wolves also own the 52nd & 58th picks in the second round, but we won't go further into those as those picks are basically a 'crap shoot' at this time. Enjoy!
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the likeliest target for the Timberwolves if they stay put at #9. At #9, it's almost a certainty that both Victor Oladipo & Ben McLemore will be off the 'board'. KCP is the next best two-guard. Flip has made it clear that he wants a two-guard with size who can knock down open shots. Last year he had a breakout season for Georgia. For the Timberwolves he would likely get a chance to start alongside Rubio in the backcourt, if not he could also be a valuable sixth man off the bench--someone who could provide the scoring in the second unit.
Rudy Gobert: If Rudy is available at #26, I sincerely hope the Wolves take him. At 7'2" with a 7'8" wingspan and plenty of athleticism he already possesses the physical tools. After his workout in Minnesota last week, Flip said that Gobert is definitely a project player that's at least 2-3 years from being a contributor in this League. Waive Greg Stiemsma, resign Pekovic and work tirelessly with Gobert, who can begin his NBA career as a backup center (can't be any worse than Stiemer...right?). Here's hoping he's less Hasheem Thabeet and more Roy Hibbert in 2-3 years... Shabazz Muhammad: Muhammad is a very skilled scorer and it's no secret that the Wolves are in dire need of big wings that can shoot the ball. Shabazz, if drafted by the Wolves would likely find his minutes at shooting guard. There are many questions surrounding Muhammad, including his effort on defense. He's been pegged as selfish and having a bad attitude. During his pre-draft workouts he has made it a point to try and squash those rumors. With a 6'11" wingspan, he has the ability to be a great perimeter defender. Scorers aren't always easy to come by. I'll hate if we draft Muhammad and he becomes Wes Johnson 2.0 AND I'll hate it if we don't draft him and he becomes another Paul George/Kawhi Leonard. Jeff Withey: Another center prospect that will be 'in play' for the Wolves at #26. Unlike Gobert, Withey has a bit more muscle and strength. At 7'1" he's a definite lane clogger who is known primarily as a rim protector/shot blocker. At 23, he's a bit older than most prospects and that may instantly turn some teams off on him. If centers like Gobert, Dieng, Adams, Olynkyk & Nogueira are off the board (it's highly unlikely they all will be) Withey isn't a bad choice. I've got him as the 6th best center in the Draft: 1.) Nerlens Noel; 2.) Alex Len; 3.) Cody Zeller; 4.) Kelly Olynyk; 5.) Gorgui Dieng; with the 7th being Rudy Gobert. Those rankings are based on skill and not the order that I think they'll be drafted in. Withey is a talented shot-blocker and rebounder. If he was playing behind Nikola Pekovic, that could maybe help round out his offensive game. Tony Mitchell is a combo forward whose main skills are his rebounding and shot blocking--that's thanks to his 7'3" wingspan. Mitchell had a 'down' year this past season at North Texas with nearly every facet of his game and that obviously doesn't help his draft stock. He'll either get drafted too high and be a big bust or he'll slip in the draft, going to a team late in the first round and make them look very smart. Mitchell's offensive game is limited and he doesn't have a go-to move in the paint. Mitchell has a lot of work to do to carve out a role in the NBA. Tim Hardaway Jr. Sergey Karasev: A Russian swingman with a nice shooting stroke, Sergey is rumored to have a promise somewhere in the first round of the Draft. Chad Ford says he's in play for the Wolves at #9 (but don't worry he didn't get a promise from Minny). Earlier this offseason there were mock drafts that had the Wolves taking him at #26. His stock has certainly risen and he won't be on the board at that point. Mike Muscala became one of the best low-post scorers in College basketball last season. He's an excellent rebounder and has put on some weight these past couple seasons. The Bucknell big man is originally from Roseville Minnesota, I'm sure he'd love to play for his hometown TWolves. He's a very well-rounded big man that does a bit of everything. I'd be shocked if he slipped out of the first round and I wouldn't be upset at all if the Wolves select him 26th overall. C.J. McCollum: Almost every mock draft had the Wolves taking McCollum two weeks prior. Mocks have certainly 'cooled' on the Wolves selecting C.J. There's no doubting, C.J. will be a great pickup for whichever team he ends up with. The biggest knock against McCollum heading to the Wolves is him being undersized for the Wolves' needs. At 6'3" he's a combo guard and a VERY good shooter, however the Wolves have suffered through two seasons with an undersized backcourt where Luke Ridnour is given the impossible task of guarding guys like Kobe Bryant, James Harden & Dwyane Wade. I think he'll be a good NBA player, but he just doesn't fit with these Wolves. Tony Snell: Good speed, quickness and leaping ability. Snell is still thin, but he has improved his body some this past season in New Mexico. Tony has reportedly put together some impressive workouts these past few weeks, which is why many mock drafts have him 'rising'. A lot of Snell's offense comes from his ability to move without the ball and knock down open shots. The Minnesota Timberwolves were dead-last in three-point percentage last season, so I think that automatically makes him a target for the Wolves. Giannis Adetokundo is an extremely raw prospect currently playing in Greece--against competition that scouts equate to Division III schools. Despite all of that, he possess' a lot of intangibles, skills and potential that have a number of scouts, VERY excited. He's a project player and whichever team drafts him will likely stash him overseas for a year or two and bring him along slowly. Some analysts believe he's already gotten a first-round guarantee and I highly doubt it's Minnesota at #26. If the Wolves keep their two first-round picks, they'll go big man and shooting guard (not necessarily in that order). Like everybody else, however, I'm very intrigued by Giannis and his massive potential. Lucas Noguiera is undoubtedly a long-term prospect for the team that drafts him. He possesses incredible athleticism, a penchant for crashing the offensive glass and finishing above the rim. A solid rebounder and a skilled shot-blocker, at 6'11" he'll almost certainly be a first-round selection. I'd love for the Wolves to take a shooting guard with their #9 pick and then take a center like Noguiera (or Gobert, Adams, Withey, Dieng, etc.). However in all honesty, any center that the Wolves draft that can take minutes from Greg Stiemsma is a HUGE positive in my books. That's a wrap! With the NBA Draft just six days away I'm no sure whether or not we'll have a part five in this series, however I'll definitely have some draft stories in the 'News' section the next week or so. As always, thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! We've heard plenty of trade rumors involving the Minnesota Timberwolves as we draw closer and closer to the 2013 NBA Draft. Just two days ago there was a report of the Wolves trading Derrick Williams, Luke Ridnour & the #26 pick for New York's Tyson Chandler. Today, Derrick Williams is the center of another potential trade. There is a report of rumors involving the Wolves and the Cavaliers that centers around Derrick Williams and the #9 pick for the #1 pick in the draft. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio had this to say shortly after the news created a buzz on Twitter...
A couple days after the NBA Draft Lottery, there was another rumored trade scenario. The Cavaliers REALLY want Kevin Love and actually believed the #1 pick would be enough to pry him out of Minnesota. Flip Saunders has made it abundantly clear he has absolutely no intention of trading away the 'face of the franchise' and the cornerstone of the Timberwolves moving forward. So, would the Cavaliers take the former #2 pick and the #9 pick. With Williams, the Cavaliers would have a battle at power forward between two young and up-and-comers in this League or if Williams ever figures out how to play small forward, he could solve a lot of problems for the Cavaliers moving forward.
This is, across the board, considered a fairly weak draft and for the first time in years, there really isn't a consensus #1 pick (ie: Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Blake Griffin, John Wall, etc). So, it's tough to say whether or not the #9 pick and D-Will should be enough to select #1 overall. Entertaining the idea of the Minnesota Timberwolves selecting #1 overall, who's their primary target? Without question, the name that has come up the most these past few weeks has been Indiana shooting guard Victor Oladipo. Projected as a Top 10 pick following the end of the NCAA season, he's risen up draft boards with excellent interviews and workouts. Flip Saunders is one of many execs that like what they see in Oladipo. Some other possibilities for the Wolves at #1? Nerlens Noel or Ben McLemore. At one point these two were consensus #1 & #2 picks, now it's uncertain if either will be selected in the Top 2, at all! McLemore's poor workouts and inconsistent play have teams second guessing him, while Noel's ACL injury certainly has teams wary. The Wolves' main target and #1 on their draft board is undoubtedly Victor Oladipo and its really no secret that if they want him in a TWolves uni, they're going to have to move into the Top 5--or potentially the Top 2. The draft is just eight days away, stay tuned for plenty more as well as Part IV of our Mock Drafts "Around the Net", likely up by Friday (6/21) evening. With 10 days until the 2013 NBA Draft, the rumor mill continues to swirl. One such rumor today involved the Minnesota Timberwolves and the New York Knicks. In the rumored deal, the Timberwolves would send Derrick Williams, Luke Ridnour and the #26 pick to the Knicks in exchange for New York's Tyson Chandler. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities had this to say on the subject...
With this deal the Timberwolves would be thinning out some of that point guard depth and taking Derrick Williams' salary off the books. Tyson Chandler is a former Defensive Player of the Year (2013), NBA All-Defensive First Team (2013), All-Star (2013), All-NBA Third Team (2012), NBA Champion (2011), Two-Time NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2011 & 2012).
Tyson is also a player that has dealt with a number of injuries throughout his playing days. With all the injuries in Minnesota the past two seasons and injury prone center isn't at the top of my list for trade targets. I'm also a BIG fan of Nikola Pekovic (as most of you well know). Trading for Chandler would definitely mean the end of Pekovic in Minnesota. These two centers are polar opposites. Pekovic is known for his brute strength and offensive skill around the bucket. Chandler is known for his incredible athleticism, rim protection and occasional highlight reel throwdown. While I love Pek, the idea of an athletic, defensive-minded center that can protect the rim, compliment Kevin Love and can run with Ricky Rubio--as well as the occasional hook-up for a nasty alley-oop slam. With just over a week to go until the NBA Draft we'll hear trade rumors galore and it won't be shocking if the Wolves do indeed swing a deal before or on Draft night. Stay tuned for plenty more including the final part of our Mock Drafts "Around the Net" in the next week and a half. Until then, thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! Indiana's Victor Oladipo, Kansas' Ben McLemore and Georgia's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are arguably the top three shooting guards in the 2013 NBA Draft.
It's no secret that the Wolves are in dire need of a quality and true shooting guard. All three of these players fit that bill. Here's a look at the depth charts at shooting guard of the Minnesota Timberwolves for the last five years... 2008-2009: Mike Miller, Rodney Carney & Randy Foye 2009-2010: Corey Brewer & Wayne Ellington 2010-2011: Wesley Johnson, Wayne Ellington & Martell Webster 2011-2012: Martell Webster, Wayne Ellington, Wesley Johnson, Luke Ridnour, Malcolm Lee 2012-2013: Luke Ridnour, Alexey Shved, Malcolm Lee, Brandon Roy For the past five seasons the Wolves have tried to rely on very odd and simply bad combinations at shooting guard. You'd think at some point David Kahn would've stopped signing point guards and make a run at a true shooting guard (with cartilage in his knees...ahem...B-Roy). The last time the Wolves had a decent shooting guard was when Flip Saunders as still the coach. That player, was of course Latrell Sprewell. Since the 2004-05 season (Sprewell's last season in Minny) the Wolves have gone through the likes of Marko Jaric, Welsey Johnson, Mike Miller, Randy Foye, Trenton Hassell, Rashad McCants and a number of other guards, many of which aren't even in the NBA anymore. So, it's no surprise that new President of Basketball Operations Flip Saunders' main objective this offseason is balancing the roster (ie: getting rid of a point guard or two) and getting some true shooting guards (who can actually shoot) on the roster. O.J. Mayo has been a name that we've heard plenty since Saunders came to town. Flip is a fan. Mayo is a solid player and is an obvious immediate upgrade at shooting guard. Another plus? He can shoot the ball...fancy that, a shooting guard that can shoot! I wouldn't mind at all to see O.J. finally in a TWolves uniform after spending about five minutes back in 2008 as a 'Wolf' on draft night. It all comes down to what he demands contract-wise. Last summer, the Mavs signed Mayo to a two-year contract worth $8.2million (just over $4million annually) with the second-year being a player option. Mayo is expected to decline that option and opt for free agency in search of a longer more lucrative contract. I wouldn't mind a four-year deal starting at $5-6.5million annually (so long as the Wolves still have money to both re-sign Pekovic AND Budinger--to do so, Kirilenko would have to decline his $10million player option--and hopefully still return on a more cap-friendly deal). While O.J. Mayo may be the best bet on the free agency route. What about the 2013 NBA Draft? What are the chances that the Timberwolves' 2013-14 season's starting shooting guard comes from the Draft? Adelman has been adamant that he prefers more seasoned, veteran players opposed to rookies--and I'm sure the past two seasons with Derrick Williams has really changed his mind on that. However there are three pretty talented shooting guards in this year's draft. 1.) Victor Oladipo 2.) Ben McLemore 3.) Kentavious Caldwell-Pope That's how I'd rank the Top 3 shooting guards in this year's draft. McLemore has more potential and may be a future all-star, but Oladipo possesses not only supreme perimeter defense, but a tireless work ethic. And Pope is known mainly as a shooter, however not to the extent of J.R. Smith/Nick Young/Jordan Crawford, where no shot is a bad shot for them! Honestly there'll all talented players and I wouldn't be unhappy to see any of them in a Wolves uni on opening day. I do think that Pope would be more of a reserve (at least in his rookie season) whereas Oladipo & McLemore would undoubtedly step right into a starting role. Then it all comes down to how things shake out on draft night. If the Wolves want Oladipo or McLemore they'll have to move up into (at least) the Top 5. Whereas KCP is very likely to be there with the #9 pick. The 2013 NBA Draft is now just 12 days away and I'll be very interested to see how these next two weeks shake out. I don't doubt that there'll be plenty of trade rumors churned out. My ideal scenario for the Wolves' 2013 NBA Draft? Swing a deal with either Orlando (#2 pick) or Charlotte (#4 pick) for the #9 pick and (maybe) Derrick Williams and/or J.J. Barea/Luke Ridnour. I would also expect to get a little more back from one of those two teams if you're giving up the #9 pick, a still young former #2 pick and a quality reserve point guard (assuming we trade Ridnour :) ). With that Top 4 pick, you take Victor Oladipo, with the backup plan being McLemore. Then you use the #26 pick to take a reserve center like Rudy Gobert, Steven Adams or Jeff Withey, etc. to develop these next couple years (while also hopefully waiving or trading Greg Stiemsma in the process). That's all for now, thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! Flip Saunders met with Indiana shooting guard Victor Oladipo on Friday in Washington D.C. and it reportedly went well.
Oladipo worked out for Flip and because the Wolves were unable to interview Victor at the Chicago Pre-Draft Combine, they sat down and held a casual interview. According to one Minnesota media member, Oladipo was reportedly 'intrigued' about playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves. And why wouldn't he?! He'd likely step right into a starting role, he'd be playing alongside the most unselfish point guard in the NBA and a bonafide superstar in Kevin Love and in his first year he'd be playing for future Hall of Fame head coach Rick Adelman. With Oladipo interested and Flip enamored, there's plenty of work to do to ensure Oladipo ends up in a TWolves uni. With just under two weeks until the NBA Draft, trade talk regarding the Wolves and a team in the Top 5 should really begin to 'pick up steam'. Thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! Indiana's Victor Oladipo's representatives made it clear that their client wouldn't be working out for any teams outside of the Top 5. The Timberwolves were told that Oladipo would 'work out' for them, IF they demonstrated the ability to be able to trade up to a Top 5 pick (Cleveland, Orlando, Washington, Charlotte or Phoenix).
Apparently the Wolves have shown that ability as word came today that Flip Saunders would be heading to Washington D.C. to meet with Oladipo for a workout as well as an interview. Its been no secret that Flip is clearly enamored with Oladipo and he sits at the top of the Timberwolves' draft board for the NBA Draft at the end of this month. Victor would be the perfect fit for a team that has been without a true shooting guard for far too long. While his offensive game still needs polishing, he has shown great potential and is already pegged to be a premier defensive stopper in the NBA. A starting lineup of Rubio, Oladipo, Kirilenko, Love & Pekovic would be very versatile and lethal on the court. In Rubio, Oladipo & Kirilenko you have three great perimeter defenders and in Love & Pekovic you have, potentially, one of the best one-two punches/inside-outside presences in the League. The Wolves still need shooters, however. Guys who can hang around the perimeter, get left wide open and then knock those shots down. Chase Budinger fits that mold--assuming he's re-signed and we all hope Alexey Shved can find his stroke this summer and carry that on into 2013-14. What'll it take for the Wolves to move into the Top 5? Without a doubt, the #9 pick would be part of any deal and then possibly Derrick Williams or Luke Ridnour/J.J. Barea. Flip has made it clear that the Wolves have a logjam at point guard and vows to clear that up. Flip says the Wolves have five point guards on the roster, which obviously means: Rubio, Ridnour, Barea, Lee & Shved. The Wolves desperately need to balance the roster and that means one or more of these guys won't be in Minnesota next season. With just 14 days until the NBA Draft, I'm sure there'll be plenty more stories, rumors and updates so stay tuned to HOWL for all of those! Until then, thanks for reading and GO WOLVES! As we draw closer to the 2013 NBA Draft, new President of Basketball Operations has been a very busy man. Here are a few updates regarding prospect workouts, free agency buzz and plenty of other 'nuggets' that're all TWolves, enjoy....
That's all for now, thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! With many more NBA Mock Drafts coming out these past few days, it's time once again for Part Three of our Mock Drafts 'Around the Net'. If you've missed our first two, you can find them here and here. You can also find the description of what these posts entail in Part One of this series. As it currently stands, we're likely to have five 'parts' this season.
**SI was updated 5/29; nbadraft.net updated 6/1; DraftExpress & MyNBADraft.com updated on 6/3; CBS Sports, ProBasketballDraft & ESPN were all updated on 6/4.** Alex Len is projected to go somewhere between 3-9, with most scouts believing he'll be gone by the time the Wolves pick. If he is available he'd be the perfect fit as a long-term prospect that will take a couple years to develop and provide valuable time behind Pekovic at center (allowing the Wolves to waive/trade Stiemsma). Len is the kind of shot-blocking rim protector the Wolves sorely need. An ankle injury has kept him out of working out for teams, but some scouts believe if he could workout for teams, he'd be in the conversation for the #1 pick.
Sergey Karasev is an excellent ball-handler with a high basketball IQ and a good shooting stroke. At 6'7" he plays some point forward and is a capable passer. This past season he averaged 16.1ppg on 49% 3PT in Eurocup. It's uncertain if he'll come straight to the NBA next season or if he's a pick and stash type of player. Being Russian and having played with Shved & Kirilenko for the Russian National Team, he'd obviously fit right in, in Minnesota. According to Adrian Woj of Yahoo Sports, Karasev has reportedly returned to Russia and will not be doing anymore workouts, which fuels rumors that he's gotten a first-round guarantee from an unidentified team. Chances are good he won't be available when the Wolves pick at #26, however some mocks have him going as high as #9 (to the Wolves--which Chad Ford eludes to in his latest mock draft). Shabazz Muhammad is a versatile scoring swingman. Just months earlier, Muhammad was in the conversation for the #1 overall pick. After an okay lone season a UCLA, finding out he's actually a year older and his play being categorized as unselfish--he's 'plummeted' down the draft boards with some scouts believing he could actually fall out of the Lottery. He isn't a great perimeter defender, though he has the physical tools to develop into a solid defender (6'11" wingspan). He'd definitely fill a need as a scoring shooting guard. I wouldn't mind Muhammad on the Wolves vying for the starting shooting guard spot. Flip has been adamant that if the Wolves keep their #9 pick (and don't move up in the draft) Minnesota will be taking the best player available--Muhammad will be in the conversation at #9. C.J. McCollum was the popular choice at #9 for most mock drafts in Part Two of our 'Around the Net' series. He's still the most popular in this one, but it isn't by as wide a margin. McCollum measures at just 6'3" so he's not a natural shooting guard, though he is looked at as potentially the best shooter in the draft. Some scouts/analysts draw comparisons to unanimous Rookie of the Year Damian Lillard. C.J. also broke his foot back in early January and hasn't played basketball since then, that's obviously a concern as is his ability to stay healthy (the Wolves certainly don't need injury prone players). Teamed up with Ricky Rubio, they'd be a lethal offensive backcourt, however because of McCollum's size there would be serious concerns on the defensive end. Sure, Luke Ridnour has started alongside Rubio in the majority of games the last two seasons, but Flip has made it known he wants a true shooting guard (size-wise). I'd honestly be surprised if the Wolves take McCollum at 9. Archie Goodwin is another 6'5" shooting guard and because of his size and the position he plays, he automatically is on Minnesota's radar. The majority of drafts have Goodwin going in the mid-second round, but these workouts are where the below-the-radar players can get noticed and see their draft stock soar. During his lone season at Kentucky he showed flashes of excellence, but his play was also marred by inconsistencies. Goodwin is an excellent athlete with a 6'10" wingspan and at 6'5" he has NBA length. He's got all the physical tools, but he still has plenty of work to do if he wants to develop into a consistent player and a contributor at the next level. Giannis Adetokundo is an extremely raw prospect currently playing in Greece--against competition that scouts equate to Division III schools. Despite all of that, he possess' a lot of intangibles, skills and potential that have a number of scouts, VERY excited. He's a project player and whichever team drafts him will likely stash him overseas for a year or two and bring him along slowly. Some analysts believe he's already gotten a first-round guarantee and I highly doubt it's Minnesota at #26. If the Wolves keep their two first-round picks, they'll go big man and shooting guard (not necessarily in that order). Like everybody else, however, I'm very intrigued by Giannis and his massive potential. Lucas Noguiera is undoubtedly a long-term prospect for the team that drafts him. He possesses incredible athleticism, a penchant for crashing the offensive glass and finishing above the rim. A solid rebounder and a skilled shot-blocker, at 6'11" he'll almost certainly be a first-round selection. I'd love for the Wolves to take a shooting guard with their #9 pick and then take a center like Noguiera (or Gobert, Adams, Withey, Dieng, etc.). However in all honesty, any center that the Wolves draft that can take minutes from Greg Stiemsma is a HUGE positive in my books. Reggie Bullock has good size for an NBA player and is a good shooter for his size. He won't be an All-Star in the NBA, but he could develop into a solid role player off the bench for a number of teams. He can play both forward spots and even some shooting guard. A versatile player that can be used as a utility player off the bench for any NBA team in a year or two. With Budinger off the bench and guys like D-Will, Cunningham and Shved, I'm not sure he's really needed on this current Minnesota Timberwolves roster. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has risen up the draft boards and because of his NBA size (6'5") and offensive capabilities at shooting guard, it automatically makes him a target for the Wolves. Pope is coming off a breakout season in which his 'game' stayed the same, however he increased his production in a number of statistical areas. Chad Ford of ESPN has heard rumblings that Kentavious is definitely 'up there' on the Wolves' draft board. Jeff Withey seems like he'd be a great fit for this team. A 7-footer who blocks shots and rebounds. He's definitely a bit stronger than Stiemsma as well. As a backup center, playing behind Nikola Pekovic he could take pointers to round out his offensive game, while giving the Wolves a tougher rim protector that they've sorely lacked these past few seasons. In case you weren't aware or didn't catch on...I am NOT a fan of Greg Stiemsma. That's all for now, part four should debut in mid-June so stay tuned for that. Until then, thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! |
Cody AndersonA TWolves fan, bringing you the daily updates. News Archives
August 2017
|