NBA Draft

[DaveW]

Looking like it will be Towns.

[TheLeviathan]

Better be.  I'm hoping Flip also finds a way to deal a Pek or Bennett tonight for something of valuable.  (I know how much of a long shot that is)

[DaveW]

 

Better be.  I'm hoping Flip also finds a way to deal a Pek or Bennett tonight for something of valuable.  (I know how much of a long shot that is)

Forget value, getting Pek off the books would be victory enough. I don't dislike Pek but he can't stay healthy, and becomes pointless when you have Towns on the roster.

Bennett is garbage thus far, I can't see anyone taking him for anything more than a meaningless future pick. I'd rather just hold onto him at this point to see if it suddenly "clicks" for him next season.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Forget value, getting Pek off the books would be victory enough. I don't dislike Pek but he can't stay healthy, and becomes pointless when you have Towns on the roster.

Bennett is garbage thus far, I can't see anyone taking him for anything more than a meaningless future pick. I'd rather just hold onto him at this point to see if it suddenly "clicks" for him next season.

 

Bennett is making a lot of cash too and I'd be surprised if we want to keep both of those 2nds.  Maybe they can find a better rotational player for one of them with the pick.

[BeenHazy]

http://cdn2.streamable.com/video/749d496018f411e58418af48a908340b.webm

[kab21]

The 2 2nd round picks really aren't a problem.  Take the best PG that is available with one and the best euro guy to stash for a year or two in the Euro league.  Rozier has some fans and might last to the 2nd rd otherwise I guess a Harrison twin is a solid pick especially with Towns as the #1.

[kab21]

Forget about getting value back for Bennett.  At this point just be happy if you can move him without sending something of value with him.  I think he stays and gets buried on the bench behind the 3 C's that take up most of the minutes at the 2 big spots.  Adding Bjelica to the mix adds another big.

 

Every day I like Towns more and more.  I have really underrated his shooting since he stayed in the paint at UK.  He sounds like a 3/4 that is also a dominant defensive big.  That is potentially ridiculous.

[TheLeviathan]

 

The 2 2nd round picks really aren't a problem.  Take the best PG that is available with one and the best euro guy to stash for a year or two in the Euro league.  Rozier has some fans and might last to the 2nd rd otherwise I guess a Harrison twin is a solid pick especially with Towns as the #1.

 

That's true.  Though hasn't Flip been hesitant to do that?  I remember him complaining a bunch last year about not having room for 2nd rounders.

[Hrbowski]

Now I can back up my saying that St. Paul and Minneapolis are basketball Towns.

[biggentleben]

 

Now I can back up my saying that St. Paul and Minneapolis are basketball Towns.

 

These are the types of comments that warrant a "dislike" button...or at least a sad trombone icon.

[Hrbowski]

 

These are the types of comments that warrant a "dislike" button...or at least a sad trombone icon.

Since it was meant to be does that mean that it should be deleted?

[kab21]

 

That's true.  Though hasn't Flip been hesitant to do that?  I remember him complaining a bunch last year about not having room for 2nd rounders.

That's why one fills a position of need and the other doesn't come to the US for a year or two. 

[TheLeviathan]

 

That's why one fills a position of need and the other doesn't come to the US for a year or two. 

 

Right, but I question Flip's willingness to follow that.

[biggentleben]

The TWolves started offering 31 and 36 for Tyus with Houston and finally Cleveland bit.

 

Excellent draft for the Wolves getting Towns and Jones.

[kab21]

Excellent.  And maybe Bjelica is going to happen. Things are looking up.

[DaveW]

Wow!

[BeenHazy]

It's too bad that MLB rules don't permit TR to make draft pick trades with Cleveland.  

[ALessKosherScott]

It feels weird not being down about the Wolves on draft night.

[TheLeviathan]

Towns and Jones is pretty much as ideal a night as you could envision.

[ALessKosherScott]

I think more to the point, the team had two glaring weaknesses-- post defense and a back up point guard who could step in and actually run the offense when Rubio is on the bench. The fact they actually addressed them instead of just drafting 15 point guards again kind of scares me. I'm just not used to the Wolves being on point. 

[kab21]

Not only were they needs but also the BPA (arguable at least).  The team really didn't need two 2nd rd pick talents either and instead were able to fill a need with talent.  I thought they were going to make a deal with Portland for their pick since they were rumored to be shopping it.

[ALessKosherScott]

Assuming the MLE for Bjelica and no one messes with Hummel after the qualifying offer, your 2015-16 Wolves roster by position is:

 

1.

 

Rubio

Jones

 

1/2

 

Lavine

 

2

 

Martin

 

2/3

Wiggins

Budinger

Muhammed

 

3/4

 

Hummel

Bjelica

 

4

Bennett

Payne

 

4/5

Towns

Garnett

 

5

Dieng

Pekovic

 

I like the flexibility, but can that roster get you 30 wins? Call me crazy, but I wish there was another point guard and another shooter in the 2/3 mix in there, and one or two fewer guys who can play four.

[kab21]

Here is what I see for playing time (the numbers probably don't add up)

 

1 - Rubio 32 min - Jones 16

2/3 - Wiggins 30+ - Martin 25-30 - Muhammad 15-20 - Lavine 15-20 (I wish Martin the 15-20 minute guy that can carry the 2nd unit scoring load but I think he will remain a starter)

4/5 - Dieng 30 - Pekovic 25 - Towns 25 - Bjelica 10-15

 

Payne - Bennett - Garnett - Hummel - Budinger get scraps until injuries happen

 

I don't think they get 30 wins this year but this is the base of a roster that could get 30-40 the following season but a lot depends on the development of the young players and how well the players mesh together.  I am encouraged a lot by Towns being able to play like a 3/4 as a 7 footer.  He might end up as a PF that can give the Wolves a lot of defensive options (going big or small).

[biggentleben]

 

Here is what I see for playing time (the numbers probably don't add up)

 

1 - Rubio 32 min - Jones 16

2/3 - Wiggins 30+ - Martin 25-30 - Muhammad 15-20 - Lavine 15-20 (I wish Martin the 15-20 minute guy that can carry the 2nd unit scoring load but I think he will remain a starter)

4/5 - Dieng 30 - Pekovic 25 - Towns 25 - Bjelica 10-15

 

Payne - Bennett - Garnett - Hummel - Budinger get scraps until injuries happen

 

I don't think they get 30 wins this year but this is the base of a roster that could get 30-40 the following season but a lot depends on the development of the young players and how well the players mesh together.  I am encouraged a lot by Towns being able to play like a 3/4 as a 7 footer.  He might end up as a PF that can give the Wolves a lot of defensive options (going big or small).

 

I cannot find the quote now, but I've read elsewhere that Garnett talked about how he sees a lot of his game in Towns. That would be huge for the team. Garnett with a Wiggins just once in his career would have possibly had an NBA title. 

[Zachary]

 

 

I like the flexibility, but can that roster get you 30 wins? Call me crazy, but I wish there was another point guard and another shooter in the 2/3 mix in there, and one or two fewer guys who can play four.

 

I agree about needing a shooter. A PURE shooter. That's one thing they are missing. There is a reason why Lebron loves to stack up on shooters and drag them with him wherever he goes (Mike Miller, James Jones, JR Smith). It is because you NEED them. The T-wolves currently are without a guy that is a hands down top-tier shooter. Other than that though, the makeup of this roster is pretty solid. 

[kab21]

So you are asking for Kevin Martin?

 

20 ppg, 39% 3pt and 5 3pt/game

 

If you are asking for somebody younger or somebody that plays decent defense then you are talking about a possible all-star that is getting a max offer in FA.

 

But this has been what I have been talking about for months especially every time someone mentions trading Martin.  I am a little bit more optimistic that a lineup of Lavine, Wiggins and Towns (Muhammad off the bench) could hoist enough 3's to space the floor.  None of them are volume shooters but each of them could develop into a solid to excellent outside shooter.

[biggentleben]

A solid outside shooter with defense in this offseason would be getting paid more than the GDP of half the world's countries.  What a ridiculous offseason so far!

[ALessKosherScott]

Stauskas is a good example of the type of shooter I'd have liked to see the Timberwolves add. Low cost with upside. Most of the 3 and D guys who made bank this year--Carroll, Green, Matthews-- were guys who flopped in their first stop in their early twenties and improved as they physically matured. It would be nice to find a guy who could really be something in two years. Tony Snell maybe? Alternatively, it would also be nice to find a 30-something point guard to take some of the pressure off Jones so he doesn't have to immediately step into the backup point role. 

[PseudoSABR]

Jon Krawczynski ‏@APkrawczynski  17m17 minutes ago

3 years and just under 12M for Bjelica in this spending environment is a terrific deal for the Wolves

 

 

It will be interesting to see if his game can translate; that said, good deal for the Twolves

[TheLeviathan]

Glad that it's official, looking forward to what he can bring for outside shooting.