Well I think we need to address our needs, and draft some young players in this draft to fill our wholes. I'm sick of having some old guys here, and it's time to get some youth on the team. Now, I think our main needs are at the pointguard position and downlow at center. I think we need a good low-post scorer. Olowokandi has been doing decent lately, but we definitely need to get ourselves a good low post scorer with some size. Any possible players? Well, nbadraft.net has us taking Johan Petro, a 7'0 260lb center from France. Here's the scouting report: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Strengths: The top prospect in France, and maybe in all of Europe. Athletic, can run the floor. Great body, Good wingspan, big bones, and pretty strong. Has put on a lot of weight in the past two years. Has good touch on the ball. Still raw on offense but has a little baby hook that he relies on much of the time. He definitely has great potential but has to change attitude on the court and play harder. Weaknesses: Has still slow foot work, not helped with lazy attitudes at times. Shot is not developed and doesn?t even look for the ball yet. Doesn?t move well on offense and could get a lot more done especially offensive rebounding. Has to play harder. Defense is limited right now in having a great body to deny shots or change their way. Could be but is not a shot blocker, and doesn?t move feet quick enough to guard smaller post players. Reaction is still slow. -Babacar Sy Notes: Has a very bright future. Excels with the ball close to the basket. Excellent shotblocker. Inevitably compared to countryman Jerome Moiso due to his style of play and raw athleticism, but has a greater future because of his strong motivation level. Began playing basketball at the age of 12. Started basketball some years ago, played for the under 18 national team at just 16. </div> Now, he sounds great because he is a big man, but it says he has slow reaction time and has a lot of potential, and a lot of could be's and can be's in his game, but they are not yet fully developed. I don't know if I want another player like Kandi, slow as molasses. I want a big man with a lot of energy who can score downlow, but it says he is slow on offense. I wouldn't mind going a little lower and grabbing Channing Frye. He has had a nice career with Arizona. What's good about him is that he has some nice post moves, able to execute post moves with either hand, and he runs the floor well. A couple downsides with Frye is that he lacks some size, and he can be inconsistent at times, but I wouldn't mind taking him. Opinions?
why? <div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">The TWolves forfeit this year's 1st Round Pick.</div> why?
still? <div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">Joe Smith-Gate</div> thats still having its reprocussions? damn. what were the total punishments for the incident?
shapecity: I am more than positive that this year, the Timberwolves get the draft pick. I think their punishment is over. I will double check, but I am pretty sure that they are getting their first round pick back.
No, when I think more about it, last year was just an exception, and we are still punished from having our first round pick this year. I should have though more about it before making this thread.
No I'm pretty sure we get our pick this year also. I may be wrong. Someone should check that out. I think Channing Frye or Joey Graham would both be great picks down low.
Did research and found this: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> The Minnesota Timberwolves must forfeit their first-round draft choices for five straight years beginning in 2001 and were fined $3.5 million. The punishment came after the Timberwolves entered into an under-the-table agreement with forward Joe Smith in violation of the league's salary cap rules. Stern announced that Smith's present and past contacts with the team had been voided, meaning the Timberwolves lose his services and he becomes a free agent. The league may also suspend Timberwolves personnel who were involved in making the lucrative agreement with Smith and his former agent, Eric Fleisher. Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has admitted having knowledge of the agreement. There is speculation that general manager Kevin McHale may voluntarily step down. Stern took the action based on the decision of an arbitrator who ruled Monday that it was within Stern's power to penalize the Timberwolves. Players and coaches alike shook their heads in amazement here when word of the penalties filtered out. "It's a very strong statement that commissioner Stern doesn't want anybody to mess with the collective-bargaining agreement," said Milwaukee Bucks coach George Karl. "My general feeling is 'Wow'." Bucks guard Ray Allen said, "That's got to be unprecedented. But if you cheat, you have to pay the price. I'm sure a lot of teams cheat. Just don't get caught." Added Bucks forward Scott Williams, "They won't be doing that again any time soon. That's huge." It is not all that uncommon for teams to reach verbal agreements on contracts with players before they are legally permitted to do so. But where Minnesota went wrong was putting the deal in writing. Stern's ruling is damaging to Smith because his previous contracts were also voided, which means he forfeits his "Larry Bird rights." Had only this season's contract been voided, Smith could have used his Bird rights to re-sign with Minnesota for any amount regardless of the salary cap. The Larry Bird exception allows teams to exceed the salary cap to re-sign their own free agents. Smith, a 6-foot-10 forward whom the Golden State Warriors made the first overall pick of the 1995 draft, has played the entire pre-season with Minnesota. Before the ruling came down Smith, who averaged 9.9 points for the Timberwolves last season, said he wanted to stay in Minnesota. </div> Full Story:http://www.jsonline.com/sports/buck/oct00/...sp?format=print
They were suppose to forfeit this years pick but the league gave back the Wolves picks. So they do have a pick this year. Their biggest need is a servicable big man. We can't use Ervin anymore and Olowokandi is still very inconsistent. Unless they can sign a decent center, they will most likely draft a big man.
Sounds great, Linkin. Like I said, Joey Graham or Channing Frye. Also, if Wayne Simien is available, he would be solid.
I don't think we would want Joey Graham. Joey Graham would probably play SF in the NBA, and we don't need a SF, though, he is a great player. I say we go with Channing Frye. He's an inch short of 7'0.
Another possibility is getting a young point guard in the first round. Someone like Raymond Felton or Deron Williams would be nice. And our own JustBBall Mock Draft has us taking Taylor Coppenrath. He could be a real surprise to a lot of people. He played great this last year with Vermont.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting CUSA Fan:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't think we would want Joey Graham. Joey Graham would probably play SF in the NBA, and we don't need a SF, though, he is a great player. I say we go with Channing Frye. He's an inch short of 7'0.</div> I think we need more of a low post banger who could give us a presence in the post that we are sorely lacking right now. Channing is tall but he is lacking a bit in size. When I say a big man, I mean not just tall but also a big body. Joey Graham would be undersized. I don't have any ideas but we need someone with size. PG's would be a good idea if we trade Hudson or Sam because we wouldn't have enough minutes for him to develop.
I am really expecting us to trade away Hudson or Cassell, it is almost inevitable. I'm really hoping it will be Hudson. I know Cassell has some attitude issues, but when healthy, he is our second best guy on the court.
i wish we could draft a sean may kind of player...he's just an excellent post player hard worker down the paint...he's just killing illonis chances right now damn keeps doing baskets&one i predict him drafted real high this year...if he goes to the draft'i don't think we will get lucky enough to get him...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Pure:</div><div class="quote_post">Another possibility is getting a young point guard in the first round. Someone like Raymond Felton or Deron Williams would be nice. And our own JustBBall Mock Draft has us taking Taylor Coppenrath. He could be a real surprise to a lot of people. He played great this last year with Vermont.</div> I am a VERY big Vermont fan (as an alum) and love Taylor - however, if you watch his game he is amazing unless the opponent has an athletic big man. He will likely be a PF that spends too much time under the basket (especially as he will be undersized). He can shoot from the outside, but not like a Dirk or even a Griffin. He will be a late 2nd round pick and may or may not make a roster as a rookie. I look for him to be picked up in the late 2nd - and dropped and then picked up by a weaker team (Atlanta) or a regionally interested team (Boston) as a 3rd PF/SF. I really hope he makes it, but not what the Wolves are looking for.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting the main event:</div><div class="quote_post">i wish we could draft a sean may kind of player...he's just an excellent post player hard worker down the paint...he's just killing illonis chances right now damn keeps doing baskets&one i predict him drafted real high this year...if he goes to the draft'i don't think we will get lucky enough to get him...</div> I'm not taking anything away from Sean May in that game, but he really had nobody to matchup with him. Augustine, the man looked at to give May the biggest challenge, sat on the bench with 5 fouls and played only 9minutes the entire game, so his stats were bound to be high. But a Sean May type player would not be a bad pick at all. He has a huge frame, and has a bit of height. He knows what it takes to score in the paint and runs the floor really nicely for a big man. I really would not mind Frye at all, but as I mentioned earlier, he lacks the size that will keep him here. If Channing Frye only had the beef on him, like May, then he would be the obvious choice in my mind. Though, if he did have the build like May, I would see him going higher in the draft then what is projected.
