What should the Timberwolves do with the #3 Pick?

[MochaUdoka]

Minnesota has a lot of interesting young prospects on their roster already, highlighted by Al Jefferson. What do they do with the #3 pick this year?

Espn mock draft has them picking Brook Lopez @ #3. Is this the low-post partner for Al Jeff? I had thought Lopez would be a waste at such an early pick, but if Jefferson and Lopez gel that could be a formidable front-line duo.

Thoughts on the Wolves other options?

[SonofJudas]

Minnesota has a lot of interesting young prospects on their roster already, highlighted by Al Jefferson. What do they do with the #3 pick this year?

Espn mock draft has them picking Brook Lopez @ #3. Is this the low-post partner for Al Jeff? I had thought Lopez would be a waste at such an early pick, but if Jefferson and Lopez gel that could be a formidable front-line duo.

Thoughts on the Wolves other options?

they should pick OJ Mayo, he's worth the gamble, he can sell tickets than freakin Jlo or Blo.:party:

[Kujo]

Brook Lopez at 3 is way too high imho. He'll be lottery a pick, but that's too high. He's pretty soft, and don't really see him being all-star caliber, though he could have a solid NBA career.

That being said, outside of Rose and Beasley, there isn't a lot of surefire studs in this draft, so who am I say Lopez wouldn't be a good fit in Minnesota. Like you said, Lopez, and Jefferson could be a formidable front line for years to come.

I wouldn't shock me see them a draft a PG (Bayless?). I'm not sure if Foye will ever be the guy they thought he was going to be. He's yet to be healthy for any of his first two seasons, and that's a concern.

[bomber]

Trade down and try go get Mayo and Lopez ideally.

It's virtually impossible unless they deal some future Celtics picks they are owed down the road.

They could offer #3 + future first and a couple young players and try to move up maybe?

[VCMVP1551]

Ehhh they really need a center but I don't think there are any centers good enough at 3.

Brook Lopez is soft, unathletic and will get pushed around in the NBA.

DeAndre Jordan has zero offensive skill right now and his potential is based on athleticism.

So I think instead of getting a center they should get the best player available by drafting Mayo or Bayless.

[Valliant13]

Lopez at #3 is a bit high, but he's the best fit regardless. It's better taking a position you need a tad to high, than drafting redundant one having a back log at the position. The last thing they need is another combo guard, and Bayless and Gordon are not such a huge improvement that it's worth passing up a legit (if unspectacular) center that can guard the post and rebound...and can play out from the post enough on offense to let Jefferson work his normal game.

[FireMcFailPlease]

I guess Im confused where Brook Lopez suddenly became an outside threat like Mayo is and will become to stretch the defense from collapsing on Big Al.

The pick should be Mayo hands down.

Good perimeter D, silky smooth shot, can create his own shot. Can take PG duties off of Foye and vice versa. Its a no brainer. Picking Brook Lopez is a disaster

[ChiBulls7]

Mayo. He should have a fantastic rookie season if Minnie did infact draft him. Like previously stated, with the attention Al Jeff draws he should flourish.

[wally_world]

Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon or Michael Beasley... whichever remains till the #3... you cant go wrong with the favourites...

[FireMcFailPlease]

Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon or Michael Beasley... whichever remains till the #3... you cant go wrong with the favourites...
Eric Gordan? Yuck

[lukeridnour08]

ya bayless and mayo go before gordan for sure

[MochaUdoka]

I guess Im confused where Brook Lopez suddenly became an outside threat like Mayo is and will become to stretch the defense from collapsing on Big Al.

The pick should be Mayo hands down.

Good perimeter D, silky smooth shot, can create his own shot. Can take PG duties off of Foye and vice versa. Its a no brainer. Picking Brook Lopez is a disaster

Yes I have been impressed by Mayo from what I've seen, I think he should flourish in the NBA. I'm just not completely sure how they would develop him in the backcourt with Foye longterm.

The 3rd pick is just so interesting because Rose and Beasley are pretty much locked up in the first 2 picks. There are many other good prospects and Minnesota has first pick of 'em. I don't really think they should use it on Lopez; Mayo sounds like a solid choice. Bayless looks good too if that's what they want.

[CaptainOwlClub]

i believe brook lopez is underrated by many and is the sure pick- i recorded & watched all pac 10 teams games, and am a big fan of mayo bayless and lopez- but i really feel that lopez is the best playerof the 3- &to me he would be a perfect match to jefferson if that helps at all

imo minnisota cant make a bad pick as any of the 3 should be very good players-

[artificial]

Either Mayo or Lopez. Jerryd Bayless is also a great prospect, but probably wouldn't fit with Foye and McCants there.

Mayo is a great talent and probably Minnesota's best bet. Mayo would be asked to form the backourt alongside Foye. However, as Foye, Mayo has a scorer's mentality, and I'm rather suspicious as his abilities as a full time ball distributor. On defense, I could see Mayo and Foye being succesful, but what I'm unsure is how well could Minny work with both of their guards being more concerned (and succesfull) at scoring. Who would distribute the ball then? Added to that, Mayo and Foye are similarly turnover prone and both often display poor shot selection.

On the other hand, there's Lopez who would probably complement Big Al very well. His defense, timing, and fundamentals could couple great with Al. However, Lopez is just too high for a #3 pick. Brook will probably be good, but is unlikely to be great. Minny could trade down to justify drafting him, but with the Grizz at #5 they risk Lopez being taken if they trade down more than one spot.

Bottomline, despite all my concerns in my opinion Mayo is the best bet for Minny.

I just don't like Mayo.

[starface]

anyone who makes oj mayo their starting franchise point guard is making a huge mistake.

it makes you wonder, when GM's select guys like Carmelo ANthony and OJ Mayo, if they even watch the NBA Finals, or have any idea who is winning them?

Look at the rosters of teams like the Spurs, Lakers, Heat, and Pistons when they won their titles. It's nearly unanimously high bball IQ's, responsible, mature adults, and hard working, team-oriented players.

it's not allen iverson wearing a doo-rag to a press conference and blowing off practice, it's not carmelo anthony smiling and walking back on defense when his team is down 24 points in the playoffs. it's not zach randolph getting into fights with teammates on the sidelines and then hogging the ball when he gets in the game. oj mayo may not be a punk to the extent of those guys, altho he does have some character questions, but anyone who plays point guard and looks to score first and jack up shots, immediately in my book is a dud and i would keep them off my team. it shows a lack of basketball IQ and team-mentality.

i mean, i honestly dont understand how GM's STILL arent getting the picture? why do they keep drafting guys who clearly have low-bball IQ and almost no professionalism and maturity to speak of. those guys DO NOT WIN.

its seriously baffling

[ChiBulls7]

anyone who makes oj mayo their starting franchise point guard is making a huge mistake.

it makes you wonder, when GM's select guys like Carmelo ANthony and OJ Mayo, if they even watch the NBA Finals, or have any idea who is winning them?

Look at the rosters of teams like the Spurs, Lakers, Heat, and Pistons when they won their titles. It's nearly unanimously high bball IQ's, responsible, mature adults, and hard working, team-oriented players.

it's not allen iverson wearing a doo-rag and blowing off practice, it's not carmelo anthony smiling and walking back on defense when his team is down 24 points in the playoffs. it's not zach randolph getting into fights with teammates on the sidelines and then hogging the ball when he gets in the game. oj mayo may not be a punk to the extent of those guys, altho he does have some character questions, but anyone who plays point guard and looks to score first and jack up shots, immediately in my book is a dud and i would keep them off my team. it shows a lack of basketball IQ and team-mentality.

i mean, i honestly dont understand how GM's STILL arent getting the picture? why do they keep drafting guys who clearly have low-bball IQ and almost no professionalism and maturity to speak of. those guys DO NOT WIN.

its seriously baffling


The thing is, most of these guys are SO young. At 18-22 years of age some of these players obviously have a lot of maturing to do and frankly may be worth the risk. Yeah Melo may me a bit of a head-case but the talent is there, given a good coach and a veteran group around him he may turn things around. I didn't have the privilege of keeping up with Mayo during the year, but what leads you to believe he is lacking in the bball IQ department?

[starface]

but what leads you to believe he is lacking in the bball IQ department?

He's a shoot-first point guard.

Anyone who looks for their own shot first when playing the PG position in my book has a low bball IQ

[ChiBulls7]

He's a shoot-first point guard.

Anyone who looks for their own shot first when playing the PG position in my book has a low bball IQ


Could he potentially play SG? Like I said I didn't watch Mayo, but being 6'5 i'd say he's got great size for a SG.

[baseketball4life]

I think they will go with brook lopez, however i think Mayo would be a great pick here...

Al Jefferson and OJ mayo, backcourt frontcourt dynamic duo waiting to happen

[baseketball4life]

anyone who makes oj mayo their starting franchise point guard is making a huge mistake.

it makes you wonder, when GM's select guys like Carmelo ANthony and OJ Mayo, if they even watch the NBA Finals, or have any idea who is winning them?

Look at the rosters of teams like the Spurs, Lakers, Heat, and Pistons when they won their titles. It's nearly unanimously high bball IQ's, responsible, mature adults, and hard working, team-oriented players.

it's not allen iverson wearing a doo-rag to a press conference and blowing off practice, it's not carmelo anthony smiling and walking back on defense when his team is down 24 points in the playoffs. it's not zach randolph getting into fights with teammates on the sidelines and then hogging the ball when he gets in the game. oj mayo may not be a punk to the extent of those guys, altho he does have some character questions, but anyone who plays point guard and looks to score first and jack up shots, immediately in my book is a dud and i would keep them off my team. it shows a lack of basketball IQ and team-mentality.

i mean, i honestly dont understand how GM's STILL arent getting the picture? why do they keep drafting guys who clearly have low-bball IQ and almost no professionalism and maturity to speak of. those guys DO NOT WIN.

its seriously baffling
i agree with this dude

OJ Mayo will put up stats, and be a great INDIVIDUAL player... but if his individual talents don't make him a Superstar/MVP type player his team will go nowhere, at best first round exits

[RajonKGcelts]

Could he potentially play SG? Like I said I didn't watch Mayo, but being 6'5 i'd say he's got great size for a SG.

If any teams smart that's exactly what they'll do. I guess i can see why they'd try him as a PG, but unless he plays spectacular at that position, SG is where he should be.

[kidachi]

Take Bayless, get rid of Telfair..

[bdreason]

If they're smart?


Kevin Love.

[DCL]

brook lopez is a poor man's charlie villanueva. you don't waste a #3 pick on something like that.

[Lebron23]

brook lopez is a poor man's charlie villanueva. you don't waste a #3 pick on something like that.

http://k53.pbase.com/u7/ckriger/large/1205890.P2190046_filteredcroppedcopy.jpg

Brook Lopez reminds me of a younger version of Danny Ferry, the 2nd overall in the 1989 Draft.

I am sure he is going to be a much better GM than Ferry in the future. :D

Ferry's NCAA Stats

22.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 4.7 apg

[chains5000]

http://k53.pbase.com/u7/ckriger/large/1205890.P2190046_filteredcroppedcopy.jpg

Brook Lopez reminds me of a younger version of Danny Ferry, the 2nd overall in the 1989 Draft.

I am sure he is going to be a much better GM than Ferry in the future. :D

Ferry's NCAA Stats

22.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 4.7 apg
Ferry's GM Stats
171 - 121 58%

[LakersLaLaLand]

First off...OJ Mayo's basketball IQ is very high. He will surprise all the doubters. Put him on a secure team with good coaches and watch him blossom.

Brooke Lopez at 3 is too rich for my blood. But all things point to him. Young team with time to develop. Al Jeff is more comfy at 4. Mccants, brewer, jaric and gomes improved development as a shooting forward gives space to only a center. I personally don't like this way of thinking. Its has lead to some of the worst picks in NBA history. Olowakandi, Benoit benjamin, sampson, bogut, Bargiani, Kwame brown, milicic...where all selected as high picks because of their enormous size. Teams passed on more talented smaller players because of their height.

I do like Lopez to a point. But #3 is too high. Mayo has much more talent that Lopez. Kevin Love is another player who is high skilled who is being overlooked.

Randy Foye is turning out to be a decent shooting point guard. His knee injury...postponed his development some. He played well late in the season with good assist numbers on a crappy offensive team.

Foye put up respectable assist to turnover numbers late in the season. 3:1 in the last 3 weeks. dropping anywhere from 4-9 assists on any given night. Also his turnovers were becoming less and less as he played more. And his shooting numbers are great. 45% is decent. 47% is great. 50+ is excellent. Foye shot 45% with 90% fts down the stretch promising numbers for a somebody who spent most of the season out.

I wouldn't completely say the Foye for Roy trade was terrible. Foye is a legit promising player. No longer a prospect. Dest-Roy-er is a baller though. So far the blazer are the clear winner in that trade. At least Foye isn't a bust.

[ecthelion]

hatch eggs.

[Fresh-2-Def]

Mayo and Jefferson could be something like Kobe/Shaq! Of course neither will ever be as good, but I like the idea. T'wolves should explore trades for Foye, McCants and Jaric, Draft Mayo, Re-sign Telfair and sign a center. This team could make some noise for years to come.

[Fresh-2-Def]

Take Bayless, get rid of Telfair..
Bayless to the Knicks hopefully!

[veilside23]

Mayo and Jefferson could be something like Kobe/Shaq! Of course neither will ever be as good, but I like the idea. T'wolves should explore trades for Foye, McCants and Jaric, Draft Mayo, Re-sign Telfair and sign a center. This team could make some noise for years to come.


agree with you here .... get rid of jaric the guy is lucky enough to get adrianna lima but staying with the wolves the guy is a waste.... he should go back to where he belongs.. i dont know if anyone would want mccants... but minny has no legit center... so knowing mchale he might pick brook lopez... :D :D id take mayo or eric gordon ....

[FireMcFailPlease]

agree with you here .... get rid of jaric the guy is lucky enough to get adrianna lima but staying with the wolves the guy is a waste.... he should go back to where he belongs.. i dont know if anyone would want mccants... but minny has no legit center... so knowing mchale he might pick brook lopez... :D :D id take mayo or eric gordon ....
Get rid of Jaric? too expensive to buy out, and he has almost 0 good value on the market.

[veilside23]

Get rid of Jaric? too expensive to buy out, and he has almost 0 good value on the market.


you can thank mchale for that one :D

[mrhoopfan]

Ehhh they really need a center but I don't think there are any centers good enough at 3.

Brook Lopez is soft, unathletic and will get pushed around in the NBA.

DeAndre Jordan has zero offensive skill right now and his potential is based on athleticism.

So I think instead of getting a center they should get the best player available by drafting Mayo or Bayless.


Soft, unathletic, describes Yao too. Brook Lopez has TOOLS and he'd be a great complement to Al Jeff as he can knock down the 15 footer with regularity.....The Wolves would be STUPID to pass on this guy.

[InspiredLebowski]

If they're smart?


Kevin Love.

SHHHH!

[Thorpesaurous]

Lopez and Love both have good touch, passing skills, some perimeter shooting, to pair nicely with Jefferson as a high low tandem offensively. However, defensively you're asking for trouble with two bigs who aren't really lane defenders who can cover ground. I'm not sure if either brings enough on the one end to warrant the cost at the other. I'd almost rather take a gamble on Jordan who's got a shot at at least covering the back line.

I think they'd be a good fit for Hibbert, who can provide some defensive clog, and while he doesn't have the skill set of the others, he did play in the high post all the time in college. They could draft the wing of their choice, Mayo, Gordon, maybe even Bayless, then try to move back up with one of their excess perimeter guys, McCants, The Floridan kid who's name I'm blanking on, or some combo thereof.
Even to try to move back up for a more defensive minded big of lesser value than Lopez, like Javale McGee.

[GOBB]

Lopez at 3 is high? Then name me 3 players that could go 3 that doesnt have you saying "That is high". Like really.

Minnesota should draft Lopez. You have your C and PF for the next 8-10yrs.

[bagelred]

Timberwolves will trade the #3 pick to the Celtics for Sam Cassell. Timberwolves will then announce that Cassell will be one of the cornerstone players for Minny's future.

Cassell is then signed to a 5 year, $50 million extension.

[elz]

How many times will they draft a SG/SF

from Mccant to Foye to Brewer

either draft a center or Pg or trade the pick for someone whose more of a guarantee to produce.

I know their young but some veteran experience or leadership would help alot.

[veilside23]

How many times will they draft a SG/SF

from Mccant to Foye to Brewer

either draft a center or Pg or trade the pick for someone whose more of a guarantee to produce.

I know their young but some veteran experience or leadership would help alot.


thats how great mchale is. imo if the wolves get mayo. they just wasted the mccants pick and somewhat randy foye. i mean mayo can give you a 20ppg a night but how many touches does he need to do that. however if you would go for lopez. it would give better look for mccants foye and at the same time brewer should he wake up next season. because clearly it would give a lot of burden from al jefferson having a legit C.

[JPR]

They need to go lopez. they have the G's and F's to win. Those players just need experience. They need another force down low to go with Al Jefferson. They would have a solid line up, on paper, by going with a 7 footer.

[FireMcFailPlease]

Lopez at 3 is high? Then name me 3 players that could go 3 that doesnt have you saying "That is high". Like really.

Minnesota should draft Lopez. You have your C and PF for the next 8-10yrs.
Beasley Rose Mayo

Mayo is the answer. We've got 2 other picks in the 2nd, plus Miamis and Bostons next year, theres plenty of 7 footers that need to come in and play defense..not taking scoring opps from Al using the same offense for him.

Mayo would be awesome next to Al.

[GOBB]

Beasley Rose Mayo

Mayo is the answer. We've got 2 other picks in the 2nd, plus Miamis and Bostons next year, theres plenty of 7 footers that need to come in and play defense..not taking scoring opps from Al using the same offense for him.

Mayo would be awesome next to Al.

Mayo wouldnt be a bad choice. Thats 1, name me two others (not beasley/rose, they are going 1 and 2). I kinda meant name me 3 players that could be drafted at 3, that doesnt have you saying "Thats kinda high to take him there".


The reason I go Lopez? Minny has guards. You got Foye. Foye/Mayo? Eh, I rather go with Lopez downlow and try to work inside out. You can pick up guards in a trade or free agency I think. Big men/Centers? Good luck. Because say you draft OJ Mayo. Who is your Center? :confusedshrug:

[GOBB]

thats how great mchale is. imo if the wolves get mayo. they just wasted the mccants pick and somewhat randy foye. i mean mayo can give you a 20ppg a night but how many touches does he need to do that. however if you would go for lopez. it would give better look for mccants foye and at the same time brewer should he wake up next season. because clearly it would give a lot of burden from al jefferson having a legit C.

Slide Brewer at SF. McCants? OJ Mayo is better imo. Mayo/Foye is nice. Can it work? Maybe. But lets say it does

Foye
Mayo
Brewer
Jefferson

That is a nice 1-4 on paper. Whats missing? Center. You gonna put Jefferson there? Who plays PF? PF by committee or glaring hole at Center?

With Lopez you solve your answer to Center. And push come to shove you can find a PG faster than you can a Center. :confusedshrug:

Not a Wolves fan so what do i really care. Just sayin :lol

[Posterize246]

Slide Brewer at SF. McCants? OJ Mayo is better imo. Mayo/Foye is nice. Can it work? Maybe. But lets say it does

Foye
Mayo
Brewer
Jefferson

That is a nice 1-4 on paper. Whats missing? Center. You gonna put Jefferson there? Who plays PF? PF by committee or glaring hole at Center?

With Lopez you solve your answer to Center. And push come to shove you can find a PG faster than you can a Center. :confusedshrug:

Not a Wolves fan so what do i really care. Just sayin :lol
i go lopez too GOBB. twolves 2nd to last in blocks last year. lopez could help that

[veilside23]

if you want to have a better sg .. then wait for demar derozan ... ok go get brook lopez

[FireMcFailPlease]

Mayo wouldnt be a bad choice. Thats 1, name me two others (not beasley/rose, they are going 1 and 2). I kinda meant name me 3 players that could be drafted at 3, that doesnt have you saying "Thats kinda high to take him there".


The reason I go Lopez? Minny has guards. You got Foye. Foye/Mayo? Eh, I rather go with Lopez downlow and try to work inside out. You can pick up guards in a trade or free agency I think. Big men/Centers? Good luck. Because say you draft OJ Mayo. Who is your Center? :confusedshrug:
Dont know if it made it out to Philly, but Mccants is not a starter, all he does is score. He doesnt care on defense, he'd make a good spark plug off the bench.

I'd have no problems packaging some picks to get Lopez though...Robin. Or pray for Devon Hardin, or pray Chris Richard and his long ass arms improve. All we need is a big guy who can block shots and rebound. A wing player with Mayos potential plus Al's unstoppable downlow scoring would make a nice foundation.

Trust me, I see why most non Wolves regulars would think Lopez would be ideal, but this team needs spark, a future face, a playmaker, not a 7 foot stiff. This team doesnt have any good history of drafting big men, right Paul Grant and Rasho?

Sorry, Im completely sold on OJ Mayo being the right pick for this team. We're simply not good enough to be passing his potential and hype. Maybe if we were pickin 4th or 5th, Id take Lopez.

[GOBB]

Dont know if it made it out to Philly, but Mccants is not a starter, all he does is score. He doesnt care on defense, he'd make a good spark plug off the bench..

You can find a SG faster than a C. You still havent showed me how you fill the void at Center. You got OJ and Al. Cool. Hole at Center bruh. :confusedshrug:

Minny doesnt have a good history drafting big men you say. What about guards? :oldlol:

[Mr_Basketball#1]

Slide Brewer at SF. McCants? OJ Mayo is better imo. Mayo/Foye is nice. Can it work? Maybe. But lets say it does

Foye
Mayo
Brewer
Jefferson

That is a nice 1-4 on paper. Whats missing? Center. You gonna put Jefferson there? Who plays PF? PF by committee or glaring hole at Center?

With Lopez you solve your answer to Center. And push come to shove you can find a PG faster than you can a Center. :confusedshrug:

Not a Wolves fan so what do i really care. Just sayin :lol
Ryan Gomes>>>>>>>Corey Brewer

[veilside23]

Ryan Gomes>>>>>>>Corey Brewer

atleast for last season... i never thought that brewer would be a bust... well probably because he thought he was playing with kg .. but i wouldnt be surprise if brewer becomes a bruce bowen type of player... more athletic though

[GOBB]

Give Brewer a chance!

[danumber88]

Oj Mayo.. ill take him if I was Wolves..

Hes gonna be a ROY contender, i guarantee you that.

[Andy Christ]

kevin love or oj mayo

[HaNdLe ThE RoCk]

Kevin Love would fit nice as the starting center but he's not a top 3 pick

[ShamRockStar]

Serge Ibaka

He is raw but only 18 and his potential is off the charts. He is 6'10" with like a 40 inch vertical, a great shotblocker, has KG like range on his jumpshot, and some developing post skills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-6opHOfJJE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo9cP0c_okE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZDgyAL7_gA&feature=related

[veilside23]

unfortunately the wolves doesnt need another KG they already have Big Al Jefferson...

[beau_boy04]

Minnesota has a lot of interesting young prospects on their roster already, highlighted by Al Jefferson. What do they do with the #3 pick this year?

Espn mock draft has them picking Brook Lopez @ #3. Is this the low-post partner for Al Jeff? I had thought Lopez would be a waste at such an early pick, but if Jefferson and Lopez gel that could be a formidable front-line duo.

Thoughts on the Wolves other options?


Deng straight up for the #3 pick.

[veilside23]

i dont think minny would do that they already have brewer and gomes... i mean deng is really good but no way this will happen.

[gasolina]

Wolves fans are lucky. Us Grizzly fans have to settle for what's left of Mayo/Lopez/Love for the 5th pick.

God let us not pick another point guard.

Really though call for the Wolves. A top 3 pick should at least be an impact player. Not saying that Brook Lopez would have zero impact but his potential actually isn't that high. OJ has good size for a SG, something Foye, McCants, Jaric do not have, and OJ can be a star.

Logically you would have to pick Brook. But is he a top 3 pick? No.

[FireMcFailPlease]

Wolves fans are lucky. Us Grizzly fans have to settle for what's left of Mayo/Lopez/Love for the 5th pick.

God let us not pick another point guard.

Really though call for the Wolves. A top 3 pick should at least be an impact player. Not saying that Brook Lopez would have zero impact but his potential actually isn't that high. OJ has good size for a SG, something Foye, McCants, Jaric do not have, and OJ can be a star.

Logically you would have to pick Brook. But is he a top 3 pick? No.
Thats pretty much it, cept i think youre giving Love to much "love". Grizzlies get whats left of Mayo/Lopez/Bayless/Galinari/Jordan unfortunately.

So its likely goin to be Lopez Gallinari and Jordan as Mayo should goto Minny and Bayless should goto Seattle.

I think Lopez will be fine in the NBA, its just you can't pick him at 3. Had we fallen to the Grizz, I'd be perfectly fine with it, but you can't pass up Mayos potential, hype, skills. Plus itll give us flexibility to play with Mccants, either package him and try to get a big via draft of trade...or move him to the 6th spot man. He's a scorer no doubt..but not starter material

[Dasher]

Al Jefferson and Brooklyn Lopez will be a good offensive tandem, but on the defensive end they will be torched. When a team blows they should select the best player available and Mayo is arguably that guy. There are really good defensive bigs that can be gotten at the beginning of the second round. Either Devon Hardin, Joey Dorsey, Serge Ibaka, Alexis Ajinca, Nathan Jawai should be available at 31.

[XxNeXuSxX]

Agreed, take the best player available, everyone is expendable after Al as far as I'm concerned.

[ShamRockStar]

How about this

Wolves trade

Jaric
#3 pick - (Mayo?)

Blazers trade
Blake
Frye
#13 pick (Mareese Speights?)

[veilside23]

How about this

Wolves trade

Jaric
#3 pick - (Mayo?)

Blazers trade
Blake
Frye
#13 pick (Mareese Speights?)


no way either teams would let this happen....

[FireMcFailPlease]

How about this

Wolves trade

Jaric
#3 pick - (Mayo?)

Blazers trade
Blake
Frye
#13 pick (Mareese Speights?)
No way im not letting the Blazers rape me again.

The first trade hurt enough

[veilside23]

No way im not letting the Blazers rape me again.

The first trade hurt enough


oh i am pretty sure that you are talking about foye and roy right? hmmm well hopefully randy foye proves his worth to you this season.

Pick BROOK LOPEZ :D

[Skywalker]

Jerryd Bayless please!

[ZHAKIDD532]

The #3 slot either way is just a bad fit I think. If I were them, there isn't really anyone here I see worth taking for the needs Minnesota has. They have a bunch of young players that don't really fit together, and there is no one here that changes that. If they can get their hands on Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley it could make all the difference and fast foward the building process for them.

OJ Mayo doesn't fix much, nor does Bayless. They just add to the talent they have, but don't really progress much. The most logical pick at #3 I think would be Brook Lopez. If he has any game, he'll play well with Al Jefferson, and if he's considered to be taken this high, he has game.

I think it might be smart to trade down and try to get someone like Eric Gordon, someone really athletic like that. They could really use 2 picks like the Nets have to get 2 guys that could help them (Anthony Randolph/Chase Budinger.) Both could come in and make a difference.

Not the ideal situation overall for Minny...

[FireMcFailPlease]

ooooomgggg

where do these people come from

[Qlippers]

This is a difficult spot for the Wolves, they already have a log jam at Guards. Lopez at 3 may be a little to high, but I do like the prospect of moving Al to the 4 where he is more comfortable and it'll give them a frontline. They should probably trade down.

[jailer]

Yeah I really hate that the grizz moved down to the fifth spot. Cause I want them to get mayo. But if you guys dont take lopez I would be cool with that too. He looks to be a promising big man.

[FireMcFailPlease]

Dont matter. Lopez is too high and trading down would be stupid.

Draft Mayo, get a big later on. We dont need a scoring big man. Just a hard hat, worker that can block shots, grab boards and defend the 5. Nothin that Lopez doesnt necessarily bring.

[veilside23]

Dont matter. Lopez is too high and trading down would be stupid.

Draft Mayo, get a big later on. We dont need a scoring big man. Just a hard hat, worker that can block shots, grab boards and defend the 5. Nothin that Lopez doesnt necessarily bring.


Bold statement. Brook Lopez Registered 12 blocks for a game and 11 rebounds at the same time. that can help Big Al right?

Well if you really want a defender get his twin Robin .. he can certainlyblock shots grab the boards and defend. Oj Mayo can shoot the lights out can create for him self. However McCants can do that as well. If you will pick mayo i think you should get joey dorsey or serge ibaka. later. goodluck i hope mchale doesnt screw this time. Well mchale was right about smith though. i hope he gets another one but taller :D

[FireMcFailPlease]

Bold statement. Brook Lopez Registered 12 blocks for a game and 11 rebounds at the same time. that can help Big Al right?

Well if you really want a defender get his twin Robin .. he can certainlyblock shots grab the boards and defend. Oj Mayo can shoot the lights out can create for him self. However McCants can do that as well. If you will pick mayo i think you should get joey dorsey or serge ibaka. later. goodluck i hope mchale doesnt screw this time. Well mchale was right about smith though. i hope he gets another one but taller :D

12 blocks 11 boards in the same game? mind tell me what game that is?

Like i said. Lopez is a great pick at 4 or 5. Not 3.

[veilside23]

Registered a rare triple double on Jan 25th against USC with 18 pts, 11 rebs and 12 blks …

here you go kid http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=270250024

Ironically its against USC :D sad mayo wasnt there.. oh you were probably watching mayo when this was happening

[disco]

Registered a rare triple double on Jan 25th against USC with 18 pts, 11 rebs and 12 blks …

here you go kid http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=270250024

Ironically its against USC :D sad mayo wasnt there.. oh you were probably watching mayo when this was happening

Yeah, but USC had only one player taller than 6'6 who played meaningful minutes.

When you assess Lopez offensively, also please keep in mind how weak the big man defense in Pac 10 is. Against UCLA (the best defensive team in the conference) he didn't have good offensive games. It was the same last year against Washington (when they had good front court), Lopez didn't score much.

[FireMcFailPlease]

[QUOTE=veilside23]Registered a rare triple double on Jan 25th against USC with 18 pts, 11 rebs and 12 blks

[Blackeagle]

Here's the way I see it

Possible picks... if miami is serious about mayo over beasley and it's not just a smoke screen, beasley is a no-brainer. But I don't like the fit. Our best 2 players would then play the same position (PF), and neither would have the size to play the 5 as well as I'd like. Beasley could play some SF and big al could play some C... you could make it work, but it's not ideal.

Mayo is the best option, and hopefully mchale doesn't F it up. Wittman has an irrational hatred for mccants. Yes, mccants slacks off on D sometimes, but our team was desperately lacking a shooting threat for most of the season, and meanwhile, mccants is a superb shooter. Yet mccants couldn't start, and often had his minutes yanked. I like mccants, but if the coaching staff isn't going to give him a fair shake, we need another guard to pair with Foye in the backcourt.

Bayless is the other option at guard. Both he and Mayo are great shooters. Bayless is more athletic and gets to the line more. Unfortunately, both are more scorers than distributors. Despite Mayo playing 2 and Bayless playing point all season in college, I honestly believe that Mayo has better PG skills. Don't get me wrong though, I believe mayo will play the 2 with foye at point. If we went Bayless, Foye would slide over to the 2 and play Bayless at point. Offensively, both options are good. Defensively, Foye/Mayo is miles ahead of Foye/Bayless. Bayless doesn't play much defense, and Foye is undersized for the 2. Mayo has good size for the 2 and plays excellent defense. This is what makes Mayo the pick.

Lopez is obviously the other option, and the one that outsiders seem to harp on constantly. Yes, we need a center. Yes, lopez would fit pretty well next to Al. But Mayo solidifies our backcourt for years to come, and despite mccants, trust me that this is still a huge issue for us, as I explained above. And this is a guard's league. And frankly, minnesota needs some hype, which mayo brings and lopez does not.

Most importantly though, the wolves have picks #31 and 34 also, and there are a TON of bigs projected to go between the early 20's and mid 30's. Some of them are going to slide - there's just too many of them if you look at that range of a good mock seriously. And we have 2 picks to spend on them. Robin Lopez has moved up draft boards recently, he was my hope previously. But Hibbert very well could slip to #31, and I think hibbert would have been the wolves' pick at 7 LAST year, had he come out. There are a bunch of others who fit the bill of course: ajinca, jawai, asik, dorsey, semih, hardin, thompson, anderson, pekovic, ibaka... all expected to go in that range, plus there'a always the possibility of packaging the 31 and 34 to move up to the low to mid 20's.

I'm still hoping for Robin Lopez at 31, mostly because I think the nickname of RoLo is too good to pass up. Any of the above guys would be good though. If RoLo is gone, then Jason Thompson is second on my list. Anderson would be intriguing offensively, the way he'd fit with Al, but defensively, I'm not sure how it would work. Dorsey at 34 in any situation that doesn't involve us moving up. Gives us a guy who can play right away and gives us the defense/rebounding that we want. No real offensive game, but we have Al for when we want to throw it into the post. I'm not sure that he gives us anything that chris richard doesn't, but we'll see how things work out.

[Efunk7]

Here's the way I see it

Possible picks... if miami is serious about mayo over beasley and it's not just a smoke screen, beasley is a no-brainer. But I don't like the fit. Our best 2 players would then play the same position (PF), and neither would have the size to play the 5 as well as I'd like. Beasley could play some SF and big al could play some C... you could make it work, but it's not ideal.

Mayo is the best option, and hopefully mchale doesn't F it up. Wittman has an irrational hatred for mccants. Yes, mccants slacks off on D sometimes, but our team was desperately lacking a shooting threat for most of the season, and meanwhile, mccants is a superb shooter. Yet mccants couldn't start, and often had his minutes yanked. I like mccants, but if the coaching staff isn't going to give him a fair shake, we need another guard to pair with Foye in the backcourt.

Bayless is the other option at guard. Both he and Mayo are great shooters. Bayless is more athletic and gets to the line more. Unfortunately, both are more scorers than distributors. Despite Mayo playing 2 and Bayless playing point all season in college, I honestly believe that Mayo has better PG skills. Don't get me wrong though, I believe mayo will play the 2 with foye at point. If we went Bayless, Foye would slide over to the 2 and play Bayless at point. Offensively, both options are good. Defensively, Foye/Mayo is miles ahead of Foye/Bayless. Bayless doesn't play much defense, and Foye is undersized for the 2. Mayo has good size for the 2 and plays excellent defense. This is what makes Mayo the pick.

Lopez is obviously the other option, and the one that outsiders seem to harp on constantly. Yes, we need a center. Yes, lopez would fit pretty well next to Al. But Mayo solidifies our backcourt for years to come, and despite mccants, trust me that this is still a huge issue for us, as I explained above. And this is a guard's league. And frankly, minnesota needs some hype, which mayo brings and lopez does not.

Most importantly though, the wolves have picks #31 and 34 also, and there are a TON of bigs projected to go between the early 20's and mid 30's. Some of them are going to slide - there's just too many of them if you look at that range of a good mock seriously. And we have 2 picks to spend on them. Robin Lopez has moved up draft boards recently, he was my hope previously. But Hibbert very well could slip to #31, and I think hibbert would have been the wolves' pick at 7 LAST year, had he come out. There are a bunch of others who fit the bill of course: ajinca, jawai, asik, dorsey, semih, hardin, thompson, anderson, pekovic, ibaka... all expected to go in that range, plus there'a always the possibility of packaging the 31 and 34 to move up to the low to mid 20's.

I'm still hoping for Robin Lopez at 31, mostly because I think the nickname of RoLo is too good to pass up. Any of the above guys would be good though. If RoLo is gone, then Jason Thompson is second on my list. Anderson would be intriguing offensively, the way he'd fit with Al, but defensively, I'm not sure how it would work. Dorsey at 34 in any situation that doesn't involve us moving up. Gives us a guy who can play right away and gives us the defense/rebounding that we want. No real offensive game, but we have Al for when we want to throw it into the post. I'm not sure that he gives us anything that chris richard doesn't, but we'll see how things work out.

did anyone watch the pac-10 this year? i don't get where some people are getting the idea that byaless doesn't play D...he was one of the better perimeter defenders behind westrbook and mayo all year...may has the advantage b/c of size and length, but bayless definitely has a quickness advantage...

[Blackeagle]

I may have been a little harsh on bayless. it's not that I think he played particularly poor defense, I'd call it more average. But the fact remains that he is a significantly worse defender than mayo, and don't discount the difference that 2 inches and longer arms make

the defensive potential of the timberwolves with a lineup of foye/mayo/brewer/jefferson and a defensive/shotblocking 5 like robin lopez or even just a diop or similar player... is off the charts

[monthh]

Great post Blackeagle, but I think the key is that you say Mayo has good size for a SG. I think everyone seems to be all over the place with this one. I say he is maybe 6-5 with shoes on. Not great size, but not that undersized. Doesn't have really long arms or off the chart athletic ability either. I have always said he is a SG in the NBA and that is what he will play I think.

Foye is also a big PG and that is the type of guy you would hope to pair with Mayo, obviously. The big question is if Foye is a legit PG. I will be the first to admit I haven't seen him much since college, but he doesn't seem like a great option. Maybe on a team like the Lakers where Kobe would dominate the ball, but I just can't see him running an offense like that.

If you take Bayless, then you have the same concerns. Neither of their starting gaurds are true points, although Bayless has played a lot at point. I just wonder how many 6-3 to 6-5 scoring guards can a team have. If their is a legit lead point, I think you take them (Rose or Paul for example). If their is a legit 6-6+ scoring guard, I think you take him (Durant or Roy for example). But to me their isn't either (unless they think Mayo can be that type of scorer and still be effective on D).

To me that kind of leaves Brook Lopez standing. I don't think people are giving him a fair chance. If you watch him play, he is so advanced on the offense end of the court. He was his freshman year as well. This guy can score at a high level, and I think he will in the NBA as well. Outside of Oden, this guy is the best true center prospect (although I do think he could play PF as well) in years. I think you put him on the same level as Aldridge, Bogut, and Kaman in recent years. I don't care if Mayo puts up 22 and 5, I take Lopez and his 16 and 8. But maybe that is just me.

[Blackeagle]

Foye has made progress as a point. I think he'll actually turn out to be a pretty good scoring PG. His shooting percentages when healthy have been fantastic, and he finished the season with a strong assist/TO ratio and decent assist numbers. He's not a fantastic playmaker, but he does a decent job running the team. Mayo's playmaking ability and legit PG skills, along with the size and ability to effectively guard the 2 position is what makes him a perfect complement to foye.

And mayo doesn't have A+ size at SG, but he's got good enough size that he isn't going to be abused by anyone, and can abuse the teams who do go small. Anything 6'5"-6'7 I consider to be good size for a SG, anything shorter is a bit undersized, anyone taller should probably be playing mostly at SF (ie, Corey Brewer, which, combined with the limited range on his jumper is why I don't think his being drafted really impacts the need for a SG. He's going to be a very good SF who can slide to SG to give opposing 2-guards a different look on defense if they are giving mayo trouble.)

As for lopez, don't get me wrong, he's a good player and I expect him to turn out well. Parts of lopez's game fit in great with the wolves, others do not.

He is a good mid-range jump shooter, which is a plus, because he can play in the high post and provide spacing for al in the low post.

He plays good man defense, so Al doesn't have to bring the weakside help as much

I think he's a better rebounder than he gets credit for, though he's still not fantastic.

For the wolves though, I want someone who rebounds a bit better and is more of a shotblocker, because frankly, al is not that good defensively. He's improving, but he'll never be a great defender. And I really don't care about lopez's offense very much. Al's offense is the most advanced of any young big in the league, and if we want to throw it down low, it'll go to Al. Lopez's offense would mean much more to most other teams in the league.

Really, a jason thompson or lamarcus aldridge type would be perfect. Channing frye would be great if he bulked up a bit. For a center on the wolves though, scoring ability is near the bottom of my list of wants, which is why I think lopez would be better off on another team. And I really hope I'm clear in that I don't dislike brook lopez, I just like mayo more. I wish lopez all the luck in memphis at pick 5.

And by the way, memphis is one of those teams picking in the late 1st... 26 if I recall. Them getting lopez at 5 means one less big likely to be picked in that range before the wolves picks at 31 and 34. Or if they do pick a up a big, it can be a PF instead of a C, someone like JJ Hickson or a number of other guys projected to go in that range, rather than a pure C which is what the wolves are looking for.

[veilside23]

Gotta agree now pick mayo and get joey dorsey/serge ibaka later...

Foye
mayo
brewer
jefferson
dorsey/ibaka

[Hopper15]

How many times will they draft a SG/SF

from Mccant to Foye to Brewer

either draft a center or Pg or trade the pick for someone whose more of a guarantee to produce.

I know their young but some veteran experience or leadership would help alot.


Exactly what gets GM's fired, taking the BPA over need and Mayo is the third best player in the draft.

[FireMcFailPlease]

Exactly what gets GM's fired, taking the BPA over need and Mayo is the third best player in the draft.
Do you honestly expect Taylor to fire McFail?

Come on now, theyre in the country club.

[VCMVP1551]

Soft, unathletic, describes Yao too.

Yao isn't what I'd call soft and Yao is also 7'5" or 7'6", has shot 52% for his NBA career, is a consistent 85-86% shooter from the line and he has range out to 18-20 feet.

Brook is 5-7 inches shorter, his range isn't as deep as Yao's, he shot under 47% in college which is poor and his free throw percentage isn't nearly as good.

Comparing Brook to Yao is laughable.


Outside of Oden, this guy is the best true center prospect

How about Andrew Bynum? He's only 6 months younger than Brook and he stands 7'1", 280 with a 7'7" wingspan and a 33" vertical. He was already averaging 13.2 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 1.7 apg, 2.1 bpg and leading the league with a 63.6 FG% in under 29 minutes per game prior to his injury. Dont' forget that he was probably the 2nd most important player on one of the best teams in the difficult West prior to his injury.

Andrew is a MUCH better prospect than Brook.

[disco]

I think Lopez is a good prospect, but I'm not sure if he's that clearly the best true center prospect. There isn't much between him and guys like Jordan, Hibbert, Koufos and even Pekovic.

[VCMVP1551]

There isn't much between him and guys like Jordan, Hibbert, Koufos and even Pekovic.

I agree. I fail to see what's so great about a guy who shoots under 47% at center against guys atleast 2-3 inches shorter than him.

His athleticism is also below average.

I don't see any unstoppable moves really even in his highlight film.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=X3OXxRZoc9w

Here is my scouting report for Brook

Strengths: Good mid-range touch especially for a guy who looks to be a legit 7 feet. His footwork is solid and he has a few different fundamentally sound low post moves. He is also a strong passer and a good shot blocker.

Weakness: Below average athleticism and while he does some things well he doesn't do anything great. He also is soft and will probably get pushed around at times. You seriously have to question how dominant a 7 footer who shot under 47% against smaller college players in a weak conference can be.

Doesn't sound like a number 3 overall pick to me. At best he can be a solid NBA center but there is no way in hell he'll be an all star.

[UConnCeltics]

Gotta agree now pick mayo and get joey dorsey/serge ibaka later...

Foye
mayo
brewer
jefferson
dorsey/ibaka
Foye will never be a pg..

[veilside23]

^ oh really thats what hes been doing since he entered the league...

[monthh]

But is that what you want him to play? I think he would be better suited to have the ball a lot, but have a true, legit PG to play next to him.

And if you are starting Dorsey or Ibaka at center, then you are going nowhere fast. Dorsey and Jefferson starting would have to mean Jefferson is at center. And if Ibaka is starting this year, then he may be the worst starter in NBA history. He is 4 or maybe even 5 years away from starting.

As for picking Mayo, I think it could certainly happen, but is there a chance they move Foye at some point? McCants seems like he will be on his way out, and no fans seem to like Telfair. I don't think Foye and Mayo will work even though it seems they may being playing together this year.

What I think is funny that the guy that wants them to pick Mayo is FireMcFail. Stocking his team full of guards (which is the opposite of what everyone wants the Bulls to do, which I think is strange) will get that done.

[Blackeagle]

read my posts again, mayo is the perfect complement to foye in the back court

And no, Foye is not going anywhere. He's nearly as solid a piece of the front office's future plans as jefferson is. And he can definitely play point, he just won't be steve nash. Much more in the mold of chauncey billups. In fact, he's extremely similar to chauncey.. chauncey with a better driving game is foye's ceiling, and he's closer to it than a lot of outsiders realize. He was out for the first few months of the season though, and took a while to get back to full strength or close to it.

As for where we'd ideally want Foye to play? He's better with the ball in his hands, at least to initiate the offense. So I see no reason to have him next to a 'true' point guard, whose skills are largely wasted by playing foye off the ball. But having him play next to a shooting guard who has some legitimate playmaking skills would certainly help... in other words, Mayo.

as for mccants... he's a fantastic offensive player. he sometimes gets into foul trouble, and he doesn't play great defense, but the kid can flat out score.

He is very strong, capable of posting up just about anyone he is matched up against, despite his size. I've seen guys significantly bigger try to back him down and not move him more than a foot. He's very good at finishing those post jumpers.

he's a fantastic 3 point shooter (I think over 41% from 3 this past season, with quite a few attempts as our best outside scorer)

And he can throw down hard. His rookie season, he got ejected twice for jawing after filthy dunks on defenders. One of them was Camby, I forget who the other was. He's controlling himself more now, and I don't think he got any ejections the last 2 seasons, but the ability to throw down is still there.

But, the wolves coaching staff just refuses to give him a fair shake, as seen by substitution patterns and some stuff that has leaked out over his career. I honestly think that wittman just has a personal issue with the kid. Anyway, long story short, the wolves want to replace mccants, but if mccants goes to the right situation, he could seriously blow up. I've said for a while now that if mccants went to phoenix, he'd be a borderline all-star. I'm not sure if that's still the case with no more d'antoni, but he has that kind of offensive ability.

[disco]

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Word-on-the-Street-Love-to-Minnesota--2898/

According to this McHale likes Kevin Love.

[wally_world]

i posted a thread in the main forums about my draft and off-season analysis... this is extracted from there

Minnesota - Trade Away The Pick!!! lots of mock drafts are saying they'll pick Brook Lopez or OJ Mayo but i beg to differ... what they really need is a PG, a floor general... someone to make Al Jefferson dominant... the 3rd pick value is high so trade it away! TJ Ford will probably be leaving Toronto... Minny should try to get him... Bassy and the pick for TJ and Bargnani/Nesterovic sounds decent... TJ, Foye, Brewer, Gomes/Bargs, Jefferson looks good... McCants is a 6MOY candidate being the scorer off the bench... Raptors can then go on to pick Brook Lopez/Kevin Love... either one of them down low with CB4 will be sick! win-win situation...

Foye cant play the point... Bassy just isnt good enough and dont get me started on Jaric... so how about this trade?

[disco]

i posted a thread in the main forums about my draft and off-season analysis... this is extracted from there

Minnesota - Trade Away The Pick!!! lots of mock drafts are saying they'll pick Brook Lopez or OJ Mayo but i beg to differ... what they really need is a PG, a floor general... someone to make Al Jefferson dominant... the 3rd pick value is high so trade it away! TJ Ford will probably be leaving Toronto... Minny should try to get him... Bassy and the pick for TJ and Bargnani/Nesterovic sounds decent... TJ, Foye, Brewer, Gomes/Bargs, Jefferson looks good... McCants is a 6MOY candidate being the scorer off the bench... Raptors can then go on to pick Brook Lopez/Kevin Love... either one of them down low with CB4 will be sick! win-win situation...

Foye cant play the point... Bassy just isnt good enough and dont get me started on Jaric... so how about this trade?

I think your post makes lots of sense, and if they get a good value for the pick, trading is a good choice. However, because in this draft there are two players who are clearly above anyone else, and from 3 to almost end of the lottery there isn't much between the prospects, I'm not sure if the third pick is really that valuable. If they keep the pick, I think they should go with whoever they think is the best player available (Mayo or Bayless, perhaps).

[monthh]

I pretty much agree with you Wally. I could also see them trading McCants to bring in even more, since it has been pointed out that they really don't want him. I also think the Clippers may be willing to trade picks to get Mayo, but they can't give you a good PG like Ford.

Blackeagle, I am just looking at the needs of this team. I don't think Mayo will be all that much better than McCants (which may not matter because as you said, they don't like him). You can find a guy like Mayo if you want to. It makes me laugh that half way through the year people were talking about how he sucks and should go 10th and all this other stuff. I told people to give him another look because he is much, much better than they were giving him credit for. Go back a few months and you will find posts with this stuff in it. But now I am the one bashing Mayo because people seem to be really overrating him. I understand that Mayo would be a nice fit with the Wolves, I just really think Lopez, at a more important position, will basically be as good as Mayo.

It does make me laugh, however, that Mayo who basically couldn't figure out how to play within the offense for much of the season should be leading the offense at PG. I don't think Mayo is close to a PG. He can handle the ball and he can find open players, but that doesn't make him a PG. For years Ray Allen was like that, but he wouldn't play PG. I think Mayo is actually a lot like Allen. Career numbers of 21pts, 4.5rebs, and 4ast sounds about right for Mayo to me. I don't think that qualifies me as a hater of Mayo.

I have said that I think Lopez will be on the same level as recent picks like Aldridge, Kaman, and Bogut. I think that puts him at about 14-18ppg, 8-10rebs, and close to 2blks.

I guess for me it comes down to which you would rather have. Some people would take the guy with better stats in Mayo, but I think getting Jefferson is more important and a center who can put up those numbers makes him close to the top 10 at center. I'm not going to look up the numbers, but I think Mayo at those numbers would only put him in the top half of SG in the NBA.

[FireMcFailPlease]

Mayo and Al is a nice foundation to build around.

True low post scorers are rarity as is.

Mayo with his shooting would be awesome.

[veilside23]

Trading the pick this high would be worthless. if you will only get tj ford. correct me if i am wrong but this has been the highest pick for minny since they drafted christian laettner right? Get Mayo. Wolves can get alot of worthy centers in the 2nd round for sure.

[Blackeagle]

It does make me laugh, however, that Mayo who basically couldn't figure out how to play within the offense for much of the season should be leading the offense at PG. I don't think Mayo is close to a PG. He can handle the ball and he can find open players, but that doesn't make him a PG. For years Ray Allen was like that, but he wouldn't play PG. I think Mayo is actually a lot like Allen. Career numbers of 21pts, 4.5rebs, and 4ast sounds about right for Mayo to me. I don't think that qualifies me as a hater of Mayo.

I have said that I think Lopez will be on the same level as recent picks like Aldridge, Kaman, and Bogut. I think that puts him at about 14-18ppg, 8-10rebs, and close to 2blks.

I strongly agree with your take on mayo, and have been saying a lot of the same things about him. He's not a point guard, but he does have some playmaking skills, and the comparison to ray allen is one that I've made myself, but haven't seen anyone else make, so high-5 on that one.

I don't see lopez being as good as aldridge or kaman, but bogut is a pretty good parallel

I think mayo should be our pick, but it sounds like we're fairly similar in our views of the players themselves. I'd just rather pick mayo, with a hibbert, robin lopez or jason thompson the 20's (maybe 30's for thompson) than lopez and hope rush drops or pick CDR or bill walker... both of whom I dislike. I love Shan Foster and think he's criminally underrated on most mocks, but I don't have faith that mcchale would pick him if we took lopez, and it's hard to pick a guy projected around 40 and hope he becomes either a starting guard to replace mccants, or one of your first guys off the bench to play the 2 when foye slides over to the 1... because mccants will be traded

[veilside23]

bump bump bump

[monthh]

Blackeagle, I think you are a lot more likely to get a guy who can play SG (Weems, Weaver, Lee, Forbes, Walker, Roby, and Giddens all could be available for the 2 2nd round picks the T-Wolves have) than a center who could be a double digit scorer to take that much pressure off your franchise player (Pekovic, Asik, Plaisted, Erden, Norel, Jawai, and Ajica don't exactly make you feel comfortable with your center position).

I just think even if they trade McCants, they still have some decent young players to help Foye out in Brewer and Telfair as well as Jaric and Buckner who can be okay backups. Then you add Weems and Hudson/Daniels to solidfy your 1-3 positions.

With all that said, I am starting to think Mayo may be my #2 choice for them behind Bayless, who I think the 3rd best player in the draft, and would work well playing the point with a guy like Foye who can also handle the ball.

[Blackeagle]

out of all those guards you listed, lee is the only one I think would give our team what we need if we add another guard/wing; defense+shooting in the same package. We currently do not have a player on our roster who brings both of those. That's why I want mayo... he brings both of them, and at a much higher level than lee

I also disagree on the big-man thing... this draft is loaded with big men who will contribute. Some of them right away, some of them farther down the road. I think we get both more value and more excitement by taking mayo and, say, a jason thompson or roy hibbert or kosta koufos, robin lopez, devon hardin... than we do by picking up brook lopez and courtney lee

I wouldn't mind trading the 3rd pick and in a deal that could net us marreese speights + brandon rush though.

[monthh]

But those big men might not be available in the 2nd round. And you don't have to get that combo-gaurd that can shoot and play D in the draft. I'm sure there will be a few on the FA market. I just think you can add a decent player at Mayo's position than you can at Lopez's position, if of course you are assuming Mayo and Lopez will provide about the same amount of production, which I doubt you do.

To maybe explain myself better if I think Lopez and Mayo will both be 8's out of 10 compared to all SG and C in the NBA, and in the other spot you want to start a 6 out of 10 on the same scale, it is easier to find a 6 at SG than a 6 at center. There are dozens in the NBA, D-League, Europe, and in future draft classes (since I think we both agree the Wolves still going to be building next offseason as well) that can fill their SG position. There are just a handful of true centers that can be effective as their starting center. I guess if you want to have a guy like Darko or Hayward then that is fine, but I would rather look to help my franchise player with a legit scoring center than help out Foye, who I honestly think is just a decent player on a good team, not a guy you build around in hopes of becoming a good team.

[Blackeagle]

using your analogy, I'd much rather have an 8 SG and a 6 C than an 8 C and a 6 SG.

This is a guard's league, and having a very good SG is much more important than having a very good C, unless your C is someone that changes the game like an oden, howard, shaq, etc

brook lopez will be no where even close to any of those guys. And I think that getting a good shooter to stick on the perimeter next to Al would take more defensive pressure off of Al than getting a C who can score on the block

And some of the bigs I mentioned will be gone before the 2nd round, but not all of them. There are just too many bigs, and we have both the 31 and 34 picks. And it should be easy to move up if we set our sights on someone in particular, having the 31, 34 a late 20's next year in boston's 1st, and any number of other assets. We don't have to stay in the second round, should be able to move up to at least the mid 20's without any difficulty at all

[monthh]

I guess that is where we differ. I think for every 5 SG's that you could have help you win championships, there are 1 C's (or Duncan/KG type) that can help you win a championship.

[Blackeagle]

brook lopez is not that guy.

[dak121]

The T-Wolves are not going to be very good next season. They should just take the best player available at that spot (Mayo), ride it out, and then pick for need if they have to in next year's draft.

[UConnCeltics]

Well they are better off taking Mayo this year and Thabeet next year if he comes out... his offensive game has only been getting better and it still is improving, and he is a beast on the defensive end.