Re: What should the Timberwolves do with the #3 Pick?
[QUOTE=veilside23]Registered a rare triple double on Jan 25th against USC with 18 pts, 11 rebs and 12 blks …
here you go kid [url]http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=270250024[/url]
Ironically its against USC :D sad mayo wasnt there.. oh you were probably watching mayo when this was happening[/QUOTE]
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.
Re: What should the Timberwolves do with the #3 Pick?
[QUOTE=veilside23]Registered a rare triple double on Jan 25th against USC with 18 pts, 11 rebs and 12 blks
Re: What should the Timberwolves do with the #3 Pick?
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.
Re: What should the Timberwolves do with the #3 Pick?
[QUOTE=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. [B]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.[/B]
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.[/QUOTE]
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...
Re: What should the Timberwolves do with the #3 Pick?
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
Re: What should the Timberwolves do with the #3 Pick?
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.
Re: What should the Timberwolves do with the #3 Pick?
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.
Re: What should the Timberwolves do with the #3 Pick?
Gotta agree now pick mayo and get joey dorsey/serge ibaka later...
Foye
mayo
brewer
jefferson
dorsey/ibaka
Re: What should the Timberwolves do with the #3 Pick?
[QUOTE=elz]How many times will they draft a SG/SF
from Mccant to Foye to Brewer
[B]either draft a center or Pg or trade the pick for someone whose more of a guarantee to produce.
[/B]
I know their young but some veteran experience or leadership would help alot.[/QUOTE]
Exactly what gets GM's fired, taking the BPA over need and Mayo is the third best player in the draft.
Re: What should the Timberwolves do with the #3 Pick?
[QUOTE=Hopper15][B]Exactly what gets GM's fired[/B], taking the BPA over need and Mayo is the third best player in the draft.[/QUOTE]
Do you honestly expect Taylor to fire McFail?
Come on now, theyre in the country club.
Re: What should the Timberwolves do with the #3 Pick?
[QUOTE=mrhoopfan]Soft, unathletic, describes Yao too. [/QUOTE]
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.
[QUOTE=monthh]Outside of Oden, this guy is the best true center prospect [/QUOTE]
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.
Re: What should the Timberwolves do with the #3 Pick?
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.
Re: What should the Timberwolves do with the #3 Pick?
[QUOTE=disco]There isn't much between him and guys like Jordan, Hibbert, Koufos and even Pekovic.[/QUOTE]
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.
[URL="http://youtube.com/watch?v=X3OXxRZoc9w"]http://youtube.com/watch?v=X3OXxRZoc9w[/URL]
Here is my scouting report for Brook
[B]Strengths:[/B] 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.
[B]Weakness:[/B] 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.
Re: What should the Timberwolves do with the #3 Pick?
[QUOTE=veilside23]Gotta agree now pick mayo and get joey dorsey/serge ibaka later...
Foye
mayo
brewer
jefferson
dorsey/ibaka[/QUOTE]
Foye will never be a pg..
Re: What should the Timberwolves do with the #3 Pick?
^ oh really thats what hes been doing since he entered the league...