Who should the Wolves draft at number 1?

[Coolbreeze44]

The league has recognized the devaluation of post and mid-range games as a problem that needs fixing. There will be changes in the next few years At a minimum i think you will see the elimination of the shorter corner 3. The arc will extend at the same distance around the court. You may see the arc itself be extended to a longer distance. I've even heard one more radical idea of going to a 4 and 3 point scheme instead of a 3 and 2. I don't see that ever happening but you get the idea. They are going to find a way to lessen the impact of the 3 point shot in an attempt to get the game back to more balanced offenses. Teams will have to be more nimble in the way they structure their rosters to be adaptive.

[TheFuture]

Wiseman or Deni.

[Phenom]

This is a very interesting spot that the Wolves find themselves in. Rosas has done a swell job shoring up one of the biggest weaknesses of the past few years. . .shooting. DLo and Beasley with Towns provides high level outside shooting. To me this team should be honing in on 2 other things when looking for main pieces of the rotation. Playmaking and defense. Like others I am scared of Edwards. I think ultimately he becomes just another mouth to feed that doesn't improve the play of his teammates even though he has many tools that could make him a threat as a playmaker. My suspicion is Rosas may view him as similar to Harden. This is who I feel will be the pick as of now so I hope he hits the high end.

To me it comes down to 3 others. Wiseman, Ball or Avdija. To me Wiseman has the best combination of tools that this team needs. He has the tools to be an elite defensive player and quite possibly a versatile one that can disrupt away from the hoop in space ala KG. It even looks like he can be a solid shooter with range. His handle even looks decent so he could help this team push pace with some grab and goes. I like the idea of making teams adjust to us for once and having to match up with Towns and Wiseman sounds like a nightmare. Ryan was also on with Barreiro on Friday and mentioned he really wants to address rebounding in addition to defense. Wiseman should be able to make a significant impact in those areas.

Ball on the other hand has a chance to be an elite playmaker and could really help open things up to elevate the offense. If he shores up his shot the offense could be very very good. I feel that Russell, Beasley and Ball could start together and cause matchup nightmares of their own. The defense wouldn't be as strong but finding a paint protector to fill in the other starting spot is still an option. I also think he can be solid on D like his brother so he won't be the weak link in that chain. He also rebounds his position well from the limited time he has played. Sample size is definitely a concern for Wiseman and Ball but what they lack there

Avdija makes up for in spades. It may seem like he does not have as much upside comparatively but that may just be false. He has shown a very well rounded game that includes some playmaking ability that may be more secondary than someone like Ball but that's still anl valuable asset to have. I feel like he has some toughness defensively so again he won't be a weak link. He also slides into the lineup more nicely than the others but I don't personally think that is as important.

These 3 all fit into the team's mantra of position less basketball IMO moreso than Edwards. It'll be up to Rosas and his crew to identify the game changer among the group. It will be a challenge considering the limited scope of film and contact available but we need to hope they get it right. I dont think I can do another decade of the garbage we have been through. I'm excitedly nervous and nervously hopeful.

[Lipoli390]

This is a very interesting spot that the Wolves find themselves in. Rosas has done a swell job shoring up one of the biggest weaknesses of the past few years. . .shooting. DLo and Beasley with Towns provides high level outside shooting. To me this team should be honing in on 2 other things when looking for main pieces of the rotation. Playmaking and defense. Like others I am scared of Edwards. I think ultimately he becomes just another mouth to feed that doesn't improve the play of his teammates even though he has many tools that could make him a threat as a playmaker. My suspicion is Rosas may view him as similar to Harden. This is who I feel will be the pick as of now so I hope he hits the high end.

To me it comes down to 3 others. Wiseman, Ball or Avdija. To me Wiseman has the best combination of tools that this team needs. He has the tools to be an elite defensive player and quite possibly a versatile one that can disrupt away from the hoop in space ala KG. It even looks like he can be a solid shooter with range. His handle even looks decent so he could help this team push pace with some grab and goes. I like the idea of making teams adjust to us for once and having to match up with Towns and Wiseman sounds like a nightmare. Ryan was also on with Barreiro on Friday and mentioned he really wants to address rebounding in addition to defense. Wiseman should be able to make a significant impact in those areas.

Ball on the other hand has a chance to be an elite playmaker and could really help open things up to elevate the offense. If he shores up his shot the offense could be very very good. I feel that Russell, Beasley and Ball could start together and cause matchup nightmares of their own. The defense wouldn't be as strong but finding a paint protector to fill in the other starting spot is still an option. I also think he can be solid on D like his brother so he won't be the weak link in that chain. He also rebounds his position well from the limited time he has played. Sample size is definitely a concern for Wiseman and Ball but what they lack there

Avdija makes up for in spades. It may seem like he does not have as much upside comparatively but that may just be false. He has shown a very well rounded game that includes some playmaking ability that may be more secondary than someone like Ball but that's still anl valuable asset to have. I feel like he has some toughness defensively so again he won't be a weak link. He also slides into the lineup more nicely than the others but I don't personally think that is as important.

These 3 all fit into the team's mantra of position less basketball IMO moreso than Edwards. It'll be up to Rosas and his crew to identify the game changer among the group. It will be a challenge considering the limited scope of film and contact available but we need to hope they get it right. I dont think I can do another decade of the garbage we have been through. I'm excitedly nervous and nervously hopeful.

If Rosas views Edwards as similar to Harden, then Gersson is possessed by David Kahn. Edwards hit 40.2% of this field goal attempts and 29.4% of his threes. In contrast, Harden hit 52.7% of his FG attempts and 49.7% of his threes as a freshman. I watched a lot of Harden in college. No one would even suggest that he settled for jumpers when he should have driving to the basket; yet that's one of the biggest criticisms of Edwards. Some people compare Edwards to Oladipo, but as a sophomore Oladipo hit 47% of his FG attempts. Westbrook hit 46.5% of his FG attempts as a Sophomore. Dwayne Wade hit 48.7% of his FG attempts as a freshman while. Jimmy Butler hit 53% as a sophomore. SGA hit 49.5% as a freshman. The only elite guard with a college shooting percentage as bad as Edward's was Donovan Mitchell. But unlike Edwards, Mitchell was a stellar defender in college and he hit 35.4% of his threes.

We spend a lot of time talking about skill sets, athleticism, basketball IQ, motor and the "eye test." Yet, it's important to remember that it's ultimately about performance. Truth is, I can't think of an elite NBA SG or SF who didn't shoot over 45% from the field in college - more often closer to 50%. Edward's shooting percentage is at least a yellow flag. And I'd like to believe that Gersson sees the enormous difference between Edwards and elite NBA SGs like Harden, Wade, Oladipo as reflected in what they actually accomplished on the court in their college careers.

[mrhockey89]

Draft Edwards. I don't want the Ball circus in town, Deni is an interesting prospect but too risky for 1st overall, Wiseman seems like a good player but goes against the grain for the modern NBA with KAT on the roster.

Trading for an established NBA player and a top 10 pick would be a good option too.

I think Edwards is another Oladipo, which would be a nice fit for the squad but Beasley would get screwed over.

Of course this would be the year the Wolves move up lol.

Still exciting though

Draft Edwards. I don't want the Ball circus in town, Deni is an interesting prospect but too risky for 1st overall, Wiseman seems like a good player but goes against the grain for the modern NBA with KAT on the roster.

Trading for an established NBA player and a top 10 pick would be a good option too.

I think Edwards is another Oladipo, which would be a nice fit for the squad but Beasley would get screwed over.

Of course this would be the year the Wolves move up lol.

Still exciting though

Question as to what you mean by "Edwards is another Oladipo"? Oladipo was a defensive monster coming out of Indiana, and I don't recall the worry about his shot selection or efficiency. I guess I'm not seeing the comparison aside from them both being athletic and both being good dunkers, and both being 2-guards of course.

[Wolvesfan21]

I have a feeling that a trade is the most likely scenario right now. I would take Booker or Simmons in a heartbeat as long as we are not of course giving up too much. Phoenix is always looking to dump salary and along with the Knicks is a terrible organization. I could see them trading Booker.

It's certainly possible that Philly wants to blow it up or reset themselves, their always seems to be friction between Embiid and Simmons, not to mention the lack of playoff success.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I agree with Lip that Edwards should be avoided. How many times have teams been seduced by elite physical tools, only to realize a year or two in that things like motor, decision making and skills like shooting are actually more important? Edwards just screams for us to run as far away as possible from him!

I'm probably not as down on Ball as others are, as I think he could be a mini-Ben Simmons and it seems like his dad has settled down a bit.

Still, if we keep the pick, there is simply no other prospect like Wiseman on the board. We almost have to take him even if the intent is to eventually trade him.

[AbeVigodaLive]

I agree with Lip that Edwards should be avoided. How many times have teams been seduced by elite physical tools, only to realize a year or two in that things like motor, decision making and skills like shooting are actually more important? Edwards just screams for us to run as far away as possible from him!

I'm probably not as down on Ball as others are, as I think he could be a mini-Ben Simmons and it seems like his dad has settled down a bit.

Still, if we keep the pick, there is simply no other prospect like Wiseman on the board. We almost have to take him even if the intent is to eventually trade him.

Wait.

So the Wolves just got rid of Jeff Green v2.0... but have a chance to nab Jeff Green v3.0...?

Where do I sign up?!?!?!?!?!

[rapsuperstar31]

I agree with Lip that Edwards should be avoided. How many times have teams been seduced by elite physical tools, only to realize a year or two in that things like motor, decision making and skills like shooting are actually more important? Edwards just screams for us to run as far away as possible from him!

I'm probably not as down on Ball as others are, as I think he could be a mini-Ben Simmons and it seems like his dad has settled down a bit.

Still, if we keep the pick, there is simply no other prospect like Wiseman on the board. We almost have to take him even if the intent is to eventually trade him.

Maybe someone can answer this that watches college basketball, but outside of it being a weak draft why has Edwards been 1 or 2 most of the year at least on nbadraftnet? I don't really follow college basketball until the tournament, other than a few games here and there on a lazy weekend afternoon. Someone here might have seen the Michigan St game where he played pretty well. I do check out nbadraftnet throughout the year just to see who is on top and Edwards was #1 most of the year, with Ball on top for a little bit. I would check out the site and kind of scratch my head when I looked up his stats. I do have to do quite a bit more research into this draft and the players. I lean Wiseman or trading for a good player or down at this point. But my question is what is it about Edwards that brings all the boys to the yard? More than a few websites are enamored with his potential and have been not just for a few weeks, but most of the year. What are we missing on him? There have been plenty of stars that have had a medicore freshmen year and a monster sophomore years, so would Edwards have excelled during sophomore season or on a team with better talent? If he had played for Kentucky would his percentages been better not having to take so many bad shots and we would all be drooling over him right now? Even though this draft is weak, this is the first time I have had a lot of interest in the Wolves since the Jimmy Butler fiasco practice. I am excited to see what we end up doing with this draft.

[thedoper]

I agree with Lip that Edwards should be avoided. How many times have teams been seduced by elite physical tools, only to realize a year or two in that things like motor, decision making and skills like shooting are actually more important? Edwards just screams for us to run as far away as possible from him!

I'm probably not as down on Ball as others are, as I think he could be a mini-Ben Simmons and it seems like his dad has settled down a bit.

Still, if we keep the pick, there is simply no other prospect like Wiseman on the board. We almost have to take him even if the intent is to eventually trade him.

Maybe someone can answer this that watches college basketball, but outside of it being a weak draft why has Edwards been 1 or 2 most of the year at least on nbadraftnet? I don't really follow college basketball until the tournament, other than a few games here and there on a lazy weekend afternoon. Someone here might have seen the Michigan St game where he played pretty well. I do check out nbadraftnet throughout the year just to see who is on top and Edwards was #1 most of the year, with Ball on top for a little bit. I would check out the site and kind of scratch my head when I looked up his stats. I do have to do quite a bit more research into this draft and the players. I lean Wiseman or trading for a good player or down at this point. But my question is what is it about Edwards that brings all the boys to the yard? More than a few websites are enamored with his potential and have been not just for a few weeks, but most of the year. What are we missing on him? There have been plenty of stars that have had a medicore freshmen year and a monster sophomore years, so would Edwards have excelled during sophomore season or on a team with better talent? If he had played for Kentucky would his percentages been better not having to take so many bad shots and we would all be drooling over him right now? Even though this draft is weak, this is the first time I have had a lot of interest in the Wolves since the Jimmy Butler fiasco practice. I am excited to see what we end up doing with this draft.

I think he stands out physically and athletically in college ball. He just didnt have the offensive basketball skills yet to be an #1 option, but he still willed himself to fill up the stat sheet with all opposing defences focused on him. These are still real accomplishments as a freshman. All that being said there is likely no way in hell we actually develop a player like this. We should be attempting to trade him to San Antonio for his own benefit.