Wolves 2017 Draft Thread

[TeamRicky [enjin:6648771]]

Isaac has the length and athleticism to be a great fit. He is a good three point shooter and slasher plus he rebounds and plays D. He's a lunch pail guy and frankly, I think he might be a better fit than Jackson here. But I don't think we could go wrong with either one.

[WildWolf2813]

I'm still convinced that there isn't gonna be a player that's where our draft range is that would contribute for us next year.

That said, in addition to the 5 I mentioned in general, Zach Collins in theory fits what this team needs, but won't play much if at all.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I'm still convinced that there isn't gonna be a player that's where our draft range is that would contribute for us next year.

That said, in addition to the 5 I mentioned in general, Zach Collins in theory fits what this team needs, but won't play much if at all.

Agreed. If we have a rookie in the top 9 of our rotation, I will consider the offseason a massive failure.

But if we can't find a good trade for our pick, I do agree that Collins seems like a nice pick. I was very impressed with his skills, motor, and toughness at Gonzaga. He plays with some emotion and edge. He'd be a guy we could develop slowly behind KAT and Dieng (who hopefully will be our backup Center next season).

[SameOldNudityDrew]

Let's get something straight. If we end up with Josh Jackson and he starts next to Wiggins, he's going to get his ass handed to him on a nightly basis. Sure, three or four years from now, perhaps he can help. But how many times do we need to see these 19 year olds come here and get killed defensively before learning our lesson? They are a massive liability.

Yep. If we do draft a guy I would want Jackson but he will be a liability next year.

LST expressed a similar concern as the two above. And I agree with the basics: 1) We have drafted guys who were supposed to be good defenders that haven't been, and 2) we should be better than needing to start a rookie.

In terms of 1, it's interesting to theorize why, and probably Mitchell and Thibs deserve some of the blame, but I think part of it is bad scouting, bad culture, and bad situation. In retrospect, I think the Wiggins previews were conflating his defensive potential with his actual defense. I don't think he became a (much) worse defender, I just think he wasn't one to begin with. KAT was definitely hyped as a defensive beast, and he has been disappointing here even as he's been offensively exciting. Dieng was also supposed to be a great defender, and has turned into only a solid one with somewhat better offense than people thought. It's definitely a disturbing trend that I hope Thibs can turn around. I think part of the explanation may be that Wiggins and KAT came to the team and were basically handed the keys and told they were the man, so of course they focused on doing whatever they wanted on the offensive end because that's the more exciting thing to do. If they had come in to an established team with established players, they would likely have been given a more specific defensive role and gotten fewer shots offensively, which might have helped them learn better habits. Look at Kawhi, who was basically a role player his first couple of years and turned into a great defender in the process. So I think there may be a few reasons why we have drafted supposedly good defenders who didn't defend well in the NBA.

As for 2, I couldn't agree more. And if we could somehow get Jimmy Butler or Paul George without giving up KAT, I'm, uhhh, very cool with that.

But since we're talking about the draft here, what's the solution to problem 1 through the draft, should we draft a guy who is NOT supposed to be a good defender and see how that works out for our defense? I don't think so. Should we draft a guy who is touted for defensive potential? I'm wary (Jonathan Isaac, I'm looking at your skinny butt here). So many guys have been hyped for potential coming into the league who sucked that the word potential itself has almost become a red flag?

I think we should take the BPA, but in my opinion given our defensive weaknesses, if that BPA is recognized for his strong defense (and passing and rebounding and dirty work that would also fit us on the other end of the court), then I'd take him. If that's Josh Jackson (again, assuming all the character issues are not a problem), then I'm ok with that. I wouldn't want him to start right away, and never unless he proves he's good enough (little fear of that with Thibs given his tight rotations), but eventually, I think he could be the best fit for us in this draft, so if we can't get the 1 or 2 pick, then I hope for the 3rd where he's supposed to be BPA.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Drew, I think you nailed it with respect to why great college defenders regress when they come here...both Sam and Thibs gave these young guys the keys without making them earn it. It's funny...both coaches have "tough" reputations, while Pop has a reputation as a players' coach (despite his sometime gruff demeanor. But I don't think Pop would have continued rewarding these guys big minutes after seeing their poor effort on defense...they would be on the bench until they put in the proper effort. I feel our coaches have created a culture of entitlement, and our young stars are taking advantage of it. Thibs needs to change his style next year and hold these guys accountable on both sides of the ball.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Isaac has the length and athleticism to be a great fit. He is a good three point shooter and slasher plus he rebounds and plays D. He's a lunch pail guy and frankly, I think he might be a better fit than Jackson here. But I don't think we could go wrong with either one.

Ricky I know we disagree a lot on this board but I also love isaac, I am really hoping we get a top 3 pick so we can trade back get vet help and draft Issac. I am worried how skinny he is but I love his game so much

I agree with you guys on Isaac. Every time I watched him last year, I saw the potential to be a special player...I think he could be the home run pick in this draft. I don't disagree that his physical immaturity might make him a non-factor next year, but down the road, he could be very good.

[bleedspeed]

I was on the fence about Issac and Bridges. It sounds like we don't have to worry about Bridges. We will need to add a starting PF and rotation wing next year. It is pretty sad how bad Rush was. He made me want Tyshaun Prince back.

[TheFuture]

We REALLY need to lose tonight so we can (should be) in the position to draft Lauri Markannen. omg what an incredible fit with Towns!

We better score 130 a game because that froncourt is giving up a lot of points.

is he that bad defensively? You'd think with his height and impressive foot speed for a 7 footer he could at least improve at team defense

Scouting report from nbadraft.net:

"Off ball Defense needs work, since at times he is too focused on the ball and loses sight of the player he is guarding... He must improve on Post Defense, learn how to use his body and not get bullied by physical players... Weak side defense is also an issue since at times he is just a step too slow to help... It's really difficult to imagine him becoming an elite shot blocker due to his average wingspan and inability to jump high from a standing position ... He has problems defending when he is asked to switch and has to guard an explosive perimeter player since his lateral quickness is just OK for now..."

His defense is definitely suspect, but I've warmed up to the idea of him joining this team. The spacing he would provide this team would be greatly appreciated. Markannen pulling out the PF and allowing KAT to feast inside would be scary. Markannen's quick trigger and range as a 7 footer is beautiful.

Of course I'd love to find a rim protector, but there isn't one in the draft that is worth our high pick. I also firmly believe that KAT needs to step it up and become that defensive anchor for us to find true success. I don't want to bail him out on that end. Beyond that, it's all about team defense, and I can see Markannen fitting in a system.

[bleedspeed]

Can we depend on Dunn and Jones to be part of the rotation next year? I think that is a fair question on a draft board because when selecting a player how long should we feel is acceptable to have them part of the rotation.

We use Shabazz and Dieng as a case study. Shabazz was a freshmen. Dieng was a junior? Dieng has been a solid rotation player, but probably not a starter. Shabazz is hot and cold. Will he be back? What does he get for a contract? Did we hold down his value by not putting him in as starter when LaVine went down?

[TheFuture]

Can we depend on Dunn and Jones to be part of the rotation next year? I think that is a fair question on a draft board because when selecting a player how long should we feel is acceptable to have them part of the rotation. We can also look at Shabazz and Dieng. Dieng has been a solid rotation player, but probably not a starter. Shabazz is hot and cold. Will he be back? What does he get for a contract? Did we hold down his value by not putting him in as starter when LaVine went down?

I'm going to guess Shabazz gets around 10 mil per year. And that'd be a tough call on keeping him or letting him walk as he is 1 of the only productive bench players we currently have.

Dunn and Jones make a pretty good 2nd/3rd pg platoon for now. I do not see Thibs drafting a PG this year.

Of course I hope we pick #1 and trade Fultz to the highest bidder.