Mikkeman wrote:AbeVigodaLive wrote:Don't care for the most part (sans the #1 pick). That's all moving the furniture type of stuff. And I think the next couple of years will be about finding out if the Wolves even have the right house.
It's ALL about the development of Wiggins. (is he just another promising player, a future all star or a future superstar?) The development of LaVine (is something there or was he a test case for athletic guy who can move but can't really play posting decent stats on a super duper bad team?). And then the pick. Is he a franchise building block? Future superstar?
[Note: That's not to say that discussions about moving furniture and bit parts can't be sorta fun. But there are some legit big-picture themes with this team right now that will dictate EVERYTHING that happens with the team for the next decade.]
While I agree that Flip might think same way as you that those 2nd round picks etc. won't matter, I don't think so. Would San Antonio have won all those championships if they would not have drafted Manu Ginobili (57th pick), would Golden State be in finals if they would not have drafted Dramond Green (35th pick) or would Cavs be in finals this year if they wouldn't have traded for Mozgov, Smith and Shumbert?
Sometimes moves that seem to be minor when they are made turn out be much more important than they were originally valued. It seems that even lately almost every draft there has existed still some real talent in 2nd round and I hope that also Minnesota could find something this summer with their 2nd round picks.
2014: K.J McDaniels 32nd, Jordan Clarkson 46th
2012: Draymond Green 35th, Khris Middleton 39th,
2011: Bojan Bogdanovic 31st, Chandler Parsons 38th, Isaiah Thomas 60th
2010: Hassan Whiteside 33rd, Lance Stephenson 40th
2009: Patrick Beverley 42nd, Danny Green 46th
2008: Nikola Pekovic 31st, DeAndre Jordan 35th, Omer Asik 36th, Goran Dragic 45th
I'm not saying any of those moves/picks are worthless. But they aren't anything to bank on. It's a crapshoot, to some degree. And they probably won't have an immediate impact. And even the impact they have won't be significant if Wiggins and Towns/Okafor don't pan out.
For example, Draymond Green might be one of the 3 most important players in the NBA Finals, but put him on the Wolves or NY Knicks this season and those teams are still terrible.
[Note: You found a couple of guys in almost every draft in the 2nd round. Well, there are 30 picks in every second round. There's a lot of guys that just don't cut it. The Wolves have to (1) scout well (2) get lucky that the guy is there (3) put him in the best position/situation to succeed. It can happen with 2nd round guys, obvioiusly. It's just not something that happens with a high percentage.]