Minnesota Sports Forum

While Flip isn't perfect, he isn't a moron either. I'm confident he will make the right choice. If I had to guess based on his comments on what he wants, it will be Towns. I change my vote too.

After this draft we will be stacked with young talented players. Looking at the Warriors and all their home grown talent, or even the Spurs. That's what you want. A homegrown team with great chemistry and depth.

Okay, you guys have convinced me...I'm changing my vote to Towns too. I think Flip is a good basketball mind, and the logic for taking KAT is just too persuasive. I'm trying to understand why he is giving the local media the impression that he favors Okafor, and all I can come up with is that he is smokescreening in an attempt to extract something from the Lakers. There's no reason for Flip to reveal who he really likes, so we should assume he is pulling the wool over everyone's eyes every time he speaks the next month.

longstrangetrip wrote:Okay, you guys have convinced me...I'm changing my vote to Towns too. I think Flip is a good basketball mind, and the logic for taking KAT is just too persuasive. I'm trying to understand why he is giving the local media the impression that he favors Okafor, and all I can come up with is that he is smokescreening in an attempt to extract something from the Lakers. There's no reason for Flip to reveal who he really likes, so we should assume he is pulling the wool over everyone's eyes every time he speaks the next month.

Imo the media that think Flip and the Wolves are all in on Okafor have talked to the people that are just in love with Okafor and his abilities. Who isn't up to a point? So maybe the 3-4 or whatever guys that are beig talked to love Okafor and like Towns a lot but they love Okafor. What does Flip think? Based on how coy he has been tsince taking over the job there is no way he has told anyone what guy he likes the most. That's my guess based on the limited info. Towns fits the narrative Flip has been preaching since day one taking over the team.

Well, I don't have to change my vote. It is so dang obvious how much better KAT fits with the Wolves than Oak that I am confident Flip sees it, too.

As for the local media angle, I thought most of that came from months (if not years) ago. Which is not a surprise since KAT's game has been growing by leaps and bounds. And Flip is not going to reach out and tell the local media his opinion has changed...

I should also add that since I've been checking out many of KAT's interviews on youtube over the past two years, he comes across as having a great heart and mind, which were Glen Taylor's exact words on who we might draft! Flip may have said both are potential all-stars (remember his boxes), but KAT is the perfect fit.

monsterpile wrote:

longstrangetrip wrote:Okay, you guys have convinced me...I'm changing my vote to Towns too. I think Flip is a good basketball mind, and the logic for taking KAT is just too persuasive. I'm trying to understand why he is giving the local media the impression that he favors Okafor, and all I can come up with is that he is smokescreening in an attempt to extract something from the Lakers. There's no reason for Flip to reveal who he really likes, so we should assume he is pulling the wool over everyone's eyes every time he speaks the next month.

Imo the media that think Flip and the Wolves are all in on Okafor have talked to the people that are just in love with Okafor and his abilities. Who isn't up to a point? So maybe the 3-4 or whatever guys that are beig talked to love Okafor and like Towns a lot but they love Okafor. What does Flip think? Based on how coy he has been tsince taking over the job there is no way he has told anyone what guy he likes the most. That's my guess based on the limited info. Towns fits the narrative Flip has been preaching since day one taking over the team.

I think some of it may be a defense of Okafor. Many in the media have Towns clearly better than Okafor. I think some of Flips comments towards Okafor to the media is him indicating that these guys are neck and neck. Towns is the better fit, but man when was the last time you saw a 19 year old big with the low post ability of Okafor? Not only the low post ability, but the development of a mid-range bankshot. Then he shows he has great handles for a big. His has a long reach and has great strength and isn't a bad athlete. You can see why a scout or GM would think they can get this guy to play good defense and rebound the crap out of the ball to go along with his prolific scoring. If I'm the GM I'm not choosing one guy just yet, because it's way too close. I don't care what the media consensus is either. The consensus was probably Bowie was the right choice over Jordan. Doesn't matter if you get applauded draft night, you got to get the best player on the court.

Atleast we have quality options. We have three top notch prospects to choose from. It's not like this is the 2013 draft.

This has been mentioned before but here is the video of the top three lottery picks revealed and most everyone else of the likely picks looks like that are at a boring seminar and Towns is in the 2nd row grinning. It's not much worth swaying me either way or anything but kinda interesting.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UgI3yiyZfUI

monsterpile wrote:This has been mentioned before but here is the video of the top three lottery picks revealed and most everyone else of the likely picks looks like that are at a boring seminar and Towns is in the 2nd row grinning. It's not much worth swaying me either way or anything but kinda interesting.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UgI3yiyZfUI

It's a fun video to go back and watch from time to time, if for no other reason, just to remember that we actually won the lottery. The players' reaction is interesting and informative, but I enjoy watching the three guys on stage even more. Two observations:

1) In a series of one on one games between those three guys, Glen finishes last every time...even considering his deadly sky hook. He's a pesky defender, but I think Nerlens would eventually wear him down. I loved how the camera had to pan way down when they shifted from Noel to Taylor.

2) I wasn't convinced at the time, and I'm still not convinced, that Glen fully processed what was happening when they called the Lakers' name for the second pick. He is expressionless, and I really think he thought they were announcing the Lakers getting the first pick. With our history, I have a difficult time blaming him for that!

longstrangetrip wrote:

monsterpile wrote:This has been mentioned before but here is the video of the top three lottery picks revealed and most everyone else of the likely picks looks like that are at a boring seminar and Towns is in the 2nd row grinning. It's not much worth swaying me either way or anything but kinda interesting.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UgI3yiyZfUI

It's a fun video to go back and watch from time to time, if for no other reason, just to remember that we actually won the lottery. The players' reaction is interesting and informative, but I enjoy watching the three guys on stage even more. Two observations:

1) In a series of one on one games between those three guys, Glen finishes last every time...even considering his deadly sky hook. He's a pesky defender, but I think Nerlens would eventually wear him down. I loved how the camera had to pan way down when they shifted from Noel to Taylor.

2) I wasn't convinced at the time, and I'm still not convinced, that Glen fully processed what was happening when they called the Lakers' name for the second pick. He is expressionless, and I really think he thought they were announcing the Lakers getting the first pick. With our history, I have a difficult time blaming him for that!

Good stuff LST!

I don't think it really should be all that close. Towns is better than Okafor at everything and the one thing he isn't better than Okafor at, he's still pretty damn effective himself.

Camden wrote:I don't think it really be all that close. Towns is better than Okafor at everything and the one thing he isn't better than Okafor at, he's still pretty damn effective himself.

That's pretty much how I analyze it, except that in addition to post play, Okafor is slightly longer (by half an inch) and a slightly better passer (although I like Towns as a passer too). But I can come up with 9-10 measures which favor Towns, and many of them are not very close. Emotionally, I'm way down the road with Towns...Flip is going to have to have a damn good explanation if he goes with Okafor instead.