KG4Ever wrote:Kevin O'Connor in his draft review says "D'Angelo Russell is being shopped around, so it makes sense for the Timberwolves to target a shot-creator with this selection. TyTy and Karl-Anthony Towns could make for a lethal pick-and-roll pairing, and with Anthony Edwards resembling a superstar in the playoffs (and in Hustle) Minnesota would be equipped with a dynamic offense. Whatever Russell would return in a trade could only bolster their roster even more."
Awesome to hear that DLO is being shopped! I like TyTy and think he'd be a good pick at 19. I personally prefer Chandler because he has amazing physical tools coupled with a very high basketball IQ. I like TyTy nearly a much as he is bigger and has a good floater game, solid on both sides of the ball and Kentucky has a long history of providing productive guards to the NBA that typically outplay their draft position and TyTy had better college stats than Maxey who was a breakout player last year. Interestingly the Wolves have worked out all the top point guard prospects likely to be available between 19 and 50, except TyTy who may or may not be available at 19. This is another sign that the Wolves brass is looking hard for DLO's ultimate replacement.
Kennedy Chandler worked out for the Hawks they must be planning to replace Trey. Any legit NBA team should simply be working out as many prospects that will step into their building that they have any sort of reasonable chance to draft. The Wolves working out PGs doesn't mean that much to me when it comes to Russell.
That's not what I said. I said the Wolves have worked out a ton of point guard prospects (pretty much every single point guard projected to be drafted from #19 onwards). I can't say they have done that with the other positions.
So you have a list of everyone they have worked out?
Yes, I keep track of all the workouts that are reported.
KG4Ever wrote:Kevin O'Connor in his draft review says "D'Angelo Russell is being shopped around, so it makes sense for the Timberwolves to target a shot-creator with this selection. TyTy and Karl-Anthony Towns could make for a lethal pick-and-roll pairing, and with Anthony Edwards resembling a superstar in the playoffs (and in Hustle) Minnesota would be equipped with a dynamic offense. Whatever Russell would return in a trade could only bolster their roster even more."
Awesome to hear that DLO is being shopped! I like TyTy and think he'd be a good pick at 19. I personally prefer Chandler because he has amazing physical tools coupled with a very high basketball IQ. I like TyTy nearly a much as he is bigger and has a good floater game, solid on both sides of the ball and Kentucky has a long history of providing productive guards to the NBA that typically outplay their draft position and TyTy had better college stats than Maxey who was a breakout player last year. Interestingly the Wolves have worked out all the top point guard prospects likely to be available between 19 and 50, except TyTy who may or may not be available at 19. This is another sign that the Wolves brass is looking hard for DLO's ultimate replacement.
Kennedy Chandler worked out for the Hawks they must be planning to replace Trey. Any legit NBA team should simply be working out as many prospects that will step into their building that they have any sort of reasonable chance to draft. The Wolves working out PGs doesn't mean that much to me when it comes to Russell.
That's not what I said. I said the Wolves have worked out a ton of point guard prospects (pretty much every single point guard projected to be drafted from #19 onwards). I can't say they have done that with the other positions.
So you have a list of everyone they have worked out?
Yes, I keep track of all the workouts that are reported.
Ok is there a wing or PF type they haven't worked out that surprises you?
KG4Ever wrote:Kevin O'Connor in his draft review says "D'Angelo Russell is being shopped around, so it makes sense for the Timberwolves to target a shot-creator with this selection. TyTy and Karl-Anthony Towns could make for a lethal pick-and-roll pairing, and with Anthony Edwards resembling a superstar in the playoffs (and in Hustle) Minnesota would be equipped with a dynamic offense. Whatever Russell would return in a trade could only bolster their roster even more."
Awesome to hear that DLO is being shopped! I like TyTy and think he'd be a good pick at 19. I personally prefer Chandler because he has amazing physical tools coupled with a very high basketball IQ. I like TyTy nearly a much as he is bigger and has a good floater game, solid on both sides of the ball and Kentucky has a long history of providing productive guards to the NBA that typically outplay their draft position and TyTy had better college stats than Maxey who was a breakout player last year. Interestingly the Wolves have worked out all the top point guard prospects likely to be available between 19 and 50, except TyTy who may or may not be available at 19. This is another sign that the Wolves brass is looking hard for DLO's ultimate replacement.
Kennedy Chandler worked out for the Hawks they must be planning to replace Trey. Any legit NBA team should simply be working out as many prospects that will step into their building that they have any sort of reasonable chance to draft. The Wolves working out PGs doesn't mean that much to me when it comes to Russell.
That's not what I said. I said the Wolves have worked out a ton of point guard prospects (pretty much every single point guard projected to be drafted from #19 onwards). I can't say they have done that with the other positions.
So you have a list of everyone they have worked out?
Yes, I keep track of all the workouts that are reported.
Ok is there a wing or PF type they haven't worked out that surprises you?
monsterpile wrote:
KG4Ever wrote:
monsterpile wrote:
KG4Ever wrote:
monsterpile wrote:
KG4Ever wrote:Kevin O'Connor in his draft review says "D'Angelo Russell is being shopped around, so it makes sense for the Timberwolves to target a shot-creator with this selection. TyTy and Karl-Anthony Towns could make for a lethal pick-and-roll pairing, and with Anthony Edwards resembling a superstar in the playoffs (and in Hustle) Minnesota would be equipped with a dynamic offense. Whatever Russell would return in a trade could only bolster their roster even more."
Awesome to hear that DLO is being shopped! I like TyTy and think he'd be a good pick at 19. I personally prefer Chandler because he has amazing physical tools coupled with a very high basketball IQ. I like TyTy nearly a much as he is bigger and has a good floater game, solid on both sides of the ball and Kentucky has a long history of providing productive guards to the NBA that typically outplay their draft position and TyTy had better college stats than Maxey who was a breakout player last year. Interestingly the Wolves have worked out all the top point guard prospects likely to be available between 19 and 50, except TyTy who may or may not be available at 19. This is another sign that the Wolves brass is looking hard for DLO's ultimate replacement.
Kennedy Chandler worked out for the Hawks they must be planning to replace Trey. Any legit NBA team should simply be working out as many prospects that will step into their building that they have any sort of reasonable chance to draft. The Wolves working out PGs doesn't mean that much to me when it comes to Russell.
That's not what I said. I said the Wolves have worked out a ton of point guard prospects (pretty much every single point guard projected to be drafted from #19 onwards). I can't say they have done that with the other positions.
So you have a list of everyone they have worked out?
Yes, I keep track of all the workouts that are reported.
Ok is there a wing or PF type they haven't worked out that surprises you?
As far as point guards projected to be taken between 19 and 50 or perhaps later, the Wolves' workouts include Chandler, Nembhard, Montero, Molinar and Davidson and I can't think of any other point guards likely to be drafted by pick 50 that aren't being worked out. As far as wings or PF, they haven't worked out Dalen Terry, Blake Wesley, Dom Barlow, Josh Minott or Rollins who are potentially first or early second rounders and I am sure there are others if I research this matter further.
I would like the Wolves to workout TyTy in case he slips to 19. I would also highly like them to work out both Dalen Terry and Dom Barlow. Other than that, I'm very pleased with the names the Wolves are bringing in. Though, I sometimes think teams might deliberately not work out a guy who they have sufficient intel on and really like, so as to not tip their hand to keep other teams guessing a bit as to who they might take, so I certainly wouldn't rule out the Wolves drafting TyTy, Dalen Terry or Barlow even if they decide not to bring them in for workouts.
lipoli390 wrote:The source is Doogie, so you can't run to the bank with this scoop. But it looks like my dream deal of DLO to the Wizards for the draft rights to Dyson Daniels will never be more than a dream :)
Darren Wolfson: The Wizards are not interested in (D'Angelo) Russell. Yes, the Wizards are looking for a lead guard, and I am told no interest in D'Angelo Russell. 5 days ago - via Spotify
I've given up on the idea of Daniels, but I kind of like the point guards that might be available at 19 (Chandler and TyTy) and 40-50 (Nembhard), and the Wolves have worked out Chandler and Nembhard already. Chandler is so quick and has such a high BB IQ (he's only 19 and he has a deep bag of finishing tricks), he's fearless at attacking the rim, had 2.2 steals a game, very good passer, tight handles, excellent as an on-ball defender, and shot over 40% from 3s in tournament season (38.3% for season, he shot 3s at over 50% clip in high school, though he struggled from the free throw line in his one year of college, he was a good free throw shooter in high school and in U19 play and Barnes says he hits 95% in practice, so I am not worried about his free throw shooting as his shooting mechanics are solid. His height knocks him way down as he is 5"11.5 without shoes but that is same height as CP3, Conley and Kemba were as prospects, and he is longer than CP3 and Kemba with a wingspan of 6'5.25 and had highest vertical at combine (41 inches) so he can elevate well when attacking the rim. I'd love him running the point feeding KAT, Ant, Hartenstein (Nurkic or Drummond) and McDaniels in a fast paced offense. He can also play off the ball and creates separation on his outside shot with some nice hesi moves and because he is a constant threat to break towards the rim with his first quick step, defenders can't play him too tight. I love Chandler's upside and hope he's our pick but I could live with a good three and D prospect too like Eason or Jalen Williams and hopefully then we grab Nembhard in round 2, who is a very heady point guard that is a taller version of Tyus Jones or Monte Morris.
I like Chandler quite a bit he changes gears so well and can make shots from all sorts of angles, strong use of the glass on drives. His shooting is top notch and just seems easy. What's most impressive to me is how under control he is even at full speed. If we land Chandler I would want to move on from DLO!
Yeah, that would be the plan. The Wolves need to start planning for a DLO replacement and I think Chandler is a near perfect fit. The naysayers say he is too short to be a starting NBA point guard, but I think he has all the tools to succeed-unbelievable quickness, high basketball IQ, good court vision, 6'5.25 wing span a 41 inch vertical, good outside shooting and disruptive defense. He really carried Tennessee on his back to become SEC champions. I would love to pair Chandler and Ant as that might be the quickest guard pairing in recent memory, lots of steals, fast break dunks and high energy.
I think the naysayers are right about that though. Everything you just described is Tyus Jones, which is fine if we're replacing J-Mac, but if the goal is to eventually roll with two PG's not taller than 6', don't be surprised when Ant becomes a foul magnet having to cover for them.
We may not even need a PG in crunch time (eventually). It could be Ant bringing the ball up. Or Nowell. Or a versatile PF we end up getting. Who knows?
I view the pure Center and pure PG roles as necessary to field a complete squad for an 82-game season and playoff run, but not mandatory during crunch time. Ideally, we can find a combination of three tough-minded defenders and shooters that can surround KAT and Ant in the waning minutes of close games.
That's a good point Q.
One other physical thing going against Chandler is being just 172 lbs. I like him I'm not sure how much it I do like him Is his 3 point shooting real? That FT shooting is a concern. Let's be honest if McLaughlin (who has similar measurements) shot the 3 as well as he did in college we would be legitimately considering him as possible complimentary starter and it wouldn't be ridiculous. I'm cool with taking a guy that's undersized if he legitimately seems like a good player.
Yeah, it's one thing to be a bit on the short side. But a lot of shorter PGs that have had playoff success make up for it in strength (Lowry, Paul, Brunson to a degree). Chandler seems to be a bit short AND slight. Not a good combination.
I'm debating in my own mind whether we should take a best player available approach in the draft versus best playoff prospect available. What I mean by that is I may be willing to trade off some degree of skill/college production for raw physical characteristics like size, strength, and athleticism.
I get what you mean Q. That's partly why I am intrigued by Wendell Moore Jr. Do you have a take on him?
No opinion on Wendell Moore Jr. I didn't follow college ball or the various prospects this past season (thank God - we were winning!) and haven't been doing my homework like the rest of you guys. I was just reacting to the size question marks on Chandler.
If this were a few years ago I'd be all over the "Please God - just get someone that knows how to play and can make an outside shot!". But now that I feel like we have a solid foundation of skilled vets and young guys on the roster, I'd be looking at raw physical characteristics a bit more. And I'm not talking about vertical leap or straight-line speed. I mean strength, length, motor, toughness, ability to move feet laterally in space paired with at least one or two solid skills that can be built upon.
Camden wrote:Let me preface this with a short note to the D'Angelo Russell naysayers and/or haters in general. I'm not posting this to troll or antagonize anyone nor do I want to hijack the thread in the direction of another meaningless spat. That is not my intention here.
The Minnesota Timberwolves' new President of Basketball Operations, Tim Connelly, sat down with Dan Barreiro on KFAN radio recently. Obviously, Connelly is not going to show all of his cards right away, especially on a local radio show, and some will say this is just good GM speak, but I think he was honest and fair with what he said. I also did not get the impression that he was aggressively shopping Russell or looking to trade him in a deck-shuffling type of move, but that is absolutely subjective.
Here is a direct quote from their exchange concerning Russell:
"I certainly don't think the team has success without D-Lo. I thought his playmaking, his big shot ability, his ability to get to his spots, and create tough shots--I do think he's one of the more underrated passers in the league. His vision is instinctive. He's a big guard who creates easy opportunities for others. So, he has another gear. You know, he's still relatively young. This is the first time he's been in a place for several years. It's his ability to make others better and his willingness to kinda take that next step is gonna really determine what this whole thing looks like. I've been here for a week, [but] from afar I've been a D'Angelo fan watching since he was in high school. And I know that watching this team that they would not be where they were without him."
That's salesmanship talk from Tim Connelly. When you are selling an asset, you talk it up. Did you really expect Tim Connelly to say DLO is slow, inefficient, struggles as a defender, is a bit selfish and doesn't always play well with others and shrinks at playoff time and is vastly overpaid? Tim will talk up DLO in the public until the day he is gone. The more he raves about DLO, the more sure I am that he is a goner!
Both things can be true at the same time....DLO being a positive asset that helped us win games and DLO not necessarily being the best long-term fit for this team. Connelly isn't going to just dump DLO or get desperate shopping him.
I think the hardest thing about moving DLO is finding someone willing to take him. It's not going to be easy. We may end up having him for another year. And though that would be unfortunate, it might be our only option. Extending him would be bat shit crazy. This is one of the first tests for the new regime. Are we going to be smart moving forward, or be subjected to more of the same.
<<One other physical thing going against Chandler is being just 172 lbs. I like him I'm not sure how much it I do like him Is his 3 point shooting real? That FT shooting is a concern. Let's be honest if McLaughlin (who has similar measurements) shot the 3 as well as he did in college we would be legitimately considering him as possible complimentary starter and it wouldn't be ridiculous. I'm cool with taking a guy that's undersized if he legitimately seems like a good player.>>
Chandler's weight is more than De'Aaron Fox's combine weight of 170, Darren Collison was 167, Dennis Schroder was 165. Mike Conley (175) and Trae Young (177) weren't much heavier. He is 19 and I expect he'll add weight if that will help his game. I'm sure a little more bulk wouldn't hurt him and it appears he has the frame to add more. For instance, De'Aaron Fox added 15 pounds since the draft combine.
Here is an article in which Chandler addresses his size and why he believes it is a non-issue to his playing style and probably gives him extra motivation or a chip on his shoulder, to prove doubters wrong: https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tennessee-volunteers-point-guard-kennedy-chandler-intent-on-showing-size-isnt-everything'
Chandler who is friends with Darius Garland and Ja Morant said: "Ja and Trae and Darius, they came from being unknown to being top players in the world," Chandler told BasketballNews.com in a phone interview. "Trae, everybody thought he was small, wouldn't be able to make it. Ja, same way, too skinny; nobody knew who Ja was. Just the hunger, I feel like we have a lot in common from being nobody to being one of the top players in the nation, I feel like I can do the same thing they did."
Should his size be a concern? Definitely, however, that concern seems overblown in my opinion and is the reason he may be available at pick 19. If he's three inches taller, he's going early lottery. Everybody available at 19, will have concerns of some sort but his size has not hurt him at all so far as a basketball player and he has all the other attributes you look for in a potential top flight point guard, so I think the risk is well worth the potential payoff with him.
I keep trying all sorts of ideas on ESPN's trade machine and I still can't find a realistic deal for DLO that makes the Wolves better either short term or long term. Maybe I'll come up with something. Better yet, the Wolves front office will come up with something. :). If you haven't done it, try running DLO deal through ESPN's trade machine. Every deal I've tried that works from a salary match perspective ends up with the Wolves losing on a points per game basis under the Hollinger methodology. I don't know what that methodology is, but just confirms my view about each of the deals I've tried, namely that they wouldn't be net gains for the Wolves unless the deal brings in a young player or draft pick with high upside who eventually reaches his upside potential.
If we believe reports that the Clippers are truly interested in trading for DLO, it's hard to see what sort of deal the Wolves and Clippers could make that would be realistic and improve the Wolves over the long run. I just don't see it. And that's why I'm at peace moving forward with DLO next season. However, I would not offer an extension.
KG4Ever wrote:Kevin O'Connor in his draft review says "D'Angelo Russell is being shopped around, so it makes sense for the Timberwolves to target a shot-creator with this selection. TyTy and Karl-Anthony Towns could make for a lethal pick-and-roll pairing, and with Anthony Edwards resembling a superstar in the playoffs (and in Hustle) Minnesota would be equipped with a dynamic offense. Whatever Russell would return in a trade could only bolster their roster even more."
Awesome to hear that DLO is being shopped! I like TyTy and think he'd be a good pick at 19. I personally prefer Chandler because he has amazing physical tools coupled with a very high basketball IQ. I like TyTy nearly a much as he is bigger and has a good floater game, solid on both sides of the ball and Kentucky has a long history of providing productive guards to the NBA that typically outplay their draft position and TyTy had better college stats than Maxey who was a breakout player last year. Interestingly the Wolves have worked out all the top point guard prospects likely to be available between 19 and 50, except TyTy who may or may not be available at 19. This is another sign that the Wolves brass is looking hard for DLO's ultimate replacement.
Same feelings on Tyty like him but prefer Chandler would be happy with either one if they were the pick at 19.
I thinks it's safe to assume the wolves would listen to offers for DLO Interesting Brogdon seems to be the target for teams looking to improve the PG position, ie NYK and Washington.
Sure the Pacers are in a different position then the wolves (full rebuild) looking to acquire draft assets, but I think it Brogdon is likely viewed as the better player around the league , which I believe he is.
