Draft prospects - Who do we want?

[Lipoli390]

A 20-win team shouldn't worry about position when making a top five draft selection. You take the most talented player and don't look back. Position only matters if your choices rate as equals on talent. I think Towns and Mudiay are the most talented players in this year's draft. Between the two, I take Towns because he would fill a void on our roster. If he's not available I'd probably take Mudiay unless I'm persuaded that Okafor or Russell is a better talent.

I still see Ricky as a cornerstone of this team for years to complete. However, you never know. Injuries happen and Ricky has shown some signs of fragility. Mudiay would be a hedge against problems with Ricky. Moreover, Mudiay may prove to be a better overall PG than Ricky, in which case we could eventually trade Ricky for a nice return. Finally, Mudiay has SG size to defend that position and he's a scorer. So he could potentially become part of a dynamic backcourt duo with Ricky.

Of course, the most important point is that we don't know how good Mudiay or any of these other prospects will turn out. There are no LeBrons, Hakeems or Michael Jordans in this draft. So it's pretty silly to tie drafting Mudiay to trading Ricky. You draft him and see how things play out.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Agreed with your overall post, though I disagree with the sentence that Towns or Okafor might not start here from day one. Yes they would. I can't see Flip not starting either one. Look how he handled Wiggins this year. We had Brewer, who Flip felt comfortable starting, obvious by the 2013 season, and Flip still rolled with Wiggins. The only players in the big's way would be Pekovic and likely Garnett, both of which are better suited in limited roles based on how their bodies handle the wear and tear of the game. Rubio-Martin-Wiggins-Towns-Pekovic sounds promising to me, as does Rubio-Martin-Wiggins-Garnett-Okafor. We're probably a better five man unit with either of those lineups.

[WildWolf2813]

Mario Hezonja = Peja Stojakovic

Or am I dreaming? WE NEED SCORING (amoung other things). I know LIP says stay away, but Bazz had bad press too. I'm thinking Mario is worth the risk if we are picking 5th or lower

From the highlights he looks a lot like Peja, but...per DX, his weaknesses include that he doesn't work well outside of ISO situations, etc, loses focus often, doesn't work well within the flow of the offense, and the team does better with him off the court than on....which almost sounds just like a poor basketball IQ. I'd be a bit leery of that if that's true.

Shabazz Muhammad doesn't exactly work within Flips offense yet you can make the argument that he's shown the most growth as a player because of it. I'm not gonna hold it against anyone for not being able to conform to Flip's stupid playbook.

[WildWolf2813]

A 20-win team shouldn't worry about position when making a top five draft selection. You take the most talented player and don't look back. Position only matters if your choices rate as equals on talent. I think Towns and Mudiay are the most talented players in this year's draft. Between the two, I take Towns because he would fill a void on our roster. If he's not available I'd probably take Mudiay unless I'm persuaded that Okafor or Russell is a better talent.

I still see Ricky as a cornerstone of this team for years to complete. However, you never know. Injuries happen and Ricky has shown some signs of fragility. Mudiay would be a hedge against problems with Ricky. Moreover, Mudiay may prove to be a better overall PG than Ricky, in which case we could eventually trade Ricky for a nice return. Finally, Mudiay has SG size to defend that position and he's a scorer. So he could potentially become part of a dynamic backcourt duo with Ricky.

Of course, the most important point is that we don't know how good Mudiay or any of these other prospects will turn out. There are no LeBrons, Hakeems or Michael Jordans in this draft. So it's pretty silly to tie drafting Mudiay to trading Ricky. You draft him and see how things play out.

Lip- this is faulty logic. If you're so injury prone that I have to waste a top 5 pick on a handcuff, then reevaluate whether you wanna keep the guy, because now you've created a scenario where one has to get screwed over for the other to succeed. If the guy is healthy, you've burned a high pick. If the guy is hurt again, you wasted an opportunity to get something for the incumbent. This team should not be put in this position. Even a 20 win team needs to have guys you say you will not mess with moving forward. Otherwise you're admitting you have nothing.

Fast forward to next year after we suck again. Are we gonna give up on Wiggins simply because Ben Simmons or Jaylen Brown might be available? If they're a cornerstone, treat them as a cornerstone. Live and die with your decision. If Flip is that flaky, everyone on the team will be that flaky with him when it comes time to re-up here or not.

[Lipoli390]

A 20-win team shouldn't worry about position when making a top five draft selection. You take the most talented player and don't look back. Position only matters if your choices rate as equals on talent. I think Towns and Mudiay are the most talented players in this year's draft. Between the two, I take Towns because he would fill a void on our roster. If he's not available I'd probably take Mudiay unless I'm persuaded that Okafor or Russell is a better talent.

I still see Ricky as a cornerstone of this team for years to complete. However, you never know. Injuries happen and Ricky has shown some signs of fragility. Mudiay would be a hedge against problems with Ricky. Moreover, Mudiay may prove to be a better overall PG than Ricky, in which case we could eventually trade Ricky for a nice return. Finally, Mudiay has SG size to defend that position and he's a scorer. So he could potentially become part of a dynamic backcourt duo with Ricky.

Of course, the most important point is that we don't know how good Mudiay or any of these other prospects will turn out. There are no LeBrons, Hakeems or Michael Jordans in this draft. So it's pretty silly to tie drafting Mudiay to trading Ricky. You draft him and see how things play out.

Lip- this is faulty logic. If you're so injury prone that I have to waste a top 5 pick on a handcuff, then reevaluate whether you wanna keep the guy, because now you've created a scenario where one has to get screwed over for the other to succeed. If the guy is healthy, you've burned a high pick. If the guy is hurt again, you wasted an opportunity to get something for the incumbent. This team should not be put in this position. Even a 20 win team needs to have guys you say you will not mess with moving forward. Otherwise you're admitting you have nothing.

Fast forward to next year after we suck again. Are we gonna give up on Wiggins simply because Ben Simmons or Jaylen Brown might be available? If they're a cornerstone, treat them as a cornerstone. Live and die with your decision. If Flip is that flaky, everyone on the team will be that flaky with him when it comes time to re-up here or not.

Wild - You misread my post. I didn't say you draft Mudiay because Ricky is injury prone. You draft Mudiay because he's the best talent available. There are too many uncertainties and variables regarding Ricky, Mudiay and everyone else on the Wolves roster and in the draft to tie drafting a particular 19 year old to trading a particular player. We are a 20-win team and these draft prospects are raw, unproven 19 year olds. It's silly to predicate roster moves on who we draft or the other way around.

[WildWolf2813]

A 20-win team shouldn't worry about position when making a top five draft selection. You take the most talented player and don't look back. Position only matters if your choices rate as equals on talent. I think Towns and Mudiay are the most talented players in this year's draft. Between the two, I take Towns because he would fill a void on our roster. If he's not available I'd probably take Mudiay unless I'm persuaded that Okafor or Russell is a better talent.

I still see Ricky as a cornerstone of this team for years to complete. However, you never know. Injuries happen and Ricky has shown some signs of fragility. Mudiay would be a hedge against problems with Ricky. Moreover, Mudiay may prove to be a better overall PG than Ricky, in which case we could eventually trade Ricky for a nice return. Finally, Mudiay has SG size to defend that position and he's a scorer. So he could potentially become part of a dynamic backcourt duo with Ricky.

Of course, the most important point is that we don't know how good Mudiay or any of these other prospects will turn out. There are no LeBrons, Hakeems or Michael Jordans in this draft. So it's pretty silly to tie drafting Mudiay to trading Ricky. You draft him and see how things play out.

Lip- this is faulty logic. If you're so injury prone that I have to waste a top 5 pick on a handcuff, then reevaluate whether you wanna keep the guy, because now you've created a scenario where one has to get screwed over for the other to succeed. If the guy is healthy, you've burned a high pick. If the guy is hurt again, you wasted an opportunity to get something for the incumbent. This team should not be put in this position. Even a 20 win team needs to have guys you say you will not mess with moving forward. Otherwise you're admitting you have nothing.

Fast forward to next year after we suck again. Are we gonna give up on Wiggins simply because Ben Simmons or Jaylen Brown might be available? If they're a cornerstone, treat them as a cornerstone. Live and die with your decision. If Flip is that flaky, everyone on the team will be that flaky with him when it comes time to re-up here or not.

Wild - You misread my post. I didn't say you draft Mudiay because Ricky is injury prone. You draft Mudiay because he's the best talent available. There are too many uncertainties and variables regarding Ricky, Mudiay and everyone else on the Wolves roster and in the draft to tie drafting a particular 19 year old to trading a particular player. We are a 20-win team and these draft prospects are raw, unproven 19 year olds. It's silly to predicate roster moves on who we draft or the other way around.

Lip- Flip has to make that decision though and hope he doesn't pick incorrectly. Hedging your bets means 2 things

1. He's not confident in his decision

2. He's guaranteeing he will fail with one of his choices one way or another.

If Flip doesn't want that kind of responsibility, someone else should handle that. If Ricky's certainties scare you enough to draft another player who plays his position, then you have to make a difficult choice. No one wants to make that decision, but it's one that has to be made if you put yourself in that situation. No way around it.

[wolvesfaned [enjin:12937536]]

I am not so sure now about Towns as some of you guys are. His body movements somehow seem disjointed and do not look as fluid as some of the other big guys in the draft (Okafor, Cauley-Stein). Sometimes it just looks like his body parts are running in different directions, and he seems to need to go to top gear when he is running.

Not a good sign.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

A 20-win team shouldn't worry about position when making a top five draft selection. You take the most talented player and don't look back. Position only matters if your choices rate as equals on talent. I think Towns and Mudiay are the most talented players in this year's draft. Between the two, I take Towns because he would fill a void on our roster. If he's not available I'd probably take Mudiay unless I'm persuaded that Okafor or Russell is a better talent.

I still see Ricky as a cornerstone of this team for years to complete. However, you never know. Injuries happen and Ricky has shown some signs of fragility. Mudiay would be a hedge against problems with Ricky. Moreover, Mudiay may prove to be a better overall PG than Ricky, in which case we could eventually trade Ricky for a nice return. Finally, Mudiay has SG size to defend that position and he's a scorer. So he could potentially become part of a dynamic backcourt duo with Ricky.

Of course, the most important point is that we don't know how good Mudiay or any of these other prospects will turn out. There are no LeBrons, Hakeems or Michael Jordans in this draft. So it's pretty silly to tie drafting Mudiay to trading Ricky. You draft him and see how things play out.

Lip- this is faulty logic. If you're so injury prone that I have to waste a top 5 pick on a handcuff, then reevaluate whether you wanna keep the guy, because now you've created a scenario where one has to get screwed over for the other to succeed. If the guy is healthy, you've burned a high pick. If the guy is hurt again, you wasted an opportunity to get something for the incumbent. This team should not be put in this position. Even a 20 win team needs to have guys you say you will not mess with moving forward. Otherwise you're admitting you have nothing.

Fast forward to next year after we suck again. Are we gonna give up on Wiggins simply because Ben Simmons or Jaylen Brown might be available? If they're a cornerstone, treat them as a cornerstone. Live and die with your decision. If Flip is that flaky, everyone on the team will be that flaky with him when it comes time to re-up here or not.

Wild - You misread my post. I didn't say you draft Mudiay because Ricky is injury prone. You draft Mudiay because he's the best talent available. There are too many uncertainties and variables regarding Ricky, Mudiay and everyone else on the Wolves roster and in the draft to tie drafting a particular 19 year old to trading a particular player. We are a 20-win team and these draft prospects are raw, unproven 19 year olds. It's silly to predicate roster moves on who we draft or the other way around.

Lip- Flip has to make that decision though and hope he doesn't pick incorrectly. Hedging your bets means 2 things

1. He's not confident in his decision

2. He's guaranteeing he will fail with one of his choices one way or another.

If Flip doesn't want that kind of responsibility, someone else should handle that. If Ricky's certainties scare you enough to draft another player who plays his position, then you have to make a difficult choice. No one wants to make that decision, but it's one that has to be made if you put yourself in that situation. No way around it.

Ricky is simply not good enough to not take Mudiay. Ricky's not a top 10 PG. He can still be a top 10 PG, but taking Mudiay would give us 2 chances at getting a top 10 PG instead of 1. Ricky can't keep playing 40 minutes because he doesn't have a backup. Drop him down to 30, give Mudiay 18 and let them play together for a 5 minute stretch a game to get Mudiay up to at least 23. Mudiay isn't taking his spot next year. He may not take it the year after, but Flip can't afford to pass on Mudiay because of Ricky and have him become a star for someone else and we be left with Ricky. The minutes are there for Mudiay and then he will either get too good where you have to trade him or Ricky or he won't pan out in which case you'll still have Ricky.

Drafting Mudiay is not giving up on Ricky. It's giving him some competition to get better or get replaced. If he's good enough he won't have anything to worry about. Flip doesn't have to pick his guys and then never draft anyone who could be better than them at their position. You always try to get better and that adds competition to the team where if you don't get better you get beat out. You set us back even further if you pass on a star because of Ricky. These guys don't become stars in year 1 and most even in year 2. That gives Ricky 2 years to get better or get replaced by Mudiay. There's no reason drafting Mudiay means trading Ricky now because that makes us worse in the short term by again leaving us no backup PG and worse long term if Mudiay doesn't pan out which some of these guys don't. That's why you can't pick one from day one and trade the other. You have to let the natural competition play out for a year or two and then decide.

If we won the lottery next year and a SF is the clear top guy, you take him and move either him or Wiggins over to SG pending which one can play it better. You can only draft for fit when when the guys on the board are in the same tier. Otherwise if you have a shot at a top tier guy you take him and figure the rest out later. He'll either clearly need more minutes because he is so good or you don't take as big of a hit if he fails because you have other competent options already on the roster. I'm thankful we still had Love when D Will couldn't hack it. Imagine if we would have cleared the way for D Will just because he was a high pick who had an incumbent at his spot. That would have been a disaster and that's why you don't trade Ricky immediately just because you draft Mudiay. You let it play out and it will naturally tell you the right move to make in 2-3 years.

[bleedspeed]

I still think Russell is the best player. I really don't see what the guy does bad.

I wouldn't avoid drafting a guard because of LaVine or Rubio at this point. If they all turn out that is a good problem for us to have. I just am not sold on Towns or Okafor being that transformational bigs. I can see Russell being transformational with the high level of skills he has at different parts of the game.

[Lipoli390]

Well said, Kahns. Talking about an NBA team in its rebuilding phase, a successful GM once said he was "in the talent acquisition business." You draft the best talent available and see how things sort themselves out. If Mudiay is the best talent when we pick then Flip should take him. Then any of the following scenarios could unfold over the next few seasons as the Wolves coaching staff and basketball management evaluate our players in practice and in games:

1. Mudiay looks like he'll develop into an all-star caliber PG and shows that he needs to play PG to maximize his effectiveness while Ricky's development stagnates or regresses. If this is the case, then we trade Ricky in a couple years.

2. Mudiay looks like he'll develop into an allstar caliber guard who can be equally effective at PG or SG and Ricky is playing really well as a top playmaker. This is very plausible given Mudiay's size, athleticism and reputation as a scorer. Then we keep Ricky and pair him with Mudiay in the backcourt.

3. Mudiay looks like he'll develop into a good but not great olayer - a rotation player and possibly a starter but not an allstar. Then we keep Ricky and possibly keep Mudiay as a combo guard off the bench and possibly a starting SG depending on how Zach develops and who else we acquire over the next couple years

4. Mudiay looks like a bust. Definitely possible with any 19 year old with little it no college experience. Then we'd better hope Ricky doesn't regress and that Zach fully develops his potential.

5. Ricky can't stay healthy and becomes our PG version of Pek. Mudiay had better turn out to be very good. Otherwise, it's back to the drawing board.

There are other possible scenarios. But these five alone should make it clear how silly it would be to assume that drafting Mudiay instantly means that the Wolves have no faith in Ricky or that drafting him would be predicated on trading Ricky.

Im still hoping we will be in a position to draft Towns. :)