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Not really thinking about the NBA Draft yet, especially since it's not's guaranteed that the Wolves will have a pick, though they probably will given young players like Wiggins, Towns, and Lavine are logging heavy minutes. That being said, they have a couple obvious needs. First, is 3-point shooting, which is something that they've struggled at for quite a long time. Martin can be good at times, but he's not a long term piece. Lavine has the potential to be a decent long range shooter and Towns can hit threes when he needs to, but this is an area where they really need to improve on. Second, is a PF to complement Towns. Payne does not seem to be progressing and still has a tendency to get into quick foul trouble. Dieng can log some minutes at PF, but I think his potential is limited. Bjelica is still adapting to the NBA, but he's a bench player at this stage and a few years older than their core players. Not really sure what type of PF would best complement Towns, a stretch 4 could be nice due to their need for shooting, but they could also get away with a more physical rebounding and low post player. Ultimately, it just needs to be someone who doesn't suck and stays out of foul trouble, which I know is great analysis.
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Dec 21, 2015 08:27
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IcePhoenix posted:Say what you will about his in-game coaching (it's bad), but Sam Mitchell and the rest of the staff have done absolute wonders this year developing all the young guys. We could do a whole hell of a lot worse than just keeping the entire staff together and just adding a new head coach (moving Mitchell back to assistant). The coaching staff have done a good job developing the young players, but I'd prefer to move on from Mitchell. That being said, Taylor is loyal to a fault, so even with the potential of the Wolves HC position being highly sought after, I could see him giving Mitchell another year. It's not necessarily the worst move to stay the course and keep things consistent for the young players, but I think they could do a lot better. So what is the deal with Ellenson? From Draft Express, it sounds like he is a Kevin Love type player. Stretch 4, who can rebound really well, and in addition he has some point forward ability, but just like Love, he's slow defensively and would need an athletic rim protector to cover for him. The Wolves have that now in Towns, but given Towns has good shooting range, I don't know if they necessarily need a stretch 4 to compliment him. The opposite of Ellenson would obviously be Simmons. Who is not a great shooter, but can score around the basket, and plays good defense and can rebound at a high level. Pretending they were equal caliber prospects, I'm not sure if it's better to pair Towns with a stretch 4 who struggles on defense or a true PF who gives them two potentially strong to elite defenders. Simmons will likely be off the board by the Wolves pick, but I'm really not sure what the best type of 4 to pair Towns with would be? Personally, I think the Wolves really need to add shooters. Ellenson could potentially be that, but Hield has the chance to be the elite shooter that they desperately need. The Wolves really need to start stockpiling shooters to take advantage of the mismatches that Towns, Wiggins, and Lavine should create as they gain experience. Even just seeing what Bjelica has done the past couple games shows what adding shooters to this team could do. Maybe that is why they are reportedly high on Ellenson, though it didn't sound like Wolfson or Krawczynski were that convinced by the reports from Chad Ford. The Wolves are also expected to have around $20 million in cap room, which is another interesting wrinkle. Depending on what happens with the coaching situation, they could potentially land a decent FA. A backup PG to buy time for Jones to develop would be really nice, especially since their offense dies when Rubio is off the court. Jones is starting to show some flashes, but he needs to make some major strides before they can rely on him. Edit: Who are the good shooters that are expected to be drafted in the top 10 this year? Aniki fucked around with this message at 09:37 on Apr 11, 2016 |
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Apr 11, 2016 09:21
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Dejan Bimble posted:Ellenson made 29% of his threes, stretch four is only a projection for him. What people seem to like is that he's a good scorer and a great ball handler for his size. He's more like a pre injury David Lee than Kevin Love. Like David Lee, he's probably not quick enough to be a good defender at pf. David Lee was always the poor man's Kevin Love and the Wolves flirted with acquiring Lee at different times, so given that context, I could see why they are interested in Ellenson, especially if they project his shooting to improve.
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Apr 12, 2016 00:43
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ButtWolf posted:Is Dieng the 4 of the future for Minny? If not you gotta try Ellenson or luck out and maybe Bender. Dieng is decent, but inconsistent. I'd like him more as a backup 4/5 than as a starter. He will have the random game where he fills up the stat sheet. He still needs to get stronger and he's been in the league long enough that he should be there by now, but isn't. Lockback posted:A 6-10 guy with handles who can shoot is always interesting, but I didn't realize his 35% from 3 is tempered by only taking 14 of them in the regular season. Realistically the Wolves have their starters at PG, SG, SF, and C locked up. It would be ideal to find a PF, though assuming that Simmons and Bender are gone, then it becomes a question of whether it makes sense to reach for Ellenson, Labissiere, or Sabonis, trade down, or just take the BPA? If the Wolves took Hield, they would probably view him as a bench player/6th man type. His age is a question, but if they can't get one of the elite prospects, then I could see a case for the Wolves not wanting to get too young. They could also trade down and get more draft picks to sell. 
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Apr 12, 2016 23:21
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ButtWolf posted:Isnt Shabazz kind of that scoring wing from the bench role though? Id think they gotta go for a pf or backup pg if Dunn is available. Not sold on Jones. If Shabazz can become more consistent, then he would be a nice scorer off of the bench, but he's more of a SF and they could still use more shooters than just him. Granted, the Wolves production drops off when Rubio is off the court, so a better backup PG would help their reserves out a lot. I'm not sold on Jones yet either. He's still pretty raw and started to contribute towards the end of the season, but certainly has a ton to prove. I think the Wolves may opt to sign a veteran backup PG, since they will have plenty of cap room, but you could make the case for drafting another PG. It would be ideal to find a PF, just not sure if there will be one worth taking unless they luck out in the lottery. I've also wondered if it makes sense to draft a center and play Towns at 4, but I'd rather not do that since I like having his athleticism and range at center.
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Apr 13, 2016 00:54
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I'm not sure who I want the Wolves to take. It seems like a lot of mocks are project Dunn to the Wolves. He fits Thibodeau's mold of long athletic defenders, but he's had a couple of shoulder injuries and seems to be an inconsistent shooter. It would be nice to have another good PG, since the offense drops off hard when Rubio is off the court, but the Wolves really need to prioritize complementing what they have with shooters. For shooters you have Hield and Murray, who I would be fine with, but I'm less certain if they fit what Thibodeau may be looking for. Finding a PF would be nice, but I don't see Bender sliding to 5 and even if he does, he may be too much of a project. Then there is Ellenson, who could develop into a stretch 4, but I don't see him fitting with Thibodeau emphasizing defense. I am actually wondering if Skal Labissiere is the best fit at PF, since he's a long, athletic defender and having another big who can block shots and defend the perimeter would be really nice.
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May 18, 2016 07:06
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IcePhoenix posted:I wouldn't mind Skal if we traded down for him (maybe Buddy is on the board at 5 and someone in the 9-12 range is in love with him) but I still think you take BPA in the top five outside of extreme circumstances (which I don't think the Wolves fall under). Potentially, I just fear it is going to be one of those situations where they pass on an obvious need like shooting and gamble on someone like Dunn. Who fits the physical profile of what Thibodeau seems to like (e.g. long wingspan and ultra athletic), but I don't like his combination of shoulder injuries and inconsistent shooting. I'd just rather go more for need and add a shooter like Murray or Hield or a PF who isn't terrible. That being said, they may choose to address those immediate needs with their $20 million in cap room or trading for a veteran FA, which may involve trading down or trading their pick entirely. There really haven't been any names floated out there of veterans who they would target and I like the idea of having a cost controlled shooter who could play heavy minutes in a 6-man role. We'll need to wait and see what happens. I don't know NBA prospects as well as NFL prospects, so maybe I am being too harsh on Dunn, but I wish there was more clear cut talent in this draft, which is probably why I keep gravitating to wanting a a really good role player to compliment what they have.
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May 20, 2016 10:12
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IcePhoenix posted:So does Philly. That would be nice if Dunn is moving up boards, could push some more interesting prospects down like Murray, Bender, and Brown. Edit: Also, the Wolves have completely shaken up their front office. https://twitter.com/DWolfsonKSTP/status/733787424069947394
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May 20, 2016 23:40
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Geoff Peterson posted:Doogie is absolutely a quote-launderer in exchange for access and is usually laughably poor about hiding who he is getting his info from. Doesn't mean he's wrong, but he's pretty willing to pass along info uncritically. This one reeks of the Wolves FO. Yeah, I'm not high on the Butler rumors. He's a good player, but he's obnoxious to watch and doesn't solve their need for outside shooting. I also don't want to move Lavine, I get that you need to give something up to get a good player, but I think Lavine is close to breaking out, though I will admit that he shouldn't play PG and does need to improve on defense. I'd rather keep 5 and not mess with the core of the team, though I expect Thibodeau will want to win early and it's extremely difficult to win with young players in the NBA.
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May 21, 2016 02:34
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Geoff Peterson posted:For me it's more that even if the Bulls are looking to sell, LA, Boston and Philly can easily top a Wolves package. Lavine basically stays in the gym all night working on his game and he's made some big strides, especially with his shot. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders and spends a lot of time working deaf organizations, so he doesn't strike me as the type who is going to get distracted by the NBA life, but who knows? I've enjoyed watching him progress as a player and I really do want to see what strides he can make under Thibodeaux, since I think he can be really good. I'd love to see them get another shooter in the draft and start adding good role players to complement the young talent they have. I'd really like to get a PF, but I'm not sure if there is good value at 5. I don't want Ellenson and while Labissiere is intriguing, he'd be a reach there.
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May 21, 2016 03:01
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Not pleased with the Dunn pick. Hopefully, he's part of a trade.
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Jun 24, 2016 01:08
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Drafting Dunn and potentially trading Rubio is a worst case scenario. Dunn is a good defender, but has shoulder injuries, inconsistent shooting, and turns the ball over 20% of the time. I want to give Thibs the benefit of the doubt, but oi vey.
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Jun 24, 2016 01:10
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IcePhoenix posted:also the Wolves needed shooting and they picked the only guard in the top ten that can't shoot I'm weary of a guy who is an inconsistent shooter and has already had a couple of shoulder injuries. A shooter like Murray would have made complete sense to me, but Dunn's primary strength is his D and Rubio is already a strong defender. So basically you have a guy who will be a bit better scorer than Rubio, but then has major issues protecting the ball. There are still rumors that the Wolves may trade Dunn for Butler. Butler isn't my favorite player, but he can at least shoot.
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Jun 24, 2016 01:22
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Lasagna Pilot posted:Why would Minnesota not trade Lavine and #5 for Jimmy Butler? LaVine is going into his 3rd year and while he's known for his tremendous athleticism, he made big strides in his shooting last year and seems like a player who is close to breaking out offensively. His defensive needs to improve, but with Thibodeau and Andy Greer, I expect the Wolves defense to improve across the board. The biggest knock on LaVine is that he can't handle the point, but otherwise he's an ultra athletic project that appears to be panning out. I know I am in the minority opinion here, but I think LaVine has more value than he's getting credit for. As for Dunn, I get why Thibodeau would like his length and defense, but his inconsistent shooting, shoulder injuries, and turnovers are what scare me. I'd much rather have a shooter like Murray or Hield, since I think he complements what they have better. That being said, it sounds like a Butler trade may be close to being done. Will be interesting to see what the Pieces are. Would rather move Dunn than Rubio.
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Jun 24, 2016 01:52
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Starting to sound like the Wolves are stuck with Dunn. Not a great start to the Thibodeau era. Hope he pans out, but not the direction that I wanted to go.
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Jun 24, 2016 02:39
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IcePhoenix posted:How reliable is Krawczynski? He has an article up that says the Sixers offered Noel, Covington, 24, and 26 for Dunn. He's reliable. It just seems like we're stuck with Dunn. Now we're getting the dreaded Rubio and Dunn can play together chatter. This is a mess.
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Jun 24, 2016 02:56
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Lockback posted:I don't think any fans are bashing it's just the team took a different direction than expected and no one knows what it means yet. Even if Dunn makes them better, having Rubio on your team is pretty fantastic (and Rubio was really good last year). It's very easy to see how adding a potentially elite shooter like Murray or Hield would have helped the Wolves, but Dunn is a lot harder to understand. He is a good player, he's a very good defender, and he can finish at the rim, which is something that Rubio can't do. That being said he's been an inconsistent shooter on the floor, he struggles taking care of the ball, and he's a 69% FT shooter. He'll hopefully improve on some of those weaknesses in time, but those are all weaknesses that are going to scare Wolves fans. The Wolves do need better backup PG play, since the offense falls off when Rubio is off the court, so if Dunn can take care of the ball, then he can help there, but long term I can't see Dunn and Rubio co-existing. I don't think Dunn is a bad player, but I just think a shooter would have helped more and this is leading to a scenario where one of Rubio or Dunn is traded in a year or two, which makes the pick feel like more of a lateral move.
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Jun 24, 2016 03:47
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