NBA 2008 - 2009

[Scott]

Yes, I was happier than a pig in slop today.  McHale made two great picks...Garnett and Starbury.  He traded both though for nothing and has made terrible picks and free agent signings.  Marbury turned out to be a punk but man oh man those first 3 years they played together was fun as hell.  Hitting on Garnett though gave him free reign to dig this team in to the ground which he further did by trading him.  I could go on and on...not resigning Cassell and Sprewell, forcing out Flip Saunders, getting rid of Chauncy Billups, Joe F'n Smith, continually failing to land or develop a big man to play alongside KG


It is a good day and there is at least now a glimmer of hope again...maybe

[Neal]

Don't forget that you have Al Jeffereson, who is one of the best young big men in the league.  I know that he has to recover from a torn ACL, but reports say that he's ahead of schedule.

[Scott]

Don't forget that you have Al Jeffereson, who is one of the best young big men in the league.  I know that he has to recover from a torn ACL, but reports say that he's ahead of schedule.

Al is alright but on a good team he's a #2...plus he's sort of not a Center or a PF which makes for some bad moments on Defense

The Wolves need a Center and PG which has been their problem since they started playing in 1989 (outside of the Steph years and the one year with Sammy C)

[Jeff]

Wolves need a Center and PG which has been their problem since they started playing in 1989

You're not trying to dis Felton Spencer or Luc Longley are you?   

[Scott]

Wolves need a Center and PG which has been their problem since they started playing in 1989

You're not trying to dis Felton Spencer or Luc Longley are you?   

Yes...and...the following:

Michael Olowakandi
Sean Rooks
Rasho Nesterovic
Mark Blount
Dean Garrett
Cherokee Parks
Randy Breuer
Marc Jackson
Brad Lohaus
Gary Leonard
Stanley Roberts
Trevor Winter
Steve Johnson
Nikoloz Tskitishvili
Paul Grant

[JabbaJoe]

Wolves need a Center and PG which has been their problem since they started playing in 1989

You're not trying to dis Felton Spencer or Luc Longley are you?   

Yes...and...the following:

Michael Olowakandi
Sean Rooks
Rasho Nesterovic
Mark Blount
Dean Garrett
Cherokee Parks
Randy Breuer
Marc Jackson
Brad Lohaus
Gary Leonard
Stanley Roberts
Trevor Winter
Steve Johnson
Nikoloz Tskitishvili
Paul Grant

You forgot the " Great " Stacy King.

[Brian]

A couple of trades so far, leading up to Thursday's NBA Draft:

Spurs Get: F Richard Jefferson
Bucks Get: F Bruce Bowen, F Kurt Thomas, F Fabricio Oberto

Wolves Get: #5 Overall Pick, possibly F/C Etan Thomas, F Darius Songalia, F Oleksiy Pecherov
Wizards Get: G Randy Foye, G Mike Miller

I think that gives the Timberwolves four first round picks this year, including the fifth and sixth selections.

[Scott]

I really hope they aren't done yet and can package something to move up to 2 or 3 to nab either Thabeet or Rubio

[Jeff]

Wolves Get: #5 Overall Pick, possibly F/C Etan Thomas, F Darius Songalia, F Oleksiy Pecherov
Wizards Get: G Randy Foye, G Mike Miller

I think that gives the Timberwolves four first round picks this year, including the fifth and sixth selections.

I really hope they aren't done yet and can package something to move up to 2 or 3 to nab either Thabeet or Rubio

I haven't really cared about the T-wolves in a long time... McHale = blech.  I can't remember the last time I went to a game, but I know Flip was still the coach.

All this firing McHale and hoarding draft picks has slowly piqued my interest again.  Like Scotty, I'm hoping that grabbing our 4th 1st-round pick is just a pre-cursor for another step/trade.  It would be great to package the #5/#6 picks to move up for Rubio or Thabeet.

I'm not all the way back on the bandwagon again, but I'm certainly close enough to it to hear the music...

[Morgbug]

Sounds like ownership has decided it is time to go back to square one with Jefferson there as the item to build around.  I like the idea.  I'm curious whether Scott thinks they should have kept OJ Mayo last year to be another building block?  Jefferson, Mayo and four first rounders would have made for a mighty young team, but could have been pretty cool in a couple of years if they drafted well. 

[Scott]

Sounds like ownership has decided it is time to go back to square one with Jefferson there as the item to build around.  I like the idea.  I'm curious whether Scott thinks they should have kept OJ Mayo last year to be another building block?  Jefferson, Mayo and four first rounders would have made for a mighty young team, but could have been pretty cool in a couple of years if they drafted well.  

You must have forgot my rant from last year after the draft

Does anyone have a team I can root for?  Kevin McHale can seriously go put his head up his ass and die from suffocation...

I wanted Mayo in the worst way and while Lova had some good moments...he's maybe a #4 guy on a team.  Not the third overall pick

[Morgbug]

Yeah, I think McHale probably thought he saw himself in Love - big, slowish white guy that has his moments.  Far from a star and as you indicated, a starter but more of a role player than anyone's go-to guy. 

Kinda surprised they dumped Foye/Miller as well.  Obviously not really true starters but they had decent enough seasons.  As a number six or seven player they both had lots of value. 

Does Minnesota suffer from the same thing that Canadian hockey teams used to in the sense that guys didn't want to get drafted by small market, non-championship teams?  I can see that playing a role and I wonder if the Wolves aren't looking to clean house to try and make it more attractive in the sense of getting four guys to complement Jefferson and start completely fresh?  Maybe the notion of going in and starting and being allowed to develop as a whole unit has some appeal compared to going to a team in a cold, smallish city with no history of winning in the NBA?

[JayDouble]

Cavs land Shaq for Wallace, Pavlovic

[JayDouble]

Magic agree to acquire Nets’ Carter

[Brian]

Magic agree to acquire Nets’ Carter

Man, lots of fairly big moves going on prior to the draft here.  I'm sort of glad to see Carter heading to Orlando.  I know he has his detractors, but I've always been a fan of Carter - but could care less about the Nets.  At least with him and Howard on the same team, they should be exciting to watch.  It will be interesting to see if Shaq helps the Cavs as well.  Hopefully the Wolves can do something with their stockpile of draft picks, and start to build a team.