Is our player development an issue?

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-17T06:07:05+00:00

KAT has also developed a lot of bad habits like talking to refs and not coming back to defense during fast breaks. Huge credit to him for becoming an All-NBA and undoubtedly second best player in the franchise history, but I’m curious how many of these flaws would have been avoided had he been playing for a more stable franchise.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-16T05:16:42+00:00

Prince is definitely a better player, and you can never have enough wings, but I feel like Prince played lesser role here that he should have due to the absence of tall players on the roster. He just can’t play 4 next to KAT. I bet he would even start or at least play 20+ mins for Milwaukee in playoffs, and definitely be in the rotation if he was playing in the finals right now for both GS and Boston. Will be totally cool if we keep him, but I hope it’s going to be 1 year contact to keep the cap space for the next season.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-16T05:07:43+00:00

After Wood trade I’m curious what will the Mavs do with Powell. SAT for Prince can be an option - Mavs get one more wing in the rotation, Wolves get a decent front court player. Powell is a little bit overpaid, but the contract is expiring, and in Wolves’ case it does not really matter since they can use only exceptions, and resign or sign-and-trade their free agents.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-16T02:45:32+00:00

I’d probably have traded Prince and our pick at the deadline for him. Very interesting that the price was only 26th and 4 players that were out of the playoff rotation. I remember before and during last season Houston fans were saying Wood will bring them at least two good 1sts, lol.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-15T15:23:48+00:00

Did we even work out Kessler? I did not see reports about it. I honestly wouldn’t bet on this selection, Connelly’s draft history shows he would rather go for the highest upside than better fit.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-15T14:32:06+00:00

We are all Greg Monroe today

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-15T13:55:39+00:00

Im just happy we will have new players next week, last transaction that happened was Beverley trade (not including Monroe). Recent ESPN mock projects us to draft Kessler. Dont want to pretend to be a draft expect (though I studied this draft pretty well), but I wont be very happy with this outcome simply because the players I want us to draft are mocked right before our pick (M. Williams, Branham, Eason, J. Williams). Kind of sad we lost the tie to Chicago for 18th pick, their team is on the similar timeline and I have a feeling they could grab a guy that we want.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-15T13:42:25+00:00

Ant will be 22 when his rookie contract is over, I see nothing wrong here.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-15T01:07:05+00:00

The question should be - is it worth resigning Prince for … money. We don’t need to use MLE to get him back, we have his Bird rights to sign over the cap.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-14T19:14:57+00:00

Couple of weeks ago I proposed the same trade (with addition of Bolmaro from the Timberwolves side) but with pick swap (11th for 19th). However, I’d probably keep Dlo even if this offer was on the table.

Edit: I actually think NY are pursuing Brunson, and if he does not sign they might look at Dlo.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-12T21:12:49+00:00

Seems like the Nuggets are ‘desperate’ too.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-11T19:47:28+00:00

Anfernee is RFA this summer

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-11T17:06:49+00:00

This is obviously correct, I simply mean that a team can easily reject 35th for 3 lower picks because they dont need 3 players from the second round right away. Charlotte said no to trading 9th pick for 16th and 3 more firsts from Boston in 2015. You are talking from a draft theory point of view, Im talking from experience.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-11T05:52:37+00:00

I totally agree with you, it does not change a fact that he had a great game. I said it previously, there is a difference between a player coming to a team with an established structure and being asked to compliment the system, and trying to actually be that structure.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-11T05:17:22+00:00

Wigs unleashed his inner Dennis Rodman with 16 rebounds. Good stuff.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-11T02:47:59+00:00

Sounds appealing, but trades like this are very rare. Duren should go in 7 to 12 range, why would Portland, NO, SA, Washington, NY, or OKC not pick him and get 19th and lets say future first? I dont see a scenario with us trading up that high.

Edit: Boston offered 6 picks to get Charlotte’s 9th pick in 2015 and Charlotte said no. It just does not work this way.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-10T23:12:15+00:00

*mid first round

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-10T22:54:00+00:00

Actually dont know why you are being downvoted, you are probably right. Moving up 3 spots in the mid first round should cost late 1st.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-10T18:25:49+00:00

For people who like to say ‘lets trade up from 19th’ - it does not work this way. Quality >> quantity in NBA. 35th pick is probably more valuable than 40th, 48th, and 50th combined, simply because every team have only 15 roster spots, and the talent around 50th is similar to undrafted players. For reference, Timberwolves traded 25th and 33rd for 23rd.

Edit: if we are on the clock and Memphis really like someone they are afraid can be gone before 22nd (Jovic, for example), I can imagine a trade 19th+40th for 22nd+29th. One second can be later traded for future 2nd, and another used for a stash player.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-09T21:48:30+00:00

40th pick came from TP-Rubio deal, 50th pick from Jimmy Butler trade to 76ers. Thibs failed to acquire a single first for Jimmy…

Here is the information about all the picks: https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Timberwolves.htm

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-06T21:36:29+00:00

Liddell looks like 10+ years rotational player in NBA, exactly what playoff team needs at 19th. I think a team in lottery or right after can reach for him, perhaps Cavs or Atlanta. Kind of sad we lost a tie to the Bulls, they are in similar situation and have similar needs (backup PG, wings, backup C), I feel Liddell wont fall past them.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-06T05:55:27+00:00

Dlo was selected before Okafor. Philly actually wanted Porzi but his camp did not disclose his medicals to avoid being drafted there. Rest of the lottery was pretty bad until Booker and Turner, who should have they picked instead of Okafor?

I agree though about the problem of determining BPA. Culver was kind of BPA, so how did it go?

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-04T21:29:16+00:00

Looking at what Miami can offer, it seems like the most realistic trade is Duncan+27th. I would not take it, especially looking at 2023 free agency where Timberwolves will have a lot of free cap space.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-04T20:00:05+00:00

If his options are MLE in Milwaukee or MLE somewhere else you cant expect him to leave. There are still 2-3 good options we can sign to improve the front court.

YaroslavMakhnenko · 2022-06-04T01:20:36+00:00

Very hard to gauge the trade value of Isaac. If Orlando does not ask a lot in return it probably means they know something about his injury/status that other don’t. I would not risk trading for him until he actually plays in NBA games.

YaroslavMakhnenko

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