Dream Wolves
I don't know what it is, I don't even like the NBA, but I've been sucked into this post and off season. And it is a terrible Wolves team that is sucking me in.
Right now they are so bad they are going to trade KG and two scenario's seem to top the board:
Scenario 1 - Wolves get Amare Stoudemire and one of their 1st rounders (24 or 29).
Scenario 2 - Atlanta gets involved and Wolves get Atlanta's 3rd and 11th picks.
In Scenario 1 I'd like to see the Wolves go after a big man late in the 1st:
1st Choice-Glenn (Big Baby) Davis... Remember this guy from the NCAA's two years ago? He was the dominant force and personality of that LSU team. Well, weight issues have him projected low in the 1st, but on the bright side he's a big body, moves well and has excellent offensive skills and can rebound. I'll take my chances if he's around. Odds he'll be around at 29 - 75%
2nd Choice -Sean Williams... Probably the best shot blocker in the draft and great D. Not much offense and a rap sheet a mile long. Considered the best player outside the lottery but character issues could drop him way down the 1st. Odds at 29 - 25%
3rd Choice - Nick Fazekas... Excellent offensive skills but is considered frail for an inside player. He is beefing up, but has a ways to go. Odds at 29 - 75%
With the Wolves #7 I go for a 2 or 3:
1st Choice - Corey Brewer... Florida's shooting guard is the best defender in the draft and provides excellent size opposite Foye in the backcourt. His 3-pt shot is coming along but the slashing Foye would have to carry the offense in the backcourt - which he should do. Odds available at 7 - 60%
2nd Choice - Julian Wright... Maybe I'm just a homer for KU, and 7 seems real early, but Wright is tall, good at defense, unselfish, considered a natural passer assist guy, think of a point forward like Pippen. Wolves could use a guy like this with Foye the official point guard but really more a scoring threat than offensive leader. Odds available at 7 - 99%
Scenario 1 lineup - ideal
PG - Foye... the young slasher leads the offensive attack from the backcourt
SG - Brewer... spots up to hit the 3 and provides ferocious defense to best 2's and 3's
SF - Ricky Davis... this is more by default, but he scores 20 every now and then
PF - Amare Stoudemire... leads team in scoring, rebounding and intensity
C - Davis... Very big body who can score, rebound, and take up space
Key Bench Players - Blount, McCants
Likely result - Wolves lose and get a top 10 pick, but not a draft protected top 3 and thus lose it to Clippers. Wolves should be on the prowl to package expiring contracts to pick up a disgruntled 3 or hope KG opts out after next year and comes back in 2009. A dispirited Paul Pierce is also another possibility sometime in 08 or 09. At that point, the Wolves will be serious playoff contenders.
Scenario 2 (Wolves have the 3rd, 7th, and 11th picks)
3rd Pick:
1st Choice - Providence Smiling :-) Essentially Portland or Seattle has a brain fart and doesn't take Oden or Durant and Wolves get either one. 1% chance.
2nd Choice - Al Horford... This Gator is clearly the best player after Oden and Durant. Very solid power forward who can score and rebound, but defense is still developing. Odds available - 99%
7th Pick:
1st Choice - Corey Brewer... Same reasons as above - great defender! Odds available at 7 - 60%
2nd Choice - Julian Wright... I don't want to risk losing Julian by 11 if Brewer is gone at 7. Odds available at 7 - 99%
11th Pick
1st Choice - Julian Wright... It would be sweet to get Wright at 11 and Brewer, but the Kings at 10 are eying him so it's a coin flip he's available. Odds available at 11 - 50%.
2nd Choice - Brendan Wright... the other Wright is thought to have a higher ceiling, but has lazy issues. I'm willing to take a chance at 11 on a guy who could be the 3rd best in the draft. Odds available at 11 - 20%
3rd Choice - Smorgasbord... If both Wright brothers are off the board - which is quite possible - filling the need for a 3 now becomes dicey. Jeff Green from Georgetown is potentially available here, but that is no better than 50-50. The Wolves could go small and take PG scoring dynamo Acie Law, but he duplicates Foye if Wolves get Brewer at 7 or makes for a small backcourt if Brewer isn't in back court.
The other option is to go big and one of these two should be around - C Spencer Hawes who has decent offensive skills or Joakim Noah who provides energy, defense, and limited O.
Personally, I like the idea of taking Noah with the third choice especially if I got Gators Horford and Brewer. All of a sudden I'm sitting on 3 starters from the last two NCAA champs and throwing in Randy Foye. This would instantly change the team chemistry and reduce the learning curve between the players.
The Wolves lineup should I get my ideal picks:
Scoring Guard - Randy Foye
Defensive Guard - Corey Brewer
Point Forward - Julian Wright
Power Forward - Al Horford
Center - Mark Blount
Key bench - McCants, Davis
This team is young and will likely stink enough next year to get a pick in the top 3 - thus protected from the Clippers. I'd like them to add 7'2" G-town center Roy Hibbert who is a defensive monster. With Brewer shutting down the backcourt and Hibbert dominating the front court on D, a little chemistry on offense could win many games starting in 2010.
If by chance we replace Julian Wright with Noah, and thus become the Minnesota Gators, they will still get a top 3 pick and can take the best scoring forward available or go after a disgruntled one in a trade.
Right now they are so bad they are going to trade KG and two scenario's seem to top the board:
Scenario 1 - Wolves get Amare Stoudemire and one of their 1st rounders (24 or 29).
Scenario 2 - Atlanta gets involved and Wolves get Atlanta's 3rd and 11th picks.
In Scenario 1 I'd like to see the Wolves go after a big man late in the 1st:
1st Choice-Glenn (Big Baby) Davis... Remember this guy from the NCAA's two years ago? He was the dominant force and personality of that LSU team. Well, weight issues have him projected low in the 1st, but on the bright side he's a big body, moves well and has excellent offensive skills and can rebound. I'll take my chances if he's around. Odds he'll be around at 29 - 75%
2nd Choice -Sean Williams... Probably the best shot blocker in the draft and great D. Not much offense and a rap sheet a mile long. Considered the best player outside the lottery but character issues could drop him way down the 1st. Odds at 29 - 25%
3rd Choice - Nick Fazekas... Excellent offensive skills but is considered frail for an inside player. He is beefing up, but has a ways to go. Odds at 29 - 75%
With the Wolves #7 I go for a 2 or 3:
1st Choice - Corey Brewer... Florida's shooting guard is the best defender in the draft and provides excellent size opposite Foye in the backcourt. His 3-pt shot is coming along but the slashing Foye would have to carry the offense in the backcourt - which he should do. Odds available at 7 - 60%
2nd Choice - Julian Wright... Maybe I'm just a homer for KU, and 7 seems real early, but Wright is tall, good at defense, unselfish, considered a natural passer assist guy, think of a point forward like Pippen. Wolves could use a guy like this with Foye the official point guard but really more a scoring threat than offensive leader. Odds available at 7 - 99%
Scenario 1 lineup - ideal
PG - Foye... the young slasher leads the offensive attack from the backcourt
SG - Brewer... spots up to hit the 3 and provides ferocious defense to best 2's and 3's
SF - Ricky Davis... this is more by default, but he scores 20 every now and then
PF - Amare Stoudemire... leads team in scoring, rebounding and intensity
C - Davis... Very big body who can score, rebound, and take up space
Key Bench Players - Blount, McCants
Likely result - Wolves lose and get a top 10 pick, but not a draft protected top 3 and thus lose it to Clippers. Wolves should be on the prowl to package expiring contracts to pick up a disgruntled 3 or hope KG opts out after next year and comes back in 2009. A dispirited Paul Pierce is also another possibility sometime in 08 or 09. At that point, the Wolves will be serious playoff contenders.
Scenario 2 (Wolves have the 3rd, 7th, and 11th picks)
3rd Pick:
1st Choice - Providence Smiling :-) Essentially Portland or Seattle has a brain fart and doesn't take Oden or Durant and Wolves get either one. 1% chance.
2nd Choice - Al Horford... This Gator is clearly the best player after Oden and Durant. Very solid power forward who can score and rebound, but defense is still developing. Odds available - 99%
7th Pick:
1st Choice - Corey Brewer... Same reasons as above - great defender! Odds available at 7 - 60%
2nd Choice - Julian Wright... I don't want to risk losing Julian by 11 if Brewer is gone at 7. Odds available at 7 - 99%
11th Pick
1st Choice - Julian Wright... It would be sweet to get Wright at 11 and Brewer, but the Kings at 10 are eying him so it's a coin flip he's available. Odds available at 11 - 50%.
2nd Choice - Brendan Wright... the other Wright is thought to have a higher ceiling, but has lazy issues. I'm willing to take a chance at 11 on a guy who could be the 3rd best in the draft. Odds available at 11 - 20%
3rd Choice - Smorgasbord... If both Wright brothers are off the board - which is quite possible - filling the need for a 3 now becomes dicey. Jeff Green from Georgetown is potentially available here, but that is no better than 50-50. The Wolves could go small and take PG scoring dynamo Acie Law, but he duplicates Foye if Wolves get Brewer at 7 or makes for a small backcourt if Brewer isn't in back court.
The other option is to go big and one of these two should be around - C Spencer Hawes who has decent offensive skills or Joakim Noah who provides energy, defense, and limited O.
Personally, I like the idea of taking Noah with the third choice especially if I got Gators Horford and Brewer. All of a sudden I'm sitting on 3 starters from the last two NCAA champs and throwing in Randy Foye. This would instantly change the team chemistry and reduce the learning curve between the players.
The Wolves lineup should I get my ideal picks:
Scoring Guard - Randy Foye
Defensive Guard - Corey Brewer
Point Forward - Julian Wright
Power Forward - Al Horford
Center - Mark Blount
Key bench - McCants, Davis
This team is young and will likely stink enough next year to get a pick in the top 3 - thus protected from the Clippers. I'd like them to add 7'2" G-town center Roy Hibbert who is a defensive monster. With Brewer shutting down the backcourt and Hibbert dominating the front court on D, a little chemistry on offense could win many games starting in 2010.
If by chance we replace Julian Wright with Noah, and thus become the Minnesota Gators, they will still get a top 3 pick and can take the best scoring forward available or go after a disgruntled one in a trade.
posted by Bill Gilles | 3:45 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home