2020 Minnesota Timberwolves Off-Season Thread

[GopherWeatherGuy]

A lot stronger and a true SG. Wiggins can't shoot from anywhere. I think you will be surprised at how much better Edwards will be than Wiggins.

Yet Wiggins was considered the next big star and was the clear #1 in a stronger draft when he came out.

Edwards was not the clear #1, with a number of red flags, in a much weaker draft.

I hope you’re right, I just don’t see it.

 

[BleedGopher]

ESPN: Who is your early Rookie of the Year favorite?

Pelton: Anthony Edwards. The No. 1 pick is the safest bet here. Half of the past 12 Rookie of the Year award winners were taken with the first selection. Edwards probably has a bit more competition for points than most, since he's joining a team with D'Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns, but I suspect he'll find a way to get his.

NBA draft: Our experts' A grades and bold predictions

Our NBA experts answer the big questions about draft night.

www.espn.com

Howl Wolves!!

 

[BleedGopher]

SI chimes in:

Minnesota Timberwolves: B

The upside of Anthony Edwards is obvious as he joins the Timberwolves. The Georgia product is the premier athletic talent in the draft, and he could make a defensive impact from the jump. But it’s hard not to wonder just how effectively Minnesota can bring the most out of Edwards. He displayed a questionable motor in college, and joining Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell won’t exactly challenge his intensity. The Timberwolves were put in a tough position as neither James Wiseman nor LaMelo Ball presented a positional fit. Betting on a wing talent like Edwards is likely the sensible move, even if he’s anything but a sure bet.

NBA Draft Grades: Hornets Strike Gold With Ball, Kings Catch Break

Which teams shined and which teams faltered in Wednesday’s draft?

www.si.com

Howl Wolves!!

 

[BleedGopher]

CBS chimes in:

1. Minnesota Timberwolves: SG Anthony Edwards, Georgia

This is not a surprising pick. Edwards is a tremendous talent with a great pedigree. But I'm not enthusiastic, but I realize that any pick at the top of this flawed draft was not going to be perfect. He was not a great college player, and he drew some criticism for expressing a lack of passion for the game recently. Still, he has the potential to be a top-flight scorer. This is not what I would have done, but it is what a lot of franchises would have done. Grade: B+

23. Minnesota Timberwolves (via UTA): SF Leandro Bolmaro, Argentina

The Knicks had this pick but sent it to the Timberwolves upon making it. Bolmaro is committed to staying in Barcelona for next season, which was one reason he was valued as a first-rounder (with guaranteed money when he comes over). Bolmaro is versatile and should be polished when he does come over. Grade: C+

28. Minnesota Timberwolves (via LAL): PF Jaden McDaniels, Washington

This is a decent spot for him, but there are too many polished players still available for him to be the best pick. He looks the part. He has the size, athleticism and skill. He just did nothing in his one college season. Maybe you can get excited about his potential and his high school production, but he simply disappeared last year. Grade: C-

2020 NBA Draft grades: Pick-by-pick results tracker and analysis for completed Rounds 1 and 2

A handful of A+ grades were doled out by CBS Sports analysts

www.cbssports.com

Howl Wolves!!

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

The above seems to be the consensus among the "experts". Edwards: The safe pick that fills a need, the other two: Maybe they might be good, 3 or 4 years down the road.

 

[MplsGopher]

GWG is a walking, human inverse predictor and take generator.

If he takes hard stance on something, rest assured the opposite is likely to happen.

 

[MplsGopher]

Today's STrib article:

Edwards recently met with Rosas and coach Ryan Saunders, and he compared the process to college recruiting in which the Wolves laid out just how he would fit in with their team and what his career trajectory could be with them.

“The energy they bring, it made me feel like I was headed to be the best player that ever played basketball,” Edwards said. “But it made me feel like I was doing something right, you know? Because I get criticized a lot. It made me feel like I was doing something right, and it made me just want to work even harder.”

 

[Iceland12]

The above seems to be the consensus among the "experts". Edwards: The safe pick that fills a need, the other two: Maybe they might be good, 3 or 4 years down the road.

Yep Edwards was the consensus pick for the Wolves.

Marc Stein is on Dan Patrick now. He said that both the Wolves and Golden State tried very, very hard to trade down and acquire player(s) that could help them right now and/or still get a top pick. Teams wouldn't do it.

He just said that "The Wolves were in a tough spot. There was no pick that jumped out at you. It wasn't like last year when Zion Williamson and Ja Morant were there. This year there was no consensus on the 1st pick".

That said, he thought that Edwards was the best pick for Minnesota. Patrick also asked about Edward's love of football over basketball and if it made any difference. He said it only meant something to "punditry" because they ran with it and Edwards will have to answer the question many times. Otherwise no it didn't.

The reaction by many Wolves fan is completely understandable because players now are nearly all one and done or come from overseas. Because of that no one has seen all the 1st rounders play. The last player taken #1 who wasn't a "one and done" player was Blake Griffin. Back in 2009. And he played only 2 years.

Even looking at the Top 5 choices, very few have seen them play anywhere except for highlight packages. Any argument of "they should take___!" is followed by by "Oh yeah, what about this!'

Both valid.

Minnesota Timberwolves fans have even better reasons to hate the choices of Anthony Edwards, Bolmaro and McDaniels. Why?

Because the Wolves always seem to do the wrong thing.

 

[MplsGopher]

Figures, right? We get the #1 pick in a draft so flawed that teams won't trade to get the "top" prospects.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

Yep Edwards was the consensus pick for the Wolves.

Marc Stein is on Dan Patrick now. He said that both the Wolves and Golden State tried very, very hard to trade down and acquire player(s) that could help them right now and/or still get a top pick. Teams wouldn't do it.

He just said that "The Wolves were in a tough spot. There was no pick that jumped out at you. It wasn't like last year when Zion Williamson and Ja Morant were there. This year there was no consensus on the 1st pick".

That said, he thought that Edwards was the best pick for Minnesota. Patrick also asked about Edward's love of football over basketball and if it made any difference. He said it only meant something to "punditry" because they ran with it and Edwards will have to answer the question many times. Otherwise no it didn't.

The reaction by many Wolves fan is completely understandable because players now are nearly all one and done or come from overseas. Because of that no one has seen all the 1st rounders play. The last player taken #1 who wasn't a "one and done" player was Blake Griffin. Back in 2009. And he played only 2 years.

Even looking at the Top 5 choices, very few have seen them play anywhere except for highlight packages. Any argument of "they should take___!" is followed by by "Oh yeah, what about this!'

Both valid.

Minnesota Timberwolves fans have even better reasons to hate the choices of Anthony Edwards, Bolmaro and McDaniels. Why?

Because the Wolves always seem to do the wrong thing.

Jon K, again with some really good content in The Athletic about the Edwards pick, a very detailed and in-depth piece about how the Wolves did their homework leading up to the draft, what they were looking at, the evaluation process, etc.

Makes me feel a LITTLE bit better about the Edwards pick, but we'll see. Optimistic as always

 

[tikited]

I am fine with the Edwards pick. He makes the most sense out of the top three.

I am happy with the Rubio, #25, #28 for #17 and Johnson. Rubio will help the backcourt out a lot. 25 and 28 is better than 17 imo.

I am not happy with the 25 and 33 for 23. That was 100% a Kahn like move. Giving away a good 2nd round pick for money reasons and the 23 to give us a "#1 pick" next year (Bolmaro). They could have gotten Bolmaro at 25 without giving away the 33.

The McDaniels at #28 is a solid spot to get him. He was projected anywhere from 15-30. What I didn't like is that he is a year or two away from being a guy who can play big minutes in the NBA. He is 100% a guy who looks the part right now but did not produce as a Freshman. So....he won't really add anything this season. That's two guys who won't do a thing for us most likely for a year or two. There were at least three much better guys still there at 28.

They better have a free agent 4 in mind or we will see lots of Layman at the 4.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

No love for the Wolves picking up PG Ashton Hagans from Kentucky? Wow. Sounds like a very "interesting" prospect to say the least. Risk/reward pick for sure.

Again, a nice piece in The Athletic about Hagans and his time at Kentucky and the time leading up to the draft.

 

[Spaulding!No!]

Did we get JJ Reddick?

 

[jamiche]

I don't know what to think about this draft. Edwards was a logical choice given the lack of trading partners. However, I would have taken Wiseman because KAT has no interest in defense and wants to play on the perimeter anyway. I like the Rubio move as long as they did it for basketball reasons. The fan base isn't going to love him during another 25 win season. He's a better defender than D-Lo. I like the Leandro pick but I don't like the fact that we won't see him for a year. This team needs help now. I really like the McDaniel pick at #28. He has all star potential. He could also be gone in two years. It's worth the risk.

Each move made sense. However, at the end of the evening, the team didn't significantly address its shooting deficiencies, lack of rebounding and lack of defense (Ricky improves defense a little). Unless there are blockbuster trades between now and 12/22, this team isn't close to being ready to win in the west.

 

[tikited]

No love for the Wolves picking up PG Ashton Hagans from Kentucky? Wow. Sounds like a very "interesting" prospect to say the least. Risk/reward pick for sure.

Again, a nice piece in The Athletic about Hagans and his time at Kentucky and the time leading up to the draft.

Another combo guard that will be in the G-League unless there is an injury. Sounds like a nice pick-up even though we have about 20 guards now. I hope they have a big in mind soon.

 

[BleedGopher]

Shama chimes in:

The Timberwolves hired Gersson Rosas as president of basketball operations in May of 2019. Now he has been through one season and two NBA Drafts including last evening when he used the No. 1 overall pick to select shooting guard Anthony Edwards.

With draft choices and trades, including bringing back fan favorite Ricky Rubio to Minneapolis, Rosas has reshaped the roster. Assuming the NBA can have a 2020-2021 season despite the pandemic, the next 12 months will indicate whether Rosas can succeed with a franchise that avoids the playoffs like it was the virus.

With the Timberwolves up for sale, it’s a solid bet the next owner will come in with eyes wide open about Rosas. That new owner could already have “his own guy” in mind when he signs the paper work to acquire the franchise. But if Rosas has the Wolves rolling, his job security should be fine.

David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Howl Wolves!!

 

[Iceland12]

SI Winners and Losers

Under the "Winners":

D’Angelo Russell:

Admit it—you thought there was a possibility that a few years after being forced out of Los Angeles by Lonzo Ball, Russell might have another Ball brother coming to town to usurp his role. Instead, Minnesota took Anthony Edwards with the top pick, giving Russell an athletic scorer alongside him who projects to be a good defender. The Wolves fleshed out the roster on draft night with Leandro Bolmaro and Jaden McDaniels while acquiring Ricky Rubio, a popular player in Minnesota who will slide into a mentor role for both Russell and Edwards. If Edwards pans out, Minnesota will have a nice nucleus.

 

[MplsGopher]

I don't know what to think about this draft. Edwards was a logical choice given the lack of trading partners. However, I would have taken Wiseman because KAT has no interest in defense and wants to play on the perimeter anyway. I like the Rubio move as long as they did it for basketball reasons. The fan base isn't going to love him during another 25 win season. He's a better defender than D-Lo. I like the Leandro pick but I don't like the fact that we won't see him for a year. This team needs help now. I really like the McDaniel pick at #28. He has all star potential. He could also be gone in two years. It's worth the risk.

Each move made sense. However, at the end of the evening, the team didn't significantly address its shooting deficiencies, lack of rebounding and lack of defense (Ricky improves defense a little). Unless there are blockbuster trades between now and 12/22, this team isn't close to being ready to win in the west.

Win the West?? Wow. How about we make the playoffs, this coming season?

EDIT: win in the West. Yes that much more reasonable.

 

[Iceland12]

Chris Carter wished he could have been a pro hooper instead of football FWIW.

I

Thought you'd appreciate that today, on both the Dan Patrick Show and Rich Eisen they mentioned that on tonight's Thursday Night Football game both starters, Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson, had said they still wanted to play in MLB.

Wilson waited until after he won a Super Bowl.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Thought you'd appreciate that today, on both the Dan Patrick Show and Rich Eisen they mentioned that on tonight's Thursday Night Football game both starters, Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson, had said they still wanted to play in MLB.

Wilson waited until after he won a Super Bowl.

I would have loved to see Kyler Murray play CF for the As - what an exciting athlete.

 

[Iceland12]

a3



I am not sure what to think about any of this. Maybe Built Badger can fill in the blanks. (not kidding)

I am happy to see R Rubio back because he does move the ball. Culver has been weak as an NBA player, and cost T Tech the NCCA Championship game and was a waste of pick so far (harsh comment, we will see),. The OSU kid still has it, I like him, he defends and goes hard to the basket.

I like big 2/ small 3s that can defend a 1,2,3, an even 4, so this is a good pick if he can shoot. Big Guards are ideal if they can shoot it, and go hard to floor (problem with Culver).

I like Rubio returning.

SI on the Rubio trade:

Rubio made 65 starts for the Suns last season, averaging a career-high 13.0 points per game to go along with 8.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals. He also shot a career-best 36.1% from the 3-point line on 3.3 attempts per game.

With the No. 17 pick acquired in this trade, the Thunder selected Serbian forward Aleksej Pokusevski.

 

[Spaulding!No!]

SI on the Rubio trade:

Rubio made 65 starts for the Suns last season, averaging a career-high 13.0 points per game to go along with 8.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals. He also shot a career-best 36.1% from the 3-point line on 3.3 attempts per game.

With the No. 17 pick acquired in this trade, the Thunder selected Serbian forward Aleksej Pokusevski.

Kahn!!!!!!!!’

 

[Gopherfan84]

Another combo guard that will be in the G-League unless there is an injury. Sounds like a nice pick-up even though we have about 20 guards now. I hope they have a big in mind soon.

KAT??? How many bigs do NBA teams typically play?

 

[tikited]

KAT??? How many bigs do NBA teams typically play?

The Wolves have one in Kat.

The 4's right now are Fitzgerald and Spellman and that's it. Fitz played about 4 minutes last year for us. Spellman played 0 minutes.

We have one 5 on the bench in Naz Reid. He is a huge maybe player for the future.

Most teams carry about four 4's and about three 5's. The Wolves have a lot of work to do.

 

[jamiche]

Win the West?? Wow. How about we make the playoffs, this coming season?

I wrote “win in the west.” Not “win the west.” Huge difference.

 

[coolhandgopher]

No love for the Wolves picking up PG Ashton Hagans from Kentucky? Wow. Sounds like a very "interesting" prospect to say the least. Risk/reward pick for sure.

Again, a nice piece in The Athletic about Hagans and his time at Kentucky and the time leading up to the draft.

I haven't read the article in The Athletic yet about Hagans, but this signing could be really nice for the TWolves-my CB viewing over the last couple years has been minimal, but I did see the game from his freshman year where he tormented North Carolina and Coby White with his defense, I think he ended up with something like 6 or 7 steals? For an UDFA, he brings an elite skill to the team and could find a role if he's able to offer any semblance of offensive game.

 

[coolhandgopher]

The Wolves have one in Kat.

The 4's right now are Fitzgerald and Spellman and that's it. Fitz played about 4 minutes last year for us. Spellman played 0 minutes.

We have one 5 on the bench in Naz Reid. He is a huge maybe player for the future.

Most teams carry about four 4's and about three 5's. The Wolves have a lot of work to do.

Who's Fitzgerald? I was just looking over their current roster and I didn't see anyone by that name.

 

[MplsGopher]

I wrote “win in the west.” Not “win the west.” Huge difference.

Got me! Doh

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

I haven't read the article in The Athletic yet about Hagans, but this signing could be really nice for the TWolves-my CB viewing over the last couple years has been minimal, but I did see the game from his freshman year where he tormented North Carolina and Coby White with his defense, I think he ended up with something like 6 or 7 steals? For an UDFA, he brings an elite skill to the team and could find a role if he's able to offer any semblance of offensive game.

The article actually made mention of him owning White in that game. He has a CRAZY long wing span for his height, and a steal machine

 

[coolhandgopher]

I, like Ogee, tend towards the optimistic side of things and I can see the makings of a solid plan ahead with the franchise.

Let's start with Towns and Russell. Both extremely talented, with Towns being a really unique talent. To this point, both have not played to their talent levels-Towns has been poor on defense and questions about the work ethic are present; Russell's been a knucklehead who's bounced around to four teams in five seasons. They're 25 and 24 years old respectively; Towns lost his mother to COVID-19 this past year. It seems to me that this is a pivotal year for both to determine what kind of players they will be in this league moving forward. I've read things here and there about both that alludes to both maturing. If so, those are two wonderfully talented building blocks for the TWolves moving forward.

Edwards-I was skeptical all through the process leading up to the draft and although Jon K's article in The Athletic needs to be taken with guarded optimism, I am optimistic. No matter the criticism he's faced, the mental strength and discipline he's needed since to rise to the status of top pick of the NBA draft, having lost his mother and grandmother at age 14 should not be underestimated. He possesses the athletic talent and if he can develop the skills and defensive acumen, well, that's a pretty potent three top players on this squad.

Rubio-loved this trade. He still has a lot in the tank, is happy to be coming back to MN, Towns is happy to have him back and between his defense and distribution of the ball, he is a great add. It also seems he's become a nice veteran mentor to the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker and others. This team can benefit from solid veterans.

The rest of the squad-who knows? Is Beasley going to still be a part of this team? How are they going to supplement the bigs around Towns? What will they do in free agency?

I did like what they chose to do at the end of the draft with Bolsanaro and McDaniels. High ceilings, seemingly, that could be afterthoughts in a couple years-but I'd rather the team take a swing at pick #28 with the likes of McDaniels. Take a look historically at the tail end of round 1's-it's a crapshoot.

Ultimately, it will come down to Towns and Russell, and hopefully, in a year or two, Edwards. We're talking about two #1 overall picks and a #2 overall. No matter the limitations/needs to improve of each, there's a lot of talent there, all quite young. If this franchise wasn't so star-crossed, I'd feel better .