Comments on: The Wolves Case Scenario

By: Norman Einstein's Rec Room, Sports & Rocket Science Daily

Norman Einstein's Rec Room, Sports & Rocket Science Daily — Sun, 09 May 2010 04:44:29 +0000

[...] No, You Can Blame the Timberwolves For the Ricky Rubio Situation by Matt Moore @ Hardwood Paroxysm [...]

By: Dib432

Dib432 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:06:07 +0000

The Rubio pick was, and remains, a good move by Khan. Not coming this year is a bit of a blow for immediate ticket sales, but won’t hurt his development or trade value. The Wolves will continue to own his rights unless he sits out of basketball for a year. Additionally, Rubio entering the league at 20 will give the wolves a better player while starting at the same rookie pay scale – increasing his value as a Wolves player or as trade bait.

You acknowledge that more teams should take the long view, and this is what Khan has said he is doing. Yet, your analysis assumes he is operating in win-now mode?

By: khandor

khandor — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 04:09:16 +0000

Flynn is not going to set the NBA on fire as the PG for the Wolves.

Drafting Jonny, when he did, was a mistake by David Kahn, when their team already had Foye and Telfair, as hold-overs from last season.

That said …

When Rubio is ready to come to the NBA, in two years time, his rights will be held by Minnesota.

Hopefully David Kahn will be able to make a better decision at that time in the best interests of the T-Wolves, re: trading or keeping a player who is going to be a very good PG in the NBA someday … and, a much better player than Jonny Flynn.

By: Derek

Derek — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:40:47 +0000

I’m pretty sure you could trade Rubio right this minute for a player who’s better than Jordan Hill, Stephen Curry, or who ever else they “should have” drafted.

It takes big time players to win championships. Rubio could be a bust, but he’s the likeliest of the crop to be a big-time player. Plus, he’s great trade bait.

By: Sam

Sam — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:01:49 +0000

I can’t blame them for passing on Curry even if Rubio had not been there. I would take Flynn as a point guard prospect over Curry whose value lied precisely on being a point guard. If Curry was only a 2-guard at 6’3, with no length and average athleticism and a set shot like Bibby, he would not have been a lottery pick. He would be a huge defensive liability at 2-guard and the bigger, more athletic guys would have night after night have put so much pressure on his shot, he would not be as effective a scorer.

Now as a point, you have a guy who is a better prospect and profiles better physically. He has good size, and points are not good defenders and it’s possible to see him shooting and getting into the lane like Bibby and he’s shown a nice feel for passing. Only when he played point for his junior year did his draft stock rise into the lottery. They would have simply blown the pick had they drafted Curry to be the 2-guard to Flynn’s point.

The guy Minnesota maybe should have selected is Demar Derozan. People were down on him because his skills had a ways to go and he really only played well for the last quarter of USC’s games. But he had a nice showing at Summer League that continued his nice finishing form at college and when you consider that he is a fantastic athlete and was a top 5 rated player in his high school class, he comes off looking like a good prospect.

By: Darkdude

Darkdude — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:22:40 +0000

Ok, basically, Kahn was put in an no win situation when he traded Miller and Foye for the pick, and then realized that Rubio would not come to play in Minnesota.

Either he traded Rubio’s pick to another market, then saw him blow up and then kick himself everyday if Rubio is actually as good as his hype. Or he drafted Rubio himself, and prayed that the millions upon millions that the kid would make as the face of Spanish basketball would allure him to play for Minny.

The only way in which Kahn wins in that situation is if two things happen. 1 he traded Rubio’s pick away to another team, and Rubio sucks, as it seems most of the US basketball world believes he will. and 2, the player Kahn drafts works out and becomes, if not a star, a role player who contributes to the team in a meaningful way immediately, to contrast the failure of rubio.

By: sui generis

sui generis — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:11:48 +0000

just curious – what exactly does Syracuse stand for? Snowfall? Salt mines? And why would it make you hate the city and/or university?

By: NB

NB — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:21:03 +0000

Maybe I missed the boat and this has already been harped on numerous times, but…

All you need to know about the Wolves’ prospects for improvement are this: Kahn was the first person to decide to hire Isiah Thomas as a coach.

By: Bill Phillips

Bill Phillips — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:11:11 +0000

……..you decide which of these three you hate the most!

Bill Phillips

By: Bill Phillips

Bill Phillips — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:09:08 +0000

“I’m not wildfire about Flynn, but then, I hate Syracuse and everything it stands for. He could very well be a better player than any of the other disasters they’ve had in the backcourt the last three seasons.”

Matt – what did Syracuse ever do to incur your wrath?

Flynn is great – you’re a writer with an opinion.

Bill Phillips