ESPN Draft Watch on Thabeet

by Wim (Belgium) on Dec 4, 2008 4:16 PM CST Comment 29 comments

As I'm gonna be banging the Thabeet drum (as SnP put so nicely) I'll have to post anything positive about him. So for the ones who missed it, here's what Ford had to say:

I've been among Thabeet's biggest skeptics, but I'm quickly running out of allies. More and more scouts appear convinced that the big man from UConn is finally able to deliver. We always knew Thabeet could block shots and run the floor. But his improved rebounding and confidence on the offensive end have more scouts calling him a top-5 lock.

In fact, with a few more supporters, he could become the consensus No. 2 pick in the draft. I'm still skeptical of the Dikembe Mutombo comparisons, but there's no doubt he made the right move skipping the draft the past two years. Thabeet is finally learning how to play basketball, and at 7-foot-3, he has the chance to make a real impact now.

It seems like it's quickly becoming a "go after Curry and Thabeet" draft for me. Check out the rest here

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Is there room for him in the Wolves' frontcourt?

96 combined minutes at the power positions, and Jefferson/Love (should) command a lot of them by themselves….

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by Ben Q Rock on Dec 4, 2008 7:16 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

A hate a comment or fan shot a whole while back here with the whole minutes thing. It was then with Pekovic (whom we drafted 2nd round 1st pick) but the same works for Thabeet.

If I remember it correctly I had a froutcourt consisting of 48 minutes with something like:

24 minutes Love+Jefferson
14 minutes Jefferson + Thabeet/Pekovic
10 minutes Love + Thabeet/Pekovic

Jefferson: 38 minutes
Love: 34 minutes
Thabeet: 24 minutes.

Thabeet being the project he is that’d be a very nice amount of minutes I think. With Love showing he’s that good of a player early on we can expect the Love+TH get 2 more minutes from the Jff+TH if Thabeet should get draft, which would make it, as said, 36/36/24.

Off course if Thabeet becomes someone who wants 30 minutes … well .. we’re not really worried about luxury problems like that yet :D. I guess I’d be dependant on matchups then, I would even like all three of them to get some minutes together when playing your Magic.

by Wim (Belgium) on Dec 5, 2008 5:28 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I HAD a comment, not hate … wonder what’s that gonna do to our ad’s now ^^

by Wim (Belgium) on Dec 5, 2008 5:29 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Thabeet will a rookie

say 36 36 24 for Jefferson Love Thabeet? They could also do a Triple Tower lineup, especially if Thabeet concentrates on defense and Love develops the mid-range shot. I am a little concerned with his height (guys above 7-1 tend to be injury risks) but finding minutes for Jefferson, Love, and Thabeet would be a nice problem to have.

by McCleak on Dec 4, 2008 8:26 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

In a Curry/Thabeet draft...

is Curry the starting SG? or PG? of the future.

The 3-way minutes break down will work great for a rookie year. It’d take some real balls to draft a guy in the top 10 to be a backup or say you drafted a guy at #5 last year who you want to be a backup. I’ve seen a lot of Thabeet in prior years but not at all this season. To this point I’ve been very underwhelmed, but I look forward to seeing him again.

by Pants_ on Dec 8, 2008 10:56 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Doesn’t matter who you say is PG or SG. I’d be a starting back court of Foye and Curry. They could share PG and SG duties since they can both do a bit of both.

If Thabeet turns out to be a real real stud that commands 30+ minutes, you could still force a little Love at the 3. I still believe in that (if it works in NBA 2K9…. :p)

Beater of the early Thabeet drum

by Wim (Belgium) on Dec 9, 2008 3:19 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I would take..

…a Curry, Foye backcourt at this point. I really want them to get Curry. Super small ball. If they’re going to go that route, they should do so with gusto.

The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
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by Stop-n-Pop on Dec 9, 2008 11:14 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Curry

is going to bust

by roundhouse on Dec 9, 2008 2:09 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

He'll..

….definitely be interesting. I think he’s going to be fantastic. He has a ridiculous small-ball/jump shooting game and it’s fun to watch.

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by Stop-n-Pop on Dec 9, 2008 3:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

How did I know Wim would be the first to hit this?

Ben, I think the consensus among Wolves fans is that they need a guy who can split the minutes at the 4/5 with Love and Jefferson. Ideally, this is a guy like Jason Thopmson or Joakim Noah, an athletic guy who can play both positions and match up against problematic opponents. However, if he’s a straight 5, I think they take him. I just saw McCleak pop up with a 36/36/24 split and that’s probably just about right, especially in Thabeet’s first year should he come here.

Wim, as much as I’m skeptical of Thabeet, if you could magically lock in Curry and Thabeet right now and those were the only 2 picks the Wolves would get, I’d sign up for that in a second. A guard + front court guy that is larger than the Rhino and can back up both Love and Jefferson is idea. I’m glad everyone is finally coming around on Curry but I was really hoping he’d slide to the Heat pick.

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by Stop-n-Pop on Dec 4, 2008 8:29 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

is "ideal"

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by Stop-n-Pop on Dec 4, 2008 8:30 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

ideal would be

having a true center on the team and letting Al play a post up PF. He would dominate offensively and be about the same defensively / rebounding.

We need a legit C who can defend the paint. 6-10 AJ and 6-9-Love is severely undersized, especially when neither is particularly athletic.

what you say here can, and will, be used against you

by GopherNation on Dec 4, 2008 8:47 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I don't know much about Thabeet

but he would be a big man in the middle who would block shots and if his rebounding improves would be exactly what we need.

what you say here can, and will, be used against you

by GopherNation on Dec 4, 2008 8:48 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

it won't matter though

McHale will draft Tyler Hansbrough with the #2 pick anyway.

what you say here can, and will, be used against you

by GopherNation on Dec 4, 2008 8:49 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Hansbrough...

….will be with the Heat pick. Aldrich is the top one :)

The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
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by Stop-n-Pop on Dec 4, 2008 9:27 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

If anybody picks Psycho T before #20, he is stupid

And I say that mostly because we want him in Portland ;-)

B-Rex bandwagon begins

by Norsktroll on Dec 6, 2008 12:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It will be interesting...

…to see just how close to David Lee he is.

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by Stop-n-Pop on Dec 6, 2008 1:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Everything about Thabeet is ideal next to AL

He is the prototype for who should be next to AL in the frontcourt. Love is garbage, he can sit at the end of the bench with Maddog and cheerlead.

by roundhouse on Dec 5, 2008 1:41 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Tell us how you feel ;)

We’ll put you down in the “PANIC” and pro-Thabeet columns.

The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
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by Stop-n-Pop on Dec 5, 2008 7:25 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

lol

no, come on, tell us what you really think

by plinytheelder on Dec 5, 2008 2:35 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah stop beating around the bush

by secretarykissinger on Dec 11, 2008 12:06 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

The future

This is a rebuilding team and anyone drafted within the top 5 should be starting within 1 or 2 seasons. By drafting Thabeet (centre) top 5 playing with a 24 year old Al (PF) would mean that KLove (effectively) drafted at #3 would have to play at SF. I think this position would suit him because he has good range and he would get blocked alot less (one reason for his low FG%). The problem is I dont think he has the skills (yet) to take anyone off the dribble or defend the faster SFs. Dont forget McHale already drafted a SF with the #7 pick in 2006 (Brewer)

I think Thabeet might be too big a risk when considering the long term future of the team.

by WhaHuh on Dec 6, 2008 11:15 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

oops

I meant 2007 re: Brewer

by WhaHuh on Dec 6, 2008 11:17 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

wouldn’t pick him with a top5 pick. I think he’ll slip somewhere to nr 12. Just like DeAndre Jordan did in the weeks before the draft, untill he slid all the way down.

Beater of the early Thabeet drum

by Wim (Belgium) on Dec 6, 2008 12:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Are you looking for a guard with your second pick (Miami pick)?

Curry would be nice of course, but if he doesn’t last so long, you might want to take a long look at Nando De Colo.
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Nando-De-Colo-5087/
He is a big guard, about 6-5, but can still play both positions. I have seen him play with Tony Parker in some EuroBasket Qualifier games, and he looked really solid for a young guy yet has more experience than your average college player.

B-Rex bandwagon begins

by Norsktroll on Dec 6, 2008 1:10 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

At this point...

…I think they’ll have to take the best guard with the top pick and with the way things are going, there’s no guarantee that’s not Curry at 7 or 8. Thanks for the heads up on De Colo.

The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com

by Stop-n-Pop on Dec 6, 2008 1:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

How many guys over 7' tall...

have bodies that don’t give out? The two biggest names currently playing at that height are Yao and Ilgauskas. Yao has missed about 30 games 3 years in a row and Ilgauskas has his minutes throttled down so that he can limp around for 70+ games a year. And those are the cases where a guy that tall has worked out.

Al and Love can handle the rebounds and defensive duties that don’t take loads of speed, athleticism, hops… they need someone who can fill in that gap. I don’t see Thabeet being that guy.

Late lottery… he has really solid value. The PG and Athletic Swing Man roles are such voids that it is tough to go frontline unless it is a slam dunk (in the top 6-7).

by Pants_ on Dec 9, 2008 11:34 AM CST reply actions 0 recs