Looking at the 2nd round while continuing our Community Draft Board
by Stop-n-Pop on Jun 22, 2009 12:00 PM CDT
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PrintOne of the things that has been largely overlooked in the buildup to the draft is the fact that the Wolves are the proud owners of two closely-placed 2nd round picks, #45 and #47. If David Kahn really wants to show the world that he's a top-shelf PBO, finding a functional player at this point in the draft would be a nice feather in his cap.
Our approach to the 2nd round is not to go out looking for the next Gilbert Arenas or Manu Ginobili; rather, it is to find functional role players that can provide great value. We are looking for European players who could possibly defer their salary for a year or two or NCAA players who fill specific roles; namely, 3 point specialists, defensive-oriented perimeter players, and backup bigs.
While we'll save any extra analysis for our final draft board post, here are the players we are looking at in the 2nd round. If you believe we are overlooking anyone, please let us know in the comment section.
- Victor Claver- A 6-10" athlete who scores by shooting 3s or finishing at the rim. He is coming off an injury but is still very young.
- Rodrigue Beaubois- Unbelievable quickness, ridiculous handle, amazing length, and...well, that's pretty much it at this point. Beaubois has the physical tools to be a Rondo-esque player at the point. Whether he has the skills or mental makeup is another question all together.
- Sergio Llull- The other young Spanish point. This one has excellent size and athleticism for the position while being able to shoot from long-range.
- Danny Green- Good size and athleticism with defensive potential on the perimeter.
- Robert Dozier- Solid defensive potential. Good length and rebounding ability to go along with a developing shot. Length and athleticism are big pluses; age and strength are negatives.
- Jodie Meeks- I will be amazed if he is available at 45 but if he is, he might be worth a look.
- Josh Heytvelt- Assuming he's all done with eating shrooms, and that he has sufficiently recovered from his injury, Heytvelt is an interesting fit for the Wolves. He's athletic and long but he's not a very good defender.
- Jack McClinton- McClinton is going to make some team very, very, very happy with their selection. He's a bit old and he probably isn't starting material at the next level but he is tough as hell, can shoot the lights out, and could even be used as a pint-sized 3 point specialist off the bench. McClinton would definitely be worth a peek.
- Goran Suton- He takes up space and can rebound.
- Paul Harris- Jonny Flynn's backcourt partner at Syracuse has the potential to be an excellent perimeter defender with some offensive skills to boot. He is the one player that the Wolves absolutely should take if he is available at #45.
- Jimmy Baron- An amazing, amazing, amazing 3 point shooter from Rhode Island. He's a long shot but who isn't with the 47th pick?
We kind of tipped our hand with Harris (and McClinton) but who do you think the Wolves should be looking at in the 2nd round? While you're busy with that, here's where our Community Draft Board stands:
- Blake Griffin
- Ricky Rubio
- James Harden
- Stephen Curry
- Hasheem Thabeet
- Tyreke Evans
- Demar DeRozan
- Brandon Jennings
- Jrue Holiday
- Jonny Flynn
- Jordan Hill
- Ty Lawson
- Earl Clark
- Eric Maynor
- ???
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Man, I'm worried about a Swine Flu epidemic going around
with all these rookies cancelling workouts due to “illness” (i.e. “I’m sick of talking to teams by whom I don’t want to be drafted.”). Rubio, Thabeet, Harden, and now DeRozan Cancels Workout With Wolves.
Since I've been advocating for Gerald Henderson since 6
I will say I’m curious that the Best Perimeter Defender in this draft is still on the board.
1. Considering Impressive Athlete
2. 6’10 Wingspan
3. Can Finish at the rim
4. Gets to the line
5. Plays within an Offense (Unlike a certain Louisville Swingman)
6. Skilled Passer
I realize he’s not the best three-point shooter but if he was a 40% Three-Point Shooter he probably goes in the Middle of the Lottery (5-7).
i’ve been after terrance williams for a while on these polls and i’m curious about your comment “Plays within an Offense (Unlike a certain Louisville Swingman)”. williams looks like a great facilitator to have on the wing, and while he can’t shoot, he’s a great passer, rebounder, defender and leader who seems like he’d be very willing to play a specific role in a structured offense. i haven’t watched enough henderson and williams game tape to say that one is definitely a better defender than the other, but it’s clear that both of these guys are very good on that end of the floor. i prefer williams to henderson and a lot of the guys who have been put up on the board already.
heart of a champion, will of the warrior.
Hey, on the topic of Terrence Williams, can anyone who’s seen him play please elucidate on this contradiction that arises from his scouting reports: he’s supposed to be a weak ballhandler and poor scorer, yet he’s apparently an awesome playmaker with great assist and turnover numbers. Is he actually a weak ball handler, or does he just have really bad shot selection that hinders his percentages? It’s hard to see a guy putting up 5+ apg as a SG without having a good enough handle to get into the lane whenever he wants…
in the games i’ve watched (and i’ll admit that it is far less than the people scouting him), williams looked to be a pretty good ballhander. he doesn’t get to the basket often enough, but he has outstanding court vision and loves to get his teammates involved.
by the way, even more impressive than his assists per game as a shooting guard: his rebounding. 8.6 per game in just over 34 minutes. that’s absurd.
heart of a champion, will of the warrior.
Response
Williams tends to settle for Mid-Range Jumpers (Which he doesn’t shot well) instead of attacking the rim. I think it’s fair to say NBA scouts have more questions about Williams’s shot-selection than Henderson’s. I also question if he’s ever going to develop an effective mid-range game based on his Free Throw Shooting Pct. This isn’t to say he doesn’t have potential value (Rebounding, Defense, Passing) only that I think he’s going to be a highly frustrating Offensive Player at the next level.
by Jose Cordoba on Jun 22, 2009 3:24 PM CDT up reply actions
i also doubt that williams will ever be a particularly good shooter at the next level, and agree that henderson has better shot selection. the one thing that is encouraging is that most players do develop as shooters in the nba. while he might not ever have a good jumper, if he develops a mediocre midrange game, he has loads of value to teams as a defense, rebounding, facilitator type. he really stands out in those areas and i believe he’ll be a good pro because of it. not an all-star, but a good, solid starter, especially if (as you hinted at) he starts to attack the basket in the way that he should.
heart of a champion, will of the warrior.
Williams went to Louisville..
…while Henderson went to Duke. 1,000,000 Hoopus points for Williams. Never draft Dukies. It’s right up there with not starting a land war in Asia.
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Does your opinion of Curry...
Change now that his younger brother is transferring to Duke?
by pagingstanleyroberts on Jun 22, 2009 4:54 PM CDT up reply actions
Of Seth Curry...
…yes. He just made sure he’ll never sign a 2nd NBA contract. Some poor team may get sucked into drafting him in the late 1st, but they will quickly learn that to be a mistake. Stephen stayed the course away from Cameron Indoor and Coach Copyright.
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Alade Aminu
first im gonna say i was never able to actually see him play.
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Alade-Aminu-1389/
i think these are the main points though hes a senior but only 21, atleast 6’10 with a 7’3 wingspan, he jumped and ran the 200 in hs so he obviously a great athlete, and his body could still add some weight. from what i heard GT looked terrible this year and had no system so im sure his stats would have been a little on another team. also at portsmouth he shot 54% while he increased his season averages to 16pts, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
its hard to say for sure draft him cuz i never saw him play but whats your thoughts?
awesome catch....
….i completely forgot about him and i even wrote him down after his brother dropped out. there is one other player i’m completely spacing and i can’t think of who it is. a guard out of florida….taylor, that’s it.
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is there
anymore you know about aminu? like a verticle or anything?
im guessing your thinking of central florida guard jermaine taylor another florida guard is florida pg toney douglas
DX article
Here is an interview done by DX:
http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Alade-Aminu-I-can-be-a-Chris-Anderson-type-of-guy—3245/
I was going to mention Aminu as well so it’s good to see other fans have heard of him. I think his skill set is perfect for the type of big man we need. In the interview he compares himself to Chris “Birdman” Andersen, someone who I would love to see in a Wolves uni.
great article
it always hard to say whos gonna be around at 45, 47 but i would be really disappointed if we pass on this guy. from that article it sounds like hes a great guy with a great work ethic. also immediatly i think he could be a chris andersen type but if he keeps working at it he should be much better offensively. i say we have to get him with one of our picks
Dionte Christmas
If Christmas were still available and Danny Green were already off the board I would be in favor of rolling the dice on Christmas. He will never be a top notch starter but he can shoot and take over games if he’s on. He measures out well and I think his upside at #45 or #47 would be worth a shot
Yes for Christmas
I would definitely put Christmas ahead of Jimmy Baron as far as 3-point specialist prospects. I won’t argue that Baron was crazy accurate in his time at URI (5th in the NCAA last year in 3PT%), but at 6 feet with little athleticism, I just don’t know that he’s a legitimate NBA candidate. Christmas has an unorthodox shot, but was a great scorer in college and an athletic defender. Definitely the kind of guy who would be worth a pick in the late 40s.
and i don’t know how much you believe in the name theory, but guys like dionte christmas and jimmy baron have names that scream success. “christmas to the cup!” or “christmas has come early!” (for a first quarter scoring outburst) are things i can hear an announcer yelling in ecstasy, whereas anything involving the name “jimmy baron” sounds scrappy, hardworking, and effective, even if undertalented. gotta love those two names. there’s a reason sam bowie was destined to be a bust. that is not the name announcers are meant to be excited about.
heart of a champion, will of the warrior.
Taj Gibson...
I’ve been touting him for a bit now. Would be a great defensive, rim-protecting guy that could give us 15 mins/game in the 4/5 rotation. Doesn’t need any plays run for him, will put up a few points cleaning up the garbage, and has serviceable but limited skills around the basket.
He’s not as tall as I’d like (6’ 9.5"), and he’s already 24 years old (which might actually help him based on Kahn’s stated preference for guys that could contribute right away). But he’d fill a role we absolutely need, and is as mature and ready to go from Day 1 as anyone we are likely to find in the second round.
"I'm gonna make you cry...I'm gonna make you cry and dip my cookie in your tears!!!"
Chad Ford Mock Version 6.0 - I love this other than BJ Mullens
6. Stephen Curry
Analysis: The Wolves really need help at center and point guard. There aren’t any centers worth taking at this spot, so they’ve been looking hard at Curry, Tyreke Evans, DeMar DeRozan and Brandon Jennings here. If they move up, Ricky Rubio and Hasheem Thabeet move into the picture.
I think Curry can play both positions on the floor and, combined with Randy Foye, could give the Wolves a pretty formidable backcourt. Curry’s maturity, dead-eye shooting and name recognition will make him a smart pick for the Wolves if he’s still on the board. But if he’s not, they will go with Evans. And if Evans is not there, DeRozan and Jennings will get looks
18. BJ Mullens
Analysis: I’m not sure whether the Wolves will keep this pick, and there are a number of teams that seem to be hot for Mullens that would be willing to trade for it. If the Wolves keep it, Mullens could fill a big hole in the paint in the long term.
28. Jonas Jerekbo- F Sweden
Analysis: It seems doubtful that the Wolves would keep three rookies on their roster this season, which gives them an interesting choice of international players. Casspi would be an obvious choice. He is tough and physical and can keep developing overseas. Victor Claver is the other. But word is Jerebko from Sweden is the top choice at the moment
45. Christian Eyenga- G Congo (I love this pick)
Mystery man from Congo is a big-time athlete who draws comparisons to Mickael Pietrus.
47. Nando De Colo- PG- France
De Colo was the star at the Reebok Camp and acutally has a shot of getting drafted in the late first round. But I doubt he falls past the Timberwolves here. They need help at the point and they have one of the best international scouts in the business in Pete Philo.
I saw this too
If we don’t do any trading, this looks good to me. I like Mullens at #18 if we go PG at #6.
No to BJ Mullens...You thought Kosta Kufous was Slow at OSU my god.
I like Donte Cunningham from Nova in Round 2 btw if he’s still on the board.
I doubt
we get Mullens….big time doubt it. I’ve got a feeling #18 is as good as gone, or we’ll be picking a player for somebody else as per a trade. I think Kahn is gonna get somthing done to keep #6 and add another lottery pick. I’d put money that Kahn somehow finagles #2 or #5, and you can bet #18 will be in that package. If that happens, I really like Jerebko at #28, seen him play a few times and he’s got nice skills for a big SF. Any of the aforementioned possibilities in the 2nd round would be good value picks. However, somebody mentioned Gibson from USC….no way he’s still around.
I will be willing to bet..
…large sums of money that even if Mullens is available, the Wolves will not take him.
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Mullens doesn't excite me...
from what I’ve read. It seems like people tend to rip on his defensive ability, which is exactly what we’d be looking for in a big center.
I thought he might be DeAndre 2.0, but it sounds like he’s not as gifted of an athlete, not as hard of a worker, and yet going to get drafted 20 or so spots higher. Go figure. I’m glad McHale is not in charge of this draft.
Even at 28?
I doubt that he’ll be there, but if he were, I’d take a flyer on him, and have him room with Love to learn a bit about ball, and life.
Otherwise, the Wolves are wise to wait until next year’s Bevy of Big Men (yes, I’m coining the phrase to describe next year’s draft. And it’s also the title of an adult film I accidentaly rented).
In terms of the 2nd rounders
I believe the Spurs are very keen on Claver. He entered the draft under an injury cloud and I read that the Spurs are hoping he’ll slip past everyone.
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