So, here comes the draft. We here at Canishoopus have been doing our best to try to "Group think" our way to a "consensus" (or whatever), and how we have to sit back and wait and see what Kahn, Adelman and crew decided to do. We all know what the team needs. At the most basic need, the need to get better at all positions not PG, PF and atleast on the offensive side of the ball C.

We must understand that last year, this team was contending for the playoffs before all of the injuries derailed the successes. We must also understand that this was a young team with a new (and much better) coach that started the season without of a pre-season at all. Plus, they barely had anytime to practice because of the condensed season.

In comparison to what we Wolves fans have endured, that 2011-12 season was wonderful! Competition, Derrick Dunking, K-love cashing threes and crashing boards, Pekovic and he tattoo being a beast scaring people, Ricky Dazzling, Adelman actually playing the most Effective line ups. What a great thing to see. But we also know that a lot of it still sucked.

Unfortunately for us, that "most effective line up" occasionally had three point guards in it. How that ever worked, I don't understand. That's prolly why Rick Adelman is an NBA coach and I will never be. But breaking down the 48 mins of wolves basketball played at each position (to me) we see that:

PGs: played above average (Ricky Rubio, Luke Ridnour, and JJ Barea all played very well at times adding up to, without considering injury, very solid contributions at the point)

SGs: played below average (Barea, Ridnour flashed the brightest and they are back up PGs, Webster ... last second fast break dunk when we were down three :P ... yuck. Ellington played admirably but ... below average ... Wes Johnson ... ya know ... he Wessed it up big time. Malcolm Lee seems to be being trained as a PG for some reason)

SFs: played below average (Beasley, Tolliver, had there moments of averageness but Johnson's excessive mediocrity (to be kind) left the production level very low there.

PFs: Played above above average (Kevin Love is a beast, and a superstar. He showed with his weighloss, that he can hustle all game and still make big shots. His range is amazing and he proved he can at least occasionally get his own shot, hitting step back Js like a big SG. His minutes were superb, his backups' were average. Defensive struggles at times stopped the play quality from reaching superbness)

C: Played above average (Pekovic proved to be as beastly as he looks. Killing the offensive glass, mopping up missed jumpers. Kevin's minutes at center were good too. Defensively this group struggled, but like the rebounding beastlieness basically (in my opinion) evens out the defensive sucky "groundedness".)

We know that the consensus and the group think all know that we need to get help on the Wings and help in the form of Post Defense. The question is how are the Wolves going to go about that, and as we have seen over the last month, Wolves fans can come up with a myriad of many different, really good ideas. Now after the jump I will give it a go to put together my "If ____ Then____" ideas for the wolves offseason process.

"With the 18th pick of the 2012 NBA draft the Minnesota Timberwolves pick ....... ________!"

Other than "are you still beating your wife?" this are the most interesting words that will ever come out of David Sterns mouth. What will Kahn and crew do with that pick ... s*** idk. What I know is that they are going to do there very best (however bad we think there best is) to build a better basketball team.

With the rumors, mock drafts and ideas we've come up with my "If____, Then ____'s" .... So here we go!

To me one of the most interesting rumors I've heard is this talk of Alexey Shved (that may be an odd place to start but ...I gotta start somewhere)

If the Wolves sign or believe they will/can sign Alexey Shved, Then @ the Draft;

• Option #1- Look to deal #18 for a topline defensive wing player, toss it in with a package for Andre Igodala or Luol Deng ... idk even Meta World Peace ... someone solid (kinda joking about Ronny World Peace ... but only kinda)
• Option #2- Trade up with #18 and try to grab wings Michael Kidd-Gillchrist or Terrence Jones (feel like I haven't heard anything about this guy) or even Moe Harkless (if we really like him).
• Option #3.1- Draft Will Barton @#18 (seems to be a hard working kid, solid offensively and defensively)
• Option #3.2- Draft Moe Harkless or Terrence Ross or Jeremy Lamb @#18 (worthy options, but probably gone already, anyway Barton seems to be just as good for the Wovles, and projects better at SF)
• Option #3.3- Draft Quincy Miller @#18 (bit of a gamble, but not too much of a stretch at #18. Could be a great deal if he blossoms like he could)
• Option #3.4- Trade down and try to gather an extra pick and draft wings Barton/Miller if they're still around, or Jae Crowder, (deep breath, and really only if we get another on this list) Austin Rivers, Draymond Green, Doron Lamb, John Jenkins, Jeffery Taylor ... post/wing Royce White or posts Fab Melo, Mason Plumlee (or which ever brother it is), Kyle O'Quinn ...Festus Ezeli, Henry Sims, ect ....
• Option #3.5- Draft Royce White @#18 (could work out to be a huge steal)
• Option #4- Trade up with #18 and try to grab posts Andre Drumond, Meyers Leonard, Tyler Zeller, John Henson (seems to me like this is a stretch), and I don't think this makes much sense because they'd be drafted so high only to sit on the bench behind Pek and Love.)
• Addendum option: trade Wes Johnson for pick (somehow this was brought up as a viable option by someone here, heck if anyone will take him why not try it). Try to drop him off when we trade up for MKG or TJ, or Trade for proven Defensive wing.

If Wolves can sign Alexey Shved and if they use the above options #1,#2,#3.1,#3.2,#3.3, Then in 2nd round.

• Draft Best Player Available slightly prioritizing big men.
• Euro Stash!
• or trade pick for future or $$$.

If Wolves can sign Alexey Shved and if they use options #3.5 or #4

• Draft Best Player Available prioritizing Wings.
• Euro Stash!
• or trade pick for future or $$$.

If Alexey Shved is just a rumor for the Wolves then @ the Draft:

• first use above "Option #1" with added targets of SGs (Kevin Martin, Thabo Sefalosha & Anthony Morrow)
• if not then use above "Option #2" with added targets of SGs (Bradley Beal & Dion Waiters)
• then above "options 3.1-4" with slightly more interest in Terrence Ross, Jeremy Lamb (gasp) Austin Rivers.

If Shved is a rumor then with second round:

• Basically the same thing as if he was around except more interest in wings

So ... this is a tedious process. I'm tired of thinking ... so, I'm glad I'm not David Kahn and have to deal with a bunch of fans who get pissed off when I do my job to the best of my abilities. I mean, just looking at this shows me how much has to go into what these guys are doing. If____ then_____ really is what balancing and NBA roster is about ... maybe I'll comeback later and think about free agency.
What say yall?
-Sincerely, a Tired MCBII