Canis Hoopus: FanPosts

Torn between KCP and shabazz, I'm going bazz

2013-06-18T16:51:38Z

Both of these two players will help this team immediately and these guys r only options if we stay at 9 spot so I want Shabazz. People say how he is a ball hog but he was the best player at UCLA and he knows it won't be like that in the NBA. Watch mark remmes interview with shabazz and tell me u don't like him (its hard to do). Bazz interview was better than KCP one.

Interview w/ shabazz: http://on.nba.com/1bRM3Hn

comment with ur opinions please

Interview w/ shabazz: http://on.nba.com/1bRM3Hn

comment with ur opinions please

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

2013-06-17T23:20:14Z

KCP is a 6'6" Sophomore Shooting Guard who played for Georgia. A guy who put up good numbers in his second year against a tough SEC Conference. This past year the SEC wasn't as tough as they have been in the past, but Florida, Ole Miss, Kentucky (Before Noel injury) and Missouri were tough teams. KCP was by far the best player on his team. If Georgia wouldn't have had KCP, I strongly believe that Georgia would have finished last in the SEC.

Chad Ford's player profile says that KCP is/has-

Deadly shooter

Deep range

Quick release on his jump shot

Good athlete

Good passer

Excellent defender

My main question is how come KCP is not rated higher in Mock drafts and big boards? KCP seems to be close to a total package for a shooting guard. KCP's College Stats shows that he produces in many different ways on the court. He lacked in assists but Georgia obviously needed him to score. If I was the GM of the Bobcats, Suns, Kings or Pistons I would not let him slip past me in the draft.

More then likely KCP will fall to the Wolves at the 9th pick, but I want to know why? Am I missing something about his game or personality? The latest news I have heard on KCP is that he had an amazing workout for the Wolves! How can other teams pass up on a super athletic "deadeye" wing? Are other teams overvaluing PG's? Is Alex Len really that good?

Please, someone tell me that I am overreacting to the mock drafts and big boards! Is KCP as good of a shooter as the media claims he is?

Great Video!!!!! Long video, but it really breaks down KCP's game. Draft Express does these vids for most of the players in the draft.

Some people suggest that KCP has a terrible shot selection. At some times, yes he has taken horrible shots. This reminds me of how Kobe played after the Shaq trade. He trusted none of his teammates because they really were not very good. If KCP played for the Wolves I don't think that he would be put in that position to take bad shots in crucial shot clock moments. I did see how well he plays the passing lanes though.

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK

Deadly shooter

Deep range

Quick release on his jump shot

Good athlete

Good passer

Excellent defender

Please, someone tell me that I am overreacting to the mock drafts and big boards! Is KCP as good of a shooter as the media claims he is?

Great Video!!!!! Long video, but it really breaks down KCP's game. Draft Express does these vids for most of the players in the draft.

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK

Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music?

2013-06-16T21:02:25Z

Christian music gets a bad rap a lot of the time (and let's not even talk about Christian rap). Much of it is deserved. Many of the best Christian artists escape the Christian music "ghetto", and make really good music, occasionally with "Christian" or "spiritual" lyrics that are enjoyed by diverse audiences. This post is not about those bands. Artists like Bob Dylan, The Call, King's X, U2, Over The Rhine, Bruce Cockburn, T Bone Burnett, and many, many others have written really good, spiritual songs without being shuttled to "that corner" of the music store. I also made a subjective decision to exclude traditional gospel music. There are others, though, who fall between the cracks, making musically and lyrically interesting songs that very few people ever hear because they are kept on Christian labels, without being deemed acceptable for Christian radio. This post is dedicated to those artists. Hopefully some of you will enjoy some of these.

Acid trip talking blues from a San Franciscan hippie.

Early 90's Los Angeles alt rock.

The 77's are known more for blues-y pop, but this song is so beautiful, I had to share it.

How about a Gospel cover with MOAR guitar solos?

This guy was one of the best lyricists I've ever listened to.

Kind of an acquired taste, but worth a listen, I think.

Interesting fusion of Gospel and 80's Synth Rock.

It's always tricky to take a song out of the middle of an atmospheric concept album.

More 70's hippie Jesus people music! Just because.

Last, but certainly not least, the title track off one of my favorite albums, Christian or otherwise. (Another concept album, but what the hell.)

Obviously, there are a lot of things I left out. Please leave any additions, questions, elaborations, etc in the comments.

Acid trip talking blues from a San Franciscan hippie.

Early 90's Los Angeles alt rock.

The 77's are known more for blues-y pop, but this song is so beautiful, I had to share it.

How about a Gospel cover with MOAR guitar solos?

This guy was one of the best lyricists I've ever listened to.

Kind of an acquired taste, but worth a listen, I think.

Interesting fusion of Gospel and 80's Synth Rock.

It's always tricky to take a song out of the middle of an atmospheric concept album.

More 70's hippie Jesus people music! Just because.

Last, but certainly not least, the title track off one of my favorite albums, Christian or otherwise. (Another concept album, but what the hell.)

Obviously, there are a lot of things I left out. Please leave any additions, questions, elaborations, etc in the comments.

Deadeyes - The Wolves need rifles not knives for the fight with the Wester Conference (ALSO THERE'S A CHART AND A POLL!)

2013-06-15T03:50:35Z

What do the wolves need? Shooters. There has been a lot of discussion lately about how the wolves can best acquire some shooters. We don’t need more shooters in the front court. We already have the excellent Kevin Love shooting threes at a super high clip (that is when his hand isn’t injured). We need guys that play the 1-3 (that’s PG, SG, and SF for those following at home) who can make some threes and open up the offense for Pek to operate inside and Ricky to drive and dish (to the shooters).

However, what exactly is a "shooter" and how can you tell if you have one on your team? That’s a great question Hivemind! I decided that what are the two things we want from our shooters?

1. 1. Make threes (at least 1 per game)

2. 2. Make them at an acceptable percentage (35%)

So I went to BB reference and checked what players this season made over 82 threes and shot 35% or above. Now you might be saying wait a second Mr. Scissors that’s not fair. What if a player was injured? Well tough Flynn! We need players that can play in games AND light it up! So the cutoff was 82.

Instead of just calling these players "shooters" or something else mundane, I’ve chosen to call them "Deadeyes." Now not only is Deadeye an important skill to give riflemen in a large turn based made up board game I play (another story), but it is also a character played by the Great Red Skelton.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=qo2jkwggqXc

There were 61 1-3s this year in the "Deadeye Club." I have not included the 4-5s because we already have a great one who has been a deadeye in the past. Below they are listed according to 3pt%. Remember each of these players made at least 82 threes at at least a 35% rate. Are there any wolves on the list? I’ll spare you the trouble, No there are not. JJ was the closest (and the only one close) with 97 threes at a 34.6% rate (no I don’t round up it’s for sissies).

I also included how many years that player has been in "Our League," how many times they have been a deadeye, and if they were a deadeye when they were a rookie. There was only 1 deadeye rookie this year (Damian Lillard) and 4 Sophomores that repeated as deadeyes from their rookie year (Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving, Brandon Knight, and Isaiah Thomas). I didn’t see the second two coming either.

Here's the promised table. You should be able to control click on a players name and it will go to his BB reference page.

Name

Years in League

Years as "Deadeye"

Deadeye Rookie?

1.Jose Calderon

2. Kyle Korver

No (but close)

3. Stephen Curry

Yes

4. Shane Battier

Yes

5. Danny Green

6. Mike Dunleavy

7. Kevin Martin

8. Steve Novak

9. Martell Webster

10.Ray Allen

Yes

11.Thabo Sefolosha

12.Kevin Durant

13.Gordon Hayward

14.C.J. Watson

15.Randy Foye

16.Mario Chalmers

Yes

17.O.J. Mayo

Yes

Yes

	25.Kyrie Irving

Yes

26.Caron Butler

27.Ben Gordon

Yes

28.C. Parsons

	29.C.J. Miles

30.Paul Pierce

Yes

31.C. Anthony

32.Deron Williams

Yes

33.Jamal Crawford

34.Carlos Delfino

35.B. Jennings

Yes

36.Joe Johnson

	37.Dorell Wright

40.Jason Terry

Yes

Yes

45.George Hill

46.Jrue Holiday

1 but very close twice

47.Damian Lillard

Yes

48.Brandon Knight

Yes

49.Ty Lawson

50.J.J. Redick

51.Mike Conley

52.Paul George

53.Kyle Lowry

54.Raymond Felton

Yes

55.Jeff Teague

56.Isaiah Thomas

Yes

57.Jodie Meeks

58.J.R. Smith

59.Gary Neal

Yes

60.Manu Ginobili

61.Jason Kidd

Avg -

7.16 years of exp

3.97 times

29.5% As Rookie

The average deadeye has been in "Our League" about 7 years and has been a deadeye close to 4 times. However, less than a third of deadeyes were rookies. JJ Redick and Kyle Korver weren’t even deadeyes as rookies! Certainly you can get a great shooter in the draft, but don’t expect them to be a great shooter right off the bat. Although there are outliers (Isaiah Thomas!), the draft is a crapshoot and is not the best way to find deadeyes. You can draft a player, but he probably won’t be a deadeye right away for you.

Look at the guys on the list. Many of them have changed teams many times. These guys can be had by trades. This means that if we are going to get a shooter for our team next year it better be through the Free Agency. Vets are simply better shooters. They have been in the league longer, and are used to the distance of the NBA 3. It also seems to be a skill that can be added to an NBA repertoire. Guys like George Hill, C.J. Miles, and Dorell Wright are great examples of this.

This hasn’t changed my mind about going after Dipo/Porter in a trade up or standing pat with KCP. If we are just trying to get a shooter in the draft let’s get this Russian Fellow. He’ll probably pan out eventually (hopefully).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=1wX8pNcC1eU

Alright so what did you gather from this years 1-3 deadeyes?

How should the Timberwolf organization go about getting some?

However, what exactly is a "shooter" and how can you tell if you have one on your team? That’s a great question Hivemind! I decided that what are the two things we want from our shooters?

1. 1. Make threes (at least 1 per game)

2. 2. Make them at an acceptable percentage (35%)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=qo2jkwggqXc

Here's the promised table. You should be able to control click on a players name and it will go to his BB reference page.

Name

Years in League

Years as "Deadeye"

Deadeye Rookie?

1.Jose Calderon

2. Kyle Korver

No (but close)

3. Stephen Curry

Yes

4. Shane Battier

Yes

5. Danny Green

6. Mike Dunleavy

7. Kevin Martin

8. Steve Novak

9. Martell Webster

10.Ray Allen

Yes

11.Thabo Sefolosha

12.Kevin Durant

13.Gordon Hayward

14.C.J. Watson

15.Randy Foye

16.Mario Chalmers

Yes

17.O.J. Mayo

Yes

Yes

	25.Kyrie Irving

Yes

26.Caron Butler

27.Ben Gordon

Yes

28.C. Parsons

	29.C.J. Miles

30.Paul Pierce

Yes

31.C. Anthony

32.Deron Williams

Yes

33.Jamal Crawford

34.Carlos Delfino

35.B. Jennings

Yes

36.Joe Johnson

	37.Dorell Wright

40.Jason Terry

Yes

Yes

45.George Hill

46.Jrue Holiday

1 but very close twice

47.Damian Lillard

Yes

48.Brandon Knight

Yes

49.Ty Lawson

50.J.J. Redick

51.Mike Conley

52.Paul George

53.Kyle Lowry

54.Raymond Felton

Yes

55.Jeff Teague

56.Isaiah Thomas

Yes

57.Jodie Meeks

58.J.R. Smith

59.Gary Neal

Yes

60.Manu Ginobili

61.Jason Kidd

Avg -

7.16 years of exp

3.97 times

29.5% As Rookie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=1wX8pNcC1eU

Alright so what did you gather from this years 1-3 deadeyes?

How should the Timberwolf organization go about getting some?

Poll

How should the Timberwolf organization acquire a/some deadeye/deadeyes?

Trading for Jared Dudley, thoughts on wings in this year's draft

2013-06-14T21:03:43Z

Hi All,

Full Disclosure: I am a Suns fan. Most of my posts are on Bright Side of the Sun.

Sadly, my Suns were awful this last season and are looking at a full rebuild right now. In the past, I think there were some discussions about the Suns trading spot-up shooter, smart guy, and tweet-a-minute player Jared Dudley to the Wolves.

Would you all still be interested? It seems you still need a wing shooter, and with your core coming into their primes, it seems perhaps you would be willing to trade a draft pick for another player in his prime. Would the #9 and one of your backup PG's be acceptable? You seem to have a lot of reasonably good backup PG's. Or maybe the #9 and garbage filler players.

Also, what players do you think the Wolves are looking at in the upcoming draft? Anybody in particular been in for workouts. I thought you all might be interested in Karasev, since he is (a) a SF, (b) a shooter, and (c) Russian. You seem to have an affinity for Russian players.

Thoughts? Flames? Cake and ice cream? (I prefer the latter)

Hi All,

Full Disclosure: I am a Suns fan. Most of my posts are on Bright Side of the Sun.

Thoughts? Flames? Cake and ice cream? (I prefer the latter)

Around The League: Los Angeles Clippers

2013-06-14T19:34:57Z

Midway through the season, the Los Angeles Clippers looked like title contenders. At 32-9 with a gaudy point differential, Chris Paul was clearly the third best player in the league, Griffin, Jordan, and Bledsoe all had improved, and the team's motley assortment of veterans, led by Matt Barnes, were playing better than anyone had a right to expect. Despite a tumultuous second half, the Clippers still finished the season a franchise best 56-26, but following a convincing playoff defeat in the first round, Vinny Del Negro is gone, the young guys regressed down the stretch, and the rumor mill has Chris Paul looking to jump ship, a possibility that would have been unthinkable several months ago.

Any analysis of the Clippers begins with Paul, an unrestricted free agent. Either the best or second best point guard in the league, depending on Tony Parker's most recent game, Paul is an advanced stats god (2nd among active players in PER, 1st in WS/48) and the Clippers entire offense for long stretches. The only fly in his resume's ointment has been a lack of postseason success, and it may be that Paul needs to accept a lesser role on a better team to succeed in the playoffs. This is not a criticism. Paul's teams have usually lost to 55+ win juggernauts, and it is doubtful that any point guard in NBA history would have been able to win a brutal Western Conference with the help Paul has received. The fate of Kidd's New Jersey teams in the Finals, prime Stockton's Jazz, and Oscar Robertson's Royals all attest to the difficulty of placing a team's destiny on the shoulders of its smallest player. The ability of teams to place larger defenders like Tony Allen, Thabo Sefolosha, Kawhi Leonard, and Andre Iguodala on Paul without worrying about mismatches elsewhere on the court only exacerbates this disadvantage.

Where, on the roster, will this help come from? The best candidate is Blake Griffin, who received an avalanche of criticism, both fair and unfair, after the Clippers' loss to Memphis. Griffin has played hurt during the past two postseasons, severely limiting his effectiveness. Criticized for not improving, Griffin has improved as a defender and in his general court awareness. However, he still has not shown much improvement from the midrange, hitting only a third of his shots beyond ten feet, and his rebounding has declined precipitously over the past two years, as he deals with more defensive responsibility. He is a fantastic passer and a much better post player than advertised, but like the similar Karl Malone, he is sometimes unable to successfully adjust to a halfcourt playoff style game. Improving his elbow jumper would be a huge boon to the Clipper offense, as his passing ability would allow him to act as a secondary creator from the elbow, relieving some of the pressure on Paul, and opening space for Paul to run pick and roll on the wing after the defense has been sent scrambling.

The other guy who was supposed to relieve Paul was the veteran Jamal Crawford, signed through 2016 to a midlevel deal. Crawford had an excellent regular season, averaging almost 17 points on relatively efficient shooting, and contending for 6MOY. In news that should shock absolutely no one, depending on Crawford in the playoffs backfired, as Memphis took him out of the series after an early explosion. He remains a nice player, but not one a title contender can count on in more than a supercharged JJ Barea/Gary Neal role, as opposed to "#2 scorer".

Of all of VDN's foibles, inconsistencies, and bewildering mistakes, perhaps the most damaging was his development of DeAndre Jordan. Jordan continues to show promise, despite an abysmal season from the line (.386), but his defensive limitations, and VDN's decision to play Lamar Odom ahead of him in 4th quarters this year, has kept the Clippers defense, the team's achilles heel despite all the nasty things I wrote about the offense, below its potential. With an engaged, disciplined Jordan clogging the lane for 32 minutes a night, the Clippers would have the pieces of a championship level defense. Instead, 24 minutes of shotblocking, shot altering, and pick and roll breakdowns have held back the team's defense, which instead thrived on the bench, led by Barnes and Bledsoe, creating turnovers, a skill that often disappears against disciplined playoff offenses (as it did against Memphis). The inveterate prankster has two years and over 22 million left on his current deal.

Matt Barnes inexplicably had a career year. He's been a really good role player the past few years, and a very underrated loss for the Lakers, on whom he would have arguably been the third best player this past year. I wouldn't expect him to be quite as good next year, but he should continue to be a very good player that GM's refuse to pay, possibly because he is one of the most annoying players in the league. And now, a brief mention of Caron Butler's 2013 season. That was it.

The Clippers' most intriguing asset is Eric Bledsoe, the shiny lure dangled in front of opposing GM's to catch the Clippers' next white whale in order to form a championship aquarium. Bledsoe was at his best early in the season as a foil for Chris Paul, coming off the bench to create 8 minutes of havoc, whiplashing the opponents once they had adjusted to Paul's meticulous surgery. The effect, like alternately fighting Hannibal Lector and Ash, befuddled and beat teams into submission. He was exposed after Paul's injuries/midseason vacation forced him into starter's minutes, and his lack of consistent shooting and penchant for very bad, no good turnovers torpedoed the offense. Many people would still love to take a chance on a 23 year old that averaged 15-5-5 with 2.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per 36 minutes, even accounting for the fact that some of those defensive stats came at the expense of ballwatching and indefensible gambling. A trade seems inevitable, as he is unlikely to get more than 15-20 minutes a game with the Clippers as long as Paul is playing, and if Paul isn't playing, what is the point of the Clippers, really?

There aren't any more interesting young players on the squad. Returning and departing bench players include Grant Hill (retiring), Lamar Odom's expiring contract, and free agents Willie Green (team option), Ronny Turiaf, Ryan Hollins, and Chauncey Billups. Green and Turiaf are acceptable 9th men, Billups has barely been able to move following his Achilles injury, and Ryan Hollins continues to be Ryan Hollins. We're so sorry, Clippers fans.

As of now, the Clippers are still without a head coach. The organization may hire a defensive coach to develop Jordan and improve the defense, or an offensive coach to add creativity to the team's schemes, which are little more than "put Paul at the top of the key, and see what he does." Ideally, they would be able to accomplish both through the hiring of capable assistants, and a head coach that would defer to those assistants when needed. The direction the team takes will tell us a lot about what they perceive as their main weakness.

If Paul comes back, the Clippers will have minimal flexibility this summer, having sunk about 62 million into Paul, Griffin, Jordan, Butler, Crawford, and Bledsoe. Any improvements beyond their cap exceptions would have to come via a Bledsoe trade. The only avenue to opening significant cap space seems to be finding takers for Jordan and Caron Butler's expiring deal, the latter of which would likely necessitate surrendering a pick. Otherwise, it is what it is in Clipperland, a 48-53 win second tier Western Conference team next year, barring major improvements from young players. That is a slight step backward, because I think it's more likely that the veterans like Crawford and Barnes fall off than I do that Jordan and Bledsoe take their games to the next level, which leaves Chris Paul where he's been his entire career, in the 4-7 seed pseudo-contender range.

Poll

Who will be the Clippers' 3rd best player in 2014?

What would you give up for Evan Turner?

2013-06-14T03:27:02Z

I think its pretty likely that the T-Wolves will trade their 26th pick if they can get a player of some significance to help out. I was reading Hoopshype rumors and it would appear that Philly is looking to land a pick towards the end of the first round. Turner has been a player talked about as a potential trade chip in the past, and he would seem to fit our needs fairly well.

I'm thinking pick #26 and JJ for Evan Turner, and the Trade machine says its even.

Seems like a win/win to me. There is reason to think that Turner could improve with Adelman coaching and could probably use a change of scenery at this point. I don't see that there would be a better SG sitting at 26 and giving up one of our PGs needs to be done for cap reasons anyway.

I'm sure we could use DWill in this trade, but I'm thinking he is worth more than JJ, and would be better used to trade up from 9, or possibly in a larger 3 team trade to hopefully net us something worth at least a top 10 pick. He was #2 after all and he did play better this year.

What do you guys think? Are you interested in Turner?

I'm thinking pick #26 and JJ for Evan Turner, and the Trade machine says its even.

What do you guys think? Are you interested in Turner?

Optimism, Stupidity, and Desperation. Am I wrong for expecting a good 2013-2014 season?

2013-06-13T13:29:28Z

In the 23 years of Timberwolves basketball, the team has an all-time 762-118 record (.397). With Kevin Garnett at the helm, the team amassed a 469-401 record (.539). The post-Garnett era has given us an astounding 167-391 record (.299). Sadly, the 31-51 campaign our team posted was the best record ever in a season where Kevin Garnett wasn't on the team! To the credit of former and current management, everyone in the league is expecting this team to become better and contend for a spot in the playoffs next season.

New POBO/GM/POT Flip Saunders has confirmed Kevin Love is here to stay. Kevin Love reciprocated that sentiment, and he is expected to come into next year fully healthy sans knuckle push ups. Ricky Rubio, the diamond in David Kahn's rough, will be ready to start his first 82 game season entirely healthy. Thanks to the shortened season and ACL injury, Rubio has played the equivalent of one full season and a deep playoff run in his first 2 NBA seasons. The two best players are actually 100% healthy coming into next season. Knock on wood.

We also have some great role players and/or fringe stars on the roster. Nikola Pekovic will more than likely be retained, even if it means overpaying $1-$3 million per year. Chase Budinger's knee injury hampered his season and reduced his market value by a little bit, but I still expect the team to lock him up especially since we traded our first round pick last season for him. Alexey Shved had a roller coaster season, but he has plenty of room to grow as a ball handler and can learn to pick his shots a bit better. Dante Cunningham and Greg Steimsma have their moments, but a guy like Malcom Lee has become rather expendable.

Some of the big question marks involve the likes of Luke Ridnour, JJ Barea, Derrick Williams, and Andrei Kirilenko. It seems very possible that either Ridnour/Barea will be traded (more likely Barea). There are also rampant rumors of Derrick Williams being packaged in a deal to move up in the draft from the #9 spot. As for Kirilenko, will he opt out of his deal? If he does, it frees up $10 million in cap space and allows the team to pursue larger trades or a big name free agent.

We seem to be set up very well for next season. We could perhaps gain some leverage through the draft with a guy like Victor Oladipo (trade-up scenario) or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (stay put) in addition to another role player like a Jeff Withey at 26. Sign a veteran sharp shooter to pair with Rubio and this team appears destined for the playoffs. Our starting five could very well look like this:

Rubio, Oladipo/Caldwell-Pope, Kirilenko, Love, Pekovic.

I don't know what you think, but that sounds like a great 2013-2014 season!

That quote by Louis C.K. sums up each year of Timberwolves basketball for me. Even the KG-Cassell-Sprewell Western Conference Finals run ranks up there with those 15 and 17 win seasons. In all honesty, I have confidence in the new management that they can field together a great team that can compete with anybody in the league. However, every year I tell myself this and my dreams are dashed away faster than a Kardashian marriage.

via a.espncdn.com

via nbcprobasketballtalk.files.wordpress.com

via cdn2.sbnation.com

via therookiewall.com

via www.slamonline.com

via www.sportsgrid.com

via www.ngngsports.com

Over the years I have learned my lesson to never put all my eggs in one basket, but for the love of god can something please go right this season? I'm going to quit trying to hype up this team until it actually goes somewhere. The pieces are in place, and the playoff potential is there. Bill Parcells once said that potential means you haven't done anything yet, and this team is the epitome of that saying. Ok, I'm done ranting and torturing you all with these gruesome images. If you beared through this then kudos to you, but I just needed to get this off my chest.

Rubio, Oladipo/Caldwell-Pope, Kirilenko, Love, Pekovic.

I don't know what you think, but that sounds like a great 2013-2014 season!

via a.espncdn.com

via nbcprobasketballtalk.files.wordpress.com

via cdn2.sbnation.com

via therookiewall.com

via www.slamonline.com

via www.sportsgrid.com

via www.ngngsports.com

Poll

What odds do you give the team to make the playoffs in 2013-2014?

We All Love Andrei But...

2013-06-12T07:22:47Z

I gotta admit, I really loved watching Kirilenko at the beginning of the season. He was the glue that held this team together before Rubio & Love came back. it was giving everybody a tremendous amount of hope for the season but by the time he started breaking down I just couldn't bring myself to watch the team any longer. I really remember only the good Andrei.

Did you all realize that his RAPM numbers for the year were absolutely brutal? His Offensive rating was a dismal -1.8, Defense Rating was -.04 for a [B]total rating of -2.2[/B].

He would either have had to be absolutely horrible near the end of the season or he simply was not as good as I thought he was. My son continued watching until the bitter end and he told me Kirilinko was awful.

Check out the RAPM numbers over his career and see if this could be a case of more than simply overuse:

2013 -2.2

2011 1.2

2010 2.4

2009 3.7

2008 3.8

2007 2.3

2006 4.7

2005 4.2

2004 2.9

2003 1.2

2002 1.1

These numbers definitely look like a trend. It looks like the only year that kept his numbers from being a classic bell curve was 2007. I don't want to believe this but it looks like Andrei may not be what I thought he was, especially with the obvious fact that he probably is only valuable at all as a bench player at 20 mpg tops. There's NO possible way at those numbers he's worth 10 million, 7 million or even 5 million a year, especially for a poor shooting team like ours.

I really love the guy so Please tell me that I'm wrong!

Did you all realize that his RAPM numbers for the year were absolutely brutal? His Offensive rating was a dismal -1.8, Defense Rating was -.04 for a [B]total rating of -2.2[/B].

Check out the RAPM numbers over his career and see if this could be a case of more than simply overuse:

2013 -2.2

2011 1.2

2010 2.4

2009 3.7

2008 3.8

2007 2.3

2006 4.7

2005 4.2

2004 2.9

2003 1.2

2002 1.1

I really love the guy so Please tell me that I'm wrong!

From 1 to 35,535: A Shale Hen OR Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport

2013-06-11T14:46:27Z

How many of the baker's dozen of Aussies who've played in the NBA can you name? Hint - three were Timberwolves.

While you think, a brief musical interlude:

Okay, of the 13 NBA players who came from a Land Down Under, three are naturalized Australians who were born elsewhere (one from New Zealand and two from the USA), which makes naming all of them even more difficult.

Here's the complete list:

David Anderson

Chris Anstey

Aron Baynes (Kiwi)

Andrew Bogut

Mark Bradkte

Andrew Gaze

Ricky Grace (American)

Shane Heal

Nathan Jawai

Luc Longley

Darnell Mee (American)

Patrick Mills

Luke Schenscher

The Wolves, of course, were Longley, Jawai, and the man who's next on our minutes-played list, Shane Heal.

Perhaps best known for tussling with Charles Barkley in 1996, Heal played for Australia on four Olympic squads, totaling more points and assists than any other player in the world thrice (1996, 2000 and 2004). One of the greatest players in the history of his country's NBL, he now coaches the Sydney Kings. His twitter profile says he loves beer and coffee, so he's quite alright in my book.

The 6'0, 180 lb. guard could get hot from the three, but never consistently enough in the NBA to stick with the Wolves (43 games in 96-97) or the Spurs (6 games in 03-04). Here are some highlights from his time in MN:

And Heal lighting it up against the USA and Sir Charles:

How many of the baker's dozen of Aussies who've played in the NBA can you name? Hint - three were Timberwolves.

While you think, a brief musical interlude:

Here's the complete list:

David Anderson

Chris Anstey

Aron Baynes (Kiwi)

Andrew Bogut

Mark Bradkte

Andrew Gaze

Ricky Grace (American)

Shane Heal

Nathan Jawai

Luc Longley

Darnell Mee (American)

Patrick Mills

Luke Schenscher

The Wolves, of course, were Longley, Jawai, and the man who's next on our minutes-played list, Shane Heal.

And Heal lighting it up against the USA and Sir Charles:

Please trade D-Will to the Bobcats

2013-06-10T18:28:15Z

I think this trade will be best for both teams. Adelman doesn't like Williams and Williams is a young player that would be able to develop alongside Kemba Walker and under Michael Jordan in Charlotte. Trade D-Will and the number 9 pick for the number 4 pick.

This way the T-Wolves get Victor Oladipo and they fill a need at SG and the Bobcats can get a Cody Zeller or Mason Plumlee at 9. The 2 rosters would look like this.

T-Wolves

Rubio

Oladipo

Budinger

K-Love

Pekovic

Bobcats

Walker

Henderson/Taylor

MKG

D-Will

Zeller/Plumlee

I think D-Will would thrive playing with Walker and MKG while the T-Wolves would have a back court of Rubio/Oladipo. This is a trade that is truly smart for both teams. D-Will doesn't want to be in Minnesota playing under Adelman and Adelman hs Kevin Love at the 4. There's no more Tweener stuff with D-Will. He's a 4 and he plays his best at the 4. In Charlotte, there will be no doubt that Williams is a 4 with MKG at the 3 spot.

This way the T-Wolves get Victor Oladipo and they fill a need at SG and the Bobcats can get a Cody Zeller or Mason Plumlee at 9. The 2 rosters would look like this.

T-Wolves

Rubio

Oladipo

Budinger

K-Love

Pekovic

Bobcats

Walker

Henderson/Taylor

MKG

D-Will

Zeller/Plumlee

Ain't No Cure for the Summertime Blues

2013-06-08T01:18:49Z

Before we get started let's get this out of the way.

So there has been a lot of good basketball of late and more draft speculation than if Voodoo Magic had an electric draft speculation machine. These things have been well covered. Two things that we have been lacking here in Hoopusland are music threads and actual summer. The purpose of this thread is to create one in the hopes that it will evoke the other.

First up a few versions of the ultimate summertime song: Summertime.

Original Broadway- 1940's

Definitive Verison- Doc and Merle Watson

Miles!

Oscar Peterson on Clavichird?

Pizza Tapes.

Ok, that might be enough of that (but probably not). The next part of our summer evoking post is to look at songs that just feel like summer. You know what I mean. Some songs just feel right for road trips, BBQ, frisbee throwing, fishing, cold beer and other summer activities.

Anything from the harder they come song track

Anything from the Beach Boys

Bluegrass

China Cat Sunflower/ I Know You Rider

So there you have it. Some songs to hopefully give summer the boost it needs. I have to be honest, if I don't get a healthy dose of summer soon I'm going to lose my shit. I try not to be negative about things like weather but really- it's mid June for crying out loud and I had to get a hat out to work in the basement. Sorry- rant over, but I do need your help. Please take the time to post your favorite version of Gershwin's true American Anthem or any other songs that remind you of summer days, summer nights or anything summery.

Before we get started let's get this out of the way.

First up a few versions of the ultimate summertime song: Summertime.

Original Broadway- 1940's

Definitive Verison- Doc and Merle Watson

Miles!

Oscar Peterson on Clavichird?

Pizza Tapes.

Anything from the harder they come song track

Anything from the Beach Boys

Bluegrass

China Cat Sunflower/ I Know You Rider

WNBA Game Wrap: Minnesota Lynx 99 - Phoenix Mercury 79

2013-06-07T15:38:00Z

The best center in the league joins a team in the southwest US leading to instantaneous anointing of finals success. I wish I could find the four-letter sites predictions grid because certainly more than half of the voters chose the Mercury as league favorites, as did WNBA GMs a week ago. But a 0-3 start has left Phoenix looking like more of a speed bump than a title contender.

via www.washingtonpost.com

The Lynx shot out to an early lead in this one and never looked back. Maya Moore continued her strong first-half performances with 18 points in the first 20 minutes, while the Lynx collectively scored 60 points in the first half to the Mercury's 33. Taking a team mentality into the game, the Lynx passed through the Mercury's meager defense, racking up 30 assists (Whalen - 10), tying a team record and on only 36 shots.

So, Griner. She's really tall and an excellent low post player, but her game remains a work in progress. Griner did not appear interested in boxing out or rebounding as the Lynx captured 17 offensive boards, and kept some possessions alive for what felt like minutes. I am not sure what the Phoenix offensive game plan is at this point, because I saw little pick and roll action (you'd think a Taurasi-Griner PNR would be lethal) and Griner barely got any low post touches. When she did get the ball, Cheryl Reeve had an excellent game plan - doubling early, fouling when necessary, but forcing Griner to make her shots. Griner had one monster dunk opportunity in transition but missed it off the back of the rim. And with Janel McCarville winded and in early foul trouble, Amber Harris played a stellar performance against Griner.

via stmedia.startribune.com

Harris has been somewhat of a mystery on the Lynx averaging only 10 minutes per game last year, but she has had a breakout game on Thursday, racking up a career-best 18 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. She can stretch the floor with a 3 point shot (2-5) and pull bigs out of the lane. She stuffed Griner twice on the way to 3 blocks and appears to be a capable passer as well. With all the attention being drawn by Moore, Whalen and Augustus, if Harris can consistently knock down open shots, she'll solidify a place in the rotation and may even pass McCarville on the depth charts. In a postgame interview, after being read all of the accomplishments, Harris was asked if this could be called her breakout game. She simply responded, "Yup."

This game gave us an opportunity to see the Lynx rookies in action, especially Rachel Jarry who could already be cemented in the rotation. Jarry has played professionally in Australia since she was 16 or so and was drafted in 2011 by the Atlanta Dream and then traded to the Lynx. Jarry spent a couple more years playing in Australia (as well as in the Olympics) before joining the Lynx this season. At 6'1", Jarry spends most of her time at SF, where she appears to be a capable 3 point specialist.

Small sample size alert: Lindsay Moore and Sugar Rogers also got a few minutes down the stretch. Moore the Lesser didn't score, but she appears to be a pesky PG defender with a penchant for gunning 3 point shots out of PNR sets. Rodgers projects as a sharpshooter with a great shot off the dribble. Both were fun to watch, especially L.Moore, who was everywhere.

So much for preseason predictions...the Lynx appear to be headed to another sizzling season start. The team is so deep and has so much talent that it's hard for me to see other teams challenging them when they are in this kind of offensive mindset. And I didn't even talk about this:

via blacksportsonline.com

via www.washingtonpost.com

via stmedia.startribune.com

via blacksportsonline.com

Life after Pek

2013-06-06T18:05:31Z

Since no one else seems willing to talk about it, I wanted to discuss the probability of Nikola Pekovic not being a Timberwolf.

Now I know that the hivemind will disagree, but I don't think it would be the end of the world if we lose Pek to free agency if the price is too much. I love having Pek on the team, as a person and as a player. That being said, I fully recognize that there is a possibility he could be in another uniform come next season.

So what are some options if Papa Glen and Flip decide to let Pek go?

Sign and Trade

We need to get whatever we can if we decide to let Pek pick up and walk. Possible destinations are; Cleveland, Atlanta, Dallas or Portland.

Cleveland has nothing we want, that wouldn't conflict with a position of strength here. Varajao gets paid too much, Dion Waiters and Alonzo Gee? No thank you. However, They do have a "Habit, and I'll just say habit" of winning the lottery. A few first round draft picks would be the best we could get from them not including Kyrie Irving.

Atlanta. Why Atlanta? Because Al Horford can play PF and Zaza P. isn't the future. What do they have that we would want? Lou Williams at what looks like $5 mil a season. This wouldn't be the worst thing to happen. Throw in a second rounder or two, and The T'wolves can walk away from this with a sense that they didn't get completely bent over.

Dallas has Jae Crowder, which would satisfy a lot of Canis Hoopians. (Canis Hoopsters? Canis Hooptrons?) Anyway, it would make some people around here happy. Is it enough for Pek? Nope. we would need some additional assets in order to say we got close to fair value. I'm not interested in anyone else on the roster, so a first round draft choice would have to be in the mix as well.

Portland. Can I just say how happy I am to not be in the middle of another offseason where we talk endlessly about Nic Batum? Ugh, that was painful. Portland has Will Barton, which once again will satisfy some Hivemind, but isn't enough for Pek. Once again, draft picks will have to be included. How about a first and a second?

Now the part where we have to try and fill Pek's enormous shoes. We can do this a number of ways.

The Draft

Oh so much debate when it comes to the draft this year. Personally, I love it. I think being at number 9 actually affords us the ability to go a number of ways without screwing up too badly. As of today Draft express has it ordered like this;

1. Nerlens Noel

2. Ben Mclemore

3. Otto Porter

4. Alex Len

5. Victor Oladipo

6. Anthony Bennett

7. Trey Burke

8. CJ McCollum

9. (Gasp!) Shabazz Muhammad

This will change 350 more times before June 27th. But for our purposes, this is potentially how it will shake out. I don't believe that we will find anyone here that won't agree that we can do better than Shabazz. But who is left? Plenty of big men, which plays right into my argument here. Let's take a look.

Kelly Olynyk

Cody Zeller

Stephen Adams

Rudy Gobert

Mason Plumlee (No thanks)

Gorgui Dieng

Personally my top choice is Olynyk. Zeller is Second. The rest are kind of Meh. Olynyk and Zeller both graded out well in vjl110's college player model, so that makes me feel good about this opinion.

I understand we will not be able to replace Pek with a draft pick. But these two could help us ease the pain a bit. Also, I believe that even with Pek, we are not close to contending. We are not on the cusp, we haven't even sniffed the playoffs in a very long time. Hoping that a draft pick develops may be our best hope anyway.

Remeber this? SSC: Timberwolves centric review of "Big 2’s and Big 3’s: Analyzing How a Team’s Best Players Complement Each Other" by Robert Ayer

To be fair, that was last year. Pek has grown as a player, and really didn't get a chance to play with Love this year. But still, I know how you all love statistics. I distinctly remember this article and thinking "If these types of players don't work well together and it is supported by statistical evidence, why is Canis Hoopus in a froth about keeping this core together"?

Anyway, Here are a few other options to round out our potential future;

1. Dwight Howard signs with Rockets, immediately inquire about the availability of Omer Asik.

Compare Asik to Pek

Not a bad swap, eh? We would see less scoring, but look at that rebounding! Everything else is relatively similar.

2.Inquire about the availability of Bismack Biyambo.

Compare Biyambo to Pek

Not nearly as attractive, but our defense and blocks look better.

3.Inquire about the availability of Andre Drummond.

Compare Drummond to Pek

This seems favorable to me other than free throws.

4. Look at the free agent market

Dwight Howard (Nope)

Andrew Bynum (Nope)

Chris Kaman (No thanks)

Al Jefferson (At the right price I'd consider it.)

So assuming Al Jefferson really hates money, we really only have one option that could come close to what we'd need to get out of a free agent.

What to do with the rest of the team?

I think the priorities align something like this.

1. Resign Chase Budinger 3 years 11m

2. Get rid of JJ and Luke. We've had enough of the tiny 2 guard.

3. Balance the roster through the draft at 26 and 2 second rounders. We need 3's and real 2's Sergey Karasev, Ricky Ledo, Dario Saric, Glen Rice, etc. KCP will not go at 9, nor will he be available at 26.

4. Send Derrick Williams to a bad team that can use him. I like the deal for Dudley (Although I think Phoenix is done taking our dirty laundry.) and I don't hate the Afflalo trade.

5. Keep this freaking team healthy. Maybe this should be #1...

That's all I can muster for my first post ever. What say you Hivemind?

Love is not going anywhere.

2013-06-06T13:33:25Z

Our new fearless leader Flip just said to Kevin Love on 4 Letter Radio that Love is NOT being traded. Rejoice!

So don't believe any of the crazy rumors you hear. You may continue having fun with all kinds of trade rumors regarding Caged Lions, Coqui's, and Luke Skywalkers, but do NOT entertain crazy rumors about the Great Bearded One. He is here to stay, at least for the next 2 years.

Now let's hope we can convince him to stay long-term. I have a feeling that if the team wins games over the next 2 years, then we have as good a shot at signing Love long-term as any team does.Our new fearless leader Flip just said to Kevin Love on 4 Letter Radio that Love is NOT being traded. Rejoice! So don't believe any of the crazy rumors you hear. You may continue having fun with all kinds of trade rumors regarding Caged Lions, Coqui's, and Luke Skywalkers, but do NOT entertain crazy rumors about the Great Bearded One. He is here to stay, at least for the next 2 years. Now let's hope we can convince him to stay long-term. I have a feeling that if the team wins games over the next 2 years, then we have as good a shot at signing Love long-term as any team does.