The Minnesota pick from Phoenix

[ctrey]

I think that is going to be a steal. Yes, it is top 12 protected and if it stays in the top 12 this year and next it turns into two 2nds. However I think they get out of the top 12 next season. If Rubio stays healthy, Wiggins gets better along with Pekovic, Deing and Shabazz that team is good. At least close to .500 good, even in the West. I think the pick ends up between 14 to 17. I am willing to bet we get a first rounder for Wright and thus a second first for Rondo. Am I nuts?

[JBcat]

Martin is also healthy for them again... They should land a top 5 pick this year, and depending on their cap space could land a solid free agent.  I don't think being in the middle of the pack is out of the question for them next year.  Sneaky trade by Ainge and that 5 mil TPE could turn into something as well, and we still have the 12.9 mil TPE from the Rondo trade.

[fantankerous]

Celticsblog wishful thinking on full display.  The question isn't whether they will improve next season, but who will they supplant in the top 8-10 in the west next year?  It would take an incredible talent drain from the West to East and retirement/injuries to key players in the West to vault the Twolves into the top 10.

[JBcat]

Celticsblog wishful thinking on full display.  The question isn't whether they will improve next season, but who will they supplant in the top 8-10 in the west next year?  It would take an incredible talent drain from the West to East and retirement/injuries to key players in the West to vault the Twolves into the top 10.

They could possibly leapfrog the Lakers, Jazz, Kings, and Nuggets in the west and with all the bad teams in the east they might have a shot of finishing outside the bottom 12.  Everything would need to break right for them though.  If Wiggens improves to all star level next year you never know.

[sofutomygaha]

If they were in the east, I think there would actually be a really good chance, but fantankerous does have a [exaggerated] point.

Minnesota could make huge strides next year and be a .500 team or close to it, but a .500 team in the West, might actually still pick around #12. Right now, for example, OKC is a .500 team and they are slotted to pick 13th.

Minnesota will need help in the form of one or more Western powers crumbling. This isn't outside the realm of possibility. Whether by major injury or free agency, if Memphis lost Marc Gasol, Portland lost Lamarcus Aldridge, Dallas lost Dirk, Houston lost Harden, or NO lost Davis, that would make a little room for Minnesota to climb out of the West's bottom 5.

San Antonio is awesome, but so very old. We've been waiting for them to slide forever. If Kawhi were to walk and Manu and Duncan were to finally age, they could fall into a rebuilding year soon (doesn't this have to happen some day?)

Stuff like this does happen on the regular. The Pacers abruptly vanished from contention going into this season. OKC nearly vanished, as well. Last year, the Lakers and the Knicks vanished.

[oldtype]

If they do make great strides early in the season they will shut things down for precisely this reason. They have no incentive to be any better than they have to be to keep their pick next year.

[sofutomygaha]

If they do make great strides early in the season they will shut things down for precisely this reason. They have no incentive to be any better than they have to be to keep their pick next year.

It's not true. The incentive would be to squeak into the playoffs. The line between the 12th and the 13th pick isn't too many wins away from the 8th seed. If there's going to be a Wiggins-Rubio-Pekovic-Dieng era, then the Wolves' management have shown every indication that they're going to go after it.

[oldtype]

If they do make great strides early in the season they will shut things down for precisely this reason. They have no incentive to be any better than they have to be to keep their pick next year.

It's not true. The incentive would be to squeak into the playoffs. The line between the 12th and the 13th pick isn't too many wins away from the 8th seed. If there's going to be a Wiggins-Rubio-Pekovic-Dieng era, then the Wolves' management have shown every indication that they're going to go after it.

If we lost our pick entirely if we made the playoffs this season, would you shut it down or would you keep gunning for the 8 seed?

That's also not taking into account where Minny is in and around 9th or 10th but there's a significant gap between them and the 8-seed. In that case the only rational course of action for them is to lose games so they get to 11th and keep their pick.

On top of that there's also the small chance that Minnesota finishes 17th or 18th overall, but wins the lottery.

It's not impossible that we get that pick, but it's very, very unlikely. I'd say 5% or lower.

[libermaniac]

I think there's a good chance after an emergency re-alignment session puts them in the East! 

[PickNRoll]

Flip has pulled a truly epic tank job this year.  Somebody stubs their toe in the locker room, they're liable to miss 6 weeks on the Timberwolves.

Remember when Smart was stretchered off the court and we feared a broken ankle?  Rubio was hurt the same night.  Rubio just made his return last night.  He's said to have had tendon damage like Olynyk --we'll see if it takes KO 4 months to return. 

KMart played an entire game with a wrist injury and scored 37 points.  After the game they determine it's a broken wrist and he's out 3 months. ok maybe this one was legit

Lorenzo Brown played 48 minutes vs. Cleveland last week.  Pekovic has played 17 games due to "sore wrist", "sore ankle", "sore back".  Mo and Shabazz are missing games due to "sore hips".  Lavine is playing 30 minutes per game in Dec as your starting PG and go-to scorer at the end of games.  lol.  Bravo, Flip.  Bravo. 

I don't think they'll tank next year though. 

[Evantime34]

If they do make great strides early in the season they will shut things down for precisely this reason. They have no incentive to be any better than they have to be to keep their pick next year.

It's not true. The incentive would be to squeak into the playoffs. The line between the 12th and the 13th pick isn't too many wins away from the 8th seed. If there's going to be a Wiggins-Rubio-Pekovic-Dieng era, then the Wolves' management have shown every indication that they're going to go after it.

If we lost our pick entirely if we made the playoffs this season, would you shut it down or would you keep gunning for the 8 seed?

That's also not taking into account where Minny is in and around 9th or 10th but there's a significant gap between them and the 8-seed. In that case the only rational course of action for them is to lose games so they get to 11th and keep their pick.

On top of that there's also the small chance that Minnesota finishes 17th or 18th overall, but wins the lottery.

It's not impossible that we get that pick, but it's very, very unlikely. I'd say 5% or lower.

We are in a completely different situation than they are. They have a lot of good young talent that needs to develop. Where we are in need of more talent. For them making a playoff push means Wiggins, LaVine, Shabazz, Dieng, their pick this year and (to a lesser extent) bennett)

For a team that hasn't made the playoffs in a long time, with an owner who was tried to remain competitive rather than blowing it up in the past I don't see anyway they tank if the playoffs are in the realm of possibility at all.

[sofutomygaha]

Flip has pulled a truly epic tank job this year.  Somebody stubs their toe in the locker room, they're liable to miss 6 weeks on the Timberwolves.

I don't think they'll tank next year though.

I agree with you. I think that if Minnesota considered its window to be two years away, that would be a strong incentive to trade Thad Young. There have been some vague rumors on that front, but most have involved the Nets. Taking on one of the Nets 3 stars might actually make them more competitive in 2015-2016.

[Sundov Millionaire]

This team is on pace for 16 wins.

if they get the #1 overall maybe they can get to 30, 35 wins tops. The West is just too good and no one is looking like they're going to take a big dip downward

[PickNRoll]

This team is on pace for 16 wins.

if they get the #1 overall maybe they can get to 30, 35 wins tops. The West is just too good and no one is looking like they're going to take a big dip downward

If they actually play their players, they'll get 20 wins.  No guarantee of that.

Completely unrelated, but what an epic choke by the Clippers last night!  Up 9 with 1:45 left vs Brooklyn.  I was loving it.