Ford: Minnesota Intrigued by Javale McGee for #2 overall swap

[Evantime34]

I think McGee and Love front line would be fairly disastrous. McGee, despite his incredible athleticism and shot blocking skills, is a fairly miserable defensive player. I wouldn't want that paired with Kevin Love, who also struggles defensively.

Yeah I agree, if they rate Williams highly I'd rather have him instead of McGee and the 6th pick.

I just don't have that much faith that McGee will ever play smarter basketball than Mikki Moore.

It is very easy for a young player to look undisciplined around other young players. He has elite length and athleticism and is twice as strong as Mikki Moore. Moore failed because he is rail thin not because he consistently makes bad decisions. I think McGee with his crazy athleticism, and youth will only get better.

Would you rather have Williams even though Beasley and Anthony Randolph both play the 3/4 tweener position and Love is entrenched at the 4 spot. Lot's of gms speak of picking the best available player, but if you end up drafting the same position year after year and end up having all your good players at the same spots your team is not going to be good (see Minnesota currently with a glut of 1's and 4's, but not much else).

I'd much rather get McGee and someone like Burks would allow them to get two starters in a weak draft.

[Fafnir]

I think McGee and Love front line would be fairly disastrous. McGee, despite his incredible athleticism and shot blocking skills, is a fairly miserable defensive player. I wouldn't want that paired with Kevin Love, who also struggles defensively.

Yeah I agree, if they rate Williams highly I'd rather have him instead of McGee and the 6th pick.

I just don't have that much faith that McGee will ever play smarter basketball than Mikki Moore.

It is very easy for a young player to look undisciplined around other young players. He has elite length and athleticism and is twice as strong as Mikki Moore. Moore failed because he is rail thin not because he consistently makes bad decisions. I think McGee with his crazy athleticism, and youth will only get better.

Would you rather have Williams even though Beasley and Anthony Randolph both play the 3/4 tweener position and Love is entrenched at the 4 spot. Lot's of gms speak of picking the best available player, but if you end up drafting the same position year after year and end up having all your good players at the same spots your team is not going to be good (see Minnesota currently with a glut of 1's and 4's, but not much else).

I'd much rather get McGee and someone like Burks would allow them to get two starters in a weak draft.

McGee really hasn't developed any sort of basketball discipline or instincts in his three years. I'm just not sure he'll ever get there. He's gotten a ton of minutes to develop wiht too.

Besides Minnesota needs elite talent, they don't need to try and get "starters". Which currently McGee is not a starting caliber player and whomever they draft likely won't be either.

[Marcus13]

That sounds like some Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline. that Minnesota would do

[Evantime34]

I think McGee and Love front line would be fairly disastrous. McGee, despite his incredible athleticism and shot blocking skills, is a fairly miserable defensive player. I wouldn't want that paired with Kevin Love, who also struggles defensively.

Yeah I agree, if they rate Williams highly I'd rather have him instead of McGee and the 6th pick.

I just don't have that much faith that McGee will ever play smarter basketball than Mikki Moore.

It is very easy for a young player to look undisciplined around other young players. He has elite length and athleticism and is twice as strong as Mikki Moore. Moore failed because he is rail thin not because he consistently makes bad decisions. I think McGee with his crazy athleticism, and youth will only get better.

Would you rather have Williams even though Beasley and Anthony Randolph both play the 3/4 tweener position and Love is entrenched at the 4 spot. Lot's of gms speak of picking the best available player, but if you end up drafting the same position year after year and end up having all your good players at the same spots your team is not going to be good (see Minnesota currently with a glut of 1's and 4's, but not much else).

I'd much rather get McGee and someone like Burks would allow them to get two starters in a weak draft.

McGee really hasn't developed any sort of basketball discipline or instincts in his three years. I'm just not sure he'll ever get there. He's gotten a ton of minutes to develop wiht too.

Besides Minnesota needs elite talent, they don't need to try and get "starters". Which currently McGee is not a starting caliber player and whomever they draft likely won't be either.

I like McGee and I think he can develop the correct discipline in his game playing along with veterans. On further thought he probably needs veterans to succeed which is not something Minnesota has.

Unfortunately that which McGee needs to succeed is also what the young Minnesota players need to succeed. They need veterans to show the young players how to do things. So I think value wise McGee and the 6th is a good deal what they really need is to trade for a few solid veterans to further their team development.

[Mencius]

I don't know if i agree with this. Sure, David Kahn says his share of idiotic things but i think overall they've done a great job at collecting young talent..

I really disagree with this.

Besides acquiring Beasely, what has he done to significantly improve this team either in wins or potential value?

http://hoopshype.com/general_managers/david_kahn.htm

Acquiring young talent doesn't immediately turn into improvement in wins, especially when basically the entire roster consists of young players.

Exactly right, PosImpos.

For instance, if you take a team of veterans that is stuck on mediocre, and decide to rebuild by acquiring young talent, your win-loss record will take a hit, but you've in fact likely improved your team's prospects going forward.  It's much like what Danny had to do, and a lot of people just couldn't see past the win-loss column when judging the job he was doing as a GM, and wanted his head on a platter.  It doesn't always work out, and some franchises seem to be in constant rebuild mode.  I'm not sure about Kahn at this point.  I do think he's improved their talent base (as of course he should have given all the lottery picks).  Seems a little premature to call him a failure at this point. 

If it's McGee and #6, for #2, it's a steal for Minny.

[Lucky17]

If I'm Minnesota, I look to move Beasley instead, and keep the #2 to take Williams.

Who says no to the following trade:

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=3hh8lhb

McGee and Rashard Lewis for Beasley, Flynn, Webster, Tolliver, and Pekovic.

Washington uses McGee to unload Lewis' huge contract, picking up some young/raw/unproven commodities in Beasley, Flynn, and Pekovic, plus a couple rotation-worthy vets in Webster and Tolliver.

Minnesota shortens its roster, trading depth for a skilled veteran in Lewis and a young center in McGee to pair with Love.

[The Walker Wiggle]

Um, I say no. Blatche and B'Easy hanging out? Or rather Wall, Blatche and B'Easy hanging out?

I think McGee and Love front line would be fairly disastrous. McGee, despite his incredible athleticism and shot blocking skills, is a fairly miserable defensive player. I wouldn't want that paired with Kevin Love, who also struggles defensively.

Yeah I agree, if they rate Williams highly I'd rather have him instead of McGee and the 6th pick.

I just don't have that much faith that McGee will ever play smarter basketball than Mikki Moore.

It is very easy for a young player to look undisciplined around other young players. He has elite length and athleticism and is twice as strong as Mikki Moore. Moore failed because he is rail thin not because he consistently makes bad decisions. I think McGee with his crazy athleticism, and youth will only get better...

I'd much rather get McGee and someone like Burks would allow them to get two starters in a weak draft.

I think this is all pretty much exactly right. A Love and McGee frontcourt would be lousy defensively except on the glass; the Timberwolves have even fewer right way veterans than the Wizards; and McGee's unfocused play would look even worse - if sometimes way funner - alongside, say, Randolph and Beasley. But I still come to the same conclusion as Evantime34, I'd rather have McGee starting over Darko and McGee and the #6 over just the #2.

[Cman]

I like how Minny is apparently approaching the draft. I think it is just good business to see what you can get if you trade back in the draft.

A lot of people posting in this thread assume that the #2 pick will be Williams.  I think Minny would be fine with that, but what Minny is doing is seeing what it can get if Williams is *not* available (i.e.: Williams goes #1 to Cleveland).  They are then faced with the choice of drafting Irving, a questionable prospect with an admittedly high ceiling that would fill a position of zero need, or trading back in the draft.

[indeedproceed]

I like how Minny is apparently approaching the draft. I think it is just good business to see what you can get if you trade back in the draft.

A lot of people posting in this thread assume that the #2 pick will be Williams.  I think Minny would be fine with that, but what Minny is doing is seeing what it can get if Williams is *not* available (i.e.: Williams goes #1 to Cleveland).  They are then faced with the choice of drafting Irving, a questionable prospect with an admittedly high ceiling that would fill a position of zero need, or trading back in the draft.

Yeah but doesn't Williams also fit the bill of a 'questionable prospect with an admittedly high ceiling that would fill a position of zero need?'

[Who]

I like how Minny is apparently approaching the draft. I think it is just good business to see what you can get if you trade back in the draft.

A lot of people posting in this thread assume that the #2 pick will be Williams.  I think Minny would be fine with that, but what Minny is doing is seeing what it can get if Williams is *not* available (i.e.: Williams goes #1 to Cleveland).  They are then faced with the choice of drafting Irving, a questionable prospect with an admittedly high ceiling that would fill a position of zero need, or trading back in the draft.

Yeah but doesn't Williams also fit the bill of a 'questionable prospect with an admittedly high ceiling that would fill a position of zero need?'

D.Williams feels a position of need, small forward.

Michael Beasley is garbage. He did more harm than good to that Minny team last year. He was the biggest reason they didn't manage 20 wins.

[Cman]

I like how Minny is apparently approaching the draft. I think it is just good business to see what you can get if you trade back in the draft.

A lot of people posting in this thread assume that the #2 pick will be Williams.  I think Minny would be fine with that, but what Minny is doing is seeing what it can get if Williams is *not* available (i.e.: Williams goes #1 to Cleveland).  They are then faced with the choice of drafting Irving, a questionable prospect with an admittedly high ceiling that would fill a position of zero need, or trading back in the draft.

Yeah but doesn't Williams also fit the bill of a 'questionable prospect with an admittedly high ceiling that would fill a position of zero need?'

D.Williams feels a position of need, small forward.

Michael Beasley is garbage. He did more harm than good to that Minny team last year. He was the biggest reason they didn't manage 20 wins.

Ditto.
And Williams comes with less risk, since he's actually played at the college level.

[Overrated]

Williams has "potential" written all over him, and as enticing as McGee and #6 is (or even just McGee straight up), I would pass. Take Williams.

Minny will continue to suck for a few years, but they'll have a good core, especially if Rubio pans out for them.

[Evantime34]

I like how Minny is apparently approaching the draft. I think it is just good business to see what you can get if you trade back in the draft.

A lot of people posting in this thread assume that the #2 pick will be Williams.  I think Minny would be fine with that, but what Minny is doing is seeing what it can get if Williams is *not* available (i.e.: Williams goes #1 to Cleveland).  They are then faced with the choice of drafting Irving, a questionable prospect with an admittedly high ceiling that would fill a position of zero need, or trading back in the draft.

Yeah but doesn't Williams also fit the bill of a 'questionable prospect with an admittedly high ceiling that would fill a position of zero need?'

D.Williams feels a position of need, small forward.

Michael Beasley is garbage. He did more harm than good to that Minny team last year. He was the biggest reason they didn't manage 20 wins.

Ditto.
And Williams comes with less risk, since he's actually played at the college level.

Beasley showed the ability to consistently score on NBA talent. Williams has not. To say that he comes with less risk is laughable. Considering they had comparable college numbers not sure how you could say Williams is less risk.

Beasley was essentially the second best player on a playoff team for Miami. Williams hasn't played an NBA game.

[Fafnir]

I like how Minny is apparently approaching the draft. I think it is just good business to see what you can get if you trade back in the draft.

A lot of people posting in this thread assume that the #2 pick will be Williams.  I think Minny would be fine with that, but what Minny is doing is seeing what it can get if Williams is *not* available (i.e.: Williams goes #1 to Cleveland).  They are then faced with the choice of drafting Irving, a questionable prospect with an admittedly high ceiling that would fill a position of zero need, or trading back in the draft.

Yeah but doesn't Williams also fit the bill of a 'questionable prospect with an admittedly high ceiling that would fill a position of zero need?'

D.Williams feels a position of need, small forward.

Michael Beasley is garbage. He did more harm than good to that Minny team last year. He was the biggest reason they didn't manage 20 wins.

Ditto.
And Williams comes with less risk, since he's actually played at the college level.

Beasley showed the ability to consistently score on NBA talent. Williams has not. To say that he comes with less risk is laughable. Considering they had comparable college numbers not sure how you could say Williams is less risk.

Beasley was essentially the second best player on a playoff team for Miami. Williams hasn't played an NBA game.

Jermain O'Neal was better than Beasley for that team, as were Quentin Richardson and Udonis Haslem.

[Evantime34]

I like how Minny is apparently approaching the draft. I think it is just good business to see what you can get if you trade back in the draft.

A lot of people posting in this thread assume that the #2 pick will be Williams.  I think Minny would be fine with that, but what Minny is doing is seeing what it can get if Williams is *not* available (i.e.: Williams goes #1 to Cleveland).  They are then faced with the choice of drafting Irving, a questionable prospect with an admittedly high ceiling that would fill a position of zero need, or trading back in the draft.

Yeah but doesn't Williams also fit the bill of a 'questionable prospect with an admittedly high ceiling that would fill a position of zero need?'

D.Williams feels a position of need, small forward.

Michael Beasley is garbage. He did more harm than good to that Minny team last year. He was the biggest reason they didn't manage 20 wins.

Ditto.
And Williams comes with less risk, since he's actually played at the college level.

Beasley showed the ability to consistently score on NBA talent. Williams has not. To say that he comes with less risk is laughable. Considering they had comparable college numbers not sure how you could say Williams is less risk.

Beasley was essentially the second best player on a playoff team for Miami. Williams hasn't played an NBA game.

Jermain O'Neal was better than Beasley for that team, as were Quentin Richardson and Udonis Haslem.

During the playoff series against us I would put him behind only Wade and Haslem. Regardless, of where exactly he was ranked he was an important member of a playoff team at a very young age. In general do you agree with my point as a whole?