The Minnesota Timberwolves Thread: Timberwolves, Anthony Bennett part ways

[freshbottoms]

I need someone that wants to be gm for niketalks mock draft. #1pick. Hit up the thread if interested

 

[jpzx]

View media item 1565496
Depends on:

IF Wade leaves
IF Riley decides to blow it up as a result

Miami gets financial levity by getting out from underneath that long deal to allocate $ elsewhere for a big move maybe (Timberwolves take the four years at $5.3 million and the Heat get the two years at $5 million).

 

[RyGuy45]

Ricky Rubio will be on the first season of a five-year $55 million contract in 2015-16 but the Minnesota Timberwolves are willing to let go of the Spanish point guard at the right price -- and are interested in top prospect D'Angelo Russell of Ohio State, according to a report.

Chad Ford of ESPN reported that Minnesota would trade Rubio to another NBA squad if “the right deal” came about. Ford also wrote that Minnesota general manager Flip Saunders likes Russell’s game and may draft the Ohio State guard in the upcoming 2015 NBA Draft, where the Timberwolves own the No. 1 overall pick. The NBA Draft is scheduled to take place June 25.

Ahead of Russell in most rookie rankings are big men Karl-Anthony Towns of Kentucky and Jahlil Okafor of Duke. The Timberwolves could decide to trade down a spot or two and still have Russell available as a probable pick -- and eventually trade Rubio.

This echoes what Grandpa Sid Hartman said on Sunday when he said Saunders is in love with and wants Russell.

When your two sources however are Sid and Chad Ford I am not going to spend any more time on it I don't think.


Fox Sports:

New practice facility for Wolves, Lynx opens to rave reviews

MINNEAPOLIS -- One of the backboards spontaneously combusted Thursday, but workers had it replaced before the Lynx's afternoon practice 24 hours later. Guys in neon-yellow vests and hardhats still mill around the Timberwolves and Lynx Courts at Mayo Clinic Square, adding some finishing touches before next month's official grand opening. The team's staff won't officially move across the street from their old Target Center offices till Monday.

But Minnesota's championship-level WNBA team has been practicing there since training camp began May 17. The Wolves will use it for pre-draft workouts ahead of drafting first overall June 25.

And so far, all internal reviews are exuberant.

"I feel it's probably going to be the best practice facility in the NBA," Wolves coach and president Flip Saunders said.

Said Lynx star Seimone Augustus: "It's a basketball player's paradise."

Two full-length courts -- one with Wolves insignia, one bearing Lynx emblems. A hydrotherapy room with four different pools. A movie theater, player lounge, locker rooms and nutrition cafeteria. Increased weightlifting and cardio space. And access to specialists and equipment from one of the nation's highest-regarded medical systems at the connected Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center.

It's almost all installed and open for business. When Augustus first saw it, she was "in awe."

"Everything is within walking distance," the Lynx standout said. "The locker room is right back here, the weight room, we've got a chef here, a movie theater -- you name it, we have it here. And then we have some of the best doctors in the state of Minnesota right upstairs if anyone does get injured. They can get diagnosed real quickly, start their rehab process and get back on the floor."

That was the goal when Saunders and the clubs' front office laid out a joint effort to transform the old Block E complex into a structure that's loads more accommodating than their former practice gym in the Target Center's Lifetime Fitness. The 107,000-square-foot, $25 million digs are hoped to keep current players healthy, attract free agents and provide all employees -- from the players down to the janitors -- with a fresh, new workspace.

Wolves swingmen Andrew Wiggins and Shabazz Muhammad both plan to work out here this offseason, a trend Saunders expects to multiply as players balance their usual summer work with the chance to shoot, lift and run at such an advantageous locale.

"I'm definitely going to spend some time here," said Muhammad, who missed the second half of his second season due to a ruptured finger ligament surgery.

"Coach was talking about the new facility, and we're definitely going to use that, utilize it. So that's one thing I want to come is back and forth between (here and California, where Muhammad also trains). I think that'll be a good opportunity for me."

For the Lynx, who open the 2015 season next Friday, it's brought an extra lift during preseason practices, Reeve said. It's also a reward for winning two championships and reaching the WNBA Finals three years in a row from 2011-13, according to the coach.

"I think more than anything for me, for Lindsay (Whalen), Seimone (Augustus), Maya (Moore), Rebekkah (Brunson), to have this type of facility is a statement to the respect that they deserve," Reeve said.

At any level, nice facilities don't guarantee victories. But they can play a part in the process, one Saunders immediately kick-started when he returned to Minnesota as president of basketball operations two years ago.

With the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft and reigning rookie of the year Andrew Wiggins in tow, such a covetous headquarters befits the equation, Saunders said.

"You put all those things together, you hope it's going to help in the development of your young players, you hope it's going to help in recruitment of free agents, you hope it's going to help when you practice," Saunders said. "You have two full courts, there's so many more things you can do. What that's going to add to our organization is going to help us tremendously."

 

[hood17]

Flip really wants me to get on a plane from Phx and give him a powerbomb huh?

 

[Brownstone]

I know Ill get flamed but I would trade Rubio and 1 for 3 Embid and a future first 

 

[RyGuy45]

^ So essentially Rubio for Russell, Embiid and a future first. 100% Saunders would do that.

 

[carver]

If he managed to pull that off

But that's doubtful no way we even getting their #3 pick let alone embiid and another first.

 

[Brownstone]

^ So essentially Rubio for Russell, Embiid and a future first. 100% Saunders would do that.

I would give up our 1....I would rather

Russel

Levin

Wiggins

Dieng

Embiid

To

Rubio

Levin

Wiggins 

Dieng

KAT

It's a no brainier if Flip intends to go with Okafor

 

[pacificnorsewst]

 

[carver]

Who's going to the draft party at the Target Center 

 

 

[jpzx]

Phil Jackson, come coach the next great wing and big man.

Saunders going to see Okafor and Towns try out.

 

[jpzx]

June 6, 2012:

Dominican teammates praise Towns, 16

Instead, much of the buzz is centered around a player not guaranteed to even crack the rotation for the Dominican team that's training at the University of Kentucky this month in preparation for a tournament to qualify for the Olympics.

Karl Towns, the 6-foot-11, 16-year-old considered arguably the top player in high school's Class of 2015, is drawing attention for his youth and immense skill.

"Man, he's gifted," said Dominican guard Francisco Garcia, a member of the Sacramento Kings. "He can shoot. He can put the ball on the floor. He can pass. He's got a good attitude."

Towns wasn't available for media interviews after the Dominicans' open practice on Wednesday at the Joe Craft Center, where they are being coached by UK's John Calipari. They will be among 12 nations - vying for three Olympic bids - at next month's FIBA qualifying event in Venezuela.

Towns, who attends St. Joseph's school in New Jersey and is the son of a Dominican mother, appeared to be the 11th or 12 man on the national team based on the five-on-five drills it ran on Wednesday, and he made an impact, especially shooting the ball from long range.

"He can shoot very well. That's all there is to say," said Al Horford, All-Star from the Atlanta Hawks and the Dominicans' top player. "For a guy his size to shoot like he does, I think all the other things will come naturally once he gets to college. He'll be fine."

Garcia was asked if there was a player Towns reminded him of who was a similarly elite talent at a young age.

"I don't know, maybe Kevin Durant?" said Garcia, the former Louisville star.

 

[RyGuy45]

Kevin Garnett is part of Timberwolves draft process, meeting with players

ProBasketballTalk

The Minnesota Timberwolves have the No. 1 pick, and they are doing their due dillegence — this week they have workouts with Jahlil Okafor and Karl Anthony Towns. They even are getting a better look at guys they almost certainly would not take with that spot, such as Kristaps Porzingis.

And they are getting Kevin Garnett‘s input on all of them.

Timberwolves coach and GM Flip Saunders was on the Chris Mannix NBCSports Radio show and said Garnett is involved in helping the Timberwolves make a decision.

This makes it sound like KG will be back with the Timberwolves on the court next season. Remember Minnesota traded to bring him “home” and out of Brooklyn mid-season. There was speculation that Garnett would retire this summer.

But whenever he does retire, he will have a role with the Timberwolves. Maybe as part owner, but a role one way or another.

The buzz from people around the league has not changed: other teams say Flip Saunders still prefers Okafor, and that is likely who they draft No. 1. But as they should they are taking a close look at a number of top players.

 

[jpzx]

When will it hit Flip square in the face that if everybody in his front office and outside the front office thinks Towns is the rightful No. 1 overall pick then maybe he's the rightful No. 1 overall pick. I think the fact that they were 30th in defense and 1st in 2PT attempts is not a, "addressing the needs of this current moment and time and not thinking about the long-term" take, considering Saunders trades away all our first-round picks and picks No. 1, No. 31 and No. 36 this June will be some of the final pieces toward our future.



Former Timberwolf Rod Strickland, who played under Flip Saunders with the Timberwolves in the early 2000s, worked with Towns when he was in H.S.:


September 4, 2012:

"He can shoot it from NBA range, but now that he's developed a low post game he's a total offensive threat," said Karl Sr., who is an accomplished coach himself). "Guys have been working with him for years on his ballhandling. In fact, Rod Strickland is someone who has really helped him. He's got the whole package inside and outside; he's not just a spot-up shooter anymore."

 

[carver]

Towns is just way more versatile. I think the pick is easy..everyone is just running off that one report by Chad ford. And we all know chad ford isn't the most reliable source

I think it's all bs and towns is who we take. He's the consensus number 1 by everybody.

 

[jpzx]

Listen to Flip Saunders' interview with KFAN's Dan Barreiro from the day after the lottery (http://www.kfan.com/media/podcast-t...reiro/520-bumper-to-bumper-with-dan-26066626/).

If listening to it all the way through, you get the sense he's already made up his mind on Jahlil Okafor, who he genuinely sounds like he's defending when his negatives get brought up, and the other two - Russell/Towns - he sounds like he's just throwing those out as options. I don't know, I'm worried.

 

[RyGuy45]

I agree with all that (KAT being the sure fire pick) but we have to always remember Saunders is the utter definition of thinking he is the smartest man in the room. The NBA game changes, evolves, and Flip does not and Okafor's skill set might turn him on over what KAT brings

 

[carver]

Oh we all know flip is gonna outsmart everyone with this pick

I'm just as worried as everyone else we as a franchise have missed so much we finally get the top pick and we are gonna mess it up.

Like I said before I would have been cool with jah if we got 2 or 3 but man when we have our choice we have to go with the consensus number 1. As bad as we are you just go bpa and build from there.

He would be contradicting himself if he took okafor. He says he wants a fast game and wants elite 2 way players. You ain't doing that with someone with okafor.

 

[carver]

• Flip Saunders and his scouting staff are debating that question, and perhaps will do so right up until near draft night. 'Wow, it's a debate?' Calipari said. 'It seems lilke that would be the only city there would be a debate in.' Saunders loves Okafor's footwork and fundamentals -- so advanced at such a young age, 19 -- and at the moment appears to still favor him. Calipari, though, backs his own guy because of what he defines as Town's versatility: A big man with a guard's shooting range, who can defend the pick-and-roll prevalent in today's NBA block shots and score both inside and outside. And the topper, it seems, to Calipari is this: 'The greatest thing for Minnesota if they choose to pick him is, he wants to be there,' he said. 'You can take either guy and maybe Jahlil feels the same way, I don't know. I just know Karl Towns, if they choose to take him, wants to be there.'"

"Karl's the one guy who's like, `I'm fine with Minnesota, I'd like to be in Minnesota,' " Calipari said. "There's no, like, "Well, I could go to the Lakers.' That isn't who he is.That isn't his family, either. As soon as the lottery balls hit, he called me and said, `Coach, I'm good in Minnesota, I'm fine there.' "

And he's right. We are the only city that is actually debating this...

flip pls

http://www.startribune.com/calipari-on-karl-towns-and-wolves-wow-it-s-a-debate/306292951/

 

[kidkain]

Reading all of that legit got me nervous

Calipari taking shots at the city

He's right tho..

C'mon flip

 

[carver]

 

[RyGuy45]

Small file away nugget in a Zach Lowe column today:

(Klay) Thompson had blown Flip Saunders away during a pre-draft workout in 2011, when Saunders coached the Wizards. The Washington brain trust considered reaching for Thompson with the no. 6 pick before going the safe route with a big man — Jan Vesely, who ranked higher on most draft boards but is now out of the league. “We toyed with it,” Saunders says, “but heaven forbid you go out of the box and pick someone you’re higher on than anyone else.”

Bonus basketball thoughts from Steve Kerr:

"You look at the way the game is played now, and it’s all about versatility and two-way players. Can you score a basket and then go guard three positions?”

Gathering as many two-way players as possible seems like an obvious goal, but it has become even more urgent for front offices to do this as teams trend toward fast-paced, drive-and-kick offenses heavy on passing and 3s.4 It’s harder to be one-dimensional, on either end, when everyone is moving. Doing everything at a “B” level is the new NBA skill.

 

[hood17]

Just draft Towns and let the Lakers get Oakfor. It's not hard!
You have a solid core of guys and you have the FRANCHISE on the court with him for two years and will be around him for years. What are the Lakers going to do have effing Boozer and Jordan Hill teach Towns how to play.


Please KG speak some sense into Flip. We can score. We need a solid defense front court in the West.








JUST TAKE TOWNS!

 

[Chopper]

KAT. Flip gotta be trollin.

 

[RyGuy45]

Bunch of stuff from SI.com this week:

On Sunday, Timberwolves president and head coach Flip Saunders joined The Chris Mannix Show on NBC Sports Radio to discuss the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NBA draft, his coaching future and if Kevin Garnett would return next season.

Chris Mannix: So who are you picking?

Flip Saunders: "You sound like everyone. I was in the airport the other day and I had six people come up and ask me who I was going to take. I said, ‘Sorry, I’m not going to reveal that yet.'"

Mannix: Do you know who you are going to take?

Saunders: "We’re still determining. It’s like anything, if I had to make a decision today, you probably have a guy you know you would take. But we are still open. It’s still really early in the process. We’re finding out backgrounds on players. More than anything else, we have a really good nucleus with [Andrew] Wiggins, we look [Zach] Lavine, with [Shabazz] Muhammad and the type of year he had, even with Gorgui Deng. We have to make sure we get a guy who can help grow with those guys and is going to make Wiggins and those guys better."

Mannix: What was your reaction when you saw that you were getting the first pick?

Saunders: "Well we have had such bad luck over the years. We have had many times where we had the opportunity to get the No. 1 pick and we would always be one short of the pool of players that you have. The one thing we did feel going in, I felt there were probably five solid players, upper-echelon type players. So when [Wolves owner] Glen Taylor went to the draft I said, ‘Glen, the pressure is off.’ Four is the worst we could get and we were going to get a good player. Really we went there with low expectations. As it kept on going, and there was no surprises through the first 10 picks, I thought there was a pretty good chance we were going to be somewhere in that top three. It happens so quick at the end."

Mannix: Will you draft for position or will you take the best player in the draft?

Saunders: "If you look at the history of the draft and if you look at people who draft strictly by position, that’s where mistakes have been made. They have foregone the superstar player who could maybe change your team because you maybe had a very good player there. We feel if we can get a player who we feel in 2-3 years could be the top player at his position, we definitely will lean more towards that type of player."

Mannix: When the Lakers are sitting behind you, is there any concern that a player will try to avoid you to get to them?

Saunders: No, because we haven’t had that at all. I have had contact with most of the top players and all they talk about is wanting to be the No. 1 pick and basically explaining why they should. We have an enticing situation. The enticing situation that we have is that we have got some great youth, as I said with Wiggins, a potential top-five player in this league, we have a great point guard in [Ricky] Rubio, we’ll get him back healthy, we have got a great mentor and still a pretty good player in [Kevin] Garnett that we hope to sign in July. We have a lot of things moving in the right direction. We just opened up a $29 million practice facility. We have a $160 million renovation of our arena starting in about a year. We have a lot of positive things. When we get people here and they can see what we have going on a little bit, it will sell the situation even more."

Mannix: Are you going to coach this team?

Saunders: "Right now I’m coaching the team. It’s a question everybody asks. It’s interesting, when I ended up coaching a year ago, it was the right thing to do at that time for the organization. We had the unknowns with Kevin Love, we would have pigeonholed ourselves if we took a veteran coach and maybe not have the flexibility to go as young as we did. Right now, the most important thing is to develop our young talent. We have done a pretty good job with our staff and organization moving in that direction. Until I feel we can get somebody who can move forward a little bit, we’ll [stay] where we’re at."

Mannix: Do you hear from coaching agents often?

Saunders: "Last year I probably talked to 12 coaches. A lot of people probably weren’t aware. I’m not one to advertise. I’ve done the same thing as far as numerous coaches this year. It might not be for right now, but it could be down the road. I’m constantly in the evaluation process for coaches."

Mannix: Do you know what Kevin Garnett wants to do?

Saunders: "I’ll say this: when we traded for him, I traded for him with the idea that it wasn’t for him to come in and finish his career this past year and wave to everybody and walk off into the sunset. The idea was that he was going to come in, play some, he would mentor; unfortunately for him and for us, at the time he had a knee injury and the way our record was, it wasn’t best for him to play and put extra miles on those tires. So I didn’t play him. All indications are that he is doing things now to get in shape to come back. I’ve had conversations with him over the last 2-3 weeks about the guys we are drafting. I’m sure he is going to peak his head in to see these guys when we bring him in to work out or have some type of communication with him. We’re assuming right now that he does want to continue to play and that he does want to continue to play in Minnesota."

at the coaching comments.


Chris Mannix mock draft 3.0:

1. Timberwolves - Karl-Anthony Towns
2. Lakers - Jahlil Okafor
3. Sixers - D-Angelo Russell
4. Knicks - Kristaps Porzingis
5. Magic - Justise Winslow
6. Kings - Emmanuel Mudiay
7. Nuggets - Mario Hezonja
8. Pistons - Devin Booker
9. Hornets - Frank Kaminsky
10. Heat - Stanley Johnson

Some scout and league source comments in the full link: http://www.si.com/nba/2015/06/10/nb...ps-porzingis-karl-anthony-towns-jahlil-okafor


SI.com Roundtable

Who is the better NBA prospect? Duke's Jahlil Okafor or Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns?

​Luke Winn (CBB senior writer): Towns. As much as I love Okafor, who's the most advanced freshman post scorer I've ever seen in college basketball, Towns has the higher ceiling and is more of a fit for today's NBA. He's still growing into his body and can get much stronger. His 81.7% free-throw shooting—with good form—suggests potential to stretch the floor in an NBA offense. And his defensive impact around the rim projects to be much greater than Okafor's. If I were building the ultimate college team to play this week, I'd probably take Okafor over Towns, but if I'm drafting for 3-4 years down the road, I'm taking Towns.

Chris Mannix (NBA senior writer): Okafor. Look, I love Towns. He’s long, has pillow soft hands and post moves of a five-year NBA veteran. But true centers are an endangered species and Okafor has 15-year franchise pivot potential. At 19, Okafor is something of a post prodigy himself. He can face up and take lumbering centers off the dribble or turn and back down smaller ones. Is he consistent? No, but he’s a teenager. Too often we tag freshman with unrealistic expectations. Take a look at Tim Duncan’s first year numbers at Wake Forest; that’s second-round pick stuff. This debate has been sparked by back-to-back subpar games against Utah and Gonzaga, but if you step back—Okafor can do that, too—and look at the big picture, Okafor remains the clear top choice. ​

Lee Jenkins (NBA senior writer): Okafor. You just don’t find young big men with advanced footwork, a soft touch, and refined post moves very often. They usually develop back-to-the-basket skills later in their career. When one does come along, you take him, just like the Spurs took Tim Duncan two decades ago. Towns is obviously a superior rim protector, and probably a better all-around player at this point, but there are a lot of good rim protectors in today’s NBA. There are not many unstoppable interior scorers. Towns could easily become an All Star center. But Okafor, with his diverse offensive skill set, could become a transformative low-post presence.

Phil Taylor (NBA/CBB senior writer): Towns. There’s a lot to love about Okafor’s combination of strength and footwork in the low post. He’s a more polished scorer than many NBA centers right now. But he isn’t particularly active in defending either the rim or the pick-and-roll, and he doesn’t chase rebounds with the ferocity that you’d like to see from a big man. He’ll eventually get his 20 points per game, but he may never be anything more than a so-so defender. Towns, meanwhile, is still developing his offensive game, but he’s doing it fast. He doesn’t have Okafor’s power, but he has a nice touch around the basket and a decent jumper. He’s also an 80 percent free throw shooter to Okafor’s 50 percent, which is no small factor (get ready for Hack-a-Jahlil). But Towns’s real edge is on the other end of the floor, where Okafor will probably never match his shot-blocking or rebounding ability. Okafor might make a more immediate impact, but winning teams have big men who can provide solid interior defense as well as score. Towns is more likely to fit that description.

Ben Golliver (NBA writer): Towns. To me, the determining factor is how much of an ideal centerpiece Towns is due to his offensive versatility, intelligence and length as a defender. On offense, Towns should find success in lots of ways: as an interior scorer, spot-up shooter and passer, pick-and-roll menace, and potential three-point threat. It shouldn't matter whether your second-best player is a ball-dominant guard, a sharpshooting wing or a low-post big man, Towns should be able to function well with any and all of them. He should also pair nicely on defense with a traditional center in jumbo lineups or with a spread forward in a more open approach.

Okafor looks destined to be a premier low-post scorer at the next level, one capable of being the focal point on an elite offense. However, his paint-bound approach and the legit questions about his defensive abilities strain the types of players that will work best with him. In the frontcourt, Okafor will need help protecting the rim and stretching the floor, which is a difficult combination to find in the same player. And, as we've seen with Al Jefferson and others, low-post scorers require lots of shooters surrounding them to fully thrive, not to mention a point guard that is wired to regularly feed the beast down low.

Matt Dollinger (NBA editor): Towns. The list of reasons to love Towns is almost as long as the Kentucky freshman himself. While one year of schooling under Mike Krzyzewski isn't exactly two semesters at the University of Phoenix, Towns has had an NBA education second-to-none. Last summer, he played for the Dominican men's national team and went against Team USA in Madison Square Garden. This year, he's spent a season under John Calipari, who has helped groom 15 first-round picks since 2010 alone. Towns has also benefited from practicing daily against Willie Cauley-Stein, one of the best defensive centers in college basketball in recent memory, along with a host of other future NBA big men. When we compare Okafor and Towns, most people acknowledge that Okafor is the more polished prospect while Towns possesses the higher ceiling. If this is the raw version of Towns, then Anthony Davis won't be the only Kentucky big man giving NBA opponents nightmares for the next decade.

David Gardner (CBB producer): Towns. As recently as the beginning of the NCAA tournament, Jahlil Okafor seemed like a lock for the No. 1 pick, but Towns's performance during Kentucky's run has reignited a debate that I believe will end with Okafor's name being called first. As Luke Winn wrote in his Power Rankings this week, Towns has surpassed Okafor as the most impressive post-up player in college basketball. And he has always been the better defender. His block percentage (11.7%) is 16th in the country. Okafor's (4.5%) is 245th.

Very rarely do big men improve from average collegiate defenders to elite NBA defenders; offensive improvement is much more common. Neither player is a bad pick—the team picking second will have the easiest decision in the draft—but Towns's combination of solid defense and improving post dominance make him the No. 1.

DeAntae Prince (NBA producer): Okafor. Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns is a premiere talent equipped with the skill and build NBA general managers rarely pass up. He might even be the No. 1 pick come June, but Jahlil Okafor will forever possess skills that Towns cannot be taught. His agility and natural feel for the game are rare qualities for a 19-year-old, 6’11" prospect, and he fits the flow of an NBA game with an increased pace. Team Towns is a safe space to occupy at the moment, but the Okafor bandwagon is the better long-term bet.

Chris Johnson (CBB writer): Okafor. The Okafor-Towns debate can be framed as a commentary on team-building preference. Okafor is a traditional, back-to-the-basket center who does most of his work on the blocks. Towns is comfortable stepping away from the paint to knock down jump shots or backing down defenders for close-range looks. Pairing Okafor with another post-oriented big man with limited range could be unwieldy, while Towns theoretically offers more flexibility as a frontcourt cornerstone. The Kentucky star is also a superior shot blocker and rebounder, which strengthens his case. Still, Okafor’s ability to score around the basket will draw defensive attention from shooters on the perimeter and create more driving lanes. In a very close decision, I side with Okafor, whose combination of size, strength and polish is too valuable to pass up.