The team to dive for Oden

2144 Views 55 Replies 27 Participants Last post by MemphisX, Apr 2, 2006

SkywalkerAC

Discussion Starter · Mar 26, 2006

I've been thinking for a while about the team or teams that will really be in the hunt for Greg Oden (and the other top prospects) next year. The answer is no longer an easy one. I think the days will be gone where we can guarantee that the Hawks and Bobcats and Raptors and the other "bottom feeders" will be the worst in the league (as teams like the Clippers have already made that jump). Looking at the league and how some of the struggling teams will make additions this summer, it is going to be very competitive next year to say the least. That is, unless one or two teams take the bait and set themselves up for disaster and a reasonable chance to land a great player. I've been wondering who these teams might be and only one is really starting to stand out in my mind. That team is the Minnesota Timberwolves.

All the Twolves have to do is trade KG to a team below the cap for a good draft pick and a good player on a rookie contract and they'd be well on their way in the Oden Sweepstakes. Chicago certainly comes to mind as a trade partner, maybe Atlanta does too.

I think we know that Minnesota's time has come. They're already starting to go young but they lose their draft pick if they were to put a winning team around KG for next season. I think it's best to blow it up this offseason, get two lotto picks and set themselves up for a top 3 pick next season.

Will Mchale and co drop the bomb?

Potential lineup:

Ben Gordon/Marcus Banks
Rashad Mcants/Ricky Davis
Ricky Davis/2006 2nd pick
2006 1st pick/Eddie Griffin
2007 first pick/Mark Blount

Starting to look like a no brainer to me.

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Reactions: 2

21 - 40 of 56 Posts

pmac34

· #21 · Mar 26, 2006

the T'Wolves pick IS protected and it looks like the 8th overall right now,
The Atlanta Pick given to Phoenix is protected (The pick is protected through 10 in 2006 and through 5 in 2007), so its not gonna be an astouding player (at best Cedric Simmons, Kyle Lowery)

DANNY

· #22 · Mar 26, 2006

i'm pretty sure the twolves will retain their draft pick for this year's draft meaning...

UH OH

SkywalkerAC

Discussion Starter · #23 · Mar 27, 2006

pmac34 said:
the T'Wolves pick IS protected and it looks like the 8th overall right now,
The Atlanta Pick given to Phoenix is protected (The pick is protected through 10 in 2006 and through 5 in 2007), so its not gonna be an astouding player (at best Cedric Simmons, Kyle Lowery)

But is the Twolves pick protected NEXT year? (or did you mean it is protected through the top 8?) If there isn't more than lotto protection on it there's even more reason to tank.

ATLien

· #24 · Mar 27, 2006

I don't think people quite grasp how good Oden is supposed to be

BG7

· #25 · Mar 27, 2006

TheATLien said:
I don't think people quite grasp how good Oden is supposed to be

Yeah, honestly. The way I look at it, Oden is the first consensus #1 pick since Lebron, and Lebron was the first since Duncan, and Duncan was the first since Shaq.......

futuristxen

· #26 · Mar 27, 2006

Anyone who gave up a first round pick in 2007 should be fired in advance.

Premier

· #27 · Mar 27, 2006

uh...futur, Cleveland did.

MemphisX

· #28 · Mar 27, 2006

Agreed. Unless I am getting a 1st team All NBA type in their prime with zero injury history.

I agree with ATLien. I think it is worth it for some teams tank and by that I mean either go young or dump salary so you can have one of the 5 worse records: Minnesota, Seattle, Atlanta(although they have a decent core), Charlotte, Philadelphia (move AI and you got it), New Orleans, Golden State, Boston (trade Paul Pierce Danny). All these definitely should think about it seriously. New York can't tank. Chicago might get IT from stupidity.

Offseason/trade jinkies should love this summer and next season's trade deadline because the shadow of the 2007 NBA draft class is going to have some interesting decisions being made. I mean if you are not a playoff team in 2006 and/or you don't have a big man with the potential to be All NBA, why aren't you tanking?

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BG7

· #29 · Mar 27, 2006

Hopefully New York tanks, god, let New York tank.

PG-Kirk Hinrich/Chris Duhon
SG-Ben Gordon/JJ Reddick
SF-Luol Deng/Andres Nocioni
PF-Tyson Chandler/Al Harrington
C- Greg Oden/Lamarcus Aldridge

GOD MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Pioneer10

· #30 · Mar 27, 2006

Premier said:
uh...futur, Cleveland did.

That GM who traded that pick is no longer with the franchise or employed by any other team, thankfully

LOYALTY

· #31 · Mar 27, 2006

futuristxen said:
Anyone who gave up a first round pick in 2007 should be fired in advance.

PAxson did that in Cleveland.. which is one reason why Danny Ferry is the GM now :clap: :banana:

I hate to disappoint people, but if you listen to Oden he says that he is not necessarily one year and done in college. He might stay a couple of years. He is a good enough student to handle the work, and he is not really in a bad financial situation. We'll have to see what happens as far as when he decides to go pro.

DANNY

· #32 · Mar 27, 2006

i hope he stays at ohio state for atless 2 years. Imagine how much more entertaining college ball would be with lebron, amare, and carmelo...

Sir Patchwork

· #33 · Mar 27, 2006

For those who haven't seen Greg Oden, I was as skeptical as you until I saw him play a couple times. He isn't your run in the mill good big man project. The guy is the most athletic and fluid seven footer I've seen since David Robinson. He has the skills too of a David Robinson. That's the comparison he gets and I think it works. The only thing is, he is naturally bigger than Robinson. Robinson was really ripped, but had a skinny frame. Oden has a bigger frame. Scary thing is though, beyond the adjustment to the league which will take a couple years, I don't think he is that far off David Robinson right now.

Sir Patchwork

· #34 · Mar 27, 2006

MemphisX said:
On Tank Job 2007, Oden is definitely worth it plus there will be 2-3 more franchise level players in that draft just in case you get Rick Pitino'd during the lottery.

Yeah. You think Tayshaun Prince has long arms at 6'9 with a 7'3 wingspan? North Carolina has a kid coming in next season named Brandan Wright who is a 6'10 power forward with an 8'0 wingspan. That kind of wingspan makes Kevin Garnett look like Kevin Willis. He can do anything on the court. He will definitely be a great player too, and I can't see him staying more than one year at North Carolina.

1 Penny

· #35 · Mar 27, 2006

Sir Patchwork said:
For those who haven't seen Greg Oden, I was as skeptical as you until I saw him play a couple times. He isn't your run in the mill good big man project. The guy is the most athletic and fluid seven footer I've seen since David Robinson. He has the skills too of a David Robinson. That's the comparison he gets and I think it works. The only thing is, he is naturally bigger than Robinson. Robinson was really ripped, but had a skinny frame. Oden has a bigger frame. Scary thing is though, beyond the adjustment to the league which will take a couple years, I don't think he is that far off David Robinson right now.

If this is true or close to being accurate. Then IT IS worth tanking a whole season to get Oden.

Even playoff contenders should tank it, a David Robinson type center in this time and age would be GOLD.

TucsonClip

· #36 · Mar 27, 2006

Every article I read about the Cassell Trade is that the pick in lottery protected this year. I would have to imagine they put a top 5 or top 1 protection on the pick for '07. There is no way Minnesota is that dumb, but I cant find any info about the protection for next years draft on that pick.

Minstrel

· #37 · Mar 27, 2006

Sir Patchwork said:
Yeah. You think Tayshaun Prince has long arms at 6'9 with a 7'3 wingspan? North Carolina has a kid coming in next season named Brandan Wright who is a 6'10 power forward with an 8'0 wingspan. That kind of wingspan makes Kevin Garnett look like Kevin Willis.

I think an eight foot wingspan is probably something of an exaggeration.

Here's a picture of Wright, fairly extended:

He has a nice wingspan, but it doesn't look super-freakish, like 8' would be. Maybe just a little freakish.

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Sir Patchwork

· #38 · Mar 27, 2006

Minstrel said:
He has a nice wingspan, but it doesn't look super-freakish, like 8' would be. Maybe just a little freakish.

Maybe an exaggeration, we'll have to wait for official measurements I guess. Everything I've read says anywhere from 7'8 to 8'0 on various draft sites and such.

From NBADraft.Net:

Strenghts: His wingspan is unparalleled in the game of basketball. He has like an 8 foot wingspan....

There are a lot of guys with 7'4 or 7'5 wingspans or bigger in the NBA (Gasol, Brand, Duncan, Garnett, Shaq, Curry, etc) so for his wingspan to be unparalleled in the game of basketball, that means it has to be pretty large, and if you've seen him play, you can't really disagree. The kid does absurd things on the court.

HKF

· #39 · Mar 27, 2006

Haha. I had just wrote an article about this, but I'm afraid to post it till the NBA draft day, but I expect Kevin Garnett to get traded (in a package) to the Washington Wizards for Antwan Jamison, Caron Butler (and more).

I also feel Minnesota will win the No.1 overall pick and get Greg Oden. Man some of you must be reading my mind.

Minstrel

· #40 · Mar 27, 2006

Sir Patchwork said:
Maybe an exaggeration, we'll have to wait for official measurements I guess. Everything I've read says anywhere from 7'8 to 8'0 on various draft sites and such.

According to Rivals.com, he measured out significantly lower in 2004:

Wright measured 6-8 1/2 (barefoot), weighed 190-lbs., with a reach of 8-7 and wingspan of 7-1 1/2 at the 2004 Youth Development Festival held in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache...pan&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=4&client=firefox-a

I'm sure he's grown a bit since then, but enough to add 10-11 inches to his wingspan seems impossible.

In any case, he does have a huge wingspan. He should be an interesting player.

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