There's a lot of emotion on the board right now. Some of us seem downright suicidal. (College Wolf, are you okay?)

Let's soothe some of the hotter heads by applying some logic to the situation, shall we?


We can begin by eliminating the players the Wolves won't draft:

--Jerryd Bayless. A shoint, undersized for SG, not ideally suited for PG. Front office seems intent on positioning Foye as franchise PG.

--Eric Gordon. Same profile as Mayo, but not nearly as good.

--Anthony Randolph. Young, raw, plays the same natural position as our top player.

--Kevin Love. More of a PF than a true C; not nearly the match for us that Lopez would be, or with as much upside.


Unless we trade out of the top six picks--i.e., as part of a package of Walker and McCants for a veteran--I can't see us drafting anybody but:

a. O.J. Mayo
b. Brook Lopez
c. Danilo Gallinari

(I almost eliminated Gallinari, mostly because he doesn't have nearly the value in the third spot as Lopez or Mayo. But as there's a glimmer of logic in his selection, I opted to keep him in.

Without trying to predict what McHale will do, here's what I see resulting from each pick:



A. LOPEZ

Team fills the biggest hole in the starting five. Recognizing it still won't have a chance at the playoffs next season, gives Lopez experience to help set up the big free agency haul it hopes to have next summer and goes with a 2008-09 lineup of:

C--Lopez

PF--Jefferson

SF--Gomes

SG--Brewer, with McCants getting big minutes

PG--Foye



B. MAYO

A big-time scorer who makes McCants expendable. Team still will need to address center through trade or free agency, plus a developmental center in the second round or, if it trades back up, lower first.

C--Veteran acquired through free agency or by trade (Walker and McCants; Shaddy will have to go if Mayo is chosen), backed up by second-round pick or late first acquired by trading two second-round picks.

PF--Jefferson

SF--Gomes

SG--Mayo. Both SF and SG backed up by Brewer

PG--Foye



C. GALLINARI

Outstanding passer who can make Jefferson all the better. Downside: doesn't fill a need (Gomes is starting caliber) and not the additional scorer the team needs to take pressure off AJ.

C--Veteran acquired through free agency or by trade (Walker and McCants)

PF--Jefferson

SF--Gomes

SG--Brewer. Gallinari backs up both SF and SG

PG--Foye

Kurosawa wrote:
There's a lot of emotion on the board right now. Some of us seem downright suicidal. (College Wolf, are you okay?)



I'm barely holding on right now.

Great post btw, another Howl for you.

Howl from the Daddy.

However, your "half full" outlook is not something I can fathom at this point. I do find some joy in the fact that next year around this time we'll be sitting on the edge of our seats again as we pray for the #1 pick.

Kurosawa wrote:
Unless we trade out of the top six picks--i.e., as part of a package of Walker and McCants for a veteran--I can't see us drafting anybody but:

a. O.J. Mayo
b. Brook Lopez
c. Danilo Gallinari

(I almost eliminated Gallinari, mostly because he doesn't have nearly the value in the third spot as Lopez or Mayo. But as there's a glimmer of logic in his selection, I opted to keep him in.

I think we get a little too caught up in the perceived value in the mock drafts. You likely don't draft a 2nd rounder you think is great at the top of the 1st round (it didn't take Boozer too long to show up the scouts though). But between guys who are within a few picks of each other, an individual teams scouting department needs to just go with the guy they believe will be that better player.

Nice post Kurosawa-


There's one thing about Lopez that we may be overlooking, and that is he actually meshes better with Jefferson than a lot of other prospective centers we could pair with Al.

Jefferson needs to be near the basket on offense. So than, on offense, a C who is comfortable further away from the basket, like Lopez, meshes well.

It's not a big distinction, but it's a point in the favor of Lopez.


Dreaming71

good post, i hope we go for Lopez we need a center, n the FA market is never much in centers...