I would like to know everyones thoughts on our plan to build for the future so far. My feelings have changed since the beginning of the year. The idea was to find 2 or 3 stars to develop in this squad we could build around. Sadly I believe we only have one. Big Al will certainly be a big piece for the future. Here's how I see everyone else:

Green: Doesn't belong in the NBA
McCants: Can't play within himself. Too emotional to be a leader.
Jaric: Average 2nd option off bench
Telfair: Average 3rd option off bench
Gomes: Average roll player. Sometimes hot sometimes not
Smith: Can't find his game

None of these guys are rookies

Brewer: Hasn't broken the top 10 rookie list yet.

Foye: I still have hope for him. (I can't criticize him if he doesn't play)

I know it's early but it's early for everyone. There are buckets of young stars showing up all over the league already.

Big Al certainly should be the focal point of the team at this point, though I think that may change somewhat when Foye returns in that I think Foye will be the primary crunch-time option.

I have never been a big McCants fan, and as terribly as he has played, I've softened my stance a little and I actually think he could be a useful contributor to the team if he could accept not being \"the guy\" and learn to create for his teammates as well as himself (along with improving his shot selection).

Gomes strikes me as valuable, but just not as the first or second offensive option. Telfair has been far better than I thought he would be (I wasn't expecting much), but obviously he is not a starter.

Brewer's offense has been pretty abysmal (especially his recent free throw shooting, for which there is no excuse), and he generally hasn't looked that confident. I wouldn't be surprised if that is because of the coaching situation he's been dealt, and so I can only hope that he will overcome that roadblock, play with more confidence, and I think then his game will improve.

Craig Smith is a guy who I think could be contributing far more to the team than he is. He's tough, a good rebounder, and has a pretty good offensive game. But, as you said, he can't find his game, and I think that is almost entirely a product of the fact he's not being given a shot, in that he's not getting playing time or being used effectively. Why, if this guy is one of the building blocks, is he consistently being shortchanged with minutes, and why would Mark Madsen ever play more than Smith?

And I think these last points relate to the biggest problem the Wolves have at this point - inept management from the owner down to the coach. That Wittman was the guy they sought out to replace Casey (who wasn't very good either) and help develop this young team is just a travesty. Is it really that hard to find someone who can coach in the NBA, even at a basic level of competency? Emphasize the basics, set a rotation, and figure out how to get the best out of your players when the game gets tight. I know it's easy for me to say, but I just can't believe it's that hard.

After looking at this team through 11 games, here's how I see our rebuilding plan going...

Focal point: Al Jefferson
#2 guy: Foye
Other core star: Whoever we draft with the #1-4 pick this summer

Those are the three guys we should build around. As for the guys we have left...

McCants - Good stats, but Marbury-esque in that his numbers don't help you win. May be able to pawn him off on a dumb GM for a big.
Gomes - solid role player/good guy
Smith - valuable in spots, but not our go-to bigman off the bench
Brewer - above average role player in 2-3 years
Telfair - serviceable, but not great backup PG

I think after this draft, we'll have our core pretty well set. Our big needs will some low post help for Jefferson and another guard who can score. Thankfully we'll have some expirings to use as well as the Boston and Miami picks as trade bait. If we can land a stud in this year's draft, it's going to help this team A LOT!

Potential Starting Lineup:

PG: Rose?
SG: Foye
SF: Gomes
PF: Jefferson
C: Somebody???

Primary Bench: Telfair, Brewer, Smith


Oh, yeah, I almost forgot... FIRE WITTMAN!!!!!!!! He's stinkin' 75-142 as a head coach! .346 winning percentage! He's 13-40 with the Wolves! That's a .245 percentage! How does he have a job!!!!!!!!

DeROK wrote:

Not only that, he got a freakin THREE YEAR extension before this season. Fukkin country club BS. I hate our FO minus Hoiberg. Is it really that hard to be an average coach in the NBA? Apparently it is huh?

Our focal point and really only above average player is Jefferson. No one else on our team would start on any other team in the league, except *maybe* Gomes on a few contenders that need glue guys.

Foye: Not high on him. Don't expect much this season, especially since he'll probably out until January because of his knee stuff. They said it would be another 3 weeks until he can practice, and then it will take a few weeks to get into game shape and all that jazz.

Rashad McCants: Yep, he still sucks hard. Since his 33 point game, he's something like 20 for 60 field goals with 20 turnovers. Wonderful. I'd trade him with a bad contract like Walker or Jaric in a second. That would be nice to use him to help faciliate a salary dump for an expiring contract. That would really help our financial situation for the next few years if we could dump Walker or Jaric. I like both those guys as people (and it's not personal), but I'm looking at this from a financial perspective. Maybe some GM is dumb enough.

Green: I guess it's not a big deal that we didn't pick up his option. He's not good. I don't think he will burn us if we let him go after this season. Whatever.

Gomes: A good player we should keep if the price is right. We need leaders like him. I'd pay him up to 5 million per year. Some other team will give him the MLE this off-season though. Sigh...

Craig Smith: The same as Gomes. Not a great year so far. I'd only keep him if we don't keep Gomes, but Gomes is easily my first option.

Telfair: Keep him for cheap... I guess? He hasn't been terrible by any means.

Brewer: Who knows what's up with him. I don't see him becoming a star (ala Josh Howard) anytime soon. Probably not ever.

Walker/Doleac/Madsen/Theo/Jaric/Buckner: We don't need any of these guys longterm.


I'd love for us to take Rose. Mayo is my second choice, assuming he doesn't have attitude issues and has his head on straight and blah blah blah. Next year's team of our \"youth\" that I hope we keep:

PG: Rose or Mayo/Telfair/Jaric if he's still here.
SG: Foye/Brewer/Hopefully McCants is gone, as will GG cuz he'll sign somewhere else.
SF: Gomes/Brewer/whoever
PF: Jefferson/Craig Smith if he's still here/whoever
C: ????

We still have a GAPING hole at center. If we could somehow snag Hibbert with one of our other 1st round picks or trade up or something, that would be a decent option in my opinion.

Al Jefferson is obviously the guy, though I think we need another star to be the leader. His post moves are much more mature than what I thought they were. Sticky hands.

Foye ins't a point guard and the team will be ruining his NBA future by trying to develop him as one, especially with this staff (he would need someone who has the ability to train point guards coaching him. Larry Brown maybe, he turned Billups, but the best point guard developer right now is probably Avery Johnson).

I still think McCants is a bench player. He has a high b-ball IQ, but he tries to do more than what he should. Definite \"overpay\" candidate.

I like Gomes off the bench. Overpay possibilities, though.

Jaric isn't going anywhere with that k, and I still think he has the skill set to be a bench player, but his attitude is another story.

We need to draft a PG. At this stage, I think Rose is the guy.

You want my answer to Center - Theo Ratliff at the right price. With his style of play, he probably has two years left. If you play him 25-30 minutes while developing someone at that spot, I think you have a filler who knows how to play on an overachieving team (that 76ers team had no business being in the finals). The right price is probably 20% of what he makes now.

Corey Brewer - Needs to work on his handling and his jumper. Needs some big-boy muscles.

Craig Smith - My #1 contender for the guy that's going to be overpaid by someone. I think he can contribute, but someone is going to give him mid-level type money. Bad idea jeans.

I don't think anyone else is worth mentioning, the rest are all expendable.

If we have a later first round pick, I would take Hibbert (I'm talking 16-30). However, he's the guy this upcoming draft that someone is going to draft too high (top 10). I think he'll be a decent player, but he's still going to go too high.

TheOldLogo wrote:

Yeah, we talked about this at the game on Saturday. Theo might not be a bad option, but is he going to be healthy??? He played two games last year and is injured yet again. Who knows how serious it will be. Also, he's not a good rebounder since he is always out of position due to trying to block shots. Does he even want to stick around for this rebuilding after his contract is up?

I'd take him if the price is right I guess. The most I would pay him is the veterans minimum... which I believe is something like $1.8 million per year or so.

I'd like Hibbert with a low 1st round pick, but I agree with you that someone will probably reach and take him in the lottery. Could we package our Heat and Celtics picks to move up for another lottery pick? Or perhaps McCants + one of those picks for another lottery pick? That would rock.

Yeah, Theo would be a nice option, but he's waaaaaay too injury prone to be relied on.

Ultimately this team needs Jefferson as option #1, hopefully our prime draft pick this year at #2, and Foye as option #3 as a SG. That should be a successful core to build a playoff team around.

Like you said - don't overpay McCants or Smith. Neither is going to win you a championship. The key to success is getting the three I mentioned above to mature, being financially smart, and surrounding them with quality character role players.