Minnesota Timberwolves: NBA Draft

OU's Longar Longar to Play With T'Wolves

Press Release — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 01:11:58 -0400

NORMAN, Okla. - The Minnesota Timberwolves announced Monday that former University of Oklahoma basketball player Longar Longar has been named to the organization's 10-man 2008 NBA Summer League roster.

Longar, who was OU's second-leading scorer and rebounder last year with his 11.4 and 5.6 respective averages, is from Rochester, Minn. He lettered four years at OU, posted a .538 career field goal percentage and ranks eighth in school history with 103 blocked shots. Longar was named to the Big 12's Most Improved Team following his junior season.

"I received a call the night of the (NBA) draft from my agent," said Longar on Monday. "He told me the Timberwolves called him and offered me a spot on their summer league team. I'm excited. I leave on the 10th and our first game is on the 11th."

Longar, who's in Chicago, said he's working dailyon shooting and ball handling.

"Mostly, though, I'm in the weight room. I lift weights six days a week."

The Timberwolves' summer league roster will also feature Kevin Love (UCLA), the fifth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, and 2007 NBA Draft picks Corey Brewer (Florida) and Chris Richard (Florida). Also representing Minnesota will be Blake Ahearn (Missouri State), Dan Coleman (Minnesota), Vincent Grier (Minnesota), Pooh Jeter (Portland), Drew Neitzel (Michigan State) and Bryce Taylor (Oregon).

The summer league will run from July 11-20 in Las Vegas, Nev. Games will be played at the COX Pavilion and the Thomas and Mack Center on the University of Nevada-Las Vegas campus. Twenty-one NBA teams will be represented. The Timberwolves will play five games, the first of which will take place July 14 at 9 p.m. CDT against Dallas.

"The Timberwolves haven't told me what chance I have of making the team," said Longar. "That will probably depend on how well I play in the summer league. Hopefully it works out. If it doesn't, I've already got offers from teams in Ukraine, Italy and Russia. I could do that for a year and come back. Or it's possible that an NBA team could sign me and send me to Europe to play for a year.

"I'm just trying to stay focused and keep moving forward."

Draft: Top 10 Picks

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:45:57 -0400

An hour and a half into the 2008 NBA Draft, and ten guys have been picked. Nothing too extraordinary so far, though Charlotte's selection of DJ Augustin is a head-scrather.. replacing Ray Felton with another smallish point guard makes little sense. The Sonics/Clippers trade fell apart, and the Sonics took Russell Westbrook with the fourth pick. I've been down on him for weeks, a product of a good NCAA Tournament run in my opinion..

2008 NBA Draft - Top 10 Picks

1. Chicago - Derrick Rose
2. Miami - Michael Beasley
3. Minnesota - OJ Mayo
4. Seattle - Russell Westbrook
5. Memphis - Kevin Love
6. New York - Danilo Gallinari
7. LA Clippers - Eric Gordon
8. Milwaukee - Joe Alexander
9. Charlotte - DJ Augustin
10. New Jersey - Brook Lopez

Unsubstantiated Speculation: Team by Team Draft Rumors & Links

Jason Tomassini — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:21:55 -0400

Team by team 2008 Draft links and rumors:

1. Chicago Bulls
It's becoming more and more apparent that Chicago will take Rose, even though I don't think they should. Although those ready to put Miami on the clock should be wary that Rose is openly politicking for his hometown team to pick him just a week before the draft. The one thing I don't like is this idea that Rose is a better pick because he acts serious and professional in interviews and Beasley does not. These kids are 19, neither of them are professional. Rose is shy, Beasley is not. Can Rose do his taxes better than Beasley or something? Is Rose more proficient in Excel? No. They are both really good at basketball but happen to have different personalities. Derrick Rose is going to be freaking great but give me Beasley this year. That is all. Now, the idea that Rose should be the pick because he is by far the best true point guard for a league that covets them more than ever -- that works.

2. Miami Heat
This is probably where Beasley is going to go, whether it's by Miami or not, so let's talk about him. First, ESPN is cashing in on this whole, "The Next Arenas" thing by capitalizing on Beasley's personality even while its writers bash his draft prospects. They have him blogging. They have an "in-depth" feature on him, which tries to overtake that old Wash Post feature as the "link all Internet writers must provide when discussing Beasley's character issues." They have some ESPN Digital Video things (part 1, part 2) of him, which are pretty tame but awesome for a Philly native like me because he hangs out in the city all day. For the record, he does not stab anyone in the videos nor does he give anyone a wedgie. Rose did work out for Miami so if you're the type of person that likes to make blind leaps of faith (and as someone writing about the Draft, I am), that's another sign that Chicago hasn't made up its mind.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves
They hold the key to the rest of the Draft. Not only does their pick affect those after it but it apparently affects those in front of it. If Miami thinks they can get Mayo at No. 4 or No. 5, they may be inclined to trade the No. 2. The T'Wolves seem to be all over the board. Mayo should be the pick but they have brought in Eric Gordon and Jerryd Bayless recently. Brook Lopez and Danilo Gallinari were in there too. As Ian Thomsen at Sports Illustrated writes, this is one of the toughest drafts to predict in recent memory and a lot of it rests on Miami and Minnesota's uncertainty. Thomson says it's down to Mayo and Love. Mayo has been neglecting small markets (although given that he worked out in Minny, his tune may have changed), and Love is a white person. You do the math.

4. Seattle Supersonics
Another team that long seemed to be locked in on a player (Jerryd Bayless), but now could go any number of directions. It appears Brook Lopez and Russell Westbrook (who Chad Ford has the Sonics taking -- now who is the one with the crazy man crush on Russ?), are very real possibilities. Apparently my man Westbrook has shut down workouts and according to Ford, has a promise in the mid-lottery, possibly at No. 4.

5. Memphis Grizzlies
Many reports have the Grizz trading this pick along with Mike Miller (good) and Brian Cardinal (and his franchise crushing contract). It seems like the Grizzlies best bet is if Mayo falls to them so Miami or another teams that wants him will come calling. Otherwise they will probably take Kevin Love. Some are reporting "Chubby Bryce Drew" Gordon is high up there, but others are reporting he doesn't want to play there. Also, this made me laugh out loud, although I'm sure that wasn't the writer, or Chris Wallace's, intention.

6. New York Knicks
Another pick that seems to be way up in the air and also seems to affect all that comes after it. Danilo Gallinari worked out there recently and supposedly balled, which is good because he said he won't play anywhere besides the Knicks or the Nets. Obviously with Donnie Walsh at the helm, who is very much unlike Isiah Thomas, trades are distinct possibilities if the right vet is available.

7. Los Angeles Clippers
It's highly possible that none of the current Clippers besides Al Thornton and Chris Kaman will be on the team next year. It looks like they will be going small, which assumes they are for some reason optimistic that Thornton, Brand, Kaman will be their front line for more than another month or so.

8. Milwaukee Bucks
Another team that will likely look far different next season. With Scott Skiles now at the helm you can be certain that the pick will be boring. Joe Alexander seems about right. I'm not entirely sure why DJ Augustin isn't an option here, seeing as how Mo Williams stinks and is a shoot-first PG on a team with a glut of shot-hoisting forwards, but then again, it's the Bucks so I guess I should be surprised they won't be taking Sasha Kaun.

9. Charlotte Bobcats
If it was up to Larry Brown he would try to take Aaron McKie, but alas, there is no such option. I haven't read much about the Cats trading this pick which means they most certainly will. But if they do pick, it might be someone that hasn't worked out for them, because no one wants to. I suppose playing for Michael Jordan and Larry Brown has lost its luster. Besides you can wait one more spot and play for Jay-Z!

10. New Jersey Nets
Speaking of Hov, he is about to make a new friend. Who that friend could be is completely impossible to predict however. Logic says another big man for NJ, but then again logic has no place in the Meadowlands. Gallinari seems to be a lock if he is available because, you know, he doesn't want to play anywhere else, but a "rich man's Bostjan Nachbar" probably isn't too appealing to a future Brooklyn fanbase. They can barely understand the dude who sells Gyros on the corner.

11. Indiana Pacers
With the rumors surrounding a makes-too-much-sense deal involving TJ Ford and Jermaine O'Neal, DJ Augustin might not be the surefire pick here anymore. I guess Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy are long-term options so one of those wacky, athletic bigs will probably go here if Augustin does not.

12. Sacramento Kings
Not a lot of action on this pick. It seems like they will just keep it and probably take Augustin if he's available. Otherwise a Wheel O' Big Man will be spun and any of the Speights/McGee/Jordan mess will be chosen.

13. Portland Trailblazers
Some have them trading this thing for sure, others have them keeping it and taking something called Alexis Ajinca. One thing is for sure, the Blazers have options and probably don't need to get any younger.

14. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors are the team that every prospect seems tailor-made for, which is funny because Don Nelson hates youth. Apparently Jason Thompson, a guy who has been underrated throughout this process, is in play. A 7-footer who can run and shoot? Doesn't sound like something thing that would interest Nellie at all. Initially an upside big man like Koufos, McGee or Randolph would seem to make sense, but don't they already have Brandan Wright and Patrick O'Bryant? (Yes, they do).

-Read more of Jason's Draft coverage at the Super, Scintillating, and Sarcastic blog

Minnesota Timberwolves: NBA Draft Team Needs

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 03:00:00 -0400

2007-08 Record: 22-60; 4^th Northwest

Draft Picks: 3, 31^,34

Key Free Agents

F Ryan Gomes (restricted)

G Sebastian Telfair (restricted)

F Chris Richard (restricted)

F/C Craig Smith (restricted)

G/F Kirk Snyder (restricted)

How they got here and what they need

The Timberwolves finally decided to say goodbye to the cornerstone of their franchise this past offseason, sending Kevin Garnett to Boston and receiving some youngsters in return. Al Jefferson has fit right into the power forward position for Minnesota, but this was a young group that took its share of lumps in the early going. But towards the end of the season Minnesota was giving foes fits, enough to get out of the cellar in the Northwest Division.

But clearly there's a need for a presence at center if this franchise hopes to eventually challenge for a playoff spot in the loaded Western Conference. Crazy as it may be to say this, but the lottery may have worked out well for the T-Wolves since neither Derrick Rose nor Michael Beasley would fill that need. Another shooter would also be nice to have, but they do have two developing options in Randy Foye and Rashad McCants. But the clear priority is at center for this franchise.

Who they take

I expect Minnesota to draft Stanford's Brook Lopez with the third pick in the draft. He's dropped a little on some draft boards of late, but given their need for a sidekick for Jefferson along with the fact that his game right now may be the furthest along of any true center in this class I say he goes here.

Draft History (since 2000)

- 2007: Corey Brewer (7^th), Chris Richard (41^st)
- 2006: Randy Foye (7^th), Craig Smith (36^th), Loukas Mavrokefalidis (57^th)
- 2005: Rashad McCants (14^th), Bracey Wright (47^th)
- 2004: Blake Stepp (59^th)
- 2003: Ndudi Ebi (26^th), Rick Rickert (55^th)
- 2002: Marcus Taylor (52^nd)
- 2001: Loren Woods (46^th)
- 2000: Igor Rakocevic (51^st)

Links: NBA Draft | NBA Teams | Mock Draft | Draft History

Poll: Will Kevin Garnett Get Traded?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 08:22:15 -0400

Unsubstantiated Speculation: Wednesday's NBA Draft Rumors

Jason Tomassini — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 12:04:38 -0400

It was tough to compile today’s draft links, what with the Billy Donovan situation and all. Like many, I have been up until all hours of the night, wondering what will happen, where Donovan will land, what the lawyers will say. Answers were hard to come by, given the confusing nature of the situation. My mind was clouded, my emotions mixed. I didn’t know what to believe. But I’ve recovered, thanks to the NBA Draft and its integrity, straightforwardness and comforting reliability. In a stormy sea of sports ambiguity, we can all rely on the NBA Draft to right our ships.

On with the links (void of sarcasm, I promise)…

· Jason Quick of The Oregonian has been all over the draft because, you know, something important is finally happening in Oregon. The latest fruit of his labor is this well-done Greg Oden feature. A lot of players say they want to be great, but you get the sense from this piece that Oden really means it. He talks about greatness in such an understated way that you realize he’s not out to prove it to critics, but only to himself. Anyway, Quick digs pretty deep, even talking to Oden’s fourth grade coach. The story dominates all Oden features that preceded it and sets the bar high for the thousands that will follow. Jason Quick, laying down the gauntlet.

· Quick also seemed to have the scoop on the private workouts and physicals the top prospects went through in Orlando. Oden’s results evoked the phrase “freak of nature.” In the 3/4 court sprint, Oden finished just .07 seconds behind Aaron Brooks. His body fat is 7.8 percent; Josh “The Doughboy” McRoberts tips the scales at 13.7. Oden also beat Kevin Durant by nearly 0.7 seconds in the agility drill. This is the stuff middle-aged white NBA executives dream about.

· Speaking of Durant, over at the AOL Sports Fanhouse, Michael David Smith is more concerned with Durant’s zero reps on the 185-pound bench press. I have a feeling that number is going to go the way of Vince Young’s Wonderlic grade. The man can’t bench 185 pounds but I’m sure he will drop 40 on any team that takes him lightly. Jonathan Givony, who has made the draft his bitch this year, is the president of DraftExpress and doesn’t care for any of these measurements, using some solid examples to prove why they don’t matter. Somewhere Jay Bilas is sobbing quietly, thinking of a future world where freakish wingspan is no longer relevant.

· Oh and Chad Ford continues to shame all other draft gurus, obtaining these exclusive test results from Orlando. It’s for Insiders only. Only the privileged may know how fast Rodney Stuckey can run through cones.

· Seeing as how everyone has already heard enough about the top draft prospects, it’s already time to get into the draft sleepers. Ken Davis at MSNBC.com submits this list. He likes Demetris Nichols and Jared Dudley, amongst others. He also enters the long list of sportswriters who are hawking Jared Jordan as a super-duper sleeper because the first time they saw him play he was running a textbook pick-and-roll at the pre-draft camp. Something tells me all these guys weren’t in the press box at the MAAC final. I didn’t realize Sports Illustrated had an NBA Draft Insider, but they do and his name is Chris Ekstrand and he has some sleepers of his own. Surprise, surprise, he likes Nichols and Dudley too. Must have been some extremely telling pick-up games down there in Orlando.

· Marc Berman of the New York Post writes that Isiah Thomas is looking to roll the dice with the No. 23 pick. Further proof of what was already suspected: Thomas runs the Knicks like a game of craps. Darryl Watkins, don’t turn your phone off June 28th.

· Yesterday was the first day teams could conduct workouts for players. Here’s the plans for some of the lottery teams.

· The Wolves are going to bring in Joakim Noah and Spencer Hawes. Noah will work in the low post, shoot mid-range jumpers and engage in a shouting contest with Kevin Garnett. They will also bring in Gary Neal, who will compete against Ricky Davis to see who can take the most ill-advised jumpers and not get back on defense. Should be a good one.

· The Wizards, at No. 16, have a ton of guys coming in this week, including Nick Young, Javaris Crittenton and Jason Smith.

· Even though they fell to No. 4, the Grizzlies have opted to still participate in the draft and will bring in Al Horford, Noah and Brandan Wright.

· Since not everyone is an ESPN Insider, here’s some workout stuff as reported by Chad Ford:

· The Bobcats are working out Corey Brewer, Julian Wright, Jeff Green and Thaddeus Young against each other next week.

· Brandan Wright is working out with the Hawks, Grizzlies and Celtics.

· Ditto for Horford, plus the Bucks and Wolves.

· Al Thornton is working out for the Celtics, Blazers (huh?), Wolves, Bobcats and Bucks.

· Spencer Hawes will work out for the Wolves, Bulls and Kings.

· Jeff Green’s got the Sixers, Bulls, Bobcats and Bucks.

· Remember that guy Alando Tucker? You know, the Player of the Year candidate last year? Well he’s working out for the Sixers with Jermareo Davidson and a couple scrubs. In other news, Converse signed Tucker to a shoe deal rumored to be worth seven figures. Nothing sells shoes like five years of college in Wisconsin. (In all seriousness, Tucker is going to prove a lot of people wrong in the NBA).

· Aaron Brooks thinks he is a “NBA prototypical point guard.” It is uncertain whether anyone agrees.

· Last but not least, an outstanding feature on former Boise State forward Coby Karl, son of Nuggets coach George Karl, who is recovering from cancer and trying to get drafted. It comes from an unlikely source (in geography, not ability), Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News.

2006 NBA Draft Statistical Projection Recap

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 11:03:01 -0400

Every season, I project the future statistics of top NBA prospects. Before I get to this season's first projections for the 2007 prospects, I wanted to take a look back at 2006. Overall, I projected very meek stats for last year's class, and my lack of confidence turned out to be right. There just wasn't too much excitement. Luckily on the most part, my projections were pretty solid. Last year's stats. http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/Draft/2006stats.htm PLAYER - PPG - RPG - APG - vs - Actual Stats LaMarcus Aldridge - 11,5,2 vs 9,5,0 Maurice Ager - 4,2,1 vs 2,1,0 Hilton Armstrong - 6,5,1 vs 3,3,1 Renaldo Balkman - 5,3,1 vs 5,4,1 Andrea Bargnani - 7,4,2 vs 12,4,1 Josh Boone - 4,3,1 vs 4,3,0 Ronnie Brewer - 8,3,2 vs 5,1,0 Denham Brown - 5,3,1 vs DNP Shannon Brown - 5,3,2 vs 2,10 Rodney Carney - 8,3,2 vs 7,2,1 Mardy Collins - 4,2,2 vs 5,2,2 Paul Davis - 4,3,1 vs 2,1,0 Quincy Douby - 8,3,2 vs 3,1,0 Jordan Farmar - 4,2,2 vs 4,2,2 Randy Foye - 9,4,4 vs 10,3,3 Joel Freeland - 3,2,1 vs DNP Rudy Gay - 8,4,2 vs 11,5,1 Bobby Jones - 4,2,1 vs 3,1,0 Solomon Jones - 3,3,1 vs 3,2,0 Kyle Lowry - 6,3,3 vs 6,3,3 Adam Morrison - 13,4,2 vs 12,3,2 David Noel - 3,2,1 vs 3,2,1 Steve Novak - 5,2,1 vs 2,1,0 Patrick O'Brient - 5,3,1 vs 2,1,1 Oleksiy Pecherov - 3,2,1 vs DNP Kosta Perovic - 3,3,1 vs DNP JJ Redick - 11,3,2 vs 6,1,1 Sergio Rodriguez - 4,2,2 vs 4,1,3 Rajon Rondo - 5,3,2 vs 6,4,4 Brandon Roy - 12,5,2 vs 17,4,4 Mouhamed Saer Sene - 3,3,1 vs 2,2,0 Thabo Sefolosha - 5,2,1 vs 4,2,1 Cedric Simmons - 7,4,1 vs 3,3,0 Craig Smith - 4,3,1 vs 7,5,1 Tyrus Thomas - 8,7,1 vs 5,4,1 PJ Tucker - 4,3,1 vs 2,1,0 Marcus Vinicius - 3,2,1 vs 2,1,0 Marcus Williams - 7,3,3 vs 7,2,3 Shawne Williams - 7,3,2 vs 4,2,1 Shelden Williams - 9,6,1 vs 6,5,1 All Stats Correct: Jordan Farmar (4,2,2 vs 4,2,2), Kyle Lowry (6,3,3 vs 6,3,3), David Noel (3,2,1 vs 3,2,1) 2 of 3 Stats Correct: Renaldo Balkman (5,3,1 vs 5,4,1 actual), Josh Boone (4,3,1 vs 4,3,0), Mardy Collins (4,2,2 vs 5,2,2), Thabo Sefolosha (5,2,1 vs 4,2,1), Marcus Williams (7,3,3 vs 7,2,3) All Stats Within 1 Besides Above: Rodney Carney (8,3,2 vs 7,2,1), Randy Foye (9,4,4 vs 10,3,3), Bobby Jones, Solomon Jones, Adam Morrison (13,4,2 vs 12,3,2), Sergio Rodriguez, Mohamed Saer sene, Marcus Vinicius. Best Projections: Nailing Farmar and Lowry's numbers were nice but a bit of a fluke. The more minutes and numbers a guy puts up, the harder it is to equal the actual stats. For that reason, the projections of Marcus Williams (off by barely a rebound a game), Randy Foye, and Adam Morrison above are better indications of my success. Overall, with the few exceptions noted below, I had everybody in the range that they finished.. and putting guys in the right band is ultimately what I'm trying to achieve. Worst Projections: The worst projection was Sacramento's Quincy Douby. He only had 4 units of production (pts, rbs, asts) as compared to my lofty 13 total. JJ Redick was another big underperformer. I projected 11,3,2 but he only put up 6,1,1.. basically half of expected production. Forwards Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons also did worse than expected. Armstrong was projected at 12 units but only had 7, while Simmons was projected at 12 but only had 6. Andrea Bargnani and Brandon Roy surpassed my expectations, especially in terms of scoring average. Bargnani averaged an impressive 12 ppg last year compared to 7 ppf projection. Roy popped in 17 a game, compared to my 12. Check back in a few days for the 2007 statistical projections.