FanNation

Bigalke said 06/20, 12:17 AM
But IS Bayless the best player for Minnesota? Foye is hardly a "failed experiment"... would you call Greg Oden a failed experiment because he didn't play a minute with the Blazers?! Foye was injured most of last season, & HAS indeed shown improvement in the few games he did get to play last season...

Telfair, meanwhile, is NOT the answer as a starter but is a serviceable backup. His assist-to-turnover ratio led the Timberwolves, & he can fit within the team concept...

What is Minnesota lacking MOST? Al Jefferson has worked admirably in the center slot, but it is not the best use of him. Who should they then take?

Brook Lopez out of Stanford...

Why? A seven-footer, he has an extra season of college ball than Bayless & comes in better prepared for NBA life. He showed improvement from freshman to sophomore year, allowing Minnesota to better evaluate his ability. He's a better defender than Jefferson & would allow Al to move over to power forward...

Does Minnesota really need another guy who isn't quite a 1 OR a 2? Not really... when you can get a dominant interior presence. Lopez gives them that. It's too early to call Foye a bust... but the right time to get Al some help inside.

Bigalke said 06/20, 10:45 AM
You mention Foye's injury troubles... and then propose that the Timberwolves take Bayless -- a guy who suffered a knee injury last season. I must ask: Should Bayless prove to have as much trouble staying healthy in the NBA as Foye has shown, are you going to scrap him as well after only two seasons?!

The thing about Lopez is that yes, his shot selection lacks total consistency. However, to completely discount his chances for success because he would go to the Western Conference is ludicrous. What is the key ingredient for ANY team trying to succeed in the NBA? A BIG MAN...

Al Jefferson has been willing to fill that role, but it is hardly the best use of his talents. Getting a true seven-footer frees the Timberwolves' most talented player to play to his strengths. Lopez is a physically mature center for whom adversity has helped him grow as a person and as a player. Good coaching will quickly break bad habits learned in the Pac-10, as Lopez has shown an ability to learn and alter his game to be more effective...

Adding Lopez to the frontcourt gives Minnesota a far greater chance at success than stocking an already-overstocked backcourt with another in-between player...

Bigalke said 06/21, 11:28 AM
Don't know why you missed, Danbash... hope all is well...

As for this debate, the fact remains that the Timberwolves are already stocked with players whose game is far too similar to Bayless to justifying using the three pick to take Jerryd. You talk about addressing needs by taking the point guard from Arizona; however, you do little to address their glaring size disparity in regards to the rest of the Western Conference...

Lopez addresses that disparity. Yes, he is a raw big man who needs some work... but, as his two seasons at Stanford illustrated, he does respond to instruction. The improvement in his numbers and play from freshman to sophomore year gives Minnesota an indication that he CAN actually learn and improve -- something that Bayless and his one injury-plagued college season does NOT afford...

With Lopez AND Jefferson up front, Minnesota would be a far better team than with a platoon of Foye, Telfair AND Bayless at the point guard position. The Timberwolves would be well suited to draft Brook, the seven-foot center from the Cardinal, with their number-three pick in the draft. This is who Minnesota SHOULD select...