NBA Draft Preview

A couple months ago, I claimed to be done with the NBA. Well, I'm aware that some of you are still sticking with the league that is one step below World Wrestling Entertainment on the fake scale. WIth that in mind, I'm posting my opinions on the NBA Draft and what the Wolves need to do by the end of the night to give us a favorable script. Wait, we're not going to get one because David $tern still loves money, which because there is no pairity in the NBA, they aren't making any. Whatever...

So the Wolves have the 4th overall pick in the draft behind Washington, Philadelphia, and New Jersey. It seems like the first two picks are locked in, as the Wizards will select Kentucky G John Wall with the first overall pick and the 76ers are going to take Ohio State G/F Evan Turner with the second pick.

Then it gets interesting. The Nets have a new Russian billionaire running their team. They're going to move to Brooklyn in a couple years and this man wants to build a machine...I mean winner so that he can take over the wo...I mean...impress his incoming fan base. So, the Nets in theory should take the third best player in the draft, Georgia Tech F Derrick Favors, right? Not really.

Since the Nets want to win right away, Favors wouldn't make sense for the Nets. Instead, they will probably take Syracuse G/F Wesley Johnson, probably the second most NBA ready prospect behind Turner. If the Nets take Johnson, they can use their massive salary cap room to lure one of the mega free agents to the Meadowlands, like Amare Stoudamire and Carlos Boozer. Mix in the fact that Johnson has the same agent as Boozer and it makes sense to have Devin Harris and Johnson in their backcourt and Brook Lopez and Boozer in their frontcourt.

So that would leave a huge debate at what to do at 4. Wolves president David Kahn has said that it's "highly, highly, highly, highly" unlikely that they will trade up or down. So, that means if this scenario plays out the Wolves will have their choice of Favors or Kentucky C DeMarcus Cousins.

According to nbadraft.net's scouting report of Favors, he compares to Hawks C Al Horford, who's been pretty successful on a good team in Atlanta. However, some NBA scouts have said that at worst, he's Amare Stoudamire. At his best? Some Dwight Howard guy, maybe you've heard of him? The Wolves will take anything between that I think.

However, there are negatives to Favors. He's EXTREMELY young. Favors will turn 19 in July. That's right...TURN 19. Scouts also say that Favors has a motor problem, but then again, so did Randy Moss.

In the blue corner is DeMarcus Cousins. The good news is that he's very polished on the court. He's a physical mismatch for just about anybody. Great size, great strength. Well, about that size thing...

Cousins was 2nd in the NBA combine in...body fat. Approximately 16 percent of his frame is fat. Granted, he's doing all he can to lose it by starting a diet of strictly salad and seafood, but scouts still are questioning his commitment. (For example, the guy who was 1st in body fat at the combine, Texas C Dexter Pittman, has already lost 50 pounds since the whole draft thing started and about 120 since high school when he weighed four bills.) Because of this, the nbadraft.net scouting report compares him to Former Bulls C Eddy Curry. Yay.

Scouts also think that Cousins has a maturity problem. Punching four of your coaches through your basketball career will do that to you. I even joked in my previous NBA post that Cousins would "go ape@#$% in wal-mart some day because he couldn't get a Lil' Wayne CD for free." To me, Cousins reminds me of another important man in Wolves history, Isiah Rider. Because of that, if this happens, they need to go with Favors.

Don't get me wrong, if the Nets are just throwing a smoke screen to try and get the Wolves to trade up for Johnson, it wouldn't be terrible if they had to take him instead. Johnson is an athletic shooter who is a great glue guy for a team, but he can't carry a team by himself, as evidenced by his time at Iowa State. Still, the outside shot is something the Wolves desperately need, although they could get the same thing later at pick #16 if...

Fresno State G/F Paul George is available at 16, he'd be very comparable to Johnson. He can absolutely fill it up from behind the arc, and is long enough to become a defensive superstar. Think of Corey Brewer on steroids. George is also a beast on the fast break. He could also be a future slam dunk champion.

However the Wolves are reportedly close to dealing that pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for the 23rd and 28th picks of the draft, which would give the Wolves four first round picks (including pick #4, which isn't available.) So there could be a big deal for a veteran, which seems to be the only way that the Wolves can get quality talent.

Rumors are seriously flying about this. I read one yesterday that said that the Wolves are offering Al Jefferson and the three first round picks to Denver for Carmelo Anthony. Not going to happen. The same blog said that the Wolves would offer Ricky Rubio's rights to Cleveland in a sign-and-trade for LeBron James. Hey dude, the first thing that needs to happen for a sign and trade is the SIGN part. LeBron doesn't want to be 100 miles within the radius of the Target Center. It's not going to happen.

There was also a rumor that the Wolves were offering the 4th pick in the draft to Portland, for defensive specialist Nikolas Batum. No, no, no, PLEASE GOD NO!!!!

The only one that has some steam to it right now is the Wolves getting PF Anthony Randolph from Golden State. Yet if the Wolves draft Favors does that make sense? Or would they deal Jefferson or Kevin Love to obtain Randolph?

It's going to be an interesting summer for the Timberwolves and tonight marks the beginning of that summer. Can the Wolves land an impact player in the draft, trade market, or free agency? Or will the Wolves wind up feeling the wrath of David $tern? Stay tuned.