[外電] Wolves shopping for future
http://www.twincities.com/timberwolves/ci_5596329
The Timberwolves will have a full staff at the Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational
today, evaluating prospects in preparation for the NBA draft June 28.
With little hope of the team making the playoffs, one of the big questions
becomes whether the Wolves will finish with a top-10 pick. That would guarantee
them a first-round selection in potentially one of the deepest drafts in years.
Finishing with something other than a top-10 pick would mean the Los Angeles
Clippers would get Minnesota's selection to fulfill the 2005 sign-and-trade
deal that sent Sam Cassell and a conditional first-round selection to the West
Coast in exchange for Marko Jaric.
The NBA lottery May 22 determines the final draft order, and the Wolves might
have to wait until then to know whether they will have a pick.
The Wolves have eight games remaining, but if teams drafted according to
win/loss percentage as of Wednesday morning, Minnesota would pick 10th.
Vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale and assistant general
manager Fred Hoiberg are scheduled to evaluate the 64 college seniors at
Portsmouth. General manager Jim Stack, assistant general manager Rob Babcock
and director of player personnel Zarko Durisic were there Wednesday for the
first day of the tournament.
The NBA predraft camp will be held in Orlando, Fla., in late May and early
June.
Whether a top-10 pick would make a major difference for the Wolves depends on
several factors.
"That's going to be the thing is how many underclassmen come out," Hoiberg said
Wednesday. "There's a lot of talented players, and a lot of them are
underclassmen and a lot will depend on how many of those guys decide to put
their names in the draft."
Freshmen Greg Oden of Ohio State and consensus national player of the year
Kevin Durant of Texas are considered the top two picks in the draft and
potential franchise players, if they make themselves available.
Where the Wolves pick might be the difference between getting a solid player or
a potential all-star. They won't have much chance of getting the top pick if
they stay on their current track. Their chances would improve only slightly for
winning the second or third pick. The team with the league's worst record,
currently the Memphis Grizzlies, has only a 25 percent chance of getting the
No. 1 pick.
"I think because of so many players coming out early, especially with big men -
and big men being at a premium - it has a chance to be one of the better drafts
in quite some time," said draft analyst Chris Monter of Monter Draft News.
The Wolves might not be able to expect much if they pick near No. 10, Monter
said. But, if they declare for the draft, centers such as Georgetown's Roy
Hibbert, Connecticut's Hasheem Thabeet and Washington's Spencer Hawes still
might be available, which would give the Wolves more size, something they have
lacked since they waived Eddie Griffin this season.
"I think that's something that at least gives you a little hope if you're a
(Wolves) fan is that there are big men with size," Monter said. "They're not
really ready to play (as a rookie), but their size might give them more
opportunity to play right away rather than a 6-3 guard just because there's
such a premium on size."
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