OT Minnesota progressing on contract buyout with former No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett.

[jlprk]

No different than these rookies who come on here thinking they can start lame ass threads with no consequences...... this place slid downhill during my sabbatical!

Did you used to post here?

 

[Pinwheel1]

From the rumors, it does not sound like Bennett is interested in playing for the Blazers, or Philly, or Cleveland, or Utah, the only four teams that can pick him up off of waivers due to being under the cap or having a trade exemption. Which makes sense since none of them would have minutes for Bennett, so he is not interested in them. Bennett wants to clear waivers to sign with a team of HIS choice.

So, here is another angle. Let say a team (such as the Raptors or the Hawks) wants to sign Bennett as a free agent and can give him the minutes he wants. But they do not have the cap room. The Blazers would be a good option to use to dump a players salary to make room for Bennett.

Of course the team wanting to sign Bennett would need to make it worth while for the Blazers to help out, such adding a draft pick or three.

If he wants to go to a team who really has minutes for him.......and that team really does have a need for him.....then the compensation needs to be decent. I mean what you are describing is Bennett getting major minutes for that team. They better be willing to pony up.

 

[Natebishop3]

I don't know if a team that would start him right now.

 

[barfo]

I don't know if a team that would start him right now.

I can think of several.

Those teams are not in the NBA, however.

barfo

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Triano used Bennett exactly like Z-Bo.

The ISO where he'd drive left and spin right is a Randolph move.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Good video. He has greatly improved. I realize the guys guarding him were not very big, but Bennett has skills.
The key for him IMO is he has try to forget about where he was picked in the draft and keep working like he is any other player fighting to make a roster. And be happy to get any minutes. Because although he looks good, there other players in the NBA who are just as good. Being picked #1 was not helpful for his development. Too much of a tweener to live up to those expectations.

But I hope we get him. He has skills and will either help us on the court or get us something in a trade. I bet Philly snactches him up though.

 

[Schilly]

Our team is not a good team we definitely should not gamble on free assets when we have money to spend. It makes much more sense to give a roster spot to an undrafted guy with red flags than a guy that was drafted too high but still has potential. That's just idiocy.

 

[julius]

Our team is not a good team we definitely should not gamble on free assets when we have money to spend. It makes much more sense to give a roster spot to an undrafted guy with red flags than a guy that was drafted too high but still has potential. That's just idiocy.

Which undrafted guy has red flags, Montero or Alexander?

 

[Reep]

Aside from the UNLV connection, does he remind anyone else of Larry Johnson, maybe minus the rebounding?

 

[Reep]

Our team is not a good team we definitely should not gamble on free assets when we have money to spend. It makes much more sense to give a roster spot to an undrafted guy with red flags than a guy that was drafted too high but still has potential. That's just idiocy.

It's more complicated than that. Alexander has no real expectation right now. He would likely be happy just having a contract and being developed on the bench for a few years. Bennett wants to play now, and maybe he should. If we didn't have Leonard, Vonleh and Davis, I would think Bennett might make a lot of sense. But, we do. Even if we only had Plumlee, Leonard and Vonleh as our bigs I think Bennett would be a great addition. The problem I see is if you bring in Bennett, then either he or Davis is going to be the odd man out.

Aside from loyalties and keeping promises, I kind of wish they could move Davis elsewhere and take Bennett. With Leonard, Vonleh and Bennett can you imagine the fun combinations you could put on the court with all three being able to score in the post, all three being very quick on the roll and all three being able to hit the three? You could really create some hellish matchups with that group.

 

[Schilly]

I say we take him then move Kaman and Henderson to consolidate

 

[Pinwheel1]

I say we take him then move Kaman and Henderson to consolidate

Henderson plays a different position, where we do not have depth. If he stays healthy I think we will be happy we have him.

Kaman I can see moving if they truly think Meyers can play back up center as opposed to a stretch 4. Even then there will be one big who will be unhappy with his minutes. But do we really care if one guy is unhappy? Injuries will occur and eventually they will all get their chance to increase their trade value.

 

[Natebishop3]

I say we take him then move Kaman and Henderson to consolidate

Trading a center and a shooting guard doesn't really open up any time for a tweener SF/PF.

 

[Norman Dale]

Yes, he reminds folks of LJ - http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports...ws-comparisons-another-ex-rebel-larry-johnson

The quote I like is the one that LJ played all four years in college, 2 at UNLV and 2 at Odessa College. This upcoming year, 2015-16, would be Bennett's senior year of college. I say take a chance with him.

 

[Natebishop3]

Yes, he reminds folks of LJ - http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports...ws-comparisons-another-ex-rebel-larry-johnson

The quote I like is the one that LJ played all four years in college, 2 at UNLV and 2 at Odessa College. This upcoming year, 2015-16, would be Bennett's senior year of college. I say take a chance with him.

Watching that video, he reminds me a lot of ZBO. I don't see much LJ.

 

[oldfisherman]

AP Sources: Wolves completing their buyout with former No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett for $3.6M. Was due to make $5.8M this season

 

[Reep]

Watching that video, he reminds me a lot of ZBO. I don't see much LJ.

I can see him in between. He doesn't have ZBo's amazing touch or length, but Bennett has better hops. ZBo has always played below the rim, where Bennett really likes to get up high on drives. But, I agree that when Bennett is sealed down low he uses his bulk and long arms more to score.

Probably reminds more more of LJ because of his build. Under-tall with very broad shoulders.

 

[Blazers Roy]

We have to sign him now! Moar assets! we neeeed morrreee assets!

 

[0-Our!]

Yes, he reminds folks of LJ - http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports...ws-comparisons-another-ex-rebel-larry-johnson

The quote I like is the one that LJ played all four years in college, 2 at UNLV and 2 at Odessa College. This upcoming year, 2015-16, would be Bennett's senior year of college. I say take a chance with him.

Watching that video, he reminds me a lot of ZBO. I don't see much LJ.

I can see him in between. He doesn't have ZBo's amazing touch or length, but Bennett has better hops. ZBo has always played below the rim, where Bennett really likes to get up high on drives. But, I agree that when Bennett is sealed down low he uses his bulk and long arms more to score.

Probably reminds more more of LJ because of his build. Under-tall with very broad shoulders.

I don't see much LJ either (maybe build), I see more Z-Bo (like Reep said but w/o the "touch or length...". W/ all that in mind... I am actually partially changing my tune; I see more promise in him vs what I saw before. I looked back @ Z-Bo's rookie & sophomore minutes/stats (some of his stats r Z-Bo-ish) & took into account what Norman Dale ^ said, IF we needed to lose Kaman, Miller, & Frazier so that we can bring in Bennett... I'm much more ok w/ this now; IF we lose any other guys to bring him in... he BETTER turn out to b the non-blackhole (older Mem Z-Bo IS a team player & leader), high-flying, 3-point makin'est version of Z-Bo, actually he needs to be this regardless

 

[Schilly]

Which undrafted guy has red flags, Montero or Alexander?

Alexander...

BTW our hit to claim him of waivers is $2.2mil

 

[Natebishop3]

I say pick him up. We picked up trob on the cheap and then flipped him.


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[blue9]

Yeah, I'm on board with picking him up. But I'm not on board with cutting Kaman - we still need him to aid in the development of Meyers/Vonleh/Bennett.
Miller = Gone
Frazier and/or Pressey = Gone
That leaves, at most, one guy we need to cut. Diez? Alexander? Montero? I don't know anything about these guys.

 

[Schilly]

So Apparently if we pick him up it Nulifies the Buyout and he gets full $$ from us. We have to spend the money anyways. We would have a month to analyze development before we decide to pick up his option. I say we really have nothing to lose except maybe Alexander or Montero. Of Course we could always do a two for trade between now and the end of camp anyway.

 

[santeesioux]

I saw someone on Realgm say Philly was going to claim him before we could, so this is probably all null.

 

[Reep]

Isn't that what we did with Hickson? Other teams were interested, but we came in a claimed him before he cleared.

 

[Reep]

I saw someone on Realgm say Philly was going to claim him before we could, so this is probably all null.

I can't remember the rule, but doesn't the team with the worst record get first right to claim before the player clears wavers? I don't think it is first come, first served. Of course that would be Philly.

 

[Natebishop3]

God philly is a shit show. At least I trust Neil knows what he's doing. Philly has no fucking clue what they're doing.


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[Mediocre Man]

I saw someone on Realgm say Philly was going to claim him before we could, so this is probably all null.

Olshey should trade a top 50 protected pick for him

 

[Pinwheel1]

I can't remember the rule, but doesn't the team with the worst record get first right to claim before the player clears wavers? I don't think it is first come, first served. Of course that would be Philly.

That explains the process pretty well.

http://www.hoopsrumors.com/2012/05/waivers.html

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Yikes:

Two interior-oriented bigs can thrive in tight spacing if they are smart and skilled enough to work the ball through tiny corridors. Bennett has shown no such skill. He has 65 assists in two seasons, and though he improved his passing in Minnesota, he’s a hog when he catches the ball in the paint. He’s an explosive hog, but still a hog. He’ll catch in a crowd, take one dribble, pump fake, pivot, fake again, and toss up something even as shooters stand open around him. Sometimes that something is a lefty dunk that makes you say, “Holy shit, now that looked like a no. 1 pick!” but sometimes it’s a hopeless fling.

Those hopeless flings close to the basket are better than the hopeless flings Bennett lets fly from 20 feet on pick-and-pops. Boil Bennett’s career into one clip, and it would be him screening, lazily fading to the dead zone just inside the 3-point arc, catching a pass, hoisting a moon-shot jumper, and jogging back on defense after it misses. Two minutes later, he’d be jogging back to the bench, another aimless shift in the books. When his trigger finger gets itchy, Bennett looks like the rightful heir to Byron Mullens as the player who goes into his shooting motion most quickly upon catching the ball. It doesn’t matter if there are 15 seconds left on the shot clock and an easy ball reversal is staring him in the face. If Bennett wants to shoot, that baby is going up almost before he even catches the pass. He has a pump-and-drive game in his bag, but he doesn’t use it enough. He cannot resist the lure of a midrange J.

It got worse last season, when an ungodly 47 percent of his shots were long 2s. He hit 33 percent of them and all that chucking kept him away from contact and off the foul line. It was hideous.

He doesn’t have a bad stroke and he showed theoretical 3-point range in college at UNLV. That hasn’t translated to the NBA and an alarming number of Bennett’s quick-release 3s drew air.

Bennett’s defense has been a horror show of mistakes, miscommunications, and shoddy effort. He lives in no-man’s-land. He arrives too late, or too soon, calls out screens as they’re already happening, and can’t sort through all the decisions he has to make in a few seconds.

At times defending the paint, he has looked tentative, and almost sad. He has long arms and some bounce, but he just hasn’t been up for the fight down there consistently enough. He has the mobility to give you a good first effort, but when the scrum starts to boil, Bennett sometimes just wants out. Every advanced metric on his defense, both public and private, is beyond awful, and that matches the eye test.