OT: Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhnnnn!!

[andalusian]

They don't have a single player on that team who can command a double team ... and the one Kahn had, he traded away to the Jazz for a bag of chips.

The Al Jeff trade was a good one. If your best player is Al Jeff, you will go about as far as if your best player is Zach Randolph. A massive trade exception and future picks for a lottery team is a better option than paying Al Jeff tons of money. I will go back to what I said last year with the LMA contract - he is about as good a player as Al-Jeff, OK as 2nd option, great as a 3rd option, first option on a bad team, however? Yuck.

This BTW is why Utah did well with it, he will be 2nd option after Deron, that's better than Deron going all CP3 on them.

The big mistake was last year - taking Flynn instead of Curry to play next to Rubio.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

KHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

 

[alex42083]

I think Kahn is doing just fine. With a team like that you just need to stockpile assets, be creative, take chances, throw shit against the wall, see what sticks, and work to make it work down the road. That's what he id doing.

I'm not sure throwing shit against the wall is a good long-term strategy for a franchise. They just have no plan in place, no good FA would want to sign there. And giving away their draft picks are probably the only real good assets they've got. And to get West and Bassy? Yuck.

 

[jlprk]

Khan REALLY irritated Denny Crane!!!!

Turn up your speakers!!!

[video=youtube;wRnSnfiUI54]

 

[ironcrotch]

I think Kahn is doing just fine. With a team like that you just need to stockpile assets, be creative, take chances, throw shit against the wall, see what sticks, and work to make it work down the road. That's what he id doing.

sorry but you don't throw shit at the wall in a billion dollar business with multi million dollar contracts.

 

[Natebishop3]

Hey, I'm always willing to fleece a team with an incompetent GM.

Miller/Flynn/Johnson
Roy/Matthews
Batum/Babbitt/Cunningham
Aldridge/Love/Pendergraph
Oden/Camby

 

[andalusian]

Hey, I'm always willing to fleece a team with an incompetent GM.

I would do that.

 

[Ed O]

sorry but you don't throw shit at the wall in a billion dollar business with multi million dollar contracts.

I can see how it would work. Take a bunch of assets that might be undervalued and churn them, trying to get some diamonds in the rough.

Sessions was a relatively low-risk investment, and after a year it was clear (at least to Kahn) that he was not the value that he might have proven to be. Better, then, to get him off of the books.

He might be doing the same with Darko next year, or he might have a starting-level center in Milicic. Either way, he's not spent a lot of money.

The downside to this approach, of course, is the risk that there ARE no diamonds in the rough. That every cheap acquisition is ACCURATELY cheap, and that there's just a lot of rough out there.

Another downside is that the team won't be very good until some valuable guys emerge. If he drafts well, he'll be in a good position to speed up the process by adding potential studs from the draft, but he also might not get more than a couple of seasons of being an atrocious team before he gets the boot for a more conventional (or, less charitably, COMPETENT) GM.

Ed O.

 

[Natebishop3]

I would do that.

It's a terrible trade for them, but maybe Kahn could hook us up

 

[Minstrel]

I can see how it would work. Take a bunch of assets that might be undervalued and churn them, trying to get some diamonds in the rough.

Sessions was a relatively low-risk investment, and after a year it was clear (at least to Kahn) that he was not the value that he might have proven to be. Better, then, to get him off of the books.

He might be doing the same with Darko next year, or he might have a starting-level center in Milicic. Either way, he's not spent a lot of money.

The downside to this approach, of course, is the risk that there ARE no diamonds in the rough. That every cheap acquisition is ACCURATELY cheap, and that there's just a lot of rough out there.

Another downside is that the team won't be very good until some valuable guys emerge. If he drafts well, he'll be in a good position to speed up the process by adding potential studs from the draft, but he also might not get more than a couple of seasons of being an atrocious team before he gets the boot for a more conventional (or, less charitably, COMPETENT) GM.

Another problem is that randomly collecting assets, with no thought to whether they fit your offensive system, drastically reduces your chance of finding "diamonds in the rough."

It's possible Sessions could have been one...but putting a pick-and-roll point guard in the triangle is not going to end well. It's possible Webster is one (though, he's not terribly cheap at this point)...but again he seems like a mismatch for the triangle, which values passing from everyone on the floor and Webster is basically just a stand-still shooter. Webster seems like more of a fit within a more traditional inside-out defense, whether it's a big man drawing the double and kicking out, or a point guard slashing into the middle, drawing defenders and finding an open Webster.

So at least Milicic is a fit in that sense. He has the passing skills for the triangle offense.

 

[Cake]

PG: Rubio / Ridnour / Flynn / Telfair
SG: Ellington / West
SF: Johnson / Webster / Brewer
PF: Love / Beasley
C: Milicic / Koufos

I'd be scared to death if Kahn was our GM. His roster is a serious cluster fuck of confusion.

Is Ricky Rubio on the team? Nope.

I look at their roster and I don't see it as any worse than ours in terms of balance. I get that he's currently the most popular whipping boy in the NBA, but I think he's done a decent job. Certainly not worth bitching about everything he does. In fact, it's better at this point, since Rubio is definitely NOT coming over this season. We have 163 shooting guards on our roster.

He upgraded the PG rotation greatly, going from Flynn and Sessions to Flynn, Ridnour and Telfair. Ridnour is much, much better than Sessions, so the talent is an upgrade. Sessions was signed so Minnesota would have an asset, not necessarily because they saw him as a great fit or even as a great player. Nobody else wanted to sign in Minnesota, so...what was Kahn supposed to do? He signed a guy and now traded him. Big deal. He saved the team some money.

I like the Wesley Johnson pick. I think he could be a starter for 10 years for Minnesota. Good move.

He got Michael Beasley for nothing. Good move.

He cleared the log-jam at PF, since Beasley can play the 3 or the 4, where Jefferson could not. I think he kept the right guy in Kevin Love, but some may disagree. Either way, it's a close call. But Love fits the system better than Al Jefferson. I think it was a good move.

He's saved a ton of money for a franchise that doesn't have an ultra rich owner. Good move.

He slightly overpaid to get Darko Milicic back...but he did it early in the offseason. In hindsight, with some of the absurd contracts getting thrown around for journeyman players, signing a young big man to a relatively reasonable deal...not a bad deal. In general, good move.

 

[RR7]

I don't like the job he's done, but the "another PG" schtick is just stupid. He added Telfair, traded Sessions. (West is being cut)(well, likely telfair, too). So he swapped a PG for a PG, and that's adding MORE PGs?

Miller/Armon Johnson/Mills
Roy/Rudy/Bayless/Elliott Williams/Wesley Matthews
Batum/Babbitt/Cunningham
Aldridge/Pendergraph
Oden/Camby

Looks a little unbalanced as well, no?

 

[andalusian]

I look at their roster and I don't see it as any worse than ours in terms of balance. I get that he's currently the most popular whipping boy in the NBA, but I think he's done a decent job. Certainly not worth bitching about everything he does. In fact, it's better at this point, since Rubio is definitely NOT coming over this season. We have 163 shooting guards on our roster.

I generally agree, with the exception that our roster is more balanced, as we have clear starters in the #1 and #2 spots, where Minni does not.

I think I said it before - his biggest mistake, by far, was going for Rubio/Flynn instead of Rubio/Curry. First, it would have got them the clear starter at the #2 position - and might have enticed Rubio to come over earlier.

But, overall, not a bad job. The other issue they might have is the selection of Rambis over Monty for head-coach and the idea that he can force the system on them. This team is so raw in terms of talent, that they needed to tailor the system to the talent, not the other way around.

 

[Cake]

Hey, I'm always willing to fleece a team with an incompetent GM.

Miller/Flynn/Johnson
Roy/Matthews
Batum/Babbitt/Cunningham
Aldridge/Love/Pendergraph
Oden/Camby

The problem is...when has Kahn been 'fleeced' by anyone?

The Sessions/Hollins for West/Telfair trade is basically teams shuffling garbage players. In the trade you have posted, we get two good to very good prospects for basically garbage. Despite the seeming random nature of what David Kahn has done, he's never simply given up good talent for garbage.

 

[ironcrotch]

it wasn't just a shuffling of garbage, sessions and hollins were his FA signings last year and now he's dumping them a year later, let alone he gave them a draft pick to go along with it.

 

[Cake]

it wasn't just a shuffling of garbage, sessions and hollins were his FA signings last year and now he's dumping them a year later, let alone he gave them a draft pick to go along with it.

How he acquired the players is irrelevant. As I've said before, Sessions was signed because nobody else would sign with Minnesota. (much like Andre Miller) The fact that he's been traded now...so what? He was a chip for a future deal.

And BTW, they gave up a future 2nd round pick. OMG noooooooooo!!!! Who cares?

It is shuffling garbage. And it saved Minnesota some money in the long run. I don't think this is any kind of coup for Minnesota, but I also don't see how one can say Kahn got 'fleeced' in this deal.

 

[Nikolokolus]

http://www.instantsfun.es/khaaan

 

[Idog1976]

Hey, I'm always willing to fleece a team with an incompetent GM.

Miller/Flynn/Johnson
Roy/Matthews
Batum/Babbitt/Cunningham
Aldridge/Love/Pendergraph
Oden/Camby

You screen printing then uploading to imageshack for the image?

 

[jlprk]

[video=youtube;Q475jIZrhLI]

 

[Natebishop3]

You screen printing then uploading to imageshack for the image?

Yeah. I find it is easier than just posting the link.

 

[MickZagger]

Scary thought:

Minnesota has 2 first round picks in the 2012 draft and 3 first rounders in the 2013 draft.

 

[RR7]

they have Utah's lotto protected pick this year, do not have their own pick. And then next year, ahve their pick, and a lotto protected Memphis. What other picks do you see them having?

 

[MickZagger]

they have Utah's lotto protected pick this year, do not have their own pick. And then next year, ahve their pick, and a lotto protected Memphis. What other picks do you see them having?

Its what the Clippers announcers were saying during the telecast tonight.

 

[RR7]

funny they would say that, since they were the team that traded away Minnesota's pick, to N.O. Anyways, I believe it is one(potentially) this year, and 2 next year. And I know at least with utah's, it is lotto protected, and then turns into like a 2nd rounder or something.
Still, better than not having those, I suppose. Always an asset, but not 5 in the next 2 years.

 

[jlprk]

funny they would say that, since they were the team that traded away Minnesota's pick, to N.O. Anyways, I believe it is one(potentially) this year, and 2 next year. And I know at least with utah's, it is lotto protected, and then turns into like a 2nd rounder or something.
Still, better than not having those, I suppose. Always an asset, but not 5 in the next 2 years.

That's right and the Clipper announcers are wrong.

2012:. From Utah (protected top 14), do not have their own

2013: their own and Memphis (lottery protected)

http://prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Timberwolves.htm

Kahn erases his mistakes fast instead of clinging for years, pleading potential like Pritchard. Looks like the board opinion of Kahn has vastly improved.

http://sportstwo.com/threads/208788-Right-now-we-are-tied-with-Minnesota?

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Actually, I think the front line has a chance to be decent. Darko & Love are probably the best passing pair of big men in the league; Koufos is serviceable, and is there a more talented backup 4 than Beasley? Add in 3 top 10 picks at the small forward spot with different skill sets, and they're actually pretty versatile up front. If they can find 3 guards who can play, they might win 35 games.

I don't think so. Everyone outside Rubio/Love are fringe players. Johnson has been a huge bust so far. Darko is their Chris Johnson after Pekovic's breakout.

But they do have a very nice core going forward with Love/Rubio/Williams/Pekovic.

 

[HailBlazers]

Scary thought:

Minnesota has 2 first round picks in the 2012 draft and 3 first rounders in the 2013 draft.

DAMN. Along with Billy Bayno, Terry Porter, Rick Adelman, and what other Blazer Coaching Alumni? WTF Paul

 

[Nikolokolus]

I'm slightly encouraged about the Blazers future after re-reading this thread nearly two years later. Proof positive, that even if you have an incompetent management team you can still get enough shithouse luck to be good if you just somehow draft high enough in the lottery for enough years and if you throw enough shit at the wall to get something to stick.

 

[MickZagger]

I don't think so. Everyone outside Rubio/Love are fringe players. Johnson has been a huge bust so far. Darko is their Chris Johnson after Pekovic's breakout.

But they do have a very nice core going forward with Love/Rubio/Williams/Pekovic.

I think Williams has star potential.

 

[MickZagger]

I'm slightly encouraged about the Blazers future after re-reading this thread nearly two years later. Proof positive, that even if you have an incompetent management team you can still get enough shithouse luck to be good if you just somehow draft high enough in the lottery for enough years and if you throw enough shit at the wall to get something to stick.

Adelman's made a world of difference as well. Rambis might have been the worst coach I've ever seen.