NBA free agency: who ya like here?
Posted on July 1st, 2008 – 2:14 PMBy Michael Rand
The Wolves altered their roster quite a bit with the recent draft-day trade that brought in Mike Miller, Kevin Love, Brian Cardinal and Jason Collins while dispatching O.J. Mayo, Antoine Walker, Marko Jaric and Greg Buckner. The main rotation guys seem fairly clear: Randy Foye, Miller, Ryan Gomes*, Rashad McCants, Al Jefferson, Kevin Love, Corey Brewer, Craig Smith* and, likely, Collins, even though is PER is absolutely brutal. (*Denotes restricted free agents that received qualifying offers). With the onset of free agency, we want to ask what they still need.
1) A true point guard to back up Foye. (Sebastian Telfair might still be an option, but he was woeful in the Hollinger Efficiency Rating last season, ranking 270th out of all players and 58th among point guards).
2) Perhaps another workmanlike big man to bang down low.
3) Perhaps a veteran swingman who can play some D.
The big thing, though, is point guard. Since Foye is somewhat of a combo guard, they need a true point. They’re not going to get the opting-out Baron Davis or someone of that ilk, but what they need is someone who could play 15-20 steady minutes and potentially start if Foye is injured. Someone like Anthony Carter, who was unremarkable in his first stint here but had a nice run last year with cash-strapped Denver, might be a decent addition. An intriguing option at the right price would be Shaun Livingston, who was emerging with the Clippers before a knee injury two seasons ago put him on the shelf. He was recently cleared to play again and, if healthy, would be a fantastic addition.
We’re less inclined to take a stab at any big men or swing men the Wolves would make a run at. We’ve been fans of UFA DeSagana Diop, a 7-footer, ever since we saw him throw LeBron’s shot about 500 feet in person a couple years back, but that’s not a basis for a multi-million dollar contract.
It will be interesting to see if the Wolves make more of a splash than what we’re expecting. Your thoughts on the whole ordeal and any big names that might be headed elsewhere?
29 Responses to "NBA free agency: who ya like here?"
I think D-West from the Cavs would fit the need for now.
CA: He’s a restricted free agent, and he’s more of a combo guard. Not sure that’s going to work.
I like Livingston’s upside (/bilas), but that’s a huge risk, given that Foye is also coming off a major injury. The Wolves probably need to look at re-signing Telfair or a veteran like Carter, just to be safe.
I can’t believe horseshoes were played at Van Cleve. You could have gone 6 blocks north and hit up the best horseshoe pits (lighted!) in the entire city!
Joy.
Best Good Sports yet. Thanks for the Big Lewbowski ending.
I’m with SR, that Good Sports was awesome. It included all of the awkwardness that I’ve come to expect, hard-hitting horseshoes action, and a dramatic re-reading of a classic film.
Also, your ability to overcome the lack of a hammer was breathtaking.
I just looked up salaries for next year. The Wolves are just under $57 million including $14 to Juwan Howard and T-Hud. Which means we’re pretty much already at the salary cap. I forgot we have to pay those guys still. Too bad, we might have been able to sign someone.
That being said, I think PG is the most deficient position. Foye and Telfair will have to do this year.
SR: I knew such a pit existed, but I couldn’t remember exactly where. Plus, I was trying to keep Adam as close to campus as possible.
Also, apropos of nothing, I made some leftovers the other night and uttered the phrase (to myself): “There’s at least enough meat left for two sandwiches.” Would readers/viewers support the random insertion of such phrases into the Good Sports emporium?
For the next Good Sports, what about playing beer pong with Jared Allen?
Would readers/viewers support the random insertion of such phrases into the Good Sports emporium?
Not only do I support it, I demand it. The concept for Good Sports is already a little different from most other media available. You might as well go all out. We should come up with some standard questions to ask all interviewees on Good Sports. Ideas:
What’s your favorite condiment and why?
Favorite cartoon growing up?
Guilty reality show pleasure?
“I made some leftovers last night” could go in the lexicon as well.
“I mowed Robb Stauber’s lawn.”
Mr. Rand and other Wolves season ticket package participants:
Please clarify. When you are at individual games next year, will you be cheering for the Wolves to win? Or will you only look for signs of improvement from Jefferson, Love, Foye and Brewer but hope for the Wolves to lose, and therefore increase their lottery odds?
For the next Good Sports, what about playing beer pong with Jared Allen?
Stay classy, roughkat. And +1, too.
Any chances we have something Chicago wants for their now expendable Kirk Hinrich?
“My Doug Woog could really go for a roast beef sandwich right now”
Rooting for wins. The lottery is a crapshoot anyway. Fielding a decent squad will help lure quality free agents, and cheering for that squad will net me karma points (which I’m going to need, on account of all my pending dance team ogling).
Questions to ask:
1. What is your opinion of sport peppers on hot dogs?
2. If you could change anything in the world so that it would smell as good as it tastes, what would it be?
3. Transformers: More than meets the eye or exactly as you expect from first looking at them?
I also think that when Good Sports comes to the winter season that you need to take Nick Punto to the RollerDome.
roughkat - I’m confused about these buyouts. I don’t think we have to pay Howard and Hudson anything more than their buyout. It’s just the contracts count against the cap.
In other words, the distinction only matters to Glen Taylor. And Carl Pohlad.
I may be wrong about this. But still, what a waste.
Clarence - I’m also cheering. I want to see wins. We don’t need the team getting used to tanking. If we wanted to lose we wouldn’t have traded Ricky Davis and Antoine Walker.
Stu - For whatever reason I don’t see Jared Allen playing polo or scrabble. Maybe that would be fun as well.
“2) Perhaps another workmanlike big man to bang down low.”
And here is where the Timberwolves and Tara Reid’s list of needs converge.
The buyouts still count against the cap but those scrubs have already gotten their money and run.
Hinrich is making way too much money for the Wolves to trade for him.
What exactly is a “classic” point guard? Is that your way of saying they need to bring in Isiah Thomas?
I’d go after Steve Blake, he won’t want to come here, so I’d sign Telfair to a 2 year $4 million deal. Mario Chalmers should would look good in a Wolves jersey now, thanks a lot Mchale and Stack.
Clarence
You very well may have won the COW with that one.
Tara Reid + bang down low = Comedy Gold!
Rand, I’ve found the Good Sports episode for the ages. Beer Pong with Paula Creamer
I think that episode would break the internets.
I would like to see The Williams Wall playing bubble hockey.
I want a retro Good Sports episode where you play “red light, green light” against randy moss.
Clarence,
I literally laughed out loud. Best post I’ve seen.
Who is Hollinger and why does he get to have an efficiency rating?
“Mario Chalmers should would look good in a Wolves jersey now…”
Boy Jama, I don’t know. Sort of reminds me a William Avery situation - average season, great tournament.
Great question, “What is a classic point guard?” Today, I’d say Kidd on the high end, Andre Miller in the middle and Anthony Carter on the low end. But do we really want a “classic” PG?
I worry McHale has an outdated interpretation of “classic”. In McHale’s era the classic PGs were floor leaders, passers, clutch shooters and defenders. Not everyone could be Magic and Isaiah, so you had D. Johnson, Stockton, Archibald, et al.
Guys like Iverson and Marbury changed the distinction between PG and SG. Didn’t work out so well for the latter but the former opened the door for guys like Arenas, Paul, Wade (who played the point enough to be called one).
Of course there’s exceptions (Earl Monroe, Bob Cousey, Big O.). But I have the feeling that McHale yearns for the days when PGs scored averaged 12 pts., 10 assists, 5 rebounds and no turnovers. So I’m guessing, since we can’t get Kidd, Davis - or even Andre Miller - we’ll end up with Anthony Carter.
