Rubio, Flynn: And the point is…?
Posted on June 26th, 2009 – 2:56 AMBy Jerry Zgoda
How else do you describe draft night other than…
Timberwolfish…
New boss David Kahn got the player — Ricky Rubio — nearly every Wolves fan fantasized about in a sequence of good fortune that left those gathered at Target Center giddy and singing that “Ole, ole, ole” chant the moment David Stern announced Rubio as a Wolf.
And still many Wolves fans went to bed livid, partly because of a team history that has brought such draft nights as Roy-for-Foye and Chalmers-for-cold cash.
From the jaws of victory Thursday the Wolves snatched…well, two point guards with their back-to-back 5th and 6th picks and immediately Kahn sent word from the war room that, contrary to everybody’s assumption, he took both Rubio and Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn to keep them in the same backcourt, not trade them.
Then, with the third of their four first-round picks, the Wolves went and took yet another point guard, North Carolina’s Ty Lawson after the guy they presumably really wanted, Wake Forest’s James Johnson, was already gone.
Even Lawson’s college coach, Roy Williams, was mystified.
Cameras at Madison Square Garden captured him looking perplexed and holding up three fingers after the Wolves picked his guy.
Shortly thereafter, word came that the Wolves were dealing Lawson to Denver for Charlotte’s first-round pick (top 16) protected next summer.
(The Wolves took a fourth point guard when they selected Greece-bound Nick Calathes in the second round and then traded him to Dallas for a 2010 second round and cash considerations. The Wolves got North Carolina shooter Wayne Ellington with their final first round pick and forward Henk Norel from the Netherlands with their final second round pick).
Rubio’s chilly reaction to being Minnesota-bound and his pending $6.6 million buyout from his Spanish pro team begs the question whether he will even play at Target Center next season, or ever.
His agent is Dan Fegan, the same guy who represented Yi Jianlian when the Chinese forward balked and balked at playing in Milwaukee, eventually signed and then lasted just one year there before he was traded to New Jersey.
“Yes, it’s a big problem,” Rubio said of his buyout after he lost significant money by being the fifth pick instead of second or third.
Rubio had said before he’d basically play for free next year to pay off his Spanish team just so he could play in the NBA, but after tonight’s happenings he left open the possibility of returning to play in Europe next season.
He said he most wants “minutes” and the chance to succeed because he will make up the money he will lose through the buyout not with his rookie contract, but when he cashes in on his second one.
Kahn said the buyout situation will be an “interesting ride.”
He called the complications a buyout issue and said he doesn’t think Rubio will refuse to play in Minnesota.
“I don’t think its a destination problem,” he said. “I really don’t. I believe he would have been more than happy to play in Oklahoma City, and with all due respect to Oklahoma City (a very long pause).
“And I will say this, yes it’s cold here. I told this to Dan Fegan, and I will say this personally to Ricky when I have the opportunity: it’s cold in Detroit, Toronto, Chicago, Milwaukee, and by the way it’s pretty cold in Oklahoma City in the winter. I’ve seen a couple of ice storms in Tulsa.
“Here’s one difference. We’re in the Western Conference. We get to go to L.A. for four games. We go to Phoenix twice, to Texas and play those teams. We leave. And I told them today, in the off-season, we don’t have any restrictions on where he works on his game in the off-season, provided he works on his game.
“If he wants to work on his game back in Spain, we’ll send a coach and staff and help him work on his game in Spain. We’d do that for any player by the way, that’s not about Ricky. But we’re in the player development business and we have to be mindful that we live in a different world than the NBA was 15 years ago. ”
Rubio fell to the Wolves at No. 5 after Oklahoma City quit its bluffing and took James Harden third and Sacramento made Tyreke Evans the fourth pick.
Target Center erupted during the team’s draft party when Evans’ name was announced because it meant Rubio was Minnesota bound.
But when they took him, there options were limited with the sixth pick because Evans and Harden, the draft’s two best shooting guard types, already were gone.
Steph Curry was available, but he’s considered a point guard, even though he’s the best shooter in the draft and seemingly was a better fit than Flynn because he can play off the ball and spot up for open shots.
The Wolves other option would have been to take a guy like USC’s DeMar DeRozan, who went ninth, outright at No. 6 or tried to trade down a few slots to get him.
Kahn called Rubio a “transformational” player and “the orchestra leader” and said he picked Flynn next because he loved Flynn’s toughness, his leadership and he said, “I’ve never seen a kid 6-feet look and feel like he’s 6-3 or 6-4 like this kid does.”
Flynn’s vertical leaping ability was measured at 40 inches at last month’s Chicago combine. He was the only player there to do so.
But the question is: Can two guys used to have the ball in their hands actually play together?
Kahn swore they can and cited old-school examples of Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge in the Boston backcourt and Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars from the Pistons’ backcourt ages ago as similar examples.
He envisions Rubio, an otherworldly passer, as the distributor, Flynn as the scorer in that tandem.
“You can kind of see the NBA going in this direction, a 2-point guard look in the backcourt,” Flynn said. “You’ve seen that in the playoffs a lot this year and I think it’s going to carry over to next season. Rubio is a guy whose knack for passing is unmatched and I think he’s definitely going to raise my level of play and I’m going to try to do the same for him.”
Rubio said he liked the concept as well.
“When I began to be a professional player, I played with another point guard, too, and it made it easier to play,” Rubio said. ” I feel comfortable playing with two point guards.”
There’s also a very good chance Rubio, if he indeed does ever play for the Wolves, could end up playing for point guard as his coach.
Longtime NBA point guard Mark Jackson looks like the favorite for the Wolves’ head job.
Kahn presumably will begin his coaching search today, now that the draft is over.
When asked what he wanted in the new coach, Rubio said a guy who has played the pro game.
Asked if he’d like to played for a former NBA point guard, he said, “Yeah, absolutely.”
Both Rubio and Flynn are expected into town Friday.
If Rubio doesn’t show because of a flight delay or illness or some other reason, well, oh, oh…
It sure will be an interesting ride.
83 Responses to "Rubio, Flynn: And the point is…?"
I’m not going to bed livid, Jerry!
If they do hire Jackson though that’s another story. It seemed like his only purpose on ESPN tonight was to make Stu Scott not the dumbest guy on the stage.
Then they beamed Vitale in remote and he blew them all away in that department.
TEAMS ARE GOING TO REGRET PASSING ON A WINNER LIKE HANSBROUGH!
Yeah just like they were going to regret passing on Reddick and Morrison, right you ridiculous NCAA shill?
Anyways.
Jerry,
Your personal thoughts on the draft?
Will Rubio ever suit up?
I say yes, although it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s not next season. That actually might not be a bad long-term thing for the franchise and Rubio’s development, but it sure would depress Wolves fans who need something to cheer about. I, too, am puzzled by the picks and am skeptical that there’s something more there that Kahn (a trade in place or contemplated?) isn’t telling us. But they were in a tough spot. Curry was the only one of the top rated guards left (DeRozan seems like a rung down) and he’s a great shooter, but he’s also point-guard sized. Offensively, you’d think he’d be a better complement to Rubio, but would have created even worse defensive nightmares than a Rubio-Flynn pairing potentially could. Who’s going to guard the best-player-on-the-floor opposing 2 guard with that backcourt? I
Nothing Rubio has said has left me with the impression he won’t play here. It’s been his parents and his agent that seem to keep throwing up these flags all over the place.
I agree with Kahn; I don’t think Rubio cares where he plays, as long as he gets extended time on the court (like we even have a choice…) and the prospect of a big payday once his rookie contract is up. We can give him both, so I don’t see any problems here beyond crunching numbers.
Maybe I’m naively optimistic here. But I really do think he’ll be in a Wolves uniform by the start of 2010 at the latest.
Anyway Jerry, tell Kahn that picking Wayne Ellington was a brilliant move. He deserves a lot of credit for that one…that kid is ready to play and he’s going to be good.
My biggest fear is the 2nd contract, if he won’t play here the Wolves can trade Rubio but if he plays out the 2-4 years just looking to bolt as soon as possible it’ll break the fans’ hearts.
Getting way ahead of myself, I know.
Kahn does have some chips to play though.
I like Ellington a lot too, he showed up big time in the NCAA tourney.
Rubio will be here this fall. He has to be. I think it is key that him and Flynn grow together. They will have major growing pains but if they can keep to it it will work. Those two have the potential to be dynamic together and with the recent rule changes it might actually work. At least give it a try.
Can you see it now, T-Wolves win it all with 2PFs and 2PGs starting!!! What has happened to basketball?!?!
i wouldn’t count out Ellington, he’s was a premier player on the Nations best team. he’ll earn a shot at starting and if the wolves are smart they would start Ellington along side Rubio w/ Gomes Love and Jefferson up front. Gomes has proven he can knock down open shots, Ellington can knock down shots and we know what we get w/ Love and Jefferson.
Flynn will earn plenty of burn and will be a great change of pace type guard when brought in, he’ll also provide good defense w/ the second unit that will include brewer and carney and smith.
Ford gave us a C+
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES GRADE: C+
Round 1: Ricky Rubio (5), Jonny Flynn (6), Wayne Ellington (28)
Round 2: Henk Norel (47, via Heat)
Analysis: Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn might have been the two best point guards in the draft. But to fall in love with them both and actually take them both amounts to point guard polygamy.
I really don’t know what to think about the Timberwolves’ draft. I keep waiting to hear about a trade that tells us where Rubio or Flynn is really going, but it hasn’t come, and GM David Kahn says that he wants to keep both of them.
It’s almost Kevin McHale-esque, in a way. Remember all of us scratching our head a bit last year when the Wolves traded for Kevin Love, a guy who plays the same position as Minnesota’s best player, Al Jefferson?
So, to recap: The Wolves traded two key players on their roster, Randy Foye and Mike Miller, and took back bad contracts, to get the No. 5 pick, a questionable move. Then in the draft the team got the two guys they love, Rubio and Flynn. Terrific. Then GM David Kahn announced his idea to have Rubio and Flynn play together in the backcourt. Huh?
I could see it, I guess, if it had been Stephen Curry they drafted to play alongside Rubio. But Jonny Flynn as a two guard? Really? The Wolves appear to have outsmarted themselves.
Here’s the problem: Even if the Wolves’ idea to play them together was a good one (and it isn’t), I don’t think Ricky Rubio’s going for it. If he wants to, he can go back to Spain for the next year or two (or more) and really foul things up for the Wolves. Given how things look right now, I think he just might do it.
As for the rest of the draft, I think they made a good deal with Denver for the Lawson pick. That Bobcats pick they received could be valuable down the road. And I like Ellington a bit at No. 28. Norel, not so much.
In the end I doubt we see Rubio and Flynn on the floor together. Trade proposals will come the Wolves’ way and Rubio’s camp will push them to accept one that they like.
Until then … this was a weird night for Minnesota.
Ford lacks the imagination to see beyond the immediate or positional biases.
On the plus side an A+ from him is sort of a kiss of death, so hey.
Did you read Bill Simmons blog??
Doesn’t like Kahn, but for some reason loves the rubio deal and pick and also ellington
For the sake of my health I limit my exposure to Simmons. 
whether or not any of the great media basketball minds love our draft is regardless of the fact that Kahn took the guys he wanted to take. this draft is no one’s responsibility other than his. if these guys don’t pan out, or he gets rid of all of them in 3yrs is all on him. he won’t have a coach to blame or any other front office person to point the finger at…
Gee, does that sound like any previous GM types or any other rosters that the Wolves have had??
that would be really funny if in two years when Kahn wants to fire the coach when Mr. Taylor says…okay, you fire the coach, then you become the coach!!
I must say that since his media conference when he was hired, he has just seemed extremely confident and self assured in that he knows how to right this ship. All his moves so far have been promising (McHale, Foye/Miller deal, Draft Choices). He is filling me with confidence. I was impressed with how he didn’t give into OKC bluff. Been a very impressive performance so far Kahn. Keep it up.
I know a lot of people feel weird about this draft and I do understand that, but I still feel like a massive weight has been lifted off of my shoulders after this draft.
It is so refreshing to be thinking about possibilities to come rather than being mired in the mistakes of the past.
Blowing up the remnants of this team has been cathartic and I’m so excited to see something NEW on the floor rather than the same flawed product with a couple band-aids.
If Kahn can just hit a HR with this coaching hire…man. My attitude will have done a total 180.
My favourites for coach were - Mark Jackson, Sam Mitchell or Mario Elie. Elie has now gone to SAC. But I really do think with the ‘young’ guards, Mark Jackson would be an excellent choice
I think we have to get Jackson now. Rubio said he would love to play for an ex pro and the perfect situation would be an ex pg. Sign Jackson up today.
one of the things i’m most interested in seeing from Kahn now is how many more McHales guys he’s going to get rid of? if he gets rid of Gomes/Telfair and Smith…the casts away Mad Dog and even possibly Carney then the only remaining piece to the Garnett era would be the main piece of the trade, Jefferson. I’m really wondering if Kahn wants to get rid of all the players that mchale brought in minus Love/Jefferson…it’ll be interesting…
I agree WOW, but for different reasons. I dont think he wants to get rid of them because they are ‘McHale guys’. I think he wants to get rid of them as in his eyes, their talent/potential isn’t what he is after in regards to their contracts.
To me Kahn just seems as though he has a very particular plan for this franchise.
well he certainly does and it’s pretty evident so far. I do think that in a way the Wolves underachieved to a degree, they battled in a lot of games, they were ahead in a lot of games and all too often failed to close games out. the attitude needs to change and w/ that the personnel needs to change to a degree. I don’t know if there has been a more important coaching hire in the franchise’s history w/ the exception of Flip Saunders
This coaching hire is going to be so important, you think about all the pieces the wolves have in place with the result of last night, 3 first round picks next year, cap space. The franchise can’t afford to regress here.
If they are able to get Rubio signed, isn’t he going to want to run? With guys like Elliington, Brewer, Flynn and Carney we have some pieces.
Would they ever consider trading Jefferson for a big who is more suited for a running game?
the other thing to think about is that there isn’t a lot of time between now and the July 10th start to the NBA summer league it would be nice if a coach and a scheme and a playbook could be in place by the time the team leaves for Vegas.
red, i think a message was sent to the team last week when Kahn traded Miller and foye, and you could see around the league this week w/ guys like RJeff, VCarter and Shaq getting traded that feeling secure w/ your place on a roster isn’t a smart idea
I love Big Al, but it seems to me that he is better suited for a slower 1/2 court game.
A guy like Amare would be a better fit for a running team.
Don’t worry Jerry, I went to bed livid. This could all work out, but I just don’t see teams racing to the phones to offer great deals for Rubio and Flynn. Flynn was projected to go 10th in a lot of mock drafts. Considering you could get Lawson, Maynor, or Collison (and almost Holiday) at 18, drafting Flynn at 6 seems kind of stupid to me.
I would love to see the Wolves’ due diligence on Rubio. As far as I know, we didn’t work Rubio out, or even meet with him. The teams that spent time with Rubio, OK City and Sacramento, passed on him. To me, that’s not a good sign. If the kid can’t shoot, I don’t see him as making much of an impact here, and probably not worth all the fuss.
The other teams in our conference though all added strong pieces last night. Memphis added some nice pieces. Oklahoma City added even more offense.
Given the contempt the fan base displayed for the Wolves’ management the past two years during the rebuilding process, it’s hard for me to imagine greater patience as we step back to square one.
word is mike b. that the wolves euro scout got to see Rubio and there is plenty of film on him through the olympics and the Fiba under 18 worlds that he was apart of last year as well.
People, just chill. This chain of posts is on a late night blog entry in which our trusty beat writer, Mr. Zgoda, was tired enough to botch the spelling of “their” at least once. It’s the early morning after the draft. We have time for the Flynn thing to resolve itself, one way or another.
The team came away with the franchise-level PG we’ve been pining for. They didn’t have to cash in the bits and pieces they had on hand in order to make a move of that kind, so they moved a few of those along to future drafts — when, again, they’ll be in position to move up on a Greg Monroe or whoever, should they so choose. This was not an apocalyptic meltdown. Breathe deeply.
The top 2 guys I wanted were Flynn and Rubio…assuming we would only take 1 of course. I was honestly torn. I think Flynn has a special Chris Paul like feel for the game and Rubio could be the best show on the hardwood.
Overall, if they think these are the two best players and it is not close, you take them and make it work or move one in the future. It is too bad we could not work out a trade with the Knicks to move back and still get Flynn if he is the guy we wanted all along.
We are likely to have 3 picks again next year in an even deeper draft and expiring 2011 contracts to deal.
If they sign Rubio…I will watch often, even if they lose a lot. I might take one more year of horrible losing if it gives us a shot at one more possible superstar asset in next years much deeper draft.
Have a read of some of these thoughts
Seriously knicks winners cause they got Hill and Darko, I mean hello it is DARKO
Its going to be interesting…I cant see the team going with two pg’s in an up temple game with having Big AL and Klove, two very slow good low post players.
I read where NY is trying hard to acquire Rubio. The team needs to be open. Ny doesn’t have much other than Hill, but a multi-team deal might work in us acquiring a SG or center….
everyone is saying that all the PG’s went to us. Hello, we hade 4 picks and picked 2 PG’s. It was a position of need and it just so happened that at our time of picking, they were the best players on the board. I am happy as I am sure many more people are, especially if Rubio gets his buyout sorted out.
just got done listening to Kahn on Mike and Mike and he seems like he knows exactly what he was doing. mentioned that on almost every championship team there have been 3 solid guards on all of them and that was another justification. didn’t believe that the 6th pick in the draft should be used to find a roll player, that the pick should be used on someone you think can be great(a very good point) and thus the pick of Flynn.
I think Stephan Curry’s reaction to GSW was worse than Rubio’s. He looked so shocked when he was shaking Stern’s hand. I think Kahn is just trying to make it seem like we want to play both Flynn and Rubio just to keep trade value from plummeting. I like the idea of trading Lawson for a first next year. Three picks next year would be a nice way to finish off the 16 month rebuilding faze. And I love the Ellington pick, we desperately need someone who can score.
If we do keep Flynn & Rubio I think it could work but Rubio would have to put on some more weight if he’s going to guard the NBA 2. I think it was a solid draft b/c the thing we really needed was NBA level talent on this team and we got it. We all know that next year isn’t going to be the year we think playoffs anyways. Maybe Kahn took Flynn knowing that he is a good player and that he would get minutes here to show off so next year he can trade him for a lottery pick to get a guy who fits better. It’s too early to judge but I just like the fact that he took his BPA.
And also I want confirmation that Rubio is playing next year so I can buy a new T’Wolves jersey. Haven’t done that in 6 years.
I suppose from a business angle, the Flynn pick is always insurance if Rubio cannot be freed from his Euro contract. Without Flynn, if Rubio cannot be signed, we would have wound up with no pgs in this draft…and that would have seemed like failure for sure. It seems like we played it safe to me.
I would say based on the combination of opportunity/skill-set/lack of great rookies, that Wayne Ellington has a great chance to be on the 1st and 2nd-team All-Rookie teams next year.
1. The guy is our starting 2-guard right now so he’ll have the opportunity, that’s for sure.
2. He measured extremely well athletically at the pre-draft combine, which refuted a supposed weakness.
3. Ellington SHINED in pressure situations at UNC (Final Four MVP for the national champs).
4. He’s a GREAT SHOOTER (5% better from 3-point range than the reputed best shooter in the draft, Stephen Curry).
Wayne Ellington may get 30+ minutes per game next year and I predict he’ll sneak onto the All-NBA Rookie 1st-team or barely miss out and settle on the 2nd-team.
I think Griffin, Harden and Evans are locks for the 1st-team because they’re all going to play a lot. But outside of that, I think it’s a toss up for the last two spots on the All-Rookie squad.
I think Jerry said it well:
“But they were in a tough spot. Curry was the only one of the top rated guards left (DeRozan seems like a rung down) and he’s a great shooter, but he’s also point-guard sized. Offensively, you’d think he’d be a better complement to Rubio, but would have created even worse defensive nightmares than a Rubio-Flynn pairing potentially could. Who’s going to guard the best-player-on-the-floor opposing 2 guard with that backcourt?”
You can be upset all you want about Flynn as the 6th but if you can’t trade down what do you do? What did the knicks have to offer? And if we did trade down who would we have ended up with, another PF or Derozen?
I get the distinct feeling that this team will be a Roll-With-The-Punches squad next year, with several rookies learning as they go, making mistakes on the fly and developing chemistry on the floor through the good and the bad.
There will be some growing pains, but I believe philisophically, Kahn wants these guys to get NBA minutes and he wants to secure our Top-10 pick in next year’s draft.
I would be absolutely shocked if The Wolves sign or trade for an NBA-ready veteran who will dip into the minutes of guys like Flynn and/or Rubio, Ellington, Brewer and our bigs.
I am starting to think that Rubio slipping to 5 was a bad thing (hear me out before you hang me). I think Kahn knew Rubio would not want to play in MN and was hoping OKC or SAC would take him so Evans or Harden would slip to us. I think they had their hearts set on Flynn (which IMO will become a stud) and either Evans or Harden in the backcourt. Once Rubio slipped to them there was no way they could pass on him (Kahn would not have survived the night in MN). I think Kahn has been talking up the 2 pg backcourt to ensure that Rubio’s trade value does not dip. I think Rubio can be special, but not if he never shows up in MN, or is bitter about playing where it is “very cold”.
Lets not kid ourselves… Curry & Rubio backcourt would have created a lot more defensive problems for the Twolves. Inspite of what Vital says (or maybe because of it) I think Flynn will be a much better player than Curry. Plus he has the potential to be a star, where Curry is at best a solid role player. Do not be surprised if Rubio does not come over this year and is reluctant to play for the wolves at all. If that is the case, I am glad we took the 2 best players and a more natural pg (which Curry is not) in case Rubio is not here.
wow, billy, are you sure you’re not david kahn…you pretty much stated verbetim what he said on Mike and Mike…minus the”(hear me out before you hang me)” bit.
I think it is just a wait and see what happens situation. I agree, under the circumstances how could they not take Rubio? I’m glad they did though I was hoping for Flynn and Harden. I think we take what Rubio says and blow it a little out of proportion. Just because someone says it’s too cold doesn’t mean they will not go there. Ellington made the situation much easier to handle.
I am just saying that I think he is setting us up so we are ready for the Rubio trade to go down.
Are there any Theo Ratlief’s out there(of course,younger and healthy)who can shot block and rebound?What does next year’s draft look like in regards to #5’s?
well i don’t think that Kahn will deal Rubio unless there is an offer that you just cannot say no to. it certainly doesn’t sound like Rubio’s rights will be traded any time soon and it also seems very apparent that Kahn will be content to let Rubio sit and play in Spain for a year if that is what he chooses to do so and when Rubio’s ready to come to the NBA he’ll still be property of the Wolves
I keep hearing the question of who will guard guys like Kobe and LeBron if Rubio and Flynn are in the backcourt together. What about Corey Brewer? Isn’t his strength supposed to be the versatility to defends 2s and 3s? I know that would mean that Rubio (given that he’s taller) would then have to guard the 3, but it’s a better option than having him defend the 2-guard if that player is the other team’s best offensive player.
Plus youd have to assume the Wolves will have another lottery pick next year in a center-heavy draft. If they could get a shot blocker down low, they could afford a mismatch with Rubio guarding the 3 against teams with all-star caliber 2s (otherwise Brewer or Gomes would guard the 3).
Chad Ford is an idiot, not on the Bryan level of idiocy, but pretty damn close.
And I am cool with Rubio playing out his contract in Spain. After that we will have him for the full amount of contract years or presumably he will be alot better than he is now and can get a blockbuster deal for him. Like the Flynn pick, like Ellington pick. The last 2nd round pick seems like a stiff but if he is Rubios buddy then another tip of the hat to Kahn.
It’s time for everyone to jump on the Cole Aldrich to the Wolves bus. I’m driving.
Flynn is the insurance policy because the Wolves aren’t positive that Rubio can work out his European contract in time to play this year in the US. I had a lot of opportunity to watch ACC basketball this past year and I love the Ellington pick. He is a guy who wants the ball when a team has to score. For that matter, I like Lawson a lot, too, though he did tend to get hurt. I think Denver will be very happy if he can stay healthy.
I’m really interested in the Rubio contract situation. Anyone really know what that looks like? Sounds like it’s around 6 mill. It also sounds like the most the Wolves can throw at it is 500 K….How do we make that work for next year? Seems like Rubio will be in Spain next year just due to the buyout money. Please convince me I’m wrong.
Aldrich will kick Thabeets ass. I know Bryan who has pms year round will cry about that, but too damn bad.
Exactly, bgman.
Brewer will guard the best perimeter player on the other team. Rubio and Flynn will pick the pockets of the other two as they try to post up or drive. Brewer, Rubio, and Flynn will be a good perimeter defense.
I wondered what they’d do with 6 if they got Rubio and Evans/Harden were gone, and now we know. I think the Flynn pick is defensible, if a bit strange. Better than Curry, I think. Knowing that we could have gotten Lawson/Maynor and then Ellington makes me think that DeRozan wouldn’t have been bad (I didn’t want him in any other circumstance), but overall I think Kahn’s picks are defensible. He HAD to take Rubio, then he’s in a bind. Like everyone else, I loved the Ellington pick.
My only disappointment is that I thought he’d be able to work some trades for current (and young) NBA players. I wonder what kind of offers (if any) he turned down for 6? Any info on that, Jerry?
Rubio’s buyout is in the hands of the spanish government as his team was found guilty of tax evasion. They have hired the best labor lawyers in spain to work on Rubio’s behalf. Chances are because the buyout is so much larger than what is actual contract was worth… and because the government is going to want to get something for this chances are it ends up getting lowered.
Plus he doesn’t have to pay it in one lump sum. It can be spread out over a number of years if he wished to do so. Of course everyone had him drafted no later than four which means he was counting on a bit more cash. We’ll see but if Rubio wants to play in the NBA which I think he really does then his buyout should be able to be taken care of. Hopefully.
I like Ellington because he can shoot but he’s a defensive liability. He doesn’t have lateral quickness and many times didn’t try on D. That’s why he lasted that long. Let’s be realistic about him. Scoring guards will light him up when he’s on the court.
Getting Rubio was like winning the lottery. There were 2-3 impact players in this draft, and the Wolves got one at 5. Sure Flynn plays the same position, but if you don’t take him it was Derozan (gamble) or Curry (better shooting, smaller, no better on D).
I was in the camp (with McHale) that a few vets could have got the Wolves into the playoffs for ‘09-’10 - and that they would be dangerous with Big Al in a playoff setting. Once they traded Miller and Foye for a pick instead of a vet, that was obviously giving up on the playoffs this season.
Time to stockpile young talent, and play with the chemistry/mix as you go along.
T’Wolves president Kahn said he’s getting calls for Rubio
09:46 AM06.26 Posted By: Andrew Perloff BOOKMARK SHARE COMMENTS (0)
Ricky Rubio
The Timberwolves selected Ricky Rubio with the No. 5 pick.
AP
Minnesota Timberwolves president David Kahn joined the show to discuss his team’s draft. Kahn surprised a lot of people by taking point guards Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn with the Nos. 5 and 6 picks. Here are some of Kahn’s takes:
– Kahn said that he’s gotten two calls already today with trade offers. And another team made an offer last night. Kahn said he’s not shut off to listening to what other teams have to say.
– Dan asked Kahn if he was confident he could sign Rubio this offseason. Kahn said he hoped so, but he’s in no rush, because the T’Wolves are a few years away from being good anyway. And Rubio is so young, Kahn can afford to wait.
“In two years, he’ll be 20,” Kahn said.
Kahn knows the negotiation with Rubio might be difficult.
“I’m sure it will be a very turbulent summer,” Kahn said.
– Kahn said he had Flynn penciled in as the No. 6 all along.
“We love Jonny Flynn,” Kahn said. “This kid, in a different way that Ricky Rubio, has electricity crackling off of him.” Kahn said.
– Kahn understands the criticism he’s been taking, but doesn’t regret going Rubio-Flynn
“If you’re sitting at Nos. 5 and 6, you better take players who have a chance to be great,” Kahn said.
– Kahn said that he didn’t know Rubio might be available until late in the day on Thursday. Then he started thinking Oklahoma City might take James Harden. Then Rubio slipped through.
– Kahn reiterated what he said yesterday about Kevin Love. “I ain’t trading Kevin Love,” Kahn said.
What exactly are the wolves rights to Rubio right now?
As I read the CBA, if he doesn’t accept an offer he just goes in the draft next year and we lose everything.
I thought we had better rights than that.
I know for Int’l players in the second round you basically have their rights forever.
What am I missing?
If that’s true, then I think Rubio just sits out.
Here’s the provision–
If a Team has made a Required Tender to such a player and the player has not signed a Player Contract within the period between the Initial Draft and the Subsequent Draft, the Team that drafted the player shall lose its exclusive right to negotiate with the player and the player will then be eligible for selection in the Subsequent Draft.
alphatwolf isn’t that related to strictly players that came out of college that made themselves draft eligible?
Well - at one point it looked like they’d have to give up 5 & 6 to get Rubio. Not that anyone was crazy about that idea, but looking at it that way takes some of the sting off of the redundant PGs.
If you buy into Flynn being the best available (and there really weren’t any true SGs worthy of #6), this draft makes sense on a few levels:
- It takes the pressure off of Kahn to sign Rubio this year - in fact, it might be preferable if he stays in Europe a year or two and develops as long as no bridges are burned
- It allows the Wolves to evaluate the top 2 PGs for a season or two and let the cream rise - chances are pretty good that one way or the other they have their long-term solution at PG
- And, if Kahn plays his cards right, they’ll have max value to flip in a trade for a better fit.
On the other hand, this backfires if the 2 PGs get frustrated splitting time on a bad team with no veteran leadership and both end up losing trade value.
IMO - the way Kahn plays this now (unless he gets a terrific offer for one of them) is wait until Rubio commits to coming over (whether this summer or a couple years from now), then the clock starts ticking and one of them will have to be dealt within a year before discontentment forces one of them to be dealt at a discount.
“– Kahn reiterated what he said yesterday about Kevin Love. “I ain’t trading Kevin Love,” Kahn said.”
Eat that Bryan you tool.
there is another provision for foreign players under contract elsewhere
but as I read it Rubio could ‘buy out’ his contract by Sept 1 and then refuse the offer from the wolves and be back in the draft next year
the problem i guess is how he could finance the buyout–would someone lend him that?
then he could just play with his club with no contract
here’s the provision
If, by July 1 of any year, the player notifies the Team that has drafted him that by September 1 of such year he will, immediately thereafter and for any future Season, be under no contractual or other legal impediment to sign and play with such Team, and provided that on such September 1 the player is in fact under no such contractual or other legal impediment, then, in order to retain the exclusive NBA rights to negotiate with and sign the player as provided in Section 5(a), such Team must make a Required Tender to the player by September 10 of such year.
I like what Arenal said for once !
the final part to that provision of course is that the player has to accept the tender
Hoiberg is on KFAN talking about how Rubio is going to play here
how does that guy have any credibility left after his Mayo comments last year?
Hoiberg said they got the best “assets” in the draft
sounds like a trade to me
I believe they have a year after Rubio’s contact is up elsewhere. So he would have to sit out his Spanish league this year to be eligible again next draft, which wouldn’t happen (he would still have to pay the buyout).
you guys seem to be forgetting they acquired etan thomas in the trade. granted, he has injury problems and had heart surgery last year, but when he’s healthy, he is a high energy guy that plays bigger than he his. he can block shots, rebound and throw up the occassionaly double-double. he can fight love for offensive boards and can help with weakside defense.
I read Souhan’s article and am not sure what he means by ‘bad contracts’. thomas’ contract is 7 mill expiring, songaila is only 4.5 for this and next year (he complements Jefferson quite well actually), and pecherov doesnt make anything at all. i definitely think the wolves will move guys like madsen, smith, and cardinal for a 2 or 5 somewhere. combined, they make 10 mill and there are some guys out there that make around that that could help this team.
I was listening to Hoiberg too and IMO he will be traded alpha. Saying that “assets” bit pretty much convinced me. Kahn doing a number of national appearances to say that he is receiving multiple trade offers is also a good way to drive up Rubios price.
Matt–
I think that’s right, but I don’t think he would have to not play. he just needs to not be playing under a contract that doesn’t prevent him from signing under the wolves. e.g., if they agree on a new contract that gives him clear outs to play for the wolves next year (e.g., a new contract with a buyout option specified) then the clock ticks and he can go back in the draft next year.
i should be rubio’s lawyer.
Trading Rubio would be a giant giant giant giant giant mistake.
i guess he already has the buyout option, so that can’t be enough
he must also have to exercise it, which would take $$ he doesn’t have
but I don’t know why he has to actually buy it out
all the CBA says is that
“under no contractual or other legal impediment to sign and play with such Team” … not no contract, but not contractual ‘impediment’ … if you had a buyout option there would be no impediment to getting out of contract
alpha — As long as Rubio is under any sort of contract with a non-NBA team, the Wolves retain his rights.
Love the Rubio pick!!!
Can anyone give the talking points on the Hoiberg interveiw?
And the buyout clause is an “impediment”. Rubio is committed to playing for the Spanish team unless he buys out the deal.
Interesting Night. Funny Morning. Espn’s Chad Ford “thoughts” are all made in a delirium of twits and texts to bo-bo’s and agent underligs trying to get a “scoop”. One word for his “thoughts” Moronic!
As for this thread interesting thoughts and I thought more og’s would be bummed here. Glad to see the foresight on many of these posts. Strange draft yes, but bad by any means.
I think extra pick next years legit in a draft with more Bigs and depth potential. We didn’t draft a Slash Player for the first time in(awesome)? We did draft real talent and got the best value at those picks. Adding to the roster. Ellington was a great value pick and shooter, doods lights out.
At least the Timberwolves are adding talent. Real talent.
New thread…
sean–that must be right
Flynn is a slash player from what I’ve been told.
Rubio fans…watch the highlight vids for next season and be happy. Maybe they can show them during intermission when you attend the Wolves games.
Anyone who’s listening to what Kahn says is an idiot. He wants to trade Al, then he doesn’t. He wants to trade Love, then he doesn’t. He hates Smith, hates Gomes, and hated Miller and Foye, and hates Brewer. These guys are going to ASK to be traded after the stuff they’ve read about themselves in the paper. Al is not going to be happy to be on another rebuilding team. I think he wants out of here. We’ll see.
