Now that the NBA draft is over, we can move on to the one that sits in it's shadow, the NHL Draft. This year's event is coming at you live from St. Paul, Minnesota this evening, where I will be in attendance to take in the spectacle. No doubt that prospect seems pretty silly in the eyes of many people, but what can I say, I'm a rube. Never been to a draft before, the ticket is free and it's only 20 minutes from my house, why not check it out? Plus I need "Attend a draft" to complete a row on my Sports Nerd BINGO card, along with "Plan multiple vacations around sporting events", "Run two or more fantasy football teams in a given season" and "Start a sports-centric blog". Big day for me.
Not to mention, if you follow amateur hockey, you actually know who a lot of these guys are (sad as that is to admit). Sure the Canadian junior guys are a bit of a mystery, but even the best of those pop up in the World Juniors tournament every December, so not totally unfamiliar. This year has fewer college players projected near then top than in previous years, but there are still a few names projected to go in the first couple rounds that will we'll get to watch in the WCHA next season. The NHL draft is similar to the MLB draft in the sense that players typically need a few years of development before making the team, but similar to the NFL in that many players drafted in later rounds will have a chance to make an impact. Basically it's the polar opposite to the NBA draft in a lot of ways, including fashion sense.
But just because late round picks can emerge into contributing players does not minimize the importance of a team hitting on it's first round picks. As has been lamented many times in this space, the Minnesota Wild don't have a great track record of doing this, and always seem to finish just a bit better than is wise. Tonight they pick 10th, and can ill afford to miss, given their thin piepline of talent. Seems like the perfect time to offer the 5 hypothetical questions I'd like to have answered honestly by GM Chuck Fletcher.
1. First off, something I've been dying to know for two years: Did owner Craig Leipold force your hand in the signing of Matin Havlat?
How I think he'd answer: I don't know if "forced" is the word I'd use, but he was definitely very intent on making a big signing that would create some buzz. He was a new owner, taking over the team just as Marian Gaborik left via free agency, and felt that a bold move was required to offset that. What you have to understand about Craig is, he's a fan, and that can be a double-edged sword. Sure it's obviously better than having a disengaged owner who only cares about the bottom line, but it can also force some knee-jerk decisions that have consequences in the long term.
I wouldn't say that I was against signing Marty Havlat, but at the same time, the timing was not ideal. The team was not in good shape cap-wise and already had several sizable contracts with underperforming players. Not to mention that the free agent crop that offseason was slightly below average, bidding up the price on players like Havlat, who are definitely a cut below superstar-caliber.
Was signing an injury-prone wing who's only noteworthy seasons occured while playing between two stars my ideal scenario? No way. But sometimes the boss thinks something needs to happen for reasons that go beyond Xs and Os hockey, and this was one of those times.
2. Brian Burke, who's got a great track record as a GM, has said many times that he prefers North American players, since they grew up dreaming about winning the Stanley Cup. Looking at past Cup winners seems to support this theory, as just about all, save the unique case of Detroit, have been made up of 70-80% North American players.
With that being said, do you worry that there's too great a European component on the current roster?
How I think he'd answer: Obviously I don't, or else I wouldn't have picked so many of them. Perhaps we've trended a little too much in that direction during recent years. With Koivu, Havlat, Backstrom, Zidlicky and Miettinen on the current roster, as well as Granlund, Larsson and Haula picked high in the last couple of drafts...crap, I guess that is a lot of Euros. Man, I might need to reassess the "best player available" thing tonight, right now it's looking like we might end up with another Swede in the first round, this is starting to resemble some Scandinavian national team.
But when you think about it, there was a nice run of Candian first-rounders in the years before I was hired that didn't amount to a whole lot. Mention James Sheppard's name to a Wild fan an they will begin to twich uncontrollably and froth at the mouth. Tyler Cuma's career has been plauged by one serious injury after another. Colton Gillies and Marco Scandella look like they could be solid contributors, but neither one has made the leap yet. At the end of the day, I'm looking for the best player in any situation, no matter what continent they're from. Of course we want a nice mix of skill sets, but we're not going to pass on a player simply because of his hometown. That being said, maybe I'll steer clear of the Swede this time around.
3. Acknowledging the fact that he's the captain, face of the team and a solid all-around player, didn't you guys just overpay significantly for Mikko Koivu? Isn't he essentially a second-line center on a contending team?
How I think he'd answer: Yeah, we probably did a bit, but that's the nature of the beast with this stuff. Say what you will about his offensive production, Mikko is a cornerstone of this franchise and a keeping him was an absolute must. How many big-time scorers play against the opponents top line as much as he does? How many great offensive players has he played alongside? I think if we could use him the way other teams use their top center, gearing our gameplan toward maximizing his offense, you'd see a big uptick in the goal and assist totals. Unfortunately there's no one else on the team who can handle the defensive end of things the way he does, so we're kind of stuck.
Could we have gotten by a million or so per season cheaper? Perhaps, but it wasn't a risk we were looking to take. You can call it a panic move if you'd like, but I prefer to think of it as being certain about what you want and ensuring you get it. At any rate, when it comes to pointing out the dead weight on this roster currently soaking up too much payroll, I can list quite a few guys before the name Koivu comes up.
4. Why hire Mike Yeo on the heels of Todd Richards departure, given their similar resumes?
How I think he'd answer: The short answer is because if he ended up elsewhere, I was worried it would come back to haunt us. Everyone who's ever coached was a first-time coach at some point, and every experienced coach out there who's available has been fired somewhere in the past. Craig MacTavish, Ken Hitchcock, these guys were certainly experienced, but not all of that experience was good. Both had overseen losing teams in the past, so hiring them offered no guarantee of success. That's not to say they're bad coaches, only that there are many factors that enter into fielding a winning team.
In Mike, we've got a guy who was part of a championship team in Pittsburgh, has a good track record working with young players and is respected in the organization. Sure he's going to have some bumps along the way, and a veteran coach probably offered a better chance of short-term success by maximizing the talent on the current roster. But at the end of the day, this is about the long haul and building a champion, and I think we're best positioned to do that with Mike leading the charge. I want to be a contender for a decade, not a fringe playoff team sneaking in as an 8-seed next year.
5. Fair enough, but do you see issues with veteran players on the current roster being resistant the the new coach and pending youth movement?
How I think he'd answer: As you might be able to tell from my comments in the paper this week about the players needing better offseason preparation, I'm getting to the end of my rope with some of this crap. There were some personality conflicts that developed with Todd Richards during the past few years, some players seemed to think they were above doing the little things. That will not be the case moving forward, we may not be able to part with certain guys, but we won't hesitate to lay down the law with them if they're not on board with the program. I'm a fairly low-key guy who doesn't like to air the internal laundry publicly, but I will not hesitate to call out anyone who isn't pulling their weight.
These guys have got to remember that I'm on the hot seat here too. A good portion of the issues with this franchise were dumped in my lap, but now it's getting to the point where results are required if I'm to continue in this role. Like many animals in nature, there's typically no danger, but get them cornered and you've got a fight on your hands. I'm feeling a bit cornered these days, so if they want to push, they'll be doing so at their peril.
Showing posts with label NHL Draft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NHL Draft. Show all posts
Friday, June 24, 2011
Monday, June 28, 2010
Into the abyss
Busy weekend, lot of stuff happening, unfortunately that's the last time we'll be able to say that for quite a while. The month of July is the depths of the sports abyss, following the NBA and NHL drafts, and prior to the beginning of meaningful MLB games, it's just a long, slow grind until NFL training camps open. I might actually have to get a life for a couple of weeks, oh the horror.
The double draft days of the past week were kind of exciting, but at the same time depressing, because when draft day is the most important day on the calendar, that means your team sucks ass. I can't even remember when it wasn't the most important day on the Timberwolves calendar, and now the Wild have joined them. Both teams seem destined to continue this trend next year. It's almost enough to make me long for the sky-high expectations and brutal letdowns of a typical Vikings season...almost.
The Wolves continued their perplexing assembly of a "foundation" this past weekend as if the NBA were a fantasy league with a couple of flex positions. The current plan appears to be obtaining players who will ensure a higher pick next year. No real problem with their selection of Wesley Johnson from Syracuse, but trading away their second pick for the highly average Martell Webster was confusing. I get that they might not have liked the options available to them at the #16 spot, but part of being a rebuilding team is having the freedom to gamble on raw prospects, giving them minutes to develop their game that more established teams can't spare.
The point is probably moot, since no player that was attainable was going to change the situation this year, but if there's a big picture here, I'm missing it. A year after drafting 4 point guards in the first round, the Wolves used their #4 pick on a small forward who's a solid shooter and defender with limited ability to get his own shot. They then traded the #16 pick and Ryan Gomes (another average forward) for a small forward who's a solid shooter and defender with limited ability to get his own shot. GM David Kahn may love Webster's game, but it's tough to tell why; the stats aren't there and he's certainly not the slashing-type shot creator that the team seems to be lacking. If the guy was coming off a rookie season where he showed promise, this would make more sense, but after 4 years in the league, he probably is what he's going to be the rest of the way.
Obviously it's dangerous to run a team with an eye toward popular opinion, but maybe keeping some guys with youth and potential, rather than trading them for established stiffs, would lessen the fan apathy toward this team? Two years into his tenure, the KahnMan has turned 7 first round picks into not much. The only buzz created was from the Rubio pick last season, and that has pretty much subsided. At this point, the casual fan is going to need to be reminded who he is when (if?) he finally shows up. They're also going to need an explanation on who is going to carry the scoring load, given the front office's apparently allergy to shooting guards. Rubio may be an assist wizard, but it's never been a secret he can't shoot; current situation seems like a receipe for a lot of pretty passes followed by bricked shots.
So in general, I'm confused and a bit frustrated. Adding to the frustration was the fact that the guy I really wanted at SG, James Anderson, was drafted by San Antonio at #20. Always nice when one of the best college players gets undervalued because he doesn't have the potential offered by less productive players, then is snatched up by the team with the league's best track record of recognizing late first-round value. I will remember to bring this up in 2 years when Anderson is averaging 20 PPG.
On the other side of the coin is the Minnesota Wild, who have a very clear and consistent philosophy over the years: Acquire the entire Finnish National Team. Joining Mikko Koivu, Antti Miettinen and Nicklas Backstrom (in a couple of years at least) is Finland center Mikael Granlund, a playmaking center who's supposedly more NHL ready than many other first rounders. Not the end of the world to draft another Euro, as it was at a position of need and the early run on forwards left things paired down, but geez is this team in love with Finnish players.
When it comes to European hockey playuers, I tend to share the opinion of NHL GM Brian Burke, the architect of the Anaheim Ducks multiple Stanley Cup teams in the 2000s. Burke favored North American players because they grew up dreaming of winning the Stanley Cup, and playing a more rugged style. The Ducks two Cup-winning teams were built on size and toughness, with Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Scott Niedermeyer and Chris Pronger anchoring a nasty group of players who ground opponents down. Looking back through history, this seems to be the norm in the playoffs; when things get nasty, North American players flourish as European players fold.
There are of course exceptions, namely the Detroit Red Wings core of Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen and Lidstrom, but in general, the best players on most Cup winners are from this side of the Atlantic. The Wild's playoff no-shows have had several root causes, and certainly not all can be traced back to the presence of Euros as the team's top players. But when you already have two as your top forwards and one in net, adding another seems like overkill to me. Just my opinion of course, and certainly hope it's proven wrong.
Silver lining to the draft by the way is the selection of Jason Zucker in the 2nd round. He might be a bit on the small side at 5'10" / 175, but after watching his play on the gold-medal winning US national team in last year's World Junior Championships, I think this guy could be a great add. Very quick with a knack for putting the puck in the net. Plus he'll be a freshman at the University of Denver next season, so us college hockey fans will get to watch his development over the next couple of seasons. Unfortunate that he will be playing for the hated Pioneers, but you can't have everything.
Finally, the US soccer team lost to Ghana on Saturday, a country with slightly fewer people than the state of Texas. Thus ends another World Cup "run" in the first game of the knockout stage, basically no better or worse than was expected. I'm happy that the soccer fans got their moment last week on the big goal to advance the team past pool play, but the whole deal strikes me as kind of "meh". The US team was about two minutes short of heading home after 3 tie games, which would've been the most boring result possible. It's nice they advanced further, and I did enjoy Saturday's game, but just don't see soccer moving past it's status with me as a novelty every 4th year.
The double draft days of the past week were kind of exciting, but at the same time depressing, because when draft day is the most important day on the calendar, that means your team sucks ass. I can't even remember when it wasn't the most important day on the Timberwolves calendar, and now the Wild have joined them. Both teams seem destined to continue this trend next year. It's almost enough to make me long for the sky-high expectations and brutal letdowns of a typical Vikings season...almost.
The Wolves continued their perplexing assembly of a "foundation" this past weekend as if the NBA were a fantasy league with a couple of flex positions. The current plan appears to be obtaining players who will ensure a higher pick next year. No real problem with their selection of Wesley Johnson from Syracuse, but trading away their second pick for the highly average Martell Webster was confusing. I get that they might not have liked the options available to them at the #16 spot, but part of being a rebuilding team is having the freedom to gamble on raw prospects, giving them minutes to develop their game that more established teams can't spare.
The point is probably moot, since no player that was attainable was going to change the situation this year, but if there's a big picture here, I'm missing it. A year after drafting 4 point guards in the first round, the Wolves used their #4 pick on a small forward who's a solid shooter and defender with limited ability to get his own shot. They then traded the #16 pick and Ryan Gomes (another average forward) for a small forward who's a solid shooter and defender with limited ability to get his own shot. GM David Kahn may love Webster's game, but it's tough to tell why; the stats aren't there and he's certainly not the slashing-type shot creator that the team seems to be lacking. If the guy was coming off a rookie season where he showed promise, this would make more sense, but after 4 years in the league, he probably is what he's going to be the rest of the way.
Obviously it's dangerous to run a team with an eye toward popular opinion, but maybe keeping some guys with youth and potential, rather than trading them for established stiffs, would lessen the fan apathy toward this team? Two years into his tenure, the KahnMan has turned 7 first round picks into not much. The only buzz created was from the Rubio pick last season, and that has pretty much subsided. At this point, the casual fan is going to need to be reminded who he is when (if?) he finally shows up. They're also going to need an explanation on who is going to carry the scoring load, given the front office's apparently allergy to shooting guards. Rubio may be an assist wizard, but it's never been a secret he can't shoot; current situation seems like a receipe for a lot of pretty passes followed by bricked shots.
So in general, I'm confused and a bit frustrated. Adding to the frustration was the fact that the guy I really wanted at SG, James Anderson, was drafted by San Antonio at #20. Always nice when one of the best college players gets undervalued because he doesn't have the potential offered by less productive players, then is snatched up by the team with the league's best track record of recognizing late first-round value. I will remember to bring this up in 2 years when Anderson is averaging 20 PPG.
On the other side of the coin is the Minnesota Wild, who have a very clear and consistent philosophy over the years: Acquire the entire Finnish National Team. Joining Mikko Koivu, Antti Miettinen and Nicklas Backstrom (in a couple of years at least) is Finland center Mikael Granlund, a playmaking center who's supposedly more NHL ready than many other first rounders. Not the end of the world to draft another Euro, as it was at a position of need and the early run on forwards left things paired down, but geez is this team in love with Finnish players.
When it comes to European hockey playuers, I tend to share the opinion of NHL GM Brian Burke, the architect of the Anaheim Ducks multiple Stanley Cup teams in the 2000s. Burke favored North American players because they grew up dreaming of winning the Stanley Cup, and playing a more rugged style. The Ducks two Cup-winning teams were built on size and toughness, with Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Scott Niedermeyer and Chris Pronger anchoring a nasty group of players who ground opponents down. Looking back through history, this seems to be the norm in the playoffs; when things get nasty, North American players flourish as European players fold.
There are of course exceptions, namely the Detroit Red Wings core of Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen and Lidstrom, but in general, the best players on most Cup winners are from this side of the Atlantic. The Wild's playoff no-shows have had several root causes, and certainly not all can be traced back to the presence of Euros as the team's top players. But when you already have two as your top forwards and one in net, adding another seems like overkill to me. Just my opinion of course, and certainly hope it's proven wrong.
Silver lining to the draft by the way is the selection of Jason Zucker in the 2nd round. He might be a bit on the small side at 5'10" / 175, but after watching his play on the gold-medal winning US national team in last year's World Junior Championships, I think this guy could be a great add. Very quick with a knack for putting the puck in the net. Plus he'll be a freshman at the University of Denver next season, so us college hockey fans will get to watch his development over the next couple of seasons. Unfortunate that he will be playing for the hated Pioneers, but you can't have everything.
Finally, the US soccer team lost to Ghana on Saturday, a country with slightly fewer people than the state of Texas. Thus ends another World Cup "run" in the first game of the knockout stage, basically no better or worse than was expected. I'm happy that the soccer fans got their moment last week on the big goal to advance the team past pool play, but the whole deal strikes me as kind of "meh". The US team was about two minutes short of heading home after 3 tie games, which would've been the most boring result possible. It's nice they advanced further, and I did enjoy Saturday's game, but just don't see soccer moving past it's status with me as a novelty every 4th year.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Stuff I hope happens this week
Lot of stuff coming down the pike this week with MLB trade speculation heating up, World Cup continuing, NBA and NHL drafts happening, so I know you're dying to hear how my perfect week would play out. We'll taking this from likely to extremely remote:
USA beats whatever former Communist republic is next on the docket - I certainly hope this is the lock of the week, need a win to get into the knockout round, pull it together and win one, will you guys? I mean it's friggin Albania or Algeria or whatever, unless the competition involves herding goats, America should notch a W.
Twins take the series from the Brewers - The Twins are pretty good, Brewers are pretty awful, the interleague springboard has been going pretty well so far, winning 2 of 3 should be easily attainable (don't even say the word sweep). Why the baseball schedule makers put this series in the middle of the week for the second straight year is beyond me, particularly when the team has to go from Philly to Milwaukee to New York for 3 games against the Mets this weekend. Twins fans should be afforded the same courtesy that Brewer fans were when the two teams played a weekend series at Target Field a couple of weeks back, that six month baseball schedule too tight to find a workable weekend? Given the bragging rights dominance that Wisconsin holds in professional (at least historically) and college football, as well as superior hoops teams at both levels, us Minnesotans need an opportunity to invade one of THEIR stadiums and hassle them about THEIR terrible team. The Brewers fill that niche nicely, and now those in attendance will have to pick up the razzing slack for the few thousand fans who would've made the weekend trip, but can't beg out Tuesday-Thursday. Sad to think about all those poor people who will have to make do without their polka fix this year.
Wild draft a player I've heard of/can follow this Friday - Probably pretty remote actually, given the team's draft position and needs, but it's always fun when the team drafts someone who will be playing in college next season, preferrably the WCHA. Given the team's past history with college players, I'm not too sure they even like them, last year's first round pick was Minnesota Golden Gopher Nick Leddy, but he was shipped to the Blackhawks this season, and it's a different crew of people making the selections this time around. Obviously the first priority is to get somebody who's going to help the team, but drafting a guy, then watching him disappear into the Canadian wilderness for the next 2-3 years always leaves me a bit cold. At the very least, they could pick someone who ends up on the Canadian World Junior team, so we can at least get a look at them next December. The list of guys who fit my profile is pretty short: Cam Fowler played for the US in last year's WJC and was great, but the Wild don't really need more defensemen and he'll be gone before the 9th pick comes around. Future UND Fighting Sioux Derek Forbort is slotted in the 8-12 range in most rankings, but again, defense is not going to be a top priority. Minnesota's Mr. Hockey Nick Bjugstad is projected in the upper teens and would be an intriguing center prospect, but given the rumors that have swirled around the last couple of years regarding NHL opinions on the University of Minnesota program (including one stating the Wild were unhappy with Leddy's progress), it's difficult to see the team picking another Gopher. Warroad native Brock Nelson, also a North Dakota signee, would be a fun addition in the second round if he slips a few picks from his current projection, as would Jared Tinodi (son of former North Star Mark and a Notre Dame signee) and a few other CCHA players.
Timberwolves move up and draft Evan Turner - I'm not saying you should sell the farm Dave, but everything I hear points to things in this year's NBA draft getting pretty murky beyond the top 3. It would be interesting if Turner were to slip to the third spot, but there seems to be no chance of him getting to the Wolves at #4. While any top 5 pick is going to be a good player, I've seen a lot of Turner and would really like to get him, even if it means giving up the 16th pick to move up two slots. Fallback plan here is doing whatever it takes to get James Anderson with that 16th pick. I'm no NBA draftnik, frankly I haven't seen half of the guys play; but I have seen Anderson a few times and he can flat-out score, both inside and outside, which is something this team has been severely lacking. Take Wesley Johnson at #4, then do what has to be done to make sure you land Anderson, even if it means dealing pick #23. If you draft a 7-foot European center, I'm done with this team.
Twins trade for Cliff Lee - Am I deluding myself with this one? Most likely. Many a grand Twins rumor has emerged over the years, only to be exposed as a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing. Normally I wouldn't even allow myself to get sucked in to this degree, but this has been a surprising season so far, and for the first time it seems believeable that this team could be capable of a coup-de-grace move of this type. The fit would seem perfect for both teams, given the Twins surplus of young pitchers and expendable prospects, laid out in excellent fashion here http://www.ussmariner.com/2010/06/14/trading-cliff-lee/. If the price to do this is Slowey/Ramos/prospect-not-named-Hicks-or-Revere, then I'm on board wholeheartedly. Less enthused about giving up Baker (who I hate just as much as Slowey, but see greater potential in), but even that would not be a deal breaker. I've said many times it's time to take a shot, and we're talking about replaceable parts here, time to get something big done and turn this team into a legit contender overnight.
More in-depth thoughts on how to overhaul the Wild coming later this week, as for the Wolves, it's a simple two-step process: Hope and Wait. Or Wait and Hope, if you prefer.
USA beats whatever former Communist republic is next on the docket - I certainly hope this is the lock of the week, need a win to get into the knockout round, pull it together and win one, will you guys? I mean it's friggin Albania or Algeria or whatever, unless the competition involves herding goats, America should notch a W.
Twins take the series from the Brewers - The Twins are pretty good, Brewers are pretty awful, the interleague springboard has been going pretty well so far, winning 2 of 3 should be easily attainable (don't even say the word sweep). Why the baseball schedule makers put this series in the middle of the week for the second straight year is beyond me, particularly when the team has to go from Philly to Milwaukee to New York for 3 games against the Mets this weekend. Twins fans should be afforded the same courtesy that Brewer fans were when the two teams played a weekend series at Target Field a couple of weeks back, that six month baseball schedule too tight to find a workable weekend? Given the bragging rights dominance that Wisconsin holds in professional (at least historically) and college football, as well as superior hoops teams at both levels, us Minnesotans need an opportunity to invade one of THEIR stadiums and hassle them about THEIR terrible team. The Brewers fill that niche nicely, and now those in attendance will have to pick up the razzing slack for the few thousand fans who would've made the weekend trip, but can't beg out Tuesday-Thursday. Sad to think about all those poor people who will have to make do without their polka fix this year.
Wild draft a player I've heard of/can follow this Friday - Probably pretty remote actually, given the team's draft position and needs, but it's always fun when the team drafts someone who will be playing in college next season, preferrably the WCHA. Given the team's past history with college players, I'm not too sure they even like them, last year's first round pick was Minnesota Golden Gopher Nick Leddy, but he was shipped to the Blackhawks this season, and it's a different crew of people making the selections this time around. Obviously the first priority is to get somebody who's going to help the team, but drafting a guy, then watching him disappear into the Canadian wilderness for the next 2-3 years always leaves me a bit cold. At the very least, they could pick someone who ends up on the Canadian World Junior team, so we can at least get a look at them next December. The list of guys who fit my profile is pretty short: Cam Fowler played for the US in last year's WJC and was great, but the Wild don't really need more defensemen and he'll be gone before the 9th pick comes around. Future UND Fighting Sioux Derek Forbort is slotted in the 8-12 range in most rankings, but again, defense is not going to be a top priority. Minnesota's Mr. Hockey Nick Bjugstad is projected in the upper teens and would be an intriguing center prospect, but given the rumors that have swirled around the last couple of years regarding NHL opinions on the University of Minnesota program (including one stating the Wild were unhappy with Leddy's progress), it's difficult to see the team picking another Gopher. Warroad native Brock Nelson, also a North Dakota signee, would be a fun addition in the second round if he slips a few picks from his current projection, as would Jared Tinodi (son of former North Star Mark and a Notre Dame signee) and a few other CCHA players.
Timberwolves move up and draft Evan Turner - I'm not saying you should sell the farm Dave, but everything I hear points to things in this year's NBA draft getting pretty murky beyond the top 3. It would be interesting if Turner were to slip to the third spot, but there seems to be no chance of him getting to the Wolves at #4. While any top 5 pick is going to be a good player, I've seen a lot of Turner and would really like to get him, even if it means giving up the 16th pick to move up two slots. Fallback plan here is doing whatever it takes to get James Anderson with that 16th pick. I'm no NBA draftnik, frankly I haven't seen half of the guys play; but I have seen Anderson a few times and he can flat-out score, both inside and outside, which is something this team has been severely lacking. Take Wesley Johnson at #4, then do what has to be done to make sure you land Anderson, even if it means dealing pick #23. If you draft a 7-foot European center, I'm done with this team.
Twins trade for Cliff Lee - Am I deluding myself with this one? Most likely. Many a grand Twins rumor has emerged over the years, only to be exposed as a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing. Normally I wouldn't even allow myself to get sucked in to this degree, but this has been a surprising season so far, and for the first time it seems believeable that this team could be capable of a coup-de-grace move of this type. The fit would seem perfect for both teams, given the Twins surplus of young pitchers and expendable prospects, laid out in excellent fashion here http://www.ussmariner.com/2010/06/14/trading-cliff-lee/. If the price to do this is Slowey/Ramos/prospect-not-named-Hicks-or-Revere, then I'm on board wholeheartedly. Less enthused about giving up Baker (who I hate just as much as Slowey, but see greater potential in), but even that would not be a deal breaker. I've said many times it's time to take a shot, and we're talking about replaceable parts here, time to get something big done and turn this team into a legit contender overnight.
More in-depth thoughts on how to overhaul the Wild coming later this week, as for the Wolves, it's a simple two-step process: Hope and Wait. Or Wait and Hope, if you prefer.
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