I wanted to trim the crop down to 10 and was able to whittle it down to 12. One of the guys at Canishoopus.com suggested some other good options and two of them are viable options that meet my basics. So while it's a bit of a failure with regard to getting down to 10, having as many options as possible can't hurt anything.
The list is:
- Harrison Barnes
- Ryan Anderson
- Jordan Hill
- DJ Augustin
- Jeremy Lin
- Cleanthony Early
- Kent Bazemore
- Ty Lawson
- Randy Foye
- Nic Batum
- Marreese Speights
- Dion Waiters
- Courtney Lee
- Marvin Williams
With the salary cap increase I can't get a handle on how this year's set of contracts will shake out. Joakim Noah's rumored deal with the Knicks is all the proof I need of that!
This would be a last ditch effort to bring in a guy who could still develop into a decent player. Cheap option but only after a bunch of strike outs.Number 13 - Jordan Hill
A third power forward would not be the top option but solidifying the bench is amongst the top priorities to the team. Another cheap option, but not before shaking the trees on better options.Number 12 - Jeremy Lin
This would be the bottom feeding option as far point guards go, which I hope would be enough to keep the team from trading Rubio, if it came to that. He's a back up but if we're signing a point guard I would hope it would be to start. So while he would be a passable option, let's hope it doesn't come to this!Number 11 - DJ Augustin
Previous experience with Thibs is a plus. Every point guard possibility was degraded by the Dunn pick though. Like the first two I listed, not a top possibility but could be a good enough shooter to play along side KD if Rubio is traded and no one better is brought in.Number 10 - Dion Waiters
Still a young player that could be a valuable addition to the bench, but personality concerns drop him down the list. His shooting percentage's are right around league average. Hopefully we don't settle for average when Waiters has already displayed immaturity but if worse comes to worse, maybe Thibs could provide enough structure to bring him along.Number 9 - Ty Lawson
The sobriety issues are a concern but he's got starter level talent. He's not quite good enough of a scorer to play in a two point guard offense but running the show is something he's very capable of doing.*This is where I would have had Randy Foye, but carelessly I didn't recognize that he's already 32. I'm keeping a firm 30 and under rule on this so he's now axed. Talk about a mistake, he was my top pre-draft player. I guess that goes to show that attention to detail is important!
Number 7 - Marvin Williams
The first of the late additions, at 30 years old Williams is right on the tipping line of consideration. He's also had 11 years of NBA experience. That can be a positive but that also may be a warning sign that a decline is coming. Coming off the bench as a two way player I would certainly take him, but hopefully the contract wouldn't be too long.Number 6 - Marreese Speights
Of all these players, I think that Mo has the most grittiness to his game. For a veteran stretch four on a young team that would be a valuable asset, I think as valuable as any statistical contribution he would make actually. KG was a good mentor but played so sparingly that the words rarely showed in action. I wouldn't put Speights in Garnett's class but at least he still plays and could show some of the lessons in games.Number 5 - Harrison Barnes
Several red flags for the number five player - he's restricted, had a terrible finals and may want a max contract. I would guess he'll move on from Golden State but to where I don't know. Unlike most of the guy's I've thrown out so far, Barnes would be a starter level addition to the Wolves, which as far as I'm concerned washes out the negatives. I will put more stock in his years of development then I do in the playoffs this season. He will likely price himself out of our consideration but I would gladly have him.Number 4 - Courtney Lee
The second of the late additions to the list. Lee has bounced around the association but spent three years in Memphis which to me means he must be a capable defender and has a tangible outside game. He seems like the very definition of a two way player. I would have him in the top three but journeymen give me pause, as a general rule. He's had five seasons shooting over 40% from three point range and his numbers haven't shown any decline yet so even though he's already 30 I would gladly have him in the mix.Number 3 - Ryan Anderson
Truth be told, I like him more then the two who are to follow, but I've heard he's a siv on the defensive end. A stretch four would be a great addition but I don't think that guys with a weakness on defense will get PT, and playing time is the most important thing to consider.Number 1A & 1B - Kent Bazemore and Nic Batum
Their skill sets are different but I think it's splitting hairs trying to differentiate between Batum and Bazemore. Both are going to get paid a lot of money for what they do. With consideration of the draft, I think that Bazemore would be regarded higher then Batum because of his all around game and he's only 24 which fits very well with what we have already. On the other hand, Batum would be the sniper that we need, even though his percentage is lower then one would expect. Somewhere David Kahn may be laughing about the possibility of Batum finally finding his way to Minnesota.In all honesty, I don't know if any of these guys will make it to the Timberwolves but they all have merit and each could help improve the squad going forward. 90 minutes from now the news will start to come out about who is going where. Hopefully the Wolves make some good additions and Thibs shows that he is fully capable of handling all the responsibility! It's going to be a fun time to be a Basketball fan.
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