First of all, I would like to direct readers to a correction made in response to one of our readers. I had made a rather significant error in my post about Theo Ratliff and a Fantasy GM deal with Memphis. I have made an update in the post and I encourage all of you to read it here. One of the great things about blogs is that our readers are our 2nd line of editing. If you ever see any errors on Canis Hoopus, please point them out to us and they will be corrected/amended. Thanks again to the alert reader for pointing out this error.

For a few months now I have been running a feature here at Canis Hoopus about the upcoming draft. You can read the latest installment here. For those of you who don’t enjoy clicking through links, here’s the list from the last post (college players only):

1. Michael Beasley
2. Donte Green
3. Ty Lawson
4. Derrick Rose
5. Roy Hibbert
6. Deandre Jordan
7. DJ Augustin
8. Chris Douglas-Roberts
9. Brook Lopez
10. Devon Hardin
11. OJ Mayo

Before I take a bit different approach to this feature, here’s the updated list:

1. Michael Beasley
2. Roy Hibbert
3. Donte Greene
4. Derrick Rose
5. Ty Lawson
6. Brook Lopez
7. Chris Douglas-Roberts
8. DJ Augustin
9. Hasheem Thabeet
10. Devon Hardin

A few notes:

Roy Hibbert is really growing on me. He is a 4-year starter who has shown consistent improvement over the course of his career, he operates as a point-center in Georgetown’s offense so he is comfortable with the ball as well as being the best-passing big man in college ball, and he has legit-size and skills on both sides of the court. Deandre Jordan has been replaced by Hasheem Thabeet. Thabeet is a project center every bit as much as Jordan is, but his defensive game is more advanced and he is starting to show signs of being able to change games on that end of the court. It should be noted that he does so in the middle of a 2-3 zone, but he seems to have the physical skills to transfer this ability to the next level. I’m slowly softening my do-not-draft-Derrick-Rose stance. He’s a hell of a player and if Beasley, Hibbert, and Donte Greene are off the board, I think the Wolves should jump at him.

One thing I would like to add to the draft board series (to be updated once a month) is a draft strategy proposal. The Wolves have a lot of small-change assets that they can use to great effect in this year’s draft. Having a lot of picks sounds nice in theory, but once you start attaching names like Louis Williams and Bracey Wright to 2nd round picks, some of the luster begins to fade from thinking the team has so many options to work with.

I am of the opinion that the Wolves need to identify 2-3 1st rounders in this year’s draft and then move every and anything they can from their cache of small-change assets to get these guys in a Wolves’ uniform. What “small-change” assets do they have to work with?

• 2 top 2nd round picks in the 2008 draft (likely picks 31 and 32)
• Miami Heat 1st round pick from the Toine deal
• $5 million trade exception from the Toine deal (Mark Blount)
• Boston Celtic 1st round pick from the KG deal
• Antoine Walker’s expiring contract
• Randy Foye or Rashad McCants

I know, I know…Shaddy and Foye aren’t small change. However, they are basically the same player and they could provide value for the team to move up and get a player they want/need that does something…well, different than what a 6’4” undersized shooting/3rd guard can bring to the squad. What should the Wolves do?

1. Target a scoring forward with the top pick: as I have made clear on several previous occasions (the latest being here), the Wolves need a scorer who can get to the line and either make perimeter shots or break down their defender and get to the rim. Preferably, this player has size and is able to play the 3: a position the team gets absolutely torched at. Michael Beasley is the obvious choice here, followed by Donte Greene and Italian import Danilo Gallinari. Since I obviously don’t follow Euroleague competition, I’ll have to hope that the Wolves have a tip-top international scouting operation to choose between Greene and Gallinari. One option with the top pick (should Beasley be off the board) is to draft Gallinari and tell him to stay in Europe for another year in hopes that he continues to develop against top European competition and that the Wolves can hold on to their top-10 pick which is owed to the LA Clippers. Whatever the case, final result: Beasley, Greene, or Gallinari.
2. Move up to draft a center: There are 3 centers that the Wolves should consider in this draft (in order): Roy Hibbert, Brook Lopez, and Hasheem Thabeet. In order to get Hibbert or Lopez, the team will likely have to move into the top-10. Possible targets: trade Shaddy or Foye (likely Shaddy) and the Heat and Celtic picks to the Charlotte Bobcats for their top-10 pick. Currently, the Bobcats are slated to draft 6th. Trade Antoine Walker and Heat pick + 1 2nd rounder to the Bucks for Bobby Simmons and top pick. The Bucks are currently slated to draft 8th. Final result: Hibbert or Lopez.
3. Target tall shooting guard with perimeter skills: we’re talking about Chase Budinger and Chris Douglas-Roberts here. Most mock drafts have these guys going in the 10-15 range. Possible targets: trade Corey Brewer to the Suns for the Atlanta pick (currently 11th). Trade 2 2nd rounders and the trade exception to the Suns for the Atlanta pick and Raja Bell. Trade the trade exception and 1 2nd rounder plus Heat/Celtic pick to the Kings for Shareef Abdur-Rahim and their 1st round pick (currently 12th). Final result: Budinger or CDR. (BTW: you know Phoenix would jump at the Brewer for Atlanta pick deal.)

Ultimately, the Wolves have to realize that a lot of small-change assets are only valuable when packaged together for specific players that fill needs for the squad. What is worth more: Chris Douglas-Roberts or Jason Thompson and Omer Asik (2 players listed as the Wolves’ top 2nd round picks at Draft Express)? Because of this, Fred Hoiberg’s recent comments should give you some pause:

"We're going to get a good pick," said Hoiberg, who recently returned from a long scouting trip in Europe. "If the ping-pong balls fell where the records are, we'd have the second pick of the draft behind Miami, and then we've also got Miami's second-round pick [from a trade].

"So, right now we would have No. 2, No. 31 and No. 32. So, we're going to get good players at those positions."

Here is a list of players taken at 31 and 32 in recent drafts:

• 2007: Carl Landry and Gabe Pruitt
• 2006: James White and Steve Novak
• 2005: Salim Stoudamire and Daniel Ewing
• 2004: Anderson Varejao and Jackson Vroman
• 2003: Maciej Lampe and Jason Kapono
• 2002: Steve Logan and Roger Mason Jr.
• 2001: Trenton Hassell and Gilbert Arenas
• 2000: Marko Jaric and Dan Lahghi

As if the Hassel and Jaric bifecta wasn’t enough, the ratio of Agent Zeros to Dan Lahghis should be enough to dissuade anyone from thinking the Wolves could a) find themselves in a position where a Gilbert-esque player exists in the 2nd round and b) be smart enough to select said player. Of course, for Grandpa Sid, an untested assistant GM + 2 2nd rounders = a brighter future. Just for additional kicks, here’s the list of Wolves 2nd rounders during that same period of time:

• 2007: Chris Richard
• 2006: Craig Smith, Bobby Jones, and Loukas Mavrokefalidis
• 2005: Bracey Wright
• 2004: Blake Stepp
• 2003: Rick Rickert
• 2002: Marcus Taylor
• 2001: Loren Woods
• 2000: Igor Rakocevic

Just for fun, let’s add the 1999 Draft’s 2nd rounder, Louis Bullock. It never hurts to mention again and again that outside of the Joe Smith fiasco and the Randy Foye pick, nothing set the Wolves back quite as much as their performance in the 1999 Draft, which just happened to be one of the best drafts in the past 20 years. Instead of Rip Hamilton, Andre Miller, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry, and Corey Maggette, the Wolves took Wally Szczerbiak. Instead of Ron Artest, James Posey, Devean George, or Andrei Kirikenko, they took Will Avery. Ah yes, a bright future provided by those who have supplied the darkness.

Anywho…

If the Wolves can leave this draft with a scoring 3, a toolsy 5, and a perimeter-proficient 2, what more could they ask for in the future with the Heat pick, the Celtic pick, the 2 2nd rounders, 2 6’4” guards, a trade exception, and Toine’s expiring contract? Again, for kicks and giggles, here’s how the draft could play out with the targeted approach:

1. Bassy/Jaric
2. (CDR/Budinger)/(Shaddy/Foye)/(Brewer)
3. Gomes/(Beasley/Greene/Gallinari)/(Brewer)
4. Big Al/Rhino
5. (Hibbert/Lopez)/Big Al

Best case scenario:

1. Bassy/Jaric
2. Budinger/Shaddy/Brewer
3. Beasley/Gomes/Brewer
4. Big Al/Rhino
5. Hibbert/Big Al

The point here is that the fact the Wolves have a lot of small chips is meaningless if they just let them play out. They need to target players in this year’s draft and move on them with whatever available resources they have. Get the young core in place, don’t worry about future extra picks, and move, move, move on players that fit the bill in this year’s draft: a scoring 3, a 5, and a big 2 guard.

Until later.

PS: Keep your eye on whether or not Nick Calathes enters the draft. He should stay in college another year or two but he’s a Stop-n-Pop dark horse; one of the smartest b-ball players I have ever seen at the freshman level who would make an excellent compliment to Bassy at the point.