NBA Draft/Lottery

[jesmu84]

If you're Towns/Okafor, you absolutely start faking an injury to get out of the #1 pick, right?

[brandx]

If you're Towns/Okafor, you absolutely start faking an injury to get out of the #1 pick, right?

If you don't like the cold.

Otherwise, Minny is starting to to be able to thrown some impressive talent on the floor.

[GB Warrior]

They're kind of like the Bucks in that they have quite a few exciting pieces that need to gel. I'd argue that their pieces fit into a more cohesive basketball lineup than MKE, since our starting lineup really struggles beyond 5 feet.

If I were Towns/Okafor, I'd feel much better about my chances to become an impact player on a team that has a chance to win in MIN than any of the other top 5 picks.

[Groin_pull]

They're kind of like the Bucks in that they have quite a few exciting pieces that need to gel. I'd argue that their pieces fit into a more cohesive basketball lineup than MKE, since our starting lineup really struggles beyond 5 feet.

If I were Towns/Okafor, I'd feel much better about my chances to become an impact player on a team that has a chance to win in MIN than any of the other top 5 picks.

Pack your parka, boots and snow tires. I'll go to the Lakers and take my chances, thank you very much.

[Badgerhater]

Native Minnesotan who liked the Lakers as a kid (Magic era) and liked the Lumberpups when they started up.

The Lakers have a tradition of winning and the pups don't.  Plus it's LA vs. Minneapolis.

[wadesworld]

I'll believe the TWolves can start winning when I see it.  Wiggins is really talented, but does he make his teammates and team better?  Rubio is a very good ball handler and distributor, but I'm not sure he's even in the top half of point guards right now (more so because the point guard position in the NBA is stacked and less so Rubio not being good).  When Kevin Martin is your go to guy on offense you aren't very good.  I'm not sold on Levine being much more than a highlight dunker either, although he has the size and athleticism to be a good guard in the NBA.  Towns or Okafor would help down low, but I don't know that a front court of Towns and Pekovic at the 5 with Payne and Young at the 4 will ever be great, and I don't think a back court of Rubio, Wiggins, Martin, and Levine will ever be great.  They have some decent pieces but will they even finish over .500 in the next 5 years?  That's how good the West is right now.

[LAMUfan]

Lakers will have Julius Randle back, plus the pick, so two young potentially good players.  Kobe to retire soon, free agents to be had, they will be good again soon and more than likely before the T-wolves

[brewcity77]

The NBA Draft with Minnesota having the first pick...where being Number One makes you feel like Number Two.

[frozena pizza]

If the Wolves had stayed even reasonably healthy last year they would have been around a .500 team.  Their opening day roster included Corey Brewer, Kevin Martin, Ricky Rubio, Nikola Pekovic, Shabazz Muhammad, Mo Williams and Thad Young.  Not one of those players managed to play 50 games with the team due to injuries and then trades once they started tanking.  From mid-January or so they basically pieced it together with rookies and journeymen.  Going into next season they will have the last 3 #1 overall picks (assuming they don't trade this year's) and some cap space at their disposal.  Sure most players would rather be in LA than Minnesota, but it won't be a problem if they start winning.  I can pretty much guarantee that almost any player in the NBA would rather play for the Cavs than the Lakers right now and it's not because of the weather.

[LloydsLegs]

I thought the Lakers were in Minnesota?

[Spotcheck Billy]

Report today is Okafor supposedly will tell the T'wolves not to draft him.

[uncle zeffy]

I thought the Lakers were in Minnesota?

i think this covers that move


https://www.youtube.com/v/ivzrbp_WR8w?version=3&autoplay=0

[wadesworld]

Report today is Okafor supposedly will tell the T'wolves not to draft him.

To save face for the fact that Towns was going to be the first pick anyways.  Now Okafor can just tell people "I didn't want to play in Minnesota."

[GGGG]

Does Okafor (or most other players) care that much about being the first pick in the draft...versus being in say the top five and going where they want to go?