another hastily prepared (yet long) wolves thing for your (dis?)pleasure
Draft Reaction:
It’s funny how quickly things can change. If you had told me in the hours before Tuesday’s 2005 NBA draft that the Timberwolves were going to select Rashad McCants, I would have been if not happy, at least deeply relieved.
Relieved because it would have meant that the Wolves had not selected Louisville’s Francisco Garcia, whom most people in the know had forecasted as going to the Wolves. The reasoning for this prediction was solid: both recently hired draft consultant Rex Chapman and recently hired head coach Dwayne Casey were said to be very high on Garcia, and both have strong connections to college basketball in Kentucky where Garcia played. Of course, being of the opinion that Garcia was not at all a good fit for the Wolves’ needs but knowing the draft history of the Wolves franchise, I feared the worst. So, with this fear in mind, the very fact that McCants is not Garcia would have brought me a sense of relief, any maybe even satisfaction.
But, that evening in the minutes and hours after the selection of McCants, I was once again left feeling frustrated and annoyed with the drafting abilities of Kevin McHale and his cronies. Once again they had managed to mess up another draft and let the franchise down.
So what happened to cause such a seesaw type reaction? I wish I could tell you it was because of something exciting, like McCants having been involved in some sort of freak accident involving DNA-altering test drugs that initially threatened his career but ultimately fundamentally altered the structure of his DNA and imbued him with basketball super abilities (sorry…I’ve seen too many “Fantastic Four” movie trailers lately…). But no - the truth, though it appeared a bit surprising on draft night, was far less exciting and far more predictable than it appeared to be at the time.
On its surface, the draft appeared to play out very bizarrely, not conforming to any of the plethora of Mock Drafts that appeared leading up to the event. Specifically, with Toronto’s choice of former UCONN star Charlie Villanueva at #7 (which, at the time, seemed very…um…“inspired?”…or “eccentric?”), the entire first round was thrown on its head. Because of Toronto’s pick and its ramifications, most of the guys who were supposed to go in the #7-#13 range – guys like Gerald Green, Antoine Wright, Joey Graham, and Danny Granger, ended up being supplanted by a group of guys who were expected to go a bit later.
While this initially appeared shocking, in retrospect it really shouldn’t be seen that way. All that happened was that GM’s once again, as is the case every year, couldn’t resist the irresistible lure of that evil temptress known as size when it came down to decision time. Drafting players high based on size has led to more than a few disasters - players like Kwame Brown, Dasagna Diop, and even our own Michael Olowokandi haven’t lived up to their draft position - but that doesn’t seem to stop GM’s from trying. Every year, it seems, GM’s can’t stand the thought of passing on the potential of a big man with any skill. So when Toronto got the ball rolling with Charlie V., teams began to panic and decided to snatch up the big men while they still had the chance. As a result, this year the candidates for big men going earlier than they should have are the aforementioned Charlie Villanueva, as well as Andrew Bynum (#10), Fran Vasquez (#11), and Sean May (#13). As each of these players was selected, the guys who were supposed to have been chosen in this range continued to drop.
Once Los Angeles chose Bynum at #10, it became clear that at least one of the talented swingmen projected to go in the #7-#13 range (Gerald Green, Antoine Wright, Joey Graham, or Danny Granger) would be available at #14. And by the time Charlotte took May at #13, it became apparent that the Wolves could have their pick of any of these four.
At this point, I couldn’t believe our good fortune. Four incredibly talented, top-10 quality picks were ours for the choosing. Sure, McHale and Co. have made some boneheaded draft picks, but there was no way to screw this one up!
(Ok…I should mention that I still couldn’t help but imagine the worst, such as either a) the Wolves being so dedicated to their scouting that they still selected Garcia despite the other talent still on the board, or – and I didn’t think this was entirely out of the realm of possibility – b) the Wolves brass being so surprised at what had happened that they weren’t able to make a pick before their allotted 5 minutes were up and thus would have missed out on their pick).
It turns out that while they didn’t have to give up their pick, I did still manage to give them too much credit, at least in my thinking at the time. Needless to say, I was shocked, frustrated, and disappointed with the selection of Rashad McCants. Just as I would’ve been relieved with McCants because he wasn’t Garcia when I thought Garcia was going to be the choice, I was disappointed immediately with McCants because he wasn’t Green, Wright, Granger, or Graham.
The reasons why were simple to me at the time. Granger was supposedly a lock for #6 before Utah traded out of the pick, and was one of the most NBA ready and versatile players in the draft, being able to play inside and outside and guard four positions. Green is said to have endless potential - the next Tracy McGrady. Graham is an athletic beast, a Corey Maggette clone who can take the ball to the basket and finish fearlessly. Wright is the complete offensive player (his unique combination of slashing ability and great perimeter shot have drawn him comparisons to Ray Allen) as well as a great passer and pesky defender. The Timberwolves needed all of these attributes badly, and any of these guys would have been an absolute steal at #14. .
On the other hand, what the Wolves most definitely did not need, I thought at the time, was Rashad McCants. Sure, he has the ability and skill to take the ball to the basket and score. But he has a reputation for more often than not choosing to settle for a perimeter shot. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as he is a fantastic perimeter shooter; however, barring a trade this off-season, the Wolves already have Wally Szczerbiak, and they don’t exactly need another shooter. They need someone who can score one on one.
But this was a minor issue compared to concerns over McCants’s attitude. For one, though he is clearly athletic enough to be a great defender (as most NBA players are), his defense is often sub par, usually attributed to the fact that he does not have the desire to put forth the effort to play good defense. Following his selection, one of the ESPN analysts said something to the effect of “If I had a nickel for every time he buckled down and actually guarded someone, I’d have a nickel”. Not a good sign for a team that desperately needs help on the defensive end of the floor. And the thought of a backcourt/SF tandem of Cassell, McCants, and Szczerbiak is simply frightening with regard to defense (or mouthwatering, depending on your perspective, I suppose).
Couple that with the fact that he has a long tradition of other character related incidents at UNC (getting thrown off the bench for refusing to cheer for his teammates, likening his time at UNC to being in prison, not being selected for an all-star team despite being more than worthy skill-wise because of his attitude, etc.) and it seemed like McHale and Co. decided that in drafting a SG to replace Latrell Sprewell they decided to draft Latrell Sprewell version 2.0.
Yet somehow, the whole situation just wasn’t that easy. The seesaw didn't end there.
As I think and hear more about McCants, I find my attitude of disappointment and pessimism being gradually overtaken by a growing sense of optimism. Cautious – very cautious – optimism, mind you - but optimism nonetheless. Sure, some of the other guys available might have been great. But then again, maybe not: Do they Wolves (and, more importantly, does KG) really have time to wait for Green to become the next T-Mac? Do they really need someone with questionable knees who has been described as a smaller and less talented Eddie Griffin (Granger)?
And more importantly, while McCants has his shortcomings (questionable defense, lack of size that may make it difficult for him to get his shot off in the NBA against bigger SGs, etc.), he is also a tremendously talented offensive player and brings to the Wolves a number of characteristics that they desperately need. For one, he will provide a heavy dose of athleticism, something they have sorely lacked after having only one first round draft pick in the last five years. In fact, he ranked third overall in athleticism at the Chicago predraft camp, ahead of Wright, Green, and Granger.
And while the Wolves have a number of guys who can score when plays are run for them or when their open (Wally, Hassell, Hoiberg, etc.), they also desperately need someone who can create their own shot and score in a one on one situation. McCants was arguably the best pure scorer in the NCAA last year, and should be able to come in and immediately provide a much-needed scoring punch off the bench. He has the ability the score at the rim if he wants to, but he also has a fantastic perimeter shot. And the combination of great pure shooting and athleticism is not easy to come by (just look at a player like Corey Maggette at one end of the spectrum, and maybe a guy like Kyle Korver at the other). This is exactly what new head coach Dwayne Casey has been looking for – somehow who can not only hit shots but also penetrate and break down the defense and either score himself or set up easy opportunities for his teammates to score. Add to this the fact that uber-role player and three-point specialist Fred Hoiberg may miss a good portion if not all of the season after heart surgery, and McCants’s perimeter shooting will come in very handy.
In addition, while height-wise McCants is undersized at the two position (at around 6’ 3”), his wingspan is actually 6’10.75” and his standing reach is 8’7.5”. These numbers rank him right alongside players like Green, Wright, Granger, and Graham, and are plenty high for him to be a superb defender, should he put his mind to it.
And while his character background is without question worrisome, he did play three seasons for one of the NCAA’s most successful programs, and he did win a national championship. As a result he is both used to winning and has big game experience.
So I can’t help now but to hope that maybe he will be able to have the type of immediate impact that Ben Gordon (another great scorer/questionable defender from a successful college program with a national championship) had last year in Chicago. If the Wolves could rely on McCants to come into the game in the fourth quarter and put up a bunch of points in a hurry and take over the game, the potential downsides will be a lot easier to overlook.
And so while the team might have missed out on the next T-Mac, I’ll gladly take the next Ben Gordon.
In fact, at this point I’ll be happy with even less than Ben Gordon, as long as he contributes more than the last #14 pick the Wolves had (Will Avery) and more than the last shooting guard with big talent and bigger question marks about his attitude the Wolves drafted (J.R. Rider).
Looking at a draft history like that, it’s not hard to understand why it’s difficult for a Wolves fan to escape their sense of pessimism when approaching a situation like this. But why not give the guy a chance, right? At the very least let him play a game first.
So here’s to hoping that McCants, like KG was able to do ten years ago, can bring a sense of optimism and legitimate championship aspirations back to the franchise.
It’s funny how quickly things can change. If you had told me in the hours before Tuesday’s 2005 NBA draft that the Timberwolves were going to select Rashad McCants, I would have been if not happy, at least deeply relieved.
Relieved because it would have meant that the Wolves had not selected Louisville’s Francisco Garcia, whom most people in the know had forecasted as going to the Wolves. The reasoning for this prediction was solid: both recently hired draft consultant Rex Chapman and recently hired head coach Dwayne Casey were said to be very high on Garcia, and both have strong connections to college basketball in Kentucky where Garcia played. Of course, being of the opinion that Garcia was not at all a good fit for the Wolves’ needs but knowing the draft history of the Wolves franchise, I feared the worst. So, with this fear in mind, the very fact that McCants is not Garcia would have brought me a sense of relief, any maybe even satisfaction.
But, that evening in the minutes and hours after the selection of McCants, I was once again left feeling frustrated and annoyed with the drafting abilities of Kevin McHale and his cronies. Once again they had managed to mess up another draft and let the franchise down.
So what happened to cause such a seesaw type reaction? I wish I could tell you it was because of something exciting, like McCants having been involved in some sort of freak accident involving DNA-altering test drugs that initially threatened his career but ultimately fundamentally altered the structure of his DNA and imbued him with basketball super abilities (sorry…I’ve seen too many “Fantastic Four” movie trailers lately…). But no - the truth, though it appeared a bit surprising on draft night, was far less exciting and far more predictable than it appeared to be at the time.
On its surface, the draft appeared to play out very bizarrely, not conforming to any of the plethora of Mock Drafts that appeared leading up to the event. Specifically, with Toronto’s choice of former UCONN star Charlie Villanueva at #7 (which, at the time, seemed very…um…“inspired?”…or “eccentric?”), the entire first round was thrown on its head. Because of Toronto’s pick and its ramifications, most of the guys who were supposed to go in the #7-#13 range – guys like Gerald Green, Antoine Wright, Joey Graham, and Danny Granger, ended up being supplanted by a group of guys who were expected to go a bit later.
While this initially appeared shocking, in retrospect it really shouldn’t be seen that way. All that happened was that GM’s once again, as is the case every year, couldn’t resist the irresistible lure of that evil temptress known as size when it came down to decision time. Drafting players high based on size has led to more than a few disasters - players like Kwame Brown, Dasagna Diop, and even our own Michael Olowokandi haven’t lived up to their draft position - but that doesn’t seem to stop GM’s from trying. Every year, it seems, GM’s can’t stand the thought of passing on the potential of a big man with any skill. So when Toronto got the ball rolling with Charlie V., teams began to panic and decided to snatch up the big men while they still had the chance. As a result, this year the candidates for big men going earlier than they should have are the aforementioned Charlie Villanueva, as well as Andrew Bynum (#10), Fran Vasquez (#11), and Sean May (#13). As each of these players was selected, the guys who were supposed to have been chosen in this range continued to drop.
Once Los Angeles chose Bynum at #10, it became clear that at least one of the talented swingmen projected to go in the #7-#13 range (Gerald Green, Antoine Wright, Joey Graham, or Danny Granger) would be available at #14. And by the time Charlotte took May at #13, it became apparent that the Wolves could have their pick of any of these four.
At this point, I couldn’t believe our good fortune. Four incredibly talented, top-10 quality picks were ours for the choosing. Sure, McHale and Co. have made some boneheaded draft picks, but there was no way to screw this one up!
(Ok…I should mention that I still couldn’t help but imagine the worst, such as either a) the Wolves being so dedicated to their scouting that they still selected Garcia despite the other talent still on the board, or – and I didn’t think this was entirely out of the realm of possibility – b) the Wolves brass being so surprised at what had happened that they weren’t able to make a pick before their allotted 5 minutes were up and thus would have missed out on their pick).
It turns out that while they didn’t have to give up their pick, I did still manage to give them too much credit, at least in my thinking at the time. Needless to say, I was shocked, frustrated, and disappointed with the selection of Rashad McCants. Just as I would’ve been relieved with McCants because he wasn’t Garcia when I thought Garcia was going to be the choice, I was disappointed immediately with McCants because he wasn’t Green, Wright, Granger, or Graham.
The reasons why were simple to me at the time. Granger was supposedly a lock for #6 before Utah traded out of the pick, and was one of the most NBA ready and versatile players in the draft, being able to play inside and outside and guard four positions. Green is said to have endless potential - the next Tracy McGrady. Graham is an athletic beast, a Corey Maggette clone who can take the ball to the basket and finish fearlessly. Wright is the complete offensive player (his unique combination of slashing ability and great perimeter shot have drawn him comparisons to Ray Allen) as well as a great passer and pesky defender. The Timberwolves needed all of these attributes badly, and any of these guys would have been an absolute steal at #14. .
On the other hand, what the Wolves most definitely did not need, I thought at the time, was Rashad McCants. Sure, he has the ability and skill to take the ball to the basket and score. But he has a reputation for more often than not choosing to settle for a perimeter shot. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as he is a fantastic perimeter shooter; however, barring a trade this off-season, the Wolves already have Wally Szczerbiak, and they don’t exactly need another shooter. They need someone who can score one on one.
But this was a minor issue compared to concerns over McCants’s attitude. For one, though he is clearly athletic enough to be a great defender (as most NBA players are), his defense is often sub par, usually attributed to the fact that he does not have the desire to put forth the effort to play good defense. Following his selection, one of the ESPN analysts said something to the effect of “If I had a nickel for every time he buckled down and actually guarded someone, I’d have a nickel”. Not a good sign for a team that desperately needs help on the defensive end of the floor. And the thought of a backcourt/SF tandem of Cassell, McCants, and Szczerbiak is simply frightening with regard to defense (or mouthwatering, depending on your perspective, I suppose).
Couple that with the fact that he has a long tradition of other character related incidents at UNC (getting thrown off the bench for refusing to cheer for his teammates, likening his time at UNC to being in prison, not being selected for an all-star team despite being more than worthy skill-wise because of his attitude, etc.) and it seemed like McHale and Co. decided that in drafting a SG to replace Latrell Sprewell they decided to draft Latrell Sprewell version 2.0.
Yet somehow, the whole situation just wasn’t that easy. The seesaw didn't end there.
As I think and hear more about McCants, I find my attitude of disappointment and pessimism being gradually overtaken by a growing sense of optimism. Cautious – very cautious – optimism, mind you - but optimism nonetheless. Sure, some of the other guys available might have been great. But then again, maybe not: Do they Wolves (and, more importantly, does KG) really have time to wait for Green to become the next T-Mac? Do they really need someone with questionable knees who has been described as a smaller and less talented Eddie Griffin (Granger)?
And more importantly, while McCants has his shortcomings (questionable defense, lack of size that may make it difficult for him to get his shot off in the NBA against bigger SGs, etc.), he is also a tremendously talented offensive player and brings to the Wolves a number of characteristics that they desperately need. For one, he will provide a heavy dose of athleticism, something they have sorely lacked after having only one first round draft pick in the last five years. In fact, he ranked third overall in athleticism at the Chicago predraft camp, ahead of Wright, Green, and Granger.
And while the Wolves have a number of guys who can score when plays are run for them or when their open (Wally, Hassell, Hoiberg, etc.), they also desperately need someone who can create their own shot and score in a one on one situation. McCants was arguably the best pure scorer in the NCAA last year, and should be able to come in and immediately provide a much-needed scoring punch off the bench. He has the ability the score at the rim if he wants to, but he also has a fantastic perimeter shot. And the combination of great pure shooting and athleticism is not easy to come by (just look at a player like Corey Maggette at one end of the spectrum, and maybe a guy like Kyle Korver at the other). This is exactly what new head coach Dwayne Casey has been looking for – somehow who can not only hit shots but also penetrate and break down the defense and either score himself or set up easy opportunities for his teammates to score. Add to this the fact that uber-role player and three-point specialist Fred Hoiberg may miss a good portion if not all of the season after heart surgery, and McCants’s perimeter shooting will come in very handy.
In addition, while height-wise McCants is undersized at the two position (at around 6’ 3”), his wingspan is actually 6’10.75” and his standing reach is 8’7.5”. These numbers rank him right alongside players like Green, Wright, Granger, and Graham, and are plenty high for him to be a superb defender, should he put his mind to it.
And while his character background is without question worrisome, he did play three seasons for one of the NCAA’s most successful programs, and he did win a national championship. As a result he is both used to winning and has big game experience.
So I can’t help now but to hope that maybe he will be able to have the type of immediate impact that Ben Gordon (another great scorer/questionable defender from a successful college program with a national championship) had last year in Chicago. If the Wolves could rely on McCants to come into the game in the fourth quarter and put up a bunch of points in a hurry and take over the game, the potential downsides will be a lot easier to overlook.
And so while the team might have missed out on the next T-Mac, I’ll gladly take the next Ben Gordon.
In fact, at this point I’ll be happy with even less than Ben Gordon, as long as he contributes more than the last #14 pick the Wolves had (Will Avery) and more than the last shooting guard with big talent and bigger question marks about his attitude the Wolves drafted (J.R. Rider).
Looking at a draft history like that, it’s not hard to understand why it’s difficult for a Wolves fan to escape their sense of pessimism when approaching a situation like this. But why not give the guy a chance, right? At the very least let him play a game first.
So here’s to hoping that McCants, like KG was able to do ten years ago, can bring a sense of optimism and legitimate championship aspirations back to the franchise.
posted by Josh Peterson at 6:59 AM
1 Comments:
You were up early/late and postin'!
Why Rashad McWont has a large wingspand vs. his height: he has no neck! (Wolves woulda gotten a similar deal had they drafted Graham.) Have you noticed, however, that every ball-player whose "wingspan" has ever been described has had the characteristic of it being longer than said ball-player's height. (I've always heard of it measured when a player is theoretically too short to play his position.) But I've never, ever heard of someone whose arms aren't grander than their height. "He's 6'11", but his wingspan is only 6'4"." Maybe longer arms are the normal human condition? Hard ... to ... measure ... self ... with ... tape measure ... in effort of scientific ... enquiry ... or ... maybe ... inquiry... what ...is ... difference?
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