True. My point is that if Rubio is as good as Kahn (and a lot of others) think he is then Kahn could look very smart and in 10 years no one will even remember the 2 year wait.

“although it was a big risk to trade two solid players for the #5 in a weak draft that kind of magically worked out when Rubio fell”

I thought it was a fairly even deal for both sides, both got what they wanted. I like Miller a lot, but he was out of Minni after this season and will probably retire before they contend (then again they could have moved him in another deal). Foye might be a solid reserve. One of Songaila and Pecherov could make the Wolves’ rotation and make up for the loss of Foye.

“but if Rubio’s the guy you want as your future point, I believe it makes more sense to then look at another position with the next pick- anything but a point guard.”

It definitely does, unless you have Flynn in a tier ahead of the other prospects available.

I don’t really think so much in terms of filling positions as rotation spots. Once he matures Rubio has the length to guard 2s, and Flynn might be a deadly 6th man. Having too many good players is a very nice problem to have (not that the Wolves necessarily have that problem at PG, they just might).

“Does anyone believe Kahn when he says that he can see playing the two point guards together?”

I sort of do… why else would he have drafted them? Plenty of teams were rumored to love Flynn and might have moved up or in to get him.
I think Kahn knew there was a good chance Rubio would be in Europe next season, so he was in a position where
1. Flynn could play for 1 or 2 years before they Rubio even came over
2. they could play together (if you figure a rookie is going to play 30 mpg even if he does really well, then they’d have only been on the court 6 mpg together)
3. you double down and figure that statistically at least one is probably not going to meet expectations

“I’m sick of defending DeRozan”

I don’t hate DeRozan, I just would have hated to draft him 5 or 6. Then again, I wasn’t extremely high on Flynn either. This was a really wide open draft, where some GMs will probably look like geniuses and others like idiots.

“AND he fills a need.”

I’m not about drafting for need, especially because the Wolves needed just about everything besides a 4.

“I just believe leaving Flynn in limbo doesn’t create trust in the organization.”

Could be true. Flynn seems like a very, very high character guy who won’t be particularly impacted by it, but maybe it sets a bad tone. Again I don’t really think Flynn is in limbo, but Kahn has to do a very good job of communicating with his players.

“Also, if he didn’t have a plan for the buyout, he shouldn’t have selected Rubio.”

I think he was willing to take the chance and wait a year or two. This is why I keep harping on the David Robinson, Manu Ginobili, Toni Kukoc, Luis Scola, etc. examples of players who waited two or more seasons after being drafted to come to the NBA. Would you really be mad at your team’s GM in the long-run for taking a Robinson, Manu, or Kukoc #5 and waiting a couple seasons? Even Scola wouldn’t have been a terrible #5 pick compared to some who have actually been taken there. The year Scola was drafted (second to last in the second round) Skita went #5: two European forwards, one comes straight over and one waits a few seasons, which one would you rather have on your squad today?
There’s really nothing he could do about the buyout. Kahn had to figure there was AT LEAST a 50% chance Rubio was in Europe next season (maybe a 90% chance). The Thunder hired a Barcelona law firm to bone up on the issue, and maybe Presti and/or ownership would have taken Rubio but weren’t willing to wait.

“I just think signing a vet pg (Sessions? White Chocolate?) for two years and addressing another position and/or getting extra assets/picks would’ve been the smarter way to go.”

In a vacuum I agree. But Rubio was easily the best player available on the majority of draft boards. Flynn was apparently a player the Wolves were high on from day 1.
To give an obvious example, the Blazers passed on MJ to take Bowie because they already had Clyde Drexler at SG. Would you rather have an MJ/Drexler log-jam at SG or Sam Bowie on your team???
I would still be looking to sign Sessions if I’m Kahn, even with Flynn. Ease Flynn into the league and either sign Sessions for two seasons or trade him before Rubio comes. The bidding for Sessions is so low that the Wolves should get in on it, unless they’re completely broke (the money they’re saving on Rubio would go $3+ mill of the way towards signing Sessions).

I don’t have such a problem with Kahn drafting Rubio (although it was a big risk to trade two solid players for the #5 in a weak draft that kind of magically worked out when Rubio fell), but if Rubio’s the guy you want as your future point, I believe it makes more sense to then look at another position with the next pick- anything but a point guard.

Does anyone believe Kahn when he says that he can see playing the two point guards together? Isn’t Jonny Flynn on the same tier as at least a few other players from that draft? I’m sick of defending DeRozan, but he was a top 5 high school player who plays strong defense and played very well in the last half of the season and carried USC in the tourney. AND he fills a need. AND you could’ve traded down, gotten another pick or player and gotten him.

I just believe leaving Flynn in limbo doesn’t create trust in the organization. It smacks of a guy that’s never been in a locker room. Again, I’m not against Rubio per se (although I think he’s a bit overrated), but more the way Khan created this issue.

Also, if he didn’t have a plan for the buyout, he shouldn’t have selected Rubio. Assuming that Rubio was going to play for free for his rookie contract so that he could be in the NBA is absurd. No one would choose that. So I hope he knew this was going to happen.

Maybe after two years, Rubio has been playing great, with a smaller buyout. That’s a best case scenario for Kahn. But even then, either Flynn has also played great and you have to let him go, taking a chance on Rubio before he hits the NBA, or you keep them both and play them both… Flynn gets demoted to 6th man? Rubio comes off the bench? It will be hard to get full value for one or the other at that point, because neither has won anything in the NBA yet, and other teams know that you HAVE to move one of them and will underbid.

I just think signing a vet pg (Sessions? White Chocolate?) for two years and addressing another position and/or getting extra assets/picks would’ve been the smarter way to go.

*I have to also admit that I’m kind of like the blackjack player who gets pissed at the dumb player ahead of him that hits on a pair of Jacks and takes my 3 of hearts in the process… he really did screw up the draft for a few teams.

Not really sure what this proves. Other, maybe, than this author is an idiot.

Again, Robinson and Manu waited 2 years and didn’t miss a beat when they hit the NBA.

Just as some Americans have been huge successes straight from high school (say KG or LeBron) and others have spent time in college and still succeeded (say TD or Wade), some Europeans have come over young and succeeded (Pau, Dirk, Parker, etc.) others have marinaded after being drafted or going undrafted and succeeded (Manu, Scola, Kukoc, Calderon, Rudy, Marc, etc.).

“Potential vs. a lot more than that, perhaps, from Flynn.”

First of all, Flynn may become a great, untradable asset. Chances are much higher, though, that he’s a solid NBA PG but replaceable. The Wolves can keep a close eye on Rubio playing against the stiffest competition in Europe, and should have a good idea of how he’s developing.
How did guys like Calderon and Manu ever manage to adapt to the “man’s game” of the NBA after pussy-footing around with European fairies until their mid-20s???????????????? Their vaginas must have been really soar when they got to the NBA. What a nationalistic prick.

“There are so many things that could happen in the next two years,” Kahn said. “You can’t even pretend to predict.”

This is very true. But would you be able to predict the next two years with them both on the Wolves’ roster?

“For every Tony Parker and Dirk Nowitzki–young euro players that became something really special–there are a ton in the Darko, Tskitishvili, Sergei Kovalev catergory.”

Darko, Tskita, and all the other Euro busts never accomplished anything near what Rubio has in Europe. They didn’t have an impact at as high a level or hang with adults in international competitions. Darko was at least universally praised, but has just been a bust. Tskita was a huge reach.
By and large the guys with size, athleticism, and defined/developed skills who excel in Europe, especially at a young age, can play in the NBA. I can give a million examples.

“Help me see what I am missing on Rubio.”

He’s a very good basketball player. When you watch him every week in the Spanish league he stands out, age aside. When you factor in his age there’s a huge wow factor.

Comparing Rubio to Duhon is ridiculous… They’re just not similar players at all. Duhon camps out around the perimeter and is not half the playmaker Rubio is.

Rubio’s scoring ability is a question mark, but not a clear negative. He’s been pretty inconsistent. He played a grand total of 66 Euroleague minutes last season, and the last time he played at that level before was at age 16. So his Euroleague numbers are pretty useless, but that’s what people like Hollinger have been using to rate him.
In the ULEB Cup (below Euroleague) in 07-08 he put up a TS% of 63.3% and a 3P% of 36%. He hit 43% of his 3s in 500 Spanish league (ACB) minutes last season.

“I don’t get it, why are you high on this guy?”

I’m not Caleb, but I’ll take a stab at this one. Watch him play. He has ungodly court vision, ball handling skills, and playmaking ability. He’s 6-4. He’s a strong defender against grown men with incredible hands. He’s accomplished everything he has at such a young age that his ceiling is very high.
What was the big deal about Jason Kidd anyway? I mean the guy was a terrible scorer… obviously not a very good basketball player. Why were people so high on Magic Johnson again? What’s the difference between Chris Paul and Sebastian Telfair? They’re both quick, little, young PGs…

“See my problem with folks saying Khan is shrewd is that it is not shrewdness when you are forced to do the right thing out of a lack of options.”

When Kahn drafted Rubio he was very aware he might not come over this season. He said as much in a press conference right after the draft: basically he said if any team can wait, it’s us. As strange as it was for him to take 2 PGs, he obviously realized he was doing so and had some reason/plan. We’ll have to wait to see if it is judged as shrewd, crazy, or somewhere in between.

“He can also be turnover prone”

Jason Kidd and Steve Nash annually post terrible TO-rates.

Duhon: A point who can get into the paint, can’t finsh there so he passes.

Caleb you are a smart guy. Help me see what I am missing on Rubio. I really thought he should have gone 5-7 based on the shooting numbers and finishing. He can also be turnover prone. I don’t get it, why are you high on this guy?

People are talking about the price they paid to get him like Foye and Mike Miller are Parish and McHale. T-Wolves save some money in a down year, replace Foye with a cheaper, younger, guard who likely has a comparable ceiling (Flynn), lose Miller (who would have walked after this year anyway), and make a zero-cost, long-term investment in a potential stud (Rubio). And they shouldn’t have made that trade just because Rubio won’t debut until he’s 20 (STILL younger than either Stephen Curry or Jordan Hill is right now)?

Isn’t this the kind of move we’re always imploring the Knicks to make on these boards?