Sunday, June 29, 2008

Even Worse


I've reflected a bit further on the Wolves' draft, and I realized that everyone is paying so much attention to the Mayo/Love trade that the worst move of the draft is being ignored - the Chalmers trade.

With Mayo/Love, you can argue either side of the trade and make an intelligent argument. I think it was a bad move, but I can see why people would be in favor of it - especially racists - and respect that opinion, however wrong it may be. But there is absolutely no defense for trading Chalmers for two second round picks. None at all. Just plain stupid.

Chalmers is a point guard. The Wolves have a serious point guard deficiency. The only point guard on the roster is Sebastian Telfair, who, although he showed some improvement last season, will never be mistaken for a quality point guard. With Jaric shipped out, the only other guy on the roster with any kind of ball handling ability is Randy Foye, and if they're still trying to turn him into a PG they might as well give up right now.

And Chalmers played point for the national champions at Kansas, and is a solid player. Obviously he was a second round pick, but he was projected as a "late first early second" type, not a "second to undrafted type." One scouting group rated him the same as DJ Augustin (note: I don't agree quite with that, but still.) Essentially, he was a steal where they got him, and then they ship him off for two second round draft picks, which I can almost guarantee won't end up netting them one player of Chalmers caliber, much less two. Maybe he's figuring he can get two guys who are each 60% the player Chalmers is, and that will be like getting 120% return on the trade. I honestly have no idea what McHale was thinking on this one. Utterly brutal. Now they'll end up signing some broken down veteran point guard to back up Telfair. This team is a complete joke. Their one chance was to hold onto Mayo, hope he's a star, and hope they can get him to stay - although he'd probably end up going to Boston like everyone else - and the blew that too. Good thing I don't watch the NBA, or I'd be out of this world pissed.

- In case you missed it, I said Woody Austin was the pick at the Buick this week. He finished second, and should have been in a playoff with winner Kenny "Dan Akroyd" Perry, but somehow managed to blast a birdie putt about fifteen feet past the hole and couldn't make it on the way back. Still, pretty much proves I'm a genius. Eat it Faldo, wherever you are.

3 comments:

Dharma Bum said...

Their excuse was they made the super-nintendo Chalmers trade before the Love trade. They thought Memphis would never include Miller, then they did. But I have to stay it was a stupid move anyways. Even if they didn't know they were trading away Jaric, they knew they weren't tendering Telfair which means there is a good chance he's gone too. So our starting point guard right now is Foye with Drew Neitzel as his back up.

Anonymous said...

And I thank you for the Woody Austin pick in Fantasy Golf.

Anonymous said...

Did the Wolves get Drew Neitzel? Did he go undrafted?