School's In Session

Much like a school course, all young players should be given a period of time to learn/adapt to the NBA game, and then once that evaluation period is up, you decide whether they have get a passor fail for the course.

The key with a young developing team is deciding what level to realistically evaluate each young player (the course level, usually decided at draft time) and how long the evaluation period should last.

In scouring various Wolves message boards across the net and taking part in the occasional Wolves conversation with the casual fan, I’ve recently been reminded of the amazing lack of patience and absurdly high expectations most people have for our young players.

Here’s how I think we should be evaluating all of our young guys and when the fair time of coming to a final conclusion for that player should be:

Player: Ryan Gomes
Course: Role-Playing, Do-It-All SF/PF 101

Considering Gomes was a 2nd round pick. Gomes has already passed his course with flying colors. In fact, he’s maybe done too well. With Gomes’s contract being up this year, many teams may be apt to give Gomes big dollars to enroll in Average NBA Starting SF Studies 201. Though I like Gomes’ game, he did not show enough in Role-Playing, Do-It-All SF/PF 101 to make him worth the investment in Average NBA Starting SF Studies 101. I believe he would get a D or even fail this course. If we can lock him up at a reasonable amount to study Great Locker Room Clutch Veteran Bench Player Research 201 (aka Big Shot Bob Studies), I’d be all for keeping him on the roster.
- Final Evaluation Date: End of 2007-2008 Season


Player: Rashad McCants
Course: Perimeter Offensive Juggernaut 101

Rashad McCants has had an interesting starting course so far. At times, he’s shown glimpses of being a top-flight student. At times, he’s been a miserable failure. Normally, he’d be at or past his final evaluation period, but after missing the entire season last year due to most devastating knee injury in the game, Rashad gets some extra time. Rashad has seemingly had better success in the course lately as a 6th man offensive spark. Only time will tell if this will allow him to get an A or B in the course, or if he’ll be forced to leave the Wolves and enroll in Possibly Psychotic Physical Specimen 102. This is an odd course because it either leads to Ron Artest Studies 201 or How Not To Blow All of Your Money In Europe 202.
- Final Evaluation Date: It’ll be interesting to see how Rashad continues as an offensive spark plug off of the bench, has a full off-season of working on his game finally rather than trying to come back from injury and then gels with his teammates for 2008-2009. All-Star Break of 2008-2009 season should be his “do we keep him or trade him” time.


Player: Randy Foye
Course: Franchise Guard Play 101

Randy Foye is perhaps the reason I wrote this article. Randy Foye took a step in the right direction in his rookie season, possibly looking to pass the course with a B or possibly an A. Unfortunately, he then suffered a disastrous knee injury of which forced him to miss nearly 2/3 of the 2007-2008 NBA season. The Randy we see now is hobbled, out of shape and out of sync with his teammates. Yet, to be fair, this is not the real Randy Foye. Then again, he’s nearing 25 years-old and how much time do we really have to devote to Foye?
- Final Evaluation Date: Foye certainly deserves the rest of the year, and throughout Foye’s career, he’s been a “comeback from nothing” type player. Randy certainly deserves a full off-season of training and some time to make a statement next year. All-Star Break of 2008-2009 season should be his “do we keep him or trade him” time.


Player: Al Jefferson
Course: Franchise Post Play 101

Passed with flying colors. Starting in 2007-2008, Al will enroll in Icon Establishment Studies 301.
- Final Evaluation Date: End of 2010-2011 season…or possibly soon should he test out of the course.


Player: Sebastian Telfair
Course: NBA-level guard Play 102

After failing Franchise Point Guard Play 101 miserably, Bassy was enrolled in a much more basic course…and even then he was expected to fail. Thankfully, Bassy has taken his studies seriously and become a top student in the class. Unless the Wolves decided to give a player such as Derrick Rose the opportunity to enroll in Franchise Point Guard Play 101, the organization should sign Bassy for 3-4 years and enroll him in Average NBA Starting PG Studies 201. If he tests out that, he could possibly be given a second opportunity at Franchise Point Guard Play 101.
- Final Evaluation Date: Already passed. Hopefully, Wolves enroll him in Average NBA Starting PG Studies 201 starting in the 2008-2009 season.

Player: Corey Brewer
Course: Scottie Pippen Studies 101

Another player for whom this entry was written, Corey Brewer has all of the pieces for success in this league. Scottie Pippen Studies 101 is an interesting course because, unlike other courses, those getting a “C” in the class are even very valuable for top teams just because the basic requirements for entering the course weed out 99% of players.
- Final Evaluation Date: Being young and skinny yet showing promise in his studies and having a reputation as a strong worker, Corey certainly deserves the off-season, the next full season, the following off-season and then part of the next year before a proper final evaluation can take place. All-Star Break of 2009-2010 season should be his “do we keep him or trade him” time (see Josh Howard’s timeline with next year for Brewer matching up with Howard’s rookie season).


Player: Chris Richard
Course: Interior Beast 101

Confusingly for many fans, Chris Richard gets an incomplete in this course thus far. Though Richard has shown the occasional strong sign in his studies, he mostly been barred from class. Hopefully, his attendance increases dramatically next season.
- Final Evaluation Date: Unknown