Wolves Need to be Centered

“I will find a center in you. I will chew it up and leave” – Kevin McHale…I mean Maynard James Keenan, Tool

You really have to question that sanity of a person when he or she makes the same mistake over and over and over (take Richard Simmons waking up every morning for instance).

While the discretion of the Minnesota Timberwolves brass, namely Glen Taylor and Kevin McHale, has been more than questioned, I think it’s time that we start questioning their sanity as well. After all, how many of us were pining for a punishing, defensive-oriented big man to place next to Kevin Garnett for all of these years? Was there ever a move for McHale to make that was more obvious (other than switching sweater stores and getting a real haircut)?

We did have one good year of Ervin Johnson at the very twilight of his career…and how’d that work out? Anyway, so we traded our first and only franchise player and in return as the centerpiece of the deal received another franchise power forward in Al Jefferson…who happens to be defensively deficient.

Let’s think about a few numbers here, and see if you can connect the dots. Right now, your Timberwolves rank 2nd last in the league in blocks, 5th to last in opposing FG% and they’re middle of the pack in team rebounding despite Big Al being one of the elite rebounding big men in the game. Who are the top 4 Timberwolves in +/- for the team? Mark Madsen, Rashad McCants, Chris Richard, Theo Ratliff (Michael Doleac is +2.4 for the record). Notice a trend there? 3 out of 4 of those players are Centers. Al Jefferson’s +/- at PF: -1.8. At C? -13.7. Al Jefferson’s PER at PF: +10.3. At C? +4.7.

To do a little basic statistical analysis for you, the Wolves allow a lot of high-percentage shots in the paint, struggle with rebounding outside of Al Jefferson, consistently out-score the other team when a center is on the court and our franchise PF plays far better at his natural position instead of masquerading a Center. Do you think we need a big man at the 5?

Now the question is—what are the Wolves going to do about it? They can continue ignoring the problem until one day Taylor wakes up and Target Center is scorched earth (we’ve seen the threats Rube Chat posters…it’s only a matter of time if the madness continues). Or, as Shooter said for the Twins, “Look for the Timberwolves to acquire a center via free agency, trade or draft” (classic Shooter insight).

Here are some interesting summer of 2008 free agent options:

Emeka Okafor – Emeka would be sooo nice next to Al it’s insane. Oh wait, I forgot that he’s restricted and thinks he’s worth a max contract. That’d be like paying more than a nickel for a lap dance at Skyway Lounge…(visitors know what I’m talking about…you know who you are).

DeSagna Diop – Interesting player. He’s a true 7 footer that blocks shots and won’t try to be a part of the offense like the Kandi-man (smart guy that Olowakandi…lets take shots away from the MV3, so we can watch your high-ass airball 3 foot jump hooks).

…and a bunch of other garbage that pisses me of.

So, it looks like screw free agency. It’s not like we’ve had historical success there anyway.

As for acquiring a center via trade, two ideal fits would be Joakim Noah and Darko Milicic. Noah, while likely not available, would be a great fit next to Jefferson. He never stops running, he plays great D, has a high basketball IQ, rotates defensively, passes exceptionally well for a big man and best off all, Noah just wants to do what’s good for the team. Could we possibly bait the Bulls into sending us Noah for a McCants + filler package if/when Ben Gordon walks this summer? That would be nice considering the wealth of 2 guard talent high in the draft and lack of viable centers (we’ll get to that in a second). Darko would be solid as well as he’s another legit 7 footer, is a fantastic shot blocker, solid rebounder and loves to bang in the paint. Rumor is that anyone can be had in Memphis for the right price (other than Rudy Alternative Lifestyle). It stands to reason we have the appealing trade options to make it happen.

Finally, let’s take a look at the draft. As we all know, the draft is a massive question mark. Considering where we’re at in the standings, the Wolves will likely have a top 5 pick. Unfortunately for us, the only C prospect in that area is DeAndre Jordan. While I am exceptionally enthralled by DeAndre Jordan’s raw ability (how many insanely athletic legit 7 footers that happen to be natural brickhouses flop in the NBA? His odds of busting are about the same as Larry David getting laid because of his looks), he’s definitely a 2-5 year project. I mean this kid could be anywhere from the Andrew Bynum timeline to Tyson Chandler timeline. Foye should be hitting his prime in a year or two. Jefferson is a big-time player right now. McCants, Telfair and Gomes are getting there. Brewer should develop quite a bit in year’s time. I’m not so sure this franchise can wait 3 years for this kid to come around. Then again, you’d hope an athletic 7 footer could at least step in and rebound and block shots right away. And, if he becomes a Bynum/Dwight Howard type player, we likely have the best front court in the league for years and years. DeAndre’s a rough one. We’ll have to see how he plays for the rest of the year and how he does in workouts.

So, if we don’t look for a big man at the top of the draft, we could trade for a late first rounder or use our early second rounder on one of the following:

- DeVon Hardin: I still have yet to see this monster from Cal play, but from what I’ve heard and read, he’s a defensive beast, blocks shots and has great character. Apparently, he’s athletic as hell and is a 4.0 student to boot.

- Nathan Jawai: Would there be anything greater for fans with a 6’10, 280 pound super-strong Aborigine man roaming in the paint? It might be worth it for the unintentional comedy and “The Air Up There” references alone (yes, I know Aborigines are in Australia…but still). Anyway, Jawai is a bit raw at the moment, but he is a young monster that has fantastic shot-blocking and defensive instincts. He’s the MVP in the Australian league (yes, dominating Rick Rickert) right now and will be an interesting guy to watch come draft camp time.

- Joey Dorsey: I spotted Mr. Dorsey last February and immediately began hyping him as a young Ben Wallace clone and the perfect compliment for Mr. Garnett. Well, it’s a year later, Dorsey’s a year better, and I think he’d be a great piece next to Big Al. Dorsey is a defensive killer. Believe it or not, he may even be a scarier physical specimen than Wallace, is extremely aggressive, a fantastic shot blocker, runs the floor like an animal and wants to destroy the other team’s life. If we could cattle-prod Dorsey and Chris Richard for about half an hour before each game next year and let them loose as a rotation at center next year, I’d be a happy man.

So, there are our options. Personally, I hope most of you can get worked up enough about one of these guys just to get extremely disappointed when McHale takes 2 guards with both of our draft picks, decides not to extend Chris Richards’ contract and signs Brock Lesnar to a guaranteed 5 year contract. What’s being a Wolves fan without McHale kicking you in the junk now and then?