Battle of the Bloggers No. 2

The first week of blogging and voting is now complete, and we've been keeping score. We evaluated the responses and assigned rank orders, using the poll results to help any decisions that are particularly debatable. As such, the winner of the poll won't necessarily be the winner of the round.

The winner this week is Sonia Grover, who best answered the question: "Will Al Jefferson become an NBA All-Star this season in his first year with the Timberwolves? Why or why not?" Here are the scores and final percentage of the poll:

7 points: Sonia Grover, 14%: iheartkg.com
6 points: Stephen Litel, 16%: minnesotabasketball.blogspot.com; hoopsworld.com
5 points: Dave Kelsey, 25%: twolvesblog.com
4 points: Derek Hanson, 10%: twolvesblog.com
3 points: Kate Doan, 17%: mnsportsfans.com
2 points: Anthony Hall, 9%: twolvesblog.com
1 point: Alex Halsted, 9%: minnesotasportszone.com

Thanks for a solid group of answers. Remember, we'll keep a running tally throughout the Battle of the Bloggers. Now, while we were judging, the bloggers were busy answering the next questions.The second question will supplement the first, so keep it in mind while voting should you need a tiebreaker.

WEEK TWO QUESTION 1:
Using the roster as it currently sits, what would your starting lineup be for the 2007-08 season, and who would be the top three players in your rotation off the bench?

DOAN
Starters: Foye, Jaric, Gomes, Jefferson, Blount
Bench: Davis, Brewer, Smith

The key for the rebuilding Wolves is to balance young player development with a veteran presence while also trying to win games. In the starting lineup, Randy Foye is the point guard; the trade of Mike James signaled it is Randy’s time to take charge and learn on the job. Since Randy struggled at times with trapping defenses, Marko Jaric starts at 2 Guard as his excellent ball-handling skills help to ease the ball-handling and play-making burden. Marko is a solid perimeter defender, averaging 1.4 steals per game in his career. Ryan Gomes brings physicality, a solid mid-range game and much needed rebounding, 5.6 per game last year, to the starting small forward spot. Al Jefferson starts at power forward providing top-notch rebounding and a crucial post presence for the Wolves to build their offense around. At center, Mark Blount and his high post game are a nice complement to Al’s low post game as his smooth jump-shot can help spread the floor.

Ricky Davis reprises his very effective 6th man role from 2004-2005 in Boston. Ricky’s ability to create shots for himself and others will provide offensive punch on the second unit. Corey Brewer’s defensive excellence will complement Ricky’s offensive focus, in the second unit. Adding his low-post game and energy, Craig Smith is the first big off the bench playing the 4 position with Jefferson sliding over to center. In different situations and as young players progress we will see other faces on the floor for the Wolves.

LITEL
Starters: Foye, Davis, Brewer, Jefferson, Blount
Bench: McCants, Green, Smith

Admitting that I would prefer a roster change or two before the season begins, using the team that stands today is tough. Is the goal this season to win as many games as possible or is it to allow the young players to play and grow? Assuming the goal is growth, my starting five is… (above).

Minnesota should not give up on Foye as a point guard until he has been given a full season to run the show, so he needs to play as much as possible in that role. With Jefferson banging down low, the outside game of Blount can help create room for Al to work, as well as open up driving lanes for Foye and Davis. Brewer is more suited towards the forward position, allowing Davis to move back to his more natural guard. When McCants subs in, he either slides into the two position for Davis or “Buckets” slides to the three. Smith comes in for Blount, as Jefferson plays the center to have two true posts in the game. Green’s 3-point percentage from last season is very comparable to some of the best in the league and with his size, he should begin to see more time as a forward. Youth gives this team the best chance to win games. Hopefully, the Wolves can complete a trade or two of the veterans to compliment this core with even more youth.

HALL
Starting Lineup: Foye, Davis, Brewer, Smith, Jefferson
Bench: McCants, Green, Gomes

Here’s the dilemma with this year’s starting lineup: How much of a veteran presence is necessary for the Wolves to make progress this season? Clearly, the Wolves need to give significant playing time to their young guys, but then again, having a lineup purely of youngsters isn’t exactly an ideal situation. So, I’ve tried to find the middle-ground with my starting five.

Ricky’s minutes will decrease (because of Green, McCants), and his future in Minnesota is questionable, but I just can’t justify taking away his starting lineup spot. Starting spots need to be earned, and Ricky’s done more to earn it than those other guys have. Brewer will make an immediate impact with his defense and skill in the fast break. I prefer a Craig Smith/Jefferson front-court over the Blount/Jefferson combo, so I’ll give Craiggers the start at power forward and Al the start at center. Blount has a solid jumper, but I want strong rebounding and overall toughness from my bigs. Smith fits that criteria more than Blount.

I have a gut feeling that Rashad’ll have a good year, and I think he can succeed in the role of providing instant offense off the bench. Green, although not in my starting five, should receive a sizable playing time increase over last year. Gomes is a valuable role-player and will absolutely make an impact with this team.

HANSON
Starting Lineup: Foye, Davis, Gomes, Jefferson, Blount
Bench: Green, Smith, Hassell

The Timberwolves' goals for the 2007-08 season should be two-fold: Make the playoffs, and develop our young stars. I feel these top eight players are the best mix to keep us competitive while paving the way for the future. My proposed starting five combined to average 67.5 points per game last season. With no "Kobe" in the group dropping thirty per night, that means these five represent a very balanced scoring attack.

PG: Randy Foye – With his now-increased role, Randy could average close to 17 points and 7 assists per game. His ability as a slasher should keep our offense flowing and give our big men some easy baskets.
SG: Ricky Davis – He's the only veteran on our team who's a threat to drop 20 points every night. He has to start.
SF: Ryan Gomes – His scoring and rebounding averages from last year nearly doubled Hassell's. His larger size should also aid the rebounding effort.
PF: Al Jefferson – I've only got 250 words, and this needs no explanation.
C: Mark Blount – His rebounding could improve, but his size and scoring ability make Blount the starting center.

Reserves: Gerald Green – We need to give him the minutes to develop his game. Green's also the only remaining double-digit scorer from '06-07.
Craig Smith – His heart and hustle help him overcome any height disadvantage he faces. Craig should be our first big-man off the bench.
Trenton Hassell – Until Brewer gets adjusted to the NBA, Hassell's defense and experience will anchor the 2nd team.

KELSEY
Starting Lineup: Foye, Davis, Gomes, Jefferson, Blount
Bench: Smith, Brewer, Green

Even though there are veterans on the team who can step in right away and help us in our quest for the playoffs, ultimately, it's more important to develop our young players and give them the opportunity to lead the team.

PG: Foye – He's been anointed the point guard of the future. If he can grow into our on-court leader, it will pay huge dividends for the future of this club.
SG: Davis – Can he lead our youngsters? He could provide valuable experience on offense, and should be able to average around 20 ppg with KG out of the picture.
SF: Gomes – Solid 6'8" and 250 pounds, Gomes is extremely versatile with an enormous "basketball IQ." He has extended his range to the 3 point line, making 38.1% of his three pointers attempted last season.
PF: Big Al – Obvious starter… as last week we debated his All-Star worthiness.
C: Blount – His shooting range can draw the opposing center away from the paint, opening up valuable space down low for Big Al to operate.

6) Craig Smith – A true “bruiser.” He’ll be the first big man off the bench, grabbing rebounds in traffic, as well as scoring down low.
7) Brewer – I expect big things from our versatile, defensive-minded rookie.
8) Gerald Green – It’s imperative that we see what he can bring. Should his contract be extended beyond this season? Green can shoot, but he'll need substantial minutes to develop.

The future is bright, but ultimately some very difficult personnel decisions will need to be made.

HALSTED
Starting Lineup: Foye, Davis, Brewer, Jefferson, Blount
Bench: Sebastian Telfair, Gomes, Smith

The Timberwolves have a very young team with some great players, and I think they could surprise. I also think they will make more moves this off-season, but assuming they don’t I’d guess this lineup: (above). Again, this is assuming that they bring their current roster into camp, which personally I don’t think will happen. I chose Foye at PG, because I think this would allow them to get more other guys in. But, if the Wolves do make a move, I think Telfair at PG and Foye at SG would be the most logical situation assuming Telfair exceeds expectations. Brewer should see the bulk of the time at SF, and that isn’t much of a question.

The main question to me, would be the center spot. I think it would be a good idea if the Wolves tried Jefferson some at center, and then switched Smith and Gomes in at the PF spot. Either could possibly play center, but both are more suited for the PF position.

It was hard to leave Rashad McCants off the big lists, because I think he will help. But Telfair should be the backup point, with Smith and Gomes seeing time with the big guys. I personally think they’ll make some more moves, and give young guys more of a chance to play.

GROVER
Starting Lineup: Foye, McCants, Brewer, Smith, Jefferson
Bench: Jaric, Green, Gomes

With one of the youngest (average age, 25.8) and smallest (average height, 6’7”) NBA rosters, speculation should be on which players will finish the season in the starting five, not who’s going to be on the floor at tip-off on November 2. Though vets like Howard, Davis, and Hassell may see plenty of minutes this year, the next time the Wolves play in May, the core of the team will be Big Al, Foye, and Brewer.

Last season, Smith was more effective as the tough guy off the bench than as a starter, but he started five of the last ten, averaged thirty minutes, and his splits were encouraging: 11.3/8.2. Then there’s McCants; an enigma wrapped in a riddle wrapped in a microfracture recovery. He didn’t return until February, never really demonstrating that spring of ’06 promise -- but the only way to know what he has is if he plays. Let’s not forget the young Celtics: dunk champion Green, brickhouse Gomes, and former schoolyard legend, Telfair. Green is athletic but needs time to learn the game, and Boston loved Gomes for his work ethic, so they both should play. Telfair hasn’t done anything in either Boston or Portland, so SURPRISE! Jaric should play meaningful minutes this season--with his size and passing skills he can spell the one, two or three, and he’s a good running mate for Foye when the team goes small (which should be often).


TOPIC NUMBER TWO
And there we have it. Before we give you the second question, here's some background info: NBA.com launched a new feature that they're calling "enhanced video," and a cool new element is that you can use "POKEWARE" software to find out all kinds of factoids about the players in the video, or link to websites to buy jerseys, read specific player bios and more.

Here's the link: POKEWARE

Check it out. If you click on Dallas vs. Portland in the Las Vegas Summer League, you can select "Poke Around" to view these hotspots, and then, for example, click on Greg Oden's head to find something out about him. Example: "A two-time Gatorade Indiana and National Player of the Year, Oden was also named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year in 2006." SO:

WEEK TWO QUESTION 2:
Using the summer league teams (Dallas, Portland, Team China, Cleveland, Boston, Portland) or NBA Finals teams Cleveland and San Antonio currently represented on NBA.com's POKEWARE software, come up with one-liners for any three players that would pop up when you clicked on them.

DOAN:
1) Big Baby Davis should audition for “Dancing with the Stars” as friends call him “Twinkle Toes.”
2) Wang Zhizi was part of a three center front court dubbed the “Great Walking Wall” in the Sydney Olympics.
3) Pops Mensah-Bonsu’s real name is eleven syllables long and means “King Whale Killer.”

LITEL:
1) Bruce Bowen is a good guy...off the court.
2) Guess why LeBron wears number 23?
3) If summer league is an indication, LaMarcus Aldridge is due for a big season.

HALL:
1) I’m not saying Greg Oden looks old, but I thought the Blazers had mistakenly drafted Lebron James’ dad.
2) Yi Jianlian is actually a superhero- he has a superhuman ability to attract greedy agents and government officials.
3) ‘Bron’s house is so big, it has a casino. That’s not even a joke.

HANSON:
1) Anderson Varejao – Sued Joakim Noah, Sideshow Bob, and American Idol's Justin Guarini for exclusive rights to his hairdo.
2) Francisco Elson – His 2004 scuffle with Garnett earned him a nomination for the first-ever "Isaiah Washington" award.
3) Fabricio Oberto – Dethroned Lindsey Hunter as the NBA player with the least intimidating first name.

HALSTED:
1) Gerald Green- Green was a mean guy last season, beating a little kid out in the Slam Dunk contest - what’s that? Nate Robinson is in the NBA?
2) Daniel Gibson- Gibson became so popular after his playoff performance last season, that they now make shirts that say, “Shoot Boobie Shoot”.
3) LaMarcus Aldridge- Shaq Daddy advised Aldridge to go to college before going pro a few years back. Apparently, he was scared that he might have to face him.

KELSEY
1) Lebron James - The Cavs ad slogan "We Are All Witnesses" may as well have been "We Are All Asleep."
2) Greg Oden – Age: 19 going on 37.
3) Yi Jianlian - Was actually "guarded" by a chair during his pre-draft workouts in California. Word on the street is that only 3 of his shots were blocked.

GROVER:
1) DeSagana Diop- Inspiration for one of the greatest in-game videos in recent history.
2) Josh McRoberts- Claim to fame: Recent boytoy of a "Laguna Beach/Hills" starlet. Residence: Greg Oden's shadow.
3) Drew Gooden- Spent the offseason working on his game after realizing his (now departed) ducktail was never "flypaper for the ladies."