The Future Starts Now

What up world,

Tonight marks the beginning of something wonderful for the Timberwolves. With four draft picks in the first round, a young core of players, and a fresh break from Kevin Coachale, the team can only be headed in the right direction, right? No longer will we have to question the drafting abilities of the former management regime, and can begin questioning the drafts of our current one. David Kahn, your move.

The last time the team had the 5th pick (and kept it) was in 1995, when they chose to select my favorite human being of all time; my boy, KG. Although the Garnett years never yielded a championship for Minnesota, they still provided for some highly entertaining seasons of basketball. Since 1995, the draft has not been quite as successful. Here is a list of the first rounders over the last 13 years.

1996: Ray Allen (traded to Milwaukee for Stephon Marbury. Ugghhh, it hurts)
1997: Paul Grant
1998: Rasho Nesterovic
1999: Wally World, William Avery
2000 - 2002: The barren years. Damn you secret contracts!
2003: The one, the only, Ndudi Ebi
2004: No first rounder
2005: Rashad McCants (maybe not a great player, but a great poet nonetheless)
2006: Brandon Roy (traded for Randy Foye and cash. Bleh. Gross)
2007: Corey Brewer (probably should have just acquired a science class skeleton instead)
2008: OJ Mayo (traded for Kevin Love, current man crush)

During these years, the Wolves have drafted some quality players (Allen, Roy), but have quickly, and stupidly, traded them away before they've ever donned the blue and green. Other players have been fairly good in moments (Wally, Love, Foye), but would never, ever, in millions of years, be defined as superstars.

Now, in just a manner of hours, the Wolves have the opportunity to change all that. They have the 5th, 6th, 18th, and 28th picks, and have a chance to pick a slew of quality players. Maybe we get some solid talent with each pick and build a team that is decent from top to bottom in a couple of years. Maybe we will find a diamond in the rough with the lower round picks. Anything is possible.

However, regardless of the selections, if the Timberwolves don't manage to get Spain's Ricky Rubio, I will be livid. I don't care if you have to trade all four picks to move up to #2 or #3 to make that selection. You have to do it, Mr. Kahn. Trade your children. Give Memphis your kidney. Do anything you can to get the 18 year old phenom. If we stay at #5 and select Tyreke Evans or James Harden, I may break down and fall into the fetal position.

I've been watching Rubio highlights on Youtube for almost a full year, salivating at the thoughts of him as our point guard. Dishes to Big Al and Love on the inside, lobs to Rodney Carney for alley oops, and the occasional three pointer have haunted my dreams for months. He will make the team entertaining to watch again. Although I love Big Al's old school moves, you're never going to say that it's exciting to see his drop step or baby hook. Steve Nash-like passes, however, are a totally different story.

So, over the next few hours, I will be reading every piece of rumor that I can find on the internets, hoping and praying that a certain floppy haired Spainard will be headed to the frozen tundra for the winter. Imagine chanting "Rubio, Rubio, Ru...bi...oooooooo!!! from the stands. Never have a been so excited to yell out lines from Hook.

Make this happen David Kahn. Make a splash. Change our awful, forgettable, draft history with one fell swoop. Rubio!!!!!!!!!!