I Dislike Your Favorite Team

I was watching the Timberwolves hang tough with Trailblazers tonight,and then went away for a few moments to watch Louis CK on Comedy Central. Because Louis CK is fucking hilarious:



When I came back, the Blazers were up by 15, and pulling away. The Blazers aren't necessarily very good. In fact, by many rubrics they are a bad team. They have now won 12 games in a row, which is impressive. But there was a reason that they got Greg Oden last year--they were a lottery team. They've had a 10 game stretch this year where they went 1-9.

Watching Brandon Roy carve up the Timberwolves, shaking down Marko Jaric (how many years, for how much money?) whilst fellow draft mate Randy Foye sat on the bench in a natty suit brought a question to mind.

Timberwolves watchers have often complained about the draft picks (Will Avery) and the trades, followed by big money contracts (like Jaric). But what about the trades that happened on draft night?

The Timberwolves drafted Brandon Roy. He was their player. For about 5 minutes. And the Wolves traded him to the team that picked next, and acquired Randy Foye. Now, I have no problem with Randy's attitude, or work ethic, or any of that shit. But he has yet to play a game this year. The Timberwolves are currently struggling to find a real 2 guard. Is it Gerald Green? Is it Antoine Walker? Is it Rashad McCants? None of these players have established themselves like Roy has. In exchange, the Wolves have gotten an oft-injured, yet to play this year point guard in Foye that may have lost his position to the surprisingly veteran play of still young Sebastian Telfair.

It reminds me of the other really bad Draft Night trade the Wolves made, years and years ago. Back then, the Wolves drafted Ray Allen. And we all rejoiced. And then the Wolves traded away Ray Allen to get Stephon Marbury, who proceded to blow up the franchise. A Couple of years later, a jealous Marbury demanded a trade, but did it so late that Tom Gugliotta had already forced a trade of his own (Googs stated later that if he had known that Marbury was leaving, he would have stayed).

So whilst remembering the drafting of Will Avery, or Nbudi Ebi, or Andres Guibert. Or the trades for the likes of Mark Blount or Marko Jaric, never forget--the Timberwolves could have had 10 years of Ray Allen/Garnett. Or failing that, they could have had Brandon Roy. Would Garnett have been so quick to move to Boston if he had a clear Two Guard like Roy? We will never know.

In retrospect, those were two horrible draft-day trades. And they deserve to be remembered.