Joseph D'Amico

“Mocking” Kahn and the draft by The Sports Network

When the printing magnet hired Kahn to replace local legend Kevin McHale as the chief of all things basketball with the Minnesota Timberwolves back in May of 2009, no one knew what to expect.

That’s because Kahn’s resume — at least when it comes to basketball personnel matters — was as flimsy as Carlson Craft’s cheapest invitation.

A UCLA graduate with an English degree, Kahn broke into the NBA in his hometown of Portland, working as a sportswriter for The Oregonian through the 1980s, where he covered the Trail Blazers. He switched gears from there and obtained a law degree from NYU and worked at a private law firm before resurfacing with the Indiana Pacers in 1995. Kahn stuck with the Pacers through 2004, working mostly on the business side of things.

When the tenure in Indianapolis ended, Kahn returned to the Pacific Northwest and spearheaded an effort to lure the then-Montreal Expos or another Major League Baseball team to Portland.

After that failed, Kahn went into real estate and purchased several teams in the NBDL before Taylor tabbed him to run his basketball operations.

Evidently, vetting isn’t all that important in the Taylor Corporation. Kahn might have the background to run the Wolves’ business operations or legal affairs, but did anything in that resume make you feel comfortable enough to give this guy the green light to make basketball decisions at any level?

Kahn’s missteps over the past two years have done the impossible, rehabilitating McHale’s tarnished legacy. Whether it was drafting three point guards in the first round, calling Darko Milicic “Manna from Heaven” or blaming Michael Beasley’s trial and tribulations on “smoking too much weed,” Kahn has become the NBA’s yardstick for ineptitude.

Twin Cities basketball fans are used to misfortune. Most fans don’t even realize that Los Angeles doesn’t have any lakes and the storied Lakers got their start in Minny before fleeing west. As for the Timberwolves, the franchise has now made 14 lottery appearances and has never moved up, remaining in the same draft position six times, and falling eight times, the latest being last night.

The Timberwolves, of course, finished the 2010-11 season with the NBA’s worst record at 17-65, and had a 25 percent chance of landing the top selection, presumably Duke point guard Kyrie Irving. Instead, the Cavaliers leapfrogged the Wolves to win the lottery, getting the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since they drafted LeBron James eight years ago.

Kahn was classy in defeat.

“This league has a habit, and I am just going to say habit, of producing some pretty incredible story lines,” he said, via the AP. “Last year it was Abe Pollin’s widow and this year it was a 14-year-old boy [Nick Gilbert, the son of Cavs owner Dan Gilbert] and the only thing we have in common is we have both been bar mitzvahed. We were done. I told [Utah Jazz GM Kevin O�Connor, ‘We’re toast. This is not happening for us.’ And I was right.”

If Kahn was right — it was for the first time.

To be fair, Kahn was actually fumbling at an attempt at humor — the same kind of humor a number of reporters, like yours truly, were throwing about behind the scenes at the lottery.

“I also feel very strongly that once the 14-year-old kid hit the dais with us, we were dead,” Kahn said, smiling. “We were just dead. There was no way.”

In case you were wondering Nick Gilbert was born with a nerve disorder, neurofibromatosis.

Comedy is all about delivery and Kahn’s future at the Chuckle Hut has about the same upside as his future as a general manager. Lisa Lampanelli he is not.

You can bet plenty of the conspiracy crowd will run with Kahn’s words and bring up dinged envelopes or cite the cousin of a friend from Ernst & Young who was in on the whole thing, complaining about the benevolence of David Stern’s corruptness, something I’m not so sure the NBPA would agree with.

But the moral of the 2010-11 NBA Draft Lottery isn’t about conspiracies, it’s about not trading lottery picks.

Both the Los Angeles Clippers and the New Jersey Nets missed out on a chance to pick in the top three of June’s draft by making deals during the season. The Nets got Deron Williams but missed out on a chance to pick No. 3, while the Clips secured Mo Williams but missed out on what would have been the No. 1 overall pick for the second time in three years and a chance to pair Irving with Blake Griffin.

As for Minnesota, falling isn’t always the end of the world. In 1995, the Wolves dropped from the projected No. 3 pick to No. 5 and landed future Hall of Famer and former MVP Kevin Garnett.

Of course if Kahn was in charge of that choice, you can almost picture Bryant Reeves suiting up for the Timberwolves.

“The first question I was asked last night after the lottery, by reporters, was whether the Timberwolves were jinxed,” Kahn said. “I don’t believe in jinxes, curses, hocus pocus and anything similarly dark. but I do believe in the power of story, and it’s a heck of a lot better story for a 14-year-old kid to beat out a couple of middle-aged executives standing together on a national stage.”

I have a feeling most lucid Minnesota basketball fans don’t believe in jinxes, curses, hocus pocus and anything similarly dark either. They do, however, believe the guy running their basketball team isn’t fit to do the job.

But enough of mocking Kahn…

Now that the order is set, here’s an early look at how the 2011 NBA Draft will shape up:

1. – Cleveland Cavaliers – Kyrie Irving (Duke), point guard (6-2, 180) – It’s interesting that Cleveland got this pick from the LA Clippers in the Baron Davis deal since Davis obviously isn’t the answer long term for the Cavs at point guard. Irving is a true quarterback with the innate feel to make other players better. He has tremendous vision and the burst to blow by defenders on the dribble.

Ceiling as a player: Chris Paul.

2- Minnesota Timberwolves – Enes Kanter (Kentucky), center/power forward (6-11, 261) – It’s tough to gauge things when you are dealing with bad management. Back in ’09 Kahn drew more than a few chuckles when he drafted three point guards in the first round. He then promptly traded the one, Ty Lawson, that has shown anything in the NBA. The Wolves have clearly given up on Jonny Flynn and Ricky Rubio has no interest in playing for this team as his stock dwindles overseas. Selecting yet another point guard like Duke’s Irving would have been a tough sell to a dwindling fan base but this is a quarterback driven league. Knowing Kahn, there is no Plan B. Derrick Williams is by far the best available player on the board, but Minnesota has Beasley and Wes Johnson so how about Kanter, a player that possesses natural size, strength and a soft scoring touch.

Ceiling: Shawn Kemp.

3.- Utah Jazz – Derrick Williams (Arizona), combo forward (6-9, 241) – The Jazz make the jump from six and could get the most talented player in the draft, Williams. The Arizona star has tremendous speed and quickness as well as length and is solid fundamentally, giving Utah a very solid prospect to build upon.

Ceiling: A poor man’s LeBron James.

4. – Cleveland Cavaliers – Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania), center/power forward (6-11, 240) – The Cavs need talent and really can’t go wrong taking Valanciunas, a player with good NBA size that excels on the offensive boards and has a soft touch around the basket.

Ceiling: Kenyon Martin in his prime.

5. – Toronto Raptors – Brandon Knight (Kentucky), combo guard (6-3, 185) – Knight is projected as a point guard with excellent size and speed along with solid scoring ability. He’s an extremely fast player that loves to push it and has the a solid first step, giving Toronto its quarterback of the future.

Ceiling: Jrue Holiday with a better offensive game.

6. – Washington Wizards – Jan Vesely (Czezh Republic), combo forward (6-11, 230) – The Wizards have John Wall and can’t rebound, so forget about the perimeter. They would love to snare Kanter but settle for the next best legit big. Vesely is a slight European big man with impressive length and an aggressive offensive game. Vesely likes to post-up more than the average big these days and has a big-time motor. He loves to run the floor and crash the rim.

Ceiling: Andrei Kirilenko with more size.

7. – Sacramento Kings – Kawhi Leonard (San Diego State), small forward (6-7, 225) – A hybrid forward with terrific length and a high motor, Leonard could fit in nicely with the Kings’ young nucleus of Marcus Thornton, Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins.

Ceiling: Stephen Jackson.

8. – Detroit Pistons – Kemba Walker (UConn), point guard (6-0, 172) – The Motor City’s personnel limbo is likely over and Joe Dumars will move heaven and earth to jettison Rip Hamilton and likely Tayshaun Prince. Walker isn’t a true point but the game is changing and he certainly proved to be a playmaker at the college level. Walker has amazing speed, along with the quickness and ability to change directions on a dime. However, his lack of size will certainly hurt on the defensive end.

Ceiling: Tim Hardaway.

9. – Charlotte Bobcats – Alec Burks (Colorado), combo guard (6-6, 191) – Gerald Henderson came on late last year but I’m not sure Michael Jordan sees him as the answer. Burks is slight but has the size, athleticism and leaping ability to stand out down the line.

Ceiling: DeMar DeRozan.

10. – Milwaukee Bucks – Donatas Motiejunas (Lithuania), power forward (7-0, 224) – Motiejunas is a slight, left-handed big man with skill to burn. He’s generally regarded as a finesse PF with versatility, but shows surprising toughness around contact.

Ceiling: Mehmet Okur.

11. – Golden State Warriors – Tristan Thompson (Texas), power forward (6-9, 225) – New Warriors owner Joe Lacob says the Warriors really lacked an offensive threat in the post. Thompson is a lefty post player with big hands and a huge wingspan, He plays with a lot of energy and loves to run the floor and beat his defender to a spot.

Ceiling: A thicker Tayshaun Prince.

12. – Utah Jazz – Jimmer Fredette (BYU), combo guard (6-2, 195) – If there was ever a prototypical Utah player, this is it, although Jerry Sloan is long gone. I still think the Jazz pull the trigger here. Fredette is a tremendous pure shooter that understands the game and takes what the defense gives him.

Ceiling: J.J. Redick with a better handle.

13. – Phoenix Suns – Marcus Morris (Kansas), combo forward (6-9, 218) – A versatile guy that’s a little slight but has a very advanced offensive game that includes the rare mid-range game with the ability to score both looking at and with his back to the basket.

Ceiling: David West.

14. – Houston Rockets – Markieff Morris (Kansas), power forward (6-10, 245) – There are no legit centers left here so Houston goes with the next best thing in Marcus’ larger brother Markieff, a muscular 6-foot-10 player with an NBA- ready body.

Ceiling: Drew Gooden.

Non-Lottery Teams:

15. – Indiana Pacers – Bismack Biyombo (Congo), center (6-9, 243) – The Congolese Nike Hoops Summit star is far too raw and too big a risk for the lottery, but he has a huge upside and along with his frightening length (7- foot-7 wingspan).

16. – Philadelphia 76ers – Chris Singleton (Florida State), combo forward (6-9, 225) – The Sixers are in desperate need of interior defense and shot- blocking ability and Singleton may have been the most dominant college defender.

17. – New York Knicks – Trey Thompkins (Georgia), power forward (6-10, 247) – A huge guy that is actually quite graceful on the court but lacks a big-time work ethic that will have him sliding a bit.

18. – Washington Wizards – Kenneth Faried (Morehead State), power forward (6-8, 225) – It’s all about the boards in the nation’s capital this offseason and Faried loves banging down low.

19. – Charlotte Bobcats – Tobias Harris (Tennessee) combo forward (6-8, 225) – Harris is a combo forward with a nice skill-set. His ball-handling is especially solid for his size although the jumper comes and goes.

20. – Minnesota Timberwolves – Klay Thompson (Washington State), shooting guard (6-6, 202) – The second best pure shooter available behind Fredette.

21. – Portland Trail Blazers – Jordan Williams (Maryland), center (6-10, 260) – Massive player that can help out down low since Marcus Camby is aging and Greg Oden is always a question mark.

22. – Denver Nuggets – Tyler Honeycutt (UCLA), swingman (6-8, 185) – J.R. Smith may be moving on and Honeycutt projects as a versatile player that can swing between two guard and small forward positions.

23. – Houston Rockets – Nolan Smith (Duke), combo guard (6-3, 189) – A player with a very high basketball IQ that could be a very nice combo guard off the bench very early in his career.

24. – Oklahoma City Thunder – JaJuan Johnson (Purdue), power forward (6-10, 222) – OKC is loaded so why not take the flyer on Johnson, a big guy with great length that can play minutes at both center and power forward.

25. – Boston Celtics – Lucas Nogueira (Brazil), center (7-foot, 220) – The C’s gave away their center at the trade deadline hoping a little gas was left in the Diesel. It wasn’t. You can’t get immediate help down this low but at 18. Nogueira is the type of project worth waiting for.

26. – Dallas Mavericks – Shelvin Mack (Butler), combo guard (6-2, 215) – The Mavs need to start thinking about life after Jason Kidd and Mack is the new breed type of lead guard that plays smart basketball but can also fill it up.

27. – New Jersey Nets – Kyle Singler (Duke), small forward (6-8, 237) – Another high IQ guy from Duke that could be a floor spacer from the weakside.

28. – Chicago Bulls – Jordan Hamilton (Texas), swingman (6-7, 210) – The Bulls lone weakness is the two guard spot. Hamilton is a solid wing that could be undervalued after a spotty career at Texas.

29. – San Antonio Spurs – Chandler Parsons (Florida), small forward (6-8, 217) – The Spurs obviously need to get more athletic while injecting new blood and Parsons could bring a little more juice.30. – Chicago Bulls – Reggie Jackson (Boston College), shooting guard (6-3, 185) – Why not take two shots at filling your weakness? Jackson is the type of shooter that could flourish with little attention.

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