Happy Anniversary!

[white men can't jump]

From what I'm understanding, we're (we being CRF, yaba, Nilanka and myself for now, and I'm sure others) ok with tanking as long as some plan is put in place to make sure the young guys have good mentorship and are developed properly.

Yup. And you don't have to get high impact guys to help build that culture. Minnesota is doing it right now with old vets like KG, Prince and Miller sprinkled in. Guys aren't good enough to make a difference in wins with their talent at this point, but their approach rubs off and accelerates the young guys' understanding of what it takes to win. Though I think Towns especially has the right kind of personality and that helps. Clearly the kid is an "it's all about winning" kind of guy. Still, if you've watched them play this year, you've seen the visible impact on the court, at least in terms of helping confidence, that KG has had on him.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

Yup. And you don't have to get high impact guys to help build that culture. Minnesota is doing it right now with old vets like KG, Prince and Miller sprinkled in. Guys aren't good enough to make a difference in wins with their talent at this point, but their approach rubs off and accelerates the young guys' understanding of what it takes to win. Though I think Towns especially has the right kind of personality and that helps. Clearly the kid is an "it's all about winning" kind of guy. Still, if you've watched them play this year, you've seen the visible impact on the court, at least in terms of helping confidence, that KG has had on him.

That's exactly why it's always ideal to rely on stuff like the caliper profile test to help choose players (ie: Bargnani @ #1, Ross over Drummond, etc...).

In all seriousness I 100% agree with you. Leadership, mentorship and veteran influence are critical to developing players both on and off the court, especially when they're coming into the league so young. It helps to draft talented players who also have a good head on their shoulders, solid maturity and a committed personality (I'm looking at you, Michael Beasley).

[Nilanka]

Every time caliper tests are mentioned, I envision Colangelo ungraciously asking prospects to lift up their shirts.