The past few years, I've made a habit out of not looking where I leap. The unknown excites me - it's thrilling.

Suddenly, upon graduating college, there are many more possible leaps. For the first time in our young lives, there isn't a "suggested course list." While finishing 6 credits this summer, I started compiling a list of potential places to take these leaps. The list was headed by three cities I've been to and fell in love with - NYC, Austin, Chicago.

While doing some travelling (Minnesota, Bonnaroo) before I had a chance to look into my list, a new option arose - Phoenix, AZ. I've never been to Phoenix, but have always been enthralled by the area. It's a big city, a college town (well, Tempe), and within an hour or two of numerous mountains and parks. When I thought about it, Phoenix has everything I was looking for in my next move.

I'm ecstatic to announce that seven days from now, on June 21 (or maybe 22), my car, my worldly belongings and myself will make the 24-hour trek from Columbia, MO to Phoenix, AZ. 
I'm even more stoked to announce that 13 days from today, on June 27, I'll be starting as a Digital Specialist at BizziBiz. My main role will be alongside a good friend, and #1 reason I have this opportunity, Evan Roberts. I'll be working with Evan on social media strategy, while also working on mobile app UX/project management, web UX, and other things I'm sure.

Upon consulting with myself, my friends and my family, I decided that this was a leap to take. The job opportunity, coupled with a killer location, was too good to pass up.

One thing that excites me about the opportunity, other than being in Phoenix, is that BizziBiz is a young agency (a few months old) with a new business model - franchised marketing services catering to small- and mid-sized businesses nationwide. The past few years, I've worked with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to local businesses. One of the things I love about the digital space is the ability to empower the small guy and build communities around good business, which is why I've loved working with local business and organizations. At BizziBiz, I get to continue making an impact on a smaller level, but with a national reach.

Also, I can't forget about the awesome team at BizziBiz. They recently acquired my friends at Bouncefire - a great group of guys who are skilled and driven.

Anyone been to the Phoenix area before? I've never been, so tell me everything. Oh, and there are mountains and parks - everywhere. Which ones are the best for what activities (i.e. climbing, hiking, biking, chilling)?

A few more things:

• As many of you know, I can be fairly emotional and passionate, so that whole "thank you so much" post will come later this week. (addition: I just got a little emotional below)
• If you're in Columbia and reading this, there's a good chance that I want to see you before I leave, so let's make that happen.
• If you're in Columbia and need a (nice Ikea) desk, a 1 yr old mattress &/or bed frame, a 5-shelf bookcase, a vintage 3-drawer armoir or a rock-solid oak coffee table, let me know. Also, if you find yourself with a lot of cardboard boxes lying around, I'd love to take them off your hands.
  • (addition: also selling a black, set-speed Schwinn for cheap)
• Other than Evan and my buddy Scotty, I really don't know anyone in the Phoenix area. If you know anyone out there that I should know, hook me up!

I'll be saying this a lot the next few weeks, but I truly do love and appreciate all of you so much. I've grown a lot the past three years, and a large part of that was from the amazing communities, online and offline, that surround me. Without the support, friendship, challenges, advice and love I've received from all of you, I'd be nothing.

Thank you.

/3:55am; commence rant

Shut up. Everyone. Just shut up about the "Social Media Expert" and how the people who refer to themselves as one are idiots, immoral, liars, "the scum of social media" (yes, I have heard that said) and generally bad people.

This is the most braindead conversation among us web folk.

Honestly, next time I see the conversation on Twitter (note how I refuse to call it a debate), I'm going to bust out my "Flaws of Argumentation" bingo board. At the very least, I'll get more of a mental exercise out of it than the people tweeting.

Now, to ruffle your feathers a tad further, I'm going to defend the term "Social Media Expert," because 95% of you are so damn good at groupthink you haven't even thought about why you hate the term.

No, the "but no one is an expert in social media!" argument doesn't count. Why? Because you can't take that argument any further. There's no justification... and citing Malcolm Gladwell isn't justification.

Defending The Term "Social Media Expert"

If you want to unfollow or curse at me now, here's the link.

I've been called a "social media expert" before. No shame. It's happened a few times, actually. How many times have I corrected the person? Once, and it was a special situation I will get to in a moment.

First, you should know that I've never called myseld a "social media expert." I don't consider myself to be one. However, I consider other people, like Chuck Hemann, Arik Hanson, Olivier Blanchard, Amber Naslund, et. al. to be social media experts.

The term "expert" is referential and contextual.

You wouldn't be dying to do business with someone who is a "Network Security Amateur." You wouldn't be pining to go see a "B2B Marketing Hobbyist" present at a local event. No, you want to work with the best of the best, learn from the experts in the field.

"Reaching Your Customers Online" hosted by a Social Media User just doesn't cut it. But throw "expert" in there and you'll get attendees. Why? "Expert" is a reference point for someone who is damn good at what they do.

When I have been called a "Social Media Expert," I don't get outraged, I feel really freaking honored. It means I have knowledge, or at least they think I do, that they want to learn from me.

The term is used as a reference point.

It's also contextual. Like I said, I don't consider myself to be one, especially when compared to the names I listed above. But guess what, in mid-Missouri, at Mizzou, I might just be the expert that some have called me. Do I agree? Not really, but that's because I'm constantly comparing myself to people I consider experts, but 99% of those people don't live here and aren't in the consideration set for 99% of the population here.

In high school, my buddy was the go-to dude for math, physics, whatever. He was the expert. Now he's at Caltech, where he's still damn good at all that stuff, because he's about to go work for Google, but I hardly doubt he's widely considered an "expert" on that campus.

Killing The Social Media Expert (conversation)

In the end, why do you care? Really, why are you wasting your breath? "Because it reflects badly upon me!" Does it really, though? Are you also marketing yourself as a social media expert? Because if you were, that'd be hypocritical, and if you aren't, then shut up already.

"It reflects badly our industry!" First off, no it isn't. But if it was, your complaining, as opposed to action, isn't helping. Second, the fact that other people either call someone a "social media expert," or are looking for one enough that people call themselves one, well, that's a good thing. It means there's interest. There's respect. There's a recognition that not just anyone off the street can do this stuff. There's knowledge and experience to be taught.

This post applies to the "social media guru" and "social media ninja," too.

I, nor should anyone else, really don't give a damn what you call yourself. Now get back to work.

/end rant; 4:20am

And in some ways, that totally bums me out. I love writing. I love the release of putting thoughts to words. I love the mental workout of constructing clever quips. I love the conversation. I love the sensation. I love the click-clack click-clack.

But I think I love the permanence of writing more than any of the above.

Now, that's not to say that what I write is permanent, in terms of thought. However, what I wrote is permanent in terms of what I thought at that moment.

Are blogs, twitter, facebook, etc. the modern day time capsule?

I don't know about the rest of you, but I love looking back at what I've written. Not because I want to reminisce, but because I want to observe.

It's cool to observe how I've changed - in thought, in style, in action, in life.

They say, whoever they are, that one has to understand the past to prepare for the future. As a senior in college, with no idea what my future holds, this classic wisdom seems relevant. Where have I been? What have I done? Why? How?

I spent the past four days in Adobe Illustrator.

Designing.

And designing again.

And again. And again. And again.

Other projects were put on hold, because damnit, I was designing and I was loving it. Because I love this stuff.

More than anything, I realized I lost sight of why I got into advertising - I love the artfulness of it.

Sadly, I have to remove myself from my AI mindset and back to those other projects I've neglected.

Maybe, had I done a better job at looking back into my time capsule, I would have remembered what I loved about advertising prior to now.

I would have been able to make changes that allowed me to pursue that love more often. The art, the creativity, the crazy, the passion, the soul, the story, the pitfalls, the breakthroughs, the pressure and the love.

Turns out that I didn't understand my history. I didn't understand the secrets it held, the messages it had. So now I sit here, a senior in college, with no idea what the future holds.

Don't get me wrong, I'm totally okay with that, but I was also totally okay with spending four straight days sinking my teeth into design.

I don't know why I titled this blog the way I did, or how the introduction turned into this. Like the blog tagline says, it's unedited riffing.

I suppose it's because I consider writing to be a form of art. And maybe I want to be an artist. Or maybe I want to be an astronaut.Who the hell knows, it's 5 a.m. and I really just want more coffee.

It's January 19, 2011. That's just about time for predictions, right?

Let's get at it.

Leave comments below, or at the end. Same place, different definitions.

1. Social Media becomes less "Social" and more "Me"

Yeah I said it.

In 2011, people take back social media. It started in 2010, with hits like Jimmy Kimmel's "National Unfriend Day," which is a great example of what I'm claiming -

We, the users, focus social media more on ourselves, our lives and what's important to us. Social media becomes less of a novelty and more of an accessory.

 National Unfriend Day was the the first example of this. Why does the person I haven't talked to since 9th grade algebra class need to know, or even care, about my life? Over the past few months, I've removed over 300 Facebook friends, and I hope to remove more. This isn't because I don't like, or even care, about those people, but I'd rather focus on the people most important to me.

And I'm not the only one. I know people who have deleted social profiles, just to start over and allow themselves to "focus" their usage.

As we assimilate social media into our daily routines, our usage will begin to reflect just that - our daily routines. Who we talk to, who we want to check on and what we want to know on a daily basis. I do not see, care to check on, or wonder about 1,000+ people over the course of a day.

Hell, over the course of a week. Or even year.

Don't get all frowny-faced. The usage will be there and continue to rise. Even more, this usage will be more valuable, because users will be more engaged with content they already know they'll care about. The step of, "do I care to read more?" is taken out. Because I already know - I care.

2. "Grew Up Digital" takes on a new meaning

By many accounts, Generation Y is the generation that "grew up digital."

Really, though? (note: most consider Generation Y to begin in 1980, so that's the reference point I'll use.)

Myspace launched in 2003. The oldest members of Generation Y were 23. For the most part, you've grown up at that point.

I, on the other hand, was 14.

Facebook launched in 2004, was open to high school students by 2005 and the public in 2006. I was 16 when I signed up for Facebook.

Sure, I grew up digital, but more accurately, I "came of age" digital.

My little sister, currently a senior in high school, was one of the last ones in her group of friends to join Facebook. She was 14.

If I had another even younger sibling, which I don't, that would be truly "growing up digital."

We've only seen the tip of the iceberg, people.

3. I graduate and get hired

And that's all I have to say about that.

As the beginning of my final semester forces itself upon me, I've been doing a lot of thinking, reflecting, whatever.

The greatest thing one can learn in life is recognizing and understanding when to shut up. Now, it isn't easy. It's a knowledge I haven't quite

Note: This will be where I will post ramblings, "Spitballing" as it were, for this semester (probably). Also, I'll still be a contributor elsewhere. My old domain, colbywg.com, is being transformed into, well, something. It's currently my webdev sandbox that you can't see because I don't want you judging my misshapen sandcastle.
Note 2: I think I'll make "FAQ: _________" a fairly regular feature here on "Spitballin'." If you have any questions or topics for the next one, post them in the comment section. 

In May, I'll join college students across the country as we walk across a stage to receive... an empty diploma case! Congratulations!

Actually, I number among the lucky - I get to walk two different stages and receive two empty diploma cases! The first for a Bachelor of Journalism in Strategic Communication (in case you're wondering, yes, it's called a "BJ"), and the second for a Bachelor of Liberal Arts & Science in Sociology.

Modern American culture considers this act a symbol for, officially, being an "adult." In college speak, this means we become those "real people" we fantasize about. It means that the "future," which everyone talks about for the first twenty-some years of your life, has arrived.

In fact, I expect a significant decrease in, "ah, I can see you have a bright future," compliments come May. The replacement of those will be statements of disappointment and looks of pity.

Hope, with one walk of the stage and extension of the hand, is palpably cut down by one of those Ginsu knives on late-night television.

But in the mean time, between now and May, there will be a significant increase in questions about my future. And false hope.

Without any further quips, I give you the first installment of "FAQ." 

(note: I wrote a guest post for Doniree where she asks, "2011 is your year to _____." Writing that post, in which I said, "this is my year to figure it all out," somewhat led to this more direct post.

FAQ of Colby's "Future"

So, you're graduating in May?
Technically. But technically not. I'm "walking" in May and am free to pursue a career, but then I will have to complete the 6 hours of coursework online. However, I could stay at Mizzou until the end of July and work on those classes while relaxing in balmy mid-Missouri.

Q: Do you know what you're doing after you graduate?
Well, at some point, I'll leave mid-Missouri. I love it here, but four years is enough for now.

I suppose I could go back to my birthstate, Minnesota, but that's not likely. I love that state, and anywhere I go must have some sort of ice hockey rink(s) to skate, but I'm ready for a new challenge. A new adventure. A whole new world (give yourself time to get the song stuck in your head... okay).

Currently, it's a debate between pursuing small- to mid-size marketing/advertising agencies and going the startup route. Although both offer potentially vastly different opportunities, both routes have one thing in common - the place I end up at needs to be a place I believe in. Believe in the people, the mission, the product and, perhaps most importantly, believe that it's the best place for me personally and professionally.

Although I'm most interested in the typical "glamour" cities like Chicago, NYC, the Valley, etc., I don't have location-driven motivations. Why tie myself down as a 21-year-old? The only requirement is some sort of hockey rink(s) to skate, with an adult hockey league earning extra bonus points.

So to be succinct: nope, not a clue. But I'm a little giddy about it, ya know?

Q: What do you mean you're not coming home to Minnesota?
Sorry, mother, but I'm just not ready to do that. On the bright side, I still love you. And if my baby sis and I both leave the North, you and dad can finally follow through with his plan to strap a snowblower to the car and drive South until enough people ask him what's strapped to the car.

Now that sounds like a win-win to me.

Q: But you want to do social media wherever you go, right?
Eh, not so fast there, Skippy.

Sure, I love social media and certainly would not mind taking a position in social media if the right opportunity presents itself.

But as much as I've enjoyed working social media oddjobs the past few years, building marketing plans for businesses, creating a 3-hour curriculum on social media and small business, speaking to organizations and conferences and so on, it's not the only thing I enjoy.

Personally, my usage of social media is as much, if not more, a portal for expanding experiences, knowledge, creative inspiration and so much more. Because I have other interests - other interested that are enhanced and shared through social media.

I still can't shake that, at my core, I like to create things. I like to build. Yes, there are opportunities for this in social media, but there are a lot of other opportunities out there where I can also utilize those talents and passion.

Q: So you've wasted all your time on these social media sites and you aren't even sure you want to do that?
Stop putting words in my mouth, dad. You waste your time playing online poker and that has nothing to do with engineering.

Or does it? Why do people think that just because you do something, especially if it's a lot of something and it's public (guilty), that it's all you do. We would all be significantly lesser people if we only did one thing. As for most people, there's a lot I do that I don't publicize. Alright, well, maybe "a lot" is a stretch. Go with considerable amount.

Yes, I can confidently say I have a "considerable amount" of talent and ability not directly related to social media.

Someone told me that they believe I've "pigeon-holed" myself into a social media position after graduation - like social media is not only my only option, but the only thing I'm qualified to do.

Honestly, if a potential employer told me that, I'd be hard-pressed not to walk on the spot.

Q: That seemed like an irrelevant mini-rant.
Yeah? Maybe, but that wasn't even a question. Your argument is irrelevant.

Q: What are you trying to say with this post? Is there a point to this?
I'm insulted that you would ask me if I have a point to this post. At the very least, this is the definition of "Spitballin'," which is the namesake of this blog.

The purpose of this is twofold. First, if you were curious what my postgrad plans are but haven't had the chance to ask me, hopefully this can shed some light on "The Decision" - but don't worry, I don't think I'm taking my talents to South Beach.

The second is to say that, well, this next semester is going to be one helluva ride (more on that in a later post).

Q: Are you talking to yourself again?
Don't judge me. 

As I was sitting and waiting for a meeting with my Sociology advisor this afternoon, I begin to see tweets about a gunmen on Mizzou's campus and a lockdown of University Hospital. No less than three of these tweets came from people I consider credible sources, and more tweets of a similar vein came from other people who are generally trustworthy and wouldn't spread a rumor like that for the hell of it.

So I did what anyone would do when they think their friends might be in danger - I did my best to alert them. And I'm sure the people who tweeted about the incident prior to me were thinking similar thoughts.

Once the dust settled, my tweet ended up being partially false (as far as we know now, at 2:25pm).

Regardless, I have no regrets about tweeting it.

Instant Communication is Powerful

And it's even more powerful when the message is sensational (omfg gunz), central to one's identity (Mizzou student) or fresh (Mizzou hadn't reported anything). Today's incident hit all three of these points, which is why I was standing in the jCafé after my meeting and every single person was talking about it.

With great power comes great responsibility.

Given another shot, might I have worded the initial tweet a bit differently? Probably. I didn't really take the time to slow down and think about word choice, but words, and how they're put together, carry emotions and actions. I need to remember that should, God forbid, this situation happen again.

All of us have power on Twitter, from 10 followers to 10,000 followers. All it takes is one retweet to start a riot.

Better Safe than Sorry

As one of my friends told me, that first tweet simply alerted her as to what was going on and to start figuring out what was up. Ken Hieronymus puts it perfectly in this tweet following the uproar - "I'd rather know that something MAY be going on than no one say anything. That's what Twitter is for. To make people aware."

Where's the Leadership?

There was such a lack of information from the University that individual department staffs were preparing to put their buildings on lockdown. This is a huge problem.

Mizzou needs to be monitoring it's network and be able to put out embers before they become flames.

Don't think it was just the uber-connected journalism students that were talking about this. A friend of mine who doesn't have a Twitter, is never on Facebook and probably wasn't even on campus was calling me for information. Someone needs to know what's buzzing among the students at the University to provide leadership from administration to faculty and students.

Ultimately, I have no regrets about what I tweeted. I hope others who may be getting criticized feel the same way.

When ESPN reported that the Cincinnati Bengals signed the enigmatic and controversial Terrell Owens, I had to take a peek at their roster.

It provided a good laugh, and a reminder of why their nickname is the Bungles.

Without any more delay, here's your 2010 Cincinnati Bungles - 

• Cedric Benson, HB - In case you forgot, I'll just hand this one off to the boys at Deadspin.
• Chad Ochocinco, WR - Ochocinco doesn't have the record that Benson does, but he hasn't always drawn the best attention to himself or his team. That said, I'm an Ochocinco fan.
• Terrell Owens, WR - Like Ochocinco, Owens remains clean... in the court's eye. The public, and apparently much of the NFL, see him as a locker-room head case and team enigma. Oh, and both Ochocinco and TO are former reality TV "stars".
• Antonio Bryant, WR - This just gets better. Bryant once sued the league for reinstatement after he failed a drug test, asking for the league to not drug test him (after being released by the 49ers and seeking a contract from teams). Always talented, his one good year came in 2008, a contract year with the Bucs. Since then, he has been equally as awful.
• Matt Jones, WR - In 2008, police caught him cutting up cocaine with his credit card, more cocaine, and pressed felony drug charges. Like Bryant, he's a high draft pick who has never lived up to the hype.
• Andre Smith, OT - One of the top college football players at the time, Smith was suspended from playing in the 2009 Sugar Bowl for dealing with an agent. He declared himself for the 2009 Draft, showed up to the combine out of shape and left early without telling his group leader. Regardless, the Bengals took him with the 6th pick, he held out a month into preseason, and is an early pick for an '09 Draft bust.
• Carlos Dunlap, DE - Before one of Florida's biggest games of the season, Dunlap went out and got a DWI. Like Smith, he decided this would be a great time to declare for the draft, underwhelming people with his questionable motor and immaturity.
• Frostee Rucker, DL - Rucker has a record of sexual assault and domestic abuse that reportedly started at the age of 13, followed him to Colorado State and on to USC.
• Tank Johnson, DT - Click, click, boom.
• Adam 'Pacman' Jones, CB - Here is a look at Jones' criminal record... just from 2005 to 2008: arrest and felony vandalism; didn't call probation officer; charged with marijuana possession; disorderly conduct and public intoxication; misdemeanor assault; Las Vegas incident (charges yet to be filed); assault accusation; got drunk and fought his own bodyguards, assigned to him by the Cowboys (his team at the time).

If you're in Cincinnati, take cover.

We're about six hours from the 2010 NBA Draft and I'm in class for the next four of those hours.

So obviously, I'm going to make a mock draft.

1. Washington Wizards - John Wall, PG, Kentucky

Wall is the greatest thing since Blake Griffin ('09), Derrick Rose ('08), Greg Oden ('07)... I see a trend with this whole 'media hype' thing.

2. Philadelphia 76ers - Evan Turner, SG, Ohio State

Have you heard this guy talk or seen an interview with him? Holy crap, I wanted him on the Timberwolves until I realized I would have to hear that voice. Great player and, by all accounts, a great guy, but that voice is the NBA's version of Fran Drescher.

3. New Jersey Nets - LeBron James, SF, Cleveland

You laugh, but have you met the new Nets owner? He out-Cubans Mark Cuban. He was/is a mafia boss, has probably killed some people and is a billionaire playboy. Imagine the lovechild of Cuban, Hugh Hefner and Tony Montana. If he wants LeBron, he gets LeBron.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves - Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain

The Wolves need some insurance in case that dude they drafted last year never comes to the States. Word on the street is that GM David Kahn is real high on this slick-passing Rubio kid, despite already having two young PGs on the roster.

5. Sacramento Kings - Vlade Divac, C, Serbia

Every mock draft needs at least one Vlade Divac reference.

Alright, but seriously, here's the mock draft, just so Carrier stops bugging me:

1. Washington Wizards - John Wall, PG, Kentucky

2. Philadelphia 76ers - Evan Turner, SG, Ohio State

3. New Jersey Nets - Derrick Favors, PF, Georgia Tech

Favors is getting lost among the John Wall hype, but in five years, he could be the best player out of this draft. He might not make the immediate impact of Wall or Turner, but the Nets have nothing but time.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves - DeMarcus Cousins, C, Kentucky

[disclosure: this is my team] ...and I really don't want them to take Wes Johnson, who they're rumored to favor. However, they seem to be practically ready to toss big Al Jefferson out the window, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them take his replacement with this pick.

5. Sacramento Kings - Wesley Johnson, SF, Syracuse

Donte Greene's replacement at Syracuse also becomes his replacement with the Kings. Rough life, millionaire NBA player...

6. Golden State Warriors - Greg Monroe, C, Georgetown

While trying to predict how the Warriors will pick is akin to predicting Tiger Woods' next mistress, Monroe seems to be the right fit. A true center with great passing skills, slashing guard Monta Ellis and sharpshooter Stephen Curry should get much better looks with him in the middle.

7. Detroit Pistons - Al-Farouq Aminu, SF, Wake Forest

Detroit drafts a tall, lengthy, freakishly athletic forward with high upside. How many times have we heard that? Seriously, that describes THREE of their picks from 2009.

8. Los Angeles Clippers - Paul George, SF, Fresno State

They want to trade out of this spot, and even more so if Aminu is gone. George isn't a bad consolation prize, though.

9. Utah Jazz - Ekpe Udoh, PF, Baylor

We haven't even hit the 10th pick, and "tall, athletic forward with upside" can be used be used to describe at least SIX of the picks.

10. Indiana Pacers - Ed Davis, PF, North Carolina

Seven.

11. New Orleans Hornets - Cole Aldrich, C, Kansas

Either way, this pick is a Kansas player. Aldrich is the safer pick, and they need a big guy. Xavier Henry could get the nod, though. I get the feeling they'll be consulting CP3 either way. He seems a little pissed right now.

12. Memphis Grizzlies - Patrick Patterson, PF, Kentucky

This is where the shit will probably hit the fan. Memphis could go any direction with this pick. If they think Rudy Gay is gone, they go with Gordon Hayward or Damion James. If they don't have faith in Mike Conley, they go with Eric Bledsoe. If neither of those things are true, they go with a PF like Patterson, the safest pick of the bunch.

13. Toronto Raptors - Eric Bledsoe, PG, Kentucky

With Bosh already one foot out the door, Toronto has to be praying for one of the elite PFs to fall. If they don't their next issue is PG, and Bledsoe is the only non-Wall option worthy of a lottery pick.

14. Houston Rockets - Hassan Whiteside, C, Marshall

How ballsy are the Rockets feeling? They'd like to nab Aldrich, a safe pick, but Whiteside is the ultimate risk/reward pick in this draft, past Cousins. They need Yao Ming insurance, and Whiteside can lockdown the hoop on the defensive side.

15. Milwaukee Bucks - Larry Sanders, PF, VA Commonwealth

After trading for CDR and Maggette, which is completely void of size and talent. They'll still need some offense in the post, but Sanders is a plus defender.

16. Minnesota Timberwolves - Xavier Henry, SG, Kansas

The Wolves need a shooter, and Xavier Henry is that plus more. At 6-7, he can play the 2 or 3, which is what the Wolves will need if they move Flynn to SG when (if) Rubio joins the team.

and then my computer kind of broke and I don't feel like doing this any more, so I'm just going to predict the TWolves final first round choice...

23. Minnesota Timberwolves - Solomon Alabi, C, Florida State

Consider Alabi the "anti-Cousins". Alabi doesn't have the offensive skills or ridiculously high ceiling that Cousins has, but he has the motor and defensive explosiveness that Cousins lacks. If Big Al really is shipped out of Minnesota, Alabi or another big guy who can immediately help off the bench like Craig Brackins, make a lot of sense here.

That's it. I'm going to try to figure out what's wrong with this damn computer before watching NBA GMs prove me wrong tonight.

Enjoy your evening.