Did The Minnesota Timberwolves Get Lucky At The Wrong Time?
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ history as an NBA franchise has been, for the most part, one of abject misery for their fanbase. Of all 30 NBA franchises, they have the lowest historical winning percentage, at .396. They have never won an NBA championship or even competed for one in the NBA Finals, only reaching the conference finals only once with a team anchored by Kevin Garnett, one of the best players of his generation. However, the team has recently come into a stroke of luck, albeit one that may not be sufficient to turn around the fortunes of their franchise.
In the 2020 NBA Draft lottery, the Wolves won the rights to the first overall pick, the first time in their history the Wolves have moved up in the draft lottery- they picked Karl-Anthony Towns at first overall in 2015, but in that year they had the worst record in the league to begin with. Several years after picking Towns, who has at times played at a superstar level in the NBA, the team has little to show for it. The team seemed to have broken through to a playoff level in 2018, after having traded for Jimmy Butler from the Chicago Bulls, but they bowed out meekly in five games to the Houston Rockets in the first round.
In 2020, Towns is all that is left from that once-promising Timberwolves team. Butler, frustrated with what he saw as the Wolves’ lack of a winning culture, demanded a trade and was shipped off to the Philadelphia 76ers. Andrew Wiggins, another former 1st overall pick (acquired by trading Kevin Love- another star the team could not build a winner around- to the Cleveland Cavaliers), was sent off to the Golden State Warriors, to acquire D’Angelo Russell. Russell, a high-scoring guard, was believed to have been acquired at the behest of Towns, who has reportedly grown frustrated with the Wolves’ direction as well.
Even though Towns has four years remaining on his current contract with the team, speculation has grown that he will not tolerate much more in the way of losing from Minnesota. D’Angelo Russell is considered a close friend of Towns, and the hope is their playing styles will complement each other well. But the team will need more than that to contend in an ever-difficult Western Conference.
The best way to acquire top-end talent will always be in the NBA Draft, and the Wolves have, in theory, just lucked into the best chance to do so by winning the lottery. Unfortunately for them, they happened to win the lottery in a draft without a consensus no.1 overall pick, a surefire superstar the way that Zion Williamson was regarded as being last year. Indeed, this draft is regarded as being either outright weak on top end talent, or at the very least a draft where all of the potential top picks have major question marks surrounding their potential as NBA prospects.
The three players generally regarded as being the top prospects in this draft each come with their own distinct issues, even if all three also come with significant upside. The biggest name on offer is LaMelo Ball, whose brother Lonzo made a name for himself by being taken second overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017. Like Lonzo was, LaMelo is hailed for his passing and playmaking ability, which could enable him to become one of the league’s top point guards. But his shooting and defense are major question marks, as is whether or not the Wolves would want to deal with the baggage of outspoken, controversial Ball family patriarch LaVar. In this draft profile, Ball’s NBA comparable is listed as being Spencer Dinwiddie, a fine player but no superstar, which speaks to how severe his limitations could be given how gifted he is in certain areas of the game.
Similar question marks surround potential top pick Anthony Edwards, a shooting guard prospect out of the University of Georgia. Edwards also has top-end upside, drawing comparables such as Dwayne Wade, Victor Oladipo and Donovan Mitchell. But Edwards had an at times frustrating freshman year at UGA, with some scouts questioning his drive and compete level. There is also the idea that he would need several years of development even if he were to become the best possible version of himself as an NBA player- that might make him less attractive to the Timberwolves, who are hoping for a quick turnaround in order to salvage the Karl-Anthony Towns era.
The third consensus top prospect in this draft is James Wiseman, a center out of the University of Memphis. Wiseman’s best case scenario projects him as an elite big man, but he may be particulary difficult for scouts to evaluate, given that he only played three games of college basketball before being ruled ineligible due to recruiting violations. There is also the question of him posing a potentially awkward fit for a team like Minnesota, which is already built around a big man in Towns.
Unfortunately for the Timberwolves and their fans, there is likely no prospect they could take at first overall this year that could immediately turn them into a playoff contender. They will also want to avoid the lottery next year at all costs, as their 2021 first round pick is owed to the Golden State Warriors (with top three protection) as part of the D’Angelo Russell/Andrew Wiggins trade. Minnesota’s best option might be to explore the option to trade the pick for a current star player, although few project to be available, particularly considering that executives around the league are aware of the weakness of this draft.
Minnesota would do well to at least inquire about the availability of players such as Orlando’s Aaron Gordon, or the Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal. Neither may be available, but turning the uncertainty of the draft pick into the certainty of an elite player may be the best option this team has to turn their core into one capable of bringing playoff basketball back to Minnesota.
