Win-Win Situation For Minnesota
The Minnesota Timberwolves have, seemingly, been in the news more leading up to the draft than they usually are during the NBA season itself. Of course, that is because they currently hold the second pick in what many believe is essentially a two-man draft and there is a lot of interest in the pick. The Timberwolves know the value of the pick and have been quite busy making phone calls, attempting to utilize their fortune to find a way to better their team faster.
Now, with Ricky Rubio arriving in Minnesota this week and officially in the mix for the Timberwolves, they believe they have already strengthened their squad significantly. Yet, with the draft a day away, what should the Timberwolves do if they are making the selection for themselves?
They cannot screw this one up. While most believe Kyrie Irving will be the selection of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the number one selection, it is not a guarantee until he actually hears his name. The Timberwolves find themselves in a win-win situation, which is not something the team is accustomed to, and will either end up with Irving or Derrick Williams out of the University of Arizona. The reason this is a win-win for the Timberwolves is because if Irving does in fact go to Cleveland in the number one spot, the player the Timberwolves should draft will be there for them. Williams is that guy.
While the Timberwolves already have a player at Williams position in Michael Beasley and there was a case made in keeping both of them last week, Williams possesses more upside and potential than what Beasley has already shown in his short NBA career. While that is not a knock of Beasley’s game, it is a simple fact nearly every expert expects Williams to have a better NBA career than Beasley. Some players are just better than others and it is as simple as that.
Don’t forget Beasley was gift-wrapped for the Timberwolves last season after the Miami HEAT acquired LeBron James. Minnesota had to give up next to nothing to get him and this was almost a bonus in their rebuilding effort. In a cosmic sense, it very well may have been a bit of the basketball gods giving back one first-round draft pick from the Timberwolves NBA-imposed penalties from the long-ago Joe Smith fiasco. Without question Minnesota deserved the penalties for their actions, but Beasley’s addition out of nowhere was a blessing, whether or not they were completely satisfied with his growth as a player on the court and as a person off of it. If they were to utilize this present correctly, they can really invigorate their rebuilding efforts at time where there is a decent amount of excitement around the team with Rubio’s arrival.
{AUTHOR_BOX}If Williams is there to take, the Timberwolves need to take him. They will upgrade their small forward position by doing so after, supposedly, upgrading the point guard position with the addition of Rubio. With Wesley Johnson preparing for his second season in the NBA, he knows what areas he needs to improve and has the work ethic to do it. Johnson will be a better player next year than he was in his rookie campaign and he wasn’t half bad in his first season. While it is difficult to imagine Kevin Love improving by the same leaps and bounds he did in order to achieve his first All-Star nod, he will also have the opportunity to continue to grow his game by developing more low post moves.
Therefore, the position in the biggest need of improvement will be the center position. With Jonny Flynn’s departure from the team decided long ago, the Timberwolves would have the chips to trade both Flynn and Beasley in this scenario. Whether they end up elsewhere in a package deal or separate trades, both players have value and should be able to garner a player to fulfill this biggest area of need for Minnesota.
There are rumors out there regarding the Timberwolves ending up with centers such as Andrew Bogut of the Milwaukee Bucks or Andrew Bynum of the Los Angeles Lakers. However, most of the reports state those rumors hinge on the Timberwolves giving up the number two pick in the draft in order to acquire one of those centers who could make a great impact on the team. For the upside Williams shows and the player most expect him to one day become, the price of acquiring those centers is far too high. Minnesota needs to hold strong and not buckle to the immediate pressure of making a deal to satisfy their need for help at the center position.
Expect to continue to hear about the Minnesota Timberwolves almost ad nauseum in the next few days. They will continue to both make phone calls and answer them, seeing what the trade proposals are for the number two pick. Expect to hear names of valuable players such as Flynn, who has a lot of value if in the right system for his basketball skill, and Beasley, who is coming off a career-best year when given the opportunity to stand in the spotlight next to Love for a year. Expect to hear a lot about David Kahn’s train of thought leading up to this draft, both from media and from Kahn himself.
It will certainly be an interesting and potentially exciting draft night for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Unless they overthink the process, the Timberwolves really can’t mess this one up.
Be sure to follow Stephen Litel on Twitter @stephenlitel on NBA Draft night. He will be in the Timberwolves den, covering the events from the team first hand.
Loading ...
