NBA Draft: Timberwolves Options with the 5th Pick

After the NBA Draft Lottery Tuesday, the Minnesota Timberwolves ended up with their projected fifth pick.

The first time in history, the NBA Draft Lottery went the way it was supposed to go. Every team in the lottery was slotted with the pick in order of their record. There was no moving up or moving down for teams this year. Due to this, we will not see much change in recent mock drafts. The Minnesota Timberwolves ended up with their projected fifth pick. This year’s offseason will be one of the most important in memory. The first move has been made to bring in a coach with a winning pedigree in Tom Thibodeau. Now we look ahead to the draft to see the options the Timberwolves have with their fifth pick. With the way this team has been built throughout the last five years, we are in good shape and have a very bright future.

This year’s offseason will be one of the most important in memory. The first move has been made to bring in a coach with a winning pedigree in Tom Thibodeau. Now we look ahead to the draft to see the options the Timberwolves have with their fifth pick. With the way this team has been built throughout the last five years, we are in good shape and have a very bright future.

With Philadelphia landing the top pick, sources say they are leaning towards Simmons. It is a given that the pick will be Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram. With the last few years of drafting big men, with little perimeter shooting ability, I would be taking Ingram with the pick. Choosing between these two is a good problem to have. There is no doubting that Simmons is an amazing prospect, and maybe one of the better ones as of late, but his shooting is what concerns me.

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The Lakers pick second. They will take whoever is left of Simmons and Ingram. They will not have a problem with either one. Rumors lately have said that the Lakers front office will try to trade the pick for a superstar player. They have a young core already, and with the departure of Kobe they can focus on rebuilding and their future. Keep the pick and try to sign a free agent star would be the smart choice.

Boston picks third. Yes, Boston who was just in the playoffs picks third. They laced Brooklyn a few years back on the Garnett, Pierce trade and ended up with this pick. They are an up and coming team that is just a piece or two away from being a serious contender. Danny Ainge, Boston’s GM, is aggressive as a GM can be. So do not be surprised if they a fielding trade offers. They could also be looking at Jaylen Brown, Jamal Murray, Buddy Hield, or Dragan Bender. I would say that they take Jaylen Brown who is freakishly athletic and fits the team’s defensive mantra.

Phoenix picks fourth. Last year Phoenix landed the steal of the draft selecting Devin Booker at thirteen. If the draft had a do-over with what we know now, Booker would be a lock for a top three pick. There is one issue that Phoenix has had for the last few seasons. They have a log jam at guard. First is was Dragic, Bledsoe, and Thomas. Now it is Bledsoe, Knight, and Booker. Booker deserves the starting job at SG, putting Knight on the bench if Bledsoe comes back healthy. I do not see them taking another guard. This is a team that I would see taking a chance on Dragan Bender. If he is gone maybe Jaylen Brown at SF. They do not need any more guards on this team.

This leaves the Minnesota Timberwolves at the fifth spot. There are a lot of takes on what the Timberwolves should do with their pick. Having the fifth pick, and knowing that Ingram and Simmons will go one and two in whatever order, the Timberwolves will have multiple options. They will have a guaranteed shot at either Buddy Hield, Jamal Murray, or Kris Dunn.

To me the biggest hole in the Timberwolves game, last year was outside shooting. They ranked almost last in every statistical category from beyond the arc. The three-point shot is a huge facet of the modern NBA. This is why, if they have the opportunity, they should not hesitate at all to take Buddy Hield. He could come in and contribute immediately. He took the world by storm in this year’s NCAA Tournament. I watched him a lot this year and he took over a lot of games. He is the most polished player in the upcoming draft. The Timberwolves do not need another project player. Coming in as a senior, and not another one and done nineteen-year-old prospect might actually be a benefit for the young Timberwolves team. Think of the open looks he would see with Towns, Wiggins, and Lavine on the court.

If Hield is off the board, Murray would be my next selection. He has a similar skill set to Hield in shooting from beyond the arc. Another plus about him is that he is a combo guard and can play both the guard spots. Another product of a loaded Kentucky roster, similar to Towns. Players that have come from those teams at UK do not get to show their full potential as there are not enough shots to go around with all the talent on those teams. He has the Kentucky connection with Towns and is from Canada like Wiggins. Could be a great option for this team.

If we lose out on those two, Dunn would be my next pick. Dunn is the best point guard prospect in the draft. He also spent all four years at Providence. He would be a good pick and could turn into a very nice piece but that depends on the confidence the new coaching staff has in Ricky Rubio and Tyus Jones. Rubio is a great defensive player that will work well with Thibodeau. Thibodeau also has a history of getting the most out of undersized backup point guards. I do not think that the Timberwolves have given up on Rubio just yet, especially on his team-friendly contract.

Another thought would be to trade the pick for a veteran asset. This would be a mistake in my opinion. Who do we trade for? I have heard some rumblings of Serge Ibaka. Sure, he would be a nice piece next to Towns in the front court. But, when pieces like Al Horford are about to hit free agency why not go that route? We are not one piece away from a championship. Take the pick, and develop a player on a cheap salary. Let the player grow with the young core we already have. We can go to free agency and target another big.

Next: Towns Named Unanimous Rookie of the Year

This team is finally in a position to make some noise. Our future is bright without this draft pick. This is just icing on the cake. If we can grab a nice piece in free agency, does not have to be a huge splash but a nice rotational player, and hit on this draft pick we should be in a good position to compete for years to come. It has been a long time coming Timberwolves fans.

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