Minnesota Timberwolves’ Big Board 1.0
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Big Board takes a look at the 2017 prospects who fit best with the Wolves.
The 2017 Minnesota Timberwolves draft will be a very important one that shapes the foreseeable future for the Wolves.
With a lot of their future cap space dedicated to their big three of Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl-Anthony Towns, it will be critical for Minnesota to find cheap talent that they can lock up for multiple years.
The draft is the best place for Minnesota to find that cheap talent.
With the draft lottery three weeks away, Dunking With Wolves is about to dive all in on the 2017 NBA draft. We will have all the draft coverage your little heart could possibly desire.
With an 18 percent chance of landing a top-three pick and a 5.3 percent chance at the overall pick, Minnesota has a variety of outcomes at the lottery.
However, if nothing changes, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ draft pick is slotted to be in the sixth spot.
Given that, we will look rank the top 10 prospects that would fit in best with Tom Thibodeau and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
We will only briefly dive into why they are a good fit as Dunking With Wolves will be releasing a much more in-depth scouting portfolio on each of the players, and others as well.
It is important to keep in mind that this is not a ranking of the best players available in the draft. It is simply a ranking of the players that would fit best with the Timberwolves.
1. Josh Jackson would best fit as the starting small forward on the Minnesota Timberwolves. He is one of the best two-way players in this year’s draft, adding a toughness on defense the Timberwolves desperately need. At 6 feet 8 inches, Jackson is incredibly athletic and could slide to the power forward position once LaVine returns from injury. He is used to not being the go-to guy, as Kansas rarely played through him on the offensive end of the court. Jackson’s biggest attribute to the Wolves is that he brings something they do not already have, a defensive-minded player with a high motor.. SF. Kansas. JOSH JACKSON
Jayson Tatum is another 6 foot 8 wing with great defensive potential. Tatum is not nearly the athlete that Jackson is but he is a better scorer. He likes the ball in his hand a lot as well, which could pose a problem considering the ball dominance of the players the Timberwolves already have. Tatum is best projected as a small forward but could also slide over to the four if needed.. SF. Duke. JAYSON TATUM . 2
MARKELLE FULTZ. 3. Markelle Fultz is on top of many NBA draft boards, just ahead of Lonzo Ball. At 6 foot 5, Fultz can play multiple positions which makes him incredibly valuable. At Washington, he displayed an ability to knock down the 3-point shot well also being able to get to the basket at will. On top of all of that, he is a great passer with excellent vision. While Fultz may not be a true point guard, his versatility leaves the door open down the road for him to slide in as a shooting guard.. PG. Washington
PG. UCLA. LONZO BALL. 4. Lonzo Ball is the best passer and ball handler this draft has to offer. He also showed off his ability to hit 3-pointers consistently at UCLA which makes him even more dangerous if that trend holds true. Given his awkard shooting form, he struggles mightily shooting off the dribble when he goes to his right. I’m extremely high on Ball given his ability to create, not only for himself, but for his teammates as well. The main aspect that brings him all the way down to four is because he has already expressed a desire to play in Los Angeles for the Lakers. It is very important for a small-market team like the Minnesota Timberwolves to acquire players who want to be there.
SG. Kentucky. MALIK MONK. 5. Malik Monk may be the best pure shooter in the draft. He would do a great job of opening up the Timberwolves offense and allowing Towns and Wiggins more room to work in the lane. At 6 foot 3, Monk is stuck as a shooting guard in a point guard’s body. Even given his athleticism and ability to score, his size will ultimately hold him back on draft night. It would be best if Monk was paired with a bigger guard, say someone like <a rel=
6. Lauri Markkanen would be able to step in and start at power forward right away for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Think of him as a rich-man’s <a rel=. PF. Arizona. LAURI MARKKANEN
JONATHAN ISAAC. 7. Unlike Jackson or Tatum, Jonathan Isaac could play small forward of power forward and be equally effective. At 6 foot 11, Isaac is bigger than both Jackson or Tatum and has a longer wingspan as well. He can extend his range to the 3-point line and also has the ability to protect the rim. The biggest knock against Isaac is that he needs to add a lot of strength in order to avoid getting bullied in the NBA.. SF/PF. Florida St.
8. Dennis Smith Jr is an amazing athlete who has flashed the ability to shoot from the outside. At 6 feet 2 inches, Smith may be a little smaller than his point guard counterparts, but that doesn’t take away from the excellent season he had at North Carolina St. Even with Smith having torn an ACL in his past, his athleticism hasn’t suffered as he is an explosive leaper. Smith also excels at penetrating defenses and has solid court vision.. PG. North Carolina St.. DENNIS SMITH JR
9. De’Aaron Fox comes in at number nine on our initial big board because of his inability to shoot from the perimeter. The Timberwolves have enough point guards who struggle to shoot from the outside, so why add one more? While Fox reminds me of <a rel=. PG. Kentucky. DE'AARON FOX
10. Harry Giles is the riskiest prospect in this draft. He spent most of his freshman year at Duke recovering from an ACL injury and nobody is sure if he will return to his high school form. As the combine progresses and Giles is able to work out in front of scouts and allow doctors to check out his knees, he will surely be the biggest mover on draft boards. Whether that is up or down is yet to be decided. When healthy, Giles is an excellent rebounder, scorer and defender. He is the perfect example of a high-risk, high-reward player.. PF. Duke. HARRY GILES
As more information continues to be gathered on prospects, we will update this draft board as needed. We will see players rising and falling up the board, as well as new names being thrown into the mix.
Next: 5 Potential Trades for the Timberwolves' Draft Pick
The draft is one of the most exciting times of the year for basketball fans. At Dunking With Wolves, we are just getting seated. Now it’s time to buckle up.
*All information about the draft prospects was obtained from FanSided.com/nba/the-step-back/ and ESPN.com.