NBA Draft: 5 options for the Minnesota Timberwolves at pick No. 20

1. Zhaire Smith, SG, Texas Tech

Zhaire Smith isn’t all that much bigger than Villanova’s Donte DiVincenzo, who clocked in at No. 3 on this list. But the shooting ability and defensive upside is superior, and exactly why it’s a bit of a stretch that he’ll be on the board come pick No. 20.

Smith is six-foot-four with shoes with a great wingspan of 6′-9.75″. While some of the agility numbers at the combine were very average, he ran the second-fastest three-quarter court sprint, and his vertical measurements were in the top tier as well.

The combination of Smith’s defensive skill and his developing but already NBA-caliber long-range shooting is enough to make him a must-have prospect for teams that are in a similar spot as the Wolves.

From our earlier profile on Smith:

"Switchability is obviously a vital skill in today’s NBA, and Smith effectively guarded all five positions at times in his lone season at Texas Tech. The size and athleticism will certainly travel to the NBA, and that must be attractive to Thibodeau, Layden, and Co. … Viva The Matadors, a Texas Tech Red Raiders blog, did a great breakdown on Smith as a prospect, and its “middle of the road prediction” in terms of a player comparison was Oklahoma City’s Andre Roberson. While Roberson is a bigger player and entered the league after spending three years at Colorado, there are certainly some similarities. Smith should be a better offensive player; his athleticism is a notch above Roberson, and between his feel and confidence and shooting percentages as a whole, he had a more notable offensive impact at the collegiate level. Even if it isn’t as more than a spot-up shooter and secondary ball-handler, Smith appears to have some value on that end of the floor."

Zhaire Smith would be able to step in and provide solid bench minutes immediately, perhaps in something like the role that Marcus Georges-Hunt held for a few short weeks last season.

But it’s the complete versatility — the ability to guard at least three different positions, if not four — and extremely high upside that makes Smith the best fit for the Timberwolves in this draft. In Smith, Thibodeau and Layden can have their cake and eat it to, with an impactful rookie who could become a long-term starter in relatively short order.

Next: Timberwolves Mock Draft Update

At any rate, there are at least five players that would be acceptable selections by the Wolves with the 20th pick in the 2018 draft. At least one of these guys should still be there … right?