Minnesota Timberwolves: Top 15 draft picks in franchise history

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VANCOUVER – JANUARY 23: Shane Heal #10. Doug West #5 and Kevin Garnett #21 of the Minnesota Timberwolves talk against the Vancouver Grizzlies on January 23, 1997 at the General Motors Palace in Vancouver, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1997 NBAE (Photo by Christopher Relke/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Doug West. 14. player. 86. . SG. Villanova University, 1989 (No. 38)

Nine seasons with the Timberwolves (1989-98)
Averaged 10.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2 assists
Member of inaugural Timberwolves team in 1989-90

Doug West was the third of three selections by the Timberwolves in the 1989 NBA Draft, their first as a franchise, and he stayed with the team the longest of the trio.

Like Smith, West was as early second-round pick and provided tremendous value for where he was selected, albeit primarily for a series of bad Wolves teams.

He barely played in his first two seasons, appearing in averaging just 9.5 minutes per game over the two campaigns. He became a starter in year three and put up 14 points and 3.5 assists per game, cementing his role as a Wolves starter for the next several years.

From his age-24 to age-27 seasons, West averaged 15.3 points per game while shooting 49.9 percent from the field and leading the Wolves’ backcourt scoring effort. Ultimately, West played nine seasons in Minnesota before heading to the then Vancouver Grizzlies in 1998 and spending the last three seasons of his career north of the border.

West was a member of the first two Timberwolves playoff squads, including the 1996-97 team that was swept out of the first round by the Houston Rockets and the 1997-98 team that pushed the then Seattle SuperSonics to the brink before losing in a decisive Game 5.

This is another example of incredible second-round value, which matters quite a bit for this list. That, plus West’s longevity with the Timberwolves was enough to out-weigh his extremely brief peak (19.3 points per game in 1992-93).