Minnesota Timberwolves: Predicting the 2018-19 depth chart

No. 11: The rookie

Josh Okogie

The Timberwolves entered the offseason needing wing depth, perimeter defense, and outside shooting.

And with the 20th pick of June’s draft, they chipped away at all three of those needs by selecting Georgia Tech’s Josh Okogie.

From Day One, the Jimmy Butler comparisons were there. I addressed the obvious statistical parallels and more abstract similarities shortly after the draft, and while it’s absolutely an unfair comparison, it isn’t all that far-fetched.

But remember, Butler didn’t play much as a rookie as a late-first-round pick, appearing in only 42 games and averaging just 8.5 minutes in the contests in which he did appear. The Timberwolves didn’t sign James Nunnally and Derrick Rose to not play, either, so don’t expect Okogie to get more than a few minutes here and there — not dissimilar to Marcus Georges-Hunt‘s 42 games and 5.3 minutes per game from last year.

Okogie can play both wing spots and should be a solid defender from the get-go. He’ll be dynamite in transition and a good shooter, too, so there remains a chance that he could ascend the depth chart rather quickly.

We also touched on Okogie’s realistic NBA player comparisons, which is an intriguing range. And to be clear: it won’t all come together this year. But there is plenty of upside.

Now, let’s consider the end of the bench.