5 guards the Minnesota Timberwolves should target in the 2020 NBA Draft

Tyrese Maxey | 6-foot-3 CG | Age 19, Freshman | Kentucky Wildcats

NBA Player Comparisons: Terry Rozier, Eric Bledsoe

Primary skills: 1-on-1 scoring, on-ball defense, shooting off the dribble, shot creation, finishing, clutch, ball handling

Weaknesses: Shot selection, size, playmaking, turnovers

Most of you were probably expecting to Tyrese Maxey at the one spot, but I have him at two. If we were going strictly by the numbers, he may not even be in the top five; but do not let the numbers fool you. This dude can ball.

Maxey is averaging 13.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 2.3 turnovers per game, on 43.0/82.1/30.6 shooting splits. Not great.

When you turn on his highlights, you can easily tell that the kid is supremely talented offensively. He can get you a bucket from anywhere on the court and bail his offense out late in the shot clock. Additionally, the Garland, Texas native is a microwave who only needs to see one or two shots go in before he gets hot.

Usually, very good 1-on-1 offensive scorers in college are able to find success doing the same at the NBA level, because they either possess great athleticism or a creative bag of dribble moves and tricks they can use to get to the rim and finish. Maxey has both, plus a terrific layup package that he shows off when finishing over, around, and through opposing bigs.

His handle has definitely at Kentucky since the last I saw him play, during the 2018 Nike EYBL. I expect that development to continue as the Wildcats’ games will carry more meaning and games will get tighter as the season progresses. In those games, look for him to capitalize on the big moment and put Kentucky on his back down the stretch of games, especially if junior power forward Nick Richards is in foul trouble.

Maxey uses that dribble to create space to get off his quick-release shot, open driving lanes, and get into the paint to draw in defenders. However, once the defense collapses on him in the middle of the lane, he turns it over too much for a high-level guard. Tyrese will have to improve his decision-making in traffic and work on delivering the ball to his teammates in their spots if he wants to be successful in the NBA.

He plays much more like a 2-guard than a point guard, which is problematic considering he is just 6-foot-3 and has a 6-foot-6 wingspan. If he develops that playmaking further, and proves he can run an NBA offense, his floor will drastically increase given his physical gifts.

I see a lot of Terry Rozier III in Maxey. Both are very good athletes who are not very efficient, but can get hot in an instant and completely take over a game if the defense does not do its job. Both are prone to commit stupid turnovers and can struggle to make an impact on the game if their shot is not falling. I think Maxey will be an even better defender than Rozier is, but there are clear similarities between the two if you turn on the film.

Because of his defense and shotmaking, I think Tyrese also has some Eric Bledsoe in him. While Bledsoe is much better at running an offense and is a true point guard, Maxey’s athleticism will allow him to be a very capable on-ball defender, like Bledsoe, and be the point in a very good defensive system.

If Maxey proves he can buy into playing a role in an NBA offense versus always looking to get his, I think he will make a sizable impact for whomever drafts him next summer.