Dunking With Wolves
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Minnesota Timberwolves should draft the best player available, regardless of position

By Logan Alten

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 8: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves greets D'Angelo Russell #0 of the Golden State Warriors during pregame warmups on November 8, 2019 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 8: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves greets D'Angelo Russell #0 of the Golden State Warriors during pregame warmups on November 8, 2019 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Minnesota Timberwolves, Karl-Anthony Towns
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – NOVEMBER 20: Emmanuel Mudiay #8 of the Utah Jazz defends against Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

Center

Currently, the team seems to be pretty set on playing with only one big man in the lineup in spite of apparent rebounding and defensive shortcomings.

While there are some power forwards that could help fix some of those shortcomings, there are also some centers that could not only fill those needs, but fit in next to Karl-Anthony Towns.

Former Timberwolves big man Gorgui Dieng used to start next to Towns and provide the defense to help balance Towns out and spacing to make it work offensively. When the duo played significant minutes together back in the 2016-17 season, they posted an offensive rating of 112.5 and defensive rating of 110.5. In 2017-18, the duo had a 113.2 offensive rating and 112.4 defensive rating.

There’s a way to find a player in the draft that could mimic those results, but be a better frontcourt mate than Dieng. This would cure the Wolves biggest ailments, defense and rebounding.

It will succeed because…

…the big man has the ability to move their feet enough to stay with power forwards on defense.

In an ideal system the defensive assignments would be matchup dependent, however, the big man drafted would likely be getting the power forward in most scenarios due to Towns’ inability to keep up defensively with most power forwards.

They would also be a strong enough defender to help with team defense and anchor the defense.

…the big man has the ability to provide spacing.

It’s hard to have an offense that has two centers with one clogging the paint. The Wolves’ desire to play with one point guard, three wings and one big was largely to enable spacing, along with defensive switchability. Getting a center that regulates Towns to the the 3-point line as a spot-up shooter would marginalize everything that KAT can do offensively.

It will fail…

…if most teams continue to go smaller.

Currently the Wolves play small ball with only one point guard, three wings and one big man. The trend of the league has devalued the non-star centers to the point of being able to play them off of the floor.

With teams like Houston, Golden State, and even Minnesota taking up this notion, it will surely continue to only be even more of a league-wide trend and looking back this could a mistake of not reading the tea leaves for Minnesota should they draft another center to put next to Towns rather than a forward or a wing.

…if the rest of the team’s defense remains so bad that the trade-off isn’t worth it.

In a vacuum, it may be more beneficial for the Wolves to have someone like former Timberwolf Robert Covington than someone in the mold of a Myles Turner or Adebayo. If the team’s defense remains as bad as it is having a player that can guard multiple position and switch onto just about anyone may be a larger need. As previously mentioned, it could also be beneficial in a playoff setting if teams continue to go small too.

Next. Analyzing the Wolves' best two-man lineups. dark

All in all, the draft will interesting for the Wolves, as it is potentially their last shot at lottery-level talent for (hopefully) a long time. Thanks to their gifted stars being able to do things a lot of other teams can’t ask their point guard and centers to do the Wolves have a whole host of options to look at on draft night.