Minnesota Timberwolves Draft Profile: Robert Woodard

The Minnesota Timberwolves need to find consistent role players along the forward and wing positions. There are a few players projected to be available in the second round that could be just that.

Robert Woodard is an interesting athletic wing/forward that can bring a variety of skills to any team that he is drafted by — especially the Minnesota Timberwolves. After a strong sophomore season at Mississippi State University, Woodard still does not seem to be close to his ceiling as a basketball player.

Offensively, there’s a lot to work with what Woodard brings. He improved dramatically as a shooter from his freshman to sophomore year: going from 27-percent from three and sub-60-percent from the FT-line to 43-percent from three and 64-percent from the FT-line. That said, Woodard’s form is not the greatest and will still need improvement at the next level. It should also be noted that he does not have a great handle and needs to work on limiting unforced turnovers.

Woodard is very athletic and has proven to have a high work ethic. He has a lot of confidence in his offensive game and was a great off-ball defender this past year. Woodard does struggle when guarding smaller, quicker players, but brings versatility in terms of being able to switch onto shooting-guards.

Fit on the Timberwolves

Robert Woodard is an interesting fit on a Timberwolves team that needs a lot of depth from 2-4. He brings desirable traits but, in general, is just a very raw basketball player. He needs to work on improving his shooting form and on-ball defense, but has the mentality and attention to detail to do so.

Should he improve his shooting further, Woodard would be a solid fit next to Karl-Anthony Towns. Despite not bringing elite interior defense, he can guard perimeter players and stretch the floor in a decent capacity — two skills that should be highly sought after when it comes to finding a front-court mate.

Bringing in players that can play both offensively and defensively should be of the utmost priority for Timberwolves’ general manager Gersson Rosas. Woodard could be exactly that. While he may not ever develop into a player that can consistently create his own shot — Minnesota will never need him to do so, and he is absolutely worth a bet if the Timberwolves decide to go in that direction come draft time.

The Timberwolves have Josh Okogie, Juan Hernangomez, Jake Layman, and James Johnson. Woodard will not have to play right away, and will absolutely be given the time and resources to become the best version of himself.