Minnesota Timberwolves: Will the Wolves draft the best player available?
By Ben Beecken
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James Wiseman
The Wolves could certainly use more athleticism and another player who could chase down rebounds at a high clip. But as a 7-foot-1 center, would James Wiseman be a fit in Minnesota?
The idea of Wiseman is great: a big, long, athletic big man who can run the floor, rebound, block shots and shows flashes of being a true contributor on offense.
But Wiseman is raw on both ends of the floor. He won’t be able to start at the 4 next to Towns from Day One, as he doesn’t have a consistent jumper or enough know-how on the defensive end. Wiseman could be an ideal backup to Towns, as he has the shooting form and athleticism to become a better shooter and all the tools to become a good defender, but again, doo the Wolves want to use a top-six pick on a backup center that would play for 12 to 14 minutes max behind the team’s best player?
If Wiseman was already the player that many think he can become, he would work as a sidekick to Towns, sharing the floor at the same time. Two 7-footers with inside-out games on offense, the athleticism to run the floor and shot-blocking capabilities is an attractive idea.
But everything we know about Rosas is that he wants to play one big, one point guard, and three wings. Wiseman is not a wing, and as tantalizing as it might be to play two ultra-talented 7-footers alongside one another, that isn’t likely to be a winning strategy in the NBA in 2020.
Most of the rest of the players in the likely top 10 picks of this year’s draft would be something of a more seamless fit on the Minnesota Timberwolves, but at this stage, anything would happen in regards to how the draft board falls.
What will Rosas’ strategy be in 2020?