Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 draft prospects to upgrade perimeter defense

Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 draft prospects to upgrade perimeter defense

Josh Green

As far as athletic guards go, few are more impressive than Josh Green.

Green is a highly active on-ball defender who has also shown an aptitude for jumping passing lanes. His quick footwork and ability to mirror his opponent’s moves ensure that he rarely gets beaten off the dribble.

The pairing of Okogie and Green as wing defenders for the Timberwolves would give opponents fits as they both have similar energy levels and instincts. Green can switch on to multiple positions and can genuinely disrupt the opponent’s offense, as we can see below.

Green initially does a great job of beating his opponent to the spot, killing the ball-handler’s drive before it gets started. The ball handler then feels forced to begin his post-up at the three-point line, which is never a good idea.

Green continues his excellent footwork, never crossing but always sliding, to body up against his opponent and surrender little ground before baiting his opponent into committing a charge.

Green’s ability to stay tight on his man is highly impressive. Green’s instincts put him in the right spot as he sometimes knows where his opponent is going before they do. When combined with his perfect footwork, Green is not only challenging to beat off the drive but also challenging to separate from at all.

These instincts and ability to defend tightly are also incredibly valuable with Green’s off-ball defense. He has shown a propensity to jump passing lanes where he can then show off his athleticism running in transition.

As we can see in the below clip, Green is highly effective at jumping passing lanes. He times his steal attempts correctly and takes full advantage of any lazy passes.

By drafting Josh Green, the Timberwolves will be getting a wing defender with high energy and athleticism to fit perfectly in the rotation.