Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 NBA Draft prospects to consider at No. 33

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Tyler Bey of the Colorado Buffaloes. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) /

NBA Draft prospects for Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 33: Tyler Bey

Colorado’s Tyler Bey is the perfect target for the Wolves in the top portion of the second round.

Bey is a 6-foot-7 wing with a huge 7-foot-1 wingspan. He’s long, bouncy, and ultra-athletic and is a perfect fit as a hybrid 3/4 in the modern NBA.

The Wolves are on the lookout for more talent on the wings, and in the system ran by head coach Ryan Saunders, they want to find as many highly switchable wings as possible. Effectively, the three spots between D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns are all open, and Bey fits the requirements of the type of versatile wings that Saunders and President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas desire.

Bey will probably be best-cast in a role similar to current Wolves forward Jake Layman. They are the same height, although Bey’s 7-foot-1 wingspan dwarf’s Layman’s 6-foot-9 mark. Both are great athletes, can guard multiple positions, run the floor extremely well, and have upside as outside shooters.

While Layman is only a 30.9 percent career 3-point shooter, he’s improved over the past two seasons and has shown signs of being an above-average marksman.

Bey, on the other hand, shot 41.9 percent on only 31 attempts from beyond the arc last season at the University of Colorado. His mechanics are sound, and as long as he can speed up his release somewhat, he should be at least a league-average shooter in the NBA.

One area that Layman has a leg-up on Bey is as a cutter; Bey in theory has the requisite length and athleticism to be an effective cutter, we just have to see at at the professional level. He’s also an intelligent player on both ends of the floor, which suggests that the leap shouldn’t be too dramatic for him.

Bey won’t be able to guard bigger 4s at the NBA level — at least not in the post, that is — but that might not be a significant issue.

Ultimately, the package of size, athleticsm, feel for the game, and shooting potential should be enough for him to garner serious consideration with the No. 33 pick in the second round.