Grading all 3 Minnesota Timberwolves picks in the 2020 NBA Draft
By Ben Beecken
Grading Minnesota Timberwolves picks in the 2020 NBA Draft: Leandro Bolmaro
The Wolves traded the No. 17 pick to the Thunder and received Ricky Rubio, pick No. 25, and pick No. 28. It was a surprising haul, but OKC was apparently hell-bent on jumping past Dallas at No. 18 in order to select Aleksej Pokusevski.
When pick No. 23 was up on the board, the Wolves rerouted No. 25, along with their own second-rounder, No. 33, to the New York Knicks in order to grab Argentinian guard Leandro Bolmaro.
Bolmaro is a fascinating prospect. He’s already extremely well-rounded, and the only glaring weaknesses is his outside jumper, and at 19 years old with solid touch from inside the paint and in the mid-range, there’s plenty of hope that he can improve.
While Bolmaro is likely to stay and play in Barcelona for at least one more year, his floor is already that of a rotation player. He’s only 19 years old, but has the size, feel, and ability necessary to play in the NBA immediately.
Bolmaro is one of the best playmakers in the draft, with passing wizardry on a scale somewhere between a young Ricky Rubio and former LA Clippers guard Miloš Teodosić. But he is not only creative and flashy, he is a master in the pick-and-roll, understanding timing and pace on a level that should translate to the NBA immediately.
Bolmaro’s size and first-step quickness will play at the highest level, and, at the risk of a lazy comparison, his craftiness is reminiscent of countryman Manu Ginobili. While Bolmaro is only a decent athlete, he shouldn’t have too many issues scoring in the paint and drawing fouls as he continues to get stronger.
While his floor is already that of a rotation player, Bolmaro has legitimate star upside if he can develop at least an average jump shot. His scoring touch from elsewhere on the floor and solid upper-body mechanics on his jumper are promising, although his base isn’t consistent and needs work.
If he can develop a semblance of a 3-point shot, however, there’s a world in which he’s a starting wing alongside D’Angelo Russell come 2022, and a fully-realized Russell-Bolmaro-Edwards trio is tantalizing, to say the least. Add in Rubio and one of Jarrett Culver or Josh Okogie, and the Wolves could have something alongside Towns.
The only question mark here is why the Wolves felt the need to add the No. 33 pick just to move up two slots and take Bolmaro. The obvious answer is that they were afraid that Milwaukee would take him at No. 24, but if they weren’t absolutely positive that was the case, then they included a valuable second-round pick for no reason.
Even still, this is an exciting pick, and one that should pay off in a big way, even if it isn’t in 2021.