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Minnesota Timberwolves: Early Look at the 2021 NBA Draft

By Dylan Jackson

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 22: Drew Peterson #13 and Evan Mobley #4 of the USC Trojans react in the first half of their second round game against the Kansas Jayhawks in the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse on March 22, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 22: Drew Peterson #13 and Evan Mobley #4 of the USC Trojans react in the first half of their second round game against the Kansas Jayhawks in the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse on March 22, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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The Minnesota Timberwolves are, per usual, having a very bad season. This year, however, the stakes are even higher than usual.

The 2010 San Diego Chargers had the best offense and defense in the NFL and still managed to miss the playoffs. The 2020-21 Timberwolves, however, still seem even more unlucky than that.

Since trading for D’Angelo Russell in February 2020, Minnesota’s two best players (Karl-Anthony Towns and Russell) have played five games together.

Five. Total. Games.

While it’s hard to say just how good either player is individually compared to the scope of the league, the Timberwolves have been scraping the bottom of the NBA standings for the past two seasons, and the only thing to look forward to following this season is the 40.1 percent chance they have at retaining their first-round pick, assuming the Timberwolves don’t climb out of the bottom-three teams in the league.

This season in particular would be an incredible one to have their draft pick. While, yes, Minnesota did not anticipate this selection being in the top-5 (otherwise, I firmly believe they would not have made the deal), but Gersson Rosas was smart enough to at least include a top-3 protection on the pick.

There are five elite prospects in this draft: Cade Cunningham (1-3 lead ball-handler), Evan Mobley (4-5 big), Jalen Green (2-3 wing), Jalen Suggs (1-2 guard), and Jonathan Kuminga (2-4 wing/forward).

Each of those players have very different skill sets, and it is not an exaggeration to say that all five of those players would have been the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. That’s not to say that Edwards is a poor prospect – it’s more about just how talented the 2021 NBA Draft class is.

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