How the 2020 NBA Lottery changed the Minnesota Timberwolves future

2020 NBA Draft First Round

The Minnesota Timberwolves did not immediately focus upon any one of the top three prospects on their draft board. But when the moment of truth, they chose the player who made the most sense for their roster.  By the time the draft arrived, the T-Wolves had both KAT and D’Angelo Russell. So a shooting guard/small forward player like Anthony Edwards truly made the most sense at the time.

Here are the first five selections of the 2020 NBA Draft:

1. Timberwolves drafted Anthony Edwards
2. Warriors drafted James Wiseman
3. Hornets drafted LaMelo Ball
4. Bulls drafted Patrick Williams
5. Cavaliers drafted Isaac Okoro

The nice thing about the Timberwolves’ selection of Anthony Edwards is, two years later, I would want them to make the same choice.

So what? A history lesson? No, thankfully.

Consider this a bit of trend analysis. Since that selection (and other roster moves, of course), the Timberwolves have jumped from just 19 wins in the 2019-2020 season, to 23 wins in the 2020-2021 season, to a massive doubling of W’s to 46 wins in the 2021-2022 season.

That is not to say that the Timberwolves are destined for better things just by showing up next season. They will need to prune and graft new players to their roster to strengthen their defense, but without sacrificing much offense.

Stay tuned.