Timberwolves Tim Connelly: “We gotta make this a two-day thing!”

The current format of the annual NBA Draft is quite demanding for NBA executives, particularly those who do not reside on the West Coast. The event began this year on June 23, 2022, at 7:00 pm CT. Despite just 58 picks, the event lasted quite late, up to nearly midnight for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Because the event consists of just two rounds, the NBA has historically included both rounds in one annual event. But Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly was quite spent and delighted after the grueling event.  When asked about his thoughts after the event, he responded with a smile and declared:

"“We gotta make this a two day thing!” – Timberwolves President Tim Connelly in post-draft interview (below)"

And that idea actually makes perfect sense.

The challenge facing the NBA is the fact that by severing the two rounds, the NBA fears that the first round will be given the lion’s share of attention by televised broadcast, while the second wound may fade into anonymity. But from what I can tell, that is already happening.

After the first round, the value and therefore interest in the NBA Draft wanes. Draft trades happen at a far quicker pace than any video monitors, websites or NBA Insiders can keep up with. Teams are prohibited from placing their hats atop the players they have traded for in the NBA Draft, and that all merely adds to the chaos and confusion.

What this NBA draft format need is an . . . intermission.

That’s right. A chance to step back. Pause, Regroup. And most of all, reset the fan anticipation and interest. Rather than finding exhausted fans tuning out, the NBA will have a 24-hour period to chew on, digest, and work out what happened in the first round.

I’d like a two-day NBA Draft format. Not just from the fact that I need my sleep. But I would enjoy the opportunity to reset a draft board, analyze moves made so far, and have one more chance to identify the best fits or best players available and see if the Minnesota Timberwolves make moves in their direction.

Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly said:
“We gotta make this a two-day thing!” I’m with you, Tim. I’m with you.