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Grading the Minnesota Timberwolves 2023 NBA Draft picks

By Martim Andrade

DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 08: Head coach Chris Finch of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on from the sideline against the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter at Ball Arena on October 8, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 08: Head coach Chris Finch of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on from the sideline against the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter at Ball Arena on October 8, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images) /
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Minnesota Timberwolves 2023 NBA Draft Timberwolves Draft Timberwolves News Leonard Miller
Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports /

With the 33rd overall pick, the Minnesota Timberwolves select: Leonard Miller (F, G-League Ignite)

After most Timberwolves’ fans were starting to lose hope of drafting someone earlier, down comes the report from Adrian Wojnarowski, reporting the breaking news that the Minnesota Timberwolves were trading two future second-round picks to the San Antonio Spurs for the draft rights to pick 33rd overall.

With this pick, the Timberwolves selected forward Leonard Miller, a 19-year-old Canadian wing who played for the G-League Ignite team last season.  Miller played alongside fellow draftee Scoot Henderson. Miller averaged a double-double throughout the season, with 18 points and 11 rebounds per game, as he really got to showcase both his athleticism and high-motor against former-NBA players in the G-League, while only being a teenager.

Must Read. NBA Draft: Red Hot Timberwolves topics for next 24 hours. light

Guard ball skills, forward frame

Coming up, Leonard originally played as a guard, which is why despite standing 6-foot-10, he was one of the best ball handlers in the Ignite squad. Even though they had a poorly spaced offense, very much revolving around star Scoot Henderson, who isn’t the best perimeter shooter.

Miller is a highly efficient rim attacker, ending the season with around 66 percent efficiency attacking the basket. In a similar fashion to his former teammate Henderson, Leonard isn’t a proven shooter, still having to develop a more consistent jump shot, having shot only at a 32 percent accuracy on very low volume (at around 2 attempts per game).

On the defensive end, he boasts plenty of upside. Despite his frame and athleticism, he still lacks some of the off-ball movement essentials and has some lingering rotational issues. Yet those shortfalls are coachable and easily corrected with coaching, focus, and repetitions at training camp later this summer.

This is an excellent pick overall in the early stages of the second round, with Miller being projected to be chosen around the 20th pick, a big guard mindset in a forward’s frame, with a lot of upside on both sides of the court, while also providing immediate contribution from day one.

Yes, please.

Grade: A+