Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz has long stood out to me as a dream draft target for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Undoubtedly, the Wolves need some extra ball handling and perimeter creation alongside Anthony Edwards.
Mike Conley could be entering his last year in the NBA, and his declining production heightens the need for a true point guard. Most observers (including myself) are hopeful that the Wolves will land a high-end guard in the trade market.
Still, drafting one as a backup plan isn't a bad option, and in today's game, ball handling is a premium skill, so doubling down on this need could be logical.
Stirtz is set to offer ball handling and perimeter scoring from the get-go, which makes him an ideal target for the Wolves. He will turn 23 shortly before his rookie season, which could cause him to fall on draft night. For a Wolves team with title aspirations, Stirtz's plug-and-play ability would be a massive plus, and he'd likely return excellent value at pick 28.
In short, this is why he is the top-ranked prospect on my Timberwolves big board for FanSided's draft guide.
Bennett Stirtz offers a similar type of stable playmaking to Mike Conley
Conley isn't a perfect one-for-one comparison for Stirtz. I don't think there's a perfect comparison for any player, quite frankly. Nevertheless, Stirtz's ability to organize an offense and score from the perimeter could allow him to thrive in a Conley-esque role.
Even at his advanced age, Conley is a fantastic table setter. He posted a stellar 4.62 assist-to-turnover ratio this past season. Averaging 5 assists in the past two years, Stirtz didn't post eye-popping assist numbers in college.
However, Stirtz displayed a remarkably high feel for the game and did a wonderful job of organizing his team's offense. An 80th percentile ranking in assist-to-turnover ratio is indicative of this. Stirtz especially excels at making reads out of the pick-and-roll. He was also frequently doubled but nearly always found the open man.
His poise and stability as a playmaker should ensure a seamless transition to the NBA. Stirtz offers similar stable playmaking and high feel to Conley with more size at 6-foot-2.5 (barefoot).
Stirtz has some real shot creation juice
Stirtz's shooting and shot creation are the next major reasons why he would fit flawlessly with the Wolves. Though averaging 19.8 points at Iowa does highlight his scoring abilities, the raw shooting numbers (35.8 percent from 3-point range this past season) don't tell the full story.
He is easily one of the most skilled shooters in this class, both spotting up and creating for himself. The difficulty of some of Stirtz's pull-up shots certainly caused his percentages to take a hit. As did his strong volume (6.9 3s per game).
The Wolves need to find a guard who offers both self-creation and spot-up shooting alongside Edwards.
Stirtz's crafty around-the-rim finishing is an underrated part of his game. He notably shot 70.5 percent at the rim, which ranks in the 93rd percentile per Draftballr. This wasn't on low volume either, as his rim attempts accounted for 39 percent of his shots.
In addition to his impressive rim finishing, Stirtz's 37.5-inch vertical offers promise that he'll be able to adjust to the more athletic NBA despite running a slow-paced offense in college.
Defensively, there are some questions about Stirtz, especially on the ball. Regardless, he is a smart player who is never out of position, and he also offers some disruption as a defensive playmaker.
Between his size and overall creation, Stirtz has some clear differences from Conley. Yet, if he can replicate some level of Conley's playmaking (which feels reasonable) and add more on-ball juice, the Wolves have the perfect Conley successor on their hands.
Why Stirtz could fall to Minnesota
Christopher Kline of FanSided.com has Stirtz ranked No. 12 on his big board. Furthermore, after an Elite Eight run with Iowa, Stirtz has a ton of notoriety. Stirtz is a high-floor prospect who, as outlined, checks a ton of boxes as a plug-and-play guard.
As such, you might be wondering: how in the world is this guy a realistic target for the Wolves? Truthfully, NBA front offices often overthink players like Stirtz.
While he's not a guard like Stirtz, last year, Nique Clifford was considered a safe bet, which had many believing he'd be a lottery pick. Yet he fell to pick 25. Heck, Jalen Brunson fell to the second-round nearly a decade ago. There are countless examples of polished players falling in the draft as teams favor upside.
The depth of this year's guard class doesn't help Stirtz's case. He will be competing with the likes of Christian Anderson, Ebuka Okorie, and Labaron Philon for a mid-first-round pick. Philon is projected to be drafted the highest of this group, while teams may favor the upside of Anderson and Okorie. Thus, Stirtz could fall out of the mid-first and into the late-first.
Kline's recent mock draft had Stirtz falling to Minnesota at pick 28, while Sam Vecenie of The Athletic had him going 26.
Stirtz falling to pick 28 would undoubtedly be a dream draft outcome for the Wolves, and it would be an opportunity that Tim Connelly couldn't pass up.
Add us as a preferred source on Google