Recently, the Minnesota Timberwolves conducted a pre-draft workout with St. John's big man Zuby Ejiofor.
Most people are understandably thinking about the possibility of the Timberwolves drafting a guard or a wing. Given their need for extra playmaking, shooting and creation, this line of thinking makes sense. And believe me, I've written plenty about possible draft targets in this mold.
However, there's a strong chance that the Wolves will trade for a player to fill this void. In doing so, they would be trading at least one member of their frontcourt (likely Julius Randle, but possibly both Randle and Rudy Gobert).
Thus, fortifying their frontcourt via the draft would make sense and Ejiofor could be the perfect player to do so. As a projected late first-round pick, Ejiofor is also a highly realistic target.
Zuby Ejiofor impacts the game in numerous ways
Ejiofor is one of the most unique and versatile prospects in the draft. At 6-foot-7.5 (without shoes), Zuby doesn't have the prototypical size for a center, but he makes up for it with bruising strength and great length (7-foot-2.25 wingspan). He has exceptional mobility and can comfortably switch out to the perimeter, all while providing quality rim protection (he notably averaged 2.1 blocks per game).
Simply put, Ejiofor offers everything you could ask for from a modern defensive anchor.
Offensively, Ejiofor has a hub-like skill set, averaging 3.5 assists per game while providing plenty of impact as an interior scorer, averaging 16.3 points. In addition to his 3.5 dimes per game, Ejiofor posted a 23 assist percentage during his final season with the Red Storm -- a number that ranks in the 97th percentile according to Draftballr.
This high-post playmaking skill set would give the Wolves' offense a nice extra wrinkle. Not only does his playmaking make him a highly connective offensive player, but his screening further helps open up thing for his teammates.
On top of everything else, the 22-year-old offers plug-and-play potential -- which is something Minnesota should covet. The big elephant in the room is whether Chris Finch would play a rookie. It's a fair concern, but I'd argue that Zuby checks a lot of boxes that Finch values.
Drafting Zuby makes the most sense if both Randle and Gobert are traded
Despite the clear intrigue with his skill set, how much drafting Zuby makes sense for the Wolves truly depends on their other moves. Randle feels as good as gone, but it's not clear what Gobert's future is. If they do indeed trade both Randle and Gobert, it would make a ton of sense to draft another center, especially if they don't get a high-end big man for one of them.
Naz Reid is a true four and Joan Beringer, while incredibly promising long-term, is still a raw 19-year-old. Adding Ejiofor to restore the Wolves' frontcourt depth in the event of major shake-ups would be logical.
The long-term future of a Beringer and Ejiofor pairing is tantalizing. They both offer different yet vital elements you would want from a modern big man. And yes, to state the obvious, if this is the Wolves' center rotation, that would be risky given their desire to compete at the highest level.
Still, the future would be bright with Beringer and Ejiofor. It's possible that Beringer takes a massive leap and Ejiofor is a ready-made big man. Another possibility is that there's a stopgap center mixed into the rotation.
Given that the Wolves have brought Ejiofor in for a workout, it's fair to assume these are possibilities that Tim Connelly is pondering before June 23rd's draft.
Add us as a preferred source on Google