| Timberwolves 2005 Draft Outlook Authored by Josh Peterson - June 25, 2005 - 2:50 am
The 2005 draft class differs from many in recent years in that it clearly lacks a predestined, surefire superstar - someone like Lebron James or Tim Duncan or Yao Ming – at the top.
Instead, the potential top two picks are a guy whose best-case scenario comparison is Vlade Divac (Andrew Bogut) and a guy who has a ton of upside but who didn’t even start during the one year he spent in college (Marvin Williams).
However, while the draft lacks the marquee star quality at the top, analysts and scouts are calling the class one of the deeper talent pools in recent memory, with an unusually high number of quality players and prospects. As a result, while there is no surefire star, thanks to the uncharacteristic depth there is an even better chance than usual that a team not selecting until the late lottery/mid first round may be able to get lucky and snag a player who will become a major contributor.
This is great news for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who after finishing a disappointing ninth in the Western Conference, choose 14th in the draft.
It’s great news because the team is just now starting to feel the worst of the Joe Smith fiasco (for those who may not know, backdoor salary dealings with Smith prompted the league to strip the Wolves of three of their last four first round draft picks).
While it stung at the time, the lack of youth and athleticism caused by not having these picks has, over the past year, becoming glaringly obvious as the team continues to grow old fast.
Sprewell’s age showed in the fact that basically could no longer dunk last season (he bricked more dunk attempts than he made).
Cassell can barely walk, let alone play defense or run a team.
Hudson is playing on glass ankles, and even if he wasn’t he isn’t athletic enough to be a decent defender or a top-level penetrator.
Hoiberg is a fantastic role player, but athleticism and Hoiberg are two words that aren’t often found in the same sentence together.
Sure, KG is in his prime, but how long will that last? So when many (ok, some…ok, a few of us at least) fans are looking to potential bust Ndudi Ebi as the great hope of bringing athleticism and youth back to this team, you know the team is in trouble.
Which is why a homerun at #14 is necessary.
The Wolves can’t stand to go another year in which they don’t come out with a young guy who will be able to meaningfully contribute in the short and long term. And the fact that the draft class is said to be so deep and uniformly strong in the mid to late first round makes it much more possible for the Wolves to acquire a young stud to help turn them from a group whose best days (and championship hopes) are behind them into a team that has any hope for the future. And that’s the worst-case scenario with a homerun. Best case (a grand slam instead of a home run?) is that with most of the pieces they have now, plus the addition of an athletic young player who can contribute immediately (like Ben Gordon for the Bulls last season last season?), they can again regain their delicate balance around KG well enough to compete right away. After all, with relatively the same team they did go to the Western Conference Finals 2 years ago. Replace Spree with a younger version of himself and make a few more tweaks and they might be back on track.
The bad news is that the Wolves have a frightening history with the #14 pick. In 1999, they selected Duke point guard Will Avery with the #14 pick, ahead of players like Ron Artest, Andrei Kirilenko, Manu Ginobili, James Posey…heck, even Jeff Foster, Kenny Thomas, and Devean George. Needless to say, Avery turned out to be a major bust. Not a good omen.
It’s an even worse omen when you consider many people’s views on what the Wolves’ draft priorities should be. Along with a center (since when does a team not need a center?), many are saying a point guard should be the top priority. While there is no question that the team’s pg situation is not is the best of shape (Hudson’s glass ankles and bad defense backing up Cassell’s rundown body and atrocious defense…), the Wolves shouldn’t rush out to get a pg just to get a pg, unless they are planning on trading Hudson or Cassell. They met with disastrous results in 1999 by drafting Avery to backup up Terrell Brandon – they don’t want to repeat the mistake this year.
If the best player available at #14 happens to be a PG, then by all means they should grab him. However, there is no logic in reaching down to grab a third string pg when there are plenty of other holes to fill (basically every position except Garnett’s). With Spree likely gone and now the news that role player extraordinaire Fred Hoiberg may miss a portion of the season – or, even worse, may have to retire - after heart surgery, the SG/SF position suddenly is much more open. And with new coach Dwayne Casey most likely looking both to run more and to acquire someone who can penetrate and break down the defense and score at the rim, a young athletic swingman could be very helpful. At the same time, last year’s center platoon of Michael Olowokandi, CBA vet and mid-season signee John Thomas, and locker room leader/dinosaur Ervin Johnson (likely to be gone this summer) could use a makeover too.
So with all of that in mind, the most promising prospects who the Wolves should hope drop to #14 are:
Antoine Wright -
6’7”, 210 lbs., Texas A&M.
Wright is very athletic – he is very quick, with a quick first step, and is a very good leaper. These qualities make him an excellent slasher, able to get into the paint and finish at the rim. In addition, he is a superb perimeter shooter, which, coupled with his slashing ability, makes him a total offensive threat. His ability to create his own offense with his athleticism would be extremely helpful for a Wolves team that lacks any one on one offensive players. Also a good passer and, thanks to his quickness, wingspan, and effort, a quality defender. Draftexpress.com lists his best-case scenario as Ray Allen, worst case the Miami Heat version of Eddie Jones
Joey Graham
6’7”, 216 lbs., SF, Oklahoma St.
Even more so than Wright, Graham is a superb athlete. He tested as the number one athlete at the Chicago pre-draft combine, and his body type, athleticism, and finishing abilities are often compared to Corey Maggette. And while his jumping ability and strength allow him to finish at will around the basket, he also has a great mid range game. An extremely effective defender as well, especially against smaller swingmen. Like Wright, he would provide the Wolves with a much needed slasher-type swingman.
Yaroslav Korolev
6’9”, 215, SF, Russia
While this pick would be more about potential (a risky move as Garnett’s – and the team’s – window of opportunity creeps toward closing), Korolev’s upside is almost too much to pass on. He’s a much better athlete than most Europeans are, and his athleticism is a great match for his length and wingspan. With his above average ball-handling skills (he could easily be a point-forward type), he is very successful at driving to the basket and scoring. He is also a great passer and playmaker, and a nice outside shooter as well. In addition, his father was a former pro basketball player, so his work ethic and dedication are more reliable than some. Word has it that he may have a promise from the Clippers at #12, however.
Raymond Felton
6’, 200 lbs., PG, North Carolina
If he even lasts that long to begin with, he is almost assured to go to Charlotte at #13. But if he somehow happens to drop to #14, the Wolves would have a hard time passing up such a quality future point guard option. He is one of the fastest players in the draft, which would fit in well with the philosophy of new coach Randy Casey. He is also a great playmaker and floor leader. His outside shot could be better, but it is still much improved and he continues to work on it. He would be great backing up Cassell for a season if the Wolves could find a way to unload Hudson.
Ike Diogu
6’9”, 250 lbs, PF/C?, Arizona State
While PF is the one position that the Wolves are most set at, Diogu’s above average length and shot blocking ability (aided by a 7’4” wingspan) might be enough to pair him alongside Garnett in a center-less frontcourt. With his wingspan, he is often compared to Elton Brand. He is a great rebounder, and together he and KG would dominate the glass. Offensively, he can bang down low like a big man and score effectively with his back to the basket. But, he also has the ability to shoot, including from 3-point range. Though he may lack the explosiveness of some of the others in his class, his polished skills, tremendous wingspan, and willingness to get dirty in the paint make him an attractive prospect nonetheless. |
