The Minnesota Timberwolves are all set for their second consecutive trip to the Western Conference Finals and another crack at making the first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history after defeating the Golden State Warriors in five games.
With a bright presence and an even brighter future with Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves hold the 17th and 31st overall picks via Detroit and Utah in this year’s NBA draft. Barring a trade, these two picks will be important for strengthening Minnesota’s depth, and one analyst predicts the Timberwolves to go after a versatile frontcourt player with the first pick.
Timberwolves Predicted To Select Danny Wolf With the No. 17 Overall Pick
With Minnesota starting to dominate in the last few seasons, they are expected to stick with their core next season. President of basketball operations Tim Connelly will look to continue strengthening Minnesota’s roster around Edwards, and ESPN analyst Jeremy Woo predicts him to select Danny Wolf out of Michigan.
“The Pistons breaking through and making the playoffs conveyed this pick to the Timberwolves, who have a nice opportunity to add talent after having traded away most of their draft capital since Tim Connelly took over as president,” Woo wrote. “Wolf would give them a versatile frontcourt player capable of contributing sooner rather than later.
“Minnesota will also consider using this pick to improve its roster as it pushes to contend around an ascending Anthony Edwards.”
At 7’0″, Wolf possesses an unusually high level of ball-handling and passing skill for the position. He nearly averaged a double-double for the Wolverines this past season with 13.2 PPG and 9.7 RPG, while adding just under four assists per game as one of the primary playmakers.
Wolf isn’t an efficient 3-point shooter (33.6% for his collegiate career), but he is a fluid athlete for his size. Additionally, given the shooting depth in Minnesota, his 3-pointers won’t be needed much.
PFSN’s Mock Draft Projection for Timberwolves
In PFSN’s latest NBA mock draft by Sterling Xie, the Timberwolves were predicted to select Will Riley out of Illinois. A 6’7” wing who is still a little raw after one season in college, Riley averaged 12.6 points per game for the Illini, with a strong assist-to-turnover ratio for a wing (roughly 2-to-1).
“He could also use more weight at 195 pounds, not an uncommon issue for teenage prospects,” Xie wrote. “Still, the Minnesota Timberwolves could target him as their next versatile two-way wing, in the mold of what they’ve rolled out with Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in recent seasons.”
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Meanwhile, Wolf slipped two spots down to the Brooklyn Nets.
“Wolf isn’t an efficient 3-point shooter (33.6% for his collegiate career), but some of that is due to his shot selection,” Xie noted. “In the NBA, it’s highly unlikely Wolf will be given the green light to take step-back and off-the-dribble 3s, at least initially. That could help improve his percentage while also cutting down on his unsightly 3.2 turnovers per game.
“Defensively, Wolf’s lack of high-end athleticism means he won’t be a great rim protector. However, his mobility lets him survive in space, which could make him a nice complement to current Nets center Claxton (who is a more traditional paint-bound rim protector and rebounder).”
