Best/Worst Draft Scenarios
(#1 pick)
Best Case Scenario: Drafting PF/C Karl Anthony-Towns (Kentucky, Freshman)
The near-consensus top prospect in the draft, Towns is as versatile as they come. He’s an excellent defender, certainly the best in this draft, averaging 2.3 blocks and 0.5 steals per game in just 21 minutes in his only season at Kentucky. He’s a solid rebounder (6.7 per game), and also hits his free throws at a very impressive 81.3% clip. His offensive game is still a work in progress, but he has a nice mid-range jumper that can be put to use immediately in the pros, and which helped him average 10.3 points on a highly efficient 56.6% shooting in college. With Minnesota being relatively loaded with young talent in the backcourt and on the wings, as well as having Gorgui Dieng and Nikola Pekovic fighting more minutes at center, Towns is that much more perfect of a fit at power forward -- a position of need for the Timberwolves. A future starting lineup of PG Ricky Rubio, SG Zach LaVine, SF/SG Andrew Wiggins, PF/C Karl Anthony-Towns, and C Gorgui Dieng could become perennial title contenders in as little as a few years.
Worst Case Scenario: Drafting anyone but Towns
This is highly unlikely, as Towns in considered the best player in the draft and fills a need for the Timberwolves. However, they could still have taking C Jahlil Okafor, PG/SG D’Angelo Russell, or PG Emmanuel Mudiay in mind, and that would be the wrong choice. One could make the case that Okafor is actually better than Towns, but even so, drafting a ball-dominant scorer with some defensive issues at a position where Minnesota is already a little overloaded (center) makes little sense. Russell and Mudiay are regarded as a decent drop-off in talent from Towns and Okafor, so that would already raise some red flags. The fact that they would be drafted into a crowded backcourt featuring Rubio, LaVine, SG Kevin Martin (plus the occasional Wiggins-at-shooting-guard lineup) would be a pretty horrific mistake. Towns is the easy, obvious, and correct choice.
(#1 pick)
Best Case Scenario: Drafting PF/C Karl Anthony-Towns (Kentucky, Freshman)
The near-consensus top prospect in the draft, Towns is as versatile as they come. He’s an excellent defender, certainly the best in this draft, averaging 2.3 blocks and 0.5 steals per game in just 21 minutes in his only season at Kentucky. He’s a solid rebounder (6.7 per game), and also hits his free throws at a very impressive 81.3% clip. His offensive game is still a work in progress, but he has a nice mid-range jumper that can be put to use immediately in the pros, and which helped him average 10.3 points on a highly efficient 56.6% shooting in college. With Minnesota being relatively loaded with young talent in the backcourt and on the wings, as well as having Gorgui Dieng and Nikola Pekovic fighting more minutes at center, Towns is that much more perfect of a fit at power forward -- a position of need for the Timberwolves. A future starting lineup of PG Ricky Rubio, SG Zach LaVine, SF/SG Andrew Wiggins, PF/C Karl Anthony-Towns, and C Gorgui Dieng could become perennial title contenders in as little as a few years.
Worst Case Scenario: Drafting anyone but Towns
This is highly unlikely, as Towns in considered the best player in the draft and fills a need for the Timberwolves. However, they could still have taking C Jahlil Okafor, PG/SG D’Angelo Russell, or PG Emmanuel Mudiay in mind, and that would be the wrong choice. One could make the case that Okafor is actually better than Towns, but even so, drafting a ball-dominant scorer with some defensive issues at a position where Minnesota is already a little overloaded (center) makes little sense. Russell and Mudiay are regarded as a decent drop-off in talent from Towns and Okafor, so that would already raise some red flags. The fact that they would be drafted into a crowded backcourt featuring Rubio, LaVine, SG Kevin Martin (plus the occasional Wiggins-at-shooting-guard lineup) would be a pretty horrific mistake. Towns is the easy, obvious, and correct choice.