The ball finally bounced their way: Wolves get No. 1 pick in 2020 NBA Draft由asjkfj 发表在翻译团招工部 https://bbs.hupu.com/fyt-store
The Minnesota Timberwolves, the NBA lottery’s favorite punching bag, are sitting on top at long last.
For the first time in franchise history, the Timberwolves improved their position in the draft lottery, moving up to the No. 1 pick after Thursday’s drawing. In 21 previous trips to the annual crapshoot, the Wolves had only stayed put or fallen in the final order. That includes in 2015, when they had the league’s worst record and finished with the No. 1 pick, which they used to select Karl-Anthony Towns.
Technically, the Timberwolves had as good of a chance as any in the 14-team field of getting the top pick. But a franchise that missed out on Shaquille O’Neal in 1992 and Kyrie Irving in 2011, not to mention numerous other occasions when they fell much further back than they would have if the league just set the order by record, wasn’t holding its breath and expecting good things.
The Timberwolves entered the night with a 14 percent chance of moving up to No. 1. Those odds were tied with Golden State and Cleveland for the best in the league. The Warriors (15-50) and the Cavaliers (19-46) were just “ahead” of the Wolves (19-45) on the lotto pecking order. They could have fallen as far as seventh, but their best chance was a 26 percent likelihood of picking sixth.
Now they just have to figure out what to do with the pick. It is perhaps fitting that the one time the Wolves get lucky they do so for a draft class that is underwhelming at the top. At first glance, there does not appear to be a Shaq, a LeBron or even a KAT sitting up there ready to come in and be a franchise cornerstone from the jump. Making a selection at No. 1 will be as much about fit as it is about skill level, and with COVID-19 severely limiting opportunities to scout players in person, talent evaluators are going to be tested like never before.
“They’ve talked about this as being similar to past drafts, the Anthony Bennett draft (in 2013) for example. But to be fair, the reigning MVP was part of that draft as well,” Rosas said, referring to Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was taken 15th that year. “We’ve got to do our job. The reality is it’s a great position to be in. We’ve got three great picks in this draft. We have an opportunity to move this organization forward.”
2020 NBA Draft lottery results
1：Minnesota Timberwolves
2：Golden State Warriors
3：Charlotte Hornets
4：Chicago Bulls
5：Cleveland Cavaliers
6：Atlanta Hawks
7：Detroit Pistons
8：New York Knicks
9：Washington Wizards
10：Phoenix Suns
11：San Antonio Spurs
12：Sacramento Kings
13：New Orleans Pelicans
14：Boston Celtics (via MEM)
All of that could mean that Rosas looks to get aggressive in packaging the pick with other assets in search of a veteran to add to the youngest roster in the league. Rosas likes to chase stars, and now he has the kind of shiny asset that can headline a package. But, as The Athletic’s Ethan Strauss pointed out this week in the Point of Contention podcast, the lack of in-arena scouting might prevent executives from getting that “fall-in-love” moment with a prospect. There will be much more uncertainty baked into this draft, and therefore there might be a reduced value on the picks. The wheeling and the dealing that usually dominates the days leading up to the draft, and draft night, could be scaled back this year.
“We have an open mind as we go through all of this,” Rosas said. “We want to do what’s best for this organization. And it means being thorough, being diligent and looking at every option. Draft, trade, free agency, whatever the case may be.”
The Wolves will enter the night with three of the top 33 picks, including the Brooklyn Nets’ first-round pick and their pick near the top of the second round, a very nice bucket of assets with which to play. If they do decide to hold on to No. 1, there are several ways they could go.
LaMelo Ball, G, Illawarra Hawks: Lonzo’s younger brother is another big, ballhandling guard who tantalizes with his combination of size and floor game. He has been tested by playing in Lithuania and Australia, which caused him to grow up fast. Defense and shot selection, in addition to his sub-30 percent shooting from deep, will be things to watch in the NBA, but pairing him with Russell could give the Wolves two big guards who can get the ball up the floor quickly and break down defenses in the half court. How would LaVar Ball feel about his son in Minnesota? The patriarch of the Ball family has not been as visible as he was when Lonzo came into the league with the Lakers, but that dynamic would require some serious investigation before investing a pick this high on a player with talent, but a lot of work to do.
Anthony Edwards, G/F, Georgia: Our Sam Vecenie calls Edwards the closest thing to a consensus player at the top of this draft. That doesn’t mean he’s the consensus No. 1, but Vecenie has heard time and again that he’s “a top-five prospect, and most consider him a top-three.” He is a gifted scorer with size and quickness to create for himself or his teammates. But there are big questions about his motor, and the Timberwolves just traded a big, athletic wing who was a former No. 1 overall pick in large part because they never saw Andrew Wiggins bring it on a consistent basis. Like Wiggins, Edwards isn’t the most efficient player in the world. His 29 percent shooting from 3 at Georgia is cause for concern.
Obi Toppin, F, Dayton: He’s a Flyer (sorry). Super athletic and explosive, Toppin was a dunking machine as he rocketed up the draft boards during the college season. Aggressiveness like that on offense could provide some electricity for two stars, Towns and Russell, who aren’t in the category of athletic freaks. He can shoot, pass and make plays. The biggest issue for Toppin comes on defense, and that’s where the Wolves need the most help. Assuming Malik Beasley returns next season, they have plenty of guys in their starting lineup who can put the ball in the hole, which is Toppin’s specialty. They need stoppers, and the 22-year-old Toppin does not qualify there.
James Wiseman, C, Memphis: Vecenie sees defensive potential in the big, mobile Wiseman, but it is hard to see the Wolves drafting him when Towns is on the roster. There does not appear to be much of an appetite for moving Towns to power forward to pair with another big in a twin-tower frontcourt, but there is no question KAT needs some help defensively and on the glass. Wiseman was getting some love as a potential No. 1 overall pick before his lone season in Memphis was derailed after just three games. But the Wolves like the idea of a smaller, more mobile team that shoots 3s from all over the court. Wiseman does not fit that mold.
There are several other intriguing prospects available, including Israel’s Deni Avdija, USC’s Onyeka Okongwu, Auburn’s Isaac Okoro and point guards Killian Hayes (France) and Tyrese Halliburton (Iowa State). But none of them are getting frequent mention for the top overall pick. The Wolves could always trade down as well because though there might not be the surefire, no-doubter multi-time All-Star at the top of the board, this class is rich with depth later in the lottery.
After catching some much-needed luck, the Timberwolves will enter the October draft with a plethora of options. For now, Rosas, coach Ryan Saunders and the rest of the staff has to be walking a little bit taller. They have been adamant that this franchise’s days as a Western Conference doormat beset by drama and misfortune are coming to an end. Rosas has pledged over and over to do things that haven’t been done here before.
Rosas can point to the trades for Russell and Malik Beasley, the jettisoning of Wiggins and Jeff Teague, the hiring of a diverse and community-engaged staff as evidence that the Timberwolves are operating differently these days. Coming off a 19-45 first season, they have a long way to go to show that things will be different on the court.
On Thursday night, the Timberwolves sat on top of the NBA Draft Lottery. They were lucky, for once. If that ain’t a sign that the times are changin’ …
The Minnesota Timberwolves, the NBA lottery’s favorite punching bag, are sitting on top at long last.
For the first time in franchise history, the Timberwolves improved their position in the draft lottery, moving up to the No. 1 pick after Thursday’s drawing. In 21 previous trips to the annual crapshoot, the Wolves had only stayed put or fallen in the final order. That includes in 2015, when they had the league’s worst record and finished with the No. 1 pick, which they used to select Karl-Anthony Towns.
Technically, the Timberwolves had as good of a chance as any in the 14-team field of getting the top pick. But a franchise that missed out on Shaquille O’Neal in 1992 and Kyrie Irving in 2011, not to mention numerous other occasions when they fell much further back than they would have if the league just set the order by record, wasn’t holding its breath and expecting good things.
The Timberwolves entered the night with a 14 percent chance of moving up to No. 1. Those odds were tied with Golden State and Cleveland for the best in the league. The Warriors (15-50) and the Cavaliers (19-46) were just “ahead” of the Wolves (19-45) on the lotto pecking order. They could have fallen as far as seventh, but their best chance was a 26 percent likelihood of picking sixth.
Now they just have to figure out what to do with the pick. It is perhaps fitting that the one time the Wolves get lucky they do so for a draft class that is underwhelming at the top. At first glance, there does not appear to be a Shaq, a LeBron or even a KAT sitting up there ready to come in and be a franchise cornerstone from the jump. Making a selection at No. 1 will be as much about fit as it is about skill level, and with COVID-19 severely limiting opportunities to scout players in person, talent evaluators are going to be tested like never before.
“They’ve talked about this as being similar to past drafts, the Anthony Bennett draft (in 2013) for example. But to be fair, the reigning MVP was part of that draft as well,” Rosas said, referring to Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was taken 15th that year. “We’ve got to do our job. The reality is it’s a great position to be in. We’ve got three great picks in this draft. We have an opportunity to move this organization forward.”
2020 NBA Draft lottery results
1：Minnesota Timberwolves
2：Golden State Warriors
3：Charlotte Hornets
4：Chicago Bulls
5：Cleveland Cavaliers
6：Atlanta Hawks
7：Detroit Pistons
8：New York Knicks
9：Washington Wizards
10：Phoenix Suns
11：San Antonio Spurs
12：Sacramento Kings
13：New Orleans Pelicans
14：Boston Celtics (via MEM)
All of that could mean that Rosas looks to get aggressive in packaging the pick with other assets in search of a veteran to add to the youngest roster in the league. Rosas likes to chase stars, and now he has the kind of shiny asset that can headline a package. But, as The Athletic’s Ethan Strauss pointed out this week in the Point of Contention podcast, the lack of in-arena scouting might prevent executives from getting that “fall-in-love” moment with a prospect. There will be much more uncertainty baked into this draft, and therefore there might be a reduced value on the picks. The wheeling and the dealing that usually dominates the days leading up to the draft, and draft night, could be scaled back this year.
“We have an open mind as we go through all of this,” Rosas said. “We want to do what’s best for this organization. And it means being thorough, being diligent and looking at every option. Draft, trade, free agency, whatever the case may be.”
The Wolves will enter the night with three of the top 33 picks, including the Brooklyn Nets’ first-round pick and their pick near the top of the second round, a very nice bucket of assets with which to play. If they do decide to hold on to No. 1, there are several ways they could go.
LaMelo Ball, G, Illawarra Hawks: Lonzo’s younger brother is another big, ballhandling guard who tantalizes with his combination of size and floor game. He has been tested by playing in Lithuania and Australia, which caused him to grow up fast. Defense and shot selection, in addition to his sub-30 percent shooting from deep, will be things to watch in the NBA, but pairing him with Russell could give the Wolves two big guards who can get the ball up the floor quickly and break down defenses in the half court. How would LaVar Ball feel about his son in Minnesota? The patriarch of the Ball family has not been as visible as he was when Lonzo came into the league with the Lakers, but that dynamic would require some serious investigation before investing a pick this high on a player with talent, but a lot of work to do.
Anthony Edwards, G/F, Georgia: Our Sam Vecenie calls Edwards the closest thing to a consensus player at the top of this draft. That doesn’t mean he’s the consensus No. 1, but Vecenie has heard time and again that he’s “a top-five prospect, and most consider him a top-three.” He is a gifted scorer with size and quickness to create for himself or his teammates. But there are big questions about his motor, and the Timberwolves just traded a big, athletic wing who was a former No. 1 overall pick in large part because they never saw Andrew Wiggins bring it on a consistent basis. Like Wiggins, Edwards isn’t the most efficient player in the world. His 29 percent shooting from 3 at Georgia is cause for concern.
Obi Toppin, F, Dayton: He’s a Flyer (sorry). Super athletic and explosive, Toppin was a dunking machine as he rocketed up the draft boards during the college season. Aggressiveness like that on offense could provide some electricity for two stars, Towns and Russell, who aren’t in the category of athletic freaks. He can shoot, pass and make plays. The biggest issue for Toppin comes on defense, and that’s where the Wolves need the most help. Assuming Malik Beasley returns next season, they have plenty of guys in their starting lineup who can put the ball in the hole, which is Toppin’s specialty. They need stoppers, and the 22-year-old Toppin does not qualify there.
James Wiseman, C, Memphis: Vecenie sees defensive potential in the big, mobile Wiseman, but it is hard to see the Wolves drafting him when Towns is on the roster. There does not appear to be much of an appetite for moving Towns to power forward to pair with another big in a twin-tower frontcourt, but there is no question KAT needs some help defensively and on the glass. Wiseman was getting some love as a potential No. 1 overall pick before his lone season in Memphis was derailed after just three games. But the Wolves like the idea of a smaller, more mobile team that shoots 3s from all over the court. Wiseman does not fit that mold.
There are several other intriguing prospects available, including Israel’s Deni Avdija, USC’s Onyeka Okongwu, Auburn’s Isaac Okoro and point guards Killian Hayes (France) and Tyrese Halliburton (Iowa State). But none of them are getting frequent mention for the top overall pick. The Wolves could always trade down as well because though there might not be the surefire, no-doubter multi-time All-Star at the top of the board, this class is rich with depth later in the lottery.
After catching some much-needed luck, the Timberwolves will enter the October draft with a plethora of options. For now, Rosas, coach Ryan Saunders and the rest of the staff has to be walking a little bit taller. They have been adamant that this franchise’s days as a Western Conference doormat beset by drama and misfortune are coming to an end. Rosas has pledged over and over to do things that haven’t been done here before.
Rosas can point to the trades for Russell and Malik Beasley, the jettisoning of Wiggins and Jeff Teague, the hiring of a diverse and community-engaged staff as evidence that the Timberwolves are operating differently these days. Coming off a 19-45 first season, they have a long way to go to show that things will be different on the court.
On Thursday night, the Timberwolves sat on top of the NBA Draft Lottery. They were lucky, for once. If that ain’t a sign that the times are changin’ …
推荐
评论 (2)
收藏
分享
举报
只看楼主
