Day seven of our 2017 NBA Draftmas special is here and it is time to look at one of the most promising young teams in the league: the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Even with Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, the Timberwolves still finished second to last in league attendance in 2016-17. (Photo by Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)
The Timberwolves have failed to reach the .500 mark since the 2004-05 season. Since then, the team has changed head coaches ten times, eventually landing former Bulls’ head coach and Boston Celtic’s assistant Tom Thibodeau. In his first season with Minnesota, Thibodeau lead the team a 31-51 record, while being ranked 10th in offense and 27th in defense.
An interesting predicament for the Timberwolves is attracting fans, as they had the league’s second worst attendance record during the 2016-17 season. They even have two first overall picks in Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns on the roster.
Wiggins is the team’s main scoring option on the wing, as he averaged 23.6 points on 19.1 field goal attempts per game. The 2014-15 Rookie of the Year has significantly improved in each of his three seasons, and is a major piece of the Timberwolves’ puzzle moving forward.
Towns, who also won the Rookie of the Year (2015-16), is beginning to emerge into a superstar. The 21-year-old averaged 25 points on 18 field goal attempts per game, while also pulling down 12.3 boards and dishing out 2.7 assists. The Timberwolves have an extremely bright future with the tandem of Wiggins and Towns.
Their glaring weakness is defense, although this should naturally get better as the team grows and chemistry improves. Also, Coach Thibodeau is known for being a defensive guru, which bodes well for their chances to improve in this area of the game.
The Timberwolves have a great core of young players. With a top 10 pick, they will have plenty of options moving forward.
First Round: No. 7
Rumor has it that Thibodeau has no interest in adding a rookie, as he believes this team’s major need is a veteran presence. If the Timberwolves were to add a player through the draft, it seems their most glaring need is at the power forward position.
Jonathan Isaac is sky rocketing up draft boards. (Photo by NCAA.com)
Pick #7: Jonathan Isaac, F, Florida State University
Jonathan Isaac is a true freshman that has been sky rocketing up teams draft boards. He has drawn comparisons to the likes of Kevin Durant because of his lanky 6-foot-10, 210-pound frame and his lethal shooting ability.
Durant averaged almost 26 points per game in his freshman year, whereas Isaac only averaged 12. However, they both possess similar skill sets. Isaac shot 50.1 percent from the field on eight field goal attempts per game and 34.8 percent from behind the arc on about three three-point field goal attempts. Durant had nearly double the amount of field goals and three pointers attempted, but had eerily similar shooting percentages of 47.3 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from three.
Isaac is lethal from mid-range and has no problem stepping out to hit a 3-pointer, which shows he can be a versatile scoring option at the next level. He is also an above-average defender and rebounder, as he recorded 7.8 rebounds and over one steal and block per game. His size and athleticism only increase his level of versatility, as he will be able to guard a multitude of different positions.
If the Timberwolves are lucky enough to land Isaac, they will have a perfect stretch big to pair with their dominant wing scorer Andrew Wiggins and superstar center Karl-Anthony Towns. Whether the team selects Isaac or not, Minnesota fans will have a lot to look forward to in the future.
Thanks for checking out the Minnesota Timberwolves 2017 NBA Draft profile and stay tuned today to see what the New York Knicks may do.
Featured Image by the Pioneer Press
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