Fans are probably still a bit in shock after Kentucky coach John Calipari said Jamal Murray wants to play for the Timberwolves. That’s nice and makes us feel good, but here’s two questions we really need answers to.
- Will Murray be available when the Wolves pick fifth?
- Where do the Wolves rate Murray compared to other prospects?
“I’m saying this to you and no one else. He loves Minnesota,” Calipari said in a national conference call. “As a matter of fact, that’s where he’d like to go.”
Murray is considered a very good 3-point shooter, but he might not be the best in the draft. Buddy Hield might be better, but Hield turns 23 (December) before Murray turns 20 (February).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uK4EwZfZ1s
What about Dunn?
And then there’s the projected top point guard in the draft Kris Dunn. NBA.com’s Scott Howard-Cooper thinks things will get really interesting if Murray, Hield and Dunn are available when the Wolves pick. Will Tom Thibodeau pass up an elite defensive point guard in Dunn to fill that 3-point shooting need?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6WpZnQaYkU
How about a power forward?
Don’t forget about power forwards Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender, or even swingman Jaylen Brown and his freak athleticism out of California. Based on all of the mock drafts, this draft is a total crapshoot because teams are rating players all over the board.
Look what ESPN Insider Chad Ford wrote in a tweet:
“Amazed at how different NBA teams are evaluating draft lottery prospects Kris Dunn, Jamal Murray, Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss, Jaylen Brown & Buddy Hield. Every player is as high as No. 3 on at least one board. As low as No. 8 on at least one board. With that said, it appears Dunn is No. 3 on the most boards right now.”
Trading the pick
Wolves general manager Scott Layden and coach Thibodeau agreed on Tuesday when they said it’s going to be a crazy draft night, and they’ve already fielded calls about trading the pick for established veterans, according to Pro Basketball Talk.
Fallout if they keep the pick
If the Wolves take Dunn they’ll have to figure something out with Ricky Rubio already penciled in as the starting point guard.
If the Wolves take Murray or Hield, they might have to come off the bench as rookies with Zach LaVine entering his third year. Or they could trade Rubio and start Murray or Hield at point guard, a job most experts think Murray would be better suited to do.
If the Wolves take Bender or Chriss, they might be able to start right away next to Karl-Anthony Towns. But that doesn’t answer Minnesota’s shooting woes (ranked 25th in 3-point shooting last season).
With more than 24 hours remaining before the draft, the rumor mill is only going to get more complicated.
