It’s never happened before, but the Timberwolves have a 25 percent chance to win the NBA Draft Lottery and the No. 1 pick in this summer’s draft.
If the ping-pong balls bounce Minnesota’s way, the mock drafts are hinting at a selection of one of two big men: Kentucky freshman Karl-Anthony Towns or Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor.
According to FOX Sports North, the Wolves can’t fall further than fourth in the lottery; but don’t be surprised if they don’t get the top pick. In 18 previous lottery years they’ve dropped 10 times and stayed put eight. They have never moved up.
Towns vs. Okafor
Wall Street Journal profiled Towns and said he was nearly unstoppable at times in the post, but his immediate impact in the NBA would come as a potentially dominant defensive center. Towns had a block rate of 11.5 percent, which equates to more than one block every 10 shots.
Towns, 6-foot-11, has a wingspan of 7-feet – five inches less than Okafor, according to Draft Express, But despite his size advantage over Towns, Okafor “offers very little in the way of rim-protection,” Draft Express says.
Offensively, experts say Towns has a ton of upside while Okafor is already a polished low-post scorer.
Mock Drafts
Sports Illustrated: Towns
“Let the debate begin: Karl Towns vs. Jahlil Okafor is the NBA’s version of Jameis Winston vs. Marcus Mariota. The early nod goes to Towns, whose free throw shooting (81.3%) has become an increasingly popular topic amongst NBA executives. Think about this: Towns will likely get at least a year of Power Forward 101 from Kevin Garnett.”
“Towns’ potential to dominate on both ends of the court makes him not only a safer bet than Duke’s Jahlil Okafor, but also one that could have more upside as well.”
Towns an excellent interview
In an interview with WKYT, Towns said his defensive IQ and offensive post presence improved dramatically in his one season at Kentucky. The 19-year-old is very comfortable answering questions. Check it out for yourself.
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