For the past few weeks there has been a common two-part opinion about the Timberwolves and the No. 1 pick in the draft.
First, it was hard to find a report that didn’t say Wolves coach-president Flip Saunders favored Jahlil Okafor. Secondly, those same reporters were confident that Saunders would eventually have a change of heart in favor of Karl-Anthony Towns, who is quickly becoming the consensus No. 1 player in the draft.
As it turns out, those reporters might be right. Here’s the latest from a couple of local guys, Jon Krawczynski and Darren Wolfson, reacting to a tweet saying Towns is the favorite and it’s “not even close.”
Any report the Timberwolves are undecided on who to take first is smoke. Every NBA person I've spoken w/ said its Towns & not even close.
— Joe Kotoch Real Estate (@luxuryagentchi) June 9, 2015
@PhillipMoore33 @DWolfsonKSTP @Probballdraft He may have favored Okafor at one time, but that's changed.
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) June 9, 2015
@PhillipMoore33 @APkrawczynski @r_mack @Probballdraft What's changed: it's no longer just best overall player. It's who fits w/ AW best.
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) June 9, 2015
Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix predicted the Wolves will take Towns in his most recent mock draft, which was released June 10. Towns’ ability to run the floor makes him a better fit than Okafor in Minnesota’s uptempo offense, Mannix says.
Last weekend, Saunders told Mannix on NBC Sports Radio that he’s still undecided about who he wants.
Minnesota has a little more than two weeks to get the pick right. Stay tuned.
