Draft Express Timberwolves Grade: Winners!!!

[UnFadeable21]

6-7 194lbs

Round 1 Grade Summary

Minnesota Timberwolves

Jonathan Givony: Minnesota got great value moving up from No. 11 to No. 6 -- only needing to give up Dario Saric in the deal -- and then picking one of the most versatile players in the draft in Jarrett Culver.

Setting a culture is among the first things a new NBA general manager needs to do upon taking on a job. Gersson Rosas adding a player with the intangibles, work ethic and coachability of Culver will help significantly with that endeavor. Culver also brings the ability to shoulder significant ball-handling responsibilities, which he did as Texas Tech's de facto point guard this season despite standing 6-foot-7. That will be essential considering the lack of shot creation on Minnesota's roster.

Pre-Draft Analysis
Strengths
- Prototypical size with a great frame. Strong legs. Above-average straight-line athlete who can play above the rim in space or change speeds going to his right. Physical around the rim. Doesn't shy away from contact. Should look more explosive to the rim with NBA spacing.

- Shot creator who can generate offense for himself or others from all over the floor. Played a fair amount of point guard for Tech. Can make pick-and-roll pull-ups, get to the rim against drop coverages or make most basic ball-screen passes. Loves to operate out of the mid-post. Can get to turnarounds or short pull-ups, where he's most comfortable.

- Two-way potential. Strong defensive fundamentals and tools. Should be able to check positions 1-3 at the NBA level. Will stick his nose in and defensive rebound. Praised for his work ethic. Young for a sophomore.

Improvement areas
- Inconsistent shooter who overhauled his mechanics between his freshman and sophomore seasons. Shot well under 30 percent from 3 the last 25 games after a hot start. Unnatural pause near the top of his release. Shoots on the way down at times. Much more comfortable off the dribble than the catch. Turns down open spots for contested pull-ups. How effective will he be playing off the ball early in his career if he goes into a shooting slump? Will the team that drafts him be willing to hand over the ball and allow him to generate offense as a rookie?

- Not the shiftiest ball handler. More of a straight-line athlete. Lacks a degree of wiggle. Struggles to get by elite defenders in the half court, largely due to his shaky 3-ball and lack of creativity with his handle. Can he generate enough high-percentage offense against NBA defenders? Shot much better against bad teams.

- Offensive confidence and defensive physicality tend to fluctuate more than his reputation suggests. Went into a major slump in Tech's last three tournament games. Prone to occasional defensive lapses. Average length.

Full scouting report Insider

Post-Draft Analysis
The Timberwolves traded up to No. 6 to select Jarrett Culver here.

Minnesota didn't have to give up too much to move from 11 to 6, and the Timberwolves should like the fit of Jarrett Culver with their existing backcourt of Jeff Teague and Tyus Jones -- which should allow them to ease the Texas Tech product into playing both guard spots. Setting a culture is often the first thing a new NBA executive tries to do, and recently hired Timberwolves general manager Gersson Rosas will like the toughness, versatility and basketball IQ that Culver brings to the table. -- Jonathan Givony

[UnFadeable21]

Espn just posted their entire first round grades and the wolves were posted as second best

[KGdaBom]

Espn just posted their entire first round grades and the wolves were posted as second best

Nice. Can you get a printout of what they had to say about the Wolves?

[D1SGRUNTL3D]

Espn just posted their entire first round grades and the wolves were posted as second best

butbutbut Coby White!!

[Neeva]

Espn just posted their entire first round grades and the wolves were posted as second best

butbutbut Coby White!!

Im so happy he’s on a team I do not like. i also see Garland being injury riddled.

[Murphs56]

"Only Saric" lol. Draft Express loves the move.

[Jedzz]

Jonathan Givony: (CROPPED)
Strengths
- Played a fair amount of point guard for Tech.
- Loves to operate out of the mid-post. Can get to turnarounds or short pull-ups, where he's most comfortable.
- Two-way potential. Strong defensive fundamentals and tools. Should be able to check positions 1-3 at the NBA level. Will stick his nose in and defensive rebound. Praised for his work ethic.

Improvement areas
- Inconsistent shooter who overhauled his mechanics between his freshman and sophomore seasons.
- Shot well under 30 percent from 3 the last 25 games after a hot start. Unnatural pause near the top of his release. Shoots on the way down at times.
- Much more comfortable off the dribble than the catch.
- Turns down open spots for contested pull-ups. How effective will he be playing off the ball early in his career if he goes into a shooting slump? Will the team that drafts him be willing to hand over the ball and allow him to generate offense as a rookie?

- Not the shiftiest ball handler. More of a straight-line athlete. Lacks a degree of wiggle. Struggles to get by elite defenders in the half court, largely due to his shaky 3-ball and lack of creativity with his handle. Can he generate enough high-percentage offense against NBA defenders? Shot much better against bad teams.

- Offensive confidence and defensive physicality tend to fluctuate more than his reputation suggests. Went into a major slump in Tech's last three tournament games. Prone to occasional defensive lapses. Average length.

#6 overall plus Saric for what the Wolves got at pick 20 last season. The defacto PG experience not withstanding.


He'll have to compete with Wiggins for the "short pull-up and turnarounds" availability.

[Jedzz]

Espn just posted their entire first round grades and the wolves were posted as second best

butbutbut Coby White!!

Im so happy he’s on a team I do not like. i also see Garland being injury riddled.

That was my concern about Garland. No way to know if he can handle competition longterm with anyone of this level. Didn't even get to see enough at college level. Small, start with knee issues. Good luck to him.

[UnFadeable21]

Espn just posted their entire first round grades and the wolves were posted as second best

Nice. Can you get a printout of what they had to say about the Wolves?

It’s the first two paragraphs in the first post

[Murphs56]

Read on Twitter

[D1SGRUNTL3D]

damn..Phoenix is getting taken to the shed in these gradings, poor bastards