Post-draft night depth chart
_____________________________
D'Lo/ McLaughlin/ (17 or 33)
Beasley/Culver/
Okogie/Edwards/ Layman
Juancho/ Johnson/ Vanderbilt
Towns/ Reid/ (17 or 33)
All of them along with Kelan/Evans/Nowell if they're back. Assuming Beasley is locked up and Edwards will get plenty of run, there isn't really room for another 2 players that aren't true wings due to their lack of size (Okogie being 6'3 and Culver 6'5 with a 6'10 wingspan). A big part of defense the Wolves have been lacking is simply having the guy to match up with bigger wing creators like the Kawhis and Tatums of the league. A lack of minutes and/or being forced into spots they aren't suited for can hinder their development as players and isn't ideal. It's likely one of these guys ends up being dealt to make room.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Jarrett Culver
2019/20 stats
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/culveja01.html
PROS
-- He's proven to be a pretty gritty defender with legitimately good hands and instincts for getting deflections and on-ball steals
--Possesses upside to be an on-ball facilitator that Okogie doesn't
--Can still add muscle to his frame while maintaining on-ball fluidity
--has flashed some advanced offensive footwork that could shine in a more traditional half-court offense
CONS
--Jumpshot mechanics are UGLY from what we've seen (although he shot better from 3 post-deadline at 41%)
-- awful free throw shooter at sub-50%
-- struggled with confidence offensively for most of the year and even avoided contact at times
Culver would need A LOT of offensive improvement to become a quality starting wing. His value to the Wolves depends on how much they believe in him to achieve that. What is his on court value if he can't get his shot together?
____________________________________________________________________________
Josh Okogie
2019/20 stats
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/okogijo01.html
PROS
-- High level athlete who knows how to use his tools to affect the game
-- Top 5 free throw rate in the NBA (for non-Centers) behind Jimmy, Harden, Bam and Giannis
-- Great defender who has a knack for getting out and converting in transition after deflections/blocks
-- Good offensive rebounder
-- Moves well without the ball
-- Has good on court chemistry with KAT
CONS
-- Hasn't proven to be an even passable shooter in 2 seasons (career 27% shooter)
-- Lack of coordination and fluidity on-ball shows he doesn't ever project to be an offensive creator/facilitator
-- Can struggle to guard bigger wings due to his lack of size (6'4 in shoes)
I really enjoy Okogie's energy and defensive prowess, but is his upside enough to justify the Wolves sticking with him over Culver?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Obviously this problem isn't as pronounced if the Wolves do end up trading out of this draft, or picking someone other than Edwards or Lamelo with the first pick, but the prospect of including one of these guys in the next move to acquire a better fitting/more valuable asset remains on the front office's dashboard no doubt. Which Player do you have more faith in to be a high level contributor to the next competitive Wolves team?
Discuss...