The Minnesota Timberwolves haven’t had the best luck in the NBA Draft in recent years. So it’s no surprise that SB Nation’s T’Wolves blog, Canis Hoopus, is skeptical about Minnesota’s second pick in the 2011 NBA Draft:
NBA Draft Lottery: T’Wolves Fans Worry About Second Pick
Fate is a cruel mistress, is she not? Once again, the Wolves fall in the draft order, surrendering poll position (and Kyrie Irving) to the Cavaliers. I have a feeling that five years from now, this will be written about in the same vein as just missing out on Shaq, or just missing out on Grant Hill. Once again, the Wolves are one pick behind the big talent dropoff in the draft.While no one’s comparing Kyrie Irving or Derrick Williams to Shaq or Hill, the pool of available players is certainly much shallower behind this draft class’ Big Two, not necessary Tom Ziller’s mock 2011 NBA Draft has the T’Wolves taking Williams at the second pick. So Minnesota’s not exactly the victim of fate’s uppercut.
Actually, there are a lot of positives here. Minnesota general manager David Kahn, off-color whining about a fixed lottery aside, is almost assuredly not going to screw up the Irving-Williams dilemma. The Timberwolves didn’t slide out of the top three, like the Raptors and Wizards did, or trade a top-three pick like the Clippers and Nets did. The second pick now becomes great trade bait if Minnesota would rather add a veteran than draft another youngster. And Kahn probably won’t reach for a point guard like Brandon Knight or Kemba Walker at the second pick, though he might have been sorely tempted to do that at the third spot.
Well, he probably won’t, anyway.
For more on the Minnesota Timberwolves, check out Canis Hoopus and SB Nation Minnesota.
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