With five picks in this year's draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a chance to add some talented depth to the team. They are pretty much in position to just take the best players available, because this team just has to get better all around.
With the sixth overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select....
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2009 Free Agents
- Bobby Brown (Player Option - Restricted)
- Kevin Ollie (Unrestricted)
- Shelden Williams (Unrestricted)
- Rodney Carney (Unrestricted)
- Jason Collins (Unrestricted)
Minnesota is basically cutting dead weight from their roster this summer, minus Carney. I wouldn't expect Minnesota to re-sign any of these players.
Depth Chart (Pre-Draft)
PG: Randy Foye - Sebastian Telfair
SG: Mike Miller
SF: Ryan Gomes - Corey Brewer
PF: Kevin Love - Craig Smith - Brian Cardinal
C: Al Jefferson - Mark Madsen
Why Brian Cardinal AND Mark Madsen are both still in the league is beyond me. How the heck did they end up on the same team?? Yuck!! Shame that they will both be Unrestricted Free Agents next summer. Will they be cashing in like LeBron and Co??
Draft Picks (Mock Picks)
- 6th overall - Stephen Curry, PG/SG, Davidson - I think the T-Wolves put a damper in the Knicks draft plans by taking Curry here. He and Randy Foye are both combo guards, so putting them in the same back court makes perfect sense.
- 18th overall - Terrence Williams, SG/SF, Louisville - Again, Williams is a combo wing player, so he can fit in different lineups and sets.
- 28th overall - DeMarre Carroll, PF, Missouri - A big man that can hit a nice mid-range jumper ala Kevin Love. Carroll will bang for this team and could be a nice steal in the late first round.
- 45th overall - Alade Aminu, PF/C, Georgia Tech - Another guy to add depth on that front line. With Madsen, Cardinal, and possibly Craig Smith gone after next summer, it is wise to get this kid into the rotation this season.
- 47th overall - Lester Hudson, PG/SG, Tennessee Martin - Minnesota keeps with their theme of combo players and takes Hudson here. He can score in bunches, so if he is on the court with Curry or Foye, whoever doesn't have the ball will have the green light.
Depth Chart (Post-Draft)
PG: Stephen Curry - Sebastian Telfair - Lester Hudson
SG: Randy Foye - Terrence Williams - Lester Hudson
SF: Mike Miller - Corey Brewer - Terrence Williams
PF: Kevin Love - DeMarre Carroll - Ryan Gomes - Brian Cardinal
C: Al Jefferson - Craig Smith - Alade Aminu - Mark Madsen
Players on Trade Block
- Mike Miller
He really is the only player on the team with a contract that is favorable in a trade. Miller isn't in the T-Wolves long term plans, so it would make sense to trade him during the season, probably close to the deadline.
Final Analysis
This team is young, but can really add a lot of talent to their team with this draft. Will they keep all of their picks or make some trades with them? That is yet to be seen. I read a couple of rumors that stated they wanted to trade up in the draft, but with the sixth pick, that really isn't necessary in my opinion. If they wanted to trade that sixth pick for an established player, then that makes more sense to me.
This team should be pretty active the week of and the night of the draft, so pay attention to what they do with this roster.
Comments
I think I'm most interested in what the T-Wolves are going to do this summer. Just for the fact that they have five draft picks. They are in the same position that the Trailblazers were in a few seasons ago and look what they have amassed now.
If they play their cards right, they could end up with some very solid picks this year and next.
I would rather have stephen curry with the sixth pick but I think they are going to take tyreke evans and that they will probley trade there other two first rounders or at least one but who knows what for
You are probably right about Evans, but it's all a crap shoot until next week!
That is what I love about the Draft in the NBA and NFL...so much uncertainty.
man i hope we draft Tyreke Evans and then trade the two other picks to move up in the draft
Gosh, for some reason I have a feeling that they are going to take Brandon Jennings. I don't know why, but just a hunch. I also have a bad feeling that they are going to take BJ Mullens with the 28th pick, if they still have it.
By the way, what the F happened to Shelden Williams? Was he so intimidated by his wife's talent that he's lost the will to play ball? I could see a contender (SA, LAL) picking him up for cheap and getting 10-12 good minutes a night out of him.
The T'wolves were hot for Hinrich last season so i wonder if they try to snatch him from the Bulls before the draft.