Who should Wolves draft at 19?

[KG4Ever]

Lip, Ja Morant and CP3 both took two years of college, Chandler is one and done. Morant played at Murray State where his competition level was much lower while Tennessee was tied for third most difficult schedule in country, including 3 games against Kentucky where Chandler performed very well. CP and Morant were drafted near the top, with Chandler we are talking about pick 19, so I'd expect them to have shown a bit more. Is Chandler a sure thing to be at that level? Not at all, but he shouldn't be written off either. But he does have elite speed, good agility (2nd at Combine), highest vertical at Combine, a decent wingspan (over 6'5), very fast first step, good hesitation moves, good finishing skills, a nice outside shot, good court vision, tight handle, good passer, tenacious on ball defender, had 2.2 steals, aggressive on both sides, and he's a hard worker, studies the greats, high basketball IQ, is always seeking to improve. At pick 19, I don't see a lot of guys with his upside. Lastly, I think he'd fit in well with the Wolves.

PS: I do admit his free throw shooting last year was not good, but he shot 72% in combined high school, college and AAU ball and according to his college coach, Rick Barnes, shoots about 95% in practice. And his three point shooting in high school, college and AAU was above 40% and during combined SEC and tournament time, he shot 50% from threes. His shot looks smooth and what's more he is often shooting from NBA distance on his threes.

[FNG]

A

Lip, Ja Morant and CP3 both took two years of college, Chandler is one and done. Morant played at Murray State where his competition level was much lower while Tennessee was tied for third most difficult schedule in country, including 3 games against Kentucky where Chandler performed very well. CP and Morant were drafted near the top, with Chandler we are talking about pick 19, so I'd expect them to have shown a bit more. Is Chandler a sure thing to be at that level? Not at all, but he shouldn't be written off either. But he does have elite speed, good agility (2nd at Combine), highest vertical at Combine, a decent wingspan (over 6'5), very fast first step, good hesitation moves, good finishing skills, a nice outside shot, good court vision, tight handle, good passer, tenacious on ball defender, had 2.2 steals, aggressive on both sides, and he's a hard worker, studies the greats, high basketball IQ, is always seeking to improve. At pick 19, I don't see a lot of guys with his upside. Lastly, I think he'd fit in well with the Wolves.

PS: I do admit his free throw shooting last year was not good, but he shot 72% in combined high school, college and AAU ball and according to his college coach, Rick Barnes, shoots about 95% in practice. And his three point shooting in high school, college and AAU was above 40% and during combined SEC and tournament time, he shot 50% from threes. His shot looks smooth and what's more he is often shooting from NBA distance on his threes.

While I'm not completely on board with drafting a PG at 19, Chandler is intriguing to me too. His athleticism and freshman stats compare quite favorably to Ja's, and to KG's point, against far superior opposition. While Ja had more rebounds and assists per game, Chandler outscored him and was the better defender (he's quite disruptive on defense as his 2.2 steals per game shows). Still, absent a deal to move DLo (or even if we move DLo and bring in a free agent PG), any PG we draft would likely be battling for minutes with Wright III in the G League as he would likely be buried behind DLo, PatBev, JMac, and Bolmaro. I'm hoping to get a rotation player at 19. Now if we move DLo or one or more of our other PGs, I might be looking at a PG at 19...especially if Washington Jr. were available...he's not as flashy as some of the other options, but he does look NBA-ready to me and could check some of the boxes some of us see Tyus Jones checking.

[Lipoli390]

A

Lip, Ja Morant and CP3 both took two years of college, Chandler is one and done. Morant played at Murray State where his competition level was much lower while Tennessee was tied for third most difficult schedule in country, including 3 games against Kentucky where Chandler performed very well. CP and Morant were drafted near the top, with Chandler we are talking about pick 19, so I'd expect them to have shown a bit more. Is Chandler a sure thing to be at that level? Not at all, but he shouldn't be written off either. But he does have elite speed, good agility (2nd at Combine), highest vertical at Combine, a decent wingspan (over 6'5), very fast first step, good hesitation moves, good finishing skills, a nice outside shot, good court vision, tight handle, good passer, tenacious on ball defender, had 2.2 steals, aggressive on both sides, and he's a hard worker, studies the greats, high basketball IQ, is always seeking to improve. At pick 19, I don't see a lot of guys with his upside. Lastly, I think he'd fit in well with the Wolves.

PS: I do admit his free throw shooting last year was not good, but he shot 72% in combined high school, college and AAU ball and according to his college coach, Rick Barnes, shoots about 95% in practice. And his three point shooting in high school, college and AAU was above 40% and during combined SEC and tournament time, he shot 50% from threes. His shot looks smooth and what's more he is often shooting from NBA distance on his threes.

While I'm not completely on board with drafting a PG at 19, Chandler is intriguing to me too. His athleticism and freshman stats compare quite favorably to Ja's, and to KG's point, against far superior opposition. While Ja had more rebounds and assists per game, Chandler outscored him and was the better defender (he's quite disruptive on defense as his 2.2 steals per game shows). Still, absent a deal to move DLo (or even if we move DLo and bring in a free agent PG), any PG we draft would likely be battling for minutes with Wright III in the G League as he would likely be buried behind DLo, PatBev, JMac, and Bolmaro. I'm hoping to get a rotation player at 19. Now if we move DLo or one or more of our other PGs, I might be looking at a PG at 19...especially if Washington Jr. were available...he's not as flashy as some of the other options, but he does look NBA-ready to me and could check some of the boxes some of us see Tyus Jones checking.

I'm not looking for a particular fit or even a rotation player next season. I'm looking for the best talent. I think the Wolves will have better talent than Chandler available at #19.

[Lipoli390]

Lip, Ja Morant and CP3 both took two years of college, Chandler is one and done. Morant played at Murray State where his competition level was much lower while Tennessee was tied for third most difficult schedule in country, including 3 games against Kentucky where Chandler performed very well. CP and Morant were drafted near the top, with Chandler we are talking about pick 19, so I'd expect them to have shown a bit more. Is Chandler a sure thing to be at that level? Not at all, but he shouldn't be written off either. But he does have elite speed, good agility (2nd at Combine), highest vertical at Combine, a decent wingspan (over 6'5), very fast first step, good hesitation moves, good finishing skills, a nice outside shot, good court vision, tight handle, good passer, tenacious on ball defender, had 2.2 steals, aggressive on both sides, and he's a hard worker, studies the greats, high basketball IQ, is always seeking to improve. At pick 19, I don't see a lot of guys with his upside. Lastly, I think he'd fit in well with the Wolves.

PS: I do admit his free throw shooting last year was not good, but he shot 72% in combined high school, college and AAU ball and according to his college coach, Rick Barnes, shoots about 95% in practice. And his three point shooting in high school, college and AAU was above 40% and during combined SEC and tournament time, he shot 50% from threes. His shot looks smooth and what's more he is often shooting from NBA distance on his threes.

I can certainly see why you like Chandler. We'll just have to agree to disagree about his as a good choice for the Wolves at #19. Regarding freshman numbers, Chandler still falls pretty far short of Chris Paul. As a freshman, Chris Paul had more points, rebounds, and assists than Chandler. He also had better shooting percentages for the field, behind the arc and at the free-throw line. And again, most telling is the fact that Chris Paul averaged 5.7 free throws compared to Chandler's 2.9. I understand that we're not talking about Chandler as a lottery pick, but small PGs who don't have eye-popping stats and a no-go for me as first-round picks unless there's something that really impresses me watching them play. I'd definitely consider Chandler at #40, but he likely won't last that long.

Actually, my favorite PG prospect in this year's draft is Jean Montero. He's a guy who should be available at #40 - maybe even #48. I'd definitely consider him at #40 and I'd grab him in a nano-second if still available at #48. There's nothing about Montero's stats that I find eye-popping, but as a second round pick I like him a lot. And for me, Montero beats all the other PG prospects in the eye test. I think he's a special talent that just needs development.

[FNG]

A

A

Lip, Ja Morant and CP3 both took two years of college, Chandler is one and done. Morant played at Murray State where his competition level was much lower while Tennessee was tied for third most difficult schedule in country, including 3 games against Kentucky where Chandler performed very well. CP and Morant were drafted near the top, with Chandler we are talking about pick 19, so I'd expect them to have shown a bit more. Is Chandler a sure thing to be at that level? Not at all, but he shouldn't be written off either. But he does have elite speed, good agility (2nd at Combine), highest vertical at Combine, a decent wingspan (over 6'5), very fast first step, good hesitation moves, good finishing skills, a nice outside shot, good court vision, tight handle, good passer, tenacious on ball defender, had 2.2 steals, aggressive on both sides, and he's a hard worker, studies the greats, high basketball IQ, is always seeking to improve. At pick 19, I don't see a lot of guys with his upside. Lastly, I think he'd fit in well with the Wolves.

PS: I do admit his free throw shooting last year was not good, but he shot 72% in combined high school, college and AAU ball and according to his college coach, Rick Barnes, shoots about 95% in practice. And his three point shooting in high school, college and AAU was above 40% and during combined SEC and tournament time, he shot 50% from threes. His shot looks smooth and what's more he is often shooting from NBA distance on his threes.

While I'm not completely on board with drafting a PG at 19, Chandler is intriguing to me too. His athleticism and freshman stats compare quite favorably to Ja's, and to KG's point, against far superior opposition. While Ja had more rebounds and assists per game, Chandler outscored him and was the better defender (he's quite disruptive on defense as his 2.2 steals per game shows). Still, absent a deal to move DLo (or even if we move DLo and bring in a free agent PG), any PG we draft would likely be battling for minutes with Wright III in the G League as he would likely be buried behind DLo, PatBev, JMac, and Bolmaro. I'm hoping to get a rotation player at 19. Now if we move DLo or one or more of our other PGs, I might be looking at a PG at 19...especially if Washington Jr. were available...he's not as flashy as some of the other options, but he does look NBA-ready to me and could check some of the boxes some of us see Tyus Jones checking.

I'm not looking for a particular fit or even a rotation player next season. I'm looking for the best talent. I think the Wolves will have better talent than Chandler available at #19.

I think "best talent" is generally the smartest way to go, but I usually find myself in the "best fit" category. That said, I have my eye on bigs who might be able to supplant Vando in the starting lineup next to KAT (assuming Connelly isn't able to bring in a starting PF as part of a DLo deal). As a Big 10 fan, I've seen Liddell the most and admire his game at the college level. But I think we may have seen the best of him last season (and he was admittedly very good) and see him as a guy with limited upside. I just don't think a guy who doesn't reach 6'6" barefoot is the answer in the NBA absent other skills that are undeniably elite. But there are other centers and PFs who are intriguing, and might be available at 19 and even have enough game to push Vando to the bench by the quarter mark of the season. Who do people think are the best possibilities for having a chance to start next to KAT next season at some point, if anyone?

[Q-is-here]

A draft pick that could start next to KAT as a rookie? The answer to that question is a definitive HELL NO! One of the reasons we finally won some games last year is that we weren't force feeding rookies minutes, a long Minnesota tradition that usually contributes to the chronic losing. If anyone supplants Vando from the starting lineup next season, it's going to have to be a vet we trade for or sign via free agency.

I view this year's draft as a pipeline of talent. If we're lucky, our #19 pick cracks the top 10 rotation this year and comes off the bench. And that's almost best-case scenario. But our biggest short-term problems need to be solved by getting the right vets on the squad.

[SameOldNudityDrew]

Good thoughts all around guys. Thanks for the Jovic comments in response to my question in particular. I haven't had time this weekend to get in on this discussion more, but it's on my radar.

As usual Q, I appreciate your sober take on how we should temper our expectations for rookies.

[KG4Ever]

Lip, Ja Morant and CP3 both took two years of college, Chandler is one and done. Morant played at Murray State where his competition level was much lower while Tennessee was tied for third most difficult schedule in country, including 3 games against Kentucky where Chandler performed very well. CP and Morant were drafted near the top, with Chandler we are talking about pick 19, so I'd expect them to have shown a bit more. Is Chandler a sure thing to be at that level? Not at all, but he shouldn't be written off either. But he does have elite speed, good agility (2nd at Combine), highest vertical at Combine, a decent wingspan (over 6'5), very fast first step, good hesitation moves, good finishing skills, a nice outside shot, good court vision, tight handle, good passer, tenacious on ball defender, had 2.2 steals, aggressive on both sides, and he's a hard worker, studies the greats, high basketball IQ, is always seeking to improve. At pick 19, I don't see a lot of guys with his upside. Lastly, I think he'd fit in well with the Wolves.

PS: I do admit his free throw shooting last year was not good, but he shot 72% in combined high school, college and AAU ball and according to his college coach, Rick Barnes, shoots about 95% in practice. And his three point shooting in high school, college and AAU was above 40% and during combined SEC and tournament time, he shot 50% from threes. His shot looks smooth and what's more he is often shooting from NBA distance on his threes.

I can certainly see why you like Chandler. We'll just have to agree to disagree about his as a good choice for the Wolves at #19. Regarding freshman numbers, Chandler still falls pretty far short of Chris Paul. As a freshman, Chris Paul had more points, rebounds, and assists than Chandler. He also had better shooting percentages for the field, behind the arc and at the free-throw line. And again, most telling is the fact that Chris Paul averaged 5.7 free throws compared to Chandler's 2.9. I understand that we're not talking about Chandler as a lottery pick, but small PGs who don't have eye-popping stats and a no-go for me as first-round picks unless there's something that really impresses me watching them play. I'd definitely consider Chandler at #40, but he likely won't last that long.

Actually, my favorite PG prospect in this year's draft is Jean Montero. He's a guy who should be available at #40 - maybe even #48. I'd definitely consider him at #40 and I'd grab him in a nano-second if still available at #48. There's nothing about Montero's stats that I find eye-popping, but as a second round pick I like him a lot. And for me, Montero beats all the other PG prospects in the eye test. I think he's a special talent that just needs development.

I think every college point guard pales when compared to Chris Paul--he's a generational talent. Isn't 2.2 steals on a very tough schedule eye popping? You seem to love Dalen Terry and his stats seem rather weak for a potential first rounder. Chandler is also a very good outside shooter and finisher. But watching Chandler play is what drew me to him, he passes the eye test with me and he has as good of intangibles as anyone in the draft. High IQ, Love of the game, Competitive, Wants to Improve, Studies game film religiously, Picks brains of elite NBA point guards, Humble, works very hard at his game, works hard on his strength and conditioning and speed. You can't measure the last items in stats. I think he has the best upside at 19 the Wolves could realistically hope for. I know we have differing views and that is ok, but the more research that I've done, the more I feel confident he's going to be a very good NBA player.

As far as Montero, I like him Ok, but don't love him. Maybe a stash once TyTy, Chandler and Nembhard are off the board. I actually like Montero's teammate Dom Barlow better as an NBA prospect--7"3 wingspan and has guard tools and athleticism and shot very well at NBA Combine games- 9 for 13.

[Sundog]

I really appreciate how much work you guys have put into understanding the strengths and weaknesses of potential draftees this year, and that you've shared your insights and opinions with us. There are about 5 guys I like at #19 - Eason, Liddell, Williams, Terry, Chandler.

But maybe for the first time in forever, I'm way more confident in the Wolves front office making these selections than in my own preferences. So instead of angst about them not choosing one of those guys (if they don't), I'll be happy to be surprised that they know things that we don't. It'll be fun!

[Lipoli390]

I talked this morning to a friend of mine who lives in California. He's a financial advisor and has a lot of high-end clients, including some professional athletes. After lots of depressing talk about the economy, we talked Timberwolves. He's originally from MN and is a big Wolves fan. But then the conversation got interesting. He lives in California and has a pretty impressive list of clients, including some professional athletes. One client, a current NBA player whose name I won't mention has been working out with Jalen Williams this summer. That NBA player said the Williams is going to be a star. Those were his exact words according to my friend. Take that for what it's worth. It certainly isn't contradicted by his video or his stats, both of which are really impressive.