Grading the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 2022 NBA Draft

The Minnesota Timberwolves They were involved in four deals, two in each round, leaving with four players, three of whom were very active at night planning to be with the wolf soon. did.

“Fun nights. You never know what these nights will be. I feel better. The staff were great. They were, yes, very good. Sack[in Gupta],mat [Lloyd]Žarko [Đurišić]Manny [Rohan], Those guys crushed it, “said Tim Connelly, president of basketball operations, following the draft. “We felt like we had a piece that was culturally fit here and hopefully could make us a better team.”

Connelly has stated that he wants to attract high-character players that fit the emerging culture. Head coach Chris Finch and executive vice president of the basketball business Sachin Gupta laid the foundations for Minnesota. Connelly believes the team has improved on Thursday night in adapting the drafting culture.

“This league is so talented that you have to be very talented, but we’re going to put an incredible amount of emphasis on people,” he explained. “When you have a young core like KAT, Ant, DLo, Jaden and these guys, you have special guys, big guys, voluntary guys, people we don’t go to. Need to support Hold your hand into the gym. Everyone who was lucky enough to choose tonight checked those boxes. ”

He revealed that expectations for what their choices would soon provide to wolves were limited, but Connelly is excited about the long-term fit of the team’s draft. The excitement was a by-product of the team’s process and was full of positive fighting and advocacy on the team’s battlefield.

“Joke? I’m already drinking a few glasses of beer, I’m very tired of it. There’s beer right next to the WNBA ball. There’s no lack of debate, it’s great. Lack of debate. There is no other way, “Connelly said with a laugh. “When they are in the room, there is no hierarchy. Just beat these guys.”

The nature of the team’s front office collaboration (one of the deepest in terms of talent and experience across the league) remains important due to the massive two-week extension. In the meantime, evaluate their performance in the Thursday night draft.

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Trade: From No.19 to No.22 and 29 MEM | Grade: B

Tyler: C-. Our boards are always very different from our team’s boards, so it’s always difficult to determine tradebacks. However, trading back the three spots was a daunting experience, with three more talented guys being taken in and taking over EJ Liddell.

Aidan: B +. This was a solid move given the number of talented players still on the board when the trade took place. You can negotiate with the player the team finally chose, but given how many draft claps you have, getting two shots first instead of one is a good process.

Jack: A. From a process point of view, this is nothing better than this.according to Sam Beseny Athletic, Both Walker Kessler and Wendell Moore Jr. would have been playing for the 19th wolf. The Minnesota front office relied on their research and traded back to collect the two first round picks used in the two selected, based on how the board fell. Held at number 19. A player who should have been considered if he did. Regardless of your feelings about Kessler or Moore Jr., it’s a great process.

No. 22-Walker Kessler | Grade: C +

C | 7-1, 245 lbs, 7-4 wingspan | SO, Auburn | 20.9 years old

Tyler: B-.. The pick isn’t shocking, as Kessler was closely associated with the Timberwolves last week, but it feels like a heavy reach. Kessler provided the shot blocking, rebound, and vertical spacing that the Timberwolves needed, but there were more diverse players on the board who felt like a better fit and better value.

Aidan: C +. My problem is that Kessler as a player is not as valuable as his value in this pick compared to other options. Jaden Hardy and Tyty Washington would have been serving aggressive juices on the ball. And as much as I believe Kessler as a rim protector, it’s a skill that’s easier to find with more valuable assets.

Jack: C. Wolves are in a unique situation where their core diversity and long-term security can increase their potential swings. As Aidan said, Kessler isn’t, and his optimized skill set doesn’t cost much for wings or guards. He meets the need for a drop coverage center that is functionally playable at the level, but I don’t think this pick will tentatively move the needle that much. Kessler was 33rd on my board.

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Trade: No.29 and No.26 Two SRPs to HOU | Grade: B-

In this deal, Houston received draft rights to the second round picks of Tyty Washington Jr. and Wolves in 2025 and 2027.

Tyler: B-. The movement itself is okay. You can move up further first while offloading the next 2 seconds. So the trade trick is okay. But that they were the pick felt vanilla.

Aidan: C. Again, I’m all about making multiple attempts in the draft. When many players ranked in their late teens and early twenties were on the board, they didn’t realize the value of giving up two future picks to raise three spots.

Jack: A-. According to the team’s board, the second round of picks is less important in a grand plan if it means getting a guy for surplus value. As I wrote above, Moore Jr. was a player linked to Minnesota at number 19, so I understand moving up to catch him. Connelly and the company regained the future second round in a later transaction in the second round. This will make this move look better after the fact.

No. 26-Wendell Moore Jr. | Grade: B

Wings | 6-5, 215 lbs, 7-1 wingspan | JR, Duke | 20.7 years old

Tyler: C +. Moore is a young junior who has improved a lot during his time at Duke, but again, it’s hard to get overly excited about this pick. Moore provides some wing depth, but I don’t know who he’s improving. The shooting leap he took next year needs to be real. Otherwise, I don’t know if he’s more than the 9th guy in the tool in rotation.

Aidan: C +. Another case where my complaint is that I missed the opportunity, not the player himself. Moore has proven to be able to contribute to the victory of basketball and has a solid all-round game. He is by no means a player who could be chosen. I wonder if we remember him as a man without strengths, not a man without holes.

Jack: A-. I had Moore Junior No. 26 on the board, so I thought it was worth it. Moore Jr. has all the tools you need to be a great complementary player at the NBA level. He has a long, strong, and defensive understanding of angles, and he plays well as an attack catch-and-shooter and cutter without the ball in his hand. Given the very solid secondary playmaking off the benches of Jordan McLaughlin and Malik Beasley and his ability to play very comfortably on or off ball, he is better than Kessler from day one. I think it is contributing.

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No. 45-Josh Minott | Grade: B-

PF | 6-8, 205 pounds, 7-0 spanspan | FR, Memphis | 20.5 years old

Tyler: C +.. Timberwolves fan favorite John Holinger has welcomed Minnesota as the 10th-ranked prospect. Take the way you do. Minott has excellent physics tools and high motors, but he is the definition of the project. His shots require a lot of effort and his defenses need to be more disciplined. The second round is always unstable, so it’s not a bad upward swing. He has tremendous advantages, but he’s far from ready for the NBA minutes.

Aidan: B +. The wolves, of course, swung upside down with their athletic ability in one of their second round picks. Minott may not be ready to play in NBA games in multiple seasons, but his range, effort, and defensive instincts make the final potential difference on the board at this point in the draft. I have a solid choice as one of the people. Get all Jaden McDaniels tapes for this guy as much as possible.

Jack: B-. I didn’t have a minott on the board of 45 players, but I understand the appeal here. team. Trust your development coach to build up your offensive skills as an interactive player with Iowa Wolves over the seasons and see what you can do years later.

No. 50-Matteo Spagnolo | Grade: B

PG | 6-6, 200 lbs, 6-8 wingspan | Italy | 19.4 years old

Tyler: C +. The best thing I can say about Spanish is that he is so much fun and really creative. But like Minott, he’s not ready for the NBA rotation. He struggles with the security of the ball, dies on the screen and has an inconsistent jumper. Fortunately, Spain has made a large acquisition and will not see him for at least two seasons, perhaps three seasons. Enough time to improve. He’s not a bad bet for a draft and hiding man, but he never sees him in a Timberwolves jersey.

Aidan: B. Everyone had to know that this would be a draft and stash, and Minnesota is far worse in that sort of choice than Spagnolo’s production-level, efficient shooter in the 19-year-old Pro League. I may have worked. He certainly has defensive warts, but he also has the best predictions as a player in the offensive role of the international outlook available here.

Jack: A-. There was no way for wolves to roster four full-time or two-way rookies next season. That’s why draft and stash players like Spain make a lot of sense. He was another guy I wasn’t on the board but noticed because of his insanely fun highlights. It’s easy to see why he’s called Ricky Rubio in Italy. He has a fun handle on 6-6, throws some insane passes and has some pop from dribbling as a self-creator. If you need to move on from “waiting for Leandro Bolmaro to grow”, then “waiting for Ricky Rubio from Italy to come to the wolf” is even better.

Tyler: C +.. I felt this draft was not exciting. When many players on the board offered more versatility and reliability, their picks all felt like a terrible reach. Obviously this is all subjective and I hope I’m wrong, but leaving without a player in the top 35 leaves me quite dissatisfied.

Aidan: B-. The solid second round wasn’t enough to completely offset the first pretty trivial stuff. However, Kessler and Moore meet the needs of the rim protector and the players in the surrounding role of moving the ball. If they play those roles well, we may forget some of the big swings that were at the table. Personally not shocked, but if Minott is the best player in this crop when everything is done.

Jack: B. Based on the value of their choice compared to our compound bigboard, the wolves had the 27th best draft. I gave the first round a 70% weight and the second round a 30% weight to reduce the penalty for the team swinging to the high upper guys in the second half of the draft. It’s not a great place, but if it’s comfort, hey, the Grizzlies ended up with a fair margin. I liked the process of getting two guys whose wolves were numbered 22 and 26 and rated on or around the 19th pick. I may not like Kessler’s picks, but obviously the wolf sees something in him. Connelly and Finch deserve suspicion, given the personnel they have acquired in Denver and Minnesota, respectively. I love Moore Jr. and Spanish picks. This is enough to keep me excited until I get some solution to the situation of D’Angelo Russell.

Which grade do you want to assign the wolf draft to? Join the conversation in the comments!