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NBA Draft 2013: Utah Jazz Select Gorgui Dieng

By Josh Hill

Apr 8, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Louisville Cardinals center Gorgui Dieng cuts down the net after Louisville won the championship game in the 2013 NCAA mens Final Four against the Michigan Wolverines at the Georgia Dome. Louisville Cardinals won 82-76. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Louisville Cardinals center Gorgui Dieng cuts down the net after Louisville won the championship game in the 2013 NCAA mens Final Four against the Michigan Wolverines at the Georgia Dome. Louisville Cardinals won 82-76. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 8, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Louisville Cardinals center Gorgui Dieng cuts down the net after Louisville won the championship game in the 2013 NCAA mens Final Four against the Michigan Wolverines at the Georgia Dome. Louisville Cardinals won 82-76. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Louisville Cardinals center Gorgui Dieng cuts down the net after Louisville won the championship game in the 2013 NCAA mens Final Four against the Michigan Wolverines at the Georgia Dome. Louisville Cardinals won 82-76. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

The Utah Jazz traded for NCAA Player of the Year Trey Burke and in doing so swapped their 14th and 21st picks to the Minnesota Timberwolves. So while the Jazz have their name on this pick, they’re really picking for the Wolves and this pick will head to Minnesota when the league finalizes the trade after the draft concludes.

So with the 21st overall pick in the NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz selected Gorgui Dieng for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Minnesota is also getting Shabazz Muhammad from the Jazz as that’s who they instructed them to take with the 14th overall pick. But with this pick it looks like the Wolves opted for another scoring option as they desperately need to add weapons around Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio.

But while the Wolves need scoring help they also need to prep for the eventual exit of Andrei Kirilenko who is a stud when he plays but Minnesota struggles when he’s not in the lineup. Even if he’s not a replacement for Kirilenko right away, Gorgui Ding is a guy that can step in and fill out the Wolves rotation while learning to play with guys like Rubio, Love and Muhammad.

Flip Saunders came in needing to have a great draft and so far it looks like he’s been able to do that. He started the night with one pick which he proceeded to turn into two separate ones. Now instead of trading up to get a guy like Victor Oladipo or standing pat and taking a guy at ninth overall, the Wolves now have Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng to add to their roster and it’s looking even more now like 2013-14 could be the year Minnesota finally puts a winner back together.

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