NBA Draft Lottery: 5 reasons the Timberwolves deserve to win

Here is why the Minnesota Timberwolves deserve to win the NBA Draft Lottery ahead of any other team.

With the NBA Playoffs focusing on the best teams in the association, the NBA Draft Lottery gives fans a chance to reflect on the teams that did poorly while offering hope for a brighter future.

The draft this year will be held in Brooklyn, but they effectively ruled themselves out of the Ben Simmons sweepstakes when they traded their first round pick this year to the Boston Celtics. Had they held on to it, they could’ve been in the running for a franchise player, but instead it looks like they could strengthen a divisional rival. And their fans will be reminded of it every step of the way.

Each team at the bottom will be reminded that drafting well is what leads to success. Philadelphia 76ers fans may object to that thought process, given that nothing has panned out for them yet, but that’s because you have to draft well beyond the first round. Many of the franchises that are successful now can chalk it up to drafting: namely, the Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Cleveland Cavaliers (although the Spurs are an anomaly).

Thanks to their horrific 10-72 record, the Philadelphia 76ers, aka the reverse 95-96 Bulls, will have the best odds of winning the draft lottery. But they’ve been spoiled with lottery success in recent years and it’s gotten them nowhere. That’s why the first pick should go to a team that has a direction, most of its core in place, and a coach that can set them up for long-term success: I’m referring, of course, to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

If Minnesota wins the lottery, it would be the second year in a row that they’ve done it. But the ownership group has set the team up well so far, and they’re on the path to success. There’s optimism among the fanbase, unlike New York or Philadelphia where the atmosphere is very toxic, and they’re likely to have a Rookie of the Year in back-to-back seasons. While the playoffs next year would still be a stretch, Ben Simmons could very well be the player that pushes them over the top and sees them contend sooner rather than later.

The Timberwolves have been everyone’s favorite bottom-feeding team, and they deserve to win the lottery over anyone else. Here are the five reasons why.

Next: 5: It's a no-brainer