FanSided Network 2018 NBA Mock Draft

With Zhaire Smith and Lonnie Walker off the board, Keita Bates-Diop is the best-case scenario for the Timberwolves at No. 20, edging out the likes of Kevin Huerter and Chandler Hutchison. The four-year Ohio State alum should be able to step in and contribute immediately to a Wolves squad that has been cobbled together with the expressed goal of winning now.

While there isn’t a huge role ready to plug Bates-Diop into, there are bench minutes to be had behind Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins, and a long, versatile player who can play both wing spots and some power forward is the perfect match. Bates-Diop notably improved his all-around game as a senior. He shot 35.2 percent on 3-point attempts last year on the way to 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game and winning the Big Ten Player of the Year award. His role on offense with the Wolves will be as a spot-up shooter and cutter on a second unit whose identity is still largely known, with Jamal Crawford opting for free agency, but the opportunity for Bates-Diop to become a legitimate scoring threat and contribute on offense as a sixth-man is still there. The biggest attraction to Bates-Diop, however, is his defensive versatility and the switchability that is vital in today’s NBA.

His physical profile is starkly similar to that of Golden State’s Draymond Green, and while he’ll have work to do in the rebounding and passing department to reach Green’s All-Star level, the comparison isn’t too far off. And if there’s even a chance that he becomes something resembling Draymond Green, then that’s a chance the Timberwolves have to take.

— Ben Beecken

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