The Minnesota Timberwolves are fighting, man. They were not supposed to be here. They were underdogs by seed to the five-player Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, and had to play the recharged remnants of a dynasty in the second round. It’s a wonder they’re here.
Their reward was to play the Oklahoma City Thunder — the consensus best team in the league. It should be noted as well they’re the best defense in the league. And they have the MVP. And there’s more, but I really can’t stop thinking about their defense.
Minnesota, again, is trying very hard, but some pain points are being exposed. Ant is a much better decision maker than ever, but he needs players around him to knock down shots. Rudy is not a reliable offensive endpoint. Mike Conley is a lovely man, but he is on the wrong side of his athletic prime. Julius Randle, man. 5 points.
We need offense, and with the 17th pick, that’s what you’re going to get.
Liam McNeeley, welcome to the Minnesota Timberwolves!
(Don’t get mad at me; it wasn’t my idea. I mean, I agree with the idea, but if you’re really mad you’ll probably change my mind. Here’s the person whose idea this was:
Liam McNeeley could be perfect for the Timberwolves
You want to try and get a rotation player at this point of the draft, and Liam McNeeley could slot into the rotation as an off-ball shooting wing quite well. His game is said to be quite well-developed for his age, making him a great fit for a team that wants to remain in Western Conference contention for quite some time. Plus, his 86.6 free throw percentage is a great indicator of his long-term shooting potential.
There are worries about his defense, however, in that he’s not great at it. I am not well-enough qualified to give my own from-tape observations as to how, but from what I’ve gathered in research, Liam has a good general IQ and fundamentals on the defensive end but lack of plus athleticism or lateral speed makes him susceptible to speed. This seems like it could be a sticking point on a team that still seems modeled around its defense.
The thing is, that defensive pressure is not likely to stay quite so ferocious for so long. Rudy Gobert is an all-time defender despite being goofy, but he’s already in Wemby’s shadow. Mike Conley, again, is a lovely man. Eventually, unless he is unlike most stars to ever play with his workload, Ant is going to start tilting the ratio of his efforts more in favor of the offensive side of the ball as he matures. This could be years away still, but when you’re trying to fight through a double possession after possession, getting up to guard the opponent’s best perimeter player is just tough.
If nothing else, this is an option. The Wolves could have a completely different perception of the Liam or a completely different set of priorities in who they select. And you can too! And I reserve the right to change my mind. All of this is fantasy roleplay, really. Don’t be embarrassed by that. I think I’ve said this before, but don’t kill the part of you that’s cringe; kill the part of you that cringes.