Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas stated the organization has not officially settled on who their No. 1 overall pick with be in the upcoming NBA draft, according to an article from Bleacher Report .
“There’s no guy that has separated himself from the pack from public or external view, but I’m very confident that as we go through this process, the talent will rise to the top,” he said to reporters on Wednesday, October 21.
The draft is scheduled to take place on November 18 and will be done via videoconference instead of the usual in-person event. For Minnesota, picking up an athlete that will add to the team’s effectiveness is crucial, as they have only had one winning season, in 2017-18, in the past 15 years. In the past 11 seasons, the squad has placed dead last in the Northwest Division nine times.
The Timberwolves currently have Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell as it top two stars but need other players to fill in some areas of the roster to make it a playoff-ready team. There has been a wide array of speculation as to who the No. 1 pick will be in the 2020 class, which is considered far weaker than the previous years’ athletes, which included Zion Williamson and Ja Morant.
One contender is Georgia University’s Anthony Edwards, according to NBC Sports . The 19-year-old averaged 19 points in college and has the potential to bring the same offensive intensity to the pros. Analysts say his height and build can potentially improve his play on the defensive end, which is said to be the weakest part of his game.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman ranked LeMelo Ball as the top prospect and believes his unique style of play can be an asset to any organization. However, he also noted some drawbacks as well.
“I’m banking on his creation and setup passing fueling quality-starter value at the least, but I’m also betting on his shot-making and body to improve and help his scoring potential,” Wasserman stated.
Rosas has reportedly been analyzing several players for the past six to seven months in preparation for what has been predicted to be one of the most unpredictable drafts. To better evaluate the athletes, the Timberwolves will also conduct in-person meetings, according to a report from ESPN . Rosas also stated that the staff is preparing for any and all possible situations.
“We’ll evaluate those guys for trade scenarios, trade back, trade out, for undrafted free-agent opportunities, for minor league opportunities, so we really beat up the draft board as much as can all the way up until the draft,” he said regarding his prospects.