Wolves Looking for Lotto Luck as Future Hangs in the Balance

(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Despite being one of the most irrelevant franchises in the NBA in the eyes of many, the Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves embarking on one of the most important off-seasons in their franchise's history.  

Kevin Garnett is long gone, and it appears as though head coach Kevin McHale will soon be too.  

Owner Glen Taylor has removed McHale from his General Manager/Vice President of Operations position, and is looking to hire a new GM, whose first big task would be to settle on a head coach for the rebuilding effort in the Land of 10,000 Losses. 

Amid all of the front office questions, the Timberwolves roster also has many issues.  

Aside from cornerstone Al Jefferson and promising rookie Kevin Love, the Wolves have very few sure things in terms of building blocks going forward.  

The Wolves have many young pieces on their rosters with potential, including Randy Foye, Sebastian Telfair, Corey Brewer, Rodney Carney, and Ryan Gomes, but none of them have been able to consistently provide enough scoring punch to prevent teams from concentrating solely on Jefferson in the post.  

This is why this offseason is so vital to the Timberwolves. They finished the 2008-2009 season tied for fifth worst in the NBA and are currently slotted to pick fifth in the upcoming draft.  

In addition, they hold the Miami Heat's first round draft pick (No. 18 overall), the Boston Celtics' first round pick (No. 28 overall), and a couple of second rounders.  

With so many picks at their disposal, it is imperative for the Wolves to strike gold on at least one of their first round-selections, preferably on their own pick in the lottery.  

And to do so, they need some help from the NBA's ping-pong gods.  

Currently slated to pick fifth, Minnesota has a 7.6 percent chance to win the No. 1 overall selection.

As far as many Wolves fans are concerned, this is a two-player draft. The consensus No. 1 pick is Oklahoma's Blake Griffin, an athletic wonderment and a beast in the post.  

The other big prize that the Minnesota faithful covet is Spanish superstar Ricky Rubio, an electrifying play-maker who could definitely help improve the Wolves instantly.  

After that, there are still some talented players available who would certainly look good in Green and Blue.  

Here is a breakdown of some of the top prospects. They are ranked in order of how much the Wolves need them.  

1. Blake Griffin - Forward, Oklahoma  6'10" 250 lbs.

Griffin was the top college player all season. His athleticism and physicality are amazing. Experts believe he will instantly be a force on the boards, and many believe his offensive game is actually underrated.  

Impact on the Wolves:  If Minnesota somehow wins the lottery, they still have to take him. He is head and shoulders the top player in the draft. The front office would then have to decide whether to try to make Jefferson, Love, and Griffin fit together or trade either Griffin or Love. This would pretty much ensure that Minnesota would be drafting a guard with the Heat's pick. 

2. Ricky Rubio -  Guard, Spain  6'4" 180 lbs

While he doesn't have the athleticism of some other top guards, Rubio has demonstrated that he has the tools and vision to be a special point guard. His performance in the 2008 Olympics and in the top leagues in Europe has proven that he can play well against top competition.  

Impact on the Wolves: This is probably the ideal pick for the Wolves. Rubio would not only give them a special play-maker and someone who could command the offense, but Rubio's flashy style would also help sell tickets. Hopefully someone like Wake Forest's James Johnson would be available with their second first rounder. 

3. James Harden - Guard, Arizona State  6'4" 215 lbs

The knock on Harden is that he isn't overly athletic and he doesn't do any one thing amazingly well. He is simply a well-rounded, talented player who knows how to score, but isn't flashy.  

Impact on the Wolves: Would be a great fit for Minnesota because teams would have to concentrate on stopping him and Jefferson. Brandon Roy wasn't thought to be very athletic or flashy either and...well, Wolves fans know how that worked out for them. 

4. DeMar DeRozan - Guard/Forward, Southern California  6'6" 200 lbs

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?