Wolves Looking for Lotto Luck as Future Hangs in the Balance

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

DeRozon definitely has all the tools to be a spectacular player.  He is a great athlete and dangerous finisher, but some scouts have been critical about his will to win and his "basketball IQ." He started slow last season at USC, but finished strong. 

Impact on the Wolves: Would also be a very nice fit at the 2-guard in Minnesota. The Wolves desperately need a scoring threat on the perimeter who is also athletic enough to be a great defender.  DeRozan is that, as long as he puts forth the effort on both ends of the court. 

5. Tyreke Evans - Guard, Memphis  6'6" 220 lbs

A scoring guard who struggled at times with his jump-shot, Evans is a tricky player to evaluate. One one hand, he has shown plenty of reasons to believe that he'll be a great scorer in the NBA.  But his shot selection is not always the best, and he'll need to improve on his three-point shooting.  

Impact on the Wolves: On paper, Evans would fit very well with Randy Foye in the Wolves' backcourt. Evans could shoulder the point guard responsibilities, leaving Foye to roam. And on the defensive end, Evans is big enough to be able to guard the opponents' 2-guard. If the new coach can reel Evans in and improve his shot selection, this would be a solid pick. 

6.  Hasheem Thabeet - Center, Connecticut  7'3" 265 lbs

The big man really came on in the NCAA tournament, and scouts are intrigued with his athleticism and his dramatic improvement on the offensive end over the past few years.  Plus, as they say, "You can't teach 7-3."  Shot-blocking and rebounding are his forte, but will need improve a lot on the offensive end to be able to score in the NBA.  

Impact on the Wolves: He would instantly give the Wolves the interior defensive presence they lack, but would take playing time away from Jefferson and/or Love. His coordination and offensive game are major question marks, and I'm not sure a team with as many glaring holes as the Wolves should focus on defense and shot blocking with a high lottery pick. But depending on how far he slides, and where the Wolves are picking, he might still be the best pick.  

7. Stephen Curry - Guard, Davidson 6'3" 185

Simply an amazing scorer. His release is so quick, and his three-point range is so far that many scouts believe that he will be able to score in the NBA despite his lack of size. And many think he even has the skills to play point guard at the next level, something that might be necessary with his size. 

Impact on the Wolves: Curry would be a decent fit simply because the Wolves need someone with the killer instinct that he has. A guy like Curry would instantly help Jefferson in the post because his man would not be able to leave to help double on Big Al.  

8.  Jrue Holiday - Guard, UCLA  6'4" 205 lbs

He was expected to be great as a freshman at UCLA, but failed to live up to expectations. Still, he showed the versatility and defensive prowess that many expected, and apologizes say he was playing out of position.  

Impact on the Wolves: He would actually be a very good pick, in my opinion.  Perimeter defense is something Minnesota desperately needs and Holiday would provide that. And with both Foye and Holiday able to do so many things at either guard spot, that backcourt would be very versatile and interchangeable.  

9. Brandon Jennings - Guard, Italy  6'2" 165 lbs

Jennings famously skipped college to play pro ball in Italy. He probably didn't have the success he was looking to have over there, but his talent is undeniable. He is extremely athletic and can certainly score.  Some question his character and commitment to teammates.  

Impact on the Wolves: An extremely hard player to gauge because no one has seen him play on a consistent basis. Wolves might be better suited to draft a different position with their lottery pick and hope UNC's Ty Lawson or VCU's Eric Maynor are available at No. 18.  

10. Earl Clark - Forward, Louisville  6'9" 200 lbs

Clark is more of a perimeter player than a post player. He has athleticism and a great head on his shoulders. If he develops a better jump shot, he will probably move up on teams' draft boards.  

Impact on the Wolves: Not a big post presence despite his size, and that would be fine with the Wolves. They need a player at the 3-spot who can do everything. However, the Wolves won't be selecting lower than eighth, so hopefully it won't come to this for the team. 

Since the Wolves are slated fifth in the lottery as of now, they are ensured of a top eight draft pick. So one of these ten players will probably be a Timberwolf come next fall.  

In addition to their other draft picks, the Wolves have a great chance this offseason to take a step in the right direction.  

If they make one or two great picks in this draft, hit a home run with their coaching hire, and add some competence in the front office, teams like Boston, Chicago, and others have shown recently that moving from the doldrums of the NBA standings to the playoffs isn't that daunting of a task.