Michael Beasley and Derrick Williams Should Stay with the Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves did the right thing in drafting Arizona forward Derrick Williams with the No. 2 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. 

Now it’s time for them to do the right thing again: Keep Williams and forward Michael Beasley.  Do not trade either of them and let them progress in their careers, as teammates. 

The rationalization many use in favor of trading Beasley or Williams is that they are too similar of players. Not quite the case. 

Beasley measured out at 6'7'' at the 2008 NBA Draft Combine without shoes, while Williams got up to 6'9''. 

Beasley’s height from the draft combine (the Timberwolves’ official NBA page lists him at 6'10'', but so did the official roster while he was at Kansas State for the 2007-2008 season) puts him in line to be a prototypical NBA small forward. 

Williams’ height puts him in line to be a typical power forward in the NBA—a power forward that can extend the floor as demonstrated by his 56.8 shooting percentage (42-of-74) from 3-point land in his sophomore year at Arizona.   

And his standing reach of nine-feet is three inches longer than Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin’s when he was drafted in 2009. Williams measured out at 248 pounds, which puts him in great position to battle with power forwards in the NBA.

Both Beasley and Williams are players who can play in the fast break game really well, which will be necessary given the arrival of point guard Ricky Rubio, the No. 5 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, and the rumored firing of current coach Kurt Rambis, which will give way to a fast break oriented coach and style of play. 

Then when Williams and Beasley aren’t on the floor together, the Wolves can play Williams at either the small or power forward because he is quick enough (despite his 248-pound frame) and can shoot well enough to play the small forward and big and long enough to play at the power forward. 

What to do with forward Kevin Love then? Play him at center. 

Love is bulky enough and tough enough at 260 pounds to play with the centers down low, and on offense his ability to extend the floor with his perimeter shooting would help open things up for the rest of the team. And if he truly is 6'10'', as the Timberwolves official roster notes, then he should be fully capable of playing the center position.

Yes, with Williams and Beasley kept together on the current roster it would give the Wolves nine players that can rotate between the forward positions at any given time. But why would a young team trade one of its top two players (Beasley) or give up on one of the top two players in this year’s NBA draft (Williams)?

In today’s NBA the shooting guard and small forward position are interchangeable, and the power forward and small forward position are interchangeable like never before.    

Teams recognize that they need to have as many talented players on the floor as possible, and it’s time the Timberwolves do the same. 

Keep Williams and Beasley on the roster together. Beasley has proven himself a blooming NBA talent and Williams is arguably the most NBA ready player in this year’s NBA draft. 

Let them play together.