Joy And Optimism In Minnesota After Timberwolves Take Towns
MINNEAPOLIS (AP/WCCO) — The Minnesota Timberwolves started their draft night with a bang, grabbing Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns with the first No. 1 overall pick in the history of the long-suffering franchise.
The night only got better from there for their success-starved fans as Minnesota traded back up into the first round to nab hometown high school legend Tyus Jones at No. 24, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.
The Wolves traded their two second-round draft picks — Nos. 31 and 36 overall — to get the confident Duke point guard, addressing a big need behind starter Ricky Rubio and bringing the former Apple Valley High School star back home. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade had not been officially announced.
The two picks delighted the Wolves' fans, more than 8,000 of whom into Target Center on Thursday night to see their downtrodden team enjoy a rare moment in the NBA's driver's seat.
The Wolves wasted little time, turning in the card almost immediately after the broadcast began to grab the versatile power forward/center with the first No. 1 pick in a franchise history filled mostly with failure. Now, with Towns joining a promising young roster that includes reigning rookie of the year Andrew Wiggins, Rubio, slam dunk champion Zach LaVine and franchise icon Kevin Garnett, there was finally a feeling of optimism in the dusty old arena.
And Towns fanned those flames while speaking to the party on a speakerphone.
"We going to the playoffs!" he hollered.
The Wolves haven't been there in 11 years, the longest-running active drought in the NBA. Next year may be a little ambitious, but the Wolves think they're closer than they've ever been.
"It really was a no-brainer," President and coach Flip Saunders said of the decision to draft Towns.
For a franchise that has endured so much misery, made so many mistakes and lost so many games over the last decade, landing the No. 1 pick and the buildup to Thursday night have served as a giant jolt of much-needed optimism.
Thousands of fans waited in long lines to get into an arena where they watched their team lose a league-high 66 games last year. It was the fourth time in the last eight years that the Wolves have lost at least 60 games, a string of futility that prompted everyone aside from the most passionate fans to turn away from the team.
But all the injuries, all the misfortune, all the ineptitude of last season became worth it when the Wolves secured the top pick for the first time in franchise history. Saunders and GM Milt Newton have assembled a roster teeming with young talent. Rubio is returning healthy from a season in which he only played 22 games because of ankle issues, veteran shooting guard Kevin Martin is back and Garnett, the franchise icon who returned in a trade deadline deal last February and is expected to sign a new contract in July.
"I think Towns was a great pick and I can't wait for the season and see where the team goes," said fan Cami Wooward.
"I like this pick right here," said fan Robert Giles. "I think it's going to build us up."
Because it was expected that Towns would be the Timberwolves pick, Justin Glomski and his friends came prepared. They wore shirts with "Karl!!" printed on them.
They had a backup plan for if the Wolves picked Jalil Okafor first.
"We would have flipped our shirts inside-out," Glomski said,
As a season ticket-holder, Glomski thinks Thursday night will be remembered as the night the franchise turned around. He's predicting playoffs in two years.
"The energy tonight is more electric than it was for some of the games over the last five years," Glomski said.
The Timberwolves had several options at the top, hosting Duke center Jahlil Okafor, Ohio State point guard D'Angelo Russell, Emmanuel Mudiay, a point guard who played in China last year, and Towns for individual workouts and visits last week.
So how did they arrive on Towns?
For much of last season, Saunders was believed to have favored Okafor. Before returning to the Timberwolves two years ago, Saunders spent a year away from the league and thought he might return to coaching at his alma mater, the University of Minnesota. He spent a lot of time scouting Jones and his close friend Okafor, one of the most gifted low-post scorers to come along in years.
But Saunders had little time for scouting during last season while he was coaching the Timberwolves, and Towns gradually started to climb to the top of draft boards with an impressive freshman season at Kentucky. In the end, Towns' superior free throw shooting, defensive instincts and mid-range game sold the Timberwolves on his ability to complement Wiggins.
"He's the best player and he's versatile," Saunders told the fans. "He's got a chance along with Wiggins, with LaVine, with Kevin Garnett, with Ricky Rubio. There's going to be a lot of excitement."
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