# Minnesota Timberwolves draft Shabazz Muhammed, Gorgui Dieng, Lorenzo Brown, and Bojan Dubljevic



## BlakeJesus (Feb 1, 2006)

In the recent past Shabazz Muhammed was considered the single best player of this perspective draft class, but a tumultuous string of events and less than elite on the court production dropped his draft stock down to 14th where the T-Wolves traded back to take him (as well as Dieng). Shabazz has lied about his age, he's let some people down in terms of expectations, but I think the negative vibes he gave off ended up going a little too far. Still a young prospect, will be 21 at the start of next season. 6'6"+ in shoes, 6'11" wingspan, 37 inch vertical, solid strength, and solid quickness. Muhammed won't be a league leader in points per game, but he should be able to fill it up at the next level still. I think playing with Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love is going to be a situation that allows him to blossom as a player, and really feel comfortable on the court. He struggles to create for others, and people feared he wouldn't have enough to create for himself either at the next level. True or not, playing with such quality passers will allow him to be an impactful scorer without forcing him to do something he's not naturally gifted at (though he is a very talented transition player). If he can continue to improve his three point shot, and get his free throw percentage up a bit, he should fill a much needed role for the T-Wolves. Could very well end up being a gift at 14.

Gorgui Dieng is a true center with solid athleticism, measuring just shy of 6'11" (6'10.75" in shoes to be exact), with an intimidating 7'3.5" wingspan. Was a key part to the most recent NCAA Champions, and has only been playing US basketball for 4 years now (he has reportedly put on 50lbs in those 4 years). Not much of a shot taker at this point, but he's at least efficient when he does shoot. Dieng is also a very underrated passer for a true center, averaged 2 assists per game in 31 minutes in college. However his real impact will be felt on the defensive end. Shows good timing and control when going for blocks, giving you 2.5 blocks with only 2.6 PF's. Gorgui will be a quality rim protector right out of the gates, which is something the T-Wolves have been looking for (see: Greg Stiemsma). He should be a quality rotation big man at the very least, but if he continues to improve and bulk up he has defensive anchor potential.

Lorenzo Brown is a big PG, 6'5"+ in shoes with a 6'7" wingspan. Not a big time scorer, and doesn't seem to have high end athleticism. However, he's got big time size, has definitely ball handling ability, good court vision, will force steals, and is a quality rebounder. I like the idea of bringing in a poor man's Ricky Rubio to run the show when Rubio is on the bench or gets hurt. He's obviously not the same caliber of player, and considering he was the 52nd pick it's possible he doesn't even make the roster, but I very much appreciate the logic behind the selection.

Bojan Dubljevic was the 2nd to last pick of the draft, and he possesses the size required to play in the NBA. 6'9.5" in shoes with a 7'1" wingspan at 242lbs gives him the ability to be considered for minutes at C or PF. Looking at his Euroleague numbers, he jumps out as a quality scoring big man. Scored 12-13 points per game in 20-21 minutes over a 52 game span (without doing the math, he shot about 52% from the field). Fantastic free throw shot for a big guy, and he does a good job of getting to the line too. He's an average at best rebounder, doesn't seem to be overly disruptive defensively, and may be too turnover/foul prone to play big minutes...but with the 59th pick nabbing a post scorer who's likely two years away from joining the team is a low risk investment.

Overall, I think the Timberwolves got guys who play roles that they were looking for. Instead of reaching, they were wise enough to move back and collect another asset while still covering needed holes in the roster. Shabazz and Dieng are guys can jump right in and play a role, and both of them have the potential to get better/be better than their draft position. If even one of those 2nd rounders pans out to be a rotation player, they will have had a very strong 2013 draft.


----------



## EpicFailGuy (Mar 5, 2010)

The multi-million dollar question is can Shabazz Muhammad be a teammate? He didn't get the most glowing of reviews for that at UCLA.


----------



## BlakeJesus (Feb 1, 2006)

It's definitely worth asking, and it is most certainly the reason why he slipped in the draft, but in this particular situation it seems to be lining up positively for him. Had he gone to a more volatile situation like the Kings or Charlotte, I could see his career disintegrating quickly. But in Minny he should have a real chance to succeed with a team that made it public knowledge how high they are on him.


----------



## EpicFailGuy (Mar 5, 2010)

BlakeJesus said:


> It's definitely worth asking, and it is most certainly the reason why he slipped in the draft, but in this particular situation it seems to be lining up positively for him. Had he gone to a more volatile situation like the Kings or Charlotte, I could see his career disintegrating quickly. *But in Minny he should have a real chance to succeed with a team that made it public knowledge how high they are on him.*


So did Ben Howland, and he got fired for it. Shabazz has game, but I think he will struggle until he grows up a bit.


----------



## BlakeJesus (Feb 1, 2006)

I think not having to deal with school/grades/NCAA/draft stock will take some pressure off Shabazz. Getting paid millions to focus on basketball instead of being forced to put up the façade of going to college should better suit his personality.


----------



## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

I think he's going to do well in Minnesota playing alongside Rubio/Love. He'll make other teams regret letting him slide all the way down to #14. I think that alone will make him play with a chip on his shoulder.


----------



## NK1990 (Mar 26, 2011)

I was telling my friend that the only way this draft would of been a success is if we signed a shooting guard in free agency. We have obtained Kevin Martin so I now believe that our draft was very successful. The wolves are looking pretty deep, talented, and dangerous.


----------

