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What Are The Experts Saying About The Draft?

Most experts agree that the Wolves had a fantastic draft night, selecting Karl-Anthony Towns and trading for Tyus Jones. Read below what some of the experts had to say about Minnesota's historic draft night.

Grade: A

It's easy to overlook the No. 1 team in these things. We forget that they can screw it up. The rankings of the No. 1 pick over the past 25 years is a testament to that. The Wolves didn't screw it up. They got the best player in the draft, a perfect fit for their system and a player who, if he reaches his ceiling, could be a superstar. Pair him with Andrew Wiggins, and the Wolves have two potential studs to build around. I also like their trade of the 31st and 36th picks for Jones. I don't love Jones as an NBA starter, but he's the perfect backup point guard. He's steady, unselfish, smart and rarely turns the ball over. He'll be great backing up Ricky Rubio.

The Wolves landed the best player in the draft. Period. There were other talents, but Towns is the one guy in this draft that has tons of upside and almost no downside. He can score from anywhere on the floor, rebounds and protects the rim and has an excellent work ethic. He may not look like the No. 1 pick from Day 1, but by mid-season everyone will see it.

The team also used two second-round picks to move up into the first and grab Tyus Jones. I'm not crazy about Jones as an elite point guard, but as a backup point guard? I love him. He's steady, rarely makes mistakes and is selfless. Paired Andrew Wiggins and Ricky Rubio the Wolves have an elite big man, an elite wing and two pass-first point guards to put them in a position to succeed. The Wolves are going to be very, very dangerous in a couple of years.

Pick #1, Karl-Anthony Towns … Grade: A

In a draft that could be chaotic, No. 1 was orderly. The Timberwolves evaluated Jahlil Okafor, but they locked in on Towns the last few weeks. And he should fit in nicely. In Towns, Minnesota gets a highly skilled power forward who can be the post complement to Andrew Wiggins. Towns has a developing face-up game and his superior free throw shooting guarantees he won’t be a victim of Hack-a-Anybody. Towns will get at least a year to learn the position under Kevin Garnett; his selection here gives Minnesota an enviable young core.

Pick #24, Tyus Jones … Grade: B+

This pick headed to Minnesota from Cleveland in exchange for two second-round picks this year and one future second-rounder. Jones made the leap into the NBA draft after a strong NCAA tournament. He’s a tempo-pushing playmaker (which Flip Saunders will love) who showed poise beyond his years last season. He’s patient, extremely comfortable in the pick-and-roll and sees the floor well. He’s an average shooter (who isn’t at this point?) and physically he’s not all that imposing. But if Minnesota is looking for a backup for Ricky Rubio, Jones is a nice option.

Grade: A+

Karl-Anthony Towns is the best player in this draft, and though there is a chance that players like Emmanuel Mudiay and Kristaps Porzingis could eventually vault past him with their raw talent, let’s not discount the tantalizing amount of raw talent Towns has yet to cash in on. Until then, even, he’ll be a huge contributor for Minnesota, a modern big man that you can just pen in for a fantastic career.

The Wolves turned two second-round pick into Jones, the Duke product that appears to be a natural leader. Jones still has to work on his defense and shooting form, but he’s the classic steadying-influence-that-can-also-act-as-a-sparkplug off an NBA bench. A killer draft.

Flip Saunders has done really well for himself with bringing in young talent since taking over for David Kahn. He brought in Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng for Trey Burke a couple years ago. He brought in Zach LaVine before trading Kevin Love for eventual rookie of the year Andrew Wiggins. Now he's found his way into grabbing Karl-Anthony Towns with the top pick and trading the Nos. 31 and 36 picks for Tyus Jones at No. 24. The Wolves not only found great young talent in this draft, but they also galvanized the fan base by grabbing the player everybody wanted in Towns and the hometown kid everybody loves to watch in Jones. Brilliant draft for Saunders and the Wolves.

Pick #1, Karl-Anthony Towns … Grade: A+

The unquestionable best player in this draft, Towns is the total package at both ends and the kind of athletic, talented player that can change a franchise forever. TOTAL. MONSTER.

Pick #24, Tyus Jones … Grade: A

Jones is a smart player that can run the offense in Minnesota, which is reportedly acquiring this pick from Cleveland. With the kind of talent the Wolves will have, it's great to have a floor general which Jones projects to be.

Grade: A+

No one improved themselves more in this draft than the Minnesota Timberwolves. Okay, so that's pretty easy to say when they got the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. But the Wolves not only got an incredible talent in Towns, they also picked up a perfect fit for the things they needed most. Needed some rim protection? Towns will provide that. Needed some shooting? He can run pick-and-pops with Rubio and knock down shots or space the floor by floating out into the midrange. He'll also provide the post game that Flip Saunders will want out of his center. He'll improve the Wolves on many levels, some substantially, over the course of the next couple of years. Then, as if that wasn't enough, the Wolves decided to pounce as the hometown kid was plummeting, moving up in a trade with the Cavaliers to take Duke's Jones. The Final Four Most Outstanding Player will improve the depth behind Rubio, give them another option in the case that they decide to move on from the Spaniard, and also bring a sense of excitement to the team. You cannot do better than this in a draft at No. 1.

Grade: A

You can't screw up the No. 1 pick, right? It's been done before. But not this year. Karl Anthony Towns (No. 1) is a big man who offers a diverse skillset and loads of potential. Moreover, Towns will fit in perfectly right away with a young nucleus in Minnesota. Tyus Jones (No. 24 acquired via trade) is about as good of a backup point man that you'll find.

Grade: A+

In Karl-Anthony Towns, the Minnesota Timberwolves were able to fill a major need in the middle with the top prospect in the draft. Nobody in the field has a higher ceiling than Towns, whose developing low-post game, shooting touch and rim protection fuel unique two-way versatility. He also offers defensive potential Duke's Jahlil Okafor can't match, as well as an inside-out offensive game suited for today's NBA. On top of his on-court progress, athleticism and skill level, he also has a terrific reputation off the floor. I'm not sure he could have a better mentor to learn from than Kevin Garnett in Minnesota. Between Andrew Wiggins and Towns, the Wolves now have an incredibly strong foundation to build on moving forward.

The Timberwolves dealt their two second-round picks to move up and snag Jones, who helped lead Duke to a national title as a freshman. There is a lot to like about Jones, from his pure point guard instincts and maturity to his pull-up shooting ability. Unfortunately, Jones' lack of strength and athleticism is likely to limit him as a finisher and perimeter defender. And it lowers his upside dramatically. Still, Jones has high-end backup potential, given his strong decision-making and ball skills. Jones' presence can ultimately allow Zach LaVine to switch to a combo scoring role off the bench, where his shot selection is better suited.

Pick #1, Karl-Anthony Towns … Fit: A | Opportunity: A

Towns has All-Star potential and a chance to develop into a transcendent player with his vast skills on the offensive end of the floor. Imagine the Wolves rolling with a "small" lineup of Ricky Rubio, Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, Shabazz Muhammad and Towns. There would be so much spacing that a Rubio-Towns pick-and-roll could be devastatingly potent. Not only can Towns roll down the lane and dunk over the top of his defense, but he can also pop and drain threes with his soft touch.

Towns also is a very good defensive player. He won't make a large impact from day one, since his discipline needs to improve, but long-term he projects to be highly effective with his long wingspan and lateral quickness. He'll have Kevin Garnett as a mentor, which is worth the price of Thaddeus Young for the Wolves. With a strong personality, Towns could also develop as a leader, which is a huge bonus for the Wolves, especially if KG makes an impression on him. He should be able to start immediately, giving him a significant opportunity to develop into the system with his peers.

Pick #24, Tyus Jones … Fit: A | Opportunity: B

Ricky Rubio might not have a future with the Timberwolves, which makes Jones a terrific long-term pick. He'll be surrounded by talent with athletes like Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns and Zach LaVine, which minimizes his weaknesses on defense. Jones is a pure point who should be a nice fit.