Timberwolves Pick Four Guards in 2009 NBA Draft
New General Manager Gets Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn 5 and 6 overall
Jun 26, 2009
The Timberwolves certainly needed a true point guard in this draft, but they may have gone overboard by using the 5th and 6th overall picks to pick up Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn, respectively. What makes these consecutive picks more puzzling, however, is the fact that Davidson rising star Stephen Curry was still available. Curry, though a point guard as well, is an exceptional scorer with ability away from the ball. Both Rubio and Flynn are true point guards, or guards with great passing and playmaking abilities who prefer to set up an offense rather than be the offense. Stephen Curry never averaged less than 20 points/game at Davidson, and last year he averaged 28.6 as a junior for the Wildcats. It is obvious why so many were perplexed by Minnesota's first two picks. Then came the 18th pick.
Kevin Love Questions Timberwolves' Logic
The Timberwolves had the opportunity to pick up a small forward to help big men Kevin Love and Al Jefferson, but instead they chose...another point guard! This time it was the incredibly talented Ty Lawson from UNC. While everyone was banking on the Timberwolves trading at least one of these point guards, new General Manager David Kahn said initially that he was happy with the first three picks, and felt that Flynn and Rubio could legitimately play together. This seems unlikely given their similar playing styles. Thankfully, someone told Kahn that drafting three true point guards in a row was a bad idea, and soon after Kahn's interview the draft rights to Lawson were traded to the Denver Nuggets. This move is perfect for Lawson, who gets to grow and mature in the NBA behind one of the best point guards in the league: Chauncey Billups.
Soon after the 18th overall pick, questions from around the NBA world seemed to focus solely on just what in the world the Minnesota Timberwolves were thinking. Even the Timberwolves own power forward, Kevin Love, was calling the strategy into question.
Kevin Love's Twitter page read: "What are we doing????? We better trade. I don't even know."
The Lawson trade might have set Love's mind at ease, until the Timberwolves used their 5th pick in the draft (45th overall) to draft another point guard; this time it was Nick Calathes from Florida. Though his rights were later traded away, the T'Wolves still have a dilemma at the point guard position.
Rubio To Stay in Spain?
The problem is complicated further by reports from Ricky Rubio's father that Ricky may stay in Spain and play a few more seasons after all. Rubio, an 18-year-old Spanish league star who has been playin professionally since he was 14, had indicated that he wanted to play in a big market in America, and Minnesota seems to not be his ideal resting place. This sentiment is reminiscent of Yi Jianlian's feeling when he was initially drafted in 2007 by the Milwaukee Bucks and then after a short stint there moved to New Jersey to play for the Nets. It seems likely that if the T'Wolves can't move Rubio to a different team in a bigger market, Rubio may move himself back to Spain, which could potentially cement the Timberwolves' performance in the 2009 draft as the worst ever.
