NBA Draft 2020: Matching top prospects with needs of top lottery teams
By Tim Edmonds
Minnesota Timberwolves: Starting Wing —W/F Obi Toppin, Dayton
One of the biggest victims of the COVID-19 shutdown, the Minnesota Timberwolves were only able to get 12 games into the D’Angelo Russell experiment before the season’s postponement due to COVID-19.
Despite this, the duo of Russell and Karl Anthony-Towns is still enough to give Wolves fans some hope they can return to contention next season — even in a loaded Western Conference. Expected to pick in the Top-5, Minnesota should be eyeing a stretch four who can help their stars in transition as well as a prospect who is ready to make an instant impact in the pros, that said look no further than Dayton sophomore forward Obi Toppin.
The Collegiate Player of the Year candidate would fit perfectly into the Wolves timeline as they hope to return to contention next season. Arguably the draft’s most pro-ready prospect, Toppin would add elite athleticism as well as an explosive blend of scoring and defense to a roster on the mend.
Add in the fact that the Wolves badly need help on the wing in replacing current starters Josh Okogie and Juan Hernangomez and the former Dayton Flyer could instantly provide a boost and a potential third star for the Wolves going forward.