Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng arrived in Minnesota today and met the media at Target Center.
Newest Wolves Muhammad, Dieng arrive in Minnesota
New Wolves GM Flip Saunders said Friday that Muhammad and fellow first-round pick Dieng were "winners'' who he deemed "NBA ready to contribute.'' Both picks appeared at a Friday press conference.
June 28, 2013 at 10:04PM
Muhammad, the Timberwolves' top pick in Thursday's draft, elicited immediate negative reaction from fans, who on chat boards and radio call-ins noted his me-first, shoot-first playing style.
The Wolves, who entered the draft in desperate need of a shooting guard, failed to draft one despite having three first-round picks. Making matters worse, the perception is that Muhammad's style will be a tough fit in coach Rick Adelman's passing offense that relies on team play.
New Wolves GM Flip Saunders said Friday that Muhammad and fellow first-round pick Dieng were "winners'' who he deemed "NBA ready to contribute.'' Both picks appeared at a Friday press conference.
Muhammad did his best to dispel the critics. Asked if his reputation as a selfish player was something he had to address during pre-draft workouts for teams, Muhammad did not shy away from his past.
"Absolutely,'' he said. "That's one thing I'm really working on, figuring it out. It makes life way easlier to be unselfish, for yourself and your teammates. I'm concentrating on that.''
Muhammad was the 14th overall pick out of UCLA, and Dieng, a center from national champion Louisville, was 21st overall.
