The Timberwolves didn't have a first-round pick, having sent that to the Utah Jazz in the Rudy Gobert deal. But some draft analysts — those who analyze picks all the way through the second round, at least — believe Minnesota may have landed an undervalued talent when they traded two second-round picks to the Spurs to select Leonard Miller at No. 33 overall. On top of that, guard Jaylen Clark brings a defensive mindset out of UCLA.
Timberwolves draft grades: Did they steal Leonard Miller in the second round?
The deal that was made to land the Canadian guard was lauded as finding a first-round talent in the second round, and UCLA guard Jaylen Clark was noted for his defensive skills.
June 23, 2023 at 1:06PM
How did the analysts grade the Wolves?
Leonard Miller (A): The Spurs made this pick and flipped it to Minnesota, giving the Timberwolves — for my money — a lottery-level talent and one of the better-value acquisitions of the night. Miller has a funky-but-effective game as a big wing who can put the ball on the floor, pass and defend with versatility. He's a high motor forward who will fit nicely as they build around Anthony Edwards.
Jaylen Clark (A): Defense, defense, defense. That's what Clark brings to the table for Minnesota. He had an Achilles injury at the end of last season that might've pushed him down the board, but the two-time All-Pac 12 defense honoree is a disruptive defensive presence worth betting on.
Miller: Miller took an estimable step forward in the G League last season, turning himself into a highly productive box score player and starting to harness his considerable physical gifts. It turned out teams weren't entirely sold on his profile, as reflected by his fall here. But Miller still offers a lot of tools to develop, with great length and some inside-out versatility at forward. He needs to refine his shooting and decisionmaking, and it may take him some time to see the floor in the NBA, but there just aren't that many athletes with his type of size, movement and basic skill set, which makes him a nice swing later in the draft.
Clark: The Pac-12 defensive player of the year, Jaylen Clark had a breakout junior season that made him a potential top-40 pick candidate before tearing his Achilles late in the season, an injury that is likely to linger into next year. Clark uses his 6-9 wingspan and strong 204-pound frame to lock up point guards, shooting guards and small forwards with outstanding quickness, strength and intensity, regularly stepping in for charges and wreaking havoc off the ball getting in passing lanes and crashing the glass. His offensive game is fairly basic, consisting mostly of transition opportunities, attacking closeouts and a streaky 33% three-point shot that showed a lot of progress from last season, but still has plenty of room to grow.
Miller (A-): If the Timberwolves stay patient with Miller and really invest in his development, they may have nabbed the night's top theft here. He is far more fascinating in theory than in reality for now, but that's fine. He doesn't have to enter this league as a finished product. Instead, he'll go in as a possible jumbo-sized ball-handler who can finish, distribute, defend and knock down shots from distance. Some of those are theoretical skills, but the framework is in place for a pretty special player at some point.
Clark (B-): No analysis
The Sporting News (B): The Timberwolves traded into the early first round to select Miller, a jack-of-all-trades and high-energy forward who can fill a role off the bench immediately. They stuck with defense with their late second-round pick, taking a former Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in Clark, who should have a chance to work into Minnesota's guard rotation.
Sports Illustrated (C): The Timberwolves didn't have a ton to work with in the 2023 NBA Draft but still managed to take a shot on a potential high-ceiling player, which earns them some points in our book. At No. 33 overall Minnesota finally swung on G League Ignite hybrid Leonard Miller, who saw a bit of a slide relative to where most experts saw him going. Miller is a unique fit at 6-foot-10, being more of a wing than a true forward or center, but showed production nonetheless in the G League averaging 18.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. Minnesota also managed to snag Jaylen Clark, who was good enough defensively in college to not only earn draft hype, but could see some situational use as a rookie.
The Ringer: While the website didn't grade the second-round picks, draft analyst Kevin O'Connor had Miller ranked as the No. 18 prospect and Clark as No. 54. Here was some of his predraft analysis:
Miller: Grew to 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and a strong, wide frame as a high school upperclassman. He uses his length to sky above opponents for rebounds and poke into passing lanes. He could become a versatile on-ball defender if his fundamentals improve. ... He's still learning how to play like a big man. He doesn't rack up as many weakside blocks as his athleticism and reach would suggest he can. That is partially because he's a bit flaky off the ball.
Clark: Monstrous defender with the versatility to defend guards, wings and many forwards. He's a pest on the ball and an aggressive off-ball defender with elite anticipation skills when reading plays and jumping passing lanes. He sticks to opponents like glue, even when navigating screens. ... He shot 30.2% from three and 66.1% from the line in three years at UCLA, showing minimal improvement of his touch or form.
Despite so-so record, Wolves have improved at crunch time.
