If the Wolves, indeed, want Karl-Anthony Towns to spend more time at power forward in coach Chris Finch's offense, that means they would need a center.
And I have one for them.
He's Duke's former big man, ACC defensive player of the year Mark Williams. He would fit nicely into the Wolves lineup. And yes, that would mean those of you who have held a grudge against Mike Krzyzewski's teams (except when Tyus or Tre Jones were there) would have to get used to another Dukie in Wolves colors.
But the potential payoff — helping the Wolves rise up the list of Western Conference powers — would be worth it.
As of this writing, Clint Capela, whom the Wolves reportedly fancy, remains with Atlanta. Williams is a cheaper solution, and indications are that he has fans among Wolves leadership. So they should go get their man on Thursday night during the NBA draft.
It will be a little tricky, as most mock drafts have him going a few picks before the Wolves' selection at 19. Center-needy Charlotte, with the 13th and 15th picks, is the likely destination in most of these predictions. For Williams to drop down to 19, Memphis big Jalen Duren, a top 10 pick in a couple of mock drafts, would have to slide down to Charlotte.
Most likely, the Wolves might have to offer to swap picks — dangling one or two of their three second-round picks as sweeteners — to move up in the draft to reel in Williams. That's a move they should make.
Williams is an excellent athlete with less than 6% body fat. He was listed at 7-1 at Duke. When he was measured last month at the NBA scouting combine, he was 7-2 in shoes and had a 7-6 wingspan. His standing reach was 9 feet, 9 inches, meaning he can touch the rim from the tips of his toes.