With the seventh overall pick, the Minnesota Timberwolves will be selecting a player that should fit nicely on their team.
Lauri Markkanen was one of the best freshmen in the country on a very talented Arizona team. With some big showdowns against teams like UCLA and Oregon in the Pac-12, the nation got to see the unique skill set of Markkanen.
As the NBA changes, big men are more and more frequently becoming shooters. As the European style has become integrated into the game, we have seen great big men shooters like Dirk Nowitzki and Kristaps Porzingis. While Markkanen has a way to go before he is their class, he has that type of potential.
Last season at Arizona, Markkanen averaged 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. As one of the best shooting big men in the country, Markkanen shot 54.5% on two-point attempts, and 42.3% on three-point field goals.
At 7’0”, it would have been nice to see Markkanen average more than 0.5 blocks per game. However, that just isn’t his game. On the Timberwolves, Markkanen will fit really nice next to center Karl-Anthony Towns. While Towns is pretty good shooter himself, he will be able to play inside more when on the floor with Markkanen. A front court of Andrew Wiggins, Markkanen, and Towns, certainly looks good on paper for Minnesota.