The results of the rookie survey were released recently and both of the Timberwolves 2018 draft picks were mentioned. Okogie was picked second by his peers as the rookie who is most athletic and picked third as the best defender. Keita Bates-Diop wasn’t excluded as he was selected as the biggest steal of the draft. Both draft picks are very talented in their own ways, but who will make the most immediate impact for the Wolves this season?
Hot take coming in: Probably the first round pick will make the greatest impact. But keep in mind that the Wolves were thinking of taking KBD with the 20th pick instead of Okogie. And the fact that he slipped all the way to 48 shocked everyone in the Wolves war room.
“We were very surprised he was still there,” Thibodeau said. “We liked him a lot. He did a great job when he came in with his workout, and with his interview. And [he had] a great season with Ohio State.”
Many draft analysts had him going in the late first round or early second round, including the Wolves, so it’s unlikely that Thibs will show any favoritism to either prospect as some head coaches do with their higher draft picks.
Having said that, Okogie offers far more upside as a player than KBD does. Okogie’s defensive activity and lateral quickness jump right off the screen when you watch him. His ability to get around screens and disrupt defenders is an absolute joy to watch. Not to mention his uncanny ability to time up and block shots. A physical freak with an unrelenting motor, Okogie is the quintessential ‘Thibs guy’.
But there is a scenario that if you squint really hard with me, you may also see it. And that scenario is where Thibs finds he needs more shooting with the second unit and KBD finds a role and thrives in it. Okogie, while having substantially more upside than KBD, isn’t as NBA ready as KBD–as we saw with him winning the Big Ten Player of the Year last season.
The only game tape against pros that anyone has seen of either prospect has been in summer league. Both showed out really well, but Okogie did not look comfortable from behind the arc. Bates-Diop, however, looked like the stretch 4 that could help contribute with Anthony Tolliver after the departure of Nemanja Bjelica.
KBD has some drawbacks defensively but was able to make up for it with his massive 7-foot-3 wingspan during summer league.
The athletes he saw in summer league won’t be on the same level as the ones he’ll see when he plays against the likes of LeBron James, Russell Westbrook or Anthony Davis. However, KBD thinks his experience in college may set him apart from his fellow rookies.
“I have maturity over some guys from my four years. I have an edge on a lot of the younger guys who are still teenagers. I’ve been through a lot already,” Bates-Diop said.
That maturity along with a three-point shot may be enough to earn him some minutes this season. Thibs is notorious for playing his starters heavy minutes, which in turn means fewer minutes for the second string and no minutes for the third string. My best guess is Bates-Diop plays a lot in the G-League this first season and will get called up sparingly if an injury arises. But if he takes advantage of his minutes by bringing a defensive intensity and the three-pointer we’ve seen, he may, in fact, find a nice little niche on the Timberwolves roster.
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