The Not so Top 10 Timberwolves Draft Picks All Time

McCants was drafted 14th overall with high expectations after leading North Carolina to the championship. Because of his shooting and athletic ability, McCants came in with Jordan-like comparisons. He battled with injuries during his first two seasons, which limited his minutes and scoring. He made his big break in 2007 when he became a semi-regular member of the starting lineup. This was short lived because of what coaches and teammates described as attitude issues that limited his playing time, led to his trade and then forced him into the NBDL(National Basketball Development League) after only five seasons.He wasn't a horrible player, but was a huge letdown and hurt the team's chemistry. He averaged 10.0 PPG during his time in the NBA

Flynn was doomed from day one, actually he was doomed once David Stern announced his name after Rubio in the 2009 draft. I will give Flynn the benefit of the doubt, that is why he is only number 9 on my list, because how could a guy ever survive when he was selected after Rubio, and playing with a coach that wouldn't allow him to play his type of game. Flynn averaged 10.2 points in his career, which is not bad, but Flynn could not save the franchise, and now is being shopped around, and most likely will not be back in "Sota".

Like other point guards to come out of Duke, Avery was considered a bust at the NBA level. William Avery was one of the first three players to leave Duke early under coach K, along with Elton Brand and Corey Magette. Despite being taken 14th overall by the Minnesota, Avery never amounted to much only lasting three seasons in the NBA. His 2.7 career PPG kept Minnesota involved in a carousel of point guards for years to come. He averaged 2.7 points per game and 1.4 assists per game in 142 NBA games over three seasons with the Timberwolves. Avery was not signed by any NBA teams after his 3-year contract with the Timberwolves expired in 2002, so he moved his career overseas. Since then, Avery has played with the following pro clubs: Hapoel Tel-Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli League, Strasbourg IG of the French League, Azovmash Mariupol of the Ukrainian League, Makedonikos Alfa, Panionios, and AEK Athens of the Greek League, ALBA Berlin of the German League, and Galatasaray Café Crown of the Turkish League.Avery was released from Galatasaray in October 2007, just three months after signing with the club. He then immediately moved to Greece and signed with AEK Athens. He joined Trikala 2000 in 2008. In the summer of 2009, he moved to PAOK BC. In February 2011 he signed with Energa Czarni Slupsk in Poland.

I know he was a 2nd round pick but the only reason he dropped that far was so that he could be paid more. Pekovic was a star overseas, so in order to convince him to join the T-Wolves, general manager David Kahn had to pay him $13 million over three years (and he plays backup to Darko Milicic, who is making $20 million over four years). Pekovic waited two years before making his debut and now has rewarded Minnesota with 5.5 PPG and 3.0 RPG.

Ndudi Ebi was the second player the Minnesota Timberwolves ever drafted straight out of high school. The first was Kevin Garnett, and needless to say, the T-Wolves did not get the same result with Ebi. After going three straight years without a first round draft pick (because of salary cap violation with Joe Smith), Minnesota used their 26th overall pick to draft the unproven high schooler. Instead of being the piece Garnett needed to win a championship, Ebi rewarded the T-Wolves with two seasons in the league and 2.1 PPG. The three players drafted directly after Ebi were Kendrick Perkins, Leandro Barbosa and Josh Howard. All three have had productive careers and are still in the league.

Brewer will have a job in the NBA for many more years and he just won an NBA title with Dallas. He was certainly a disappointment for the Wolves if not only for unrealistic expectations. Brewer was a member of the great trio of Florida players that had just won back-to-back NCAA titles. He was given an opportunity to play right away with Minnesota in his rookie season, appearing in 79 games. Injuries sidetracked his second season and then starting in all 82 games in 2009-10, he averaged 13 points per game. With considerable roster and personnel changes Brewer fell out of favor last season and was eventually included in the 3-team Carmelo Anthony deal. Several other players picked behind Brewer have been more productive including Florida teammate Joakim Noah (#9), Thaddeus Young (#12), Al Thornton (#14), and Rodney Stuckey (#15).

This pick reminds all Timberwolves fans of what if? The Wolves had taken Brandon Roy with the sixth overall selection, and the pick was applauded, as it was thought the Wolves had taken care of some of their point guard woes. However, the head scratching began soon thereafter, as the Wolves traded Roy to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Randy Foye, who the Blazers had taken at No. 7. Roy is now one of the NBA's better point guards, and could certainly be used by a team that is still looking for an answer at the position. Foye lasted three seasons in Minnesota, and was dealt to the Washington Wizards prior to this past season, where he averaged about ten point PPG.

Laettner was certainly not the worst draft pick in Timberwolves history, but it is the one that burns the most. Like this last season the Wolves had the best chance to land the #1 pick but as usual moved back, falling to #3. This of course was the draft that changed everything with franchise maker Shaquille O’Neal as the clear first choice. The consolation prize of Alonzo Mourning would have also greatly changed the trajectory of the team. Laettner went down as one of the greatest college players ever, but his game did not transfer to the pros as easily and the expectations that were placed on him were immense. It is hard to argue that there was a clear superior choice for the Wolves that year as Laettner was one of only five first round picks that made an all star game at some point in their career and two of the others eventually played for Minnesota (Tom Gugliotta, Latrell Sprewell) but this is the draft that was supposed to change the fortunes of the franchise forever.

This pick stings much more when looking back historically due to what could have been. Obviously Allen never played for Minnesota, he was swapped for #4 pick Stephon Marbury, seemingly forming the next great young tandem along with Kevin Garnett who was drafted the previous year. Marbury was an exciting and productive player and while he quickly wore out his welcome, the eventual trade did net the Wolves some assets for the future so this pick can’t be panned that heavily. However, when considering what Allen could have done with the Wolves or that Kobe Bryant (#13) or Steve Nash (#15) were also available to pick at the time, this pick really does stand out as one of the biggest mistakes in Wolves history.

Now, I know what you're saying......Joe Smith wasn't drafted by the Timberwolves at all! He was taken #1 overall back in 1995 by the Golden State Warriors". This is true. . .technically. However, from a Timberwolves' standpoint, he was Minnesota's first-round draft choice in 2001, and 2002, and 2003, and 2005. Yes, because Kevin McHale thought it would be an absolutely genius move to say screw the salary cap for a guy that averaged about 10 points a game as a member of the Timberwolves, the Wolves were docked four first-round draft choices by NBA commissioner David Stern. The NBA, apparently, doesn't screw around with this kind of thing. The cost of four first-round draft choices and setting the franchise back who knows how many years, Joe Smith gets the distinction of being the worst first-round draft choice in Timberwolves' history. Congratulations to you.