The Minnesota Timberwolves hosted Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. for a pre-draft workout on Saturday. On paper, Philon makes a ton of sense for what the Wolves need. He is a dynamic three-level scorer, with high playmaking feel and the ability to play on or off the ball.
There's one glaring problem, though, and it's one that Wolves fans should be familiar with: Philon weighs 176 pounds. Furthermore, as a projected late lottery to mid-first-round pick, the Wolves would have to trade up to land Philon. Sounds a bit like what the Wolves did when they traded up for Rob Dillingham two years ago, right?
I'll admit that there are some differences. Firstly, the Wolves would likely be trading a win-now player, not future assets, to select Philon, with Rudy Gobert being a clear trade candidate given his value to floor-raising teams. Plus, given that he's a sophomore and a bit more polished than Dillingham this time, a gamble on a thin yet dynamic guard could pay off.
Still, it would be a massive risk to draft a slim guard who could have trouble adjusting to the physicality of the NBA.
Philon is a promising prospect, but he doesn't make sense for the Timberwolves
Listen, I really like Philon. He is a dynamic ball-handler with plenty of speed, creation, and playmaking abilities. And if all goes well, he could prove to be an ideal long-term point guard.
However, as we just saw with Dillingham, Finch has trouble playing young players if they aren't incredibly polished. Say what you will about Finch, but the Wolves are competing for a title and doing so while developing young talent is tricky.
Would it go as badly as the Dillingham experiment? It's doubtful, but it would still be unwise to believe Philon's acclimation to the NBA on a competitive team would be seamless.
Even if you are the biggest Philon fan in the world, it's unrealistic to suggest that he'll have no growing pains adjusting to the NBA. Again, he's 176 pounds -- smaller guards like this take some time to develop, particularly as the NBA has become increasingly physical in recent years.
To act like Philon will step in and immediately solve the Wolves' problems from day one isn't realistic.
And let's just say he finds his groove in the regular season, could he handle the playoffs as a rookie, which are notoriously tough on small guards? I'd argue that would be tricky and unlikely as a rookie.
Again, I don't think Philon is a bad prospect or will be a bad pro. I like him a lot! Nevertheless, he needs to go somewhere that can commit to his development and the Wolves aren't the team that can do so.
Maybe the Wolves are simply doing their due diligence on all prospects. Or maybe Philon's stock is lower than most people realize. If he falls to pick 28, then great, that's a reasonable bet on talent.
Regardless, the most likely scenario in which the Wolves draft Philon at this juncture would be that they land a higher pick in one way or another -- and that would be an undeniable risk.
The Wolves should have other options in mind in the event of a trade
If the Wolves do trade up, hypothetically moving someone like Gobert and getting a mid-first-round pick back as part of their package, there are safer prospects to target even at the guard position.
My personal preference would be drafting Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz, who is more sturdy at 190 pounds, and at 22, he's a true ready-made prospect. Stirtz's age could cause him to fall, but if the Wolves are in a position to take him in the mid-first-round, they should pounce on this chance. His blend of shooting, creation, playmaking, poise as a ball-handler and finishing abilities makes him a perfect fit with the team's needs.
The Wolves could also target NBA-ready wings such as Dailyn Swain or Cameron Carr while looking to fill their guard void elsewhere. Washington big man Hannes Steinbach could be available in the mid-first-round and if the Wolves trade a big man without getting one back, drafting him would make sense.
Point being, if the Wolves are to trade up, they have better options than gambling on a skilled yet slender guard like Philon.
