Watching the Suns and Timberwolves this season I’ve come up with a swap which could uplift both franchises. The Timberwolves have been able to stay in the playoff hunt this season and will likely be in the 2018 NBA Playoffs but rumors have surfaced about Andrew Wiggins’s unhappiness as a third option on the Wolves offense behind Towns and Butler. Looking at the Suns Devin Booker who has been in and out of the lineup this season and although Booker has shown he can be a dynamic scorer he is weak on the defensive side of the ball and isn’t much of a play-maker to add on to it.
So the Suns draft Josh Jackson who has been up and down all season but after his 36 point outburst against the Warriors the Suns really need to start reconsidering who they will build around. Jackson is a two way player who plays both sides of the ball and has potential to be an exceptional playmaker. Runs the floor like a gazelle and has phenomenal size and the ability to play 1-4 if you need him to. Imagine once he fills out his frame? He will be a perennial all-star easily.
Yes I understand Booker had a 70 point game last season against a superb Boston defense but I don’t see a Kobe Bryant or James Harden level type guard in Booker. Harden is not an exceptional defender but he blows Booker away as a playmaker and floor general. Booker is best suited on a team where Butler and Towns can use his floor spacing ability which is what is keeping Minnesota from really becoming a powerhouse in the West. The way Minnesota is built Butler is the leader and primary ball handler while Towns is the enforcer inside, Wiggins can knock down jumpers but is not a marksmen like Booker and add on Teague and Gibson who are far from being 3 point shooters. Towns and Butler can spread the floor but that’s not what they specialize in nor is it something they do at an all-star level.
Wiggins barely sees the ball on Minnesota’s offense and his game is predicated on being used as a go to scoring option which he is not when Butler and Towns are on the floor. I feel Wiggins and Jackson would be a better combination since they are both athletic forwards who can play the shooting guard,small forward, and even serve as small ball 4’s due to their length and athletic ability. The Suns are trying to turn things around in Phoenix and I believe Wiggins would excel alongside Jackson and give them a lot more defensive versatility, and they do have a top 5 pick coming also so they can turn things around this coming summer.
Booker is a high volume shooter, that is how I see him and I just don’t see him projecting as a franchise player for the Phoenix Suns, he’s just too one-dimensional and reminds me a lot of Klay Thompson who flourishes best as a 3rd option behind Durant and Curry. Booker is a better ball handler then Klay but he is not the defender Klay Thompson is nor will he ever be due to his lack of length and athleticism. I believe if you put Booker on the Timberwolves behind Karl Anthony Towns and Jimmy Butler that the Timberwolves would be a lock for a top 3-4 seed next season in the West and could possibly become a title contender. From the looks of it right now there is friction between Butler and Wiggins, Wiggins has performed a lot better without Butler on the floor but he’s not good enough to tag team with Towns alone without Butler and take the Timberwolves anywhere.
To conclude Josh Jackson has team leader intangibles and is a true alpha out on the floor, it has been said about him before the draft and judging off his statement about Stephen Curry before the season saying Curry is “unathletic”. I am sure it was no shot at Curry but more about his confidence in his abilities and knowing he will one day be a great player himself. I believe Josh and Andrew can learn from each other and Josh could help Andrew tap into his potential and bring out that superstar talent we’ve been waiting on for years. It’s a swap I would love to see over the off-season and hopefully it happens.
D-NBA 