Tim Connelly Reveals Timberwolves' Goals With Drafting Rocco Zikarsky and Joan Beringer

Following the NBA Draft, Timberwolves president Tim Connelly was pleased with how the team performed with their picks. He explained that Beringer will be a defensive presence, but he's unsure what he will bring in terms of offense.

"Right now, he's a sprint-the-floor, he's a lob threat, offensive rebounds, kind of a garbage guy around the rim," he said. 

"What's really exciting, especially because we have such great coaches, is he's really malleable. However we want to develop him, we can develop him. It's just exciting to see a guy that has all these crazy tools and really no bad habits," Connelly joked with Sports Illustrated.

After several second-round pick trades involving the Timberwolves, they chose Zikarsky at No. 45. Connelly indicated they were happy to acquire him at that spot because the front office had him ranked higher.

"A guy that has a real puncher's chance," he said of the Australian big. "He's a really unique prospect and a really good kid. ... I think you'll be surprised to watch his skill set, given his size."

The Timberwolves president was unsure about the situation with Zikarsky, despite CBS Sports and other outlets indicating that he would sign a two-way contract with the Wolves.

"He could stay overseas, there's the G League — we want to maximize Iowa. So we're not sure, but we want to ensure that he's going somewhere where his development continues," Connelly told SI.

Minnesota now has several 18-year-old bigs to develop for the future. Beringer is listed at 6-foot-11, while Zikarsky is 7-foot-3 with a 9-foot-7 standing reach. 

"I was hoping to get like 14.4 (feet of height) combined, and I achieved that goal," Connelly joked.

Just a day after the Wolves drafted Zikarsky, they made another big move. On Friday, the team signed Naz Reid to a five-year contract worth $125 million, according to ESPN.

Meanwhile, the situations with Nikeil Alexander-Walker and Julius Randle remain unclear after the Reid signing. Along with that, many fans are hoping another move might be made to add help at the point guard position.