Minnesota Timberwolves Select Beringer at #17 Overall in Draft

The Minnesota Timberwolves opted not to move up or down in last night's first round of the NBA Draft and dipped into the international talent pool with their pick.

The Timberwolves reinforced their Center position last night, selecting 18-year-old French native Joan Beringer at #17.

The move drew plenty of praise around the league, as the team plans ahead for the future without Rudy Gobert on the roster.

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Here's what ESPN's Jeremy Woo had to say about why he likes the pick:

Woo: Joan Beringer to the Timberwolves at No. 18. I'm high on Beringer's long-term outlook -- it's hard to find centers with his caliber of physical traits who can also run the floor and protect the rim. His age and relative inexperience leave a ton of room for him to improve.

Getting to develop behind another Frenchman in Rudy Gobert, who could be a valuable mentor as Beringer makes a major leap to the NBA level, could be an ideal situation to help him tap into his significant ability.

This might take some time to pay off, but as Minnesota continues to try to build a winner with Anthony Edwards, landing a talent of this caliber and also addressing a long-term need could be a real coup.

The Timberwolves also hold pick #31 overall, and #1 in the second round of the draft tonight in Brooklyn.

There are plenty of options for Minnesota, but a few key players fit if they stay put at #31. Here's Jonathan Givony on who the team could take tonight:

Givony: Noah Penda was drawing looks from teams in the first round thanks to his strong defensive versatility, passing and overall feel for the game, but he couldn't gain enough traction in the predraft process because of his streaky shooting.

He'll likely be a popular target for playoff teams picking in the 30s, such as Minnesota, Boston or Philadelphia, that might prefer to stash a player in Europe to preserve roster flexibility. He will likely prefer to come to the U.S. immediately if he can find a team willing to roster him, however.

Round 2 of the NBA Draft begins tonight at 7:00 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn. TV coverage will be on ESPN.