[Bryan88]

Wolves seem torn between selecting Mayo or Love

The Timberwolves will have a tough choice tonight, when they are scheduled to make the third pick in the first round of the NBA draft.

I believe that if assistant general manager Fred Hoiberg is a good salesman and if the Wolves don't make a trade, they will take Southern California guard O.J. Mayo.

Hoiberg played for Southern California coach Tim Floyd at Iowa State, and they are close. Floyd also coached in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls from 1999-2002, so he has a good idea how Mayo will fit in as a pro player. I believe Floyd has sold Hoiberg on Mayo.

The one negative is the Wolves already have a Mayo-type player in Randy Foye, but Hoiberg said he believes they could play together.

"O.J., one of his biggest strengths is his defense, just getting in front of the ball," Hoiberg said. "He's got the size to guard [shooting guards] in our league. ... It gives you versatility when you have a couple combo guards on the court together."

I believe Kevin McHale, the Wolves' vice president of basketball operations, favors Kevin Love because the UCLA center/forward would make Wolves center/forward Al Jefferson that much better.

But Hoiberg likes Love, too.

"You look at Kevin Love with his outside shooting ability, his passing, his competitiveness, and he's won at every level he's been at as well," Hoiberg said. "So you have guys that have won everywhere they've been in high school and, for [Mayo and Love] just one year in college, where they led their teams to good records. So, yeah, we're going to have a tough decision to make."

Well, I believe that Love would be a great choice. The Timberwolves would have won a lot more games last year if they had Love taking the pressure off Jefferson. As a freshman, he averaged 17.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.

It would be great if they make the right deal, but the safest choice would be Love.