Today I visited the Target Center to watch a group of wing players work out for the Timberwolves staff. Among the bunch was Paul George, Damion James, Ryan Wittman and Mikhail Torrance. Here's what I walked away with:

Paul George:

I will admit that I have never actually seen George play before today. Obviously the biggest name of the group, all eyes were on this 6-foot-9 mammoth with tentacles for arms. He's as lanky as a human being can get but by no means was he skinny and weak; his lean yet slender physique was banging underneath with the Piston bad boy himself Bill Laimbeer.

 

After watching George play today it's safe to say that his physical tools are in charge of his ever-growing upside - he plays like somebody who's relied on his body to play basketball for him up until now. But other than that and a sweet shooting stroke, George didn't impress me all that much. He seems too raw and inexperienced after playing his collegiate ball at Fresno St., not your typical NCAA powerhouse. He greatly struggled with his ball-handling skills - but I would too if my arms could grab my knees without bending over. He showed physicality inside but only in brief glimpses. After he dunked on Laimbeer once, he struggled trying get around the big fella. George also had difficulty in one-on-one drills going against the high-motored Longhorn Damion James. He even missed quite a few free throws, a definite no-no in a workout like this in a calm setting.

But despite his flaws, George was still the most talented of the bunch and his smooth jumper resulted in some really nice shots from both inside and out. He was easy to spot in the group due to his freakishly lengthy body. His athleticism and jumper definitely attribute to his potential lottery status, but until he improves on his ball-handling and consistency, I don't see him being much of a contributor to an NBA team.

Damion James:

James has an extremely high motor. He was always performing each drill with 110% but sometimes that extra boost of energy resulted in clumsiness and gave viewers the sense that he was never in control of his body or game.

It's hard to properly judge how James' workout went because he's a grinder; a tough rebounder. He's more-so a gamer than a guy that will come into a workout and "Wow" a crowd.

James was very inconsistent with his shooting. His stroke isn't as pure as George's or Wittman's but proved effective at the end of the workout from beyond the arc. His mid-range game is average at best. James certainly seemed out of control when he attacked the hoop; that was when his clumsiness showed the most. No other player at the workout hit the floor once. James hit the deck four times, but at least he yelled "And 1!" each time proving that he was trying as hard as anyone else.

James' high motor paid dividend on defense, though. Even when getting beat off the dribble, James recovered nicely by catching up and swatting the ball from behind. It was a breath of fresh air to see because no Timberwolf attempted anything like that on defense last season. Probably the key play of the entire workout was a one-on-one drill between George and James. George, on offense, attacked James head on then went left to the rim looking for the slam but was stuffed at the peak of his jump by James. George came down crying foul but James replied with "All ball, baby!"

Ryan Wittman:

The hometown kid had his time to shine today, and that he did. Wittman probably made around 60% of his shots, including a flawless trip around the arc from three-point land.

Wittman is a true three-point specialist but also showed some flashes off the dribble. He had trouble getting around James, though - as did everybody - which resulted in multiple blocked shots. But he shook George once on a fake to the right and then pulled up right in his face from 18-feet.

Wittman would be a great pick in the second round for many teams. His three-point shooting could add another dimension to the Wolves that they desperately need. Though, he would never be a starter in this league, he could play a very similar role to J.J. Redick of the Orlando Magic.

Mikhail Torrance:

Torrance was essentially the "no-namer" at today's workout. Since George and James were the big names and Wittman was the hometown kid, Torrance was the mysterious one of the bunch. But very quickly, Torrance became the most intriguing name there in my opinion.

Dubbed by my buddy "The next Russell Westbrook," Torrance showed very similar traits to Westbrook. Crazy handles, quickness and a solid stroke all struck me as strong comparisons to that of the Thunder's point guard.

The only thing I've read on Torrance coming into today was that he lacked authority when finishing at the rack and that his jump shot was a solid starting point for a coach to sculpt and mold at the next level. He quickly dashed that by finishing hard at the rim with a few dunks and spectacular lay-ups. His shooting stroke is solid enough to pass at the NBA level but will need some development, especially from deep. Torrance was the only true ball-handler at today's workout, so maybe that was why I was so impressed with it but a combination of a side-step behind-the-back dribble and a quick left-to-right crossover deemed deadly to any of the three defenders that had to stay in front of it. His handles were smooth, quick and efficient against any defender.