On May 19, 2015, Flip Saunders stood near the court at Target Center and wept for all to see.
The Timberwolves, the franchise known for bad management and worse luck, had brought Flip back to awaken the echoes of their one great season. The Wolves had thrown a party for the draft lottery show, and had defied their star-crossed history by landing the first pick, for the first time.
Saunders cried and raised his arms. Later, he would confide that he thought he would take Jahlil Okafor, the bulky Duke star, with the first pick. Weeks later, I ran into Saunders in the Minneapolis Skyway, and, unprompted, he said, "We've done our homework.