Timberwolves add online talent-evaluator Gershon to scouting role

Another online analyst has been hired by an NBA team in what seems to be a quickly growing trend.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Minnesota Timberwolves are adding Josh Gershon of 247 Sports to work in a player personnel consultant and scouting role.

Gershon held the role of national recruiting coordinator with 247. He previously held similar roles for Scout and FOX Sports, serving as publisher and senior editor of GOAZCATS.com.

The Timberwolves, of course, hold the No. 1 overall draft pick, with the big day scheduled for Nov. 18.

Gershon's hiring follows the Oklahoma City Thunder's hiring last week of Rivals.com basketball recruiting analyst Corey Evans as an amateur evaluation scout.

As Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports recently pointed out, NBA teams are clearly taking the work of online recruiting analysts seriously, with Dave Telep joining the San Antonio Spurs in 2013. Telep may have been the most respected man in his field when the Spurs hired him, and he has since become their director of player personnel.