All Things Minnesota Timberwolves 2022-2023 In-Season Thread

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Iceland12 said:
REALLY?

Bet you don't trust Taylor either.😇
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Of course not. However, he's the devil we know and he's not going to move the team on his own. We know that he will sell the team to buyers who will move the team, but he's not going to do it one his own.
 

howeda7 said:
Why do you say that? I do think the deal might not go through, but because Glen doesn't really want to sell....
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Lore isn't rich enough by himself to own as much as was agreed to, and A-Rod doesn't have nearly enough money.
 

howeda7 said:
Why do you say that? I do think the deal might not go through, but because Glen doesn't really want to sell....
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Possibly, but Taylor is 81 and his heirs reportedly have no interest in keeping and running the team.
 

howeda7 said:
Why do you say that? I do think the deal might not go through, but because Glen doesn't really want to sell....
Click to expand...
He may not want to sell at this point because the franchise is probably worth more than when the contract was signed. Presumably, he has to sell to these guys if they actually come up with the dough and meet all of the other stipulations in the documents. It's much harder for sellers to get out of contracts.
The gray area is when these guys are just a wee bit short of cash or need just a wee bit more time....
 

Four big questions heading into Timberwolves training camp​

Just how will Gobert and Towns coexist on the floor?

This is the question that has been on everyone's mind since the Wolves swung the major trade for Gobert, the 7-1 center who was a three-time All-Star with Utah, in July. The thing about Gobert and Towns is that, even though they have played the same position, their strengths seem to complement each other.

On offense, Towns can play all over the floor, but pick and roll isn't his strong suit. Gobert, meanwhile, is one of the best pick-and-roll players in the league. Towns' game can adapt all over the floor while Gobert can be an efficient player in the post. On defense, Towns was comfortable last season playing along the perimeter in the Wolves' high-wall scramble scheme. He has never been an elite rim protector. Gobert, a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, is the best rim protector of this generation.

Gobert's presence inside should boost the team's defensive rebounding, one of its biggest weaknesses a season ago. Towns will be one who downshifts to play the "4," but it seems like the two could find a way to play alongside each other.

How will D'Angelo Russell perform in a contract year?

Russell is in the final year of his deal, and there's optimism in the organization that Gobert's presence on offense will help the point guard elevate his game, because he will have a pick-and-roll partner who is one of the best in the league. Russell can use his advanced passing abilities to better effect in these situations. The advanced statistic "screen assists" basically exists to capture Gobert's impact in that aspect of the game.

The last time Russell played in a contract year, he made his only All-Star Game appearance, in 2019 with Brooklyn. He shot 34% from three-point range a season ago, his lowest percentage since the 2017-18 season.

How big of a leap will Anthony Edwards make in his third season?

Before Edwards speaks again about basketball, he will be in front of media Monday for the first time since he posted and apologized on Twitter for a now-deleted Instagram video in which he used homophobic language to comment on a group of men. Many in the Wolves organization, fans and especially LGBTQ fans of the Wolves will be watching to see how Edwards handles his response to this and if he is willing to repair damage he has done with those comments.

The 21-year-old has become a fan favorite because of his engaging personality and growing ability on the court, and Monday represents the first time Edwards has had to address controversy in his career. As for his growth on the court, the organization has made a bet with the Gobert trade that Edwards is ready to jump to the next level, to be more consistent on both ends of the floor on a nightly basis. That will mean greater focus on the defensive end, especially when he is off the ball. On offense, it means a greater willingness to attack the basket, something Edwards can do at a level nobody else on the roster can.

What will the Wolves bench look like?

When the Wolves traded several players to Utah to get Gobert, they relinquished a lot of their depth from a season ago and had to reconfigure their bench. They brought back Taurean Prince and had players such as guards Jordan McLaughlin and Jaylen Nowell and center Naz Reid still under contract. But President Tim Connelly went out and signed Kyle Anderson, who could be a key defensive piece off the bench, along with guard Bryn Forbes, who is a career 41% three-point shooter, and defensive depth in Austin Rivers.

www.startribune.com

Four big questions heading into Timberwolves training camp

The Wolves take their new look to the floor this week in preparation for a highly anticipated season.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Howl Wolves!!
 


Souhan: Bigger, better Timberwolves want to make historic run

The Timberwolves went big this summer.

They also added Rudy Gobert.

Before trading for one of the league's best centers and defenders, the Wolves did something even more unusual. They built out their organization, turning a wartime rambler into a McMansion.

At the end of the 2021-2022 season, the Wolves looked promising. They won 46 games. They developed young players like Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, and could have argued that maturity itself would have led them down a productive path, with Sachin Gupta serving as a talented young general manager.

Then incoming owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez changed the Timberwolves, structurally and reputationally.

They hired renowned team-builder Tim Connelly from the Denver Nuggets. Connelly kept Gupta and added respected executives Dell Demps and Matt Lloyd.

The Timberwolves have never been this deep. Organizationally, or on the court.

www.startribune.com

Bigger, better Timberwolves want to make historic run

With Rudy Gobert and Tim Connelly joining a franchise coming off a solid season, the Wolves begin training camp with their sights set higher than ever.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Howl Wolves!!
 

Timberwolves guard D'Angelo Russell says 'nothing changes' in contract year​


It's been a big summer for D'Angelo Russell. He became a first-time father. He watched as the Timberwolves re-worked their roster, bringing in center Rudy Gobert, whose ability to finish at the rim is a Russell lob pass waiting to happen.

But Russell didn't get a new contract.

The Wolves point guard is entering a season of great expectations for the team on the last year of his contract, which will pay him in excess of $30 million this season. But that will not change the way he approaches the season.

"It's the same approach as last year,'' he said at the Wolves' pre-camp media day Monday. "Just a little more buzz around the team, a little more media representation in here. But nothing's changed for me. My approach, my mentality, my summer approach. To me, it's all been the same. So I can't really give you anything new, besides my kid.''

Russell and Laura Ivaniukas are the parents of a son, Riley Jonas Russell, born Saturday.

The 26-year-old guard talked about the need for the players on a significantly changed roster to get to know each other and develop chemistry. Getting through camp.

When asked directly, Russell showed no frustration at not getting a contract done. "Nothing changes,'' he said. "You see guys approaching a contract year and doing it incorrectly and it becomes magnified if you're doing it incorrectly. You might not be going about things the right way or ways you would be going about it if it wasn't a contract year. I try to keep it consistent, my approach.

"Obviously you go to work to get paid at the end of the week. So I'm going to work to get paid at the end of the year or whatever time may be. I'm the same dude, same guy, same approach. And I'm ready.''

It appears Russell is OK with the idea of betting on himself.

"Definitely,'' he said. "The money's in free agency. So if that's what you're about, tap into it. No frustration. The organization has treated me as great as it could possibly go. And the people that are here now have obviously showed their love towards me and how much they want me her. That's all I can ask for.''

www.startribune.com

Timberwolves guard D'Angelo Russell says 'nothing changes' in contract year

The team opened training camp for the 2022-23 season with media day at Target Center.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Howl Wolves!!
 

Not worried about distraction​

Veteran forward Taurean Prince sounded confident Monday his August arrest in Florida would not be a problem for him this season.

"Everything will be fine,'' he said. "Everything will be 100%. Right now I'm just letting my legal team do what they're supposed to do, to make sure. I'm not worried about it being a distraction or having to do anything this season.''

His arrest in Florida was triggered by a warrant issued by police in Arlington, Texas, after a traffic stop where marijuana allegedly was found in Prince's vehicle.

Prince said he wouldn't have been here, in Minnesota, ready to start camp, if he didn't feel the problem was resolved.

President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly didn't sound as sure. "We're still not certain,'' he said. "I don't know the ins and outs of the legal system. … But we'll let that process play its course and certainly adhere to whatever the league and the legal system suggest.''

www.startribune.com

Timberwolves guard D'Angelo Russell says 'nothing changes' in contract year

The team opened training camp for the 2022-23 season with media day at Target Center.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Howl Wolves!!
 

Minnesota connection​

Turns out Austin Rivers' favorite films include the "Mighty Ducks" trilogy, with "Mighty Ducks 2" being his favorite. That ties him a bit to his new home of Minneapolis, considering the state's ties to those movies.

One of the first things he did after signing his deal to come here was to check out one of the shooting locations of "Mighty Ducks 2."

"People are like, 'Why do you care?' " Rivers said. "Well, it's my love for Charlie and coach Bombay.''

www.startribune.com

Timberwolves guard D'Angelo Russell says 'nothing changes' in contract year

The team opened training camp for the 2022-23 season with media day at Target Center.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Howl Wolves!!
 






Per Shama:

The popular over-under for Timberwolves wins this season is 48.5. “I don’t think there is a ceiling for this team,” Gobert said yesterday.

New Wolves top executive Tim Connelly impresses with his authenticity. He is interested in developing relationships in the organization that are “organic,” not contrived.


Howl Wolves!!
 



Did the team get better?​

Yes, the Wolves undeniably got better and more talented with their roster. A big part of that is something we haven’t mentioned yet. They hired Tim Connelly away from Denver in one of the biggest front-office moves of the past couple years. Connelly is one of the best in this business, and being so aggressive to bring him in was a great sign of things to come. Essentially, his first act was the big swing to get Gobert. It’s certainly coming with plenty of risk, but the Wolves have raised the floor in a way we haven’t seen with this team since it acquired Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell back in 2003.

What does it mean for next season?​

That’s the grand question. I feel confident saying this team could be a monster in the regular season. While I’d guess they finish somewhere in the No. 3 or No. 4 range in the West, if you told me you were just in the future and saw the Wolves had the best record in the NBA regular season, I wouldn’t be completely shocked. I think this team is set up to be great in the regular season. Gobert anchors mostly elite regular-season defenses. It’s really difficult to handle on random nights, and Finch has a chance to do what Quin Snyder did so often: Overplay the perimeter and dare teams to attack Gobert at the rim.

The fits on offense might take some work, but I’m of the opinion that you want Towns attacking more from the perimeter anyway because he’s such a lethal outside shooter. It forces a lot of tough decisions for opponents. Edwards should continue to brighten his star on the court, and Russell might become even more of a playmaker than we’ve seen in the past. They have a lot of good role players to fill in gaps, and this team is going to be physically large and consume space on the court. But the Wolves will now be judged on how it works in the postseason. Gobert has struggled to be as effective in the playoffs. We already know the Wolves’ playoff history. You don’t take this swing to just be a playoff team. You take it to be a contender, and the Wolves will have to eventually prove they’re worthy of that classification.

Three quick questions with Jon Krawczynski, Wolves beat writer for The Athletic​

Who is going to be the best player on the Wolves this season?

I will say it’s going to be Towns. He’s the most skilled player on the roster, and I believe Gobert’s presence will help him be even better. Add to it that the Wolves should win more games, and there will be more recognition for how talented he is as he firmly enters his prime years.

But there is a segment of the NBA population, including some very smart minds, who would peg Gobert as the best player. His impact on winning, dominance on defense and offensive efficiency have made him a more successful player from a team standpoint than Towns has been.

Most expect Edwards to make a leap in his third season. There is a scenario where he eventually becomes the team’s best player, but he might not be quite there yet. I think Towns is poised for a monster season.

Is Gobert enough to make up for the losses of Jarred Vanderbilt and Patrick Beverley on defense?

I think so. Vanderbilt was terrific for this team with his energy and hustle. He is also a super-versatile defender who is comfortable checking guards if he has to. But Gobert is one of the two best defensive players of this generation. For all of Vanderbilt’s strengths on defense, rebounding was not one of them. Incredible offensive rebounder and just an OK defensive rebounder. Gobert is the best rebounder in the league. That is what the Timberwolves desperately need, someone who can end possessions and not give up second-chance points. Gobert also is a better rim protector than Vanderbilt, another area the Wolves needed an upgrade.

As for Beverley, the Wolves will miss his leadership and perimeter defense. There’s a reason they signed Rivers this summer: to be a defensive-minded guard on a team full of bucket getters. Edwards is a good defender on the perimeter, and McDaniels can be a great one, so Gobert will have help like he did not have in Utah. But Beverley’s tenacity is not easily replicated. That will be more difficult to account for than Vanderbilt’s energy.

Do the Wolves have to make it out of the first round of the playoffs this season to avoid criticism of this deal?

I think over the course of the next four years, they have to make it out of the first round multiple times and ideally have a run to the conference finals at some point to make the deal worth it. Will that happen this season? Not sure. Sometimes it takes a year for a team to find the cohesion and chemistry necessary for a deeper run. They HAVE to make the playoffs this year. If they don’t make it out of the first round, there is still time for them to salvage it, but the goal is to be a home-court advantage team in the first round. If they do that and still fail to make it to the second round, it would be a big disappointment. They are built to win now though. Gobert is 30. Getting out of the first round of the playoffs for just the second time in franchise history (yes, you read that right) should be standard for this group now.

theathletic.com

Zach Harper's 2022 Timberwolves offseason recap: Grades, goals and more

The Wolves are betting on big in an effort to make it past the first round of the playoffs for only the second time in team history.
theathletic.com theathletic.com
 

Mr. Untouchable for Timberwolves, Jaden McDaniels is ‘ready to show my game off’​


The Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz had been going back and forth for a few weeks in June trying to find common ground on a Rudy Gobert trade, and it just wasn’t happening.

The talks had reached such a significant stalemate, sources told The Athletic, that by June 30 the Wolves had turned their attention to other trade partners in search of a big man to help them with rebounding and interior defense. The hang-up? The Jazz were insistent upon Jaden McDaniels being included in any package to get them to part with one of their franchise players. The Wolves, meanwhile, considered McDaniels off limits.


So there sat the biggest blockbuster trade of the summer, teetering on the brink of collapse over a third-year player who last season averaged 9.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and had one of the highest foul rates in the league. Wolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly had packed his offer to Utah with valuable role players and a jaw-dropping amount of draft capital — four first-round picks and a pick swap — partly in an effort to keep McDaniels out of the deal.

When the trade finally went down on July 1, many in the NBA world fretted about the steep price — three unprotected firsts in 2023, 2025 and 2027 and the top-five protected 2029 pick headed to Utah for a 30-year-old center who isn’t the kind of bucket-getter who traditionally commands a return.

Is keeping Jaden McDaniels worth that much?

The Wolves, on the other hand, were celebrating, not just because of who was coming to Minnesota, but also who was staying.

“We fought extremely hard to keep Jaden out of the deal,” coach Chris Finch said. “Everybody wants Jaden. We get a lot of phone calls, as you should want a young (6-9), two-way player with tremendous upside.”

For McDaniels, realizing he had gone from a prospect who lasted until No. 28 in the 2020 draft to a player so valued that he was all but untouchable in trade talks for one of the best defensive players the league has ever seen was a lot to take in. He was considered a project when the Timberwolves selected him after an underwhelming freshman season at Washington. Now he was looking at an emphatic sign that he is a core member of a team that has designs on a deep playoff run.

“That is just speaking on the work that I put in, defensively and offensively and showing the ceiling that I have and continuing to build on that,” McDaniels said with a smile. “It’s crazy to me, really.”

His summer began with a challenge from Finch to work like he never had before. With the help of Wolves assistant coach Joe Boylan, the training staff at P3 in California and the realization that a starting lineup spot is there for him this season, McDaniels has emerged from the last three months of work determined to make a leap and validate the Wolves’ faith in him.

theathletic.com

Why the Timberwolves considered Jaden McDaniels untouchable in trade talks this summer

The Wolves show McDaniels film of Luka Dončić and Kawhi Leonard to reinforce the point of his mass potential.
theathletic.com theathletic.com

Howl Wolves!!
 

"Nowell has spent the first three years of his career flashing his potent scoring prowess and promise for more. Last season, when Minnesota’s roster was ravaged by COVID-19, it was Nowell who carried much of the offensive load. He’s capable of doing that at the highest level.

But youth, a lack of defensive aptitude and, most recently, backcourt depth often kept him off the floor.

But this season appears to be the 23-year-old’s opportunity to truly show what he’s got on a consistent basis with consistent minutes.

While the bottom of the Timberwolves’ rotation appears to be a log jam flush with competent players, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch has stated that the 6-foot-4 guard has earned an opportunity to be a part of it.

“His role is going to be kind of that x-factor off the bench. He’s done that for us in the past, as you know, but now we’ll have a consistent role for it,” Finch said. “He’s played himself into that, and so far, he looks pretty good.”

Statements like that suggest Nowell’s spot in the rotation is indeed all but set — though a strong training camp would secure it. That marks a first in his still-young career. Minnesota’s trade for Rudy Gobert demonstrated a belief in the center’s ability to alter the franchise’s already-upward trajectory. But it also showed the confidence the Wolves had in a player like Nowell to step in and contribute after the team dealt away so many depth pieces.

“Obviously, with the trade that happened, it definitely opened up a lot of opportunity for me,” Nowell said. “And I think it’s my job to, you know, make sure I don’t take that for granted, I continue to get better as a player, and whenever I get on that court, you know, I just need be the best version of myself, so we have a good chance to be one of the best teams in the league.”..

www.twincities.com

Timberwolves’ Jaylen Nowell is finally getting his opportunity, and he’s ready to seize it

The Wolves’ trade for Rudy Gobert this offseason opened up a lot of potential playing time for Lowell.
www.twincities.com www.twincities.com
 

Never been a fan of Russell. Think he's only had a single season in the NBA where he's played at an All Star level. Feel better knowing KAT and Edwards think Gobert will help Russell raise his game.

“I wake up and called KAT, like, bro, what do you want?” Edwards said, the exasperation still hanging on his voice months later as he recounted the story. “He was like, ‘Man, you ain’t see what just happened?'”

It turns out Edwards slept right through the earthquake of the NBA summer. While he was sleeping, the Timberwolves traded five players, four first-round draft picks and a pick swap to the Utah Jazz for Rudy Gobert, addressing their two biggest weaknesses with one blockbuster move.

Gobert could help Towns with rim protection and rebounding. He could help Edwards by setting screens and using his gravity as a lob threat to open up the lane for him. But that is not what the two Wolves stars were thinking about as they discussed what the move meant.

“It was pretty impressive because we immediately started talking about D-Lo and how it would help D-Lo for sure and it would help us,” Edwards said.

When it comes to all of the benefits Gobert can bring to the Timberwolves this season, one that has the team salivating as much as any other is the potential synergy with D’Angelo Russell. The point guard has had his ups and downs during his time in Minnesota. Now, for the first time since he came here in a trade from Golden State in 2020, Russell has a true pick-and-roll partner to team with in the half court. Towns is more of a pick-and-pop center, preferring to set a screen and then float out behind the arc for a 3-pointer. Naz Reid is a strong roll man but doesn’t have the size or hops to be a regular lob threat.

But Gobert? He is 7 feet 2 inches of twisted steel who sets cinder-block screens and can go up and get a pass with the best of them. Russell is the kind of probing point guard who likes to come off a screen, put his defender on his back hip and then methodically work the angles of the two-on-one that often is created out of that set...

“I think the trade that we made was super big for D-Lo because he has a rolling big and he likes to play in the midrange, throw oops,” Edwards said. “So I’m not even worried about where I’m at offensively when D-Lo has the ball. As long as Rudy is on the floor with him, I think we’re going to be in pretty good hands with D-Lo’s hands on the ball.”

As much as Russell has liked to throw lobs in the past, particularly to Jarrett Allen in Brooklyn, it just hasn’t been an option in Minnesota. By head coach Chris Finch’s count, the Wolves completed five lob passes all of last season. Gobert threw down 87 by himself.

“They haven’t been throwing a lot of lobs in previous years, but I think now, we’re going to work on that, and it’s another weapon that I think is really hard to guard,” Gobert said at his introductory news conference. “I’m really excited.”

theathletic.com

Gobert-Russell pick-and-roll pairing could hold keys to Timberwolves' success

The Wolves' big (literally) offseason acquisition compared Russell to another pick-and-roll partner he had with the Jazz.
theathletic.com theathletic.com
 
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If DLo and Ant move the ball, the offense will be dynamic and nearly unstoppable. If they do the between the legs thing for 4-6 seconds at a time, that will negate Gobert's value and make the offense merely a little above average. Finch has to get both of them to break some habits.
 

ran across an article - for all I know someone might have already posted it on here - about how Fitch plans to set up his rotation.

as I recall, the basic idea is that either Towns or Gobert will be on the floor the entire game. There will be times when both are on the floor, and then there will be times when just one is on the floor.

the article also said that the Wolves want DLo on the floor with Gobert as much as possible, because they are seen as having complimentary styles, while Towns and Ant will play together a lot of the time.
 

Tuesday night, at Miami, 6:30

I believe it's on BSN
 
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"It was the staple of the Timberwolves’ defense from a year ago. A frenetic, in-your-face pick-and-roll scheme that had the big-man defender pick up the ball handler directly off the screen at the top of the arc.

From there, the opposing team would pass around the floor, trying to find the open man as Minnesota used its athleticism to scramble around and take away as many open looks at shots as possible.

Rudy Gobert remembers Utah’s challenges with trying to decipher the defensive scheme.

“I remember one game, we were really struggling with them because they were really aggressive, and … we had to really be patient and move the ball,” Gobert said. “And a lot of of teams in the NBA weren’t really willing to do that. It takes patience.”

The best teams were able to crack the code. Phoenix, Golden State and Dallas come to mind as squads with elite guard play that had little issue swinging the ball quickly until it finally found an open shooter.

Still, Minnesota’s “high wall” defensive scheme from a year ago was undoubtedly the best way for last year’s roster to succeed on that end of the floor. Most wouldn’t have picked that group to finish as high as 23rd in the NBA in defense. The Wolves actually finished 13th.

Minnesota is projected to be better than that defensively this season, because it added one of best defenders in basketball — and perhaps the absolutely best — in Gobert. What’s interesting is Gobert reigns supreme in an entirely different defensive pick-and-roll scheme. He anchors a “drop” coverage in which he hangs well below the level of the screen at the start of the play and defends the paint.

That scheme may make Timberwolves fans shudder, because it was a failed approach for the team in previous seasons. The difference is before, it was Karl-Anthony Towns defending the paint, which simply isn’t his strength.

“When Ryan (Saunders) was here, they played a lot of drop (on defense). The problem was (that while) they did a good job of taking away the three, they just had a hard time of protecting the rim,” assistant coach Micah Nori said. “And now, as (Wolves head coach Chris Finch) said (Wednesday) in a film session, ‘We’ve got the best rim protector walking around the planet, so why not use him?’ ”

www.twincities.com

Timberwolves plan to have two defensive schemes: one with Rudy Gobert, one without

Minnesota plans to be one of a few NBA teams to use completely different defenses depending on who is on the court.
www.twincities.com www.twincities.com
 

"A noticeably slimmer Karl-Anthony Towns said he couldn't raise his voice much above the hushed tone he used to address the media Monday.

The Timberwolves' All-Star, for the first time, had practiced in some capacity with the team after a non-COVID illness.

"I'm still recovering, I'm still getting better," Towns said. "... I know it sounds weird I'm talking like this, but this is as loud as I can get. This is as much as I could give you."

Towns didn't want to go into detail about the illness that has kept him off the floor and away from Mayo Clinic Square, but he did say there were some concerning moments. He said he was hospitalized and only Saturday, when he attended the Wolves' Fanfest, did he get the OK to walk around and leave his house..

The 6-11 Towns said he was down to 231 pounds, which he said was a product of both his offseason work to slim down and the recent illness he battled.

Part of that weight loss may have to do with where Towns will be playing on the floor this season. After the acquisition of Rudy Gobert from Utah, Towns will be downshifting and playing more of the four, or power forward position. That might require him to guard players who are smaller and quicker than those he normally might guard at the center spot, where Gobert will primarily be playing.

"That's a wild turn of events, being competitors like that against each other and now we're teammates," Towns said. "That wasn't on my bingo card this summer. I'm just real happy that we get to make each other better."

www.startribune.com

Karl-Anthony Towns joins Timberwolves at practice after hospital stay for undisclosed illness

The team's leading scorer and rebounder had been hospitalized for an undisclosed ailment.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com
 

"Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns was hospitalized last week with a throat infection that caused him trouble breathing and forced him to be on bed rest for days, sources told ESPN.

Towns spoke to the media Monday for the first time since falling ill and said his weight was down to 231 pounds (he's listed at 248), but he didn't reveal the nature of the non-COVID-19 illness.

Towns, who missed all of the Timberwolves' training camp, said he didn't get clearance to walk again until Saturday, when he attended a team event.."

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said Monday that Towns wouldn't play in Tuesday's preseason opener against the Heat in Miami as he works on ramping up his conditioning. During the offseason, Towns had stem-cell treatments and platelet-rich plasma injections in both knees, his left ankle, left wrist and right finger. He also signed a four-year, $224 million contract extension, tying him to the team for the next five seasons..

www.espn.com

Towns was in hospital with infection, sources say

Karl-Anthony Towns was hospitalized last week with a throat infection that caused him trouble breathing and forced him to be on bed rest for days, sources told ESPN. He told reporters Monday that his weight is down to 231 pounds.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
 


I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I watch wolves' preseason basketball. I watched the first half of the game Tuesday night. It's hard to say how it all fits together because it was the first game of, well, preseason (the most meaningless of the meaningless) and Gobert, KAT and DLo didn't dress. However, none of the aforementioned won't stop me from jumping to a couple of conclusions. This is a really deep team. There were guys playing who might get cut or traded who would have been in the rotation or, possibly, starting for previous wolves teams. Slo Mo really is slow motion. Either Nate Knight or Naz Reid will be traded by the opener. Nowell is a terrific offensive player. He will be an upgrade over Beasely if he plays at least some defense. Forbes can play. Nowell's lack of defense might save Rivers and cost Forbes a job.

This could be a really, really fun year.
 

jamiche said:
I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I watch wolves' preseason basketball. I watched the first half of the game Tuesday night. It's hard to say how it all fits together because it was the first game of, well, preseason (the most meaningless of the meaningless) and Gobert, KAT and DLo didn't dress. However, none of the aforementioned won't stop me from jumping to a couple of conclusions. This is a really deep team. There were guys playing who might get cut or traded who would have been in the rotation or, possibly, starting for previous wolves teams. Slo Mo really is slow motion. Either Nate Knight or Naz Reid will be traded by the opener. Nowell is a terrific offensive player. He will be an upgrade over Beasely if he plays at least some defense. Forbes can play. Nowell's lack of defense might save Rivers and cost Forbes a job.

This could be a really, really fun year.
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I only watched about 10 minutes but boy oh boy did Rivers look bad. I hope he is the one cut and not Forbes.
 

9:00 central tonight on ESPN

Wolves at Lakers

I'm hearing this on ESPN featuring the wolves and not the Lakers.
 

The Twolves go tall while the NBA goes small. NBA find success in quick players while the Twolves goes slower with taller players. How's that going to work out?
 

PhiloVance said:
The Twolves go tall while the NBA goes small. NBA find success in quick players while the Twolves goes slower with taller players. How's that going to work out?
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Offensively it should work well. KAT can float around the three point line even more now as a 4 which he prefers. But defensively can KAT guard the typical NBA 4 who will be quicker than him? Not sure.
 

beatles said:
Offensively it should work well. KAT can float around the three point line even more now as a 4 which he prefers. But defensively can KAT guard the typical NBA 4 who will be quicker than him? Not sure.
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The system will probably work during the regular season but im not so sure how much it will work during the playoffs. Coaches will exploit Kat's liabilities and probsbly like Utah's coach MN will bench Cobert and move Kat.
 

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