Owning the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft this summer, the Minnesota Timberwolves got the opportunity to blossom their roster with a young prospect who has star credentials. In addition, they added a couple of veterans to the mix.
There was no question in anybody’s mind that the Timberwolves would select Karl-Anthony Towns with the first pick in the draft, and after Summer League play, Towns did not disappoint the Wolves and their hopefuls.
The young 19-year-old Kentucky Wildcat put up averages of 12.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per outing during the Las Vegas Summer League. Living up to the hype, Towns demonstrated that he can score in the low block, gracefully pass out of double teams, protect the basket, and knock down some outside shots.
He is and will become everything Minnesota has hoped for, and will be the team’s centerpiece, alongside Andrew Wiggins, for years to come. With Towns, Wiggins, and Zach LaVine, the Wolves have built a foundation of young talent and the future is certainly bright.
Additionally, the Timberwolves struck a draft day deal to land Tyus Jones, who was originally selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Minnesota acquired Jones in exchange for two second-round picks.
Although he may need to improve his all-around game, Jones is mainly known for his excellent passing ability and court vision. He is able to change speeds, maintain control of himself, and rarely makes mistakes. However it remains to be seen whether Jones will earn quality minutes in Minnesota’s loaded backcourt, or will he merely become a sponge, learning the ropes from some of the veterans.
Speaking of veterans, the Timberwolves brought back Kevin Garnett on a two-year, $16.5 million deal. Even though his minutes may be limited, Minnesota hopes Garnett could serve as the veteran leader of this team by rubbing his knowledge on some of the young big men on the squad like Towns and Gorgui Dieng.
Garnett’s glory days are well past him, but the 39-year old is very experienced and an intellectual player, who will play a huge part in developing the team’s young core.
To help Garnett, the Timberwolves added another seasoned veteran in Andre Miller.
Miller, also 39, will serve as a mentor to the young point guards and could still give the Timberwolves valuable minutes. Despite his age, Miller has proven that he could play a major role off the bench for any team. His durability has helped him stick around the league for a long time and is the reason why he is still able to be productive.
Furthermore, the Timberwolves pulled off a trade not too long ago, obtaining Damjan Rudez from the Indiana Pacers for Chase Budinger. This trade was purely a salary dump for Minnesota. They had been looking to trade Budinger for a while and finally found a suitable trade partner. Rudez, nevertheless, is a streaky three-point shooter, but he will find it difficult to pave his way into the regular rotation.
The Timberwolves weren’t too busy seeking for free agents this offseason. They had the number one overall pick and believe that Karl-Anthony Towns will largely enhance their roster this upcoming season. They are still ways away from entering the postseason and ending their long playoff drought, but they are headed in the right direction.
Off-Season Grade: B-