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Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 Early Preseason Takeaways

By Aaron Mah

Oct 7, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) dribbles the ball after making a steal in the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Target Center. Oklahoma City Thunder won 122-99. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 7, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) dribbles the ball after making a steal in the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Target Center. Oklahoma City Thunder won 122-99. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 14, 2015; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Tyus Jones (1) gets past Toronto Raptors guard Delon Wright (55) in a pre-season matchup at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 14, 2015; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Tyus Jones (1) gets past Toronto Raptors guard Delon Wright (55) in a pre-season matchup at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports /

Tyus Turning Heads

No one on Minnesota’s roster surprised Timberwolves nation more than Tyus Jones thus far with his fine preseason play.

Admittedly, watching in him Summer League, I had legitimate concerns regarding Jones’ less-than-ideal frame and ability to create separation at the NBA-level.

However, Jones has proven, when playing alongside skilled, professional players, that he is ready to contribute offensively in a backup capacity.

Tyus is an absolute wizard when it comes to negotiating the pick-and-roll. Wise beyond his anecdotal age of 19, the native Minnesotan has already mastered the art of changing pace and leveraging the inherent disruptiveness of a screen.

And while the 55.6 percent he’s currently shooting from beyond the arc is irrefutably unsustainable, he has shown time and time again (national championship game anyone?) that he will not hesitate to make the defense pay when they opt to go under.

Despite his diminutive size, Jones is always poised while penetrating the teeth of the D, patiently waiting for his passing lanes to unfurl, before pitching it back to an open shooter.

When operating without the ball, Tyus has a great sense of spacing, often drifting to his hard-charging teammate’s line of vision when spotting up out at the 3-point line.

After watching LaVine struggle so gruesomely to handle basic initiating duties last year as a 19-year-old rookie, it is a breath of fresh air watching a true floor general run the show.

Although the former Duke Blue Devil will endure plenty of struggles defensively as aforementioned, especially when it comes to D’ing up the pick-and-roll, he has shown enough offensive savvy and flashes of brilliance as the head of the snake on offense to make Lorenzo Brown, and to some extent, Andre Miller, expendable.

Next: Grooming The King Of The North: Assessing Andrew Wiggins' Summer

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