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NBA’s Future: Which Teams Shine Brightest

By Zack Geoghegan

The Timberwolves boast a trio of young stars in Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl Anthony-Towns. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Timberwolves boast a trio of young stars in Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl Anthony-Towns. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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NBA: Portland Trail Blazers at Minnesota Timberwolves
NBA: Portland Trail Blazers at Minnesota Timberwolves /

1. Minnesota Timberwolves

The team that had the most hype coming into the season was the Minnesota Timberwolves and they have done just about everything but live up to it.

It’s nothing to stress over. This team is young, and when I say young, I mean they are essentially a bunch of children running around an orange ball.

The main attraction for the Wolves is the trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine.

Towns is a special talent, one that comes around only every so often. He’s a giant body that can move as fast as any guard, while being capable of scoring from practically anywhere.

He’s averaging 22 points and12 rebounds per in his second season, which has only been done by a handful of all-time greats that includes guys such as Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal.

If KAT can learn to limit his mistakes (i.e., constantly taking contested 3s when he has an obvious mismatch), he can become an unstoppable force comparable to a Shaq or a Wilt.

Andrew Wiggins is a bonafide scorer with multiple 40-point games this season and a jump shot that is steadily improving. If he can become the lock-down defender he is capable of being, his potential is through the roof.

Zach LaVine is the best dunker the NBA has to offer and he displays it every chance he can get. But LaVine isn’t all about dunking. He’s shooting better than 40 percent from 3 this season while averaging almost 21 points per game.

His decision-making is iffy at times, but his athletic gifts make him difficult to leave off the court.

The list of young guys goes on for the T-Wolves; Gorgui Dieng, Shabazz Muhammad, Adreian Payne and Tyus Jones are all young and talented players that the Wolves can pick and choose from to help develop their future.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau is known for his brilliant defensive schemes. but motivating this young Wolves team has proven to be a challenge.

The Wolves are one of the worst second-half teams in the league despite the fact that they are ranked sixth in the NBA in first-quarter production (ranked 24th in the third quarter and 22nd in the fourth). It’s obvious they have the skill, they just lack the experience.

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For this team to properly develop, it’ll take time and lots of patience. If this team can continue to grow and if Thibodeau doesn’t run anyone into the ground, there could be a new Big 3 in the NBA, and it came all through the draft.