Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 goals for Jimmy Butler in 2017-18

2. Set a career-high in 3-point field goals

If one clear need for Minnesota exists, 3-point shooting was the most pressing area for the organization to address during the offseason.

The Timberwolves ranked 30th in both 3-point field goals attempted and made, while beating out 10 other teams in 3-point field goal percentage, as the team sank 34.9 percent of its long range attempts.

The addition of Jimmy Butler wasn’t completed for his long range acumen, as he made 91 shots from 3-point range a year ago, but he has shown steady improvement.

As with his scoring average, the number of shots converted from beyond the arc for Butler has increased in each of his first four seasons, before a one-year regression, then a breakthrough in 3-point shooting.

Butler made 18 more shots from beyond the arc than any other year in his career. Converting even more will be a necessity for Minnesota’s spacing next year.

Andrew Wiggins, Jeff Teague and Butler all posted similar shooting figures on the perimeter, all connecting between 90-105 times from 3-point range while shooting between 35-37 percent.

Without an elite long range shooter on the roster, Butler becoming a solid, instead of average, 3-point shooter could provide a much-needed dimension to the Timberwolves’ offensive attack.