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Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 big questions following 2019 NBA All-Star break

By James Grieco

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 27: The Minnesota Timberwolves huddles before the game against the Utah Jazz on January 27, 2019 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 27: The Minnesota Timberwolves huddles before the game against the Utah Jazz on January 27, 2019 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

2. How will the franchise’s cornerstones finish the season?

Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ two young pillars, have gone in opposite directions over the course of the past few months.

Advanced stats’ long-held hatred of Wiggins’ game is nothing new, but after unleashing one of his best performances as a pro against the Oklahoma City Thunder to kick off Ryan Saunders’ head coaching career, Wiggins has practically been M.I.A. Despite his max contract, Wiggins is 228th out of 352 qualified players in Player Efficiency Rating — below the likes of Thon Maker and Jonathan Isaac — and 326th in true shooting percentage, with a ghastly 48.1 percent mark.

Since the start of the new year, Wiggins is shooting under 40 percent from the field, under 30 percent from 3, and under 70 percent from the free throw line, all while shooting more often. No matter how much perceived progress Saunders is making behind-the-scenes, the results — from Wiggins’ shot selection to his body language — have left much to be desired.

Karl-Anthony Towns, coming off his second All-Star selection, presents the Timberwolves with the other kind of problem: he’s playing too well.

That might sound ludicrous to say, but because of the crazy incentives of supermax contracts as negotiated during the last CBA, Towns is in line to make $190 million over the next five years if he makes an All-NBA team (quite realistic) or is named Defensive Player of the Year (not so realistic) this season. If he fails to achieve either of those feats, the contract extension he signed before the season will revert to about $158 million.

With the Wolves’ financial future already looking grim due to Wiggins’ struggles, saving $32 million could be huge for the team’s flexibility in the coming years. For that to depend solely on Towns’ performance during a year when the team will likely miss the playoffs makes it all the more uncomfortable, as the team is clearly hoping Towns misses the All-NBA cut.

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