Hoops Habit
Fansided

The three trials and tribulations for the Minnesota Timberwolves

By Ethan Becker

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - NOVEMBER 08: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves dribbles the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the game at Target Center on November 8, 2019 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 (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - NOVEMBER 08: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves dribbles the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the game at Target Center on November 8, 2019 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 (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
Minnesota Timberwolves Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota Timberwolves Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /

Trial No. 2: Rotation questions

Unfortunately, coach Saunders’ job may not be as easy as it might appear at first.

Over this short, hectic offseason, Minnesota made a couple of noteworthy moves. First, they drafted Anthony Edwards, then they traded for Ricky Rubio and Ed Davis, and then they finished their free agent signings by re-signing Juan Hernangomez and Malik Beasley.

However, with these additions comes a question: who gets the starting role?

On the guard end of things, Minnesota has Rubio, Russell, Beasley, and possibly Edwards should they want to play him high. At the three spot, they have Josh Okogie and Edwards, and for forwards Minnesota has Towns, Hernangomez, and Davis. This presents a pretty unique problem for the Timberwolves as far as who gets one of the five top spots.

At guard, if Minnesota rests Rubio, it could anger the veteran and cause him to force a trade. If they bench Russell, that might upset him and cause both him and Towns to jump ship. That seems to leave Beasley, right? Well, yes, except the Timberwolves just signed him to a 4-year/$60 million deal, which seems a bit extravagant for a bench player, even one who fills a sixth-man role.

As far as the small forwards go, it would likely be in Minnesota’s best interest to start Okogie. While Edwards may be the better offensive player, there’s plenty of offensive weapons on the starting line already. Okogie is the team’s only real proven defensive commodity, and moving him back to the bench after just being able to crack the starting role this year could hurt his development on the offensive side of the ball, as well as sour him on a possible extension.

As far as forwards go, Davis and Towns seems like the pair that will start games for the Timberwolves, and for good reason. Davis is a veteran whose output is well documented, and bringing in the floor-spacer Hernangomez to a rotation squad that includes Beasley, Edwards, and possibly Jordan McLaughlin could aid their production a lot.

Home/Minnesota Timberwolves