The three trials and tribulations for the Minnesota Timberwolves

Trial No. 1: Culture Problems

It sounds weird, considering this was one of the team’s biggest harping points last season, but Minnesota’s team culture, and the atmosphere in the locker room could be their biggest hurdle to success this season.

The first and biggest issue here is all the off-court problems happening with Beasley. Earlier this year, Beasley was arrested on felony gun and drug charges after pointing a weapon at a family sitting in an SUV outside of his home. And, as if that wasn’t enough, it came out earlier this week that the married Beasley engaged in what seemed like an affair with at least one woman: Larsa Pippen. Because of this, it now looks as if Beasley and his wife will be getting a divorce.

For his part in the legal troubles, it is now being reported that Beasley is likely to be suspended by the NBA for a yet-undecided amount of games.

All of this would serve as sufficient distraction for any NBA team, but unfortunately for Minnesota, that’s not all.

Along with Beasley, there’s another offseason addition who we have to question if his mind is right: Anthony Edwards.

Edwards gave an interview to ESPN he claimed in which, among other things, that he “…wasn’t that into basketball” and he “Still can’t really watch it [basketball]”. The controversy was so thick that it seems to have prompted the Timberwolves to put out a tweet implying that Edwards is the hardest worker among the group:

And, while some would say that not letting your job consume you is a good thing (a statement which I don’t disagree with, but doesn’t typically pertain to professional athletes), others are comparing Edwards’ lack of motivation to that of another former-first overall pick: Andrew Wiggins.

Finally, we come to the elephant in the room when talking about team culture. While his play has been generally terrific on the court, the harshest critics of center Karl-Anthony Towns would argue that he doesn’t have the same killer mentality that a lot of star players did and still do. It was one of Jimmy Butler’s grievances with the team, and honestly, there are times in games where it appears Towns has checked out.

With Wiggins gone, and the team looking to reach new heights, Towns needs to kick his drive into third gear, and he needs to take over this team. Player motivation starts at the top, and if Towns is seen taking drives or even games off, then the rest of the roster will follow suit.

It seems that Minnesota recognizes this too. The moves to bring in Rubio, a favorite among Minnesota fans, and Davis bring a much-needed veteran presence to a locker room that is full of young, high potential players who may need a little help motivating themselves. Hopefully, the additions pan out and the Minnesota Timberwolves can reach their lofty goals.