2016-17 NBA Season Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves
Welcome to theScore's 2016-17 NBA preview, where you'll find comprehensive coverage of all 30 teams and storylines to watch this season.
Minnesota Timberwolves
2015-16
| Record | Northwest | West | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29-53 | 5th | 13th | N/A |
Offseason Roundup
| Additions | Departures |
|---|---|
| Kris Dunn (draft) | Tayshaun Prince |
| Brandon Rush (1 yr/$3.5M) | Damjan Rudez (ORL) |
| Cole Aldrich (3 yrs/$22M) | Greg Smith (waived) |
| Jordan Hill (2 yrs/$8M) | Kevin Garnett (retired) |
Hired Tom Thibodeau as team's new head coach and president of basketball operations
Projected Starting 5
- PG Ricky Rubio
- SG Zach LaVine
- SF Andrew Wiggins
- PF Karl-Anthony Towns
- C Gorgui Dieng
Player to watch: Karl-Anthony Towns
With his mentor Kevin Garnett recently announcing his retirement, it's officially time for Karl-Anthony Towns to usher in a new era in Minnesota.
Coming off a debut campaign for the ages that ended with him earning unanimous Rookie of the Year honors, Towns is hellbent on leading the team back to the playoffs.
He averaged 18.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks - all franchise rookie records - while shooting 54.2 percent from the field and 34 percent from long range in 32 minutes over 82 starts.
As impressive as those numbers are - within his class and relative to the rest of the league - he's been working to become better and even more efficient.
The 20-year-old center has the size, athleticism, diverse skill set, and desire to become the greatest player on the planet - and it's difficult to come up with reasons why he won't get there.
At 7-feet, Towns is special because he can handle the rock like a guard and shoot like a wing. He can score from anywhere on the court, and thanks in part to the tutelage of the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year, he can guard opponents in the paint or out on the perimeter.
KG also taught last year's No. 1 selection how to pick his spots better, use his body and energy more effectively, practice patience, and become a better all-around basketball player and leader. KAT appears ready as ever to propel the T-Wolves forward.
Season Expectations
While Towns is at the forefront, he's not the only player in Minnesota who's ready to take a leap. Many of his teammates - including Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Ricky Rubio, and Gorgui Dieng - are intent on doing whatever it takes to help the squad win.
Having played together for a few years now, the Timberwolves are banking on internal growth and improved chemistry to pave the way for players to begin making good on the potential that prompted the organization to select them in the first round of the last few drafts.
The franchise added one of the better defenders and most NBA-ready players from June's draft in Kris Dunn, as well as Tom Thibodeau, who's never missed the playoffs as a head coach and is known for his defensive schemes and getting guys to play hard every night.
The players began buying into his system during training camp, showing vast improvement in a matter of days. Shabazz Muhammad said he left the sessions "way smarter on defense."
This bodes well for the T-Wolves, whose defense ranked 28th in the league last season. Sure, they're still inexperienced and play in the wild West, but they have nowhere to go but up, and seem primed for a change of fortunes. This feels like the season Minny's 12-year playoff drought ends.