The 2024-25 NBA season is here! We break down the biggest questions, best and worst case scenarios and fantasy prospects for all 30 teams. Enjoy!
MINNESOTA TIMBERLOOPS
2023-24 end
Offseason moves
Additions: Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop (unofficially!), Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon Jr., Joe Ingles, PJ Dozier
Subtractions: Karl-Anthony Towns, Kyle Anderson, Jordan McLaughlin, Monte Morris, Wendell Moore Jr., TJ Warren
The Big Question: Will moving CAT keep Minnesota “at the big table?”
Behind a resurgent Rudy Gobert and a stifling Jaden McDaniels, the Timberwolves boasted historically great defense last season Chris Finch’s club allowed 2.2 fewer points per 100 possessions than second-place Boston; according to John Schuhmann of NBA.comthis was the third largest gap between Nos. 1 and 2 since 1996.
That defense produced Minnesota’s first playoff series wins in 20 years. But the Wolves ran aground against the Mavericks, who held Anthony Edwards to 40% shooting in the paintforced him to move on 46% of his drives and dared his teammates to beat them. They couldn’t. Minnesota won only 112.1 points-per-100 against Dallas, a mark that would have ended 24th in offensive efficiency during the regular season.
“The West is so brutal,” Timberwolves president Tim Connelly said recently said Darren Wolfson of KSTP-TV. “You know, it’s a shot here, a shot there that’s healthy — there’s so much compatibility and health. But we just want to continue to be at the big table.”
Who does the hit business from Towns, Minnesota, the second leading scorer last season, all the more fascinating. Does moving KAT for Randle and DiVincenzo help Minnesota stay “at the big table” this season?
The affirmative case probably stems from two beliefs. First: that reigning Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid can replace more of KAT’s production than you might think, at a fraction of the cost. (At least, until he gets the contract extension for which he will be eligible after the seasonwhich the Wolves will almost certainly offer him, and which will still come in significantly lower what Towns will earn on his supermax.)
And second: that what the Wolves needed most to grease the wheels of their offense was more shot creation — someone besides Edwards to break down the defense and generate good looks.
That’s why Connelly traded a couple of potentially juicy future picks jump and edit Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham. But 165-pound 19-year-olds rarely feature for playoff teams. So: enter Randle, a supreme facilitator of Cities over the past five seasonsposting a higher assist percentage and a lower turnover percentage.
While he will still stubbornly spin into traffic from time to time, Randle has proven more adept at destroying defenders off the dribble, drawing assists and setting up teammates. As of 2020, only four players notched the assist on more corner 3-pointers than Randle: Luka Dončić, Trae Young, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić.
With those shoulder-checking drives and deft deliveries, though, comes a lot of possessions finished with a bang. While Towns made less than 36% of his 3-pointers just once in nine years in Minnesota, Randle did more than 36% once in his nine professional seasons. Even though Mike Conley Jr. reproduces his career-best 44.2% 3-point accuracy and DiVincenzo is able to maintain the money jump he made like a long-range shooter last season, Finch might have trouble generating enough half-court spacing in Gobert/Randle/McDaniels lineups to give Edwards room to cook.
That’s the last thing Minnesota needs: More growth from Ant, who did real steps as a player last season en route to his first All-NBA selection. He’s probably the team’s most direct path to the top offense, which would help secure that seat “at the big table.”
The Wolves very well could – if Edwards shows that growth, if Finch can get Gobert and Randle to mesh faster than Rudy and KAT did, if Conley and DiVincenzo can keep everyone on schedule, if McDaniels takes a big step, and if everyone can cough . the ball up less (two straight bottom-10 finishes in turnover rate) pushing it further (28th in transition frequency). That sounds like a lot of “ifs”, though, doesn’t it?
So here’s one more: If enough of those things don’t go the Wolves’ way, they could be right back on the outside looking in, wondering if they’ve already missed their best chance, throwing away cornerstone in service of avoiding the second apron and saving luxury tax dollars. Sounds like an uncomfortable place to sit, no matter what table you’re at.
Best case scenario
The defense supports. Edwards and Reid are posting another season of cross-the-table career highs. Great play from the rookies, some shakeup from Dillingham and the creativity of Finch and his coaching staff combine to push Minnesota into the top 10 offensively, giving the Wolves the makings of another top-four finish — this time, with better depth and more seasoning.
If everything falls apart
Minnesota returns to its 2022-23 struggle to find synergy. Randle and Gobert get in each other’s way, and both of them get in Ant, resulting in a return to clogged toilet half-court sets and a lot of grunt from Minnesota’s new marquee idol. Which, in turn, produces growling from Gobert — big dogs that aren’t fed won’t guard the yard, after all — and a slight but noticeable defensive decline. A below-average offense and not-quite-elite defense is not a recipe for success; in fact, in one of the deepest Wests we’ve ever seen, it sees the Wolves slide back into the game-in-the-mix.
A fancy spin
Are we ready for Edwards’ true breakout season? I ranked him late first in category leagues because this is the year he makes another jump in scoring, improved efficiency and stock accumulation. For all the disrespect Gobert gets, he’s a double-double machine who should knock down a few shots a game. Gobert’s mid-fourth ADP is fair, but I’d rather get him towards the end of the fourth round.
Finch confirmed that Randle is starting at PF, so expect Reid to remain in a similar role as last year. Reid is coming off a career year where he took home Sixth Man of the Year honors and his ADP is underrated at 100. Conley is another player whose ADP is low. At 36, he’s still an effective passer who can help fantasy managers in steals and 3s past the 10th round. – And Titus
schedule 2024-25
I’ll go downstairs. While Minnesota scored 56 last season with Towns missing a significant chunk with a torn meniscusEdwards, Gobert, Conley, McDaniels, Reid and key backup Nickeil Alexander-Walker missed just 26 games combined. With how strong the rest of the West appears to be this season, the injury bug busted against Minnesota just a little more — combined with an apt transition to life after KAT — might be enough to change a handful of last year’s W’s. on the other side of the ledger.
