Last season the Timberwolves represented the very bottom of the league. They traded away their best player in Kevin Love to the Cavaliers, receiving Andrew Wiggins in an effort to rebuild their team. They finished the season with the worst record in the league which led to the first overall pick in the recent draft.
The 'Wolves excelled the draft (we gave them an A+) by drafting Karl-Anthony Towns number one overall and later, Tyus Jones at number 24.
Karl-Anthony Towns (below) has exceptional size and elite talent that he displayed throughout the season at Kentucky. He is 6'11" and has as much potential as anyone in the league. He eerily reminds me of Anthony Davis - someone many consider a top 3 player in the league. While his post game needs some work, he is already a great passer, very athletic, and an elite defender.
As for Tyus Jones, he is a gamer. He led Duke to a championship last season including 23 points in the championship game. Despite his size, Jones is the one whose hands you want to put the ball in at the end of the game. He is an excellent floor general, he is clutch, he is a team leader, and he should be a great complement - or replacement - for Ricky Rubio in Minnesota for years to come.
Adding these two to an already young, energetic, and fast-paced lineup is extremely intriguing. Last season a pair of high-flying rookies, Andrew Wiggins (6'8", 16.9 PPG in '15-16) and Zach Lavine (6'5", 10.1 PPG in '15-16) did most of the work for the 'Wolves. The two are extremely fast and quick human pogo sticks with relentless motors. The idea of these four young players with so much potential on the same team was enough for Sean and I to get excited about the Timberwolves' future, but the more we researched, the more we realized just how much potential they really have. Somewhere along the line of 8 first round talents from the past three years-type potential.
This team is loaded with young ability at every position and the most recent acquisition will give the young players an experienced (to say the least) mentor. Arguably the greatest Minnesota player of all time has signed to return for two more years - Kevin Garnett.
Garnett played 12 seasons with the Timberwolves after they drafted him 5th overall in 1995 before being traded to the Boston Celtics where he won his first and only championship (ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE). He has been selected as an All-Star 15 times in his career including every year from 2000 to 2011 and has returned to the team that he grew up on. With 20 years of experience, the 9-time All-Defensive First-Teamer should be an excellent mentor for this young TWolves team.
The potential doesn't stop after these four, Minnesota has stock-piled a roster full of young talent. The list of returning players includes Ricky Rubio, Gorgui Dieng, Shabazz Muhammad, Kevin Martin, and many more.
Rubio is a 6'4" point guard who is a superb passer. Drafted 5th overall out of Spain in 2009, Rubio was one of Sean's favorite players in the league. He has battled injuries for much of his career and averaged 10.2 PPG and 8.2 APG through his four seasons with Minnesota. Though he has not lived up to his lottery pick potential for a variety of reasons, Rubio could emerge with the talent he now has around him.
Gorgui Dieng was taken 21st overall in the 2013 draft after helping Louisville to a national Championship in his Junior season. The 6'11" shot blocking machine plays as a long and athletic center. He led the 'Wolves in rebounds (8.1) in his second season in the NBA while adding 9.7 PPG last season. Dieng will be a great compliment to this long, athletic front-court.
Another big man who is expected to be a key contributor is forward Adriean Payne, the 15th selection in the 2014 draft. The 6'10", 245-lb Michigan State product is a bruiser down low who averaged 6.7 PPG and 5.1 RPG with 2 double-doubles through 32 games of 24.8 minutes per game last year with the team. He was acquired from Atlanta mid-way through the season where he saw minimal playing time. Payne has excellent athleticism and strength and he can even shoot it a little bit.
Shabazz Muhammad (below) was widely regarded as the best high school prospect when he entered college, selected as Mr. Basketball USA in the class of 2012. Shabazz decided to play for UCLA and ran into some NCAA issues involving unofficial visits. After sitting out the first three games of the season, Muhammad earned All-American second team honors in his only college season and was drafted by the Jazz 14th overall in 2013. Muhammad does a little bit of everything with great defense and effort along with some streaky shooting. Last season he suffered from the injury bug but 13.5 PPG in 38 games.
Anthony Bennett may be the most interesting of the group. In 2013, the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him number one overall where he played for two years before being traded to the TWolves with Andrew Wiggins. Bennett only averaged 15.7 minutes last season but has the ability to be a great role player. He is strong and athletic with an excellent mid range game. If he can find whatever it was the Cavaliers saw in this undersized post player, he could be scary good.
Last but simply not least, Kevin Martin is a proven player. He has showed over the duration of his eleven-year career that he can score from anywhere on the court. The journeyman averaged 20 PPG for the 'Wolves last season and hasn't averaged single digits since his rookie season in Sacramento. Even though I mentioned him last, Martin should be a top scorer for this team once again this season.
With mentors like Kevin Garnett and Kevin Martin to learn from, the young talent should blend together and grow into an NBA powerhouse. If they can stay healthy unlike they did last season, this team should have one of the biggest turnarounds in the history of the league and should be extremely enjoyable to watch while they do it. With shooting, passing, rebounding, athleticism, defense AND depth, this team will be a force to recon with for years to come.
THIS is why they are Renegade Sports affiliated. The Minnesota Timberwolves are now Renegade Sports' official team. Sean and I are thinking about getting shirts. The future is extremely bright in Minnesota for the first time since, well, ever?
Timberwolves First Round Talents Last 3 Years
Karl-Anthony Towns 1st in 2015
Tyus Jones 24th in 2015
Andrew Wiggins 1st in 2014
Zach LaVine 13th in 2014
Adreian Payne 15th in 2014
Anthony Bennett 1st in 2013
Shabazz Muhammad 14th in 2013
Gorgui Deng 21st in 2013
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