Anthony Edwards (left) and Karl-Anthony Towns are facing higher expectations in 2023-24.
Two consecutive playoff appearances qualifies as a hoops renaissance for this franchise, but the Timberwolves signaled a year ago they were aiming higher when they made the bold move to team big men Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert in the frontcourt. Towns’ injured 2022-23 season means that the experiment continues, even as guard Anthony Edwards proves himself to be the team’s most dynamic performer.
What’s new?
- Signing Anthony Edwards to the same sort of deal Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton inked (five years, worth as much as $260 million) came with the same rationale: Edwards is the guy this improving team intends to build around.
- Casual fans might have scratched their head watching a team with two maximum-salaried centers make it a priority to lock up yet another big man on a three-year, $42 million deal, but backup Naz Reid was that valuable (particularly when Towns was hurt).
- If adding guard Shake Milton and small forward Troy Brown Jr. doesn’t grab you, Minnesota is fine with that — it wanted to improve around the edges, leaning on full seasons from Towns and Mike Conley and continuity for improvement.
How far can the Timberwolves go?
It’s possible to imagine Minnesota getting as far as the Western Conference Finals if everything breaks right for it. That is, if the two big guys mesh well at both ends and avoid getting in each other’s way offensively while coping with opposing bigs’ range and quickness defensively. And if Edwards indeed vaults to All-NBA performance levels. And if Conley stays healthy at 36, if Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s game grows with his minutes, if they stay healthy, and so on. A lot of ifs determine the difference in an extra round or two.
1 player who must take a leap
Jaden McDaniels. Most eyes will be on Edwards, but his draft classmate from 2020 is the sleeper whose rise could take the Wolves’ prospects with him. The 6-foot-9 wing’s versatility in guarding smalls, bigs and in-betweens merited an All-Defensive berth he narrowly missed, and he has ratcheted up his scoring average by about three points in each of three seasons. No reason he can’t do that again with increasing efficiency, making Edwards look wise in calling McDaniels “the most important person on the team.”
In-Season Tournament
The Timberwolves are in West Group C. Here’s a refresher on how the In-Season Tournament works.
Upcoming free agents
The Timberwolves have 11 players who will be free agents in 2024.
- Mike Conley Jr.
- Kyle Anderson
- Jordan McLaughlin
- A.J. Lawson
- Luka Garza
- Vit Krejci
- Daishen Nix
- Matt Ryan
- Trevor Keels
- Tyrese Martin
As camp approached, McDaniels was looking certain to receive a contract extension to keep him away from free agency. Conley is at an age where his body and mind will tell him how much longer he wants to do this. Anderson just turned 30 and is so valuable off the bench and creating offense that he should be a signing priority too.
Minnesota’s full roster can be found here.
New uniforms
'89 'til ∞ pic.twitter.com/F2kYnh6Y5W
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) September 22, 2023
* * *
Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery.
