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Minneapolis-St. Paul – Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas today announced the team has re-signed forward Juancho Hernangómez. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

Hernangómez appeared in 14 contests for the Timberwolves during the 2019-20 season, averaging 12.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in a career-high 29.4 minutes per game.

Hernangómez, 25, joined the Timberwolves after averaging 3.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 34 contests for Denver during the 2019-20 season In 2018-19, Hernangomez posted a then career-best average of 5.8 points on 43.9% shooting and 36.5% from deep, to go along with 3.8 rebounds in 70 games (25 starts).

The Madrid, Spain native has represented the Spanish National Team throughout his career since 2013 and most recently helped lead Spain to a Gold Medal at the 2019 FIBA World Cup with now-current teammate Ricky Rubio.

Hernangómez was originally drafted by Denver with the 15th overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft.

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Timberwolves Re-Sign Juancho Hernangómez

2019-20, with Minnesota: 15 games, 10.1 MPG, 3.8 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 35.8 FG%, 11.5 3P%, 94.1 FT%

2019-20, with Iowa (NBA G League): 26 games, 32.7 MPG, 21.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.8 APG, 49.2 FG%, 43.6 3P%, 73.3 FT%

So it goes for most Second Round picks, Jaylen Nowell's rookie season was one of development and all-around acclimation to the NBA game.

The 6-4 guard from the University of Washington's time was split between the Minnesota Timberwolves and their NBA G-League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves. In 15 games with the Timberwolves, Nowell averaged 3.8 points in 10.1 minutes per game. The bright spot of the Seattle native's rookie campaign came on New Year's Day, helping an injury-depleted Wolves side to a near upset in Milwaukee by scoring 12 points in 15 minutes as a reserve against the Eastern Conference's top squad.

With more of a chance to prove himself with Iowa, the Seattle native averaged 21.1 points in 32.7 minutes per contest, highlighted by a 32-point performance shooting 4-of-5 from three-point land in a win against Erie on January 23. 

As a sophomore at Washington, Nowell shot 44% from behind the arc as one of the top college shooters in 2018-19. The rookie struggled to find a shooting rhythm in his first NBA season, but if Nowell can find the same stroke he had as a Husky, he fits well into the team’s three-point heavy system moving forward. 

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2019-20 Was A Season Of Development For Rookie Jaylen Nowell

SG | 6’4, 213 lbs2019-20 season: 62 games, 28 starts, 25.0 MPG, 8.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 42.7 FG%, 26.6 3P%, 79.6 FT%

Josh Okogie showed improvement in his points per game, rebounds, assists and field goal percentage in his second season in the NBA, but he did so much more than provide sophomore growth for the 2019-20 Timberwolves.

Okogie entered his second NBA season with promising potential but a fluctuating role. His “nonstop” energy and defensive aptitude earned him a starting role for the Wolves’ final 45 games of the 2018-19 season. However, he was demoted to the bench for all but three of the Wolves’ first 20 games of the 2019-20 season after Ryan Saunders and his coaching staff decided to role with Treveon Graham in the starting lineup instead.

He hasn’t been in the league for long, but it’s evident that Okogie isn’t a player who’s going to pay too much thought to whether or not he’s serving as a starter or a reserve. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing as he navigated the adjustment of his role.

Okogie shot 37.9% from the field and 26.7% from 3-point range through the month of December. With few outside shooting options on the roster, Okogie was tasked with providing an outside presence for the Wolves’ offense in an attempt to space the floor for Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Opposing defenses deemed Okogie a minor risk from behind the arc and began disregarding him. There was a 10-game stretch from Dec. 20 to Jan. 7 in which Okogie shot 2-for-22 from 3, and his confidence seemed to evaporate on both ends of the court. It became undeniably clear that the Wolves were in desperate need of roster reconstruction when they were relying on Okogie and Graham to provide outside shooting.

The Wolves improved their outside shooting arsenal by bringing in D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Juancho Hernangomez before the Feb. 6 trade deadline but refused to part ways with Okogie who’s now the second-longest tenured player on the Wolves’ roster despite only being 22 years old.

At the start of the 2019-20 season, Saunders shared his hope that Okogie would continue to provide the Wolves with relentless energy while limiting how much he “gambled” on defensive plays as the team attempted to change their defensive principles. Okogie delivered and has since become a staple of the Wolves’ transforming defense.

Okogie forced a team-high 434 mid-range shots from opponents and allowed just 46.8% shooting from that zone. He held opponents to 35% shooting from above the break 3s despite defending a team-high 801 (16 more than Jarrett Culver’s 785 defended above-the-break 3s) and being assigned with defending most team’s best players.

The trade deadline moves alleviated Okogie of some of his prior offensive responsibilities after the trade deadline. He averaged 27 minutes, 9.0 points and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 50% from the field, 35.5% from 3 and 84.6% from the free-throw line in the Wolves’ final 14 games of the season.

Okogie flourished when he once again became the slasher and playmaker who grabbed offensive rebounds and got to the free-throw line and was no longer planted out on the perimeter.

Improved outside shooting should be at the top of Okogie’s priority list this offseason, but based on his final stretch of the 2019-20 season, there’s reason to believe he’s on the right track of becoming the well-rounded player he’s shown flashes of.

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Josh Okogie Took A Big Step Forward In His 2nd Season With Timberwolves

2019-20 season: 23 games, 2 starts, 22.0 MPG, 9.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 45.3 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 75.0 FT%

Jake Layman was sold as an athletic, savvy off-ball cutter whose efficiency improved with experience when the Timberwolves acquired him in a sign-and-trade deal with the Portland Trail Blazers in July of 2019.

That advertisement proved to be true, but unfortunately, Layman was only able to showcase his potential for 23 games of the 64-game season.

Layman went down with a toe injury during the Wolves’ Nov. 20 game against the Utah Jazz and didn’t return to the lineup until Feb. 24, missing 41 straight games.

Layman had scored 16 or more points in three of the final five games before his injury and was shooting 60% from the field and 47.1% from behind the arc during that stretch.

We’ll never know what levels Layman could have taken his game to had he been healthy for the entire season or what his presence would have done for the Wolves’ success. But we sure know what the Wolves were missing while Layman was sidelined.

Layman could come off the bench and exert energy into the Wolves’ offense by slashing to the basket or creating his own shot from the perimeter where he was shooting 35.7% on above-the-break 3s. That’s not exactly where the Wolves would like to see Layman’s 3-point shooting splits in the future. However, Layman did shoot a career-high 33.3% from beyond the arc in his first season with the Wolves, which was a slight improvement from his 2018-19 season with Portland in which he shot 32.6% from deep. All progression is good progression.

Layman not only stretched the floor for players like Karl-Anthony Towns as he posed as a threat beyond the arc, but he also swung the ball on the perimeter as the Wolves’ offensive system called for and could complete a quick dish in the paint to a teammate when he wasn’t going up for an explosive dunk himself.

Layman wasn’t known for his defensive abilities before coming to Minnesota, but he showed promise at the rim where he recorded a 1.3% block percentage, which landed him in the 85th percentile of the league’s forwards. Opponents shot 38.5% against Layman in the paint (non-restricted area).  

It expectedly took some time for Layman to find his rhythm when he returned from his injury in late February, but he began to get in a groove in the final three games of the season in which he averaged 11.3 points in 17.9 minutes per game. He left us excited for what’s yet to come with his most monstrous dunk of the season in the Wolves’ home game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Layman has presented us with plenty to be excited about, but his game will be even more intriguing if he polishes his handle over the offseason and becomes a stronger finisher in the restricted area where he shot just over 60% (down from 73.8% in the 2018-19 season).

The 2019-20 season was a challenging one for Layman, and yet, he still managed to show growth in his game. Hence, it’s reasonable to believe we have yet to see the best of Jake Layman. 

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Jake Layman Was Limited In 1st Season With Wolves, But It's Easy To See How Well He Fits

2019-20 season: 3 games, 11 starts, 16.5 MPG, 9.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, 41.2 FG%, 33.0 3P%, 69.8 FT%

Naz Reid came on our radar during the 2019 Summer League when he towered over most of his opponents but still had the skillset of a shooting guard.

Reid averaged 11.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while allotted just 18.6 minutes per game due to a minor foot injury. So, if you want to do the math, that’s 23.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per 36 minutes.

Those stats, along with Reid’s shooting abilities, led the Timberwolves to signing him to a multi-year deal two days after the conclusion of Summer League.

Reid didn’t earn NBA minutes until Dec. 8 and his playing time was minimal. However, he was considered a valuable asset to the team given the 18.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game averages he racked up in the G League during the 16 games he played with the Iowa Wolves in November.

Reid got his first significant chance to show his worth on Dec. 30 when he recorded 13 points and attempted 10 3s after Timberwolves head coach Ryan Saunders urged him to let his shot fly. There was a five-game stretch in which Reid went 0-for-2 from deep, but aside from that period of the season, Reid listened to Saunders’ words.

Reid showed he wasn’t hesitant to stretch the floor and shoot from outside when he popped to the top of the key after setting a screen for a guard or made his way to the corner to catch a swing pass and splash a 3. His accuracy was down from where it was with the Iowa Wolves, but his willingness to shoot from the perimeter was appreciated. 

Reid’s court vision was also pleasant surprise from a 20-year-old frontcourt player. Reid averaged 1.2 assists per game and assisted 10.9% of his teammates’ made shots, putting him in the 70th percentile of the league’s bigs. Reid didn’t need to spend an entire season with his Timberwolves teammates to be able to send a bounce pass their way as they made a back-door cut or dish a quick hand-off to a player rolling off of a screen. His 8.4% turnover percentage (90th percentile) wasn’t too shabby either. 

We saw Reid add a level of explosiveness to his game toward the end of the season and were familiarized with his spin move that was utilized against even the best interior defenders. But Reid’s own interior defense still needs some work. Opponents shot 67.5% in the restricted area against Reid while he shot just about 59% in the same zone.

Reid was allotted 16.5 minutes per game with the Timberwolves but still managed to average 2.8 personal fouls per game. His foul percentage of 6.8% put him in just the sixth percentile of bigs, and his 3.0 defensive rebounds per game were mediocre at best for a player of his size. 

There was a particularly frustrating game on Feb. 28 when Reid was held to seven points, one rebound and committed four personal fouls in an 11-point loss to the Orlando Magic who out-rebounded the Timberwolves 54-33. However, Reid responded to the loss and lacking personal performance by averaging 12.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists over the final six games of the season.

Getting into better physical shape may prevent Reid from resorting to fouling when defending at the rim, and improving defensively should be his biggest target this offseason. He’s already making strides. 

When Karl-Anthony Towns was missing in action due to a wrist injury, Saunders made it clear that Reid will be a part of the Timberwolves’ future. Fans should be excited about what’s to come from the 20-year-old who’s only scratched the surface of his potential.

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The Timberwolves Found A Hidden Gem In Naz Reid . . . How Bright Will He Shine?

You might remember where you were when the Timberwolves opened their 2019-20 season with a game against the Nets in Brooklyn.

You probably remember Karl-Anthony Towns’ 36 points and seven made 3-pointers, which helped land him in the earliest MVP talks.

Maybe you remember Treveon Graham’s inspired play and how head coach Ryan Saunders made a point to recognize his willingness to do the dirty work after the game.

Without a doubt, you remember Josh Okogie’s game-sealing defense that sent Kyrie Irving to the ground before he could muster up his 51st and 52nd points of the game to claim a win for his new Nets team.

You probably remember having premature hopes or lingering skepticism after that 127-126 Timberwolves overtime win. Regardless of which way you thought the season would go, you were wrong about its conclusion.

That overtime win was followed by countless injuries, losing streaks, untucked jerseys, a roster overhaul and some incessant belief in the front office’s ability to build a better future for the franchise.

But none of that could have prepared us for March 11 or the days, weeks, months that would follow.

The Timberwolves lost 117-111 to the Houston Rockets on March 10 and within 24 hours found out they wouldn’t be returning to play anytime soon after it was announced two players had tested positive for COVID-19 moments before tip-off of an Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Utah Jazz game. You know the one.

The NBA season was immediately put on hiatus, and a possible resumption of play would be left to speculate over — until June 4.

Last Thursday, after nearly three months of brainstorming cutting-edge ideas to salvage the remainder of the 2019-20 season, the NBA Board of Governors announced their approved plan to have 22 of the league’s 30 teams tentatively resume play on Friday, July 31, in Orlando, Florida.

However, given their 19-45 record, the Timberwolves were not one of the 22 teams to make the cut.

“While we are disappointed for our team and our fans that our season is coming to an end, we understand and accept the league’s plan to move forward with 22 teams,” said Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas, in response to the league’s announcement. “It is important that we be a good teammate not only to the NBA, but to the other 29 teams to support the efforts to complete this season and prepare for next season in a healthy and safe manner.”

The Timberwolves’ season ended unceremoniously, just as a vision for a brighter future began to emerge, and now the long wait for Timberwolves basketball begins.

If the remainder of the 2019-20 season plays out as tentatively scheduled, we would most likely have to wait until Dec. 1 to watch the Timberwolves back in action. The wait will be even longer if the Timberwolves aren’t given an opening-night game. I hope you enjoyed that March 10 game against the Rockets as much as possible.

This 265-day offseason will be the longest in franchise history, but it also has the potential to be one of the most eventful offseasons Timberwolves fans have seen.

There are a few key — again, tentative — NBA dates between now and Dec. 1.

First, the NBA Draft Lottery is currently scheduled for Aug. 25. Lottery odds are still based on teams’ records through games of March 11, so the Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers all hold the best odds at acquiring the No. 1 overall pick at 14 percent.

On top of their favorable odds at receiving the top pick, the Timberwolves also own the rights to Brooklyn’s No. 1 draft pick, thanks to the February four-team trade that transformed Minnesota’s roster.

Let your speculation now turn from the resumption of play plans to whether or not Rosas will hold on to both of those picks or make a trade before draft night, which is now scheduled for Oct. 15.

With time on his side, there are few limitations to what Rosas and his staff could surprise us with.

While we’re all watching college basketball highlights and attempting to become draft experts, the league will still have some decisions to work out.

Will there be a Summer League? If so, when will it begin? When will the eight teams whose seasons ended March 10 or March 11 be able to regroup for full-team workouts again? What will the nine-month hiatus from organized play do to the development of young players?

These uncertainties will, of course, have a larger impact on the Timberwolves than the 22 teams who’re scheduled to resume play on July 31, and will call for a level of innovation only folks like Rosas and his staff can provide.

That overtime win against the Nets may seem like a lifetime ago, and the wait for December will probably feel even more extensive. But while Rosas and other league executives are revamping the NBA’s timeline, the least we can do is begin to cherish Timberwolves basketball more than ever.

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Innovation Is Expected As Timberwolves Await 2020-21 Season

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Gallery | Nike Game Growers Program Empowers Young Girls

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