Shootaround on Wednesday morning was a big one for the Wolves—it was the first chance Robert Covington and Dario Saric had to practice with their new team. Judging from how players and coaches sounded afterward, it sounds like it went very well.
Both players will play against the Pelicans on Wednesday night.
“It was good to have them out there. It was a start, a beginning,” said coach Tom Thibodeau. “I think the challenge is how quickly can we get everyone onto the same page, but they’re great. They came in, they shot yesterday but today was the first day we were able to do stuff on the floor with them.”
The Wolves are starting Covington and Saric out with a just a few sets, but they have been given the full playbook to study as well. They’re both picking things up quickly, especially Covington, who has the advantage of a few more years of NBA action under his belt.
“Each day you can add on, it’ll be a very simple package,” said Thibodeau. “Robert is there, Dario will get it quickly too, he’s been a really smart player. Robert has picked up things already, it’s just second nature to him. Hopefully we can move along quickly.”
Thibodeau is excited to use both players in different ways, and mentioned playing the two of them next to Andrew Wiggins and Taj Gibson to form a lineup that can switch almost everything. Thibodeau said that Saric is a lot bigger than it might seem at first, and Covington’s length and ability to defend many positions will be a great weapon for the team. He might quickly start drawing the Wolves’ toughest assignments.
Regardless of how they’re used, Wolves fans can be sure that Covington and Saric will be bringing their all every night—as well as in practice and in the film room.
“I think all fans appreciate effort. I think hustle plays are things that can unite and inspire, and I think those are things that they will bring. We’ll see their effort immediately,” said Thibodeau. “There may be some things they’re unsure of, and as we go along obviously, film sessions, practices, pre-practice, they were both here early, went through some things. Their concentration level is very good and that’ll be a big plus for us as well.”
One player whose role might change with the arrival of Covington, especially, is Wiggins. With Covington on the team, a player who’s very comfortable playing the small forward position, Wiggins will be freed up to earn more minutes at the two—a situation he’s happy about.
“A couple years ago I used to post up a lot and that’s where I did a lot of my damage,” Wiggins said. “Then as the team kind of switched, got more people, got new people, I kind of became more outside as opposed to driving to the rim and posting up, so I’m trying to get back to it.”
“I’m trying to do it every day now, be aggressive and getting to the rim, getting back to my roots,” he added.
That’s certainly music to the Wolves’ ears. Wiggins is incredibly effective at the rim, and he’s a good enough athlete to get there at will, but he was forced into more of a floor spacer role on a team that didn’t have a ton of great shooters. With Covington and Saric—both very effective from beyond the arc—the pressure is off Wiggins to fill that role and he can return to his more natural role as a slasher and at-rim scorer.
Quick hits:
- Thibodeau didn’t say if either of the new players would start, but it doesn’t seem unlikely that Covington slots into Jimmy Butler’s spot. It might not happen tonight, but don’t be surprised if it happens soon. It seems like Covington is picking things up quickly.
- Thibodeau praised Josh Okogie’s constant effort, reiterating that he thinks Okogie has a bright future in the league, but resisted comparisons between Okogie and Butler, saying that their games were different.
- The Wolves are taking on the Pelicans tonight, at team that presents a lot of interesting matchups. You can read a full scouting report here or if you’re in town and want to come see the Wolves’ new players in person you can get tickets here.