The Timberwolves had their official practice of 2018 training camp on Tuesday at the Mayo Clinic Square practice facility.
It was a gym full of smiles, a few of them new to the team from a season ago.
It was the first of two practices for the team on the day. And a team with new faces – like Anthony Tolliver, Luol Deng, Josh Okogie and Keita Bates-Diop – there were some teachable moments for a crew that isn't used to playing with each other.
“First day, it’s exciting to go through, but it’s a little choppy,” Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau joked at practice. “There’s some good and there’s some not-so-good.”
Two players who will be beneficial to the Wolves, especially as veterans in camp, are Deng and Tolliver.
Deng had his best seasons in Chicago under Thibodeau and returns to a coach who he’s familiar with. After not playing much in the last two seasons (for whatever reasons), Deng is ready to get back to it.
And for a team that is trying to improve from deep, Tolliver is a huge addition. Tolliver, who will likely play 18-22 minutes per game, shot 43.6 percent from the 3-point line last season – a mark that ranked seventh in the league.
Deng isn’t a sharpshooter but is two years removed from shooting 34.4 percent from deep. Not elite, but certainly not horrible.
“We brought in some new guys who can definitely spread the floor and knock down threes,” Wolves point guard Tyus Jones said after practice. “At the same time, thinking about it more. Trying to get more threes, especially from the corners.”
Another player who could help in this department is Okogie.
Veterans praised Okogie for his hustle and energy during practice. But Okogie also shot 38.2 percent from deep during his time at Georgia Tech. This summer, he’s focused on getting reps up from the NBA 3-point line.
“I think I’ve made strides,” Okogie said. “Something I work on before every day . . . Something I try to do before practice (and) after practice.”
Quick Hits
- Thibodeau addressed the Jimmy Butler situation, basically saying he’d rather focus on the players on the court.
- Bates-Diop and Okogie highlighted the players getting shots up after practice. If those two can find their groove from deep, it’ll be tough keeping them off the floor with their positional flexibility.
- Tolliver said that he’s fine guarding whoever the coaches want him to, but if it’s a real quick guard, he joked he might have some problems.
- The Wolves play a preseason game in four days. How does time move so fast?
Our next availability with the team is tomorrow. Check back in for plenty more content.