2018-19 Season Preview

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2018-19-basketball-extravaganza-central

2018-19 Basketball Extravaganza Central

On Tuesday, the Wolves had a short practice focused on solidifying some things on offense, getting some shots up and preparing for their season opener in San Antonio. After a week of tough practices, this one was a bit lighter in order to keep the team fresh for Wednesday’s game.

While the team tends to practice at a high speed, players and coaches understand that there’s really no substitute for in-game action. It’s one thing to play against your teammates and another to face a real opponent.

“We’ve had a couple days where we’ve done quite a bit of scrimmaging, but practice is a lot different than a game, there’s a different intensity level to it,” said coach Tom Thibodeau. “Of course [Jimmy Butler] is game planned for, Karl’s game planned for, Wiggs is game planned for, so that makes it different also.”

The Wolves didn’t play particularly well in the preseason, but they aren’t too concerned about it. Anthony Tolliver admitted that the team should have been more focused in the preseason, but said the important thing about preseason games is not the result but rather what you take out of it. He’s confident that there will be a better product on the floor than there was during preseason.

“We never quite got everybody on the same page. And in this league, even in the preseason, if you don’t have everyone on the same page you’re going to get beat,” said Tolliver. “I think everybody’s minds have adjusted and bodies have adjusted. Going into tomorrow I feel good.”

Having Butler back will help as well. Despite the events of the last few weeks, both Tolliver and Thibodeau said that they have no doubt that Butler will give the team everything he has every night.

“It’s not in his DNA to slack,” said Tolliver. “He only knows one way, so no matter what’s going on off the court, whatever, once we get between those lines and he has our jersey on he’s going to play and everything’s going to be about winning.”

That’s the focus now—winning. Preseason is over, training camp is over, and after months of talk, it’s finally time to play the season. Every single team is 0-0 and the Wolves are confident in their ability to hang with every team every night. We’ll see you on Wednesday for the season opener. 

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Training Camp Report | Getting Everyone On The Same Page

The Wolves took the court Monday for their second to last day of practice before they open the season in San Antonio on Wednesday night. While the results in the preseason haven’t been great, players and coaches feel like they’re in decent shape.

“We got a lot of work to do, but I would feel like that in any circumstance,” said coach Tom Thibodeau. “That’s what the season is all about too. You don’t have everything figured out in a day or a week or three weeks. You can be playing well and all of a sudden you go into a tailspin. Usually that occurs when you start to relax or take shortcuts, so we know we have a lot of work to do.”

For Karl-Anthony Towns, the key for Minnesota is translating the energy and intensity the team has in practice into games. The Wolves run practices at game speed and compete very hard in camp so physically the players are ready to go but the focus and commitment to every single possession needs to be there in game situations. For his part, Towns is certain the team can pull things together.

“We come in here and have great practices. We always have great practices and the competition is high and the intensity is high, it’s just about doing that now in a game and sustaining it for 48 minutes,” he said. “So do I feel confident? Absolutely. I feel confident in the guys we have in the locker room, I feel confident in the competition that’s here in practice, I feel confident in everyone’s talents. So I feel very confident going in, we just got to do what we need to do.”

Veteran Derrick Rose has been through his fair share of training camps and said that he doesn’t put much stock in preseason record. He said he’s been a part of teams that won all their preseason games that had bad season and vice versa.

“It’s all about what you take out of it,” said Rose. “As long as personally, if you’re out there playing hard and doing what you’re supposed to do, it’s for the betterment of the team. Everybody’s not going to have that chemistry right now, it’s going to take time, period.”

The biggest area of concern for the team heading into the regular season is certainly their defense. The Wolves’ players will be the first to admit that they gave up way too many points in the preseason. Like many other areas of their game, players feel like they have the tools, they just need to execute in games. 

“If we play defense the way we’re supposed to and we play defense the way we do here in practice, we should have no problems against most of the teams in the league and other teams it’ll be a great fight,” said Towns. 

For two of the Wolves’ players, Wednesday’s game is more than just the start of the regular season. Josh Okogie and Keita Bates-Diop will both be suiting up for their first-ever NBA game. Thibodeau has been impressed with their effort so far and loves the energy they bring to the group. 

“They’ve embraced the learning aspect of it,” he said. “It’s like anything else, if you’re doing it for the first time you have to develop an understanding of it. I think coming and doing the right things each and every day, and just be a sponge, learn as much as you can but bring energy. That’s what I think both young guys are doing they’re bringing a lot of energy to our team.” 

While the energy is important, it’s also key for rookies to slow down and play smart—that’s the message Towns has been sending to the two young players every day. 

“It’s an experience they need to savor and enjoy. I told them the same thing KG told me my whole rookie year and I still abide by today: slow down and breath,” said Towns. “When you’ve got athletes like that you just got to tell them to calm down and play smart.”

Okogie and Bates-Diop feel prepared and ready for the moment, but there’s no doubt it’s a big achievement to play in their first NBA game. All those hours at the gym, the sweat from countless hours of practice, it’s all paying off.

“It will be a dream come true,” said Bates-Diop. “I’ve dreamed about this since I was a kid, so when I finally get out there it’ll be a dream realized.” 

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Training Camp Report | Defense, Intensity And A Big Moment For The Rookies

This might be the year that talent and opportunity line up for Tyus Jones.

Jones had the best season of his career last season, scoring 5.1 points per game and adding 2.8 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals. Jones played in every Wolves game last year, averaging 17.9 minutes per game.

While his numbers from last season don’t jump off the page, there’s a lot to like about Jones’ game in the context of this year’s Timberwolves team that lead us to believe he may be the Wolves’ breakout player of the year.

Coach Tom Thibodeau has spoken at length about playing more three-guard lineups. Those lineups will certainly include Jones. Jones is versatile enough to play alongside any of the Wolves’ guards and can play either the one or the two. With Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose both having the strength to play the small forward in smaller lineups, Jones could see a lot of time at shooting guard with Jeff Teague running the point. With Teague on the bench, Jones can also serve as the primary ball handler for the team.

With the departure of Jamal Crawford, who played 20.7 minutes per game last season, Jones could easily see 20+ minutes per game, provided he performs. Jones proved last year that he can be very durable and play many roles for the Wolves. That’s very important and not often discussed. Though he’ll have a role regardless, Jones will almost certainly be the first man up should the Wolves deal with any injuries.

Jones was very good last season in situations where he was allowed to play a larger role. In 14 games where he played 20-29 minutes, he averaged 7.7 points and 4.4 assists and was a +20 overall. In 11 starts Jones averaged 9.4 points and 4.9 assists per game and was +18.4. The talent is clearly there for Jones, it’s just a matter of figuring out his fit. 

The area where Jones needs the most improvement is his defense. Though his steal numbers improved last year and he is a physical defender, the young guard still needs to work on his decision making and positioning on defense. Thibodeau has said as much during training camp: Jones’ time on the court is dependent on his growth on defense.

As hard of a worker as Jones is, there’s little doubt that he will take another step forward this year. That improvement plus a larger opportunity should lead to a breakout year for the Minnesota native. 

preseason-predictions-tyus-jones-will-be-the-wolves-breakout-player

Preseason Predictions | Tyus Jones Will Be The Wolves' Breakout Player

Twenty-nine different opposing NBA teams will walk through the doors of Target Center to play the Wolves this season, and we want you to know as much as you can about all of them. We’re going worst to first in order of last year’s standings and telling you everything you need to know. Next up, the team that made the biggest trade of the offseason.

Notable Players Acquired: F Kawhi Leonard (trade), G Danny Green (trade)

Notable Players Lost: G DeMar DeRozan (trade), C Jakob Poeltl (trade)

Recapping 2017-18: It seems like the Raptors are perpetually maligned for being one of those teams that is on the brink of a ton of success but never can push things over the edge. The 2017-18 season was a perfect example. 

To be clear, the Raptors were a good team. They finished 60-22 and earned the No. 1 seed in the East. They lost in the Eastern Conference Finals to LeBron James and the Cavs, before firing their coach Dwayne Casey and trading their best player, DeMar DeRozan, to the Spurs for Kawhi Leonard.

The offloading of the team’s franchise player and head coach would seem like an ominous sign of things to come, but the future is actually still very bright in Toronto. For much of 2017-18, the Raptors looked like they had a legitimate chance of making the finals. Rookie OG Anunoby shined, DeRozan was finally shooting threes and had a career year in assists. Kyle Lowry still looked good, and the team had one of the deepest benches in the league.

The Raptors clearly looked at their roster and made the assessment that they would be unable to compete at the highest level without shaking it up. While DeRozan is unbelievably talented on offense, he is not an efficient scorer, and his defense leaves much to be desired. But he’s the kind of player that nobody else could offer the Spurs, who were eager to move Leonard after a dramatic breakup that lasted the better part of a year. When a player like Leonard comes available, you go get him.

On top of Leonard, the Raptors still have an intriguing young core. Fred VanVleet is excellent, Pascal Siakam and Anunoby are dripping with potential, and Delon Wright has shown real ability as a 3-and-D wing. Regardless of how the Leonard trade ends up working out, the Raptors have a future.

The Raptors clearly think their time to finally get over the hump in the East is now. Leonard is a definite upgrade over DeRozan, but it’s important to remember that we’re not sure that the Leonard who was a perennial MVP candidate is the one who will show up this year. Even if Leonard is at his best, the Raptors still have to deal with a frightening Celtics team and a Sixers squad that is young, talented and hungry. If Kawhi can play at his best, and the Raptors’ younger players can take a clear step forward, it could be an exciting year up north. If not, the Raptors might be caught with a few regrets. 

Strong bench play. The Raptors have one of the deepest bench in the league, so not losing ground when the starters are on the bench will be critical. That’s not an easy task with VanVleet, Wright and Siakam, but the Wolves second unit will need to step up. Additionally, Karl-Anthony Towns needs to play big. The Raptors don’t have anyone who can match up with him down low, and the Wolves need to take advantage. 

I expect the Raptors to make the Eastern Conference Finals and push their opponents into a long series. It will come down to Kawhi’s health and the team’s ability to put things together quickly at the beginning of the season, but they could be really special. At the very least they’re one of the most interesting storylines to watch.

Different than last year’s Raptors, with a higher ceiling and a lower floor.

The Wolves cross the border to face the Raptors on Oct. 24, Toronto comes to town Apr. 9. 

2018-19-season-preview-extravaganza-the-raptors-are-all-in

2018-19 Season Preview Extravaganza | The Raptors Are All In

Twenty-nine different opposing NBA teams will walk through the doors of Target Center to play the Wolves this season, and we want you to know as much as you can about all of them. We’re going worst to first in order of last year’s standings and telling you everything you need to know. Next up, a team loaded with incredible talent and loads of untapped potential.

Notable Players Acquired: G/F Zhaire Smith (draft), G Landry Shamet (draft), G Shake Milton (draft), F Wilson Chandler (trade), F Mike Muscala (trade)

Notable Players Lost: F Ersan Ilyasova (free agency), G Marco Belinelli (free agency), G Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (trade)

Recapping 2017-18: The Sixers finished with a record of 52-30 and lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Boston Celtics. Riding a Rookie of the Year campaign from Ben Simmons and an impressive return to form by Joel Embiid, the Sixers reminded everyone how important it is to #trusttheprocess.

Oh, and Embiid nicknamed himself “The Process,” which was pretty hilarious.

A lot of attention in 2017-18 was focused on the development of No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz. Fultz missed almost the entire season and in one of the more bizarre storylines of the decade, apparently had to re-learn how to shoot. That was definitely a blow for the team, who really could have used Fultz’s shooting next to Simmons, who is already elite in many areas of his game but absolutely cannot shoot threes.

Outside of the two guards, there was a ton of focus on Embiid, who looked like a generational talent, but still struggled to stay on the floor. Embiid played 63 games last season. With him, the Sixers are a legitimate finals contender. Without him, they lack a true No. 1 scoring option. While Simmons could be that guy eventually, without an outside shot his scoring upside is limited. Simmons could be the captain of an incredible offense, but it would be getting a little ahead of ourselves to say he has the ability to be a primary scoring option on a championship team.

The Sixers had an interesting offseason. They didn’t bring in any talent that will definitely moved the needle, but they replaced an effective and interesting bench unit with… another effective and interesting bench unit. The loss of Ersan Ilyasova hurts, there’s no question about it, but Wilson Chandler could be a great option off the bench or even in a starting role if he can stay healthy, and Mike Muscala’s shooting certainly has a place on the team as well. The Sixers got more athletic and better at shooting the ball this offseason, creating a supporting cast that makes sense with their young exciting core. We’ll see if it’s enough.

Two of the Sixers’ three cornerstone franchise players have had major injury concerns in the last few years. That’s not a great sign. While the drafting of Fultz over Lonzo Ball and Jason Tatum may seem crazy in retrospect, it completely makes sense why Philly did it. Fultz was a career 42 percent shooter from three in college, and a guy who could create his own shot on offense, pass confidently and defend well. That’s exactly what they needed. If they can get that guy this season they could be a dangerous team. Embiid is more critical though. He is a Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner and an absolutely elite post scorer. There are few if any players in the league who can go head-to-head with him. The Sixers need Embiid for at least 70 games. If they can get that they’ll be hard to stop. 

Don’t get outrebounded. Embiid and Simmons are both elite rebounders at their position, and the Sixers run an efficient enough offense that giving them second chance opportunities is a quick way to run into trouble. Outside of winning on the boards, limiting the Sixers’ bench unit is key. Make Simmons and Embiid play 40 minutes and beat you by themselves.

This team could be really good. Though I’m not sure they have enough to get past the Raptors if Kawhi Leonard is healthy, and they aren’t better than the Celtics, they will definitely be a tough out for every team in the league. I’m predicting they finish with the No. 3 seed again, but a No. 2 finish wouldn’t surprise me. The Celtics are this team’s kryptonite—they’ll play in the playoffs as long as they can until they run into them. 

One of the most talented teams in the league, incredibly injury-prone.

The Wolves travel to Philly on Jan. 15, and the Sixers come to town on Mar. 30. 

2018-19-season-preview-extravaganza-the-sixers-process-is-reaching-its-conclusion

2018-19 Season Preview Extravaganza | The Sixers' Process Is Reaching Its Conclusion

Twenty-nine different opposing NBA teams will walk through the doors of Target Center to play the Wolves this season, and we want you to know as much as you can about all of them. We’re going worst to first in order of last year’s standings and telling you everything you need to know. Next up, the Warriors, a team that might win the championship every season for the rest of time.

Notable Players Acquired: C DeMarcus Cousins (free agency), G/F Jacob Evans (draft), F Jonas Jerebko (free agency)

Notable Players Lost: C JaVale McGee (free agency), G Nick Young (free agency), PF David West (retirement)

The Warriors finished the season with a 58-24 record, second in the West. But that didn’t matter. The Warriors still won their third championship in four seasons. While they had a close call against the Rockets in the Western Conference Finals (Golden State trailed 3-1), the Warriors swept the Cavs in the Finals. 

The regular season was riddled by injuries. Stephen Curry missed 31 games, Kevin Durant missed 14, Draymond Green missed 12 and Klay Thompson missed nine. 

But the Warriors don’t play for the regular season. They had the end goal in sight the whole time. 

If there was one knock on the Warriors, it was their defense. While they ranked first in points scored, they ranked 18th in points allowed. I mean, we’re just kind of being picky here. There’s clearly an on/off button with this team, which can be problematic with some teams, but this team has enough talent to do it whenever they want.

To make matters worse for the rest of the NBA, the Warriors signed DeMarcus Cousins. We don’t know when Cousins will play after tearing his Achilles last season, but he’ll surely be able to contribute in the playoffs, which is all that really matters for the Warriors.

What else do the Warriors have to prove? We saw glimpses of distraction last season and the dynasty would have skipped a beat had Chris Paul been healthy. 

An 82-game season is long. And then you add in another 20-25 playoff games. That weighs on a player and that’s what guys like Thompson, Curry and Green have gone through the last four seasons. 

Minnesota is actually one of the few teams to have success against the Warriors over the last few seasons. Over the last three seasons, the Wolves have beaten the Warriors three times. The only other teams to beat the Warriors in each of the last three seasons during the regular season are the Celtics and Nuggets. 

One player who has found success against the Warriors is Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns has averaged 22.6 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 52.6 percent from the field in 10 career games against Golden State.

This team will take first or second in the West and win its fourth championship in five seasons.

Still dangerous. Still deep. Will be interesting to see what Boogie can bring.

The Warriors to play in Minneapolis on Mar. 19 and Mar. 29. The Wolves will travel to play the Warriors on Nov. 2 and Dec. 10.

2018-18-season-preview-extravaganza-will-the-warriors-win-another-one

2018-18 Season Preview Extravaganza | Will The Warriors Win Another One?

Twenty-nine different opposing NBA teams will walk through the doors of Target Center to play the Wolves this season, and we want you to know as much as you can about all of them. We’re going worst to first in order of last year’s standings and telling you everything you need to know. Next up, Rockets team that doesn’t know how long its window is open.

Notable Players Acquired: G Brandon Knight (trade), F Marquese Chriss (trade), G Michael Carter-Williams (free agency), F Carmelo Anthony (free agency)

Notable Players Lost: F Ryan Anderson (trade), F Trevor Ariza (free agency), F Luc Mbah a Moute

The Rockets finished the 2017-18 season with the best record in the league at 65-17. They advanced to the Western Conference Finals and they were a game (and a Chris Paul hamstring injury) away from advancing to the NBA Finals and (probably) winning the championship.

But this didn’t happen and the Rockets are still looking to end (or at least dent) the dynasty that is the Warriors.

If you’re trying to define the modern NBA, the Rockets are an extreme classification of it. James Harden was named MVP, averaging 30.4 points, 8.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game. He launched 10(!) 3-pointers per game. As a team, the Rockets made 15.3 3-pointers per game, while attempting 42.3. Both marks led the NBA. 

The fact that this team was able to win 65 games even though Harden missed 10 games and Paul missed 24 speaks to the depth on this team. Guys like Eric Gordon, Clint Capela, Trevor Ariza and P.J. Tucker were instrumental. Ariza, Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute are all somewhat limited offensively, but defensively is where they shined for Houston, being able to guard multiple positions. This combination led to the Rockets being the No. 1 ranked offense and the No. 6 ranked defense in the league.

Unfortunately, the Rockets weren’t able to bring back Ariza or Mbah a Moute, two integral cogs of this team’s rotation.  

Replacing them in the rotation will be Carmelo Anthony and Brandon Knight, two players who are much more offensive minded than defensive minded. In fact, both of those players have the opposite of defensive flexibility.  

The good news for Anthony last season: He played in 78 games, the most he’s played since 2005-06. That’s good!

The bad news: Well, we have a word count here, but Anthony had a miserable season with the Thunder. He averaged 16.2 points (career low), 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists (career low) while shooting (wait for it . . .) a career-low 40.4 percent from the field.

Playing with Russell Westbrook isn’t the easiest thing, sure, but it’s not going to be much easier playing with Harden and Paul, two players who enjoy having the ball in their hands. The fact that it worked out so well last season with those two players is pretty remarkable.

At this point in his career, Anthony is 34 years old, but last year he carried himself like he was still in his prime. He’s not. He’ll be successful if he recognizes that and tries to find success as a role player, not a star. I’m not super optimistic this will happen given history, but for Houston, I think it was worth the risk.

The Wolves were 0-4 against Houston in the regular season and 1-4 against the Rockets in the playoffs.

Like the rest of the league, the Wolves had a problem beating the Rockets. You’d like to see the Wolves slow down Harden, but as we’ve seen, that’s not an easy thing to do.

Karl-Anthony Towns struggled against Clint Capela in the playoffs last season. I’d like to see him take that personally in 2018-19 and maybe go on a bit of a revenge streak against Houston this season. 

Luckily for the Wolves, they play the Rockets just three times instead of four. 

I think the Rockets take a step back after losing some key defensive players, but that won’t stop them from still winning 60 games and clinching the second seed in the West.

With Paul’s age, this could be the last year for a championship run.

The Rockets play in Minnesota on Dec. 3 and Feb. 13. The Wolves play in Houston on Mar. 17.

2018-19-season-preview-extravaganza-how-much-time-do-the-rockets-have

2018-19 Season Preview Extravaganza | How Much Time Do The Rockets Have?

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2018‑19 Season Preview