2018 Training Camp

Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns continues on the path to being an NBA great. 

Last season, at age 22, Towns led the league in double-doubles while making his first All-Star team and All-NBA Third Team. Towns averaged 21.3 points (20th in NBA), 12.3 rebounds (fourth) and 2.4 assists per game last season, shooting a career-high 54.5 percent from the field (12th), 42.1 percent from the 3-point line (14th) and 85.8 percent from the free-throw line. 

When you add all of those together collectively, those numbers are insane. A big man who can score, rebound and shoot efficiently from pretty much anywhere. Centers from the 1980s are scratching their heads.

When it comes to win shares, Towns ranked second in the league to only James Harden, who won the league’s MVP. Behind Towns on the list was LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LaMarcus Aldridge, Nikola Jokic and Kevin Durant.

Towns is what makes Minnesota’s offense go, and the hope is that he’ll get more shot attempts (just 14.3 last season last season) in 2018-19 given how efficient he was last season. While Jimmy Butler is what makes Minnesota’s defense go, Towns is what makes the Timberwolves offense so great. Led by Towns, this unit ranked fourth in offensive rating last season.

Throughout his three-year career, Towns has averaged 21.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.4 blocks while shooting 54.3 percent from the field, 38.7 percent from the 3-point line and 83.6 percent from the free-throw line.  

For a player his age to already have such an impact on the court is an extremely rare thing in NBA history. 

Per Basketball Reference, Towns’ first three years of his career compare to Bill Russell, Yao Ming, Shaquille O’Neal, Dave Cowens and Hakeem Olajuwan, all Hall of Famers. Others include Dan Issel, Ed Macauley, Ed Sadowski, Wes Unseld and Walt Bellamy. Only Sadowski (who played from 1946-1950) isn’t part of the Hall of that group.

Of course, for Towns to enter MVP conversations in the league and not just his team, he’ll need to improve on defense, something that he’s challenged himself on and told the media to “quote him” on that. 

The Timberwolves gave him a contract extension prior to the season, which came as a surprise to absolutely nobody.  

For the Timberwolves and their fans to have a player of his caliber locked up for another five years is special and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Stars like Towns don’t come around very often. 

preseason-predictions-karl-anthony-towns-will-enter-mvp-conversations

Preseason Predictions | Karl-Anthony Towns Will Enter MVP Conversations

Andrew Wiggins may not have had the best season last year, but now it seems like the collective expectations for the young forward have dipped so low that Wiggins has real potential to be the Wolves’ sleeper for 2018. 

Everywhere you look there is someone saying something negative about Wiggins. However, scoring at the level that he does at just 23 years old is fairly unprecedented. In 2016-17, Wiggins averaged 23.6 points per game on 45.2 percent shooting. There’s no reason to think he can’t get back closer to those numbers this year. 

Wiggins is the first to admit that last season wasn’t his best, but it’s also easy to see why. Nobody was impacted by the arrival of Jimmy Butler to Minnesota more than Wiggins. He went from one of the two top scoring options on the team, to unsure what exactly his role was offensively.

The key for Wiggins to realize his sleeper potential and prove his doubters wrong is his intensity. Wiggins is an absolutely elite finisher around the rim, but not enough of his attempts come from close in. Using his length and speed to spend more time slashing to the rim and finishing lobs would be huge, as would utilizing his developing three-point shot to fake defenders into the air before driving around them. That would also help Wiggins get to the line more, where he shot poorly last year but has historically been very good. 

On the topic of three-pointers, Wiggins attempted a career-high 4.1 shots per game from beyond the arc in 2017-18. He made 1.4 per game for a percentage of 33.1. The previous year, Wiggins averaged 1.3 threes per game on 3.5 attempts. The idea that Wiggins has been consistently regressing is often tossed around but has very little basis in fact. Last year was the first year since he entered the league that he did not improve in almost every statistical category. 

Wiggins is also extremely durable—he has missed just one game in his four-year career and has never dealt with a serious injury. For the last few years Wiggins has struggled under the shadow of expectation, but now that it seems like everyone is expecting him to fail, don’t be surprised if Wiggins steps up for a career year.

preseason-predictions-andrew-wiggins-will-bounce-back

Preseason Predictions | Andrew Wiggins Will Bounce Back

gallery-practice-oct-15-2018

Gallery | Practice - Oct. 15, 2018

This offseason, the Timberwolves needed to address two main things in free agency. 

One was 3-point shooting, and the other was bench depth. 

By signing Anthony Tolliver for his second stint in Minnesota, the Wolves can cross both of those things off their list. 

Last season, the second unit was one of the biggest weaknesses of the Timberwolves. On paper, it looks like that group will be drastically better than a season ago. And the most-important piece in the group is Tolliver.

We can expect Tolliver to play somewhere between 20-24 minutes per game, which is what he called his “sweet spot” in training camp. 

He’s coming off the best season of his career with the Pistons, averaging 8.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting 46.4 percent from the field (career high), 43.6 percent from the 3-point line (career high and seventh in the NBA) and 79.7 percent from the free-throw line.

Throughout training camp, Tolliver has told us more than once that he’s going to let it fly from deep. After all, he did shoot 4.6 3-pointers per game last season. And if he’s hitting at a 40-percent clip from deep, everything tells us that Tolliver should get the green light. 

One thing that should put Tolliver in a position to succeed is Tyus Jones. Jones is the commander of the second unit and is a traditional point guard who does an excellent job of setting teammates up.   

When you think about a Sixth Man, you tend to think of guards. Only one forward has won the Sixth Man of the Year since 2010-11, and that was Lamar Odom. Prior to that, it was Mike Miller in 2005-06. 

Tolliver has the position flexibility to play both forward spots and it wouldn’t be wild to see him move to the five if the Wolves play small ball. 

He’s improved throughout his career offensively. He’s no longer just a shooter. He can put the ball on the floor and make plays and that’s something that he’s only recently been able to do which is incredible considering he’s 33 years old. Most players don’t continue to improve into their 30s. That speaks to Tolliver's work ethic.

While his offense will be what makes fans happy, his defense is what will keep him on the floor in Tom Thibodeau’s system. Tolliver is a smart team defender and is well-respected among NBA coaches. 

He might not be a superstar, but the Timberwolves don’t need him to be. They need reliable play from the second unit, something that Tolliver seems well-equipped to give the team. 

preseason-predictions-anthony-tolliver-will-give-wolves-huge-bench-boost

Preseason Predictions | Anthony Tolliver Will Give Wolves Huge Bench Boost

This is the final preseason game for the Wolves – and after losing the last three games in kind of ugly fashion, this is an important game for Minnesota.

It’s not a surprise there have been growing pains. There are new faces such as Keita Bates-Diop, Josh Okogie and Anthony Tolliver on the second unit, and Derrick Rose is in the starting lineup instead of Jimmy Butler.

There are adjustments that need to be made. Defensively, it’s about effort, and offensively, you’d like to see the team move the ball around better.

Minnesota will have a few days of practice after this game before playing the Spurs in San Antonio to open the season on Wednesday night.

What: Wolves at BucksWhen: Friday, Oct. 12, 7:30 p.m. CTWhere: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WIWatch: FOX Sports NorthListen: No radio

This is the second matchup between the two teams this preseason. The teams faced off on Sunday in Iowa and the Bucks won 125-107. Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 33 points and 12 rebounds.

Wolves wing Andrew Wiggins will not be in Milwaukee. He'll be at home awaiting the birth of his first child.

We’ll likely see what coach Tom Thibodeau wants to use as his main rotation to start the season. So far, the starting unit has consisted of Jeff Teague, Rose, Wiggins, Taj Gibson and Towns, while the second unit has been Tyus Jones, Okogie, Bates-Diop, Tolliver and Gorgui Dieng. We’ll see if Thibs shortens the rotation in this game to match what he’ll likely do in the regular season. 

Wolves: PG – Teague, SG – Rose, SF – Okogie, PF – Gibson, C - Towns

Bucks: PG—Bledsoe, SG – Brogdon, SF – Middleton, PF – Antetokounmpo, C – Lopez

preseason-scouting-report-wolves-at-bucks-2

Preseason Scouting Report | Wolves at Bucks

One of the more underrated players, at least nationally, on the Timberwolves roster is point guard Tyus Jones.

In his third season, Jones averaged 5.1 points, 2.8 assists and 1.6 rebounds per game, all career highs. He also shot 45.7 percent from the field and 87.7 percent from the free-throw line. Both of those were career highs as well.

“Every year he’s gotten better,” Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau said  I think he’s becoming a veteran now. The experience, I think the playoffs really helped him. Just experiencing that. . . The thing is, when you look at what he’s done, every year, he’s gotten a little bit better.”

While Jeff Teague is the team’s starting point guard, Jones had success last season filling in for Teague as a spot starter.

In 11 games as a starter, Jones had an average plus/minus of +18.4 while averaging 9.4 points and 4.9 assists while shooting 45.9 percent from the field. Since his days at Apple Valley, Jones has been a player who always gets other players involved and make his teammates better.

“That position is the position that unites and inspires, and you have to understand the strengths and weaknesses of everyone on the team and how you fit into that,” Thibodeau said. “I think he does a really good job with that.”

With more and more two-point guard lineups in the NBA, don’t be surprised to see more minutes for Jones. He’s stronger than he’s ever been and while his defense has its limitations, he’s a player who puts the work in.

“It’s something that he has to continue to work on, but he’s a diligent worker,” Thibodeau said. “He’s becoming a really good pro.”

After beating the Warriors to open preseason, the Timberwolves haven’t looked great in their last three games, falling to the Clippers and Bucks (twice).

“I think we’re still finding out identity, which is not uncommon when it comes to preseason,” forward Anthony Tolliver said. “That’s what preseason is for. I know that some of these guys, a lot of guys were here last year . . . Still learning each other. We took another step today.”

Teague is believer that how the team plays in preseason dictates how they'll play when the season starts.

“I do," Teague said. "I think if you play well going into the season, you’ll play well at the beginning the season. Tha’ts the biggest thing for us, play well, and right now we’re not.”

The Wolves will be back at practice on Thursday.

training-camp-report-steps-for-tyus-jones-and-getting-ready-for-the-season

Training Camp Report | Steps For Tyus Jones And Getting Ready For The Season

Jeff Teague has a reputation for being quiet. 

It’s true that Teague is usually reserved with the media, but ask his teammates and though the Wolves’ point guard may not be the loudest person in the room, there’s no doubt he makes his presence felt, both on the court and off. 

“Jeff is not quiet. Everybody says he’s quiet. He’s really funny, he’s a real jokester, but in the game he does his job,” said teammate Taj Gibson. “Off the court and in the locker room he makes the locker room at ease with all his jokes and having fun. But he’s a professional, been in the league a long time, been on some good teams, but it’s great to have him in there some days especially when things aren’t going right.”

“I’m always having fun. I have fun on the court, in the locker room, I just don’t say much to the media,” said Teague. “I just try to stay out of everybody’s way and stay in my own lane, but I like to have a good time, I like to joke around.”

There are many ways to lead, and for Teague the most important thing is that he’s done a lot to back up what he says. Teague is a proven winner—he’s never once missed the playoffs and he’s taken on a variety of roles to help his teams make the postseason. If Teague tells you something, you listen. You’d be crazy not to.

“The credibility comes from doing the right things,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Often in our league you find guys that say all the right things and do none of them. It’s more important to be doing the right things, so your actions actually speak a lot louder than your words.”

Teague holds his team accountable. He’s not afraid to say when things aren’t going well, or voice his frustrations. He wants to win every game—preseason, regular season or playoffs.

Thibodeau often talks about building a winning culture, and there’s nobody better than Teague to do that. A huge part of culture setting is getting new members of the team on the same page. That’s rookies, free agents, anyone who might not yet know how the Wolves do business.

Gibson, another important veteran presence for the team, understands as well as anyone how important it is to have someone like Teague in the room—a guy who may not be yelling a lot or showing tons of emotion after every play, but who nevertheless is a very confident and consistent presence. 

“It’s always good knowing that you got some guys that understand what it takes to win and work their tail off to get to the goals they want to have,” said Gibson. “And [to] have rookies look at guys like us and understand that we’re going to push you every day in practice, we’re going to make you better. It shows and we just got to keep going.”

Heading into his second year with the team, Teague’s comfort and familiarity with his teammates is far higher than it was last year. He knows where guys want to get their shots, he knows their tendencies and he has a better idea how to operate in Thibodeau’s system. Now the challenge is not just bringing the team together on the court, but building a brotherhood off of it. 

“When you’re a tight-knit group, you care a little more on the floor,” said Teague. “That loose ball that’s out there, you’re going to dive for that because that’s your brother, that’s your teammate, you really ride with that person. If we can get that comradery on the court and off the floor I think that’d be good for us.”

Teams need many types of leaders. Some lead with their voices and some with their actions. Thinking about Teague’s presence is an important lesson in taking what we see in practice with a grain of salt. We might not see Teague’s influence but it’s there under the surface, keeping things light, bringing his teammates together and building the Wolves into a winner. 

jeff-teague-isnt-as-quiet-as-you-think

Jeff Teague Isn't As Quiet As You Think

The Wolves returned to practice on Tuesday after their preseason game in Iowa on Sunday. While the results of their preseason games thus far has left much to be desired, getting a chance to see the team in game action gave players and coaches a good idea of what needs to be both worked on and built upon in practice.

Coach Tom Thibodeau was quick to praise point guard Jeff Teague, who is a leader for the team in terms of what he says, but more importantly what he does on the court every day. Thibodeau also discussed the continuing growth of Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony-Towns.

“The important thing is to do the right things each and every day even on days when you don’t feel like doing it,” said Thibodeau. “The important thing for us is what we learned last year, and I think we learned a lot. To get to the playoffs you learn from your experiences and I think that teaches you how to win. When you look at veteran players, they’ve been through wars, so they get an understanding of all the little things it takes to win. So that’s what they have taken from last year, now they have to do it on a consistent basis.”

It takes time to get on the same page at the start of the season, especially for a team like the Wolves who didn’t see a ton of one another over the summer. Forward Taj Gibson thinks the team is in good shape, but as always, there’s a learning curve.

“We just got to play a lot harder,” said Gibson. “The game speed is going up, guys are starting to compete more and more as the preseason goes on. We’re still working some kinks out, but it’s fun, I’m enjoying the experience, enjoying the ups and downs. Nobody thought everything is going to be easy.”

There was also a lot of talk at practice about the Wolves’ defense. While Thibodeau rejected the idea that the Wolves had a bad defense last year, pointing out that their starting unit was one of the league’s best, he said that the bench had to improve and the starters had to continue building on their work. Gibson also had some good things to say about how to build a good defense.

“First you got to have strong communication with teammates, and you got to want it,” he said. “You got to have a lot of heart, got to put your teammates first and try to just understand your job and understand that it’s mano a mano sometimes and it’s trying to lock down a guy.”

Sometimes defense comes easier for the starting lineup because they always play together—the communication and trust that defense requires is easier to create between a group of players that are consistent than a second unit that might look slightly different every night or be formed of many different combinations of players. That effect is only compounded by a league that’s getting faster and more prone to switching. Individuals have to do more and team communication is more important than ever. 

“You look at everybody across the league now everybody’s switching,” said Gibson. “You have to be able to guard multiple positions, you have to be really agile to be able to guard stretch fives and stretch fours. It’s a new game now.”