People are excited about the future of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Many around the NBA think that future starts now.
That was very evident in NBA.com’s 2016-17 GM Survey that was released on Tuesday.
Here are some of the highlights from the survey:
If you were starting a franchise today and could sign any player in the NBA, who would it be?
Last season’s Rookie of the Year, Karl-Anthony Towns, took home the hardware (fine, there’s not an actual trophy for this) for this. He had 48.3 percent of the vote, 27 percent more than Kevin Durant, who took second.
Last year’s pick was New Orleans big man Anthony Davis. He had 86.2 percent of the vote.
Things can change in a hurry.
Which player is most likely to have a breakout season in 2016-17?
Towns took second with 13.8 percent of the vote, while Andrew Wiggins was tied for fourth with 6.9 percent.
It’s tough seeing how much these guys can really breakout. Obviously we’re just scratching the surface with what they are capable of, but what do these players have to do accomplish for us to consider it a breakout season? Towns averaged a double-double, while Wiggins averaged nearly 21 points per game.
Who is the best center in the NBA?
Towns ranked fifth with 6.7 percent of the votes behind DeAndre Jordan, DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis and Marc Gasol.
Which team will be the most improved in 2016-17?
The Wolves were overwhelmingly first with 56.7 percent of the votes. Many are predicting playoffs for a team that won 29 games last season. In 2015-16, the eighth seed in the West won 41 games. That would be a 12-game increase.
Who will win the 2016-17 Rookie of the Year?
Wolves point guard Kris Dunn ran away with it with 46.7 percent of the vote.
Which rookie will be the best player in five years?
Dunn got 20 percent of the vote, second in the survey. Ben Simmons of Philadelphia, who will miss a big chunk of the season, ranked first with 70 percent of the vote.
Which rookie was the biggest steal at where he was selected in the Draft?
Dunn, the fifth overall selection, ranked second with 16.7 percent of the vote. Point guard Dejounte Murray was the 29th pick by the Spurs and had 23.3 percent of the vote.
Which head coach has the best defensive schemes?
Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau received 60 percent of the vote, 27 percent higher than San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich. The Wolves ranked 28th in the league in defensive rating. Thibs will look to change that.
Which new (or relocated) coach will make the biggest impact this season?
Thibodeau had a league-best 78.3 percent of the vote. Orlando’s Frank Vogel took second with 10 percent of the vote.
With about a week until the regular season tips off, there’s plenty of hype surrounding the Wolves. Of course, hype doesn’t equal wins. But we’ve heard general managers know a thing or two about basketball. Get excited, Wolves fans. A new era of Minnesota basketball is here.
You can read the full survey here.