After a successful summer, the Minnesota Timberwolves have progressed from a future powerhouse to present contender
It is no secret that the Minnesota Timberwolves have one of the brightest futures among every franchise in the NBA. Before the 2017 NBA Draft, fans expected to see Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Zach LaVine grow together en route to Western Conference supremacy.
The Wolves held the 7th pick, and they would get another chance to land a star with a top-10 selection, after seemingly striking out on 2016 5th-overall pick Kris Dunn. With the Warriors taking over for the near (and possibly distant) future, Minnesota fans had no objections to taking it slow on the rebuild while Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson played out their primes.
However, President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Tom Thibodeau had a different idea. While the Lakers were drafting Lonzo Ball and the Celtics were waiting to announce Jayson Tatum as their latest 3rd-overall pick, the Woj Bomb was dropped.
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Chicago traded Jimmy Butler for the Zach LaVine, Dunn and swapped first-round picks (Creighton’s Justin Patton to Minnesota and Arizona’s Lauri Markannen to Chicago) in exchange for Jimmy Butler. Just like that, a top-15 player in the league was added to a roster that included two of the league’s top young talents in Wiggins and Towns.
It was obvious to most that Thibodeau and general manager Scott Layden still had plenty of work to do. If they were going to build around a core of Butler, Wiggins, and Towns, shooters would have to be plugged into the holes in the lineup if the offense was going to run smoothly.
Despite the fact that all of the three aforementioned building blocks, each prefers to score his points as close to the rim as possible.
Ricky Rubio and Gorgui Dieng started at the point guard and power forward, respectively, for the Timberwolves in 2016-17. The former is a below average three-point shooter, and has been for the entirety of his NBA career. The latter rarely even shoots the long ball, and is less than reliable to play as the increasingly possible “stretch-4.” Post-Butler trade, roster changes needed to be made.
On the eve of NBA Free Agency, Ricky Rubio was traded to the Utah Jazz in return for a lottery-protected 2018 first-round pick from Oklahoma City. The T-Wolves were not done for the day, as they needed to replace the Spanish playmaker with a floor general that would be a better fit with the newly-formed core.
And when news broke that Jeff Teague had committed to signing with Minnesota at midnight, Thibodeau had his point guard.
Teague, a one-time all-star who was a member of the Indiana Pacers last season, will sign a three-year, $57 million contract. The 29-year-old averaged a career-high 7.8 assists last year while shooting 36% from beyond the arc. But his fit in Minnesota is light years better than Rubio’s, and that is why the Wolves made the moves to make Teague their starting point guard of the future.
Ricky Rubio is one of the best passers in the NBA, and there is no arguing that fact. His court vision is nearly unmatched by his fellow point guards. The bounce passes to Towns in the paint and the oops to Butler and Wiggins in transition would have been an ESPN Top-10 plays clinic. But, in today’s league, in which there is so much emphasis on floor spacing and three-point shooting, Jeff Teague is a better fit for a franchise looking to win now.
As little as he wants to be, Jimmy Butler is the face of the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise. He is the only members of the team to be selected to more than one all-star team, and the only member to be named to an All-NBA team. He is one of the league’s superstars, and it is important to put complementary pieces around a star so that he may flourish. Think last season. The Bulls paired Butler, Rajon Rondo, and Dwyane Wade in hopes to compete in the Eastern Conference.
Wiz of Awes
Granted, Wade’s rapid decline played a large part in the team finishing .500 and only securing the 8 seed in the East and exiting the playoffs in the first round, but the horrendous fit of the three players together put a cap on the team’s ceiling.
Pairing Teague with Butler is the first step in maximizing the potential for not only Jimmy, but the Timberwolves as a whole. Now, not only have the Timberwolves replaced Zach LaVine, Ricky Rubio, and Kris Dunn with a top-15 player and a better fit at point guard, but they have also secured veteran leadership for their two former number-1 overall picks.
Both of the new additions have been in the playoffs multiple times. Teague even played on a 60-win team in 2014-15.
Minnesota also added Taj Gibson via free agency.
The Timberwolves are now widely considered a lock to be a part of the playoffs next April.
Rarely is it in a positive tone when you hear about teams accelerating their rebuilds. Many-a-time a franchise will become impatient and jump into a bad contract, or trade for a player well past his prime in hopes that fans will regain interest and the organization can make more money. The Wolves have accelerated their rebuild, but in the best way possible.
Karl-Anthony Towns will be a superstar sooner rather than later. The sky is the limit for a player of his caliber, and the Kentucky product’s potential is immeasurable. Andrew Wiggins has had a rocky start to his career, but he is on the road to becoming an elite scorer and possesses incredible athleticism that could lead to him unlocking some defensive potential that he has not yet stumbled upon.
And now that the Minnesota Timberwolves have ended their rebuild, there will be high expectations for Jimmy Butler and Jeff Teague as mentors to the rapidly developing dynamic duo both on-and-off the court. With the addition of a shooter and another big man, both of which Minnesota is reportedly looking into, the Wolves will be a force to be reckoned with in the “Wild, Wild West.”
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Tom Thibodeau has already made some huge splashes in Minnesota, and he will continue to bring in pieces with the hope of making his team a powerhouse for years to come.