MMBets: Howling with the (Timber)Wolves

When you employ a superstar on your roster, it puts pressure on the team and front office to perform around that star to maximize their abilities. The Minnesota Timberwolves have managed to put two different teams around Anthony Edwards the last two years, and both were good enough to make the West Finals. Granted, they lost both times in five games (the Mavs series was much closer than we’d like to admit, though), but they still have been one of the last four teams standing the last two seasons.

What is it going to take for this team to get over the hump? Edwards has already started to evolve, as he was the league’s most prolific three-point shooter last season. That came out of necessity, as the Wolves reshuffled the roster just days before the start of the season when they swapped Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte Divincenzo. Gobert isn’t getting any younger, nor is Mike Conley. How ready is Rob Dillingham? Is Terrance Shannon Jr. ready for the full-time role they need him to fill? There’s plenty of questions to be answered, but the Wolves feel like they’ve got the answers already in the building.

The Wolves roster did not see much turnover because all of the money they spent was used in resigning Naz Reid and Julius Randle. The only guy they couldn’t afford was Alexander-Walker, who I personally would’ve preferred over Randle.

This team remains well coached, as Chris Finch is a top five to ten coach in the NBA. The bench, even without NAW, is still a strength with guys like Naz Reid, DiVincenzo, Shannon Jr., and Jaylen Clark. Joan Beringer might not be ready this year, but the young Frenchman should be a starter at some point if he develops into the guy they think he can be. I wonder about the ball handling and the spacing, but I believe in Edwards and the coaching staff enough to still think they’ll be in the hunt down the stretch. Just maybe not the top of the conference.

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