Exit Survey: 3 goals for the young-and-hungry Minnesota Timberwolves

LA Clippers that had former Clipper Beverley acting like the Timberwolves had just won a ring, but really it was a moment that the whole fanbase got caught up in. They had made it back to the playoffs, and finally had some players worth talking about.</p> <h2>Although they bowed out in the first round, with some worrying displays from Karl-Anthony Towns, this Minnesota Tiberwolves season was a success.</h2> <p>With the recent acquisition of <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/03/exit-survey-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/denver-nuggets/">Denver Nuggets General Manager Tim Connelly, <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/03/exit-survey-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33971725/sources-minnesota-timberwolves-hire-executive-tim-connelly-5-year-deal-worth-40m-includes-ownership-equity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who comes in on big money</a>, the Timberwolves are setting themselves up so that this season becomes the start of a good period for the group, and not just an aberration of a season that will be forgotten by next year.</p> <p>The organization then goes into this summer not quite playing with house money, but with fans back onside and enough young talent to be excited about the future. It starts and ends with Edwards, who has a chance to be generationally special, but Towns is still one of the most gifted offensive centers of all time already.</p> <p>Underneath it all though, is the gnawing reality that other teams are also going to get better as well, and that they need to get things right as they move forward is actually more important than ever before. Here are three areas the Timberwolves must address during this offseason.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/03/exit-survey-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No.3 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_445603" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="size-full wp-image-445603" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/03/exit-survey-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1065,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F06%2F1391923269.jpeg" alt="Minnesota Timberwolves" width="1600" height="1065" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/1391923269.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/1391923269-768x511.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – APRIL 16: Anthony Edwards #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves warms up before the game against the Memphis Grizzlies during Game One of the Western Conference First Round at FedExForum on April 16, 2022 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>3 goals for the young-and-hungry Minnesota Timberwolves: 3. Build on the good vibes</h2> <p>Do you know who likes winning? Everybody, especially a Timberwolves franchise that has done little of it since Kevin Garnett was in town (the first time). So, the franchise needs to cash in on this good feeling and ensure that it rolls over into next season.</p> <p>How can they do this while still realistically being a team that will flirt with being .500 next season and isn’t close to winning a championship? There are two other organizations that the Timberwolves can look at, and who they can take tips from in order to keep the positivity flowing around the team.</p> <p>The first is the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/03/exit-survey-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/dallas-mavericks/">Dallas Mavericks. Outside of Luka Doncic, there isn’t a whole lot going on. Some nice roll players for sure, with Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Reggie Bullock, and Spencer Dinwiddie all having their moments, but we know it is all about one man, and that is Doncic. That one man propelled them all the way to the Western Conference finals this season.</p> <p>Is Edwards good enough to do that for the Timberwolves? Actually, he is. More than that, in Towns and Russell, he has teammates that are capable of playing on a level higher than any of those that Doncic had around him as they made it to the last four. That is wildly encouraging, especially as the Mavericks stumbled during the regular season as well.</p> <p>If it all goes wrong though, simply rooting for Edwards to be an All-Star or Towns to be the scoring champion next year can still be enjoyable. <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/03/exit-survey-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/orlando-magic/">Orlando Magic fans know this all too well, having watched Nikola Vucevic become a two-time All-Star during his tenure there.</p> <p>The team did nothing else (bounced from the postseason at the first stage twice), yet that period of Vucevic being recognized is still remembered fondly. The Timberwolves need to spend their summer aiming for these kinds of scenarios to unfold.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/03/exit-survey-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No.2 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_445604" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="wp-image-445604 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/03/exit-survey-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F06%2F1394489977.jpeg" alt="Minnesota Timberwolves" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/1394489977.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/1394489977-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">MIAMI, FLORIDA – MARCH 12: Josh Okogie #20 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on prior to the game against the Miami Heat at FTX Arena on March 12, 2022 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>3 goals for the young-and-hungry Minnesota Timberwolves: 2. Get better at drafting late</h2> <p>If there is one area where the Timberwolves are not helping themselves, it is in the draft. A look at their selections for the last five years (and beyond that) <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/03/exit-survey-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/MIN/draft.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">makes for some tough reading</a>. But this summer is a great opportunity to change the narrative around the draft history of this franchise and take a flier on some hungry players.</p> <p>The team has four picks, with one in the first round (19th) and three comings late in the second (40th, 48th &amp; 50th). Those second-round picks are interesting because the team could go in a number of different directions with them. Do they trade out of the draft completely with a couple of those picks?</p> <p>Perhaps package the three of them together to get a guy already in the league, but whose stock is low? If the Timberwolves stick with the picks, however, they now have somebody in the recently acquired Connelly who has a decent track record during his time with the Nuggets of making the right selection in the draft.</p> <p>He was the person who took Nikola Jokic in the second round, and he is now a back-to-back league MVP. That’s not going to happen again, but finding a couple of versatile wings to help a defense that ranked 13th during the regular season (111.0) would be nice. In fact, a couple of defensive-minded players could take some of the pressure off Towns and Edwards there.</p> <p>Using one of the picks on a sharpshooter would be a good idea as well. The Timberwolves had the seventh-best offensive rating (113.8) and were second overall in three-point shooting (38.8 percent), which goes some way to explaining how they reached the playoffs. But Towns isn’t going to shoot a superb 41 percent from deep every year.</p> <p>The next highest percentage from three-point range on the team? Jaylen Nowell at 39.4 percent. He averaged 15.4 minutes in the 62 games he played, of which only one was a start. He is only 22, but if the Timberwolves can add another scorer who can create for themselves, as well as some wing depth, they are going to be in a very good position heading into next season.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/03/exit-survey-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No.1 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_444677" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="wp-image-444677 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/03/exit-survey-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1394819087.jpeg" alt="Minnesota Timberwolves" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1394819087.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1394819087-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">MINNEAPOLIS, MN – APRIL 23: D’Angelo Russell #0 of the Minnesota Timberwolves gives instruction to his teammates against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first quarter of the game during Game Four of the Western Conference First Round at Target Center on April 23, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Grizzlies 119-118 to tie the series 2-2. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>3 goals for the young-and-hungry Minnesota Timberwolves: 1. Trade D’Angelo Russell</h2> <p>It seems very harsh. After all, Russell is one of their “medium 3” as we’ll coin them for now, and had plenty of moments during the year where he was extremely beneficially to have around. Averaging 18.1 points and 7.7 assists despite often being the third option offensively is not bad.</p> <p>But that’s the point. Trade Russell now while he has some value, and so that the Timberwolves can put another player or two in place to turn them into contenders. Russell isn’t exactly a point guard in the classic sense and has no problem looking for his own shot when the opportunity presents itself.</p> <p>Now 25, it feels like we are approaching the point where this is who he is as a player. That is somebody who can light it up and would look fantastic for a couple of years with the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/03/exit-survey-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/washington-wizards/">Washington Wizards or <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/03/exit-survey-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/sacramento-kings/">Sacramento Kings. But really, how far can a franchise go if he is expected to lead you into deep waters?</p> <p>This is the summer to move on from Russell so that the Timberwolves can grow as a team together, and implement whoever they would get in return. Make no mistake, moving him will not be easy. This is Russell’s fourth stop in the league and the fact the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/03/exit-survey-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/golden-state-warriors/">Golden State</a> Warriors (finals bound once again) spun him for Andrew Wiggins so readily should tell you all you need to know.</p> <p>Still, there has to be somebody out there who would want the skillful guard. The aforementioned Kings could want to add something alongside Domantas Sabonis. Would the Magic try and pair him with Franz Wagner, Markelle Fultz, Wendell Carter Jr., and <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/03/exit-survey-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/01/orlando-magic-chet-holmgren/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chet Holmgren</a>? Would the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/03/exit-survey-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/san-antonio-spurs/">San Antonio</a> Spurs get involved? The Timberwolves are going to be good soon, yet it feels like this is more likely to be the case if Russell is no longer on the team.</p> <div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="3 OG Anunoby trades for the Toronto Raptors" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/02/nba-trades-og-anunoby-toronto-raptors/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/03/exit-survey-minnesota-timberwolves/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/02/nba-trades-og-anunoby-toronto-raptors/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> 3 OG Anunoby trades for the Toronto Raptors </a> </div> </div><!—pageview_candidate—>">