Category: Minnesota T-Wolves Blog

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Andrew Wiggins off to good start for Warriors

Are you mentally prepared to read something nice about Andrew Wiggins?

Hopefully so, because it’s about to happen. Here’s NBC Sports Bay Area reporting:

In his first week as a Warrior, Wiggins is averaging 23 points per game on an incredibly efficient 57.5 percent from the field and 53.3 percent from deep. His 23 points have come on 13.3 field goal attempts per game, rather than the 22.4 points on 18.8 field goal attempts he put up in the first 42 games this season with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

He has shown an impressive ability to make quick moves off the dribble to attack the hoop, and slash through the lane off the ball. Unlike his days with the Timberwolves, Wiggins is buying into Kerr’s free-flowing, ball movement offense, and avoiding unnecessary dribbling and stagnant iso-ball. Per Kerr’s wishes, he also is sprinting in transition and using his athleticism and size to beat his defender down the court.

Of course, this is all well and good, but the real test for Wiggins’ long-term prospects this squad is how he looks alongside a full-strength squad that includes a healthy Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. But we won’t know the answer to that for quite a while.

For now, after one mere week, Wiggins hasn’t disappointed.

Timberwolves announce updated Season Ticket Member Platform

The Minnesota Timberwolves announced the “future of membership” as the organization’s season ticket offerings went on sale today. To reward loyal members and to reignite a fan base following last week’s significant trade deadline, fans who renew or start a season ticket membership will receive:

50% off food, beverage, and retail offerings for the next two seasons when fans use the Wolves Wallet within the Timberwolves App.


Two-year flat pricing carried over from current season for both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.


Customized flexibility that allows fans unlimited game exchanges throughout the season.

For more info, you know what to do: hit the official Timberwolves site.

Melo out for Blazers vs Timberwolves game

The Trail Blazers won’t have veteran forward Carmelo Anthony in action vs the Timberwolves. Here’s NBC Sports Northwest:

More bad news on the injury front for the Trail Blazers. Starting power forward Carmelo Anthony will not play tonight against the Timberwolves due to a left knee contusion…

Anthony suffered the injury in the first half of Friday’s win over the Magic. He took a jump shot with 8:12 left in the second quarter and subbed out at the 7:59 mark. He did not return.

The game is in Portland and starts at 10 p.m. ET.

Anthony Davis scores 50 points in Lakers win vs Timberwolves

On Sunday, the Lakers beat the Timberwolves 142-125. The star of the night was big-man Anthony Davis, who is having as good a season as almost any players in the league.

Shooting 20 for 29, Davis put up 50 points, seven rebounds, six assists, four steals, one block and just one turnover in 39 minutes of action.

LeBron James also had himself a game: 32 points and 13 assists. And off the Lakers bench, Alex Caruso earned himself a mention: 6 of 11, 16 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals.

But Davis, who has gotten attention all season for his defense just as much as his offense, had as good a game as anyone has put up in the league so far this season.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported the following: “Davis became the third player to post 50 points on the Wolves this season while James was no slouch either with 32 points and 13 assists. Davis was an especially efficient 20 of 29 shooting and 10 of 10 from the free-throw line. He did a lot of work around the basket, and the Wolves had no answer for him defensively. ”

From the OC Register: “Davis’ prolific, proficient output — combined with James’ 32 points in 28 minutes — mitigated a productive night offensively by the Timberwolves, who shot 51.8 percent, had eight players score in double-digits and needed only until the start of the fourth quarter to exceed opponents’ 103.7 points-per-game scoring average against the Lakers.”

 

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Timberwolves struggling badly on road

 

 

 

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The Timberwolves are 14-18 through Friday’s games, and their home vs away record is shocking: They’re 12-5 when playing in Minneapolis, and just 2-13 as the Away team. Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting:

Jeff Teague was playing hurt for over a month on an injured left ankle that finally caused him to sit out the past three games. Teague is expected out for perhaps more than a week…

But now Derrick Rose is on the mend after he tried to play through his own injured left ankle, an injury that forced him out the second half of Friday’s 124-98 loss to the Spurs…

The Wolves are in a precarious spot entering Sunday’s game. Their 2-13 road record is worst in the Western Conference, and five of their next six games are on the road.

“It’s not physical. It all comes down to the mental aspect,” forward Taj Gibson said. “You’re on the road a lot and things aren’t going your way, it’s all a mental block. … We got to be resilient. We can’t worry about things we could’ve done. We have to worry about the future.”

The Timberwolves this season are being led by Karl-Anthony Towns in points (21.0 ppg), rebounds (11.6 rpg) and blocks (1.8 bpg), and by Jeff Teague in assists (8.3 apg) and Robert Covington in steals (2.5 spg).

Full article

Timberwolves keep losing conference games on road

Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting on Timberwolves, who are having a very good season as long as they aren’t on the road playing against another Western conference team:

The latest Timberwolves road trip out West hasn’t quite taken on the horror show feel of the last one, which ended 0-5 and resulted in Jimmy Butler finally being traded.

But the trip now sits at 0-3 after a 141-130 loss to Sacramento on Wednesday and perhaps feels even more disappointing than that last awful stretch if only because the Wolves had generated great optimism by going 9-3 since the trade and seemingly had discovered a winning combination centered around defense that might lead to better road results.

Spanning both iterations of the Wolves — pre- and post-Butler — this team is now 0-10 in conference games on the road. There are a lot of ways to define a 13-15 season-to-date, but that’s as good as any. Winning on the road is tough, but even marginally better results would have a major impact.

Full article

Timberwolves playing great defense since trading Jimmy Butler

Yes, the headline sounds like an attack on Jimmy Butler. It isn’t. It’s just a factual look at how the Timberwolves have been playing lately. Here’s the St Paul Pioneer Press reporting:

Since Nov. 10, the day the Timberwolves agreed to trade Jimmy Butler to Philadelphia, Minnesota has been the NBA’s best defensive team.

“We’re paying more attention to the detail, understanding what we have to do, watching film,” Timberwolves forward Taj Gibson said. “You’re seeing more guys watching film, pulling in the coaches (and asking), ‘What hand does he want to use? What hand doesn’t he want to use? What do you want me to do more?’ ”

Over their past nine games, including Wednesday’s 128-89 victory over perpetual nemesis San Antonio, the Wolves have ranked No. 1 in defensive rating (99.8 points allowed per 100 possessions), opposing field-goal percentage (41.8 percent), fast break points allowed (7.9 a game) and points allowed in the paint (40.9).

They’re also second in steals per game (10.1) and, most important, 7-2, since trading their best player.

Full article

Timberwolves will reportedly trade Jimmy Butler to Sixers

Philadelphia Inquirer: The 76ers got their third star. The team will acquire All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler and Justin Patton from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Robert Covington, Dario Saric, Jerryd Bayless, and a 2022 second-round pick.

More from the Inquirer: Butler can opt out of the final year — 2019-20 — of his contract next summer to become a free agent. He and the Sixers expect to reach a deal on a long-term contract then, according to ESPN. That makes sense, because the Sixers will have his Bird rights once the trade goes through. The Sixers can offer him a five-year, $190 million max contract next summer. Teams that don’t have his rights would be able to offer Butler only a four-year, $141 million max contract in free agency.

PhillyNews.com: If you were to design the ideal player to star alongside Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, there are a lot of ways in which he would differ from Jimmy Butler. From his volume-dependent point production to his mediocre three-point shot to his habit of clashing with younger players, the 29-year-old star is hardly the perfect fit for a Sixers team that has less than a year to put the finishing touches on the core it will rely upon for the next half decade. But the one overriding takeaway from the organization’s decision to acquire the disgruntled veteran from the Timberwolves, while parting ways with two beloved starters is this: Not only does Butler makes the Sixers better right now, in the midst of a sputtering 8-5 start, but he has the potential to make them a whole lot better come April, by which time the Sixers will need to have experienced a radical transformation to compete in an Eastern Conference playoff field that includes powerhouses in Boston and Toronto and an upstart Bucks squad in Milwaukee.

Timberwolves opening roster is set

The Minnesota Timberwolves have set the team’s 2018-19 Opening Night Roster.

On Saturday the Wolves announced the team had waived Canyon Barry, Darius Johnson-Odom, William Lee and Jonathan Stark. Minnesota’s 2018 Opening Night Roster stands at 16 players.

Minnesota will open its 2018-19 regular season Wednesday night in San Antonio vs. the Spurs. The Wolves will play host to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, October 19 in the team’s Home Opener.

Timberwolves sign William Lee and Canyon Barry

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed guard Canyon Barry and forward William Lee.

Barry, 24, spent three seasons at the College of Charleston before transferring to the University of Florida for his senior year. The son of former NBA great Rick Barry, Barry averaged 12.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest over his four-year collegiate career. After going undrafted in 2017, the 6-6 guard played overseas in Finland and the Czech Republic last season.

Lee, 23, went undrafted after playing four seasons at the University of Alabama-Birmingham where he averaged 10.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks while shooting 36.5% from the three-point line over his career. Lee was named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and 2017 and earned Conference USA All-Defensive Team honors his senior year.