Few things are more exciting in today’s NBA than a young team.
When a franchise has young players with upside, it catches everybody’s eyes. The fact that there potential All-Stars in a given roster not only excites the fans of the team itself, but also ignites a fire in the casual fan that’s always looking the next superstar. Whether it is the next LeBron James or the next Kevin Durant, fans are watching. And it also builds a hype around the team even before the season starts.
Some teams are unable to live up to the hype while others exceed the expectations. The latter is what will happen with the Minnesota Timberwolves, as they have a roster that’s strong enough to reach the playoffs in a stacked Western Conference. Some might think I’m crazy, but Minny will live up to the hype the upcoming season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9Gm98jXcos&w=854&h=480
First of all, they have two of the brighest young players in the league in Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns. We might not be sure about what kind of player Wiggins will be, but he’ll make an impact for sure. He might not be an efficient scorer or a devoted defender, but he can perform on both ends of the court. The numbers are kind with him, too, as he averaged 20.7 PPG last year. He should thrive as a primary option next year.
Wiggins has everything on him to become a star, but Karl-Anthony Towns is already there. The reigning Rookie of the Year turned heads with his play last season, and he’s only going to get better. You’ll obviously be noticed if you average a double-double (18.3 pts and 10.5 rebs) in your rookie year. It seems as if the sky is the limit for Towns. He should only get better from now on.
Towns and Wiggins might be the franchise’s cornerstones, but they’re not the only capable performers on the team. There’s also Zach LaVine, Ricky Rubio, Nikola Pekovic and Kris Dunn, this year’s fifth-overall selection in the Draft who’s a contender for the Rookie of the Year Award. And we haven’t even mentioned role players like Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng. That’s a lot of young talent. And a lot of athleticism, too.
Every young team needs a leader on the court. Luckily Minnesota has one of the best in the game in Kevin Garnett.
The Big Ticket is not the dominant player he once was, but his experience gives this young T-Wolves team a plus. He is a fierce competitor who gets the best out of his teammates. It’s safe to say there won’t be any slacking on the court while KG is on the roster.
As if all their young talent wasn’t enough, the Wolves have a capable head coach in Tim Thibodeau. An assistant with Team USA in Rio 2016, Thibs is exactly what this team needs to take the next step. He has an impressive resume and made the Chicago Bulls a contender in the East, so there’s no reason to think he won’t do that with the Timberwolves in a few years. He’s also a coach who takes the quickest road from Point A to Point B, so there’s no doubt he’ll do everything he can to put Minnesota in position to succeed.
The tanking days are over in Minnesota. It’s time for the franchise to flourish and regain the status they had a decade ago, when they were one of the toughest teams in the league. During their glory days they had Kevin Garnett, but now it’s time for Towns and Wiggins to carry the torch.
And their path to stardom will begin this season. You read it here first.