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Celtics Notes: Brissett, Brown, White, Rebounding

October 28th, 2023 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

Oshae Brissett swung the momentum in the Celtics‘ favor and made a strong case for a rotation spot in Friday’s win over the Heat, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. The Eastern Conference Finals rematch saw Boston trailing 26-13 when Brissett entered the game in the first quarter. He pounded the offensive glass and threw down an impressive dunk that cut the lead to three points within about five minutes.

“He was the sole reason that we got back into the game, and I told him that,” Jayson Tatum said. “He came right in, and we were kind of flat. His energy, his offensive rebounding, giving us second- and third-chance opportunities was big. And that’s his job. For him to come do that, to not play last game and come in today and give us the spark to turn the game around was huge. And that’s what I love about our team.”

Brissett signed a two-year, minimum-salary contract with Boston this summer after spending the past three years in Indiana. He wasn’t used in the season opener, but coach Joe Mazzulla turned to him early on Friday to provide a spark. Brissett understands that his minutes will vary from game to game, so he’s trying to stay ready.

“We know that we’re going to be important throughout a lot of these games of the season,” he said of himself and his fellow reserves. “And then when it comes to playoff time, we’re going to be relied on, even if it’s for a little bit. Just go in there and just do what we do and do what we’ve learned all of training camp. So we take every practice like that and we’ve taken it really serious and going up against starters and it’s making them better. And it’s also making us better and more confident in ourselves knowing that any time we do get thrown in, we’ve just got to play the same way.”

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Jaylen Brown is prepared to fill some of the leadership void created when Marcus Smart was traded to Memphis, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Brown, now the longest-tenured member of the team, plans to take a more vocal approach than in past years. “I’m comfortable being in that (leadership) role,” he said. “I think at times I’ve wanted to be more in that role, but we had a lot of cooks in the kitchen so sometimes your voice is redundant.”
Derrick White showed an increased level of aggressiveness in closing out the win over Miami, observes Matt Vautour of MassLive. White scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and attacked the basket when he got the opportunity instead of deferring to his star teammates. “I’ve been an advocate for D-White since he joined the team three years ago,” Tatum said. “I tried to tell him to be more aggressive. To score. To attack. To make plays. He’s at his best when he’s being aggressive.”
With the Celtics adding size in the offseason, Mazzulla is placing a greater emphasis on offensive rebounding, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive. It paid off Friday as Boston scored 23 second-chance points and grabbed 36% of the available offensive boards.

Northwest Notes: Westbrook, Hardy, Holiday, Gobert

October 28th, 2023 at 7:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

Last season changed dramatically for Russell Westbrook when he landed with the Clippers, and he’s grateful to the Jazz for the role they played in making it happen, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Westbrook spent 12 days on Utah’s roster in February after a trade that ended his embattled relationship with the Lakers. The veteran guard agreed to a buyout when the opportunity with the Clippers arose, but he said he was willing to stay with the Jazz and help the team in any way he could.

“I would have come in and did whatever they asked me to do,” Westbrook said. “I told them I could be a mentor. Whatever I needed to do to help, I would have done it. Like always I do whatever is best for the team. If that’s to come and sit my ass there in street clothes and make sure I help the young guys, I’ll do that.”

Westbrook never left Los Angeles after the trade, Greif adds, but he talked to members of Utah’s coaching staff and front office, along with former teammates, as he considered the possibility of playing for the Jazz. Greif points out that Westbrook wanted to be with a contender, and Utah couldn’t offer that or a guaranteed spot in the rotation. However, team officials told Westbrook they would welcome him if he decided to finish the season there.

“I just wanted to make sure that he knew how much I respect him as a player,” head coach Will Hardy said. “And that whatever the decision ends up being, that he’s always welcome here with me. I’ve had a lot of respect for him for a long time. I’ve been on staffs in San Antonio in particular where we played Oklahoma City in the playoffs a lot, so I’ve seen Russell up close and personal. You know, his reputation speaks for itself.”

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Hardy abandoned his four-guard experiment after just one game, observes Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. With an abundance of guards worthy of playing time, Hardy used four of them together with one big man at times on opening night, but he never had more than three guards on the court at one time on Friday as the Jazz defeated the Clippers. “The speed of the smaller lineup feels good and looks good in practice, because there’s times where you’re like, ‘Man, they’re really moving and they’re pressuring the ball!’ And then you get in a game and it’s not quite the same,” Hardy said. “You find out, ‘Man, we didn’t rebound well, and offensively it was just OK.’”
There was speculation that Justin Holiday might see rotation minutes with the Nuggets, but it doesn’t appear like it’s going to happen right away, tweets Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “It’s great to have guys like Justin, guys like DeAndre (Jordan), who understand that right now we’re gonna play our young guys,” coach Michael Malone said. “And they’re gonna stay ready and be pros while awaiting their opportunity.”
Rudy Gobert claims to be in the best shape of his career as he enters his second season with the Timberwolves, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Nets Notes: Thomas, Johnson, Claxton, Finney-Smith, Dinwiddie

October 28th, 2023 at 6:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

Cam Thomas will become a fixture in the Nets‘ lineup if he keeps scoring the way he has in the season’s first two games, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Thomas poured in 36 points off the bench in Wednesday’s season opener and followed that with 30 more as a starter Friday night in Dallas.

Scoring outbursts are nothing new for Thomas, who had three straight 40-point games last season, but issues with defense and play-making have prevented him from earning a regular role in his first two years in the NBA. With Thomas coming off a strong training camp, his teammates are hoping to see him as a consistent member of the rotation.

“Need it,” Mikal Bridges said. “I mean, that’s his job: Come off the bench and bring instant offense. “Defensively, he’s been playing hard, being in the right spots, so that was a big thing for him to learn. But that’s what he’s supposed to do off the bench. He’s supposed to lead that bench in scoring and provide offense. … then teams over-help and find other guys. That’s what he’s supposed to do. He can score the hell out of the ball.”

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Brooklyn is hoping forward Cameron Johnson and center Nic Claxton, who are both considered day-to-day, can return for Monday’s game at Charlotte, Lewis states in another story for the Post. After sitting out the preseason with a hamstring injury, Johnson suffered a left calf contusion on opening night and didn’t play Friday. Claxton sprained his left ankle in the opener and missed Friday’s game in what coach Jacque Vaughn calls “a precaution.”
Friday marked the first return to Dallas for Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie, who were both shipped to Brooklyn in February in the Kyrie Irving trade, Lewis adds. “I’ve got a ton of love for Mavs, Mavs’ fan base, the team,” Dinwiddie said. “Shoot, I just congratulated Josh Green on his new deal, so a lot of those guys are still my friends.”
Hawks guard Patty Mills, who played for Nets teams that included Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden, tells Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News that off-court distractions ruined what could have been a title contender. “I think any place you go, the ideal scenario is it’s about basketball and you keep it about basketball, and you figure out how to move forward on the basketball court,” Mills said. “So when you look back at it there, there were definitely a lot of times where there were distractions that got the better of us and that definitely took a toll.”

Heat Notes: Martin, Butler, Ellington, Roster Additions

October 28th, 2023 at 5:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat forward Caleb Martin will miss his second straight game on Saturday with tendinosis in his left knee, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Martin was originally listed as probable for Friday’s contest in Boston, but he was later downgraded to questionable and then ruled out 30 minutes before gametime. Martin felt pain in the knee during the season opener and he wants to avoid aggravating it.

“Taking it day by day. Just being smart about it,” Martin said. “Trying to be smart and make sure it doesn’t linger and prolong. Just get with the medical staff and the coaches and make sure we’re all on the same page. But my agenda is to try to play every game, but also be smart at the same time.”

Martin explained that the pain started during his offseason workouts a few weeks before training camp. He was a limited participant in camp and sat out the first four preseason games before feeling well enough to play in the fifth. Martin was able to play 20 minutes on Wednesday, but Chiang notes that he shot just 1-of-7 and struggled to contribute on both offense and defense.

“It’s pain tolerance and then just being smart about it,” Martin said. “We’re on the same page with the medical staff. We understand that it’s early. I played the first game and obviously I know I didn’t play up to par that game, but I kind of wanted to get my feet wet. That was kind of the main indicator from the last game going into (Friday’s game against the Celtics), so I know it would have been tough to try to play (Friday).”

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Jimmy Butler will be held out of tonight’s game for rest purposes, but it’s not a violation of the NBA’s new player participation policy, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Butler logged more than 33 minutes on Friday in Boston, so the rest on a back-to-back is permitted.
Wayne Ellington was hoping to find a front office position this summer, but Heat coach Erik Spoelstra convinced him to become an assistant coach, Winderman adds in another story. Ellington played for nine teams in 13 NBA seasons, but he feels a special bond to Miami and to Spoelstra. “We just had some clear, crystal-clear conversations,” Ellington said. “Obviously, Spo and I had always been connected and never really lost that connection. So it just made more sense for me, after those conversations that we had, to take this route.”
Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald got an anonymous scout to rate all the newcomers to the Heat’s roster. The scout was especially high on first-round pick Jaime Jaquez, whom he calls a “throwback” who is ready to play right away, and free agent addition Thomas Bryant.

Draymond Green Plans To Make Season Debut On Sunday

October 28th, 2023 at 3:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking today to reporters, including ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Warriors forward Draymond Green said that he intends to suit up in the team’s third game of the season on Sunday in Houston.

Green, who suffered a left lateral ankle sprain in September, missed all of training camp and the preseason. A report at the time of the injury indicated that he would likely be sidelined for four-to-six weeks — that was exactly four weeks ago.

After playing the Rockets on Sunday, the Warriors will travel to New Orleans and face the Pelicans on Monday. Green isn’t sure yet if he’ll get the OK to play in both games of the back-to-back set, but he said he hopes to.

Interestingly, as Andrews relays, the former Defensive Player of the Year referenced the new NBA rules that require players to appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for most end-of-season awards.

“I got goals,” Green said. “Not exactly sure what they are yet, but I got to play in 65 games.”

Green told reporters that he expects to face a minutes restriction upon returning, adding that he isn’t sure whether or not he’ll start.

The 33-year-old has come off the bench just twice in the last nine seasons, but Golden State has six players who are accustomed to starting, so one of them will have to play a reserve role when everyone is healthy. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, Andrew Wiggins, and Kevon Looney have started the team’s first two games of 2023/24.

Spurs Notes: Jones, Sochan, Wembanyama, Arena

October 28th, 2023 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

A starter in 65 of his 68 games last season, Spurs guard Tre Jones has come off the bench for the first two contests of 2023/24. He was one of the team’s most productive players on Wednesday vs. Dallas, piling up 16 points, six assists, and five rebounds in 25 minutes, but he sat in crunch time as Gregg Popovich turned to Jeremy Sochan with the scored tied at 118 and just over two minutes remaining. The Spurs ultimately lost the game.

“I just want to do everything I can to help my team win,” Jones said, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). “Obviously, being on the floor I feel like I can help my team win, but we had to do different lineups and whatnot to match up with them on the defensive end.

“They just hit some tough shots at the end, very tough shots. That’s just how it goes sometimes. Got to stay ready. There will always be different lineups down the stretch. We don’t know who is going to be in there. We are all ready and we all believe in one another.”

Jones’ readiness paid off on Friday as he got the nod late in the fourth quarter and in overtime over Sochan and helped deliver the first victory of San Antonio’s season. Although he only scored six points, the point guard dished out eight assists and was a team-high plus-14 in his 33 minutes.

Here’s more on the Spurs:

While Jones played at the point in Friday’s crunch-time minutes, the Spurs want Sochan to continue getting comfortable at the position, as Popovich said after the opener on Wednesday. “We’re just trying to educate him and it is a new position for him,” Popovich said, according to Orsborn. “He’s learning something. Every practice, every game he’s going to learn. But I love his energy, his defensive energy. He’s learning how to control a group out there, so it’ll take a little bit of time for him and (his teammates) to jell together, but I was really pleased with him overall.” Sochan did check back into Friday’s game with 21 seconds left in overtime and hit two big free throws to help seal the victory.
After not getting the ball to Victor Wembanyama during the final few possessions of Wednesday’s loss, the big man’s teammates rectified that approach on Friday, showing in the rookie’s second NBA game that they trust him with the ball when the game is on the line — and he delivered, tying the game with a big basket in the final minutes, writes Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News. “Learning from the mistake,” Keldon Johnson said after the win.
Kelly Iko of The Athletic spoke to a scout about what he has seen from Wembanyama in his first two NBA games. “Offensively, his skill is ahead of his physicality. And I think as his physicality over time catches up, you’ll start to see him impacting the game defensively as well as rebounding-wise,” the scout said. “Those two things right now stand out. He still needs time to catch up, but offensively, I don’t really worry. He can get any shot he wants. He has a certain fluidity and a feel that’s just rare for his size.”
Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai, who initially opposed the idea of the Spurs leaving Front Bank Center for a new downtown arena, has become more open to that possibility, writes Molly Smith of The San Antonio Express-News. The Spurs’ lease at their current arena doesn’t expire in 2032, but the franchise has expressed interest in building an arena in the city’s urban core. Sakai says he has had “preliminary discussions” with team and city officials.

2023/24 NBA G League Draft Results

October 28th, 2023 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League held its draft for the 2023/24 season on Saturday afternoon.

The 29 G League teams affiliated with NBA franchises participated in the event, as did the unaffiliated Mexico City Capitanes. The G League Ignite, which is made up of top prospects and veteran mentors, doesn’t take part in the draft.

The first player selected in today’s G League draft was former Nuggets and Thunder forward Jack White, who recently fell victim to a roster crunch in Oklahoma City.

White spent last season on a two-way contract with Denver, then signed a two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Thunder that included a $600K partial guarantee.

That guarantee made him ineligible to suit up for the Oklahoma City Blue this season, so he entered the G League draft, where the Texas Legends, the Mavericks‘ affiliate, snared him with the No. 1 overall pick.

Outside of White, there was only one other player drafted today who has prior NBA experience. That player is Scottie Lewis, the 56th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. He appeared in just two games for the Hornets while on a two-way deal in 2021/22. The Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s affiliate, drafted him today with the No. 32 overall pick.

Former Tulsa wing Brandon Rachal has never appeared in an NBA regular season game, but he was among Saturday’s draftees who has at least signed an NBA contract, having inked a pair of Exhibit 10 deals with Brooklyn in 2021 and 2022. Rachal made G League history today by becoming the first player drafted by the Rip City Remix, the Trail Blazers‘ expansion franchise.

Here are the full 2023/24 G League draft results:

Round One:

Texas Legends (Mavericks): Jack White
South Bay Lakers (Lakers): Teafale Lenard Jr.
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): David Muoka
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Javonte Perkins
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Will Richardson
Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans): Pavel Savkov
Austin Spurs (Spurs): David Shriver
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Isiaih Mosley
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Logan Johnson
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Karolis Lukosiunas
Raptors 905 (Raptors): Myles Burns
Mexico City Capitanes (N/A): J.J. Romer Rosario
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Bryson Warren (Overtime Elite)
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Olisa Akonobi
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Walter Ellis
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Marcus Burk
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Nana Opoku
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Maxime Carene
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Jamal Bey
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Manny Camper
Osceola Magic (Magic): Jaycee Hillsman
Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers): Brandon Rachal
Ontario Clippers (Clippers): Elijah Harkless
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): Anthony Nelson
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Kok Yat (Overtime Elite)
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Lance Thomas
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Arinze Chidom
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Jared Wilson-Frame
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): Myron Gardner
Maine Celtics (Celtics): Wendell Green Jr.

Round Two:

Texas Legends (Mavericks): J.D. Tsasa (North Canyon High School)
Windy City Bulls (Bulls): Scottie Lewis
Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): Eric Williams Jr.
Osceola Magic (Magic): Tray Maddox
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): No pick
Stockton Kings (Kings): Kalob Ledoux
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): No pick
Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Sincere Carry
Stockton Kings (Kings): Alex Hunter
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Sam Daniel (Florida Tech)
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Nojel Eastern
Ontario Clippers (Clippers): David Bell
Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers): Stephan Hicks
Mexico City Capitanes (N/A): No pick
Osceola Magic (Magic): Darius Mickens (Cal State San Bernadino)
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): No pick
Windy City Bulls (Bulls): Keyshawn Bryant
Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers): Kevin McClain
Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Davion Warren
Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers): David Sloan
Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers): No pick
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): No pick
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
Osceola Magic (Magic): Isaiah Wade (Central Oklahoma)
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Isaac Johnson
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Denzel Mahoney
Texas Legends (Mavericks): No pick
Texas Legends (Mavericks): No pick
Ontario Clippers (Clippers): No pick

Round Three (supplemental picks):

Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Robert Johnson
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets): Kyree Walker

Teams will fill out their rosters with affiliate players, returning rights players, tryout players, and players who are assigned to the G League from the NBA roster (including those on two-way contracts).

G League training camps open on Monday, with this year’s NBAGL Showcase Cup tournament tipping off on November 10. The Showcase Cup will be played over about a month-and-a-half and will be followed by the G League regular season, which begins on December 27.

Central Notes: Pistons, Carlisle, McConnell, Harden

October 28th, 2023 at 11:49am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Pistons are trying to build a team that could epitomize both the “Bad Boys” teams of the ’80s and ’90s, as well as the “Goin’ to Work” Pistons of the 2000s, according to The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III. Defense is the key to doing so and, through two games, Detroit’s defense is forming its identity.

The Pistons held the Heat to 103 points in a narrow one-point loss on Wednesday and limited the Hornets to 99 points on Friday, one year after the league-wide scoring average was 114 points per game. Still, there’s plenty to clean up, Edwards writes, as the Pistons have committed 39 turnovers in two games.

“When you have those kinds of turnover numbers and fouls, you have to do something to offset it,” Pistons coach Monty Williams said. “It was the defense tonight. I mean, (the Hornets) shot 37 percent from the field. You don’t see that much in an NBA game. I thought our physicality had a lot to do with it, guarding the ball had a lot to do with it.”

The Pistons have one of the youngest rosters in the league and the oldest player in the starting lineup is 22. Still, they’re buying into the system Williams is setting in place, according to Edwards.

“I credit the guys we have, we understand the game more, but Monty coming in, putting in a system that we can follow easily, and the standard he’s set on the defensive end,” center Jalen Duren said. “Everyone is buying into it. We’ve got guys taking that end very seriously. When everyone is buying into that side of the basketball, this is the outcome.”

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Pacers coach Rick Carlisle signed a contract extension with the team on Thursday and he’s looking forward to be around the team for the long haul, Dustin Dopirak of IndyStar writes. “I’m excited to continue the challenge here,” Carlisle said. “It’s really not a day to celebrate. It’s a day to be reminded of the daunting responsibility that me and my staff have to continue to develop this group. We’ve done some pretty good things as an organization the last couple of years and we have to keep pushing forward.“
The Pacers are deep at the guard positions, leading Carlisle to make some difficult rotation decisions, including leaving T.J. McConnell out of the 10-man rotation, Dopirak details in a separate piece. “It was obviously a tough conversation as a competitor,” McConnell said. “But I’m just here to do my job. Whatever he thinks is best for the team, he’s got to do. I just have to stay ready.“
The Bulls could benefit from exploring a swap involving Zach LaVine and James Harden, Scoop Jackson of the Chicago Sun-Times opines. Chicago is 1-1 after an overtime victory over the Raptors on Friday, which came on the heels of a players-only meeting on Wednesday.

Raptors Notes: Schröder, Rajakovic, Barnes, Offense, Uzoh

October 28th, 2023 at 10:50am CST by Tristan Tucker

After Fred VanVleet departed the Raptors in free agency, Toronto was quick to sign Dennis Schröder to a two-year, $25.4MM contract. Schroder is the only player on the Raptors who has previous experience playing for head coach Darko Rajakovic, and that connection is already paying off, TSN’s Josh Lewenberg writes.

While there was some speculation that Scottie Barnes would assume most of the play-making duties after VanVleet left, respect was high between Schröder and Rajakovic from their time together with the Thunder, where Rajakovic served as an assistant, according to Lewenberg.

“[Schröder]’s an experienced point guard,” Rajakovic said. “We’re a new team, new terminology, new coaching staff. There’s so much new with our team and having somebody who’s been through different teams in that role of a point guard brings a calmness.”

Through his first two games as a Raptor, Schröder has been an effective passer (17 assists), an active defender, and a sound shooter (6-of-13 from deep).

“The relationship with me and Darko is great, and it’s honest,” Schröder said. “Whenever he’s got something to say he tells me, and I’ve got the same thing for him. And I think that’s what we’ve gotta do as a team, as well. When you put your egos to the side – and that’s what we did this summer with the national team – and it’s all about winning, then you can get into arguments and move on from it and get better. I think we’re moving in that direction with this team.”

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The Raptors got off to a great defensive start on Wednesday when they held the Timberwolves to 94 points and they have the personnel to be one of the best in the league in that regard, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. According to Koreen, Barnes holds the keys for the Raptors taking the next step on that end. “That’s where my game starts — on the defensive end, being able to go out there and guard anybody, taking pride in it,” the former Rookie of the Year said. “That’s just my mentality going into every game, trying to start off on defense. That leads to great offense with transition and that just leads me to stay on lockdown throughout the game.“
While Toronto’s defense has been effective, their half-court offense looks subpar through two games, Koreen writes in another piece. The Raptors committed 21 turnovers on Friday and fell to the Bulls in overtime.
Raptors president Masai Ujiri and new scout Ben Uzoh have a history together, as detailed by ESPN’s Leonard Solms. Ujiri was Denver’s general manager during Uzoh’s playing career and invited him to training camp in 2012. “Our paths were actually very organically separate,” Uzoh said. “It just kind of aligned. We crossed paths initially [during] my rookie year. I was rumored to be traded to his team when he was the GM of the Nuggets… It didn’t happen, but then they signed me to a training camp opportunity. That’s when I kind of got more in touch with him and more of an up close and personal type of connection with him.“

Wolves Notes: Expectations, Payroll, Edwards, Towns, McDaniels

October 28th, 2023 at 9:21am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Timberwolves are setting a higher bar for their success as they enter their 35th season in the league, with team president Tim Connelly expressing his desire to win a playoff series in front of reporters at media day earlier this month, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes.

After pushing in all their chips for Rudy Gobert last season, the Wolves faced several bumps in the road, including an injury to Karl-Anthony Towns, struggles by their stars to adapt, and not being able to close out teams with losing records. Still, the Wolves ran it back and are looking to improve on a 42-40 season.

“We like what we have. We’re bringing back pretty much the entire rotation. And we love our coaching staff,” Connelly said. “We love our core pieces and, fingers crossed, that the optimism is well placed.”

The Wolves committed to their core, signing Anthony Edwards, Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels to contract extensions and returning the top six players from their playoff rotation. As Krawczynski writes, there’s pressure for the Wolves to win now with a suddenly expensive and aging roster. Gobert and Towns will make $93MM next season, Edwards’ salary jumps from $13.5MM to, at minimum, $35.5MM, among other spikes in salary and Mike Conley‘s impending free agency.

“There’s been a very loud mandate and risen bar about how we handle ourselves,” Connelly said. “It’s 82 games. There’s no BCS. We can’t take nights off. There were way too many nights last year when we just didn’t show up. But then against the elite teams, we showed what we’re capable of.”

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Following the contract extensions the team completed this offseason, Chris Hine of the Star Tribune took a deeper look into Minnesota’s finances. As Hine explains, Edwards’ success will play a major role in the Timberwolves’ spending power looking forward because he can make up to $42.6MM if he makes an All-NBA team this season. Both Krawczynski and Hine note the Wolves are trending toward the second tax apron and that’s why there’s some speculation that the club might try and part with one of its large salaries by splitting it into multiple more palatable contracts, though that’s an issue for further down the road.
Everything the Wolves have said and done indicates they view Edwards as their No. 1 franchise piece, Hine writes in a separate piece. “Pretty much every decision we’re going to make moving forward is going to be with Ant paramount,” Connelly said in April. However, there’s still room for Towns to have a profound impact on this franchise’s future and this season will go a long way in determining the upside of the Towns and Edwards duo, Hine explains.
McDaniels is being listed as doubtful for the Wolves’ Saturday game against the Heat, according to the team (Twitter link). He’s dealing with a left calf strain.