NBA 2023-2024 – For a month, the editorial team looks at the 30 teams of the big American league. In today’s preview, focus on the Minnesota Timberwolves!
A somewhat disappointing 2022-2023 season
While the arrival of Rudy Gobert in the 2022 offseason foreshadowed good things, the reality on the ground ultimately did not live up to the ambitions of the Wolves. His long-awaited association with Karl-Anthony Towns did not last long, the latter only playing 29 matches. Anthony Edwards took the opportunity to take the keys to the franchise and become the new strong man of the Cubs. Twenty-five points, six rebounds and four assists on average at fairly decent percentages and an improving defense, here he is the new franchise player of the The Minnesota Timberwolves !
Anthony Edwards during these 2023 Playoffs.
31.6 points
5.2 assists
5.0 rebounds
1.8 interceptions
2.0 cons
48.2% FGThe future is bright for Ant-Man. @Timberwolves pic.twitter.com/WNWrOsLCGb
— NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) April 26, 2023
The men of Chris Finch finished the season with 42 victories for 40 defeats and an 8th place in the West, as we predicted. Next will come a defeat at the Play-In Tournament against the Lakers then a victory against the Thunder to face the Nuggets, a confrontation which will turn to the advantage of the future NBA champions. Some satisfactions therefore, but above all disappointments, a complete report can be found here.
Offseason movements
Departures
Taurean Prince (Lakers), Jaylen Nowell (libre), Nathan Knight (Knicks), Austin Rivers (libre).
Extensions
Anthony Edwards, Naz Reid, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Matt Ryan (two-way), Luka Garza (two-way).
Arrivals
Troy Brown Jr (Lakers), Daishen Nix (Rockets), Shake Milton (Sixers), Leonard Miller (33ème choix de la Draft 2023), Jaylen Clark (53ème choix de la Draft 2023, two-way).
The major 5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves
Mike Conley – Anthony Edwards – Jaden McDaniels – Karl-Anthony Towns – Rudy Gobert.
Rotation on the bench
Leaders : Jordan McLaughlin, Daishen Nix.
Rears : Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Shake Milton, Jaylen Clark (two-way).
Wingers : Troy Brown Jr, Wendell Moore Jr, Josh Minott, Matt Ryan (two-way).
Strong wingers : Kyle Anderson, Leonard Miller.
Pivots : Naz Reid, Luka Garza (two-way).
Weaknesses/strengths
Weak points
Still uncertainties about the Gobert/Towns association, especially if the latter fails to play more matches. Rudy Gobert is also not exempt from all reproaches and will have to regain the All-Star level that was his not so long ago. We can also question the quality of the bench, which lost Jaylen Nowell, Taurean Prince et Austin Rivers6th, 8th and 9th players in the rotation in number of minutes played. Troy Brown Jr, Shake Milton and the rookie Leonard Miller will have to replace the starters numerically and qualitatively to hope to play in the Playoffs again this year.
Leonard Miller with the strong help defense on NBA TV ????#NBAinAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/Tyg9CoatLO
— NBA (@NBA) October 5, 2023
Points forts
A second consecutive year with almost the same group for Chris Finch is not insignificant in today’s NBA for developing collective play and team understanding. The major 5 appears quite complementary, with an experienced leader, an explosive back, a 3&D winger, an offensive power forward and a defensive pivot. As much the extension of Nickeil Alexander-Walker is anecdotal, as much as that of Naz Reid is a very good move, as the small position 5 which spreads the play has a real role to play in the current NBA.
The player to watch: Rudy Gobert
The 2022-2023 financial year is undoubtedly the worst season for Rudy Gobert since 2015-2016. Worst points average (13.4) since this year, worst blocking average (1.4), 2nd worst in rebounding (11.6) and shooting efficiency (66%). In short, many negative signals for Gobzilla in a season which was to be one of rebound after the weariness of his years at Utah. His association with Karl-Anthony Towns seemed very promising on paper, but so far it has yielded nothing given the 53 matches missed by KAT.
An interesting statistic that we have just found is that Rudy will have been more effective in matches played without Towns. First in terms of shooting percentages (67.7% without Towns versus 62.8% with Towns) but also in terms of +/- (-73 with Towns, +66 without Towns). For the coach Chris Finchwe will therefore have to find a way to make our two interiors coexist effectively when they are together on the field.
At 30 years old, Rudy Gobert can no longer afford to miss his season when he will be paid 41 million dollars then 44 next year and 46.6 in 2025-2026. We will have to find areas for improvement in his game to once again become the All-Star he was between 2019 and 2022, and why not via the 3-point shoot? He scored his first 3 points in his career with the Blues, why not try others with the Wolves in order to widen the game a little more?
Rudy Gobert no longer misses anything at 3 points ????????#TeamFranceBasket | #PassionatelyBlue | #FIBAWC pic.twitter.com/1i55Aslpm3
— French Basketball Teams (@FRABasketball) August 11, 2023
End of season prediction: 11th in the West
Looks like the editorial team isn’t convinced by this Minnesota Timberwolves team! While other teams in the West are strengthening and/or progressing, we don’t see the Wolves doing better than last year, quite the contrary. This will perhaps lead to reflection in the summer of 2024, when the Towns/Gobert racket will have once again disappointed during the past year. In short, a crucial season for the Wolves who are at an important turning point for the seasons to come.
2023-10-11 18:43:18
#turning #point #coming #Minnesota #Timberwolves
