Expectations are high for the Minnesota Timberwolves as they look to get back to at least the Conference Finals, and even further for the first time in franchise history.
After losing to the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the second round, instead of combating Victor Wembanyama and company with more size, the Timberwolves went the other way, shoring up their weaknesses on offense by trading for LaMelo Ball.
The trade for Ball cost them Naz Reid, just days after they traded Julius Randle in a salary dump.
As the offseason moved forward, the Timberwolves made a pitch to LeBron James to join the team as the starting power forward, but LeBron opted for a similar role on the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Timberwolves moved to sign Jonathan Kuminga to serve as the starter at the four position.
On paper, this is one of the best starting lineups in the league. It's a group that should play fast, has creation with Edwards and Ball, has shooting with Edwards, Ball, and McDaniels, has penetration with Edwards, Ball, and Kuminga, and has Gobert to do the dirty work on offense.
Defensively, there is versatility on the wing and the anchor in the middle to clean things up.
The weakness might be the lack of interior spacing with Kuminga and Gobert , but Gobert's screening and Kuminga's cutting will help mitigate it.
Dosunmu is going to get votes for the Sixth Man of the Year by the end of the season, as his scoring off the bench will be eye-catching to voters. He'll end up playing the most minutes of any player off the bench.
Hyland should continue to serve well as a solid rotation player with his offense and athleticism, while Beringer should see a big increase in minutes. With the loss of Reid and Randle, Beringer is expected to fill a big void left by those two players.
Donte DiVincenzo will also be in this mix when he returns from his Achilles injury.
All four players will play throughout the regular season, and it will be up to them to earn more. Clark and Shannon Jr are familiar with the team and should get the most minutes of the four off the bench, but Williams has high upside as a lottery pick two years ago, and Lyles was brought in to help with a shallow frontcourt, making him a very valuable piece.
