2017 NBA Offseason Review: Minnesota Timberwolves

The Wolves significantly improved their roster in hopes of finally returning to the playoffs next season

Chris Hines
Jul 10, 2017 · 4 min read
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The NBA offseason has been extremely entertaining. Although some thought teams would try and wait out the Warriors, there are actually several teams attempting to improve and catch Golden State. The Western Conference has become a war zone and no team is safe. The Timberwolves are one of numerous teams out West that improved. Minnesota was very aggressive in their efforts to grow but will it enough to secure a playoff spot?

Key Loses

First, Minnesota made a big move on draft night. The front office had some premeditated improvements to make to the roster in hopes of contending. In the trade for Jimmy Butler, the Wolves sent Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, and the 7th overall pick in the 2017 Draft to the Chicago Bulls. In this deal, the Wolves lost some of their young talent but were more focused on acquiring an All-Star.

Then there were some releases. Nikola Pekovic and Jordan Hill were released before the NBA Awards show even aired. Waiving both of these players did free up more roster spots and extra funds. Pekovic was owed around $11.6 million and Hill had become dead weight.

The night before free agency officially began the Timberwolves finally moved guard Ricky Rubio. We’ve been hearing this was a possibility for years so this came as no surprise. The Utah Jazz sent over a first round pick for Rubio, and this move gave Minnesota the ability to pay his replacement.

Making the correct moves before free agency can be the difference between success and failure.

Key additions

The first signing for free agency was Jeff Teague. Teague signed a 3 year, $57 million deal with Minnesota to take over as the starting point guard. Teague wasn’t amazing last season with the Indiana Pacers but he does have the necessary tools to be a serviceable starting point guard. He’ll work well in this situation because he won’t be asked to do a lot. Feeding the other stars and scoring on occasion will be his main responsibilities.

Then another one of Coach Thibodeau’s players, Taj Gibson, inked a deal with the Timberwolves early in free agency. Gibson is coming from the Oklahoma City Thunder where he played an important role down the stretch of the season. At 2 years $28 million this was a decent contract for the 32-year-old big man. Gibson will provide the team with much needed help on the defensive end.

Last but not least, Thibodeau signed Jamal Crawford with a 2 year, $8.9 million deal. As one of the best sixth men the NBA has ever seen, Crawford is ready to once again flourish in his role off the bench. He’s an aging, inefficient scorer but it’s possible for him to still make a subtle impact.

It’s clear that the necessary improvements needed on the defensive end and the need for more bench scoring were addressed by Minnesota this offseason.


Reshaping in the West

There is a strong possibility that the Minnesota Timberwolves will reach the playoffs next season. There are several teams falling in the Western Conference rankings.

The Los Angeles Clippers were forced to trade away their Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets. Blake Griffin re-signed a to a max deal but he lost a key teammate and play-maker. The Clippers are a band of role players at this point and we aren’t sure what to truly expect from them next season.

The Jazz are certainly hurting. Their star Gordon Hayward decided to join the Boston Celtics this offseason and it drastically changes things for Utah going forward. In the end, they re-signed Joe Ingles, moved up in the draft for Donovan Mitchell, and traded for Ricky Rubio. It’s safe to say that things have slowed down for the Jazz after losing arguably their best player.

The Memphis Grizzlies could once again be fighting for a playoff spot next season. The loss of Zach Randolph and Vince Carter will most likely hurt Memphis, but they have been aging for years. The Grizzlies still need to catch up to the rest of the NBA and adapt a more modern playing style.

While some teams in the West declined this offseason, others improved dramatically. However, there will be a few playoff spots up for grabs and some team must claim them. This is the perfect storm for Minnesota.

The Road Ahead

It’s clear that the front office in Minnesota wanted to be aggressive this offseason. Last year we saw them improve but the changes weren’t enough. Inexperience, coaching, or the high level of competition in the Western Conference could be to blame for many of their losses last season. Whatever you want to point the finger at, it’s clear they wanted to make some necessary changes.

You have to applaud their efforts. Having some of the best young talent in the NBA puts pressure on an organization. They’ve watched teams like Oklahoma City lose their best players through free agency and trades. Minnesota made these moves to show Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins that winning is a priority. They understand that the Warriors are the cream of the crop at this point. But still, the Timberwolves have to give their young players hope by improving the roster they currently have.

Minnesota has a chance to make a deep playoff run next season. With the power shifting in the Western Conference, now is the perfect time for the Timberwolves to strike.


Statistics courtesy of BasketballReference.com

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