Previewing The 2024-25 Minnesota Timberwolves
September 20th, 2024
by Alan Lu
Last season, the Timberwolves shocked the NBA by defeating the former defending champions Denver Nuggets in the second round series of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. Anthony Edwards was tremendous in leading the Timberwolves to a series win, and the two big man lineup of Towns and Gobert worked, as it managed to stave off Jokic and company from getting into their rhythm.
However, just when it seemed like the Timberwolves were getting a full steam of momentum, they ran into Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks, and the Timberwolves ended up losing in the Western Conference Finals. This season, the Timberwolves will look to build off their surprising 2024 playoff success.
Anthony Edwards had a very good 2024 postseason, as he helped the Minnesota Timberwolves deliver a surprising second round series upset win over the Denver Nuggets, but then the Timberwolves lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. (Photo: David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images, via Bleacher Report)
Star Players:
G Anthony Edwards, F-C Karl-Anthony Towns, and C Rudy Gobert
Anthony Edwards is a very athletic, attack-minded combo guard that can really score the basketball and finish plays above the rim, and he is a superstar that led his team to a surprising second round series win over the Nuggets, but he will need to continue to improve his defense in the meantime.
Karl-Anthony Towns is a very skilled big man that can make shots from all over the floor, and he’s been one of the league’s best shooting big men in recent history. On the other hand, he’s had trouble staying healthy and has struggled with his defense at times, so they will need a healthy Towns to compete for the playoffs.
Rudy Gobert is a very tall, athletic center that is a strong finisher around the basket and is a really good interior defender, as evidenced that he has won the Defensive Player of the Year award four times in his NBA career. Surprisingly though, he was not really much of a factor in the 2024 Paris Olympics, even though his team won a Silver Medal there, and his occasional struggles to defend out on the perimeter combined with his rather limited offensive skill set, and the strong play from the other players on France may have contributed to his lack of playing time this summer. Still, Gobert will be one of the best players on the Timberwolves this season.
Additions:
G Rob Dillingham, F Terrence Shannon Jr., F Joe Ingles, and G-F P.J. Dozier
The Timberwolves added Joe Ingles, a wily veteran forward that can shoot and pass the basketball. They also added some very talented rookies, as Dillingham is an athletic, sharpshooting point guard that can get any shot he wants, and Shannon is a very athletic forward that can score the basketball in a variety of ways, is a solid downhill driver, and projects to be a plus-level defender in this league. In addition, Dozier is an athletic point forward that can earn some minutes this year.
Subtractions:
F Kyle Anderson, G Jordan McLaughlin, G Monte Morris, F T.J. Warren, and G-F Wendell Moore Jr.
The Minnesota Timberwolves lost some solid role players, but the most important player they lost was Kyle Anderson, whose playmaking and defensive skills made him a solid bench player for them over the past two seasons, but the Timberwolves will be able to make that back as that could open up a spot for Shannon and Miller to enter the rotation to thrive for the Timberwolves this season.
Rookies:
G Rob Dillingham, F Terrence Shannon Jr., G-F Jaylen Clark, and C Jesse Edwards
Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. are two very talented rookies that will make a significant impact to the Timberwolves right away, and both could contend to win the Rookie of the Year honors for the 2024-25 season. Shannon had a tremendous senior season at Illinois and was excellent in the Las Vegas Summer League, and he will provide solid scoring and defensive skills. Dillingham is an athletic, crafty playmaker that excels in the pick-and-roll game, and he also could develop into being one of the best players to come out of the 2024 draft class.
Jaylen Clark will miss a lot of time due to sustaining an Achilles injury late last season, and he probably won’t get much playing time, if at all this year. He is an athletic swingman that defends well, but he will need to improve his jump shot to have lasting power in this league. Jesse Edwards is a tall, physical center that had a solid senior season at West Virginia, and he could offer some solid interior play and rim protection in limited minutes for the upcoming season.
Expected Rotation:
Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns have been a solid frontcourt duo for the Timberwolves, and they will need to stay healthy to make another deep run in the playoffs in 2025.
(Photo: David Berding/Getty Images, via Axios)
Projected Starting Lineup:
The Timberwolves have a very solid, talented group of starters. Anthony Edwards is a superstar whose sterling scoring ability and offensive skills makes very him to difficult to guard. Also, Conley is a proven veteran whose strong playmaking skills and steady hand allows him to be a solid starting point guard, and Jaden McDaniels is a very athletic combo forward that excels in a 3 and D role, and he’s provided strong defense for the Timberwolves. Towns and Gobert have been a solid tandem when healthy, as Towns has been a very skilled scoring big man, and Gobert’s strong interior skills have helped the Timberwolves, especially on the defensive end.
Key Bench Players:
Naz Reid is the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year award winner, and he will play a key role in helping the Timberwolves to make another playoff run in 2025. (Photo: David Berding/Getty Images, via Yahoo Sports)
Naz Reid is a strong, mobile stretch big that has solid shooting and interior defensive skills, and he won the Sixth Man of the Year award last season. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had a solid season last year, Joe Ingles is a crafty veteran that has excelled on offense for many years in this league, and the Timberwolves also will get a pair of very talented rookies in Dillingham and Shannon, whom both could make their rotation and either of the two All-Rookie teams this season.
C Naz Reid
The Rest of the Roster:
F-C Leonard Miller
G-F P.J. Dozier
C Jesse Edwards (Two-Way)
G-F Jaylen Clark (Two-Way)
G Daishen Nix (Two-Way)
Team Options at the End of the 2025 Season:
Here I will project the likelihood of the Minnesota Timberwolves to pick up and accept or decline the team options for various players at the end of the 2025 season.
Josh Minott – 50/50, Leaning Towards It Will Be Declined (50%-60% Certainty)
Luka Garza – 50/50, Leaning Towards It Will Be Declined (50%-60% Certainty)
Head Coach:
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Chris Finch helped lead the Timberwolves to the 2024 Western Conference Finals, and the Timberwolves could be title contenders for the 2024-25 NBA season. (Photo: Rusty Jones/Associated Press, via Philadelphia Inquirer)
Chris Finch
2024-24 (MIN): 56-26, 9-7 in the playoffs
Coaching Career: 160-127, 12-15 in the NBA Playoffs
Chris Finch has been a solid coach for the Timberwolves, and he had his best season yet in 2024, as he led them to 56 regular season wins and helped them get a trip to the 2024 Western Conference Finals. People will want to know if the Timberwolves are legitimate contenders, but one thing is for sure, the Timberwolves are a legitimate playoff team, and Finch has played a significant role in helping their franchise to become relevant again in the NBA landscape.
NBA Head Coach Rank: 7
Outlook:
Anthony Edwards will look to try to build off a successful 2024 postseason run to try to get the Timberwolves even further, as they may be title contenders in 2025.
(Photo: David Zalubowski/Associated Press, via MPR News)
The Minnesota Timberwolves surprised many people by dethroning the Denver Nuggets to win the second round series, and for a second, it appeared as if the Timberwolves were legitimate title contenders last season. They then ran into Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving’s Dallas Mavericks and lost in the 2024 Western Conference Finals to them.
This season, the Timberwolves will be more experienced, and they’ll need to stay healthy and for Anthony Edwards to play like how he did against Denver for their team to get all the way to the NBA Finals. They’re still in a very tough and competitive Western Conference, but if the Timberwolves can play up to their peak, they could surprise people once again and be sleeper title contenders this season.
Projected 2024-25 Finish:
Expected Win-Loss Record: 49-33
Projected Regular Season Finish: 5th in the Western Conference
Expected Playoff Finish: Projected to lose in the 2nd Round
Preseason NBA Power Ranking: 6
I went to Basketball-Reference and SalarySwish to look up some information for this write-up. It will be an exciting basketball season this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the upcoming NBA season will unfold. Anyways, that is my write-up on my preview of the 2024-25 Minnesota Timberwolves. Thanks for reading.