Reviewing The 2021 Minnesota Timberwolves

July 13^th, 2021

By Alan Lu

It was expected that the Timberwolves would lose a lot of games and finish near the bottom of the conference in the West, but they looked really bad under former head coach Ryan Saunders.  They lost 24 of their first 31 games, and they ended up firing Saunders and hiring ex-Raptors assistant, Chris Finch during the middle of the season.

The T-Wolves played much better and more cohesively under their new coach Chris Finch, and rookie guard, Anthony Edwards was able to turn in some impressive performances, as he was able to have multiple 40-point games this past season.  Star center, Karl-Anthony Towns has continued to play well, and the Timberwolves look like they might be headed in the right direction for next season.

Also, big thanks to Basketball-Reference, and No Trade Clause. For those that are interested in my ratings scale in terms of how I rate NBA players and coaches, you can find it here.

C Karl-Anthony Towns
2021 (MIN): 50 GP, 24.8 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.1 BPG, 49 FG%, 39 3PT%, 86 FT%, 23.1 PER, 61 TS%, 5.4 WS, .153 WS48

Towns played very well for his team this past season.  He excelled as an all-around scorer, and he has continued to show that he is one of the best, most dynamic scoring big men in all of the NBA.  He’s had trouble staying healthy, and some people may question his defensive impact, but he’s definitely made a tremendous impact when he is in the lineup, and he is definitely their franchise player for the foreseeable future.

2021 Season Grade: B+
Expected 2022 NBA Role:  Starting center of the Minnesota Timberwolves
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 3.5 stars (4 star potential)

G Anthony Edwards
2021 (MIN): 72 GP, 19.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 42 FG%, 33 3PT%, 78 FT%, 13.9 PER, 52 TS%, 0.8 WS, .017 WS48

He was the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and there were high expectations placed upon him this past season.  He struggled to come off the bench early on, but he later found his footing in the second half, as he thrived as an energetic, scoring guard in the Timberwolves’ starting lineup.

Edwards is a scorer that can be electric with the ball in his hands, and he can throw down some truly mesmerizing dunks.  He will need to improve his outside shot and defense considerably, but he is a very talented player who has a bright future ahead of him.

2021 Season Grade: B-
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Starting shooting guard on the Minnesota Timberwolves
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2.5 stars (4 star potential)

G D’Angelo Russell
2021 (MIN): 42 GP, 19 PPG, 5.8 APG, 2.6 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 43 FG%, 39 3PT%, 77 FT%, 17.6 PER, 55 TS%, 1.6 WS, .063 WS48

Russell is an agile, offensively skilled scoring point guard that can shoot and pass the basketball, and he once made the All-Star team in 2019 with the Brooklyn Nets.  He’s had trouble staying healthy, and he’s really struggled to defend when he is on the court.  He’s proven that he can score and put up numbers in the NBA, but he’s had trouble proving that he can be a difference maker on a playoff-level team in this league.

2021 Season Grade: C+
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Starter or Good bench player on the Minnesota Timberwolves
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2.5 stars (3 star potential)

G Malik Beasley
2021 (MIN): 37 GP, 19.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, 44 FG%, 40 3PT%, 85 FT%, 14.6 PER, 57 TS%, 1.3 WS, .053 WS48

Beasley excelled as a shooter and scorer for his team this past season.  He also made a concerted effort to rebound the basketball.  On the downside, he really struggled defensively, but that also may be a result of Minnesota playing a very small lineup this year.  He pretty much fared as expected, and he is a talented player that could start or come off the bench for them next year.

However, he’s also been suspended for 12 games stemming from a felony gun charge, and the Timberwolves now probably should re-think if re-signing him to a four-year deal was a good idea.

2021 Season Grade: D+  (C+ for his performance on the court, F off the court)
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Rotation player on the Minnesota Timberwolves
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2 stars (2.5 stars potential)

G-F Josh Okogie
2021 (MIN): 59 GP, 5.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.1 APG, 40 FG%, 27 3PT%, 77 FT%, 9.1 PER, 52 TS%, 1.3 WS, .051 WS48

Okogie started plenty of games this season, but not necessarily for his offense.  He played solid defense, as he rated well in various defensive categories.  On offense though, he took major steps back in his development.  He didn’t shoot the ball well at all, he didn’t shoot the ball nearly enough, and he was often a non-factor offensively.

At this point, he’s pretty much a situational defensive specialist, and his athleticism and defensive skills may be the only reasons why he gets significant playing time nowadays, but he’s shown that he can still be useful in limited minutes.

2021 Season Grade: C
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Rotation player on the Minnesota Timberwolves
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2 stars

G Ricky Rubio
2021 (MIN): 68 GP, 8.6 PPG, 6.4 APG, 3.3 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 39 FG%, 31 3PT%, 87 FT%, 13.5 PER, 52 TS%, 3.1 WS, .085 WS48

When the Timberwolves had reacquired Rubio, a veteran point guard and a fan favorite they traded away long ago, their diehard fans were ecstatic.  Rubio’s poise, confidence, and magical playmaking skills had pleased them in the past, and they seemed excited for a joyful reunion.

However, with the way the season progressed, it seems that their unbridled glee and fervor for Rubio has pretty much gone away.  Rubio has been a very good facilitator as always, but he really struggled with his jump shot, and he hasn’t defended nearly as well as he did in years’ past.  He’s showing signs of decline, and by now, it almost seems as if Minnesota’s fans are ready to move on from him.

2021 Season Grade: C
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Rotation player on the Minnesota Timberwolves
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2 stars

F Jaden McDaniels
2021 (MIN): 63 GP, 6.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.0 BPG, 45 FG%, 36 3PT%, 60 FT%, 8.9 PER, 55 TS%, 1.4 WS, .046 WS48

McDaniels had a better than expected, rookie season.  He had his ups and downs as a freshman at Washington, as he was sometimes great, especially early on, but he struggled towards the end of the season last year. 

This year, McDaniels sowed that he can capably shoot and defend, and as he’s a very athletic, 6-9 forward, he possesses a great deal of upside as a player in this league.  He will need to be more assertive on offense, but big thins are expected of him next season.

2021 Season Grade: B
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Rotation player on the Minnesota Timberwolves
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2 stars (3 star potential)

F Jarred Vanderbilt
2021 (MIN): 64 GP, 5.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 61 FG%, 16.2 PER, 61 TS%, 3.1 WS, .132 WS48

Vanderbilt played way better than expected, and he was able to ingratiate himself to become a valued member of the Timberwolves’ rotation this past season.  He excelled as an interior player on both ends of the floor, and he brought forth the strong rebounding skills that he showed in college to the NBA. 

The only criticism of him is a minor one, and that he hasn’t really shown an outside shot yet at the NBA level.  Still, if there was a team-only Most Improved Player award for Timberwolves-only players, Vanderbilt would hands down win that award, as he played well this season, and he exceeded far past anyone’s expectations of him this year.

2021 Season Grade: A
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Rotation player on the Minnesota Timberwolves
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2 stars (2.5 star potential)

Jarred Vanderbilt will be an impending restricted free agent (RFA) at the end of the 2020-21 NBA season.

C Naz Reid
2021 (MIN): 70 GP, 11.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 1.0 APG, 52 FG%, 35 3PT%, 69 FT%, 18.2 PER, 3.2 WS, .113 WS48

Reid shot the ball well this past season, and he’s shown versatile scoring skills to help his team on the offensive end.  He also excelled as a shot blocker, as he made a much more concerted effort to help his team protect the paint this year.  He  still didn’t rebound the ball very well, and there’s still room for his game to grow, but Reid has shown that he can be a solid role player in this league.

2021 Season Grade: B
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Rotation player on the Minnesota Timberwolves
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2 stars (2.5 star potential)

Is on a non-guaranteed contract for next season.

G Jordan McLaughlin (Two-Way)
2021 (MIN): 51 GP, 5 PPG, 3.8 APG, 2.1 RPG, 1 SPG, 41 FG%, 36 3PT%, 77 FT%, 12 PER, 50 TS%, 1.2 WS, .062 WS48

McLaughlin has continued to play well in his role off the bench this past season, and it is a bit of a wonder as to why he hasn’t had his two-way contract upgraded and converted to a standard contract yet.

He excelled as a facilitator, and he’s shown that he can be an above average shooter and defender in this league.  He’s a perfectly decent backup point guard in the NBA, and he is a solid back end rotation player for a team to have, especially for teams that are looking to use a cost-effective approach to fill out the back half of their roster.

2021 Season Grade: B-
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Back end roster player, possible back end of the rotation player in the NBA
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2 stars

G Jaylen Nowell
2021 (MIN): 42 GP, 9 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.5 APG, 42 FG%, 33 3PT%, 82 FT%, 12.3 PER, 53 TS%, 0.7 WS, .044 WS48

Nowell made a significant improvement over the past year as an NBA player, and he was able to turn in some very good games off the bench this season for the Timberwolves.  Overall though, it’s uncertain if he has shown that he can be a reliable bench player for an NBA team’s rotation on a consistent basis.

He’s shot the ball much better compared to when he was a rookie, but he still needs to improve his shooting and outside shot overall.  He’s a bench scorer that doesn’t seem to be elite at any one thing at the NBA level yet.  Nowell may have proven that he can compete for a rotation spot on the Timberwolves, but it’s uncertain if he can be a reliable player for them for a full season.

2021 Season Grade: C
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Back end roster player, possible back end of the rotation player in the NBA
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 1.5 stars (2 star potential)

Nowell is on a non-guaranteed contract for next season.

G-F Jarrett Culver
2021 (MIN): 34 GP, 5.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 41 FG%, 25 3PT%, 60 FT%, 8.8 PER, 48 TS%, -0.1 WS, -.006 WS48

Culver was once the 6^th overall pick of the 2019 draft, and he was once a highly regarded prospect, but his play for the Timberwolves has been vastly disappointing in the NBA.  He hasn’t been very good as a player in this league so far.  Not only has Culver been remarkably bad, but he’s looking like he is also going to be one of the biggest busts of the 2019 NBA Draft.

He came into the draft with some concerns regarding his jump shot, and it’s only been magnified since because he’s shot the ball so poorly in this league.  He’s been an abysmal shooter, and his free throw shooting has been equally terrible.  On offense, his game is essentially broken, and there seems to be no quick-fix solution that can automatically make things better for him at that end.

On the bright side, Culver looked to be one of the better on-ball defenders on the Timberwolves’ team, but he is a perimeter defender on a bad NBA team.  Aside from that, he’s been good at rebounding.  Before the draft, the Timberwolves probably thought of him as a scorer that could facilitate, defend, and eventually as someone that could develop a consistent jump shot over time.  Right now though, he’s looking like a poor man’s version of Josh Okogie, and at this stage, Culver might be better suited to playing in the G-League than in the NBA.

2021 Season Grade: D
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Back end roster player, possible back end of the rotation player in the NBA  (Rotation player in the G-League)
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 1.5 stars (2 star potential)

F Juan Hernangómez
2021 (MIN): 52 GP, 7.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 43 FG%, 33 3PT%, 62 FT%, 12.1 PER, 55 TS%, 1.1 WS, .060 WS48

Hernangomez had played very well for Minnesota last season, and it was thought that he would continue to shine for them this year.  Unfortunately, he seems to have regressed, as he didn’t shoot the ball nearly as well, and he has continued to struggle to pass or defend well on the court.

He’s had a brief renaissance by playing well for the Timberwolves in the second half of the 2019-20 season, but his play was just disappointing this season.  He might still be good enough to compete for a rotation spot for them next year, but he might not be an elite enough shooter, nor skilled enough in the other areas to warrant consistent playing time for them next season.

2021 Season Grade: D+
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Back end roster player, possible back end of the rotation player in the NBA 
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 1.5 stars

F Jake Layman
2021 (MIN): 45 GP, 5.1 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 49 FG%, 29 3PT%, 70 FT%, 11.4 PER, 58 TS%, 0.7 WS, .051 WS48

Layman has brought inside scoring on offense, but he hasn’t offered much else, as he doesn’t seem to do much else particularly that well in games.  He’s a middling shooter and defender at best, and he doesn’t seem to be enough of a floor spacer, rebounder, or defender to prove that he should be a regular in an NBA rotation.

2021 Season Grade: D+
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Back end roster player, possible back end of the rotation player in the NBA 
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 1.5 stars

C Ed Davis
2021 (MIN): 23 GP, 2.1 PPG, 5 RPG, 43 FG%, 13.1 PER, 49 TS%, 0.8 WS, .135 WS48

It was absolutely baffling that the Timberwolves would give away three assets (two players and a 2026 second round pick) for a benchwarmer that couldn’t get much playing time on a mid-tier playoff team last year, and it still makes absolutely no sense that they did that just to acquire Ed Davis, especially since they could’ve acquired a similar player in free agency or the draft for a relatively cheap price. 

Davis excelled as a rebounder, shot blocker, and interior defender, but he was basically a non-factor on offense.  He didn’t look to score very often, and he shot the ball poorly when he did.  He did pass the ball well, but his inability to shoot or score makes him an offensive liability, and he’s not a player that would be worthy of rotation minutes in the NBA next season.

2021 Season Grade: C-
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Back end roster player, possible back end of the rotation player in the NBA 
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 1.5 stars

Ed Davis will be an impending unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the 2020-21 NBA season.

Draft Rights-Held Players:

G-F Leandro Bolmaro
2021 (Euroleague): 30 GP, 2.9 PPG, 1.3 APG, 1.1 RPG, 41 FG%, 38 3PT%, 79 FT%, 9 PER, 53 TS%, 0.4 WS, .064 WS48
2021 (ACB): 35 GP, 6.9 PPG, 1.9 APG, 1.6 RPG, 52 FG%, 46 3PT%, 83 FT%, 16.7 PER, 66 TS%, 2.9 WS, .249 WS48

Bolmaro had a very good season this past season, especially in the Spanish ACB League.  He really excelled as a sharpshooter on the court, and he showed that he can play multiple positions.  He has solid playmaking skills, but he can sometimes be turnover prone.  Still, his solid offensive skills could allow him to make an immediate impact on the Timberwolves’ team next season.

2021 Season Grade: A
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Rotation player on the Minnesota Timberwolves
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2 stars (3 stars potential)

Bolmaro’s NBA Comparison: Derek Anderson

No Longer With the Team:

G Ashton Hagans
2021 (MIN): 2 GP, 0 PPG, 0 FG%, -12.4 PER, 0 WS, -.353 WS48

It was a bit of a surprise that Hagans made the team right out of the bat as an undrafted player, and it was an even bigger surprise that he got cut and that he didn’t even play in the G-League this year, even though Minnesota has a G-League.  That’s a shame, because Hagans could have really used that time to develop and grow as a player.

2021 Season Grade: I (Incomplete)
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Free Agent, or Fringe roster player, possible back end of the rotation player in the NBA  (Rotation player in the G-League)
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 1 star (2 star potential)

Head Coach:
Chris Finch
2021 (MIN): 16-25, did not make the playoffs
Coaching Career: 16-25, 0-0 in his playoff career

Finch was hired during the middle of the season, to the chagrin of some of the Minnesota faithful, because they hired outside of their team and passed over assistant coach David Vanterpool in the process.  Possible controversial hire aside, it can be pretty much agreed upon that Finch was fantastic as the new head coach for the Timberwolves this past season.

Regardless, Finch did a good job of coaching his team, and they won more games than expected, especially with Saunders having won so few games this year. 

Much remains to be seen if Finch can keep the Timberwolves on the right path, but for now, it’s good to see that he was able to take an inexperienced group of players, along with Towns and lead them to be consistently competitive in the second half of the season.

2021 Season Grade: A-
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Head Coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2 stars (3.5 stars potential)

Previous Head Coach:
Ryan Saunders
2021 (MIN): 7-24, did not make the playoffs
Coaching Career: 43-94, 0-0 in his playoff career

Saunders came into the season with a lot to prove, and the big question was whether or not if he can capably coach a talented, but inexperienced group of players, and keep them competitive.  After they won just 7 of their first 31 games, that answer appeared to be no. 

He seemed to be way over his head, as his team lost a lot of games, Edwards struggled to shoot the ball for him, and the Timberwolves had really been underperforming at the time when they decided to fire him.

2021 Season Grade: F
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Assistant or head coach in college basketball, or assistant coach in the NBA
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 1 star

A Brief Summary of the 2020-21 Minnesota Timberwolves’ Season:

The Timberwolves had a really rough start to start the season, and they needed to make a change.  Hiring Chris Finch to be their head coach has been a good decision so far, and they were able to get solid production out of All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, as well as from their rookies such as Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels.  The future may be uncertain, but it definitely looks better for the Timberwolves than how it had looked under Saunders.

The 2020-21 Minnesota Timberwolves’ Season Grade: C-

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Projected 2021-22 NBA Rotation:

Projected Starters:
C Karl-Anthony Towns
F Jaden McDaniels
G Malik Beasley
G Anthony Edwards
G D’Angelo Russell

Key Reserves:
G Leandro Bolmaro (will be a rookie next season)
F Josh Okogie
C Naz Reid
F Jarred Vanderbilt
G Ricky Rubio

Others competing for a spot in the rotation next season:
G Jordan McLaughlin
G Jaylen Nowell
G Jarrett Culver
F Juan Hernangomez
F Jake Layman

Impending Restricted Free Agents:
Jarred Vanderbilt – Expected Back

Impending Unrestricted Free Agents:
Ed Davis – Not Expected Back

Projected Offseason Plan for the Minnesota Timberwolves:
Their 2021 draft pick is going to the Golden State Warriors due to the Andrew Wiggins for D’Angelo Russell deal that was made last year, and their second round pick is going to the Oklahoma City Thunder through the Warriors.

The Timberwolves also don’t have any cap space to work with, so they’re probably rolling out pretty much the same roster that they had at the end of the regular season this year.  Therefore, they may look for bargain bins to fill out the end of their roster or to compete for roster spots, but they’re pretty much going with the same team that they had before.

The 2022 Minnesota Timberwolves Expected Win-Loss Record, Projected Season Finish:
32-50, 12^th in the Western Conference

Expected 2022 Season Outcome:
The Minnesota Timberwolves have shown some promise, and they’ll be better than they were this past season, but it’s still probably not enough to compete for a playoff spot just yet in the highly competitive Western Conference.