Leonard Miller, Josh Minott look like budding stars in Timberwolves' summer league opener
The Minnesota Timberwolves have their nucleus, relying on Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels heading into the upcoming season. But if the Timberwolves are going to become contenders in the Western Conference, they’ll need to find players that can become a legitimate supporting cast.
One of the first steps in that process came in the Timberwolves’ win in their NBA Summer League opener on Friday afternoon as Leonard Miller and Josh Minott stood out in a 102-88 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Miller was in the spotlight after the Timberwolves traded up for the 6-foot-11 forward and selected him with the 33rd overall pick in the NBA Draft. Wearing No. 33 as a method of motivation, Miller flashed his strengths – especially on the defensive end.
With the Wolves holding a lead in the fourth quarter, Miller showed the ability to rotate and contest a miss at the rim from Pelicans forward Dyson Daniels. Later in the fourth quarter, Miller put the finishing touches on Minnesota’s victory, coming up with a key block and slamming home the final bucket of the game with just over a minute to play.
Miller’s defensive and rebounding ability aren’t in question but his biggest knock coming into the draft was his shot. In 24 games with the NBA G League Ignite, a team that serves as an alternate to college for elite prospects, Miller shot just 32.7% on 3-point attempts but showed improvement by shooting 37% from beyond the arc in his final 14 games.
On Friday, Miller showed off his refined shot by shooting 7-for-11 from the floor and knocking down 2-of-4 3-point shots.
After finishing the game with 16 points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes, it was a successful debut for Miller but it could be the beginning of an impressive duo along with fellow wing Josh Minott.
Minott was selected by the Timberwolves in the second round of last year’s draft but some people believed his wasn’t showcased to his full potential during his college career at Memphis.
A prospect some dubbed as “Baby Giannis” after Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Minott is another explosive athlete, showing the potential for a two-way game with a key block and lay-up in transition with just over two minutes to play in the fourth quarter.
Minott even showed camaraderie with Miller, connecting on an alley-oop in the second quarter and finishing with 20 points and four rebounds.
After averaging 20.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists in nine games with the Iowa Wolves and appearing in 15 games for the Timberwolves last season, Minott is looking to earn a rotational role in Minnesota next season and he made his intentions clear in the postgame interview.
Minott and MIller’s development will be a key storyline for the rest of the Summer League, which continues for Minnesota when they battle the Utah Jazz on Monday night. But other players such as Brandon Williams (24 points) and Wendell Moore Jr. (15 points) are also looking to catch the eyes of the Wolves' coaches and front office.
With the NBA issuing stiffer penalties for high-salary teams the development of younger players will be key and hopefully lead Minnesota to be a deeper unit heading into next season.
