Where Minnesota Timberwolves Stand Early On In 2022-23 NBA Season - The Fast Break Podcast
In this week’s episode of The Fast Break Podcast, Fastbreak on FanNation NBA insider and reporter Brett Siegel is joined by The Athletic’s Jon Krawcyznski to discuss all things Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that has started the new season with a 3-2 record.
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Minnesota Timberwolves Start To 2022-23 NBA Season [2:20]
Picking up two wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder and one win most recently over the San Antonio Spurs to begin the season, the Minnesota Timberwolves have stated to learn a lot about their new team and their identity.
Being able to go up against some lesser-tier teams at the beginning of the year has allows the Timberwolves to ease into things, Minnesota has been able to make quick adjustments with newly acquired All-Star Rudy Gobert, they have seen what Jaylen Nowell can do coming off-the-bench and Anthony Edwards has begun to take the reigns of the leading scorer role for this team.
Krawcynzski [2:40]: “I think a lot of people who are close to the team and trying to map out what this would look like expected some bumps in the road early with Rudy Gobert, with Kyle Anderson and with some new faces here. I’m not exactly super surprised that they are 3-2 and not 4-1 or 5-0, even though that their quality of competition hasn’t been of the highest, but I am a little surprised at some of the night-to-night waxing and waning and effort and energy. That has been a real kind of ‘problem point’ for the Timberwolves thus far. They’ve got a long way to go and they know it. But they also have a ton of talent and I expect that 15-20 games into this season, they are going to begin to look a lot different than they do right now.”
Anthony Edwards Starts New Season Strong [4:08]
Now in his third NBA season, all eyes are on former No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards and whether or not he can take the next step in his career and become a first-time All-Star for the Timberwolves.
So far, Edwards has recorded three 30-point games for the Timberwolves and is looking like one of the better offensively players in the entire league early on this season [4:08].
Siegel: Anthony Edwards was my preseason pick for Most Improved Player, as well as potentially being a first-time All-Star this year. He’s got three 30-point games through the team's first five games of the season and while he is shooting just under 35 percent from three-point range, it seems like Edwards is a guy who can go out every night and lead this team in three-point shooting. Where have you seen the most improvements in Edwards’ game from Year 2 to Year 3? For me, his confidence seems like it is through the roof right now and defensively, he is beginning to look more comfortable than he was last year.
Krawczynski: I think what we are seeing so far in the biggest games that he has played is his ability to impact the game in more ways than just putting the ball in the bucket. He’s grabbed double-digit rebounds in a couple of games this year and that was a big point of emphasis for in terms of improvement for him in the offseason and preseason. The other thing that has been really encouraging is that he is becoming more of a playmaker by getting others involved. Ant is seeing the floor a little bit better, he is sharing the basketball, he is moving it and his game is no longer just isolation, “hero-ball” basketball. All-in-all, to see him rebounding the way that he is and to see him making plays the way he is now after their recent game against the Spurs are both very encouraging signs for the Wolves.
Jaylen Nowell’s Value To Minnesota [14:14]
Jaylen Nowell was drafted 43rd overall in 2019 by Minnesota and they have kept him on their bench the last few seasons. Now in the final year of his contract, Nowell did not come to an agreement on a long-term deal with the team ahead of the start of this season and so far, the young guard’s decision to roll the dice on himself has paid off.
Through the team’s first five games, Nowell is averaging 16.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the floor. His worth to the Timberwolves is very high right now and Krawczynski noted that Jaylen Nowell’s impact is very important for this team.
Krawczynski [14:14]: “I think Jaylen Nowell is exactly what the Timberwolves need this year in terms of physicality and aggressiveness on the floor. The force that he plays with, the confidence and the certainty he plays with out there is really standing out. When Nowell gets in the game and when the ball is in his hands, he knows exactly what to do with it and that’s not always taking a shot. When Minnesota made the trade for Gobert, they traded away Patrick Beverley and Malik Beasley believing that Jaylen Nowell was ready for an increased role like this, but to his credit, now that Jaylen has received this opportunity, he is making the most of it. “
D’Angelo Russell Extension Talk [17:20]
Not signing a long-term extension with the team in the offseason, D’Angelo Russell is in the final year of his contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves and is prepared to hit unrestricted free agency at the conclusion of the season assuming he does not agree to a new extension during the 2022-23 season.
Brett and Jon talked about Russell’s impact on the Timberwolves and whether or not his future will remain in Minnesota [17:20].
Siegel: D’Angelo Russell seems to be alright with not signing an extension this offseason, as nobody was really expecting him and the Timberwolves to agree on a new deal. There has always been outside noise that Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell are a ‘package deal’ given their close friendship. What’s the status of a potential new contract for Russell this year and does this friendship with Towns factor into Minnesota’s decision to keep him around?”
Krawczynski: I don’t think that Russell will be kept because of any friendship with Towns. I think there are two reasons for which the Timberwolves will keep him. One is if he has a great year, they win a lot of games and they come to an agreement that D’Angelo Russell is their point guard moving forward given his fit with this group. The second is that they sign him because the Timberwolves will need to hold his salary cap slot. Because they are already paying Rudy Gobert a max deal, Karl-Anthony Towns a max deal and Anthony Edwards likely receiving a max deal in the near future, there is no 'wiggle room' in the salary cap. If they were to lose Russell, they do not get to just go and sign another $30 million player. That money would be gone if they let Russell go, so working out a flexible deal with Russell and then figuring out how to move that money if need be presents Minnesota with options. The Timberwolves will have to consider the economics, they will have to consider the production and then make their decision as they year goes on.
Siegel: And if he can stay healthy, we have seen what D’Angelo Russell can do. It is just that health has been and will be the biggest factor for him, especially when looking at an upcoming extension.
