Minnesota Timberwolves 2024-2025 Season Preview
This preview of the Minnesota Timberwolves 2024-2025 season will be different from what I anticipated a few weeks ago. The major offseason news was the trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a first-round pick. I believe this trade makes the Timberwolves slightly worse in the short term having lost the most talented player in the trade. Before the trade, I had considered them my pick to win the Western Conference and the NBA Finals; now, I’m less confident in their chances for success in May and June.
The Timberwolves are set to play on opening night, signaling that the NBA has recognized Anthony Edwards as a box-office star. They also have more national TV games this season, including the coveted Christmas Day slot. The Timberwolves are no longer seen as the league's underdogs; instead, for the first time in my adult life, there are real expectations for this team, both locally and nationally. How the team handles this attention and pressure will reveal a great deal about their character.
Let’s start this preview by talking about the roster. The starting five is almost certainly going to be:
PG Mike Conley, SG Anthony Edwards, SF Jaden McDaniels, PF Julius Randle, C Rudy Gobert
This is a very strong starting five, one of the best in the NBA. My biggest concern for both the starting lineup and the team as a whole is Julius Randle’s fit. While he’s undeniably a talented player, his style of play isn’t conducive to winning basketball in today’s NBA. Although he’s not a poor three-point shooter, he isn’t particularly good either. Paired with Rudy Gobert, who doesn’t shoot threes, this will create spacing issues on the court. A lack of space is detrimental to Anthony Edwards and the entire Timberwolves offense. Additionally, Randle tends to hold the ball for extended periods, becoming a ball stopper that disrupts the offensive flow. The only player I want to take charge and create his own shot regularly is Edwards; unfortunately, this is how Randle plays. Hopefully, head coach Chris Finch, who has experience working with Randle, can help address these concerns.
While there are these legitimate concerns about Randle’s style and fit with his new teammates, there remains a ton of upside with this team.
Mike Conley returns as the team's point guard after an excellent season last year. The only concern is that he isn’t getting any younger. At 37 years old, Conley is nearing the end of his career but remains more than capable of being the starting point guard on a very good team. His wealth of experience and veteran leadership will continue to be invaluable to the Timberwolves' success. I hope that Conley and the coaching staff prioritize his rest throughout the season so he has enough energy for a long playoff run, it was clear he ran out of juice at the end of last season.
Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves' starting shooting guard and franchise player, faces even greater responsibility this season. This will be his first year without Karl-Anthony Towns, easily the most talented teammate Edwards has ever had. While he has been the team's best player for the past couple of years, with Towns gone, Edwards is now unarguably the sole face of the franchise.
I have immense confidence in Edwards and his ability to lead. Not only is he exceptionally talented, but he’s also an affable leader, people gravitate toward him. With the NBA shining a spotlight on him after his incredible playoff performance last year, there is considerable pressure on Edwards—from both the Timberwolves and the league—to excel this season. I believe he is up to the challenge.
In the past, Edwards may have felt the need to defer to Towns, as it was Towns’ team before Edwards arrived. Now that Towns is gone, I expect Edwards to become more assertive on the court and take on a stronger leadership role both on and off the floor, which will benefit his development and the Timberwolves' growth. I anticipate that Edwards will be in the MVP conversation this year. I’m specifically looking for improvements in his three-point shooting, free-throw percentage, decision-making, and playmaking abilities.
Jaden McDaniels will be a key factor in the Timberwolves' success this year. He is already established as one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders, but his offensive potential remains untapped. I expect McDaniels to make strides on that end of the court. With Towns gone, he should have more opportunities to develop his offensive game. He has shown flashes of talent, from streaky three-point shooting to his ability to drive to the basket. Most impressively, he can navigate the paint and create high-quality fadeaway jumpers. I am hoping that Finch and the coaching staff are focused on getting McDaniels more opportunities to grow on offense.
Rounding out the starting five is Rudy Gobert. Coming off his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award, Gobert remains one of the NBA’s top defenders. He will continue to elevate the Timberwolves' defense, helping them be one of the best defensive teams in the league again. I have some concerns about how Randle will fit with Gobert on both ends of the court, but aside from that, I believe Gobert will continue to be himself: an incredibly valuable player on defense and a liability on offense.
The Timberwolves have one of the best starting fives in the NBA.
The high-end bench players who will be mainstays in the rotation:
Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, Nickiel Alexander-Walker, Rob Dillingham
The Timberwolves bench improved this off-season. Even though the team lost Kyle Anderson to the Warriors, replacing him with Donte DiVincenzo is an improvement.
Donte DiVincenzo was easily my favorite part of the Towns trade. He brings much-needed depth to the Timberwolves' bench. His ability to move and space the floor on offense, combined with his solid defense, makes him an excellent rotation player. DiVincenzo adds flexibility to the roster that I’m sure Coach Finch appreciates, as he can fit into any lineup Finch wants to deploy. I’m excited to see what DiVincenzo can do on this team; he has already shown in the preseason that his integration will be seamless.
Naz Reid is coming off his best season in the NBA, having won Sixth Man of the Year last season. His athleticism, skill, and three-point shooting make him one of the top bench players in the league. Trading Towns was a gamble on Naz's potential. If the Timberwolves hadn’t traded Towns before this season or next, they wouldn’t have been able to keep Naz on the roster. While I’m sad to see Towns go, it means Naz remains with the team. Although his talent may not match Towns’, he can replicate much of what Towns does; plus, he’s younger and significantly cheaper. I love Naz, and I believe he will have another great year. Hopefully, he will continue to develop his game and receive more opportunities to shine now that Towns is gone.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is one of the more underrated players on the Timberwolves roster. He is a strong perimeter defender who can handle the ball and shoot threes. Being young and in the last year of his contract, he should be motivated to improve and perform at his best this season. I’m a bit torn about this; if he plays exceptionally well, the Timberwolves may not have the budget to re-sign him, but if he struggles, it could hurt the team's chances this season. I’d like it if the Timberwolves were able to keep him long-term as I think he has proven to be an excellent role player. Hopefully, he has an excellent season and the Timberwolves front office can make the money work.
This summer, the Timberwolves weren’t expected to make any significant moves in the draft, but they surprised us. They executed a trade that landed them the 8th pick, where they selected Rob Dillingham out of Kentucky. Dillingham is a small point guard known for his scoring ability. I also believe he’s a bit underrated as a playmaker, based on what I observed in the Summer League and preseason. While I have concerns about his size, defense, and lack of NBA experience, I expect him to make it into the Timberwolves' rotation and provide a valuable scoring boost off the bench.
The nine players mentioned above will account for the majority of the Timberwolves' minutes, making the team one of the deepest in the NBA. However, there are a few other names to keep an eye on.
Josh Minott is one of them. A 21-year-old drafted out of Memphis a couple of years ago, he has great length and athleticism. He’s played a surprising amount in the preseason which suggests he could be the 10th man on the roster, and that he will see spot minutes throughout the season.
Joe Ingles is a veteran presence brought in this offseason to replace Kyle Anderson. While he may be the least athletic player in the NBA, he excels at shooting three-pointers, takes care of the ball, and brings valuable experience to the team. If he finds himself playing significant minutes, it likely means the Timberwolves are dealing with injuries.
Terrance Shannon Jr., a prolific scorer out of Illinois, is the other rookie the Timberwolves drafted this summer. He is an old NBA rookie at the age of 24. He probably won’t see much playing time this season. The same goes for players like Leonard Miller, whose upside I find promising but who has yet to break into the rotation, and Jaylen Clark, who is entering his first healthy NBA season. Luka Garza probably deserves a role somewhere but is currently stuck behind Naz and Gobert on the depth chart. The rest of the roster includes Daishen Nix, PJ Dozier, and Jesse Edwards, who likely won’t see minutes this season unless there’s a blowout or significant injuries.
Predictions
The Timberwolves are poised to secure a top-four seed in the Western Conference again this season. I expect Anthony Edwards to be firmly in the MVP conversation. The Timberwolves will boast a top-five defense once more and should improve their offense, which ranked 17th last season. Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert will make the All-Defensive teams, with Edwards receiving some votes as well. Ultimately, I anticipate the Timberwolves will reach the Conference Finals and lose again, although I believe they’ll provide a tougher challenge to the Thunder than they did to the Mavericks last year.