Brown making case at Iowa for playing time with Timberwolves

Published Nov. 30, 2017 3:06 p.m. ET

Dave Heller

Welcome to the 2017-18 edition of the Timberpups Tracker. This year, we're taking a different tact. With Minnesota having taken over a G League franchise in Iowa, and renaming it the Wolves, each Thursday we'll either track the progress of the players who might be of help to the Timberwolves in the future or a current member of the Minnesota roster. We'll also give updates on the other young players from the previous week.

This is the 1st edition of the 2017-18 Timberpups Tracker.

SPOTLIGHT ON …

Guard Anthony Brown

A former second-round pick of the Lakers in 2015 who has 40 games of NBA experience the past two years, Brown signed a two-way contract with Minnesota this offseason.

Brown was called up to Minnesota during a recent long stretch of off-days for Iowa. Although he has yet to appear in a game for the Timberwolves, he certainly is making a case for himself.

The 6-foot-7 guard leads Iowa in scoring at 23.3 points per game while playing a whopping 42.3 minutes per game -- Brown recently told Timberwolves radio that one of the biggest benefits of playing in the G League is getting minutes. He is also averaging 6.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 45.5 percent from the field, including 40.9 percent from three, and 83.3 percent from the line.

In his last four games with Iowa, Brown averaged 30.3 points, topping 30 points in three of the contests and having a double-double in two, while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 14 of 29 from 3 (48.3 percent).

TRACKING TIMBERPUPS

-- With Brown not playing for Iowa on Nov. 27, guard Melo Trimble led the Wolves with 26 points on 11-of-22 shooting. The former Maryland guard is averaging 22.8 points per game.

-- Iowa's leader in Player Efficiency Rating and VORP is Amile Jefferson, at 19.8 and 0.5. He is averaging 15.5 points and 13.5 rebounds over 36.5 minutes. The 6-foot-9 forward from Duke was not taken in this past year's NBA draft.

-- Top pick Justin Patton has yet to play after being sidelined with a foot injury, but has started to do run some practice drills with the Timberwolves.

-- In case you missed it, Karl-Anthony Towns surpassed 4,000 career points and 2,000 rebounds. He joined Tim Duncan, Bob McAdoo, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal and David Robinson as the only players in NBA history to reach those marks through their first 185 games.

-- Tyus Jones has played 32+ minutes in four straight games for the Timberwolves. He had played at least 32 minutes just once previously in his NBA career. He has 16 steals in those four games. In his last three games, all starts, Jones has 20 assists and one turnover.