National Basketball Association

Timberwolves Notes: Versatile roster, projecting the future

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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As we inch closer to Timberwolves preseason basketball, let’s take a spin around the web and compile notes on the Wolves’ roster and what the future might hold.

One of the more important things in today’s NBA is a flexible roster; teams want the ability to go small or play big depending on what the situation might warrant.

Tom Thibodeau’s referenced this in interviews and press conferences over the past few months. And while it’s undeniable that flexibility and versatility are vital in 2016, Thibodeau not only acknowledged this need but underscored it with his summer acquisitions.

Brandon Rush is probably a most optimal fit as the backup small forward playing modest minutes behind Andrew Wiggins, but he’s played perhaps his most effective minutes in short bursts at the small-ball power forward over the past couple of seasons.

Jordan Hill is best at power forward but is an adequate backup center as well. Cole Aldrich is the least-flexible of the newcomers, but every team needs a bruiser who is adept at the pick-and-roll from the five-spot.

Here’s what Thibodeau had to say to Jace Frederick of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

“I like the versatility of our team,” Thibodeau said. “I think the versatility is going to be one of our strengths.”

…

Thibodeau said you want as many of those guys on your roster as possible. He said as many as six players could see minutes at power forward for Minnesota this season.

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“When you have guys that play multiple positions, it allows you to play big; it allows you to play small,” Thibodeau said. “I still believe that size is important, but I like to have the ability to go small. I think there’s times you can play two point guards together, but having those wings, you can’t have enough of the wings.”

Six players at power forward sounds about right, doesn’t it? Karl-Anthony Towns, Gorgui Dieng, Nemanja Bjelica, Shabazz Muhammad, Rush, Hill, and even Andrew Wiggins. That’s seven, although I suppose Wiggins will be more apt to slide down to shooting guard than up to power forward.

In related news, ESPN’s Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton released their most-recent round of NBA Future Power Rankings (Insider), and the Timberwolves jumped once again.

The last future rankings were only a few months ago, and the Wolves were ranked at #9. Now, they’ve risen to #5.

ESPN ranks the Wolves’ money/salary cap situation as the third-best in the entire NBA, the roster as fourth-best, and management as eighth-best. The market is still only ranked as #27, but Ford and Pelton concede that the salary cap flexibility will help when it comes to free agency.

We’ll have additional training camp and projection updates as we move through the week, so stay tuned…

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