National Basketball Association

Wolves player profile: Shabazz Muhammad

Published Sep. 23, 2014 12:45 p.m. ET

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This is the fifth installment in a 15-part series running Tuesdays and Fridays profiling each Minnesota Timberwolves player leading up to the start of the NBA season.

Perhaps neglected when the Timberwolves' young, athletic core is being discussed, Shabazz Muhammad sometimes falls through the cracks.

He did almost all of last season, not receiving much of a shot from now-retired coach Rick Adelman but performing well when he did.

This summer, while Wolves president and coach Flip Saunders built a roster that's high on athleticism and speed, one of the guys that already meets that requirement was training with a former Navy SEAL instructor. At Saunders' behest, the 2013 first-rounder is hoping to drop 15 pounds by the Oct. 30 season opener at Orlando.

So far, Muhammad looks the part.

But can he play it?

2013-14 stats: 3.9 PPG, 46 FG %, 27.3 3-point %, 1.4 RPG, 65 FT % during 7.8 MPG in 37 games

2014-15 salary: $2,056,920

Last year: Playing on the wing behind Corey Brewer and Robbie Hummel in a system that doesn't befit his power forward-like skill set, Muhammad didn't get much of a chance to exhibit his potential last season.

Playing in a mere 37 games was much less the result of injury than they were distrust. Until a late MCL sprain that cost him the season's final seven games, Muhammad was often a healthy scratch. When he wasn't, there were several times when Adelman refused to bring him off the bench.

Muhammad's limited court time brought the mixed bag expected from a 14th overall selection in a weak draft class. In the 12 games he played more than 10 minutes, he averaged a respectable 7.6 points per game, and his 46 percent overall field-goal clip appears promising. He can rebound and, when he really wants to, defend.

But Muhammad faces somewhat of an identity crisis. At 6-foot-6, he has the mold of a swingman. But his rim-attacking, occasional post-up style is more attune to a four into today's NBA.

Which is why Saunders asked him to lose weight this offseason, in order to get out and run with Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins and company.

The most hopeful juncture of Muhammad's season was a four-game stint in the NBA D-League. There, he paced the Iowa Energy with 24.5 points on 57.1 percent shooting and 9.8 boards per game.

It was a struggle, Muhammad admitted, especially when coupled with his father being sentenced to prison and asked to pay more than $1 million in restitution for a mortgage case.

But the kid -- now 21 -- who came in with a less-than-sterling reputation handled it all well. He didn't openly gripe about his D-League assignment, nor did he call out Adelman or the staff for not giving him more playing time.

This year: Once his knee healed, Muhammad got to work. A look at his Instagram feed shows a more chiseled, slimmed-down version of a youngster who played at 225 pounds last season.

That ought to help him move around the floor better while maintaining -- perhaps even improving -- his strength in the paint. But even with a new, impressive physique, Muhammad remains stuck among a small forward logjam that includes Brewer, Hummel, Wiggins and Chase Budinger.

There are only so many minutes to go around.

But Muhammad does have some factors working in his favor. Unlike last year, he'll be playing for the guy that drafted him. And Saunders may roll with a deeper rotation -- especially if he's hoping to run the floor as much as he says he is.

Regardless of playing time, there remains plenty of room for Muhammad to grow. His outside shot could use some honing, and an added dose of defensive effort will be key to his progression.

Some of the pieces were there at the NBA's Las Vegas Summer League. Muhammad led the Wolves with 16.2 points per game and ranked second in rebounding with 5.8 a contest.

Quotable: "Last year was a really good stepping stone for me from the learning aspect of things. I thought I played pretty well when I got on the court. . . . It's all about just being comfortable this year. I think it's my first year I really learned how to play the game and how to play in the NBA." -- Muhammad before summer league

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