Minnesota Timberwolves Roster 2019 Timberwolves Roster

The Minnesota Timberwolves thought they were set when they traded for Jimmy Butler last offseason. Pairing him with Karl Anthony-Towns and Andrew Wiggins was supposed to give the Timberwolves their own Big Three to help them match up with other superstar-laden teams. Now Jimmy Butler is demanding a trade out of Minnesota, and the team is beset with the related drama. Towns is still a superstar in his own right and the Timberwolves have one of the best coaches in the business in Tom Thibodeau. The Wolves can still win without Butler, but their star shooting guard takes this team to a whole new dimension. Thibodeau is notorious for wearing his players down and he gave his rotation players heavy minutes last year. This is now year three of his reign in Minnesota and it will be now or never for whether this team takes a step forward under his leadership.

Top Minnesota Timberwolves Roster Questions 2019

Over the offseason, Minnesota tried to create a super team of their own. Jeff Teague was signed as a free agent, then they went and traded for Jimmy Butler. Already having Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, this was expected to be a quality squad. They limped into the playoffs on the final day of the season, and rumors have come out about Butler not wanting to play with Wiggins. Minnesota has some older role players here like Taj Gibson and Jamal Crawford. On paper this team looked like it was going to finish in the top half of the west, but on the court they under-performed. While the starters are always the big minute getters, Tyus Jones and Gorgui Dieng both saw more minutes down the stretch rather than earlier in the year. It will be interesting to see if Wiggins will move elsewhere, but the contract is the tough one to move.

Will the Butler Saga Overtake the Team?

The reports from Wolves' practices have centered around Butler and his demands to be traded. He has placed the singular focus on himself, and that is not a good thing in a league like the NBA where winning is largely dependent on team chemistry. The Butler situation will likely come to a head at some point during this season. He will likely be traded before the Wolves end up holding the bag with nothing. The issue is how much damage will be done to the team before that happens. Playing for Thibodeau is an intense experience even without any trade drama hanging over the team. The continuous feeding frenzy surrounding Butler's demands cannot help but have a deleterious influence on the team.

Will Andrew Wiggins Finally be a Star?

Wiggins has gone from being The Next Great Thing to an inefficient and one-dimensional player. The problem is that he is now paid as a star, but his production does not match. His offensive numbers were so-so last year and his efficiency continues to drop. The problem with Wiggins is that he is pathologically allergic to anything but shooting. He is not the type of player that Thibodeau usually succeeds in developing because Thibs usually likes to have some measure of toughness and selflessness. Wiggins has not demonstrated either of these in his NBA career. If Butler leaves town, the spotlight will shine on Wiggins as one who needs to step up to keep Minnesota afloat.

Is There Enough Ball to go Around?

The Wolves have two legitimate stars (including Butler), but several other players who need the ball in their hands. Jeff Teague has shined in his role as point guard, but he is now the fourth option on this offense. Thibodeau teams will also play at a more deliberate pace so there are less shots to distribute. The chemistry on this team was not ideal last season, and that was before Butler's trade demands. The team has 60-win talent, but it has underperformed. This is, in part, due to chemistry issues that will have to be resolved.