Another take on the Timberwolves’ watchability

Zach Lowe of Grantland.com recently wrote a two-part article ranking all 30 NBA teams in terms of their watchability. The Wolves came in at number 14, just ahead of the Celtics and just behind the Mavericks. That’s a ranking that I think should rise as the season goes along, but seems about right at this time.

Lowe first talked about how even though the team may not come together smoothly yet this season, the individual players and their abilities move the Wolves into the top half of the rankings. He followed that with this line about Ricky Rubio:

"Ricky Rubio played just 588 minutes with Andrew Wiggins and 36 with Zach LaVine last season; if Rubio is healthy, he’ll get to fly in transition with two freak athletes and then prod Karl-Anthony Towns’s all-around skill set in the half court."

This is the main reason why I think the Wolves will climb up the watchability rankings as the season goes on. As the young studs get more playing time together and develop chemistry, the vision of Rubio combined with the otherworldly athleticism of Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, and Karl-Anthony Towns will lead to multiple SportsCenter Top-10 highlights.

Now, Lowe didn’t mention the preseason struggles LaVine has been having at shooting guard that has led to his possible move back to point guard. I think most Wolves fans have the same reaction to that possibility, and it’s something like this:

However, if LaVine is allowed to play through his mistakes at shooting guard, he should become much more comfortable with the role. He may not be ready for a starting spot yet, but a few lousy preseason games shouldn’t be a reason for blowing up the future plan. LaVine struggled mightily at point guard last year in a much larger sample.

Hopefully Mitchell will realize this and slot LaVine at shooting guard for the majority of his minutes.

Lowe then lists the numerous intriguing story lines surrounding the Wolves this season.

"We get to learn how Nemanja Bjelica will translate as an NBA stretch power forward and whether Shabazz Muhammad’s progress from the block and the arc will prove lasting. Kevin Garnett is here to scream-teach, and we need to cherish every remaining Prof. Andre Miller PhD lob pass, butt-first post-up, and fully extended two-armed pump fake before he takes an emeritus position. Wiggins should stretch his off-the-dribble game in Year 2."

To address those points in order:

Nemanja Bjelica is the most mysterious player on the team right now. His shooting ability has been on full display in the preseason and he’s looked very solid overall. His strong play may earn him more minutes than many expected this season.
Shabazz Muhammad‘s progress as a basketball player is undeniable. He looked very much improved last year before he got hurt. He has not been afraid to put in the work to become better, so if he can stay healthy, he will show many people how good he has become.
Kevin Garnett is the nominal starter at power forward for the Timberwolves, but a large portion of his role will be as a coach and mentor. Having him shouting out instructions as the anchor of the defense will help players learn faster than if they were just hearing it from a coach on the sidelines. KAT could not have found a better veteran to teach him how to become a superstar in this league.
Lowe loves him some Andre Miller. He may be the cagiest player out there, especially when he posts up. Smaller defender, larger defender — it doesn’t matter. Miller will work his way into an open shot with the shrewdness of a true veteran. Even while most of his time will be spent passing on his knowledge to the other players, Lowe said it best: cherish this man while he’s still in the NBA.
Even with Rubio back and feeding everyone easy shots, there will still be times when someone on the team has to create their own shot. This will most often come down to Wiggins. During his second-half explosion last year, Wiggins began to flash an improved off-the-dribble game. He became much more aggressive in attacking the rim and looked more for his own shot. He should take another leap this year, especially with more talented players surrounding him.

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