Timberwolves off-season roster power rankings

8. Tyus Jones

Yes, there’s yet another Minnesota native on the roster — but Timberwolves fans should keep a close eye on this one. Tyus Jones, the former NCAA National Champion from Duke, will have to play a vital role for the Timberwolves in his third NBA season.

With Ricky Rubio and Kris Dunn departing the team this off-season, Tyus is the last remaining point guard from 2016-17 still on the roster. Through his first two seasons, Jones was never really given the chance to play a consistent role for the team.

However, he seemed to excel at every opportunity he received and posted one of the best player efficiency ratings off of the bench last year.

The Duke product also won the NBA Summer League MVP award while averaging nearly 20 points per game last summer. Simply put, Tyus is a winner.

Jones has always been a smart point guard in terms of leadership. The Timberwolves were smart in keeping him on the roster, and my hope is that Thibodeau lets him handle the second unit.

And let’s be honest: it would be a great story as well.

The late great Flip Saunders saw something special in the kid, and many fans have seen flashes of what makes Tyus so exciting. The Minnesota kid could end-up being a vital piece on a contending team. Jones could excel at being given a clear role, and all things are pointing to him being the main backup point guard next year.

By giving Tyus control of the second unit, the Timberwolves could end up finding another playmaker with really good potential. Learning from Jeff Teague and being the leader off the bench will lead to Tyus Jones playing big minutes this year in a key role player position.