Popular video game NBA 2k18 will include all-franchise rosters for each team in the NBA. Let’s speculate on whom might make up the Timberwolves squad…
With excitement brewing for fans as they wonder what this year holds in store for the Timberwolves, there is also a building excitement for a popular basketball video game. It’s no secret that NBA 2k18 is one of the most anticipated new video games for many basketball faithful.
This year’s 2k edition looks to blow past versions out of the water.
Along with the recent announcement that the game will include 16 new “classic teams”, eager fans will also be treated to all franchise teams for the first time. The all-franchise teams will consist of the best players of each NBA team throughout history being put on one roster.
This is an idea that has been around for quite sometime for 2k fans and it’s exciting to see it come to life.
With the recent partial release of the Los Angeles Lakers all franchise team, I got to thinking what the Timberwolves roster will look like. Although the Timberwolves are a relatively young franchise compared to the rest of the NBA with an inaugural season of 1989-90, there should still be a solid team for Wolves fans to use.
The roster will consist of at least 12 players for each team. After looking through years of Timberwolves rosters I have selected the following group by position for starters and backups.
Lets jump right into it.
Point Guards
When selecting the best point guards in Timberwolves history, one doesn’t have to look much further than Sam Cassell. The veteran guard joined the Timberwolves in 2003 and went on to garner his only All-Star appearance that same year.
Cassell was an integral part of a team that would go on to make it to the Western Conference Finals. He averaged nearly 20 points and 7 assists per game before succumbing to injuries late in the playoffs.
The veteran only played two seasons for the Timberwolves, but those who had the chance to watch him would say that he had the best season a Timberwolves point guard has had.
Backing up Sam should be the one and only Spanish phenom Ricky Rubio.
In his time with the Timberwolves, Ricky managed to become second in all-time in assists for the franchise with 2,991 total. Despite his critics, Rubio will always be linked to the team that drafted him because of his exciting level of play at the point guard position.
Unfortunately for both the Timberwolves and Rubio, he was never able to reach the playoffs in Minnesota. Over his six seasons in a Timberwolves uniform, Ricky averaged a cumulative 10.3 points per game and 8.5 assists per game.
Prediction:
Starter – Sam Cassell/Overall 85 rating
Reserve – Ricky Rubio/Overall 79 rating
Shooting Guards
This will be controversial but I would select Jimmy Butler in this position. Sure, it may be a bit premature, but the talent level is undeniable.
We’ve talked plenty here about just how good Butler is as a player; he was the 14th-most efficient player in the NBA last season, according to ESPN’s PER.
My selection of Butler as the all-franchise starting shooting guard is based off of both how good he has been up to this point, and the lack of an obvious replacement. Butler may solidify himself as the best shooting guard in franchise history this year and I would hope that he is included with our team.
The Timberwolves should have two backups at the shooting guard position with the first being Zach LaVine. Zach led the team in 3-point shooting for two of his three seasons in Minnesota. In addition to his shooting, he was known for his rim-rocking dunks. Of course, he went on to become a back-to-back NBA slam dunk champion while with the Timberwolves as well.
The last shooting guard on the roster should be Latrell Sprewell. The controversial basketball figure did have his moments with the Timberwolves.
There is no doubting that his production was vital to the team making it to the Western Conference Finals in 2004. His average of 16.8 points per game that season helped make him one of the key players for the best team in franchise history.
Prediction:
Starter – Jimmy Butler/Overall 91 rating
Reserves – Zach Lavine/Overall 82 rating
Latrell Sprewell/Overall 80 rating
Small Forwards
Andrew Wiggins is the best small forward in franchise history. Of course, that isn’t exactly a bold statement because there really isn’t any competition for the man out of Kansas.
Wiggins has become a household name across the NBA for his slashing and dunking ability. Acquired in a trade for Kevin Love, he is about to demand a maximum contract before hitting free agency; the Timberwolves are hoping to lock him up for the full five years and keep him in Minnesota for the long term.
The Maple Jordan has increased his scoring output in each of his first three NBA seasons, and averaged 23.6 points per game last season. This kid is only getting better and Timberwolves fans should be very excited.
Backing up the young wing should be a fan favorite in Wally Szczerbiak. Wally led the team in 3-point shooting a few times while posting a cumulative 40.6 career 3-point percentage.
Wally made an All-Star appearance in 2001 and averaged 15.5 points per game in his time with the Timberwolves. He too was a part of the best team in Timberwolves history and should be represented as part of the all franchise squad.
Prediction:
Starter – Andrew Wiggins/Overall 85 rating
Reserve – Wally Szczerbiak/Overall 79 rating
Power Forwards
The best player in franchise history: Kevin Garnett.
If there is one player on this list that I am 100-percent confident will be on the all-time team for the Timberwolves, it is this man. Or should I say ‘beast’.
Kevin Garnett is one of the greatest players in NBA history at the power forward spot. A former NBA MVP, KG will forever be enshrined in Timberwolves lore. He is still most Timberwolves fans’ favorite player to this day.
KG had an intensity and grit that the current NBA could learn from. There is no doubt that the greatest player in franchise history will be involved in the fun.
The first bac up at the four-spot should be Kevin Love. Love was a three-time All-Star while with the Timberwolves. He was one of the better 3-point shooters in team history and put up some crazy statistics as well. Over the course of his Timberwolves career he averaged a cumulative of 19 points per game and 12 rebounds per game.
The Timberwolves have a long history of producing consistently great power forwards and Love was no exception.
It’s only fitting that the Timberwolves would have three power forwards on the roster. For that reason, Tom Gugliotta could find himself on this team.
Gugliotta is a long lost relic of past Timberwolves teams who helped shape KG into the player he ended up being. Tom averaged nearly 18 points per game and eight rebounds over the course of his Timberwolves career.
Gugliotta garnered one All-Star appearance while with the Timberwolves, coming in the 1996 season.
Prediction:
Starter – Kevin Garnett/Overall 97 rating
Reserves – Kevin Love/Overall 87 rating
Tom Gugliotta/Overall 81 rating
Centers
Before recently, it would have been hard to find anyone to fill these two roster spots, but as luck would have it the past decade has been kind to the five-spot for the Timberwolves.
The starting center for the all-franchise team will more than likely be Karl-Anthony Towns.
As the first player to ever be selected by the Timberwolves with the first-overall pick, the man they call KAT is living up to the hype. He isn’t merely playing great, KAT is destroying the league. I mean, no one can guard the man.
He won the Rookie of the Year award and followed up that performance by averaging close to 25 points and 12 rebounds per game. Oh, and he can shoot 3-pointers pretty well, too, at a 36.7 percent clip.
Last but certainly not least, Nikola Pekovic could make an appearance backing up KAT on the all-franchise roster.
Pekovic was selected as the first pick of the second round of the 2008 draft. His is a sad story because of how it ended with recurring injuries, but in his time with the Timberwolves he was both a fan favorite and a really good player.
Defenders were scared of the seven-footer with a soft touch around the rim as he was an absolute force on the offensive side of the ball. In his best season, he averaged 17.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
Prediction:
Starter – Karl-Anthony Towns/Overall 91 rating
Reserve – Nikola Pekovic/Overall 78 rating
Next: Jeff Teague: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Stay tuned to find out what the actual roster looks like on 2k18 this fall!