Major Key for Minnesota: Cohesiveness
The major key for Minnesota will be how their new players fit with the returning ones.
When a team goes through a major transformation the way the Timberwolves did, it takes time to learn how to play together and adjust. Although the talent level is there, it will be up to the players to get comfortable playing together before they get rolling.
Watching how Butler plays off of KAT and Wiggins will be fun to watch for Timberwolves fans. However, before they can come together as a team they need to feel each other out and create a level of consistency on the court. Many of the shots that Butler had in Chicago won’t necessarily be there for him so it will be interesting to see how he fits in alongside the Wolves established scorers.
The other x-factor will be defense. Will the addition of multiple veterans help on the defensive side right away or will it continue to be a slower progress? My guess is it will be rocky at first but as the season goes along the team will grow defensively.
Both Butler and Gibson were brought in to establish a staunch Thibodeau defense and personally, I am excited to see how he will create another defensive weapon with this unit.
Saturday night will be a big indicator of where this team will be starting the season.