Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 goals for Justin Patton in his rookie season

2. Make the long-awaited NBA debut

If Tom Thibodeau and the Timberwolves coaching staff decide to go the safest route (which also happens to be the longest, who would of thunk it?) then it may be a fair chunk into the regular season before we see Patton.

But if he can reach these goals, first by overcoming the bone break he suffered in the foot and secondly by overcoming his flaws and dominating for the Iowa Wolves G-League team, then Thibs will have no choice but to give him his run.

Patton might have to start with bench minutes in end of game blowout situations, but to be in the NBA at all is a monstrous achievement for someone who made Fox Sports 1 commentator Nick Bahe tell Bleacher Report:

"The high school is 20 minutes away from my house, and I had never heard of him,"

He averaged 1.4 blocks and 0.9 steals in just over 25 minutes per game (2.3 and 1.4 per 40) along with a flat-out elite defensive rating of 96 per 100 possessions.

If he continues to show an outstanding knack for defense you can be sure of one thing, Thibodeau will quickly fall, and stay in love with him, and the minutes will likely follow.

And if he shows he can shoot the 3-ball at a capable level and use this guard-like ability to handle the ball, he may well in himself in the rotation sooner rather than later.

But with Gorgui Dieng firmly implanted in the Timberwolves rotation, there may be only Nemanja Bjelica’s spot that is there for Patton to steal.