Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 takeaways from Saric and Covington’s debut
By Ben Beecken
The Minnesota Timberwolves began a new era on Wednesday night. And while it was only one game, it gave fans a glimpse into what might be to come with their new-look Wolves.
It’s admittedly dangerous to read too much into one game; Minnesota Timberwolves fans know that as well as fans of any team league-wide.
That said, a few things are clear about the Jimmy Butler-less Wolves.
For one, it’s a deeper roster. It’s also a group of players that is far more comfortable swinging the ball around the perimeter. Butler, while an outstanding offensive player, is a ball-stopper.
The rotation will be different — more on that later. But the flexibility that head coach Tom Thibodeau now has at his fingertips is significant, and we can expect to see a few creative combinations moving forward.
Before we get into the more tangible, on-court items, it’s imperative to note just how much more free and joyous this Wolves squad appeared to be on Wednesday versus last Friday in Sacramento, which was the fifth consecutive loss in a clunker of a road trip.
Now, a gargantuan weight has been lifted. No more walking on eggshells, no more answering to the local and national media on a rift they didn’t cause, and no more wondering whether or not General Soreness would crop up once again at the last minute, forcing the lineup to be shuffled.
Instead, a pair of happy-go-lucky, passionate, winning basketball players have been added to a rotation that was already deep. There are myriad lineup combinations to be explored by Thibodeau and his staff, and exactly zero of them will involve a cranky All-Star who is in the process of passive-aggressively burrowing and undermining his way out of his second city in less than 18 months.
Instead, Wednesday night allowed Wolves fans to be treated to a cohesive unit that was working together to achieve one common goal: win. No more hidden agendas.
Okay, let’s get into a few predictions as we extrapolate out what Wednesday night’s win may (or may not) have told us.