Minnesota Timberwolves breakout players of 2019
Potential breakout players over the rest of the season
- Jarrett Culver
Due to Jeff Teague’s willingness to come off of the bench, Jarrett Culver has been gifted with a huge opportunity early on in his rookie season.
Starting 11 games so far, including the past six, the former Texas Tech guard is immediately being exposed to NBA defenses and learning how to play both the point guard and off-ball positions next to Andrew Wiggins.
While Culver’s numbers haven’t jumped off of the screen so far this season, averaging only 9.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game on poor shooting numbers so far, getting a lot of live reps and adjusting to life as an NBA player early on may lead to a potential breakout later in the season.
- Josh Okogie
The general starting lineup plan going forward for the Timberwolves is for Josh Okogie to move into a consistent starter role, I’ve been told.
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) December 6, 2019
Different opponents and/or injuries can lead to shifts, but this will be the typical 5, for now:
Wiggins
Culver
Okogie
Covington
Towns
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The Timberwolves’ plan appears to be to give Josh Okogie consistent run and minutes with the starters, something which the numbers agree with considering the lineup of Wiggins, Okogie, Culver, Covington, and Towns has the highest net rating of any Wolves lineup that has played more than 15 minutes together this season.
Okogie has consistently proven to be a force on the defensive end of the ball, constantly outworking opponents and using his athleticism to stop players on that end of the court. His hustle and athleticism also allow him to grab rebounds that most guards his height would be unable to get to, leading to 5.3 rebounds per game this year.
If Okogie can knock down his open three-point attempts more often and improve on his career 28.1 percent shooting mark from beyond the arc, the former Georgia Tech Yellowjacket has a chance to prove his place as a starter in the NBA.
Next. 3 shooters the Timberwolves should target via trade. dark
- Kelan Martin
Breakouts are relative. What is considered a breakout for a former first overall pick like Andrew Wiggins, is not the same as what is considered a breakout for a previously undrafted player like Kelan Martin.
Following a strong performance for Minnesota in the NBA Summer League, Kelan Martin has given Wolves fans glimpses of a player with the potential to serve as a 3-point specialist with a touch of rebounding intensity.
Despite poor overall shooting numbers in his limited NBA experience, Martin’s 14-point, 6-rebound performance on 6-of-7 shooting followed by a 10-point, 7 -ebound game should make fans hopeful that he could catch fire from beyond the arc at the right time and help this team in a big way.