The Minnesota Timberwolves have introduced a Pack the Vote initiative. Plus, a massive team overview on The Athletic.
Welcome to your one-stop shop for Minnesota Timberwolves news from the last few days.
The organization continues to add to its impactful, immersive community initiatives in the wake of numerous tragedies over the past few months. The latest initiative has to do with increasing voter registration and education.
Elsewhere, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie took an extensive look at where the Wolves stand from a basketball standpoint, including their roster, salary cap outlook, and draft assets at their disposal (subscription required).
Minnesota Timberwolves Roundup: Pack the Vote, team overview
First, on the Pack the Vote initiative.
While some teams are opening their arenas and facilities as polling centers, the Wolves are making a positive impact by partnering with a number of not-for-profit, nonpartisan organizations as they seek to assist people in the Twin Cities with completing the 2020 census, as well as ensuring that they are registered to vote.
The Timberwolves have also created a dedicated website landing page for the initiative. There are videos from players and coaches, including Ryan Saunders, and quotes from Wolves executives such as President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas and CEO Ethan Casson.
The organizations the Wolves will be working with include When We All Vote, I am a voter, Rally The Vote, and Rise To Vote. They are also working with Minnesota’s Secretary of State on the initiative.
Once again, the Wolves deserve to be applauded for doing more than simply saying the right things, but for actually working with their players and basketball operations staff to make a true impact in the local community.
Shifting back to on-the-court news, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic did an incredibly deep dive into the Wolves’ current situation (subscription required). Perhaps the most interesting part of the piece was the comparison of the personnel that associate head coach and defensive coordinator David Vanterpool has too work with in comparison to the roster that he had when he had a similar role under head coach Terry Stotts in Portland.
Vecenie also notes the various options the Wolves have with the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, which we’ve already covered extensively here at Dunking With Wolves. As the draft is Vecenie’s area of expertise, he also delves into specific players the Wolves could consider not just at No. 1, but also with their No. 17 and No. 33 picks in the draft.
It’s a fantastic read if you have a subscription to The Athletic and a solid 15 to 20 minutes of time to read it all.
Enjoy this week’s playoff games!