Reason to be excited about 2020-21 Minnesota Timberwolves: New arrivals
Check out this list of Wolves new arrivals:
- Anthony Edwards
- Ricky Rubio
- Jaden McDaniels
- Ed Davis
- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
One of the key reasons why Timberwolves fans should be thrilled to finally get NBA basketball back in December is that their team will have several new faces in the lineup this year. The two newcomers that fans will be the most enthusiastic about are top pick Anthony Edwards and beloved former fan favorite Ricky Rubio.
Anthony Edwards
Anytime your favorite team lands the No. 1 pick in the draft is cause for excitement within a fanbase. Edwards may not be the biggest star coming out of college or even have the highest ceiling of any prospect in his own draft class, which is widely considered one of the weakest in recent memory.
None of that really matters. What matters is that Edwards is a supremely talented athlete and a tantalizing offensive prospect who could blow the roof off the Target Center as a rookie. Edwards is easily the most enticing rookie the Wolves have drafted since picking Towns first in 2015.
Everything depends on Edwards himself. Is he willing to work his butt off to reach his ceiling and become one of the best all-around players in the league a la Victor Oladipo, or at the highest possible level, Dwyane Wade? Or will he coast on his offensive talent and slack everywhere else al la Dion Waiters or J.R. Smith? (Not going to beat the Andrew Wiggins comparison to death here…)
Who knows what Edwards’ future holds and that’s part of the excitement around him. He could be anything and we get to watch every minute of it play out on the court over the next several years. What could be more exciting than that?
Ricky Rubio
On the flip side is known commodity Ricky Rubio. Wolves fans know all about Rubio, they love Rubio, and we’ve all missed him since he was traded to Utah in 2017.
Now as his career comes around full circle he’s back in Minnesota, a place he never even wanted to be at the beginning of his career when the Wolves drafted him in 2009. After remaining in Spain for two years, Rubio finally made landfall in the Midwest for the 2011-12 season.
Rubio quickly found a place in fans’ hearts as the fun-loving artist on the floor who wanted his teammates and fans to enjoy basketball as much as he did. Fans fell in love with his passion and style, and even though he’s been gone for three seasons, Wolves fans have followed him through his stops in Utah and most recently Phoenix.
During his first stint in Minnesota, Rubio was the young upstart who needed veteran leadership to help find his way in the NBA. Now Rubio is back in town as that veteran leader. His job now is to guide youngsters like Edwards, Jarrett Culver, Josh Okogie, and even help stabilize young veterans like Towns and Russell and maximize their potential.
Other Additions
Edwards and Rubio are the headliners, but the Wolves have reshaped the roster quite a bit this offseason. Minnesota acquired the No. 23 pick in the draft and selected Leandro Bolmaro, and the No. 28 pick, which they used on Jaden McDaniels.
Those two likely won’t crack the rotation this season and are both longer-term projects, but both have some nice upside and could become decent pros down the road.
To fill out the roster and help right now the Wolves also traded for veteran big man Ed Davis and signed forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Davis spent last season in Utah where he played only 28 games and logged just over ten minutes per contest. Hollis-Jefferson played 60 games in Toronto where he saw the court a little more with just over 18 minutes a game.
For the Timberwolves, Davis will likely platoon with Juan Hernangomez at power forward and provide backup minutes at center, while Hollis-Jefferson gives Minnesota a strong wing defender. Sure, they’re not the most exciting additions in NBA history, but the vets give Minnesota a bit more depth and flexibility while strengthening the defense.
These new arrivals alone should give fans hope that the Wolves are trending in the right direction, but it’s their returning stars who will really ignite the fanbase.