Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 most important quotes from Wolves training camp

Minnesota Timberwolves training camp has begun. Let’s look at the most important quotes to come from players and leadership this week.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have started training camp, and the preseason opener is this Saturday. The regular-season opener is less than three weeks away.

The past week has been spent testing players and staff for COVID-19 and allowing players access to Mayo Clinic Square on an individual basis as the team prepares for team workouts, which began on Sunday.

In place of a traditional media day, the team made individual players available for virtual interviews with the media. Many of the traditional positive messages were still shared, but this year is unique, and everyone knows that.

Let’s take a look at the most important and intriguing quotes to come out of this week’s media availabilities.

Gersson Rosas isn’t done reshaping the Minnesota Timberwolves roster

In case you thought that the 2020-21 Minnesota Timberwolves were set in stone … you thought wrong, at least if the man in charge of assembling the roster is to be taken at his word.

Yes, Rosas has his superstar in Karl-Anthony Towns. He has his complementary star in D’Angelo Russell. But is there any other spot on the roster that is solidified?

Josh Okogie is a solid rotational wing and an above-average defender. Similarly, Jake Layman is a rotation-worthy player on a playoff team. Ed Davis is, too. Juan Hernangomez and Malik Beasley have both been key rotation members on playoff squads.

But are there any players who have proven that they can play starter’s minutes on a playoff team, this side of Towns and Russell?

Beasley and Hernangomez have each received their raises and will be asked to step up and do just that. The Wolves will pick a fifth starter from a group that includes known commodities Ricky Rubio and Okogie and players who are more parts wild card than sure things, such as Layman and No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards.

In other words, the Wolves have two stars (Towns and Russell), a few rotation-worthy players (Rubio, Okogie, Hernangomez, Beasley, Layman), and some question marks (Edwards, Jarrett Culver). If Rosas can cash in a combination of players from the latter two categories for another star, or even a starting-caliber sure thing, he’s going to pull the trigger.

In a sense, a comment such as that puts the rest of the roster on notice. But Rosas is understandably unapologetic in his quest to build the best roster possible.

Changes are likely to come; it’s just a matter of when, not if.