Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 most important quotes from Wolves training camp

Josh Okogie is going to play power forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves

We’ll talk quite a bit more about this in the coming weeks, but this is the first that we’ve heard of head coach Ryan Saunders acknowledging that Josh Okogie is likely to play at the 4.

Here are a couple of takes on the conversation from Saunders’ media availability:

https://twitter.com/jrborman13/status/1335655552471375873

Okogie, of course, is only 6-foot-4 but has a 7-foot wingspan. Hence, his effective height of 6-foot-8.

We already know that Okogie can lock down 1s, 2s, and 3s, and it’s fair to expect him to draw a defensive assignment of the opponent’s best wing player every night. If that’s the case, the Wolves are going to find a way to get him on the court, and there are suddenly tons of wings on the roster with whom to fight for minutes.

Beasley, Edwards, Culver, and Layman are all in the mix to play wing minutes, so naturally, the ticket to getting Okogie on the floor more often just might be at the 4.

Don’t forget, the Wolves want to play fast, and Okogie is both outstanding in transition and strong defensively. If Minnesota ends up playing small on a more frequent basis, Okogie is a real option to pair with Towns in the frontcourt.

Offensively, his role at the 4 may be a better match, too: more cutting opportunities, more corner 3-point attempts, and less ball-handling on the perimeter.

The Wolves suit-up for their first preseason game this coming Saturday, so we’ll get a sense of what Saunders is thinking in relatively short order.