Minnesota Timberwolves drop final Las Vegas Summer League contest

The Minnesota Timberwolves wrapped up play in Las Vegas Summer League with a blowout loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Jaden McDaniels and Jaylen Nowell did not dress for the Summer Wolves, and their teammates, save for Isaiah Miller, failed to put up much of a fight.

Minnesota Timberwolves drop final Las Vegas Summer League contest

McDaniels and Nowell each did what was asked of them in Las Vegas and earned the night off after the Wolves went 4-0 in preliminary round play but did not reach the championship game due to the point differential tie-breaker.

McDaniels averaged 16.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while Nowell finished fifth in Las Vegas Summer League in scoring, putting up 22.5 points per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field.

Without the scoring punch from the Wolves’ roster players, the offense faltered mightily.

Minnesota was down 16-13 after the first quarter before mustering only nine points in the second quarter. At one point, the Pelicans went on a 30-3 run spanning the second and third frames.

When it was all said and done, only Exhibit 10 contract player Isaiah Miller scored in double figures for the Wolves. He finished with 13 points on 6-of-10 shooing and his third highlight-reel dunk of Summer League. Miller was active and relentless on both ends of the floor, which describes his performance in all of his summer performances.

Timberwolves two-way players McKinley Wright IV and Nathan Knight failed to step up as expected.

Wright shot just 3-of-15 from the field en route to eight points, six rebounds, two assists, and two turnovers. Knight played only 17 minutes and shot 2-for-6 from the field and had seven points and seven rebounds before he appeared to be hit in the eye on a flagrant foul

As a team, the Wolves shot just 29.2 percent from the field and only managed 12 assists on 21 made baskets from the field. They were 6-of-29 (20.7 percent) from beyond the arc.

The biggest takeaway from this game? Miller’s credentials as a legitimate fringe NBA player. His status as an Exhibit 10 player means that he is incentivized to play for the Iowa Wolves of the G League, but there’s always the chance that another organization comes calling — perhaps one with a two-way slot remaining.

Overall, the Wolves had a successful run in Vegas, finishing with a 4-1 record. Their roster players checked the necessary boxes, and by all accounts, the team stayed healthy.

We’ll unpack the biggest takeaways from the last week-plus soon here at DWW. Stay tuned.