Can the Minnesota Timberwolves build on their 2021-22 season?
By Bret Stuter
The 2020 NBA Draft turned it all around
The Minnesota Timberwolves entered the 2020 NBA Draft with a trio of solid draft picks. They had a lottery pick, the 17th overall pick, and the 33rd overall pick. But that was about to change. You see, unlucky on the court sometimes leads to good fortune with the NBA Lottery. Like the 2020 NBA Lottery results for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 2020 #NBADraftLottery order is set. pic.twitter.com/6PLlYKKhY3
— NBA (@NBA) August 21, 2020
Armed with the first overall pick, the Timberwolves had a bit of wiggle room in terms of their remaining picks. The mechanics of what the Timberwolves did during the draft are better explained in this article (click the link here). But as far as the results? The Minnesota Timberwolves emerged with three new players:
Anthony Edwards was the crown jewel of the 2020 NBA Draft for the Timberwolves
SF. Anthony Edwards. 527. NBA Draft Net. NBA Draft Room. Georgia. 1. player
Leandro Bolmaro played out his contract with FC Barcelona through the 2020-2021 season.
23. player. 2378. NBA Draft Profile. NBA Draft Net. SG. FC Barcelona. Leandro Bolmaro
Jaden McDaniels was a solid piece and could be a nice contributor for years to come.
Curiously, McDaniels has been much more effective for the Timberwolve than Bolmaro, but likely due to his getting a year head start on his international teammate. The Timberwolves did not have any draft picks in the 2021 NBA Draft. That means that the team’s success this season was entirely based upon the results of that 2020 draft. So now that we have the players who contributed to the Minnesota Timberwolves’ success, what do we know about the 2022-23 NBA season?