One of the hallmarks of a good team is a strong second unit that can produce when the starters are sitting, and the Minnesota Timberwolves had one of the best scoring benches in the NBA last season. They ranked eighth in the league with 38.7 points per game scored by bench players. Malik Beasley held the highest scoring average of any non-starter for the Wolves in 2022 at 12.1 points per contest.
With Beasley now a member of the Utah Jazz, someone else on the Timberwolves’ roster will be stepping up to fill the sixth man role. If Jaden McDaniels weren’t getting a likely starting nod, he’d be the clear choice here. But with the third-year wing expected to be moving up to start at small forward, we’ll have to look elsewhere.
Will it be a player from last year’s roster, or one of the new additions that steps up to lead the Timberwolves’ bench? Let’s examine the likely candidates.
3. Naz Reid
Entering his fourth season in the league with Minnesota after going undrafted in 2019, Reid has become a more than serviceable player and very solid option at backup center. Last season, he played behind Jarred Vanderbilt, and put up averages of 8.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in a career-low 15.8 minutes per game.
Those numbers might not pop off the page, but Naz would be putting up far better numbers if he got more minutes. His per 36 minutes stats resemble those of a starting center, and he’s an excellent energy player off the bench.
When Reid is on the floor, he’s routinely in the right place at the right time to grab a rebound and finish with a put-back dunk, or showing off his playmaking skill with surprisingly accurate passes. He can play at the four or the five, so he can provide valuable minutes when either Karl-Anthony Towns or Rudy Gobert get into foul trouble. It’s not a stretch to think he could put together his best season yet with this group.
2. Kyle Anderson
One of the Timberwolves’ newest free agent signings, Kyle Anderson comes to Minnesota from Memphis to replace lost wing production. He’s had a very successful eight-year career, and I believe he’s going to gel wonderfully with the rest of the Wolves’ bench.
During his time with the Spurs and Grizzlies, Anderson played a valuable role as a big wing playmaker with a high basketball IQ and special physical tools. He’s not the fastest player, hence his “Slo-Mo” nickname, but what he lacks in burst he more than makes up for with pure skill.
Playing at a controlled, methodical tempo, Anderson is an excellent passer, ranking in the 86th percentile for assist percentage and the 93rd percentile for assist to usage ratio last season, per Cleaning The Glass. Simply put, he’s going to create more opportunities for his teammates than most any other player.
Couple his playmaking skill with his length and knack for getting steals, and you’ve got a very unique and effective two-way player on your hands. Just a couple seasons ago, Anderson had the best campaign of his career in Memphis, putting up career-high averages nearly across the board. If he can replicate some of that magic, he’s an excellent candidate to be the Wolves’ sixth man.
1. Jaylen Nowell
After being selected 43rd overall by the Timberwolves in 2019, Jaylen Nowell has been coming along slowly but surely. He played in 20 more games last season than in 2021, and we started to see what he can become for Minnesota in the long term.
A quick and nimble scoring guard, Nowell has showed flashes of a quick first step that helps him get by defenders, and his shooting stroke is absolutely lethal. He shot just under 40% from three-point range last season on 2.6 attempts per game. His best outing came on December 27th when he knocked down six threes on his way to a career-high 29 points.
What’s interesting to note is that Nowell has also been a superb mid-range shooter in his career so far. He’s shot at or above 50% from the 10 to 16 foot range in each of his three seasons as a pro. Being able to score efficiently certainly bodes well for his chances to be the team’s sixth man next season.
And his minutes should only be going up from here. With the addition of Patrick Beverley last summer, his playing time took a slight hit in 2022. But this season looks to be his best chance to find an even bigger role in the rotation, and I think that’s exactly what we’ll see him do.