Examining 3 potential Minnesota Timberwolves starting lineups

When the Minnesota Timberwolves take the floor for their season opener in less than three weeks, they’ll be boasting one of the most talented rosters in the entire NBA. With a multitude of talent at their disposal, they’ll have a chance to finish with one of the best records in the Western Conference.

Several All-Star caliber players will be presumptive starters, and a three-time Defensive Player of the Year will be anchoring the defense. From top to bottom, the Timberwolves will be a force to be reckoned with.

With so much talent in the mix for playing time, who will be the day one starters in Minnesota? The answer may seem obvious, but there’s a few different routes the Timberwolves could end up going. Let’s take a look.

1. Russell, Edwards, McDaniels, Towns, Gobert

This starting lineup seems like the most likely scenario for Minnesota. D’Angelo Russell takes the reigns at point guard with Anthony Edwards playing the two. And as expected, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert start alongside each other to form a monstrous starting frontcourt.

The most interesting piece in this lineup is likely the third-year wing Jaden McDaniels starting at the three. After coming off the bench for the majority of his first two professional seasons, McDaniels earns the start in this potential lineup.

Jaden’s inclusion with the starters certainly makes sense. Highly skilled and standing at 6’9″, his ability as a 3-and-D player could be a real ceiling-raiser for the Timberwolves over the course of the season.

Knocking down threes at a rate of 34% for his career and consistently being relied on as both a perimeter and interior defender, McDaniels has what it takes to be an effective starter in year three. His inclusion in this lineup rounds out what would be the most effective overall starting unit for Minnesota.

2. Russell, Edwards, Anderson, Towns, Gobert

While the first unit we looked at is probably the Timberwolves’ best bet for their most effective starting lineup, there’s going to be some nights where they’ll want to make some tweaks.

As talented as Jaden McDaniels is, it’s safe to assume he’s the most replaceable player among the five starters listed on the previous slide. Anthony Edwards is a rising superstar in this league, and the other three remaining starters have all been named All-Stars at some point in their careers.

So who would be the best candidate to swap out McDaniels for? Look no further than one of the Timberwolves’ newest summer acquisitions, Kyle Anderson.

One of the smarter basketball players in the NBA, Anderson uses his lengthy frame and quick wit to set others up for success. He finds his teammates for easy looks at a high rate, and he ranked in the 86th percentile of all NBA players last season in assist percentage, per Cleaning The Glass.

Slo-Mo is also a highly capable defender, averaging 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks per game last season in Memphis. He’s the basketball equivalent of a queen on a chess board, being able to do multiple important things on the floor at a high level.

If the Timberwolves are looking for a little lineup versatility, throwing Kyle Anderson in with the other presumed starters will likely be one of the best options they have.

3. Russell, Nowell, Edwards, Towns, Gobert

The final potential lineup we’ll look at includes the addition of Jaylen Nowell into the starting unit. While we shouldn’t expect to see Nowell in the starting lineup on opening night, he’s talented enough that Chris Finch may consider utilizing him with the starters sooner or later.

In this five-man lineup, Jaylen Nowell slides in at the two spot, bumping Anthony Edwards to play at the three. The main motivation in having Nowell in the starting unit is his scoring prowess.

He’s a player that doesn’t need to take a lot of shots to score a lot of points, and that could be something highly useful for Minnesota at various points in the season. While he’ll have the challenge of scoring against better defenders while playing with the starters, it’s still a role he could thrive in.

If Jaylen is able to provide his usual shooting touch and continues to shoot around the 40% mark from beyond the arc, he could be a lethal addition next to the starters. With him and Edwards both major threats to attack the basket or score from outside, opposing defenses will be forced to help off of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert even more frequently.

Putting another efficient and skilled scorer next to Russell and Edwards could add another layer to the Timberwolves’ offense, and we shouldn’t be surprised to see Nowell included with the starters several times throughout the year.