4 Timberwolves worth watching after 3 preseason games

Player I: Anthony Edwards

The Minnesota Timberwolves know that their success this season will depend upon the shooting skills of Anthony Edwards. Fortunately, the team may be getting a bonus this season, as Ant-Man intends to be noted for his defense as well. That is another unexpected plus so far that we’ve been pleasantly observing in preseason games so far.

That is not to say that Edwards has lost his touch on the offensive end of the court.  In three games, the young shooting guard is averaging 17.0 points per game in just over 24 minutes. While you may expect his scoring to go up, so will his playing time. In fact, his minutes per game are expected to average nearly 36 minutes, so you can look for 26 points per game as a pretty good estimate.

A shot in the dark

And yes, Edwards can still pile up the points.

Edwards has plenty of scoring in him, but where he will make a significant contribution to the Timberwolves this season is on the defensive court. With the Timberwolves upgrading their front-court defense, the team will need perimeter defense to keep pace with a roster that is already forcing opponents to rethink their offensive strategy.

The Timberwolves need an improved defense to be more successful this season. By the offseason roster moves, it appears that the Timberwolves have enhanced the odds of doing so significantly. But if the time comes and players like Anthony Edwards have also elevated their defense, that is more than just a shot in the dark. That will put this Timberwolves team on course to perhaps make significant noise in the NBA Playoffs this season.

All of this from just three preseason games? Optimism comes easily this time of year. But in my defense, the Timberwolves are 3-0 in preseason so far. So why look for something to fret about?