The Timberwolves have managed their young players well this season

The Timberwolves’ development dance

The Timberwolves have two rookies – SG/SF Wendell Moore Jr and PF Josh Minott – and two players on Two-Way contracts – C Luka Garza and PF Matt Ryan – who have been commuting between the NBA Minnesota Timberwolves and the team’s G-League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves.

The number of games played on each team is shown below:

• Name                         #NBA games      #G-League games
  Wendell Moore Jr.          24                             4
  Josh Minott                      11                             8
  Matt Ryan                         20                             2
  Luka Garza                        22                             2

As you can see, the Minnesota Timberwolves have done a pretty good job of keeping each of their young players active, whether in the NBA or in the G-League, to ensure that they are getting sufficient playing time.

The investment may pay off this season

That may not seem very important now, but it takes a lot of discipline to manage the younger players on the roster, particularly in the face of so much adversity and injuries so far. But like seeds that are planted in the springtime, the investment in their younger players will pay off handsomely. While this is still a team in the hunt for a berth in the NBA Playoffs, this is also a team with an eye to the future.

Yes, the Minnesota Timberwolves are very much vying for an NBA Playoff berth. At times, it seems as though the Timberwolves will pull it off, and appear in their second consecutive NBA Playoffs. At other times, the team seems dysfunctional, confused, and listless, as though the team has little interest in competing and not enough energy to do so if they found their interest piqued once more.

While unlikely, the Timberwolves may need the contribution from one or more of their young players to ensure that they do indeed claim a spot in the NBA Playoffs this year. If that happens, it will all have been worth it. But whether or not heroics from one of the young players will come about before the end of this season, I already believe that the investment was worth it.