4 disastrous mistakes Minnesota Timberwolves must avoid this summer
By Bret Stuter
Mistake II: Failing to re-sign Luka Garza or Nickeil Alexander-Walker
The Minnesota Timberwolves front office has a lot on its plate this offseason, and you can expect that to be the case for quite some time. Even as the Timberwolves roster was assembled for the 2022-23 NBA season, the availability of so few players has left a bit of guesswork over the overall chemistry of the team, and of the players needed on this team. Two young players who truly showed above-expected production and grit are shooting guard/small forward Nickeil Alexander-Walker and center Luka Garza.
While center Luka Garza was not signed to a standard NBA contract to close out the 2022-23 NBA season, and compete in the 2023 NBA Playoffs for the Minnesota Timberwolves, there are plenty of reasons why he should be re-signed to the team for the 2023-24 NBA season. For starters, Garza split his time between the Minnesota Timberwolves and their G-League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves. Even with that commute, he logged in 28 games for the Timberwolves, averaging 8.7 minutes and 6.5 points per game.
Extend the pair that exceeded expectations
Garza was the guy that the Timberwolves leaned on when both Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert were unable to suit up and his enthusiastic and passionate play as he competed with next to no advance warning was very impressive. Over the course of extending the big names on the Timberwolves roster, the front office cannot overlook the need to retain those younger players who surpassed expectations as well.
Shooting guard/small forward Nickeil Alexander-Walker arrives as almost an afterthought during the NBA Trade Deadline exchange that sent PG D’Angelo Russell to the Los Angeles Lakers and acquired PG Mike Conley Jr. from the Utah Jazz, as well as three future second-round picks. Initially, NAW was viewed as a pawn in the trade to help balance out the salaries between the three teams.
It quickly became apparent that Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly saw the potential for Alexander-Walker to fill a 3-and-D role for the Timberwolves. A 3-and-D player is a wing player, a shooting guard, or a small forward, who has an uncanny ability to play above average defense or the “D”, as well as score effectively from the perimeter, or the “3.”
NAW performed so well in that role that he became a starter in four of five games in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs for his defensive abilities. It would be incredibly foolish for the Timberwolves front office to allow either NAW or Garza to play elsewhere next season.