4 disastrous mistakes Minnesota Timberwolves must avoid this summer

Mistake I: Failing to find a true successor to PG Mike Conley Jr.

While the Minnesota Timberwolves have another season of veteran point guard Mike Conley Jr., the team has to address the matter of his successor this offseason. After all, the truth is that the Timberwolves are a completely different team with a true field general leading this team, and it showed. Now that the Timberwolves have discovered the full benefit of a veteran point guard, this team will need to identify and add his successor at point guard to the team’s roster.

The Timberwolves muddled through most of the 2022-23 NBA season with guard D’Angelo Russell as the designated point guard, and over that period backup point guard Jordan McLaughlin benefited from that comparison. But now, compared to Mike Conley Jr., McLaughlin pales on both offense and defense. And after four seasons in the NBA, that’s not going to cut it for a Timberwolves team that not only wants to compete in the NBA Playoffs but wants to get better each year in the process.

Point to this backup

The Timberwolves projected starting 5 for the 2023-24 NBA season will likely be the same 5 who the team ended the 2022-23 NBA season with. Namely, the Timberwolves will likely go with PG Mike Conley Jr., SG Anthony Edwards, SF Jaden McDaniels, PF Karl-Anthony Towns, and C Rudy Gobert. Behind them, the Timberwolves likely have C Naz Reid and Luka Garza, PF Kyle Anderson and Taurean Prince, SF Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG Jaylen Nowell, and Wendell Moore Jr. But who slides in at point guard?

That is what the Timberwolves must figure out this offseason.

While it would be ideal to know who will fill that role out of the gates, the Timberwolves can add two young prospects and toggle between the pair until one stands out over the other. Of course, the Timberwolves could make another exchange for a true future point guard at the NBA Trade Deadline, but that presumes that the right player will be available at the right price.

The Timberwolves should be a far more competitive team this season. But the only way that the team’s risk-taking over trading so much for veteran center Rudy Gobert pays off is for the team to find ways to upgrade their roster each offseason.

Four mistakes that the Minnesota Timberwolves must avoid this summer. And for my part, I believe that they can. After all, we’ll all be watching them every step of the way.