B/R confirms that Timberwolves young core surpasses that of Jazz (and 21 other teams)

The Minnesota Timberwolves roster was a mixture of veterans and youth last season, and at times it was a successful strategy. But more often than expected, the TImberwolves simply seemed to show up to games from an afternoon nap. It appeared as though the team was trying to shake off the cobwebs.

On many nights, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said as much.

For a team that willingly spent four of their next seven first-round picks, and was so eager to sign up veterans who had played for Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly in the past (i.e. his time with the Denver Nuggets), concerns began to grow over the fact that the Timberwolves roster would grow older artificially quickly.

And the comparisons to the Utah Jazz continued throughout the 2022-23 NBA season relentlessly. The Timberwolves were still trying to get a beachhead of familiarity with all their new players, while the Jazz were almost instantly comfortable with a rotation of new faces. Still, which team is getting younger AND better?

Wolves felt ‘old’ in the 2022-23 NBA season

The Timberwolves certainly felt ‘old’ throughout the 2022-23 NBA season. PF Karl-Anthony Towns suffered a lower leg injury that sidelined him for 59 games. Center Rudy Gobert fought off an ankle injury and back spasms all season. PF Taurean Prince suffered a shoulder injury that cut deeply into his playing time.

While it was all normal NBA injury stuff, it felt at times like the Minnesota Timberwolves should order in a bulk shipment of Icy Hot or Ben Gay just to apply a preemptive strike on all of the sore muscles and aching joints that seemed to spring out of nowhere among Timberwolves players.

But perhaps my concerns were a tad too soon? Perhaps my protesting was a bit premature? After all, here we are in the 2023 NBA off-season, and the Timberwolves roster is suddenly one of the younger and certainly more impressive NBA rosters with players at or younger than 25 years of age. Need proof?

Wolves players 25 years old and younger

Fast forward a year later, or at least part of a year later. At the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline, the Timberwolves exchanged 27-year-old PG D’Angelo Russell for 35-year-old PG Mike Conley Jr. and 24-year-old SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker. That was just the appetizer.

The Timberwolves released 29-year-old PF Taurean Prince and signed 23-year-old Troy Brown Jr. The team did not resign 24-year-old SG Jaylen Nowell, instead drafting 21-year-old SG Jaylen Clark. The team did not extend 30-year-old veteran guard Austin Rivers, opting instead to sign 26-year-old guard Shake Milton. And then, the team drafted 19-year-old wonder power forward/center Leonard Miller for the cherry on top.

Isn’t the goal of any NBA Draft merely to infuse young talent into an NBA team’s roster each year? If so, then without the benefit of a first-round draft pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, how do you explain the Minnesota Timberwolves’ sudden youth movement?

1. SG Anthony Edwards (21)
2. SF Jaden McDaniels (22)
3. C Naz Reid (23)
4. Wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker (24)
5. SF/PF Troy Brown Jr (23)
6. Wing Wendell Moore Jr (21)
7. PF Josh Minott (20)
8. F/C Leonard Miller (19)
9. SG Jaylen Clark (21)

While that is not all of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ starting 5, it is a huge portion of the team and shows just how incredibly effective Timberwolves President Tim Connelly has been since arriving.

Just for the record, the first-round picks from the group include Anthony Edwards, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Troy Brown, and Wendell Moore Jr., while Leonard Miller and Jaylen Clark both had first-round draft pick projections.  As for Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, and Josh Minott, do not let their draft selection fool you.  All three are proving to be better and better basketball players each year.

Bleacher Report ranks Timberwolves’ young core

The truth of the matter is that the Minnesota Timberwolves have clobbered the competition in terms of feeding their team talented young players, despite what many on social media have dubbed ‘The worst trade in NBA history.’  Truth be told, draft picks are only as valuable as the players acquired with them. Right now, it truly appears as though the Timberwolves are winning where it counts, in the talent on their roster.

So Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale took it upon himself to write an article that addressed the effectiveness of NBA teams to onboard young talent, or as the criteria of his article termed it, the 23-year-old and younger crowd. He named his article Ranking the Best Young NBA Cores After Free Agency and covered the Top-10 NBA teams with a solid core of young contributors.

The Timberwolves’ young core is NBA Playoff tested

In the article, the Minnesota Timberwolves were ranked seventh among ten NBA teams. The kicker? The Utah Jazz did not even make the list.  Here’s what Favale had to say about the Wolves’ young guns:

"‘It’s tempting to put the Timberwolves higher. Edwards is #ThatDude, in every way and shape and form. Jaden McDaniels partners relentless defense and dependable shooting with a disarming and burgeoning floor game. We need to see more from the rest before jacking up Minnesota’ collective ranking.’ – per Bleacher Report Dan Favale"

Just for the record, the Timberwolves were ranked higher than the Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Hornets, and Indiana Pacers. The team ranked below the Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, and of course, the San Antonio Spurs.

While I’m not quite to the point where I’m willing to argue that the Timberwolves’ young core is better than that of the Thunder and the Spurs, every other team is fair game. The Timberwolves’ young players are not just gifted, but this is a group of players who, with the exception of rookie additions Leonard Miller and Jaylen Clark, are NBA Playoff tested.

There are four levels of play in the NBA.

1. Summer League
2. Preseason games
3. Regular season games
4. NBA Playoffs

Most players who are NBA-worthy can get to level 3. But even very good NBA players wilt in level 4. That is not true of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ young players, who seem to get better in the NBA Playoffs.

The Timberwolves are not just getting younger. And the Timberwolves are certainly not stockpiling draft picks for a rainy day. The Timberwolves are taking meticulous care to fit the right players to the Timberwolves roster, much like a person might take their time to sort through a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle for just the right piece.

This is certainly not a race. But there is a bit of a success factor at play here as well. So far, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ streak of competing in the NBA Playoffs continues. And if this Bleacher Report article is close to accurate, the Timberwolves will continue to do so for a very long time.