Wolves fans, It’s okay to be excited about rookie Leonard Miller

With every new season, there is the accompanying thrill of a new opportunity, the chance to take last year’s lessons and set things right. And for Minnesota Timberwolves fans, there are plenty of things to ‘set right’ this year.  After all the pomp and excitement over trading a huge package of picks and players to the Utah Jazz to land the NBA’s best rim protector in center Rudy Gobert, a series of injuries prevented the team from doing any better than a 42-40 season.

While that was enough to land the team a second consecutive berth in the NBA Playoffs, it was a less successful season than many hoped. But this is a new dawn to a new season, and we have a new reason to feel very optimistic.

What reason is that? Well, rookie Leonard Miller is just 19 years old, he has the size of an NBA center, the ball-handling skills of an NBA point guard, and the ferocity and defensive chops of an NBA small forward:

Isn’t it fun to feel excited and optimistic about a new rookie on the Timberwolves roster? It certainly adds a bit of intrigue and novelty to a core that is the same as that of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.  While continuity is vital for the Timberwolves’ chances this year, Leonard Miller adds a bit of spice to a familiar Timberwolves roster and rotation.

Leonard Miller has serious NBA upside

What do the Minnesota Timberwolves execs say about the guy? So far, he is checking all of the boxes.

Yes, rookie Leonard Miller is that good. But why tease you with a smattering of his play, when we can share 11 minutes of his video breakdown?

Lost in some of this assessment is the fact that, much like the rising star of Anthony Edwards, Leonard Miller is just 19 years old. That means that if he plays as long as veteran point guard Mike Conley Jr, he has 16 years of competitive NBA seasons ahead.

While it’s way too early to count on a 16-season career for Miller, there are plenty of indications that he will be more than a bench body this season. He can rebound, score points, and handle the basketball, and he is all over the basketball court.

The Minnesota Timberwolves may have their sights on advancing in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, but there is room for a talented rookie like Leonard Miller to contribute. I, for one, think that he will do exactly that.