The Minnesota Timberwolves, believe it or not, have drawn up most of the finishing touches to the open their of their 35th season as an NBA franchise. From a modest beginning in 1989 alongside the Orlando Magic, the franchise did not immediately find success. But along the way, the team captured some of the NBA’s best versions of professional basketball and became the launching point of some of the league’s most successful players.
To showcase that abundance of NBA talent that began with the Timberwolves, let’s take a look back at the best rookie seasons by any player in the history of the franchise. Over the last 34 years, the Minnesota Timberwolves have had two Rookie of the Year award-winners. In fact, they came in back-to-back seasons.
The Timberwolves drafted a new pair of promising rookies from the 2023 NBA Draft: Forward Leonard Miller and guard Jaylen Clark. While both players were selected in the second round, both carried projections of Round 1 prospects. For Miller, he has NBA center size but the ball-handling chops of a point guard. For Clark, he is one of the most accomplished defensively skilled prospects in the Class of 2023 to emerge from the college ranks.
Timberwolves rookies have been part of this team’s history
But there have also been 15 rookies in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ history who deserve to be mentioned in the Timberwolves’ All-Time Lists. Hopefully, the contribution of present players will be so noteworthy that we will need to amend this list.
There have only been seven different players to make All-Star Game appearances as representatives of the Timberwolves. Four of the seven have been “home-grown”, meaning that they started their pro careers with the Wolves. All four of those players made it onto our top 10.
A number of factors played into the decision to include each of the players that did make the cut. Both overall production and efficiency matter, as we’ll see in the players who just missed. Team performance factors into the ranking as well, but only as a tiebreaker of sorts.
In the end, 34 seasons is a bit limiting from the pool of top rookies, simply because it does take a special sort of NBA rookie to not only make the team but to earn enough playing time to make a meaningful contribution to the team that would warrant appearing in our list. So without further adieu, let’s press on and start talking about Minnesota Timberwolves rookies.
Timberwolves top rookies
So let’s talk about the players who just missed the top 10. The Minnesota Timberwolves, while a fairly young NBA team, have enjoyed the benefits of plenty of excellent NBA play. And this list is likely to change over time.
Why?
With each new season, the Timberwolves add a new rookie class that has its own set of candidates for consideration. While some players may have had solid NBA careers, some players needed more time and opportunity than they were given in their rookie season to make much of an impression.
Well, enough chat. Let’s get to this list, shall we?
Player 15: Corey Brewer (2007-08)
Corey Brewer, also known as the Drunken Dribbler, was a versatile 6-foot-9 shooting guard or small forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He appeared in 79 games for the Wolves, starting in 35 of those contests. Despite getting 22.8 minutes per game, he was only able to produce modest statistics at 5.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.
That was a bit underwhelming for a player selected with the seventh overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft. Still, he did get plenty of work in his rookie season.
Player 14: Kris Dunn (2016-17)
Kris Dunn was selected as the fifth player named in the 2016 NBA Draft. He was a promising 6-foot-3 205-pound point guard out of Providence, and his size and ability to run the floor were not disputed. Unfortunately, that did not seem to translate to the NBA, particularly to the scheme that the Minnesota Timberwolves were playing.
He appeared in 78 games but started just seven contests. Even with managing just 17.1 minutes, many expected more than the 3.8 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.1 rebounds per game average. He was traded after just one season with the Timberwolves, and he managed to put up respectable numbers for the Chicago Bulls the following year.
Player 13: Felton Spencer (1990-91)
Felton Spencer is a 7-foot-0 center who joined the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1990 out of Louisville and played three seasons for the Timberwolves. In his career, he came in with the fourth-highest Win Shares for a rookie in Timberwolves history, but he only attempted 4.7 shots per game on his way to 7.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Over the course of his career, he would ultimately play three seasons for the Timberwolves, playing in 213 games and starting in 148 of them.
He would help the Timberwolves to a 29-53 record in 1990-91, a 15-67 record in 1991-92, and a 16-63 record in 1992-93. While he was not known for his offense, Spencer was the Minnesota Timberwolves early version of a rim protector. In his rookie season, he hauled in 7.9 rebounds per game and tallied 1.5 blocks per game. He would continue on in his NBA career as a rotational player, but he would seldom replicate the type of NBA season that he enjoyed with the Timberwolves as an NBA rookie.
Player 12: Isaiah Rider (1993-94)
Isaiah Rider was a 6-foot-5 215-pound rookie shooting guard who is the lone rookie on this list who managed to score over 15 points, actually putting up 16.6 points per game, who didn’t land among the Top-10 rookies on this list. You may be asking yourself, why?
Well, truth be told is that he sold out on offense like so many NBA rookies have done in the past, that his defense suffered considerably. In fact, it was poor defense and a general lack of production in non-scoring categories that resulted in him coming in only at 18th in Win Shares. For his rookie season, he put up 16.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game to help the Minnesota Timberwolves finish with a 20-62 record in the 1993-94 NBA season.
Player 11: Craig Smith (2006-07)
Craig Smith was a 6-foot-7 250-pound power forward who joined the Timberwolves for the 2006-07 season. Of course, any player with nicknames of ‘The Rhino,’ and ‘Cookie Monster,’ are going to make some lists, and Smith is no exception. He was a second-round pick in 2006 and appeared in all 82 games, finishing with a 32-50 record that season.
While he played in all 82 games, he was only entrusted with five starts. Throughout the season, he was quite productive, generating 7.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in only 18.7 minutes per game. His minutes and overall production were solid, but he had the unfortunate timing of playing behind the great one, Kevin Garnett. His play coming off the bench simply was not quite enough to get him into the Top-10 list.
Player 10: Randy Foye (2006-07)
Combination guard Randy Foye was acquired in a draft-night trade that was a pretty bad draft-night deal for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who traded SG Brandon Roy to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for combo guard Foye. The Timberwolves were desperate to build around Kevin Garnett and that panic allowed them to fumble the 2006 NBA Draft mightily.
Of course, let’s not be blinded to the fact that the 6-foot-4 213-pound guard had a solid rookie season for the Timberwolves, averaging 10.1 points per game and shooting 36.8 percent from the perimeter. But the fact is that he played three of his 12 NBA seasons for the Timberwolves, rather than NBA Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy tells you all that you need to know.
Player 9: Ricky Rubio (2011-12)
Ricky Rubio was drafted with the fifth overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, but would not join the Minnesota Timberwolves until the 2011-12 NBA season. When he finally arrived, the 6-foot-2 190-pound point guard became an instant fan favorite among Timberwolves fans during his rookie year
The Minnesota Timberwolves would finish with a record of 26-40 because the NBA season was shortened due to a lockout that year. Even that was too much for Rubio, who was only able to compete in 41 games and start in 31 of those contests, due to an injury. Even so, he averaged 10.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 2.2 steals in his rookie season in 34.2 minutes per game.
Okay, now that we have the 11th through 15th-ranked rookies out of the way, let’s get into the top 10.
Player 8: Tyus Jones (Nov. 2015 – April 2016)
The Minnesota Timberwolves added rookie Tyrus Jones during the 2015 NBA Draft. That was the draft in which the Minnesota Timberwolves landed the first overall pick, and promptly acted to select center Karl-Anthony Towns from Kentucky. Later in that same draft, the Timberwolves traded the 31st and 36th overall picks in the draft to the Cleveland Cavaliers to acquire Duke point guard Tyrus Jones.
Cleveland is trading Tyus Jones to Minnesota, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 26, 2015
In his rookie season, Jones played in 37 games and played an average of
Stats: 15.5 MPG scoring 4.2 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 2.9 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 35.9 FG percent.
While that is not exactly the type of performance that warrants more playing time, it does point to a raw prospect who simply needed more work.
Tyrus Jones arrived at the Minnesota Timberwolves on Cloud 9. Not only was he selected in Round 1 of the 2015 NBA Draft, but he was coming to play for his favorite NBA head coach, Flip Saunders. But tragedy struck, as Coach Saunders lost a battle with cancer, and passed on October 2015. As a result, Jones would not be playing for Coach Saunders but rather would be playing for new Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau.
The shock of losing a head coach and close personal friend derailed the rookie season for Tyrus Jones. Still, he competed in 37 games and continued to improve gradually over time.
7. Zach LaVine (Oct. 2014 – March 2015)
Although Zach LaVine was entering his second NBA season by the time Tyrus Jones arrived, he was already showing signs of becoming an NBA star over the course of his career. And it was his star potential that attracted the Chicago Bulls, luring them to part ways with shooting guard Jimmy Butler and Justin Patton in exchange for LaVine, Kris Dunn, and Lauri Markannen.
Stats: 77 games | 24.7 MPG | 10.1 PPG | 2.8 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 42.2 FG percent
It was the pairing of LaVine and Andrew Wiggins that gave rise to the nickname, the “Bounce Brothers.” That was a misguided attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the Golden State Warriors ‘Splash Brothers,’ of Steph Kurray and Klay Thompson as the inspiration.
LaVine was a point guard for the Timberwolves in his rookie season, switching to shooting guard for the rest of his NBA nine-season career. While he played well enough for the Timberwolves, he did not see his first action in the NBA Playoffs until the Chicago Bulls reached the post-season in 2022.
He is one of the nine players who the TImberwolves gave up on far too soon, and even to this day NBA rumors occasionally spit out some trade scenario where the Timberwolves could reacquire LaVine. I fear that ship has sailed, but his rookie season with the Timberwolves was enough to spark the competitive edge into the future.
7. Wally Szczerbiak (1999 – 2000)
To discuss the next Minnesota Timberwolves rookie who made our list, we have to turn back the calendar to the beginning of the new millennium. 6-foot-7 244-pound small forward Wally Szczerbiak. Wally Szczerbiak was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the sixth overall pick during the 1999 NBA Draft from the University of Miami.
While he fit both a starter and rotational role for the Timberwolves, he was very efficient with his shooting. And he was able to contribute to the Timberwolves’ run with consecutive appearances, competing in five consecutive postseason competitions in his first five seasons.
Stats: 73 games | 29.7 MPG | 11.6 PPG | 3.7 RPG | 2.8 APG | 0.3 BPG | 51.1 FG percent
Wally Szczerbiak was simply the right player at the right time for the Timberwolves roster. He was not necessarily the biggest or most physical player on the Timberwolves roster at the time, but he was able to space the floor, spark some offense, and hit key three-pointers. That was exactly what the team needed with Kevin Garnett playing, and it harmonized with the intensity and physicality of Garnett’s smoldering presence.
Despite their success, he was never one of Garnett’s favorite teammates. But he was a solid scorer who was best suited for a catch-and-shoot role. He played 6+ seasons for the Timberwolves before a series of trades cycled him through three other NBA teams. Oh, and the pronunciation is: \ZUR-bee-ak\
6. Kevin Love (2008 – 2009)
The travels of Kevin Love over the course of his NBA career are nearly as fascinating as the career itself. Perhaps when the 6-foot-8 251-pound power forward finally calls it quits and retires, someone will be inspired to make a movie of his career.
Love was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, and was acquired by the Timberwolves on draft night. In his rookie season, he started 37 games and was devastatingly effective at vacuuming in rebounds. But his perimeter shot was horrendous, hitting on just 10.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Stats: 81 games | 25.3 MPG | 11.1 PPG | 9.1 RPG | 1.0 APG | 0.6 BPG |, 45.9 FG percent
While Love was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves and played six seasons for the Wolves, he never played a single postseason contest until he was swept up in one of the most surreal and unbelievable chapters in NBA history. You see, after signing with the Miami Heat, former Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James wanted to return to the Cavs. But he would only do so if the Cavaliers were able to assemble a competitive team around him.
As a result, a multiple-team trade resulted in Kevin Love being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Alex Shved, and Luc Mbah a Moute to the Philadelphia 76ers. In return, the Timberwolves acquired: Anthony Bennett, Andrew Wiggins, and Thaddeus Young.
While the clear winners of that trade resulted in the Cavaliers winning an NBA Championship, the Timberwolves did manage to learn from the deal in ways to improve their roster going forward.
5. Kevin Garnett (Nov. 1995 – April 1996)
Before anyone sees forward Kevin Garnett on this list of Top Minnesota Timberwolves as a fifth-ranked player, keep in mind that this list is focused exclusively on what a player did for the team in their first season in NBA competition. Some players simply hit the NBA basketball court running. Others must build up a head of steam to really get going.
It just so happened that Kevin Garnett needed a longer runway to get going up to full NBA speed.
That is not to say that Garnett struggled as an NBA rookie. But compared to his second and subsequent future seasons, he was not quite ‘there’ yet. He started just 43 of the 80 games played in his rookie season. This would be the only 37 games that he played in which he did not start over the course of his entire NBA career: All 1462 games with just 1425 starts. So how did he perform in his rookie season?
Stats: 80 games | 28.7 MPG | 10.4 PPG | 6.3 RPG | 1.8 APG | 1.1 SPG | 1.6 BPG | 49.1 FG percent
Garnett’s rookie season did not result in an appearance in the NBA Playoffs for the Minnesota Timberwolves. But his next eight seasons would. In fact, he would average more than 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists for the remainder of his playing days with the Timberwolves.
Kevin Garnett was the heart and soul of the Minnesota Timberwolves. But much like Kevin Love who soon followed, the Timberwolves failed to assemble a championship team around him.
4. Andrew Wiggins (Oct. 2014 – Feb. 2015)
Andrew Wiggins was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the first overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft. So how did it come to pass that he is showing up in the 15 top Minnesota Timberwolves rookies of all time? You can thank or blame LeBron James, and his demands in order to reunite with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The subsequent trade of power forward Kevin Love to the Cavaliers landed Wiggins on the Timberwolves roster for his 2014-15 rookie season. Wiggins started all 82 games for the Timberwolves and put up very promising numbers for his NBA debut.
82 games | 36.2 MPG | 16.9 PPG | 4.6 RPG| 2.1 APG | 1.0 SPG | 0.6 BPG, 43.7 FG% | 31.0 3P%
While the Timberwolves were encouraged by his rookie performance, expectations for his development into an elite NBA player were quickly dashed the following year. Despite the fact that he was a 6-foot-7 197-pound wing, he never mastered his perimeter shot. In fact, he was a high-volume shooter who relied upon his teammates to do the dirty work like defend, create shots, and get him the basketball when he was open.
Some NBA teams have that type of role for players, but that did not fit what the Timberwolves roster needed.
3. Stephon Marbury (Nov. 1996 – Feb. 1997)
When he was selected as the fourth overall player in the 1996 NBA Draft, Brooklyn-born Stephon Marbury was thinking all about his future NBA career. And 13 seasons in the NBA is a very solid span of time. But It would never have gotten off the ground if not for an outstanding rookie season with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 6-foot-2 180-pound point guard started 64 games for the Timberwolves and showcased a full range of point guard skills that would have made a seasoned veteran proud. Not only was he able to put points on the board, but he was able to involve his teammates as well, dishing out nearly eight assists in just his rookie season.
67 games | 34.7 MPG | 15.8 PPG | 2.7 RPG | 7.8 APG |1.0 SPG | 0.3 BPG | 40.8 FG% | 35.4 3P%
His first season with the Timberwolves helped to get the team into the NBA Playoffs. Once there, he ramped up his game even higher, putting up 21.3 points to go with 7.7 assists per game.
While he would play just under three seasons for the Timberwolves, his rookie season was certainly impressive. After a long NBA career, he has found a new basketball career playing in the Chinese basketball league.
2. Karl-Anthony Towns (Oct. 2015 – Nov. 2015)
It is quite easy to ignore the contribution of Karl-Anthony Towns to the success of the Minnesota Timberwolves. After all, since arriving on the Timberwolves roster as the first overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, Towns has consistently put up incredible numbers for the team. So much so that he has become like the sound of traffic in the city, simply background noise.
But when Karl-Anthony Towns arrived as a rookie in the NBA, the world of professional basketball had never seen a player like him before. Here is a 6-foot-11 248-pound stretch-5. He was able to play the physical game around the basket, compete for rebounds in the paint, and slide out to sink a laser-accurate perimeter shot, all in his rookie year.
82 games | 32.0 MPG | 18.3 PPG | 10.5 RPG | 2.0 APG | 0.7 SPG | 1.7 BPG | 54.2 FG% | 34.1 3P%
Unfortunately, some fans have become far too accustomed to that level of production, and have begun to focus less on what he can do for the Timberwolves, and more on what he does not do well.
Despite his incredible debut in the NBA, he was unable to compete in the NBA Playoffs until he got help. Help arrived first in the form of shooting guard Jimmy Butler. When that did not work out, he has to await the arrival of the next player on this list.
1. Anthony Edwards
While they play completely different positions, the only two occasions in Minnesota Timberwolves franchise history when a rookie arrived on the Timberwolves roster and subsequently appeared in the NBA Playoffs the next two seasons was PF Kevin Garnett and now SG Anthony Edwards.
While we cannot compare the two, we can track their similarities. In both cases, their rookie season was just an appetizer for the robust NBA production that would follow. Both Edwards and Garnett are intense, old-school focused players who rise to the challenge of competition. Both players love to play stifling defense. But perhaps most of all, both players can change the outcome of games almost single-handedly.
Anthony Edwards, also known as Ant-Man, was the first overall player selected in the 2020 NBA Draft, and he has never looked back. He started 55 of the 72 games played in 2020, and his numbers looked like he had played in the NBA for years.
72 games | 32.1 MPG | 19.3 PPG | 4.7 RPG | 2.9 APG | 1.1 SPG | 0.5 BPG | 41.7 FG % | 32. 9 3P%
While the team boasts two first-overall selected players on this roster, it’s clear that the team has pivoted from Karl-Anthony Towns to Anthony Edwards going forward. And that’s fine with the 6-foot-4 225-pound Edwards. Unlike Towns, Edwards’ forte is a tough defensive mindset that also delivers points and covers all aspects of the basketball game.
While some of the knocks against Towns are that he becomes too emotional, gets lost in arguing lost causes to the referees, and has a number of bad habits (like tripping) that get called far too often, Anthony Edwards moves on quickly and does not dwell on calls. Best of all, Edwards loves to surround himself with similarly-minded players.
That’s our Top 15 Minnesota Timberwolves rookies of All-Time. Let me know who you would have included, or not included in this list by commenting in our Facebook page comments section. Thanks for reading this one through to the end.