While many believe the Minnesota Timberwolves roster to be a group of mature, seasoned NBA veterans, nothing could be further from the truth. Truth be told the Timberwolves roster is a healthy blend of veteran savviness and youthful energy. That’s not an accident, as Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly is thoughtful about such matters.
One of the unexpected benefits of rostering young players on an NBA team is the fact that many players continue to grow taller as they age. Well, that is exactly what happened to Timberwolves small forward Jaden McDaniels, who could be pushing All-Star power forward Karl-Anthony Towns as the runner-up in height to All-Star center Rudy Gobert:
Summer buzz: hearing that Jaden McDaniels is measuring at 6-foot-11 at his latest workouts. 22 years old and still growing.
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) August 7, 2023
With that growth spurt, the Timberwolves will have not one, not two, but three NBA starters who measure 6-foot-11 or taller on the basketball court. Talk about creating big problems for opposing teams.
So what are we looking at, in terms of the overall Minnesota Timberwolves roster? Well, things are looking up (pun intended).
Naz Reid: 6’9”
— The Lead (@TheLeadSM) August 7, 2023
Kyle Anderson: 6’9”
Jaden McDaniels: 6’11”
Karl-Anthony Towns: 7’0”
Rudy Gobert: 7’1”
5 of the Wolves main 8/9 rotation players are 6’9” or taller. Pretty absurd 😳 pic.twitter.com/3t1lsXZKJK
How does that break down in terms of minutes played last season? Well, as we do that, let’s add other skyscrapers on the Timberwolves roster to the mix as well:
- Player Ht. MPG
- Naz Reid 6’9″ 18.4
- Kyle Anderson: 6’9” 28.4
- Jaden McDaniels: 6’11” 30.6
- Karl-Anthony Towns: 7’0” 33.0
- Rudy Gobert: 7’1” 30.7
- Luka Garza 6’10” 8.7
- Leonard Miller 6’10” T.B.D
While the Minnesota Timberwolves know that the team has drafted rookie Leonard Miller with a recorded height of 6-foot-10 inches now, the belief is that due to the fact that he is just 19 years old, he will follow Jaden McDaniels and shoot up another two or three inches in height. That fact could create the incentive for the team to move on from veteran Karl-Anthony Towns and open more playing time for some of the younger ‘bigs’ on the roster. We’ve just discussed three trade scenarios, but more continue to surface rather quickly.
But, for now, height seems to be the name of the game for the Minnesota Timberwolves roster. And when younger players earn their spot in the rotation, things will get very interesting. If and when that happens, the Timberwolves will truly have a size advantage against most NBA teams. The Minnesota Timberwolves roster is growing, and that spells trouble for the NBA this season.