Ranking the 8 worst Timberwolves starters of the Karl-Anthony Towns era
By Will Eudy
5. Shabazz Napier
When the Brooklyn Nets acquired Kevin Durant in the summer of 2019, they shipped out Shabazz Napier to Golden State. Soon after, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves where he would remain for half of the 2019-20 season.
From October 2019 until February 2020 when the Wolves ultimately dealt Napier away, he started in 22 of the 36 contests he suited up for in Minnesota. Unfortunately, he suffered from one of his worst statistical shooting seasons while with the franchise.
Napier shot just 40% from the floor and an abysmal 29% from three in his three dozen games with the Timberwolves. Standing at just 6-foot-1, Napier was a player that was forced to rely heavily on his shooting without significant size to benefit him. With his shot running cold, the Wolves knew he would not be a viable long-term option.
The fact that Minnesota was forced to start him for the majority of his time with the team that season just speaks to how bleak things were just before the arrival of Anthony Edwards. That Wolves team lost 11 straight games in December 2019, helping them finish with just 19 wins and land the top overall pick in the 2020 draft.