2 new Timberwolves stars may be shining in north this year

Even as the Minnesota Timberwolves were unable, or unwilling, to include any rookies in their 2022-23 NBA season rotation on opening night, this is a team that has invested quite heavily into young players. So the mirage about this team struggling going forward due to a lack of replenishing the ranks with new rookie talent may be overdone a bit.

You needn’t fear that this team is getting too long in the tooth too soon. In fact, in terms of excitement, raw NBA Talent, and a breakout season, the Timberwolves may have one of the most fertile rosters for young stars to emerge and shine this season.

The key to any NBA team’s future success, but particularly to that of a small market NBA team like the Minnesota Timberwolves, is a constant and rising cadence of enthusiasm and optimism.

We all know that the team is not just competing for relevance today, but for many years to come. The Minnesota Timberwolves front office, led by Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly, has taken great care to balance this Timberwolves roster with enough veteran presence to win now but ensure an ample supply of energetic youth to continue to improve the team’s fortunes into the future.

Not just balancing the team with the ability to score, but a dramatic ramping up of velcro-like defense as well. It’s not lost on President Connelly that scoring points fill the seats for an NBA team. But, shutting down opposing teams from scoring points fills the NBA Trophy case.

And so, the Minnesota Timberwolves are aiming for both this season, but giving a much greater effort than ever before to adding some hardware to the trophy case. And to do that, they are entrusting two young NBA stars to rise to the occasion.

Never enough defense in the NBA

You may describe Minnesota Timberwolves rookie forward Leonard Miller as a jack of all trades, but that would be followed by an assertion that he is the master of none. That part of the saying is not very accurate. He is a master of versatility, of transforming, of rising to the occasion that instantly presents itself on the basketball court, and unleashes the optimal skillset needed to make a brilliant play.

At 6-foot-10 and just 19 years old, Miller is another player whose height and role in the NBA will continue to grow rapidly. And as a rookie with so many different ways to contribute, it will take an extended period of time before he is cooking on the Timberwolves roster.

Because he is so young and can do so many things, Timberwolves Head Coach Chris Finch will want to understand his capabilities, and his limits, before sending him out to the basketball court for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

That may translate into a slower ascension into prominence for the Timberwolves than some fans may desire, but keep in mind that if and when the coaching staff has him pegged as to what he can do, they will not hesitate to unleash him.

The Timberwolves accelerated the play of shooting guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker late in the season, which carried over to the 2023 NBA Playoffs and now into the 2023 FIBA WC Competition for Team Canada. The secret is not to rush his performance too quickly. Rather, Leonard Miller is the type of rookie who will let the team know when and how is is prepared to make a greater impact on the team.

He possesses an NBA center’s stature and the ball-handling skills of an NBA point guard. It may take months for the Timberwolves coaching staff to figure out how to get Leonard Miller optimized in the NBA. But it will take years for opponents to figure out ways to stop him.

Big shoes to fill

If you think about it, the Minnesota Timberwolves have two incredible young players who are vital to the future of this team. But everyone knows how valuable Anthony Edwards is to the future of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and perhaps to the NBA overall. The other guy, who is still waiting for his contract extension, and still growing in importance for the Timberwolves roster, is also still growing in height.

Small forward Jaden McDaniels is a player who colors his game outside of the lines. What that means is that he is not just a typical 3-and-D type of NBA wingman. He is a small forward, yes. But he has the ability to become closer to opposing top NBA scorers than their own shadows. And while the NBA powers-that-be turn their heads and look the other way, more and more star players have been entirely neutralized by JMac:

Yet he has not gotten the pageantry or fanfare that he has earned and deserves. Yet.

With so much attention being showered on other Timberwolves players who are competing for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, that may not change very quickly through the 2023-24 NBA season either.

But that’s just fine with Jaden McDaniels. His defense will only sharpen that much more. And his ability to score, already surpassing more than 12 points per game, could skyrocket to 15+ points per game this season. Meanwhile, his perimeter shot is already at an incredible 39.8 percent accuracy. He could topple the 40 percent mark this year as well.

McDaniels doesn’t care one way or the other if he gets his well-earned recognition. He knows what most Minnesota Timberwolves fans already know. He will eventually get noticed. And when he does, the more surprised NBA pundits, analysts, and experts will be over how well he has developed in the NBA.