Who will be the most shocking surprise on Timberwolves roster this season?

IV: Something old

I don’t think that we have anyone who has followed the Minnesota Timberwolves so far would not be delighted with the versatility of veteran forward Kyle Anderson.  Who really does not love and respect what veteran forward Kyle Anderson has done for the Timberwolves so far? Not only was he a solid starter in a pinch for this Timberwolves team, but he was the mortar that was applied to almost all of the cracks that appeared in the Wolves lineups all season.

When Karl-Anthony Towns fell to injury, Kyle Anderson was drafted into a starting role. When guard D’Angelo Russell felt that a point guard role cramped his style, Anderson was repurposed into a point forward role. Time and time again, ‘Slo Mo,’ was tasked with whatever role the Timberwolves roster needed him to fill on game day.

Slo Mo on the fast track

While that was great for the Timberwolves, it was not an ideal situation for Slo-Mo. Because he was getting his assignment nearly at tipoff time, Anderson had next to no continuity to get comfortable in his role on the team. And because he was slotted into so many diverse roles, his teammates found themselves having to relearn how best to complement Anderson on the basketball court.

Kyle Anderson delivered in so many ways for the Timberwolves last season. But the jack of all trades and master of none was unable to optimize his production for the Timberwolves. While he shot an incredibly accurate 41.0 percent from the perimeter, he did not achieve his career-high marks of 12.38 points, 5.74 rebounds, or 1.22 steals per game set in his 2020-21 season with the Memphis Grizzlies.

While his versatility was incredibly valued last season, there is every reason to believe that if Slo Mo sticks in a more traditional and consistent role for the Timberwolves, he could set career highs this season.