Biggest winners and losers from Timberwolves preseason
By Will Eudy
Loser: Matt Ryan
Heading into his third professional season, Matt Ryan is trying to show the world he can be a valuable contributor for an NBA team as a knockdown shooter. So far, that goal has not materialized.
Ryan has not been able to consistently find his way on to the floor in his time with both the Lakers and the Timberwolves. He averaged 10.8 minutes per game in Los Angeles and just 8.2 in Minnesota.
The working theory was that he would be able to get ample more playing time in preseason, opening up more opportunity for his talent to shine. But outside of the game against Ra’Anana where all the Wolves’ starters sat, he did not play more than 11 minutes in any single game.
If he can not even garner consistent playing time in preseason, it sounds like Ryan will be spending a considerable amount of time with the G League team yet again this season. And in the end, that is not the worst outcome.
A path certainly exists for Matt Ryan to be a legitimate contributor in the NBA. Players like Duncan Robinson employ a very similar playstyle, so Ryan may just need some additional time to iron out some rough edges.