The Minnesota Timberwolves taught us a lot about their new-look roster in six preseason games. We saw that Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball are a match made in heaven (as expected). Despite the roster changes, Jaden McDaniels' role is only getting bigger. Furthermore, it became apparent that the Wolves are going to push the pace.
Naturally, though, not every question was answered. So let's take a look at some questions about the Timberwolves that I still have after preseason.
How ready is Joan Beringer?
Joan Beringer's NBA readiness was a key question throughout the offseason. With Naz Reid and Julius Randle out the door, he has a clear runway for minutes and will play a vital role as Rudy Gobert's backup. While the 19-year-old has plenty of upside, he's also very inexperienced, having started playing hoops in 2021.
There's no denying that Beringer's preseason was a mixed bag. Positively, he showed promise as a rim runner and shot blocker. Heck, he even took guys off the dribble at times. Still, Beringer struggled with foul trouble, was caught out of position on defense, and his touch around the rim was inconsistent. Beringer particularly struggled around the rim in Minnesota's preseason finale, shooting just 4-for-12 from the field.
From both a development and roster standpoint, Chris Finch has no choice but to play Beringer a consistent role. But the question remains: Can Beringer be a positive contributor? If all things go right, he could give Minnesota some solid rim protection without Gobert and give them some offensive juice. Still, preseason shows us there will likely be some growing pains in the process. The hope is that Beringer will become more comfortable as the season goes on, but that's not a certainty.
Where will the bench scoring come from outside of Ayo Dosunmu?
The Timberwolves' bench offers intrigue and upside. At the same time, outside of Ayo Dosunmu, there's not much stability. We already talked about Beringer, but Terrence Shannon Jr., Bones Hyland, and Jaylen Clark are three more young players with uncertain roles and impact. Trey Lyles could have a role as a sturdy veteran, but he isn't a great scorer.
Unfortunately, the preseason did little to silence these concerns. Hyland continued to be erratic and struggled to score inside the arc. Shannon struggled playing alongside the Wolves' starters. His non-existent right hand, lack of control as a driver, and defensive lapses were all concerning. Outside of a stellar preseason finale, Clark didn't produce much on offense, or play much.
For as great as the Timberwolves' starting lineup is, they need to have more than one dependable bench player. Right now, they simply don't have that element.
How will the Timberwolves handle physicality?
One of the biggest criticisms of the LaMelo Ball trade was his apathy toward physicality, especially in tandem with trading two key frontcourt players. I largely thought these concerns were overblown, but notable.
In any event, preseason showed us that teams will challenge LaMelo with relentless ball pressure and psychical defense. This limits his perimeter shooting and ability to attack the rim. Given the Wolves' lack of playmaking outside of him and the defensive style that the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder play, this is a red flag. Moreover, the Wolves' lack of physicality showed up on the glass, as they ranked 28th in rebounds per game.
These issues are manageable. Gobert is a fantastic rebounder, and the Wolves' collective athleticism could offset some of their frontcourt size woes. I'd also argue that Kuminga and Beringer are a better defensive duo than Randle and Reid. Nevertheless, handling physical ball pressure and surviving on the glass are two areas to monitor with the Timberwolves' new identity.
Add us as a preferred source on Google