After some major moves this offseason following a disappointing playoff exit, the excitement from Minnesota Timberwolves fans is notable, and expectations for this upcoming season are through the roof. It's a new-look team in a shaken-up Western Conference; anything can happen.
Before I list the X-Factors, I will say I do not have Anthony Edwards as an X-Factor. I think all Wolves fans know what he's capable of. I also think the power forward spot is less of an issue than people are making it seem.
With that in mind, here are five questions that will define the Wolves' season.
Can LaMelo Ball prove that last year wasn't a fluke health-wise?
Throughout his entire career, Ball has been one of the premier point guards in the NBA; the only problem is that he's struggled to stay healthy at times. Last year, he played 72 games, the second most in his career and most since his sophomore season. Because of that, the Charlotte Hornets were the 5th-ranked offense in the NBA, and 1st since January 1st.
Now it is very possible that with some of Ball's injuries, he was held out longer than needed due to the Hornets playing for lottery balls most years, and inserting Ball back into the lineup would mean more wins and a lower pick.
Nevertheless, the Wolves paid a premium for Ball not only to win this year but to pair him with Anthony Edwards in the backcourt for hopefully the next decade, so the majority of his injury issues need to be behind him.
Does Father Time finally catch up to Rudy Gobert?
For the last decade, Rudy Gobert has been a pillar of consistency. He never misses games; he's always one of the most conditioned players in the game, and despite his offensive flaws, his defense never wavers.
Now he has just turned 34 years old, and usually by this age, a lot of players start showing clear signs of either declining or breaking down. Obviously, he hasn't done that yet, but with Joan Beringer still developing in the wings, it's more important than ever that Gobert maintains a high level of play at least for this season.
Given how seriously Gobert takes care of his body and goes about his routine, I wouldn't bet on Father Time knocking down his door yet. Nevertheless, it's more important than ever that Gobert gives Wolves fans one more dominant season.
Will Donte DiVincenzo be able to return, and if so, how effective will he be?
79 seconds into the start of Game 4 against Denver, all of Wolves Nation's hearts sank in unison. They witnessed DiVincenzo, the heartbeat of the team, tear his Achilles. With him going into the last year of his contract, all of a sudden his future in Minnesota seemed uncertain at best.
However, this offseason, Wolves fans have received a lot of good news about his health and future. For one, the Wolves are committed to him and have zero plans to trade him. Second, after attacking his rehab, a return around the All-Star break seems possible, which would give the Wolves a huge boost entering the postseason.
If he can be 80 percent of what he was before he went down, he'll give the Wolves depth an extreme boost, as his shooting and hustle will be missed greatly in the first half of the season.
Which fringe-rotation player last season steps up into a consistent role this season?
After a whirlwind of an offseason, the overall team looks better, but the bench is extremely unproven. Just about all of the mainstays of last year's bench are no longer on the team. Mike Conley, Kyle Anderson, and Naz Reid are all gone, and DiVincenzo won't be back till February at the earliest.
The new look every day players on the bench are likely some combination of Bones Hyland, Terrence Shannon Jr., Joan Beringer, Josh Green, Jaylen Clark, and maybe a little Isaiah Evans or Trey Lyles. I do ultimately expect Ayo Dosunmu to start.
There's a lot of talent there, but also a lot of names to where this will be their first year playing important minutes every game. At least two of these guys will need to surpass expectations if the Wolves are to have a serviceable bench.
Will the Wolves' new offensive-centric identity help them start games better?
Besides being injured and frankly out-talented in the playoffs, there was one other huge reason as to why the Wolves' series against the Spurs was mostly uncompetitive. It seemed like every game they were down 15-20 points in the first quarter. They just couldn't score.
In the playoffs, they averaged 26.4 points in the first quarter as a team. This number isn't great, and yet it's still inflated because they played well against Denver. Their starting lineup just didn't fit well together. Too many non-shooters and not nearly enough creation and playmaking.
Add in LaMelo Ball, subtract Julius Randle, and with more shooting to the bench, and hopefully the Wolves don't go through nearly as many lulls where their only form of offense is "Anthony Edwards bail us out."
I, for one, couldn't be more excited for this upcoming season, and while I'm expecting lots of success, a lot will hinge on these five questions.
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