The Timberwolves’ roster doesn’t look all that different from last season. The only notable differences are that they lost Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the Hawks and selected Joan Beringer 17th overall in the draft. One player who does have the opportunity to join the team, though, is Johnny Juzang. While he is on a non-guaranteed deal, the hope is there for Juzang that he can garner the team’s final roster spot.
Chris Finch wants to see Johnny Juzang improve on the defensive end
Finch recently interviewed with Britt Robson of MinnPost. They discussed a multitude of Wolves-related topics, and Juzang was brought up. In this interview, Finch outlined how the 24-year-old can make the team.
"He’s a guy who has a great shooting profile, who should be a better defender — we think there is defensive growth for him, Finch said. He has played NBA minutes for Utah. The challenge for him is going to be: can he connect? Can he make shots at a high-enough level during a game? We know he can make shots in practice and workouts. We feel like he has the profile and pedigree to do it."
After making his NBA debut on February 28, 2023, Juzang appeared in just 38 games over his first two seasons. It was last season that he began seeing regular playing time with the Jazz. Utah wasn’t good, and that’s partly why Juzang got so much burn. The 6-foot-7 wing played 19.8 minutes per contest in his 64 outings. He posted averages of 8.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists.
Attempting 4.9 threes per game in 2024-25, Juzang connected on 37.6% of them. The previous year, he went 32-77 (41.6%) from beyond the arc.
Metrics frown on Juzang's defense with Jazz
The Timberwolves pride themselves on being one of the better defensive teams. In the three years that they have rostered Rudy Gobert, Minnesota has finished in the top 10 in defensive rating (first in 2023-24).
Defense has never been seen as Juzang’s strong suit, going back to his college days. He has had a negative defensive BPM in all three of his seasons, with his -1.4 in 2024-25 being his best thus far.
Fans should pay close attention to Juzang on that side of the floor in the preseason. If he’s putting in the effort and showing the coaching staff that he does want to improve, just maybe Finch will have seen enough to keep Juzang around.