Happy New Year! Well, for the Minnesota Timberwolves, they probably don’t feel much like celebrating after their blowout loss to the Atlanta Hawks on New Year’s Eve. The Timberwolves currently sit 21-13, good for sixth-best in the Western Conference. Solid, but more was expected after back-to-back conference finals appearances.
Here is a number that each of the members of the Timberwolves' starting lineup should look to improve on in the 2026 portion of the schedule.
Anthony Edwards - assists
Many believe that Edwards is a top-10 player in the league. The players who are almost universally seen as the best of the best (Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo) consistently put up video game numbers in numerous categories on a season-by-season basis. While Edwards is averaging a career-high scoring total thus far (29.1, eighth-most in the league), he also has his worst assist-to-turnover ratio.
Julius Randle - 3-point percentage
Randle connected on 3 of his 4 3-point tries in the loss to the Hawks. That was his first time making at least three since November 29 (Randle did so in five of his first eight outings, now twice in his last 26). Since November 7, his 3-point accuracy is a ghastly 29.4 percent (on 4.6 attempts per game).
Rudy Gobert - free throw percentage
Gobert isn’t a high-usage player on offense. Most of Gobert's work is done down low, and he’s an excellent offensive rebounder, which sees him get fouled often. Attempting nearly four free throws per contest, Gobert is making them at just a 51.1 percent clip. In his first 3 years with Minnesota, it was at a much more respectable 65 percent.
Donte DiVincenzo - more shots at the rim
It’s mostly bombs away with DiVincenzo. A career-high 75.3 percent of his field goal attempts come from beyond the arc. Still, not even 10 percent of his shots come within three feet of the rim. That’s nearly half the rate that it was in his one season with the Knicks in 2023-24.
Jaden McDaniels - fouls
McDaniels is a pest on the defensive end. If the refs are calling the game tight, though, it could lead to foul trouble for him and help the opposition get in the bonus early. In 32 appearances this season, McDaniels has fouled out three times and committed five fouls another five times. Among players who have played at least 12 games, McDaniels’ 3.5 fouls per game are the fifth-most.