The Minnesota Timberwolves are gearing up for what is sure to be an interesting season. They just completed one of their best years in franchise history in 2023-24, racking up 56 wins and heading to the Western Conference Finals for just the second time in franchise history.
The challenge of following up a season like that was already going to be a big challenge. But now, they will attempt to do so without one of their former franchise cornerstones in Karl-Anthony Towns. Traded away to the New York Knicks in a shocking Friday night transaction, KAT will leave Minnesota for the first time in his NBA career.
Now, the Timberwolves will be forced to rely on bigger contributions from role players down the bench. At Minnesota's media day on Monday, Chris Finch revealed that one player who could potentially bring that kind of production is Josh Minott.
According to St. Paul Pioneer Press Timberwolves reporter Jace Frederick, Finch voiced his enthusiasm while speaking with media. Frederick reported that Chris said Minott "had an incredible summer," and that he had been one of the best players in the building for the last six weeks.
Finch said Josh Minott has had an incredible summer. Said he’s been one of the best players in the building the last 6 weeks
— Jace frederick (@JaceFrederick) September 30, 2024
Finch had big words for Josh Minott
These are statements that will likely have Timberwolves fans' eyes bulging out of their sockets. Josh Minott, while talented and something of a fan favorite, has not been able to earn much playing time during his first two seasons in the association. He has gotten on the court for an average of just four minutes per night for the NBA squad between the 2022-23 season and 2023-24 seasons.
There is no doubt he has some untapped talent, but Finch's statement is a big one given these circumstances. "One of the best players in the building" implies he may have a shot at competing for legitimate minutes this season, but there are still some reasonable doubts around that actually being the case.
Minott will have to beat out many of his peers to actually earn real playing time this season. He is likely still pretty far down in the pecking order, but perhaps that changes if he is truly growing and evolving in the way that Finch suggests here. Timberwolves fans probably still feel like they will have to believe it to see it, but Josh becoming a rotation player could be a game-changer for this team.