The Minnesota Timberwolves are now 1-0 in preseason play after their Friday night victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California. The Wolves came away with the 124-107 win over the Lakers despite Anthony Edwards sitting out, with the new addition Donte DiVincenzo taking his place among the starters.
Julius Randle was also not to be seen in this one. Chris Finch made the decision to wait at least one more game before revealing the debut of the Timberwolves' new starting power forward. Naz Reid took what would have been Randle's spot in the starting lineup.
From there, it was the usual suspects in Mike Conley, Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels occupying the other three starting spots. And although DiVincenzo went for 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting, none of these guys were the story of the night. That title would belong to one Josh Minott.
For those who tuned in for Minnesota's media day on Monday, you may recall Finch making an eyebrow-raising remark that Minott had been "one of the best players in the building" over the course of the previous six weeks. A big statement, and one that would require some backing up by number eight.
Josh Minott proved Chris Finch's hype correct
After four quarters of preseason play, wow. We can certainly say that Finch knew what he was talking about. Josh finished the game against the Lakers with a game-high 22 points on 9-for-11 shooting, including a stunning 4-for-6 from three point range. He also poured in eight rebounds, three steals, two blocks and an assist in 29 minutes.
Josh did it with style points too, throwing down multiple dunks and putting his athleticism on display. Among other positives was the fact that his handle seemed to be significantly tighter, with it feeling like the ball was more secure when in his hands than before. Minott also showed solid and improved shooting form on his jump shots.
As a reminder, we are saying all this after Game 1 of preseason. This contest was hardly a look-ahead into what the future of this team will be this season, but there are still positives we can take away from it. If Josh Minott is able to earn real minutes this season and consistently replicate anything resembling this performance against the Lakers, it will be clear that the Timberwolves have a very special talent on their hands.