After making two consecutive Western Conference finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves are on the brink of winning an NBA championship. However, to make this championship leap, the Wolves are counting on internal growth from Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Jaylen Clark. The Wolves lost Nickeil Alexander-Walker in free agency and are counting on these three young players to step up. Mike Conley is turning 38 in October, which also opens up minutes for these young players.
It sounds great in theory. The Wolves can develop their young talent while simultaneously competing for a title. This could help the Wolves immediately and in the future. Despite having limited roles, all three of the Wolves' young players have shown solid flashes and intriguing skill sets.
The problem is that this "two timeline" approach hasn't really worked for teams in recent years. Last year's Denver Nuggets are a prime example of the challenges of giving young players significant roles on a team with title hopes.
The similarities between last year's Nuggets and this year's Timberwolves
After losing Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in back-to-back offseasons, the Nuggets were forced to empower their young players. Christian Braun took a massive leap, but Peyton Watson, Julian Strawther, and Jalen Pickett all made solid yet inconsistent contributions. There were plenty of growing pains with the latter three players, and the Nuggets' depth plagued them.
The management of these young players (among other things) caused tension between general manager Calvin Booth and coach Michael Malone. This shockingly led to both Booth and Malone being fired shortly before the playoffs. Ultimately, Denver finished fourth in the West and was eliminated in the second round. They spent their offseason upgrading their depth. Given this, it's fair to say that Strawther and Pickett specifically won't play as much this upcoming season.
Alexander-Walker played a similar role to KCP, and thus, the comparison between these two is reasonable. There are no signs of tension between Chris Finch and Tim Connelly. However, from the standpoint that three young unproven players will need to play a sizable role on a team with title hopes, the comparison checks out.
Balancing competing and growing young talent is difficult
As gifted shot creators, Dillingham and Shannon have the skill sets to contribute at a high level. But is the 6-foot-1 Dillingham ready for a significant role as a lead guard, and does Shannon have the all-around skill set needed to replace NAW? Clark is a gifted on-ball defender, but it's fair to wonder if his shooting last year was an outlier season or the new norm? All of these young players should improve with more minutes, but that will likely take time.
Young players need room to develop and make mistakes. But when you're trying to win a championship, the margin for error is so thin. If these young players aren't ready for a bigger role, the Wolves could get off to a slow start, which would hurt them in an ultra-competitive Western Conference. In a playoff setting, experience is paramount. The Wolves' top seven is experienced, but they aren't experienced around the edges.
Luckily, Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo are two of the league's best bench players. This should offer Wolves fans some hope, as they aren't as dependent on their young talent like the Nuggets or other teams. Regardless, counting on these three young players to improve is inherently risky for a team with title hopes.