Timberwolves G League guard is quietly making a case to earn an NBA roster spot

The Minnesota Timberwolves nearly blew another late lead on Saturday before coming through at the end to vanquish their three-game losing streak. 

Meanwhile, their G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, is off to a 6-2 start. They have been able to score at will much of the early part of the season, and Zyon Pullin is a major reason for the offensive prowess. That continued for him and the Wolves on Saturday.

Zyon Pullin is second in the G League in scoring

Through their first eight outings, Iowa is averaging a whopping 137.8 points, most in the G League. The Wolves have three players averaging more than 20 points, but the leader on the squad is Pullin.

In Iowa’s 156-137 victory over the Motor City Cruise on Saturday, Pullin dropped 32 points in 32 minutes, 18 of which came in the opening quarter. It was an incredibly efficient night for the 6-foot-4 guard as he shot 9-10 from the field, 2-2 from 3-point range, and 7-7 from the foul line. He has now scored at least 32 in each of his last 3 outings and at least 25 in 6 of his 7 appearances.

In his seven appearances this season, Pullin is now averaging 27.7 points (along with 3.3 rebounds and 6 assists). That places him only behind Ron Harper Jr. of the Maine Celtics for the highest scoring average in the G League (Pullin’s Iowa teammate, Tristen Newton, is third).

Pullin had a of coffee with the Grizzlies in the NBA

Pullin joined the Timberwolves on a training camp deal in the offseason. After he appeared in four preseason games for Minnesota, Pullin was waived, and the 24-year-old was assigned to Iowa.

Undrafted out of Florida in 2024, Pullin agreed to a two-way contract with the Heat last year but was waived a few weeks later in July. In January of this year, he was given a two-way deal by the Grizzlies.

Making his NBA debut on February 3, Pullin appeared in three games for Memphis, all coming in that same month. Pullin missed his only shot attempt in those three contests and didn’t accumulate any stats (played only about a minute in each game).

If he keeps playing as he has, Pullin will soon have another NBA opportunity, whether with the Timberwolves or someone else. In the meantime, he will look to continue lighting up the box score for Iowa. Their next game takes place on Thursday on the road against the Grand Rapids Gold.