The Minnesota Timberwolves didn’t need long to see early signs of promise from a player who could potentially become the replacement for Nickeil Alexander-Walker. In his first preseason game with the Timberwolves, former Utah Jazz wing Johnny Juzang broke out with a team-high 20 points in just 14 minutes.
Juzang is currently playing on a non-guaranteed contract with the Timberwolves, but he’s quickly giving the team reason to keep him around.
Juzang, 24, has proven to be one of the best-kept secrets in the NBA over the past year or so. The former third-team All-American spent the past three years with the Utah Jazz, finally receiving a shot at regular NBA minutes in 2024-25.
Juzang made the most of those opportunities, averaging 8.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.8 three-point field goals made in just 19.8 minutes per game.
Those numbers translate to 16.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 3.3 three-point field goals made per 36 minutes. In addition to producing with impressive volume, Juzang shot 37.6 percent from beyond the arc—and has made 38.4 percent of his attempts over the past two seasons.
Replacing Alexander-Walker's versatility will be a challenge, but Juzang is on the right path toward helping to step in as the shooter Minnesota needs.
Johnny Juzang has all of the tools to fit perfectly with Timberwolves
Juzang should be able to step in and provide instant value to the Timberwolves off the bench. Minnesota certainly has perimeter talent, but there are question marks surrounding the consistency and reliability of second-year players Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr., if only due to inexperience.
Juzang isn't the most experienced player himself, but his value as a shooter could prove significant after the Timberwolves ranked No. 5 in the NBA in three-point field goal attempts in 2024-25.
Juzang shot 38.8 percent on catch-and-shoot threes in 2024-25 and 45.5 percent in a limited sample size of 20 games in 2023-24. He showed exactly how dependable he is in that regard during the Timberwolves' first two preseason games.
Juzang scored 16 points in the preseason opener against the Denver Nuggets and added 20 against the Indiana Pacers, shooting 3-of-7 and 6-of-8 from beyond the arc.
The game against Indiana was impressive on multiple fronts, particularly in regard to shot distribution. Juzang buried threes from the right corner, above the right break, and then from well beyond the arc above the left break to get himself in a second-half rhythm.
Juzang then hit corner threes from the right and left corners respectively before freeing himself up with a pump fake to hit a shot from dead center to round his game into form.
For those concerned that it's only the preseason, Juzang averaged 12.3 points and 2.3 three-point field goals made on .455/.387/.882 shooting over his final 20 appearances in 2024-25. That includes a 27-point game against the Washington Wizards and a stretch in which he tallied at least 10 points in 11 of 12 outings.
If Juzang can improve his defensive consistency, then the Timberwolves could easily find a floor-spacing role for him and enable the development of yet another super sub.