We're all thinking it, but this Minnesota Timberwolves team just has a different feeling to it. The players are making it a priority to build elite on-court chemistry and camaraderie among themselves, and they've all been around the practice facility for the majority of the summer.
With so many new faces on the roster, the Wolves hope their gelling period happens over the offseason. That way, when the real thing comes around, they can get off to a hot start instead of a rocky one, which is what most teams do after an offseason of major personnel changes.
Last week, Timberwolves analyst Kyle Theige noted that most of the team was in town and putting in the work together shortly after Labor Day, which is different than in past years. Clips on social media back this up. Given the Wolves' roster changes, putting in the work before training camp even starts could be a game-changer.
The Wolves are a new level of locked-in this year
The most impressive part of this offseason, to me, is how much Anthony Edwards and even LaMelo Ball, who just got here a few months ago, have stepped up as leaders.
From organizing the team's Paris trip and paying for the entire roster's travel to always being seen at the gym together while other teams enjoy their summers on the beach, it's refreshing to see the alphas on the team take things so seriously.
The whole group banding together in Minnesota weeks before training camp starts is just the latest example of an offseason built entirely on improving team morale and chemistry.
The last two seasons, the vibes surrounding the team have just been a little weird; you can pin that blame on whoever, whether it was the "moodiness" within the roster or players playing for themselves instead of each other. But it seems like that won't be an issue this season, knock on wood.
We've seen how important elite chemistry is across the league recently
In the cases of the New York Knicks last season and the Oklahoma City Thunder the season before that, it's not a coincidence that those two teams seemed like they genuinely loved sharing the court with one another. Those two teams also happened to win the championship.
That's the mountain that the Wolves haven't been able to climb, and some of that is due to roster construction, but some of that is also due to the team being composed of too many individuals and not enough togetherness.
Everyone looking to buy in this early on is a good sign. Jonathan Kuminga has said numerous times that he's willing to do whatever the team asks of him to win games. Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball are young, but they've grown tremendously as vocal leaders because the team needs them to be.
For a team that hasn't taken the regular season as seriously as they should have recently, the early signs of focus and seriousness are a great sign, and the league should be notified that the Wolves won't be playing with their food this year.
Add us as a preferred source on Google