Not much was made of the Minnesota Timberwolves signing Trey Lyles earlier this offseason. Given that he spent last season overseas, this is understandable. And frankly, I'm not totally anticipating him to have a key role with the Timberwolves.
Regardless, Minnesota's need for a power forward has been well-discussed. Currently, Lyles and Jaden McDaniels are the team's only two true forwards. The Wolves could lean into some unconventional lineups with a wing like Terrence Shannon Jr. or Josh Green at the four, but there are clearly some open forward minutes.
Beyond simply the raw opportunity that could bode well for Lyles, his ability to stretch the floor could give him a path to minutes. Throughout his 10-year NBA career, Lyles netted 34.7 percent of his 2.9 3-pointers per game. A number that doesn't jump off the screen, but is rock solid positionally. Plus, Lyles has been a consistent rotation player -- throughout his NBA career, he has averaged 18.4 minutes.
Without a doubt, Lyles' ticket to getting minutes is tied to his blend of size and shooting.
Trey Lyles' floor spacing gives him a path to minutes
It's fair to assume that Rudy Gobert and Joan Beringer will split minutes at the five. As we established, though, the Timberwolves' frontcourt depth is slim.
Fortunately, Lyles' floor spacing can allow him to fit alongside either big man. At the same time, Gobert and Beringer can cover up for Lyles' lack of rim protection. If the Timberwolves want a look with some extra size and rebounding on any given night, calling Lyles' name is their only option right now.
Another possibility is that the Timberwolves turn to some lineups with Lyles at the five. I'd have concerns about the defensive viability of such lineups. Still, on a night where Gobert and/or Beringer are in foul trouble, or one of them is out, this would make sense. And while the defensive concerns of playing Lyles at the five need to be mentioned, there is a clear advantage to being able to play five out.
Again, the primary advantage of Lyles' path to minutes centers around his floor spacing.
The Lyles signing was largely viewed as a way for the Timberwolves to round out their roster, but he did address a positional need and has a specific skill that could help the team. Last offseason, the late re-signing of Bones Hyland, who was nearly out of the league, was simply viewed as a way for Minnesota to round out its roster.
As second-year guard Rob Dillingham struggled, Hyland eventually earned a role in the rotation. He helped the Wolves' bench scoring and pace massively. For what it's worth, both Hyland and Lyles are players whom Tim Connelly has connections with from his Denver days.
Could Lyles have a path to carving out an unexpectedly large role as Hyland did? I wouldn't necessarily count on it, but this possibility shouldn't be written off entirely. Undoubtedly, if Lyles indeed earns a role with the Timberwolves, floor spacing will be a central reason as to why.
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