Leonard Miller is finding a rhythm in Chicago that never really existed in Minnesota.
The 6-foot-10 forward, taken with the 33rd pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, spent his first two full seasons with the Timberwolves mostly on the outside of the rotation. That wasn’t necessarily a mistake on Chris Finch’s part, either. Minnesota was winning at a high level, reaching the conference finals during Miller’s time there, and minutes were hard to come by.
Now Miller has a real runway with the Bulls, and he’s making the most of it.
Sunday night offered the clearest sign yet. In Chicago’s third preseason game, Miller was electric over roughly 22 minutes, pouring in 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field and 4-of-6 from deep. He added seven rebounds to go with it.
That followed a double-double in the previous game, when he posted 12 points and 11 rebounds. In the Bulls’ first preseason outing, he was efficient again, going 5-of-7 from the field in 14 minutes.
Miller may not crack the starting five once Chicago is at full strength. The frontcourt is expected to feature Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson, and Nic Claxton. Even so, Miller and Jalen Smith look like the first two bigs off the bench.
What’s been obvious early on is that Miller looks more settled since arriving in Chicago in February. That makes sense.
In Minnesota, he never knew when his name would be called, and most of his run came after games had already been decided. After the trade deadline, he averaged 11.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists.
There’s even a small opening for a bigger leap. Maybe a long shot, but Miller could end up in the mix for Most Improved Player this season.
He’s not the only former Timberwolves player to find more minutes and a bigger role elsewhere. Josh Minott and Luka Garza are two more examples.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is the biggest name in that group, especially after winning Most Improved Player last season with the Atlanta Hawks. He had already played plenty in Minnesota, but he took another step once he got to Atlanta.
Minnesota may have made the right call at the time with some of those roster decisions, and the team’s current success supports that. But for Miller, the move to Chicago has given him something he didn’t have with the Wolves: a better chance to grow by actually playing.
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Terrence Shannon Jr. has given the Timberwolves something they can always use more of, a burst of downhill scoring. In preseason, the rookie flashed the kind of attacking ability that can bend a defense and create energy in a second unit, including a strong showing against Miamis reserves that reminded Minnesota why his athleticism and pressure on the rim make him such an appealing developmental piece.
The problem is deciding how real that production is when the lineup gets tighter and the competition gets better. Shannon has also had uneven stretches, especially in games where Minnesotas starters were on the floor, and the questions around his off-ball work, passing consistency and defense still linger. For a Wolves team trying to sort out its rotation, the issue is not whether Shannon has a role someday, but whether he can earn enough trust now to be more than an occasional spark. [Read more 🡒]
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Pullin is still on a two-way contract and has not yet earned a standard NBA deal, but his opportunity is starting to look different from the usual two-way path. With more runway than some of the recent names in that slot, including Johnny Juzang, he now sits in the middle of a real roster question for a club that has a spot available and may have to decide how long it can keep him in that in-between space. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Fringe Battle Just Got More Interesting After Miami
With both teams sitting their starting players in a preseason meeting with Miami, the Timberwolves got a closer look at the edges of their roster, and a few fringe names made the night harder to ignore. Bones Hyland was in the middle of it all for Minnesota, supplying scoring and secondary playmaking while also making his presence felt in the box score beyond just points.
The bigger takeaway may have been how much competition there is for the final spots and minutes. Zyon Pullin continued to look like a two-way player who belongs in the conversation, and B.J. Beringer flashed real defensive instincts even as foul trouble got in the way. For a team sorting out its depth, that kind of night can be useful, because it gives the Wolves a little more to weigh before the roster picture tightens. [Read more 🡒]