Saturday night in South Beach looked nothing like a typical showcase of star power. With Minnesota and Miami both choosing to sit their starting lineups, the Timberwolves’ preseason meeting with the Heat became a chance for role players to make noise - and a few of them did exactly that.
Bones Hyland had the loudest night of the bunch. As the lone veteran in the lineup, he looked too polished for this level of preseason basketball, finishing with 23 points, four assists, four rebounds and three steals in 21 minutes. He buried five threes, opened the game at point guard for Minnesota’s second unit and helped keep the offense moving at a pace that stayed fast without spinning out of control, which was a point of emphasis coming out of training camp.
Hyland is expected to be the Timberwolves’ primary backup point guard, though he has often looked more comfortable as a shooting guard or combo guard. His showing against Miami reinforced the idea that he can score for himself off the bench while still getting others involved.
The bigger question is whether that same version shows up when he’s playing alongside more of the regular rotation. Paired with LaMelo Ball, his job would be simple enough as a floor-spacer and shooter.
Next to Anthony Edwards, though, he’d need to bring the kind of steadiness he flashed against the Heat.
Minnesota also got another eye-catching performance from Joan Beringer, though it came with the same issue that has followed him through the preseason. In 24 minutes, he picked up four fouls. One came on a shooting foul, the kind that can happen when a center is anchoring the defense, but the other three arrived right after Miami rebounds.
That’s where the concern lives. Beringer has generally not been a problem when challenging shots, and this game showed why: he blocked four shots and only fouled a shooter when the defense put him in a tough spot. The fouls that have piled up are the avoidable kind, the result of going after rebounds he has no real chance to claim or trying to contest shots from bad positions.
Even with that issue, Beringer’s block totals point to a player who can become a real defensive presence. He’s also shown more versatility on offense than Rudy Gobert, at least in preseason glimpses.
But Minnesota needs the fouling to come down quickly. Beringer is set to open the season as Gobert’s backup and the only true big man coming off the bench, and the Wolves are counting on him to deliver.
The flashes have been real. The problem is that the foul trouble could still get in the way of what looks like a breakout season.
Zyon Pullin added another strong case for himself as well. Of the three Timberwolves currently on two-way contracts, he’s been the most impressive so far, building on a productive G League season last year and a solid Summer League in July. Against Miami, he scored 22 points, with 12 of them coming in the fourth quarter.
Pullin did most of his damage inside the arc, working his way to the line eight times and mixing in mid-range shots and floaters. He has already shown he can separate himself from G League and deep-bench competition in preseason play. What remains is proving he can help in a real rotation role once the regular season starts.
That opportunity likely won’t come without an injury. But with his two-way spot secured, Pullin figures to be the first call from Des Moines to Minneapolis when the Timberwolves need more bodies.
In Other News...
Timberwolves Need Joan Beringer To Answer One Growing Roster Problem
The Timberwolves have spent enough of their future to make every internal development story matter a little more, and Joan Beringer is suddenly one of the most important ones on the roster. With future draft capital pared down after the LaMelo Ball trade, Minnesota cannot count on a steady stream of rookie reinforcements to keep the pipeline moving, so the growth of a young, athletic second-year big carries unusual weight for a contender trying to stay ahead of time.
Beringer is expected to be Rudy Goberts primary backup this season, which puts him in position to absorb real minutes and real responsibility right away. If his game keeps progressing, he could eventually become more than just the next man up and help ease the transition as Gobert ages, giving the Timberwolves a homegrown answer to a roster problem they may not be able to solve any other way. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Fans May Not Like What This Missed Reunion Suggests
Ben Simmons is headed back to the NBA after spending last season away from the league to focus on his mental health, and his return comes on a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Sacramento Kings. The guards workout for Sacramento general manager Scott Perry reportedly left the team and Australian officials encouraged by his health and readiness, and the move gives the Kings a low-cost chance to see what Simmons can still bring.
Along the way, there were other teams watching, including the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks, but none put a contract on the table. For the Timberwolves, it is another reminder of how narrow the margin can be when a veteran with name value and some upside hits the market, especially once one club decides the fit is worth the gamble. [Read more 🡒]
Which Timberwolves Could Put Minnesota Back In The NBA Awards Spotlight
Minnesotas 2023-24 run put the Timberwolves back in a familiar but refreshing place: the franchise is once again talking about major league-wide honors instead of simply trying to stay in the conversation. Anthony Edwards remains the obvious centerpiece of that discussion, while Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels give the roster more than one route into the award picture if the season breaks the right way.
The appeal is in how broad the possibilities are, even if they are only possibilities for now. LaMelo Ball also surfaces as part of the conversation around individual recognition, and that kind of company says a lot about where Minnesotas talent level sits entering the new season. Whether those names turn into actual hardware is still to be determined, but the Wolves have at least made themselves relevant again in a part of the league calendar that usually belongs to the usual suspects. [Read more 🡒]