A lot of preseason chatter has the Minnesota Timberwolves sitting in the second tier of the Western Conference, right there with the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Denver Nuggets. The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are the teams most people are projecting to finish 1 and 2.
For Minnesota, that still leaves room to feel good about where things stand against Denver. The Wolves already knocked the Nuggets out in the first round of last season’s playoffs, and they did it while dealing with injuries. In that series, they leaned on players like Ayo Dosunmu and Terrence Shannon Jr., and this offseason they made major changes in an effort to take another step and push into title contention.
Denver, meanwhile, came out of the summer looking worse, not better. The biggest reason is simple: the Nuggets do not have a trustworthy bench.
That issue starts with the moves they had to make. Denver matched Spencer Jones’ offer sheet with the Oklahoma City Thunder, which pushed the team into the second apron. After that, the Nuggets lost Peyton Watson in restricted free agency to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
That was a huge blow. Watson wasn’t just Denver’s sixth man - he was also its best perimeter defender and its most valuable young player.
In return, the Nuggets got only one first-round pick. To fill the gap, they brought in 37-year-old DeMar DeRozan.
DeRozan can still score, but that was never the main problem in Denver. The Nuggets have struggled defensively for a long time, and Aaron Gordon’s recent injury issues only make that more glaring. DeRozan has been a defensive liability throughout his career, and that only adds another layer to the problem.
Beyond DeRozan and Jones, Denver’s bench is built around players who are either unproven or well past their peak. That group includes Tyus Jones, Julian Strawther, Marvin Bagley, Alpha Diallo, and Trevon Brazile.
Minnesota’s own bench is still unproven, but the Wolves have more upside there with Shannon, Joan Beringer, and Bones Hyland.
The Wolves are also projected to have one of the league’s best offenses after adding LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga. And they’ve already shown they can beat Denver in big moments.
In Game 4, Dosunmu exploded for a career-high 43 points to put Minnesota up 3-1 in the series. Then in the closeout Game 6, Shannon Jr. finished the job with 24 points and six rebounds to end the Nuggets’ season.
In Other News...
Timberwolves May Have A Longer Wait Than Expected On This Draft Pick
Trey Kaufman-Renns path to the Timberwolves may be taking a detour back through college basketball. Minnesota still holds his draft rights, but the big man has been able to keep his college route open after a court injunction granted him an extra season of eligibility, and his future remains tied to a legal process that is not finished yet.
For now, Kaufman-Renn has moved forward with Kansas, where he has signed, enrolled in classes and started practicing with the Jayhawks. The NCAA is expected to appeal the injunction, which leaves Minnesota in a familiar draft-night holding pattern with a player it still controls on paper, even though he has not signed a professional contract. [Read more 🡒]
Cody Williams Is Making Minnesotas Rotation Battle Hard To Ignore
Cody Williams has turned Timberwolves training camp into one of those early roster discussions that can quietly linger all season. The former lottery pick has stood out to teammates and coaches with his defense and versatility, and his preseason minutes have offered the kind of preview that can matter in a crowded rotation race. Even with the offense still coming along, Williams has shown enough instincts on that end and enough playmaking flashes to make him feel more than just another camp body.
The comparison point inside Minnesota is hard to miss because Terrence Shannon Jr. has also been fighting for traction, but not with the same level of consistency. Williams steadier defensive presence has given him a real case for more consideration, especially for a team looking to sort out who can be trusted when the games start to count. For now, the most interesting part of his rise is not just what he has done, but how much attention he is forcing the staff to pay to the battle around him. [Read more 🡒]
Finch Just Put A Title Concern On The Timberwolves' Radar
Chris Finch is already looking past the obvious strengths of this Timberwolves group and straight at the area that could decide how far it goes. For all the buzz around Minnesotas top-end talent and Rudy Goberts presence in the paint, Finch made it clear that rebounding is the biggest issue on his radar entering the season, a reminder that championship teams usually have to survive the grind as much as they have to win the highlight moments.
The concern is less about one player carrying the load and more about how the roster fits together after losing size in the frontcourt. Finch wants more help on the glass from the wings and bigger scoring options, and the burden figures to fall on players such as Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards to chip in. Gobert remains an elite rebounder, but Minnesota will need the whole rotation to buy in if it wants to avoid turning a manageable flaw into a playoff problem. [Read more 🡒]