The Minnesota Timberwolves have spent the first three weeks of the season knocking down a few of the biggest assumptions that followed them into October.
A team that was widely debated all offseason is sitting at 8-3, and the early returns have already challenged the idea that Minnesota would be too small, too thin, or too dependent on one or two names to survive the opening stretch.
One of the loudest concerns centered on the frontcourt. With Julius Randle and Naz Reid gone and Jonathan Kuminga sliding into the starting group, the Wolves looked like a team that had traded away size and muscle. Chris Finch made it clear the answer had to come from everybody.
“We just made such a big emphasis," Chris Finch explained. "We knew that we lost two big power forwards who rebounded pretty well. If we were gonna be any good this year, everyone had to rebound this year.”
That message has shown up in the numbers. Minnesota is sitting in the top five in rebound percentage, and so far there hasn’t been a night when the Wolves have been buried on the glass, even against bigger opponents.
Rudy Gobert has been his usual force inside, but the effort has gone far beyond him. Kuminga and Jaden McDaniels are both rebounding at some of their best rates, while guards like LaMelo Ball and Bones Hyland have chipped in with strong effort.
The challenge now is keeping that edge as the season wears on.
The same kind of early skepticism followed the offense once Anthony Edwards went down. Losing the team’s leading scorer raised obvious questions about how Minnesota would generate points, but after a couple of games to settle in, the offense has found a rhythm - especially late in games.
Ball has been at the center of that shift. He has taken on the role of primary scorer and creator, generating quality looks for himself and setting up others while building chemistry with his teammates. That has been especially noticeable alongside Ayo Dosunmu, who has joined him in the starting backcourt.
“I really like the way we’re playing," assistant coach Pablo Prigioni said during the team’s three-day break from games that has given the Wolves valuable practice time.
"The next action, the pace. The small-small roll, the small-small peels.
The way we are pushing in transition. It’s a lot of things that we imagined that we can be doing early in the season, but actually it’s happening.
McDaniels has also handled a bigger offensive load without changing his game. He’s scoring 17.6 points per game with solid efficiency in games without Edwards, and the increased usage hasn’t pulled him away from what makes him effective.
“Continue to play the way I was playing when Ant was on the court," McDaniels stated about his role in the offense. "I don’t do nothing different.
I don’t force too much. I take open shots, take good shots.
I’m obviously getting a couple more reps, but just got to make the shots. Continue to play how I play.”
Finch backed that up with a simple read on his forward: "Jaden has been Jaden," while noting that the scoring has mostly come naturally within the offense.
The biggest preseason question, though, may have been the bench. After Dosunmu, there were plenty of doubts about who would supply reliable minutes in reserve. So far, that concern hasn’t held up either.
Even with Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo sidelined, Minnesota has used a ten-man rotation, and the reserves have each filled a role. Joan Beringer has protected the rim behind Gobert without piling up fouls.
Terrence Shannon Jr. has brought a downhill attack to the second unit. Hyland has given the offense a spark, while Jaylen Clark has provided defensive energy.
Trey Lyles may be the most pleasant surprise of the group. He has brought shot-making, defense, and rebounding that the bench otherwise lacked, and Finch has already taken a strong liking to him in a way that brings to mind Kyle Anderson or Mike Conley.
“He’s really smart," Finch said of Lyles. "Always in the right spot.
Covers for other people. I didn’t realize he’s as good of a rebounder as he is.”
That leaves Minnesota with a good problem once Edwards and DiVincenzo return. The Wolves won’t be able to keep 12 players involved every night, and someone will have to give up minutes. For now, though, the early stretch has shown a team that has handled the offseason doubts better than expected.
In Other News...
Timberwolves Defense Is Forcing A Bigger Conversation About Their Ceiling
The early shape of Minnesotas season has been defined by a defense that has given opponents very little room to breathe. Even with Anthony Edwards missing several games, the Timberwolves have built an 8-3 start on the back of a unit that has consistently bothered ballhandlers, closed off clean looks from deep and made every possession feel like a grind.
What makes it more interesting is that this is no longer just about surviving while the offense finds its footing. The Wolves have been good enough on that end to force a bigger conversation about how high their ceiling can go if the defensive standard holds, especially once the roster is whole and the attack catches up. [Read more 🡒]
Ayo Dosunmu Explained Whats Fueling His Timberwolves Surge
Ayo Dosunmu has settled into a much bigger role since Anthony Edwards went down with a knee injury, and the early returns have been hard to miss. The guard has brought a sharper scoring punch to the starting lineup, while also giving Minnesota a steadier decision-making presence. Over the last stretch, his shot-making has been efficient enough to stand out even in a rotation that has had to adjust on the fly.
Chris Finch and Dosunmu both pointed to the same broader theme behind the uptick: the way the offense is opening up around him. With Rudy Gobert setting strong screens and helping create cleaner looks at the rim, Dosunmu has found more room to operate and more chances to attack in rhythm. For a Timberwolves team trying to keep its footing through an injury-driven shuffle, that kind of fit matters, even if the full picture of how long it lasts is still to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Make A Frontcourt Move With Anthony Edwards Still Out
With Anthony Edwards still sidelined by a knee injury, the Timberwolves have added some frontcourt depth as they try to keep their strong start rolling. Minnesota brought in Johni Broome on a two-way deal, a move that gives the club another developmental big while it waits for one of its top scorers to return.
Broome arrives with some recent NBA experience after spending time with the 76ers and Clippers, and he was the 35th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. For a Wolves team trying to hold steady through Edwards absence, the addition is a low-risk way to shore up the roster and see whether Broome can carve out a role while the lineup is in flux. [Read more 🡒]