Minnesota’s preseason has made one thing harder to ignore: rookie Isaiah Evans doesn’t have a clear path to minutes this season.
That was already the read after the Timberwolves traded for LaMelo Ball, and the exhibition games have done little to change it. Evans is not being written off as a talent - far from it.
The belief remains that he can be a useful long-term piece because of his shooting. But right now, the guard/wing math just isn’t working in his favor.
Minnesota’s first three preseason games have mostly left Evans on the outside looking in. In the first half of the Wolves’ first two games, the starters handled the workload, and Evans logged just 15.6 total minutes in those contests.
He did play 21:49 in Saturday’s preseason game, but only five of those minutes came in the first half. The bulk of his run came next to two-way players and camp bodies.
At the moment, Evans looks buried on the depth chart among standard contract players. Bones Hyland, Jaylen Clark, and even Cody Williams are ahead of him in a similar role. And that’s before getting to the team’s established top-eight options at the position: Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Ayo Dosunmu, and Terrence Shannon Jr.
The limited minutes are one thing. Evans also hasn’t done enough with the chances he’s gotten.
He did have a solid outing against the Miami Heat on Saturday, finishing with nine points and going 3-of-7 from 3-point range. That was a cleaner showing than what came before it.
Overall, though, Evans is just 3-for-11 on threes in the preseason. The deeper concern is that his shooting issues didn’t start there - he connected on only 20.5 percent of his triples in summer league.
That’s why the preseason numbers matter, even if these are still low-pressure settings. Evans has also been too quick to force shots at times, which has made some of his possessions look rougher than they need to be. None of that changes the long-term picture on its own, but it does suggest he still has room to grow before he can be trusted in a real role.
For now, Evans profiles as a specialist. He came into the league with a reputation as one of the draft’s better shooters, with real value as a spot-up and movement shooter. But if that jumper isn’t reliable against NBA competition, his margin for error gets very thin.
There are other parts of his game that need sharpening, too. He plays hard defensively, but at 185 pounds, he has work to do physically.
He also made a sophomore leap at Duke by becoming more of a shot creator, yet he still isn’t a strong advantage creator at this level. His playmaking and ball-handling also need polish, even if his main job is eventually supposed to come away from the ball.
Put that together with Minnesota’s crowded guard/wing rotation and Chris Finch’s reluctance to lean on rookies, and it’s tough to picture Evans carving out minutes this year. Preseason has only made that reality clearer.
Even so, the door isn’t closed down the line. If Evans gets his outside shot back on track and finds more ways to help, he could still work his way into Minnesota’s rotation eventually.
In Other News...
Drew Timme Picked The Wolves For A Reason Fans Will Appreciate
Drew Timmes path into Timberwolves camp comes with no promises attached, but that is part of what makes the fit interesting. The former Gonzaga forward has joined Minnesota looking to earn his way onto the roster, and the early signs have been encouraging in limited preseason action as he tries to show he can help right away.
For a player in that spot, the appeal of Minnesota is easy to see. The Wolves have built a reputation for helping veteran players find their footing, and that kind of environment can matter when camp is about earning trust one possession at a time. Timme has already flashed enough to keep the conversation going, but the rest of his case will have to be made on the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Are Betting A New Vibe Helps Anthony Edwards Win More
Before a preseason game, Chris Finch sounded less interested in the box score than in the mood around the Timberwolves. The coach praised LaMelo Balls upbeat personality and shooting touch, and the bigger point was clear: Minnesota believes the right kind of energy can matter just as much as the right lineup when it comes to helping Anthony Edwards and the rest of the core play cleaner, looser basketball.
That belief has come with a real roster reset this summer, one built around shaking up the groups feel as much as its talent. Finch said the teams vibe has shifted after the changes, and the Wolves are trying to find the right balance between edge and joy as they head into a season where chemistry may be as important as shot-making. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves May Have An Early Defensive Burden For Anthony Edwards
Jaylen Clark has flashed the kind of point-of-attack defense that can make a coach lean in, but the early preseason minutes suggest Minnesota may be prioritizing more offense-heavy options as it sorts out the rotation. Bones Hyland, Trey Lyles and Cody Williams have all been getting more run, which puts Clark in a tough spot even though his defensive identity is already clear.
If that trend holds, the Timberwolves could need more from Anthony Edwards on the ball earlier than they might prefer, with the burden of guarding top perimeter threats shifting around the roster. It is the kind of early-season tradeoff Minnesota is trying to balance now, because a lineup that creates enough scoring still has to hold up at the point of attack once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]