The Minnesota Timberwolves’ roster is loaded with youth, but the path to meaningful minutes looks very different for the players on the bench than it does for the names in the starting five. Outside of Ayo Dosunmu, the second unit is packed with unproven talent, and if Minnesota is going to get where it wants to go, those younger pieces have to take real steps forward.
For each of them, the challenge is a little different.
Joan Beringer probably matters more than anyone else in this group because the Wolves don’t have much frontcourt depth. The upside is obvious for the 19-year-old, but so are the growing pains.
His foul trouble has already drawn plenty of attention - he averaged 5.4 fouls per 36 minutes as a rookie - yet the bigger issue may be that he’s frequently out of position on defense. That feeds the fouls and also opens the door for easy looks at the rim.
At the root of it all is basketball IQ, and that makes sense when you consider he didn’t start playing basketball until 2021. He’ll get better simply by playing more, but his defensive ceiling depends on sharpening that part of his game.
Terrence Shannon Jr. is in a different spot entirely. The Timberwolves have spent the offseason talking about putting the ball in his hands more, but this team already has plenty of established offensive options.
Shannon’s control as a driver remains shaky, so the better path may be through the stuff around the ball rather than through it. His best shot at carving out a role is becoming a true complementary piece.
That means better spot-up shooting and cleaner defense, two areas that have been real issues. He hit just 33.3 percent from 3-point range last season, and according to Cleaning the Glass, Minnesota’s defense was 13.9 points per 100 possessions worse with him on the floor.
The ceiling is there if he can offer some creation, some shooting, and steady defense - but that’s a lot to clean up.
Bones Hyland is already a known NBA name, but he still has a clear limitation to overcome. He’s been in the league since 2021 and turned in a strong bounce-back season with Minnesota last year, averaging 8.6 points per game.
His speed and scoring helped. The issue is that at 6-foot-2 and 169 pounds, he has a frame that can get exposed.
Physical defenses can rattle him, and his defense can be targeted the same way. That showed up in the playoffs, when he was hunted on that end and shot 30 percent from the field.
For Hyland, the question is whether he can handle the grind of physical teams well enough to be more than a deep-bench option.
Jaylen Clark’s path is easier to see. His defense is already a strength - he’s a tenacious on-ball defender with the strength to take on bigger matchups and the instincts to bother players off the ball.
Offensively, though, the pressure point is obvious: he has to make 3s. Clark shot 32.7 percent from deep last season, and because he doesn’t bring much self-creation or playmaking, his offensive value mostly comes from spot-up chances.
If he can’t hit those, the Wolves are effectively playing four-on-five when he’s out there. That’s why he probably opens the season outside the rotation, even if he eventually gets chances.
Make the open looks, and he can force his way into a steady role.
Cody Williams faces a similar problem. He’s a long, versatile defender with size on the perimeter, but the offense has lagged behind.
He did show some improvement with the Utah Jazz last season, but the shot never came around - he made just 21.4 percent of his 3-pointers. Like Clark, his value drops fast if defenders can ignore him.
Minnesota could use extra wing and forward minutes off the bench, and Williams could become part of the answer if his shooting makes a leap. That’s the key if, and it’s a big one.
Isaiah Evans is even further from the rotation picture this season. With the Wolves’ backcourt depth, there just isn’t an obvious opening for the rookie.
A stint in the G League should give him time to work, though, and that matters because he enters the league as a specialist. His best trait is his 3-point shooting, even if his shot looked shaky in preseason and summer league.
The bigger concern is everything else: he’s not much of a creator, doesn’t have a tight handle, isn’t a strong playmaker, and his lack of strength hurts him defensively. In a league that keeps asking wings to do more and more, Evans will need another dependable NBA skill if he wants to get real traction next season.
In Other News...
Timberwolves May Have Bought Themselves More Time Than Fans Realize
The Timberwolves have quietly given themselves a longer runway than the current urgency around the roster might suggest. Jaden McDaniels is now tied to the club with a contract extension that does not kick in until the 2029-30 season, which helps add another layer of continuity around a group that already has Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Ayo Dosunmu, Jaylen Clark and Joan Beringer under contract for the next few years.
Minnesotas bigger questions are still right in front of it, though, because not every important piece is locked in the same way. The front office will still have to navigate decisions around veterans and supporting players as Rudy Gobert and Jonathan Kuminga hold player options for next season, while Donte DiVincenzo is headed for unrestricted free agency after this year. That means the Wolves have some stability to lean on, but the shape of the roster could still shift faster than the McDaniels deal alone makes it seem. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Kuminga Faces An Early Wolves Test Fans Will Be Watching
Jonathan Kuminga is set to make his Minnesota Timberwolves debut against the Miami Heat, and the first thing fans will look for is how he handles a frontcourt that can punish any lapse in positioning. Minnesota has leaned on Kumingas recent rebounding improvement, and this matchup immediately puts that progress under a microscope against one of the leagues most physical interior presences.
For the Wolves, the challenge is bigger than just surviving a tough individual assignment. Kumingas ability to stay connected defensively and hold up on the glass could shape how well Minnesota manages the rest of the game around him, especially with Miami capable of turning a single matchup into a problem for the entire offense. If he can steady that end of the floor early, it would go a long way toward making his debut feel like more than just a first look. [Read more 🡒]
Shaq Just Put Minnesotas LaMelo Ball Situation Under A Real Spotlight
LaMelo Balls recent turn on Inside the NBA gave Minnesota fans a quick look at the mindset he is bringing into the season, and it was a fairly measured one. Ball said he does not load himself up with a specific set of expectations, choosing instead to focus on putting in his best effort, while also touching on life away from the court, including changing his sons diapers and the experience of sharing the floor with Anthony Edwards.
Shaquille ONeal was not interested in treating that approach as good enough for a team trying to move up in the West. He pushed back on Balls outlook and made clear he sees Minnesota as a place where the standard should be higher, which only adds more attention to the fit and the upside around Balls move. For the Timberwolves, the conversation is less about one media appearance than the larger question hanging over the season: whether this group is thinking big enough to match its talent. [Read more 🡒]