Why the Timberwolves are CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS…

Why the Timberwolves are CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS…

The Minnesota Timberwolves are NBA championship contenders, and for whatever reason, people just don’t want to give them that respect. They are a really, really good team. This is a nucleus that is young and growing and developing, and they’re running it back with a team that just made back-to-back Western Conference Finals led by their 23-year-old mega star Anthony Edwards. They’ve got young guys growing and developing as we speak, and then a nice nucleus of older veterans as well. They resign Nas Reed over Nik Alexander Walker. And this squad is legit. Like I said, they can go a solid 10 deep. This will probably be the final year of the Mike Connley era at the starting point guard, but they still have Ant, Jane McDaniels, and Julius Randle is a nice young trio there. And then Rudy Goar anchoring back-to-back top five defenses. And then off the bench, this is where things get exciting because it’s a really, really good young group that at times could be better than the starting five depending on who’s hot and who’s not. They also have Yoan Being, their rookie out of France. And of course, this team is led by a 23-year-old meastar Anthony Edwards, who is coming off a season averaging 27.6 points a game, 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals in 36 minutes while shooting 45% from the field, and 40% from three on 10.2 attempts. A historic season for a guy that is most known as a slasher. He’s a guy that’s supposed to get downhill, and here he is shooting 40% from three on 10.2 2 attempts a game. They also have Jaden McDaniels, who I think is going to be very, very underrated. There’s probably going to be a separate video coming on Jade McDaniel soon because if he can get into his bag and develop a little bit more next year into a true offensive force, he could be deadly. But then Nas Reeds, the guy that just resigned, 5 years, $125 million. Like I said, they had to pick either him or Nikil Alexander Walker. At the time of the resigning, they were $15 million over the first apron and $27 million under the second apron. I should say under the first apron. Then they go out, they resign Joy Strand. So they’re kind of strapped for cash, but I mean Naz Reed’s a guy that averaged 14.2.6 rebounds, 2.3 assist, and a block per game off the bench. He’s going to work his way into that starting lineup. Um depending on the game, it’ll be a game-to-ame basis probably um per coach Chris Finch, but he shot 46% from the field, 38% from three, and had a good defensive impact last year. He’s a guy that can switch out on the perimeter and guard as well as having an interior presence. And like I said, the youth to this team is where they thrive. Uh Baron, who they just drafted, Rob Dillingham, who was the eighth overall pick in the draft just a couple years ago. People forget that that team made the Western Conference Finals and then also had the eighth pick in the draft. And Dillingham is going to surprise a lot of people. After next year, he’ll be the starter instead of Mike Connley, but he is still just going to be 20 years old heading into next season. and when he got the chance showcased his full bag of tricks and all the talent that he’s got. Tough behind the back at the free throw line right there. But then maybe my favorite player on the Wolves next year, Terrence Shannon Jr. I’m a big time Ant fan, but I think Terrence Shannon Jr. is going to be that dude. He’s going to replace Nick Alexander Walker. And yes, he’s already going to be 25, but he proved how good he could be coming in and in very limited playing time, absolutely dominating the minutes that he played in the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. As a matter of fact, when he played, the Wolves actually outscored the Thunder in those minutes. And then you have Jaylen Clark. And between Jaylen Clark and Terence Shannon Jr., that’s how they’re going to go out and replace the loss of Nick Alexander Walker. But with these two guys coming in off the bench and you can eventually replace Dante Venenzo with Jaylen Clark who will be just 23 years old next year. Uh but between Clark and Terence Shannon Jr. Clark replaces the defense and Shannon Jr. replaces the offense and then some of Nikuel Alexander Walker. Then we got to talk about Yan Beer who is a really good rim runner. That’s why that’s part of the reason he got drafted is because he is so athletic. Sevenfooters should not be able to move as freakishly well as Baron Jay. Now, I didn’t have him in my top um 25, whereas the Wolves obviously had him almost top 15. They were extremely excited to get him almost traded up to get him. The numbers wouldn’t indicate that he is too fantastic, but 1.5 blocks in 18 minutes a game is a big thing to look at, whereas he would get three per 36 minutes and then he shot 59% from the field, only 60% from the free throw line. So, a long way to go if you want to turn him into a stretch big. But right now, the raw intangibles are there. The athleticism is there. The rim running, the motor is there. It’s just going to be a project pick, and they have a couple of years to turn him into something special behind Rudy Goar. The rim protection is there. Watch him play drop coverage right here. He sticks with the guard all the way through this screen. The guard tries to drag him out. He doesn’t let it happen. He goes up and rejects and volleyball spikes that ball into the front row. And I really do think he can eventually replace and replicate some of what Rudy Gobear could do for this Wolves team. Watch him drop coverage right here. He gets completely turned around by this in-n-out, but he’s able to flip his hips and recover. That is freakish right there. That ability to flip your hips like an NFL corner at 7 foot. That’s different. And then here he is once again stunting over and then still getting the rejection. The rim protections elite 6’11 with a 74 wingspan. Like I said, the shades of Rudy Gobear are definitely there, except he’s a more athletic Rudy Gobear. And we’re talking about a guy in Rudy Gobear that’s won four defensive players of the year. If you’re talking about somebody that can do what he can do with a better athletic ability, that’s going to be scary. The motor is there. Like we said, if they can teach him some offensive traits, he could be really, really good. 230 lbs, so he needs to beef up maybe a little bit. Uh, but like I said, it’s all there and it’s just going to be about how much they can develop him into what they want to turn him into. Kind of like what the Hornets did with Tan Salon. Kind of like what we’re seeing with like Noah Esseno, the potential is there. And that’s why they’re swinging for the fences here. And no, he’s not going to play a lot next year. But if he’s doing stuff like this, ripping through and driving baseline and then going up over the defense, watch him right here. is going to go high pickup over the defense or low pickup, excuse me, and then go up for the dunk in the and one. If he’s doing stuff like that, just watch out at the next level because he is going to be that dude. Here he is catching off the pick and roll. He’s going to be a guy that yes, he’s not going to play a lot next year like I said, but if he can develop, they can then move on from that big-time contract Rudy Go Bear is on while Baron is still in his rookie deal. you still have Nas Reed, so you still have two centers. And then you can use that money elsewhere to maybe go out and get another point guard or go out and get more wings to play around Anthony Edwards. And as you know in the modern NBA, you just need depth, depth, depth. Watch this play right here where he’s going to hedge the screen all the way out and then recover back to the post and go up and volleyball spike this off the top of the backboard. And then right here, driving baseline and going up off of two. Borderline questionable travel, but we’ll let him get away with it for now as he rips through and gets baseline right here makes the defender almost fall as he blows by him. And then the cut right here, he’s a smart cutter. And then the up and as well, that’s where you really like what he can bring to the table on offense. But like I said, he is still a super raw prospect. By no means is he NBA ready. However, you watch the film, the slow one two right there, and it gets you really, really excited about what he could potentially be in the future. However, like I said earlier, there’s absolutely no way he plays or starts over Rudy Gobear next year. Rudy has his spot secure. Like I said, he is the leader of a back-to-back top five defense. Something h that hasn’t happened in Minnesota in a very, very long time. Baron Jay is 18 years old, whereas Rudy Gobear is 15 years older than him. And like I said, he’s on a three-year $111 million contract. So maybe after next year or a couple years, if they want to get off that last year, the Rudy deal while they’re trying to pay other guys other money, then yeah, you can go ahead and send him off because Baron has developed. But as for now, the four-time defensive player of the year is going absolutely nowhere. And I saw I know y’all saw that video of Rudy trying to shoot jump shots. Don’t buy it. He’s not going to be shooting any jumpers this year. Um like I said, I’ve said this multiple times in this video. They have had back-to-back top five defenses anchored by Go Bear. First time in franchise history, that guy is going nowhere. Now, I did want them to go out and make a move with that 31st overall pick, especially when a guy that I had in my lottery on my big board was still on the board and Rashier Fleming. It didn’t quite happen that way, though. If they would have got Fleming, I would have already made 150 Timberwolves videos heading into next year saying they’re going to win the championship. But I still like them even without Fleming. they were able to replenish their draft capital in the second round. And yeah, this is still a very, very complete team that I am very excited about and very high on for next year. With that being said, that’s going to be it for today’s video. Thanks so much for watching. Make sure to like button, leave me a comment down below, and hit that subscribe button if you did enjoy any point. And with that being said, thanks so much for watching today’s video.

This video looks at the Minnesota Timberwolves and how they should be championship contenders behind Anthony Edwards and the rest of their core
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