Third-year Minnesota Timberwolves forward Josh Minott has been a bright spot for a team that has struggled to find consistency this season. Minott’s road to earning minutes hasn’t been easy; he’s spent much of his career playing in the G-League with the Iowa Wolves. However, with the roster changes made over the offseason, the 22-year-old has capitalized on the increased opportunity for minutes.
On Timberwolves media day, Minott said he’s grown more confident in his jump shot. He said there were times early in his career when he would fear making mistakes, but he’s now become more relaxed. Minott’s shown it this season already. He hasn’t made all his shots, but he’s connecting on 55.1% of them from the floor. He’s shooting 27.3% from three on the season, but there seems to be room for growth. For a player whose athleticism is his standout trait, Minott’s shown the willingness to become a complete player.
Minott’s athleticism has also been a bonus for Minnesota’s offense. It’s led to numerous open dunks because few people can jump with him.
He’s also found success cutting to the basket. It could be because he’s not the focal point of a defense, but it’s led to easy points for Minnesota this year.
The more he grows as a shooter, the more he can use his athletic gifts to attack closeouts. One instance in particular stood out against the Boston Celtics last Thursday where Jrue Holiday rotated over to him, one of the best defenders in the NBA, and Minott blew past him for a dunk.
Chris Finch and his staff expect the players to commit to defense. They’ve been one of the better defenses in the league over the past month, and Minott has also contributed. Not only is Minott an excellent athlete, but like many of Minnesota’s players, he has a long wingspan.
Minott had a great defensive game against the Boston Celtics, which led to him staying on the court to start the fourth quarter. Although he has shown this ability in other games, seeing him do it against the defending champions shows what he can become for this team. That has contributed to his increased minutes after not playing much to start the season.
One of the better lineups the Timberwolves employ features Minott alongside Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Naz Reid, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. It’s given them a great offensive flow and a 127.2 offensive rating. The defense is also strong with this lineup, with a 104.8 rating.
The lineup gives the Timberwolves strong playmaking, shooting, and energy. Coach Finch has been trying to find different lineup combinations all season, but this one seems to have staying power. Minott missed Minnesota’s game on Saturday against the Detroit Pistons, and you could feel his absence. The lineup he stars in was unavailable, and Minnesota needed his spark.
After 35 games, the Wolves are still hovering around .500. That’s disappointing after their playoff run last year, but it has led to more opportunities to see young talent. Minott’s game still has the highs and lows of any inexperienced player; he played just five minutes against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday after averaging 11 in the previous three games. However, it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll lose grasp of his role anytime soon.