Timberwolves Trio Needs to Parlay Summer Success to NBA

The Minnesota Timberwolves are coming off back-to-back Western Conference Finals. They have one of the brightest young stars in the league, two-time All-NBA guard Anthony Edwards. He is supported by two forwards, also under 25, in Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid, each signed to stick around for the foreseeable future. It seems like a dream situation to be in.

However, around the edges, there are some cracks. Point guard Mike Conley is aging, and there is no proven backup. Center Rudy Gobert lost a step last season, and his presence at the rim is crucial to the team’s success. Reserve wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker departed in free agency to Atlanta, leaving a defensive hole on the bench. But the Wolves have a plan, and it started two weeks ago in Las Vegas Summer League.

Timberwolves Trio Needs to Parlay Summer Success to NBA

The Youth Movement

In the 2024 NBA Draft, Minnesota made a bold move. They traded a future unprotected first round pick to San Antonio for the chance to draft guard Rob Dillingham in the lottery. Dillingham, who is undersized but full of spark, saw little playing time his rookie season. Later in that same draft, Terrence Shannon Jr. became a Wolf. The senior from Illinois is a force in transition, with the size and strength to make an impact defensively. However, like Dillingham, he rarely saw the court in his first year.

Jumping forward to the 2025 NBA Draft, Minnesota owned the #17 pick, via Detroit, acquired in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade. When 7-foot tall French teenager Joan Beringer fell to them, he was the obvious choice. Despite only having played basketball for four years, his size and athleticism made him an heir apparent to Gobert. The three represent the future of Timberwolves basketball, and Summer League was their chance to shine.

Young Core Helps Timberwolves Win in Vegas

Each of the three made their mark on Summer League. They did so by excelling at precisely what the Timberwolves need them to. Shannon Jr. scored 22.7 points per game in his three outings, good for fifth most among all participants. Dillingham averaged 6.5 assists per game over his four contests, ranking eighth in Las Vegas. Beringer blocked an average of 2.5 shots per game in four games, highlighted by a spectacular debut which saw him tie a Summer League record with seven blocks. The 2.5 per game ranked fourth in the league. Even though it’s just exhibition games, it’s worth noting that Minnesota won all four games before benching the youthful trio for their final game, a loss to Houston.

Projected Playing Time

Come October, it’s likely that the Wolves will have seven rotation spots locked down. Edwards, Reid, McDaniels, Gobert, Conley, Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo have done nothing to show they won’t be getting big minutes for head coach Chris Finch. Finch, who has been hesitant to trust his younger players in his five seasons in Minnesota, will need to turn to one of these three up-and-comers to fill out the rotation.

Shannon Jr., who made a real impact in the Western Conference Finals, seems like the obvious candidate. Running in transition and physical defense are two qualities Finch puts great emphasis on, and Shannon Jr.’s age makes him a more mature choice than the other two. But if Conley or Gobert find their age catching up to them, or an injury keeps them out for a few weeks, Dillingham and Beringer will need to be ready to step in. For the Wolves to reach the same levels of success they’ve found in the past seasons, or even get past the Conference Finals, the young core will likely factor in. Now is the time to prove themselves.