Analysis
DiVincenzo is out for opening night in Miami with no return date. Jayson Tatum came back 298 days after his Achilles tear; apply that to April 25 and you get mid-February. The Wolves have to plan the first two-thirds of the regular season without his shooting.
Analysis
Six of the first 10 games are on the road, and the 10 opponents averaged 43.7 wins last season. Then comes a franchise-record eight-game homestand against teams that averaged 32.6.
Analysis
Minnesota led Detroit 48-40 with six minutes left in the first half and trailed 65-58 at the break. Edwards turned it over four times in that stretch, and Detroit went on to win the preseason game 128-106.
Analysis
Chris Finch's gut says keep his two guards on the floor at the same time. 56% of Edwards' threes and 62% of Ball's were assisted last season (Ball's in Charlotte), so each can be the shooter while the other passes.
Analysis
Chris Finch says LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards have made the Wolves loose. A 122-104 win at Madison Square Garden showed the upside, and Ball's game-high five turnovers and a 67% team night at the line showed what the joy still has to clean up.
Analysis
Reid and Randle accounted for 28% of Minnesota's points, 28% of its rebounds and 30% of its free throw attempts last season. LaMelo Ball covers the threes and the passing. The glass and the free throw line are the bill.
Analysis
Hyland went 5-of-6 from three in the Wolves' 125-124 preseason win over the Heat. He is a real shooter, but the number to watch is his 9-of-34 in the playoffs, because Donte DiVincenzo's torn Achilles leaves the Wolves short on guards.
Analysis
Gobert shot 52.6% from the line last season, his worst mark since his rookie year, and the slump took about half a point a game off his scoring. The Wolves can extend him now, and they shouldn't hurry.
Analysis
Kuminga shot 1-for-9 in the preseason loss to Indiana on Wednesday and never reached the line. That is the number that matters, because he is replacing Julius Randle, who took 6.3 free throws a game for the Wolves.
Analysis
McDaniels made a career-best 41.2% from three last season, and 92% of those makes were set up by a teammate. Threes were the smallest share of his shots in his career. With Ball and Edwards creating, that has to change.
Analysis
The Wolves have a free-to-air slate of 15 DAZN games on KARE 11, plus eight NBC games. For the rest of the schedule, the Season Pass beats paying month to month, and it works out to about $3 a game at most.
Analysis
Beringer scored 12 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in 15 minutes of the preseason opener, and picked up 4 fouls doing it. Minnesota has no obvious plan B behind him.
Analysis
Edwards says he went two full months without basketball to let his left knee heal. After a career-low 61 games, his health is the number the Wolves' season turns on.
Analysis
Gobert's offense shrank to its smallest in a decade last season, and less of it came off a teammate's pass. Ball is the passer Chris Finch says Minnesota never had for him, and more offense from a center the Wolves already pay costs them nothing extra.
News
Minnesota brought both into camp to fight for the 15th spot. Martin has the bigger NBA resume, but the Wolves need a big, and Timme is one.
Opinion
Dosunmu is the better shooter. Minnesota still needs a real forward next to Edwards, Ball and Gobert more than it needs a third guard.
News
Team CEO Matt Caldwell says the Wolves and Lynx will seek public assistance, while Mayor Jacob Frey pushes a new arena at City Center and still says no direct subsidy.
