You know it’s an atypical year for the Timberwolves when they’re getting lots of mentions in a preseason predictions story by ESPN’s Zach Lowe, which is the case this year.
Of Lowe’s 30 predictions, three of them involved Minnesota.
Prediction 1: Wolves own the league in offensive rebounding.
“The Wolves finished third last season, and this year’s version will be downright rude in the paint. Taj Gibson punks weak box-out guys. Jimmy Butler‘s sneaky offensive rebounding was perhaps the first skill — at least on offense — that got him noticed. He’s not as brash crashing these days, but he’s a load.
The Thunder topped the league last season, but they’re going to play smaller — and without Enes Kanter‘s bruising, hippity-hoppity put-back game.”
Prediction 2: KAT goes 50-40-85.
“It’s more likely Karl-Anthony Towns goes 50-38-85, but where’s the fun in that? I really wanted to pull the trigger on Towns joining Dirk Nowitzki as the only big men in the hallowed 50-40-90 club, but leaping from 82 to 90 percent at the line in one season is a lot to ask. Maybe someday. Towns has a chance to be the greatest scoring big man since Shaq — and the most versatile ever.”
Prediction 3: Wolves trade for Jared Dudley.
“The Wolves need depth and shooting, and the Suns could use more wiggle room Aldrich’s partially-guaranteed deal would crack open this summer. They are not getting better than this for Dudley. Minnesota is staring down a hefty tax bill for next season after handing over Scrooge McDuck’s vault to Andrew Wiggins; Dudley would add to it. Tom Thibodeau might snare a bench piece now anyway, and deal with next season’s tax next season.”
Technically the Wolves were in four of Lowe’s predictions as he has them among the eight teams making the Western Conference playoffs.
