Why is Jordan McLaughlin Overlooked? Plus, What Are We Looking For in the Opener?

On today’s show, Dane is joined by Jace Frederick of the Pioneer Press to discuss what they are looking for in tonight’s Minnesota Timberwolves’ season opener against the Chet Holmgren-less Oklahoma City Thunder at Target Center. You can catch the 7:10 PM CT tip on Bally Sports North.

But to start the episode, the focus is on the often overlooked Jordan McLaughlin. Jace shares what he learned when writing his preseason feature story on McLaughlin, who is both internally beloved by the organization and externally celebrated as a fan favorite among Timberwolves fans.

— The NBA moving away from traditional point guards and towards more free-flowing, multiple ball-handler systems that could enable someone like Anthony Edwards to take on a bigger creation role this season and beyond.

— If D’Angelo Russsell were to eventually depart, could McLaughlin take on a bigger role running the Timberwolves’ starting unit?

— The statistical cases for and against McLaughlin. What makes him such an impactful player when he’s on the floor? What is preventing him from being a starting point guard in the NBA?

— How does the starting five look in the opener and how much do they play together? What will the rotations ultimately look like when head coach Chris Finch calls for reinforcements from the bench?

— Will the Wolves be able to punish the Thunder’s lack of size? How will the no centers versus two centers battle play out?

— How we think the Thunder will try to match up with the Wolves given their lack of a true starting center in the wake of Holmgren’s season-ending foot injury.

(If you can’t access the Spotify player above, click here to listen to the latest episode on Spotify).

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