FanPost

2022-23 Season Timberwolves Grades

2022-23 Season Timberwolves Grades

By Dylan Lennick


Today I decided to take the Timberwolves players back to school, and remind them what it’s like to receive their semester report cards. I analyzed the season of every Timberwolves player, and assigned them a letter grade determining how successful or unsuccessful their seasons were. I took into account both regular season and postseason performance. Players who didn’t finish the season with the Timberwolves didn’t receive a grade, so that leaves off D’Angelo Russell and Bryn Forbes. Also, only players who played in over 30 games received a grade, so Wendell Moore, Josh Minott, and Matt Ryan didn’t make the cut.

Anthony Edwards: A

24.6 PPG, 5.8 TRB, 4.8 AST, 45.9 fg%, 36.9 3p%

Third year leap? Yes.

Faced with exponential expectations headed into this season, Anthony Edwards exceeded every single one. He received his first all-star team selection as an injury replacement, and only improved as the season progressed. Despite some nagging injuries near the end of the year, he still managed to dominate when the lights were brightest. In a short five game series against Denver, Edwards averaged 31.6 points per game. The only thing keeping Edwards away from solidifying himself as a superstar in this league is improving his consistency. The Timberwolves have a star in Anthony Edwards, and he’s only 21 years old.

Needs to improve defensive consistency, and specifically off ball defense.

Fun facts:

- Led all guards in stocks (steals + blocks) with 183

- Second in NBA in total points not including free throws

- Sixth in NBA in total points this season

- Third in NBA in total steals this season

- 4th player ever to score 40 points in a playoff game before turning 22

- 2nd player ever to have 5+ 30 point playoff games before turning 22

- Youngest ever player to score over 40 points with 5+ made threes in a playoff game

- First all time in 3s made before turning 22 years old

Karl-Anthony Towns: B-

20.8 PPG, 8.1 TRB, 4.8 AST, 49.5 fg%, 36.6 3p%

Coming into his 8th NBA season, a lot changed for Towns. After Tim Connelly made the monumental move to trade for Rudy Gobert, Towns had to adapt to playing a lot more at power forward. After only playing 21 games next to Gobert, Towns suffered a Grade 3 calf strain causing him to miss a whopping 51 games. After returning he seemed to be off to a hot start, but that clearly slowed down heading into the playoffs. As he usually tends to be, Towns was underwhelming in the playoffs. The self proclaimed "best shooting big of all time" shot 25% from three on 18.2 points per game in the Denver series.

Rudy Gobert: C

13.4 PPG, 11.6 TRB, 1.2 AST, 1.4 BLK, 65.9 fg%

It’s challenging to grade a player objectively after he was traded for five first round picks, as well as meaningful role players. It’s also challenging to like a player when he punches his own teammate during a timeout. While Gobert did provide rim protection and rebounding, he didn’t come close to meeting the expectations set for him. For the first time in nine seasons Gobert averaged less than two blocks per game, and had the lowest block percentage of his career. Many questioned if Gobert was battling injuries throughout the season, which could have been why he appeared to be limited physically. He also played for France prior to the season, which may have led to some fatigue.

Jaden McDaniels: A-

12.1 PPG, 3.9 TRB, 1.9 AST, 51.7 fg%, 39.7 3p%, 1 BLK, 0.9 STL

Watching Jaden McDaniels play basketball is one of my new hobbies. His defensive ability makes him one of the most challenging players to score on. It would have been a treat to watch him defend Jamal Murray for an entire playoff series, but unfortunately punching a wall stopped him from being able to do so. His shooting mechanics significantly improved this season, and he managed to be a really reliable spot up shooter with his 39.7 three point percentage. His offensive abilities will only continue to get better, and eventually he could become a serious threat to create his own shots.

Mike Conley: B+

14 PPG, 3.1 TRB, 5 AST, 46 fg%, 42 3p% (With Wolves)

Mike Conley came in and provided everything that the Wolves had been lacking with D’Angelo Russell. While Conley doesn’t bring the same scoring burst as Russell, Conley is a facilitating point guard who can find his own shots in rhythm. While not a great defender, his defensive effort is undeniable. Conley also developed an immediate connection with Anthony Edwards, which should be meaningful going into next season.

Kyle Anderson: B+

9.4 PPG, 5.3 TRB, 4.9 AST

In his first season as a Timberwolf, Kyle Anderson was a breath of fresh air. His funky old man game made him an intriguing player to follow and watch night in and night out. He’s a smart player with an ability to create high quality shots for others. Signing him was possibly the best move of Tim Connelly’s brief time with the Wolves. However, Anderson's uneventful postseason performance was a poor way to end what had been a great season for him.

Naz Reid: A-

11.5 PPG, 4.9 TRB, 1.1 AST, 53.7 fg%, 34.6 3p%

In a season consisting of many ups and downs, Naz Reid was consistently an up. He was electric all season with highlight dunks all over the place. He has an insanely deep bag for a 6-9 center, making him one of the most entertaining players the Wolves have had in the last decade. Just for the sake of my own enjoyment when watching Timberwolves games, I really hope Tim Connelly offers him all of the money in the world this off-season.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker: B

5.9 PPG, 1.8 TRB, 1.4 AST, 38.4 fg%, 36.1 3p% (With Wolves)

Alexander-Walker was supposed to be just a throw-in with Conley in the D’angelo Russell trade, but he eventually became a crucial part of this Timberwolves lineup. His defensive effort immediately made him a fan favorite, and an interesting piece in the postseason. His defense on his cousin Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the Play-In game helped propel the Timberwolves to the playoffs. It will be interesting to see if he is offered a contract this off-season.

Taurean Prince: B

9.1 PPG, 2.4 TRB, 1.6 AST, 46.7 fg%, 38.1 3p%

Taurean Prince in his second season with the Timberwolves was largely to be expected. He shot well from beyond the arc, including one game against the Knicks in which he went 8-8 from the three point line in his 35 point performance in the win. He isn’t an excellent player, but he’s a solid role guy who the youngsters on the roster seem to love.

Jaylen Nowell: D

10.8 PPG, 2.6 TRB, 2 AST, 44.8 fg%, 28.9 3p%

After such a great start for the first few games of the year, Jaylen Nowell’s play fell off a cliff. Due to his horrendous defense, and poor shot selection, he found himself riding the bench near the end of the season.

Jordan McLaughlin: C-

3.7 PPG, 1.4 TRB, 3.4 AST, 42.1 fg%, 30.8 3p%

McLaughlin is too smart a player for him to be this negatively impactful, but unfortunately he just didn’t bring much to the table this season. Fighting some injuries was a detriment to his game. He was lacking his speed and athleticism all year, and just couldn’t seem to be enough of a threat on offense to make him worth playing.

Austin Rivers: C+

4.9 PPG, 1.6 TRB, 1.4 AST

You know someone is an NBA vet once they officially have their own podcast.

Austin Rivers came into the season as a wildcard. The son of Doc Rivers has had a long career on a wide variety of different rosters. In his first year with the Wolves, he provided some leadership, and was a loud voice in the locker room despite not being in the rotation near the end of the season. Throughout the season he was a solid perimeter defender and could sometimes provide scoring in bursts.

Luka Garza: B+

6.5 PPG, 2.3 TRB, 0.6 AST, 54.3 fg%, 35.9 3p%

MVP! MVP! MVP!

Iowa Wolves legend and G-League all-star game MVP Luka Garza became an immediate fan favorite. The unathletic center knows how to get the ball in the bucket. Garza averaged 26.8 points per 36 minutes for the Timberwolves. His defense is a liability but his work ethic and effort make up for it. Hopefully Garza can find a role in the league and have a long career, because he is certainly skilled enough.

Nathan Knight: B

3.7 PPG, 1.5 TRB, 0.3 AST, 56.8 fg%, 36.4 3p%

His second season as a Timberwolf was similar to his first. He was solid, but an undersized backup big. He only played in 38 games because this roster was obviously stacked with big men. His athleticism allows him to be an offensive threat and a presence on the glass.