The Minnesota Timberwolves have acquired some exceptional talent and potential over the past year becoming the first team in NBA history with three straight No. 1 overall picks on their roster at the same time with Anthony Bennett, Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns. Minnesota also added veteran Kevin Garnett at the trade deadline last season to what suddenly looks like a crowded frontcourt.
While they have some decent balance throughout the roster, there is no doubt that they are loaded at the power forward position. Head coach Flip Saunders will have some important decisions to make when it comes to managing the minutes at the position and fantasy general managers have to be paying close attention. Here’s how we see the minutes being allotted:
Kevin Garnett
Projected Minutes Per Game: 20.5
Garnett was acquired in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets and signed to a two-year extension with Saunders’ word that he will be their starter looking forward to next season. Garnett is now 39 years old and isn’t the same talent on the floor, but he is a smart, savvy veteran whose experience is considered a major asset for such a young Minnesota team. Garnett is expected to start and play at least 20 minutes per game – according to Saunders. It will be interesting to see how well his body holds up and if he can handle that workload over the course of an entire 82-game season.
Nikola Pekovic
Projected Minutes Per Game: 18
The Timberwolves drafted Towns as the type of dominant center that can step in immediately and become a game changer, so he will get every opportunity to prove himself. With Gorgui Dieng also in the mix at center, some have predicted that Pekovic could move to the power forward spot.
Minnesota could use a veteran on the floor at the same time as either Towns or Dieng, and Pekovic is the type of hardworking big man that can play a similar role to Garnett. What is clear right now is that the Timberwolves’ frontcourt is absolutely loaded, so it won’t be a surprise if Pekovic is the first player off the bench at the power forward spot.
Adreian Payne
Projected Minutes Per Game: 5
Payne is a 24 year old 2014 first-round pick that has high upside but he didn’t look comfortable last season. That’s probably because the Atlanta Hawks gave up on his so quickly and he was forced to change environments after the midseason trade. Another full year of NBA experience should help his development, which is actually what we’ve already seen in Summer League action. In the team’s last game, he had 18 points – including a three-pointer – with six rebounds, a block and a steal. His path to minutes is obviously murky right now but he looks like the type of guy that could be important after the All-Star break next season. If Pekovic gets traded – and the rumors have been circulating – and/or if Garnett’s body wears down, he’s likely to get over 20 minutes of action. He’s not worth drafting right now but keep the name in the back of your mind.
Anthony Bennett
Projected Minutes Per Game: 5
Finding time for Garnett, Pekovic, Payne and Bennett at the power forward spot won’t be easy by any means. However, one guy who figures to get the short end of the stick is Bennett since he’s looked absolutely lost at times over the last two seasons. Bennett averaged 15.7 minutes per game a year ago but he will battle Payne for playing time once again now that the team added Garnett and will potentially move Pekovic. The addition of Nemanja Bjelica also hurts Bennett’s chances of playing major minutes because he’s slow and sluggish while Bjelica could play the position if the team wanted to play smaller and run. Bennett just never panned out and the Timberwolves look like they’ll be moving on.
