Let’s make no mistake about it — these Minnesota Timberwolves are good. Like, “one of the favorites in the West” kind of good. After back-to-back Western Conference playoff berths and a run that put the league on notice, the Wolves enter this season not as underdogs or upstarts, but with something much heavier: expectations.

Make the Finals. Compete for a championship. Validate the vision.

This offseason was the quietest in recent Wolves memory. No blockbuster trades. No late-summer surprises. The only notable departure was Nickeil Alexander-Walker heading to Atlanta — and yet that one move ripples through the rotation like a pebble dropped into a still pond. Continuity is the name of the game now. The pieces are here. The chemistry is built. And so, this season becomes a referendum — not on talent, but on execution, balance, and growth.

Let’s break down the key players, the pressure points, and the few Wolves who might find themselves on a warm to hot seat as the season unfolds.

Key Players to Watch

T.J. Shannon Jr. — The Breakout Candidate

Second-year guard T.J. Shannon Jr. might just be the most interesting young player on the Wolves’ roster. Out of Illinois, he’s been living in the gym this summer — reportedly putting up thousands of shots a day in the Twin Cities. He’s explosive, downhill, and strong enough to finish through contact. What makes Shannon intriguing is how ready he looks to carve out a real role in a crowded backcourt.

Minutes won’t come easy — he’s competing with Donte DiVincenzo, Jaden McDaniels, Mike Conley, Rob Dillingham, and even Jaylen Clark — but with NAW gone, Shannon inherits a window. And in a league obsessed with wings who can defend and create, his combination of slashing, toughness, and growing playmaking is tailor-made for Finch’s second unit.

There’s even a plausible world where Shannon is so effective that he, not Dillingham, starts pushing Conley for minutes by season’s end.

Jaylen Clark — The Specialist

If Shannon is the sizzle, Jaylen Clark is the structure. The UCLA product brings the kind of defensive DNA that every contender needs but few actually have. He’s physical, disciplined, and rarely makes the same mistake twice. His three-point shot — once a question mark — looks noticeably cleaner.

Clark joins McDaniels as one of the Wolves’ only true point-of-attack defenders. Against teams elite teams like the Thunder and Nuggets his minutes will be matchup-driven — but necessary. He may not play 20+ minutes a night, but when he’s in, expect him to guard your favorite player like it’s personal.

Year 2 of Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo

Both came over midseason last year from New York, and it took time to find a rhythm. But by the end of the postseason, Julius Randle had fully arrived. Against both the Lakers and the Warriors, he bulldozed through mismatches and gave the Wolves a legitimate secondary engine next to Anthony Edwards.

Now, after a full summer to build chemistry, Randle and Ant look like a duo ready to terrorize small-ball defenses. Their two-man game could become one of the Wolves’ offensive staples — a blend of Ant’s explosiveness and Julius’s brute force and burgeoning playmaking that few teams can match.

Donte DiVincenzo, meanwhile, is the steady hand. His shooting never quite clicked last season, but this is a proven 40% shooter from deep when healthy. If he regains that form, the Wolves suddenly have the floor spacer they’ve long lacked — and a potential antidote to their most glaring offensive weakness.

Jaden McDaniels — The Quiet Conundrum

You love Jaden. I love Jaden. We all love Jaden McDaniels. That said, this might quietly be a prove-it year for him — not on defense (where he’s already hovering in that DPOY stratosphere), but on offense. For years, Wolves coaches and teammates have raved about Jaden’s untapped offensive ceiling. And every so often, he gives us a glimpse: a hard drive and pull-up from the midrange, a perfectly timed cut behind ball-watching defenders, a slick pocket pass to Rudy that makes you think, “why doesn’t he do that more often?”

The problem isn’t the talent — it’s the context. With the ball so often in Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, or KAT’s hands, Jaden has too often been reduced to a corner camper, where he shot a solid-but-not-spectacular 34.8% from three, dipping to 33% last regular season before peaking at 38% in the playoffs. That’s not maximizing his game — that’s minimizing it.

Jaden trained with Kawhi Leonard this summer, and you can see flashes of that same calm physicality: the size, the handle, the pull-up potential. In another universe — or maybe just another offensive system — he could be a secondary creator, a hybrid forward in the Kawhi/KD-lite mold. But the Wolves have to let him try. If he remains a stationary shooter, you’re wasting one of the most intriguing two-way wings in basketball.

He’s not on the hot seat, but the Wolves do need to figure out what Jaden is offensively. Because if he’s merely a low-volume, inconsistent spacer, that limits your ceiling — and forces tough roster questions down the line. (Don’t shoot the messenger, but a name like Trey Murphy III starts to sound tempting in that scenario.)

And here’s the kicker: I actually think Jaden might be more of a 4 than a 3. That opens another roster conundrum — given the Wolves’ frontcourt traffic jam — but it might also be the key to unlocking him. What do I know, though? Just another guy who can’t stop watching Jaden McDaniels play defense like it’s an art form.

On the Warm Seat

Rob Dillingham — The Flash and the Frustration

No one questions the talent. Dillingham’s offensive ceiling is electric: the kind of handle, shot-creation, and swagger that reminds you of a young Allen Iverson, or if you’re more conservative, Darius Garland (shame on you for not dreaming big). But for every breathtaking drive, there’s a turnover, a defensive lapse, a moment of rookie impatience that makes Finch reach for the bench.

He’s only in his second year, so patience is warranted — but the Wolves are a win-now team. And if Finch can’t trust him to run the second unit, those minutes could evaporate quickly. The Wolves need him to grow within the system, not outside of it. There’s a possibility that Rob Dillingham’s playing time or lack thereof could become an unnecessary distraction. This is the situation to monitor. 

Leonard Miller — The Enigma

What is Leonard Miller? That question has lingered for over a year now. A 4/5 tweener with flashes of shooting, fluid athleticism, and defensive length — on paper, he’s everything modern basketball demands. But the consistency hasn’t followed the promise.

With Naz Reid, Julius Randle, and even Jaden McDaniels getting minutes at the 4, Miller risks becoming an afterthought. And with young bigs Noah Beringer and Zikarsky waiting in the wings, the Wolves’ frontcourt could look very different a year from now if he doesn’t take a tangible leap.

Chris Finch — The Strategist Under Pressure

Let’s be clear: Chris Finch isn’t going anywhere. He’s arguably the best coach in franchise history and universally respected across the locker room — from veterans to Ant himself. But this is the first season where expectations could start to weigh heavy.

This is a Finals-or-bust year for the Wolves’ front office, and Finch’s job is to balance player development with winning. That means finding real minutes for Dillingham, Shannon, and Clark without sacrificing the rhythm of an all-veteran core.

Finch also has to solve two lingering issues:

• Transition defense — the Wolves were often blitzed by run-and-gun teams like the Pacers, Rockets, and Thunder.
  
• Half-court stagnation — at times, the offense devolved into “your turn, my turn” basketball.
  

Neither is a fatal flaw, but both could decide if the Wolves will play in June.

One More Thing: Free Juzang

Somewhere deep on the bench sits Johnny Juzang, and all he does is shoot the damn basketball. He’s a legit sniper with positional size — something the Wolves have desperately lacked for years. He may not crack the rotation often, but in a league where spacing wins games, don’t be surprised if Juzang sneaks into a few big moments.

The Big Picture

The Minnesota Timberwolves are no longer a feel-good story. They’re a contender — built to win now, sculpted through years of trial, trades, and transformation. The pieces fit. The expectations are real.

This season isn’t about proving they belong. It’s about proving they can finish.