2023-2024 rotation post deadline.

[winforlose]

Someone on Canis did a nice job laying this out. I am gonna quote him, all credit to TayKZY on CanisHoopus.com

“
There's only 240 minutes a game, and our current rotation is:
Ant: 35
Rudy: 33
KAT: 33
BiteBite: 29
Jaden: 29
NAW: 23
Naz: 22
SlowMo: 22”

Assuming this is correct, Monte gets the 14 open minutes not listed on here by default. On Canis I postulated that Ant probably loses 3 minutes, Jaden 2 minutes, and Mike 4 minutes to Monte. This is partially based on Finch’s presser after the trade, but also about load management as we approach the playoffs. Keeping Mike to 25 minutes is ideal if we can win with Monte on the floor. Keeping Ant’s minutes down and Jaden’s down will keep them healthy and fresh for the playoffs. Especially considering we have a lot of back to backs upcoming before the end of the season.

I further speculated that if we sign Morris he will get half of Kyle’s minutes. Finch will use the pair as a yin-yang of offense and defense to balance the game as needed, but with each around 11 minutes. I also speculated that if either outplays the other (Kyle returns to form, or Morris plays great defense,) then the minutes might tip to one players favor over the other.

All of the above of course assumes a healthy and available roster. If anyone is sick, hurt, or resting, that can change and those minutes will increase.

What do you guys think, how will the rotation look going forward, and especially after the break?

[Klomp]

Adding Marcus really lets us lean into the playing big against teams. You could play stretches with McDaniels and Marcus playing together on the wings, for example.

[winforlose]

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/cap/2024/

The link is for an updated (Mike’s extension,) version of our tax situation. Before Kyle and before Monte we are 3 million under the 2nd apron. Does it make sense to extend either of them before the end of the season, or is there some incentive to wait and stay under the second apron until a specific date?

[shrink]

This is the part of the season where you see players from the deeper bench take minutes, to try to make sure that the players are fresh for the playoffs. I bet we still see JMac regularly, and you could see Minott and Wendell Moore Jr get brief stints during non-garbage time too. Marcus Morris too.

[frankenwolf]

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/cap/2024/

The link is for an updated (Mike’s extension,) version of our tax situation. Before Kyle and before Monte we are 3 million under the 2nd apron. Does it make sense to extend either of them before the end of the season, or is there some incentive to wait and stay under the second apron until a specific date?

I do not understand how the heck Even Turner, Greg Monroe and Aaron Brooks still have cap holds with the Wolves. Can someone explain it in Kindergarten English please?

[wolves_89]

The rotation when healthy is about as clear as it has ever been for the Wolves.

Starters:
Conley
Edwards
McDaniels
Towns
Gobert

Bench:
Monte Morris
Alexander-Walker
Anderson
Reid

With 7 back-to-back games left on the schedule, I'd bet on Conley resting for a few games and maybe Gobert as well. McLaughlin, Marcus Morris (if he actually ends up in Minnesota), and Minott seem like the guys that would be next up for rotation minutes with the distribution dependent on what role needs to be filled.

[winforlose]

The rotation when healthy is about as clear as it has ever been for the Wolves.

Starters:
Conley
Edwards
McDaniels
Towns
Gobert

Bench:
Monte Morris
Alexander-Walker
Anderson
Reid

With 7 back-to-back games left on the schedule, I'd bet on Conley resting for a few games and maybe Gobert as well. McLaughlin, Marcus Morris (if he actually ends up in Minnesota), and Minott seem like the guys that would be next up for rotation minutes with the distribution dependent on what role needs to be filled.

Yes but take it one step further. How many minutes does each player get? Does Marcus Morris get minutes and a spot in the rotation if the buyout happens?

[frankenwolf]

The rotation when healthy is about as clear as it has ever been for the Wolves.

Starters:
Conley
Edwards
McDaniels
Towns
Gobert

Bench:
Monte Morris
Alexander-Walker
Anderson
Reid

With 7 back-to-back games left on the schedule, I'd bet on Conley resting for a few games and maybe Gobert as well. McLaughlin, Marcus Morris (if he actually ends up in Minnesota), and Minott seem like the guys that would be next up for rotation minutes with the distribution dependent on what role needs to be filled.

Yes but take it one step further. How many minutes does each player get? Does Marcus Morris get minutes and a spot in the rotation if the buyout happens?

I won't break down the minutes, but, if Marcus gets on board, he will definitely get minutes when we rest Gobert and or KAT. He will back up Naz in the PF spot and Jaden in the SF spot

[Klomp]

I don't think Marcus would be coming in with guaranteed rotational minutes. He's a perfect 10th man for a 9-man rotation. He can come into multiple situations they need in critical moments. There are no moments he has not seen. There would be no doubting from the coaching staff about whether he can come into a game and do what they need him to do.

[winforlose]

I don't think Marcus would be coming in with guaranteed rotational minutes. He's a perfect 10th man for a 9-man rotation. He can come into multiple situations they need in critical moments. There are no moments he has not seen. There would be no doubting from the coaching staff about whether he can come into a game and do what they need him to do.

Do you think he picks us with no promise of minutes?

[Klomp]

I don't think Marcus would be coming in with guaranteed rotational minutes. He's a perfect 10th man for a 9-man rotation. He can come into multiple situations they need in critical moments. There are no moments he has not seen. There would be no doubting from the coaching staff about whether he can come into a game and do what they need him to do.

Do you think he picks us with no promise of minutes?

Yes. This is what a good chunk of buyout guys do.

[FrenchMinnyFan]

[quote="wolves_89"]The rotation when healthy is about as clear as it has ever been for the Wolves.

Starters:
Conley
Edwards
McDaniels
Towns
Gobert

Bench:
Monte Morris
Alexander-Walker
Anderson
Reid

With 7 back-to-back games left on the schedule, I'd bet on Conley resting for a few games and maybe Gobert as well. McLaughlin, Marcus Morris (if he actually ends up in Minnesota), and Minott seem like the guys that would be next up for rotation minutes with the distribution dependent on what role needs to be filled.[/quote

I disagree for Mike. He tell Finch he does not wanna rest on B2B as he always play better the second game and i agree ( Data too!)
Mike getting older, he need rythm and too much rest is not that good. But limiting min yes.
I pretty sure tomorrow Mike will come a bit rusty at lest in the first half after long break,

[winforlose]

https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/basketball/news/timberwolves-kyle-anderson-wont-play-wednesday-451555/amp/

Kyle being out for a while could shake things up.

[minimus]

https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/basketball/news/timberwolves-kyle-anderson-wont-play-wednesday-451555/amp/

Kyle being out for a while could shake things up.

Give McDaniels/Ried more minutes (plus Minott some) and let Monte Morris run offense as backup PG

[wolves_89]

If Kyle misses games, I'd like to see Minott getting some of those minutes. It would be good to see if Josh is ready for an NBA role or not.

[Biff Cooper]

I do not understand how the heck Even Turner, Greg Monroe and Aaron Brooks still have cap holds with the Wolves. Can someone explain it in Kindergarten English please?

Cap holds represent "placeholders" for pending free agents, unsigned draft picks, offer sheets, etc... Since the Timberwolves are currently over the league salary cap, these cap holds do not count against their Total Cap figure. Renouncing these cap holds will NOT afford the team any new cap space. These figures are not counted toward a team's Luxury Tax Allocation.
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/cap/

The CBA gives teams some advantages when it comes to being under the salary cap when it comes to signing new players. Having holds against players who are league Free Agents that last played for your team prevents the team from making a bunch of transactions with the under the cap advantages and then still resign these free agents with exceptions and go over the cap. A team can renounce players and waive these cap holds whenever they wish, but if over the cap like the Timberwolves, it doesn't really harm anything to keep them on the books.

[frankenwolf]

I do not understand how the heck Even Turner, Greg Monroe and Aaron Brooks still have cap holds with the Wolves. Can someone explain it in Kindergarten English please?

Cap holds represent "placeholders" for pending free agents, unsigned draft picks, offer sheets, etc... Since the Timberwolves are currently over the league salary cap, these cap holds do not count against their Total Cap figure. Renouncing these cap holds will NOT afford the team any new cap space. These figures are not counted toward a team's Luxury Tax Allocation.
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/cap/

The CBA gives teams some advantages when it comes to being under the salary cap when it comes to signing new players. Having holds against players who are league Free Agents that last played for your team prevents the team from making a bunch of transactions with the under the cap advantages and then still resign these free agents with exceptions and go over the cap. A team can renounce players and waive these cap holds whenever they wish, but if over the cap like the Timberwolves, it doesn't really harm anything to keep them on the books.

Thank you Biff.

[Colbinii]

We have a legitimate Top 9 with NAW/Reid/SlowMo/Morris off the bench. That's 9 players you are happy with playing in a play-off series. It allows us to play different line-ups, depending on what the opponent decides to do.

Naz Reid -- Punishes smaller 4's and less-athletic big-men with his ability to catch & shoot or drive/cut into space after a hard close-out or as a cutter, where he can then use his size to finish exceptionally well around the him. Defensively he can switch onto larger wings and less-quick wings and you feel comfortable in Reid to not get blown by.

NAW -- The pinnacle of 3+D Combo Guard who provides secondary ball-handling. Elite defensive piece who can guard most Guards and smaller wings and a 43% Corner 3P Shooter.

SlowMo -- Ball Handling Wing who is exceptional defensively, can legitimately guard 1-5. Inconsistent shooter but punishes smaller players with his turn-around hooks in the paint and plays at his pace, which can lead to him getting easy lay-ups around a snoozing defender.

Morris -- The New guy on the block. Mike Conley Jr 'Jr'. Ultimate Plug-and-play player. Shooter. Creator. Cutter. Spacer. Connector. He can handle ball-handling responsibilities and get the team in their sets quickly and effectively. He is strong enough defensively to stay on the court for extended periods.

The overarching theme of the Wolves Bench is Versatility. Naz Reid is a 4/5 who can shoot and finish and defends. NAW is a switchable guard who can play on or off ball while SlowMo is the cream of the crop defensively as a player you can throw on just about anyone in the NBA and live with the results.

When we face a team like Denver, we can match their different units with multiple defenders for Jamal Murray [Morris/NAW/SlowMo/ANT/McDaniels] and the size of SlowMo/McDaniels on Murray are intriguing from a personnel standpoint.

A team like the Lakers, we have multiple LeBron Defenders and match their size with Reid being a key bench piece vs the smaller Rui Hachimura at the 4.

All of this to say, Finch is in love with the palpability of the bench.

I didn't even touch on the fact that we have the best defensive player in the NBA in Gobert and a high-level starting 5.

[TimberKat]

We have a legitimate Top 9 with NAW/Reid/SlowMo/Morris off the bench. That's 9 players you are happy with playing in a play-off series. It allows us to play different line-ups, depending on what the opponent decides to do.

Naz Reid -- Punishes smaller 4's and less-athletic big-men with his ability to catch & shoot or drive/cut into space after a hard close-out or as a cutter, where he can then use his size to finish exceptionally well around the him. Defensively he can switch onto larger wings and less-quick wings and you feel comfortable in Reid to not get blown by.

NAW -- The pinnacle of 3+D Combo Guard who provides secondary ball-handling. Elite defensive piece who can guard most Guards and smaller wings and a 43% Corner 3P Shooter.

SlowMo -- Ball Handling Wing who is exceptional defensively, can legitimately guard 1-5. Inconsistent shooter but punishes smaller players with his turn-around hooks in the paint and plays at his pace, which can lead to him getting easy lay-ups around a snoozing defender.

Morris -- The New guy on the block. Mike Conley Jr 'Jr'. Ultimate Plug-and-play player. Shooter. Creator. Cutter. Spacer. Connector. He can handle ball-handling responsibilities and get the team in their sets quickly and effectively. He is strong enough defensively to stay on the court for extended periods.

The overarching theme of the Wolves Bench is Versatility. Naz Reid is a 4/5 who can shoot and finish and defends. NAW is a switchable guard who can play on or off ball while SlowMo is the cream of the crop defensively as a player you can throw on just about anyone in the NBA and live with the results.

When we face a team like Denver, we can match their different units with multiple defenders for Jamal Murray [Morris/NAW/SlowMo/ANT/McDaniels] and the size of SlowMo/McDaniels on Murray are intriguing from a personnel standpoint.

A team like the Lakers, we have multiple LeBron Defenders and match their size with Reid being a key bench piece vs the smaller Rui Hachimura at the 4.

All of this to say, Finch is in love with the palpability of the bench.

I didn't even touch on the fact that we have the best defensive player in the NBA in Gobert and a high-level starting 5.

Agreed with most expect KA is still a great liability on offense. Defense has giving him more room than Gobert to shoot the 3. We still lack some consistent 3pt shooting and scoring outside of Naz. I don't know if JMcL could maintain his 3pt shooting for the rest of the season. I think NAW and Morris may growth into a consistent scorer before the play offs.

[Colbinii]

Agreed with most expect KA is still a great liability on offense. Defense has giving him more room than Gobert to shoot the 3.

Correct, but we don't need to rely on Kyle Anderson to play 25-30 MPG and be a main ball-handler anymore. There is a big difference when forced to play SlowMo 25-30 minutes and you run out of spacing around him and playing him 15-20 MPG and only play him in a 4-out line-up with shooters around him. That unlocks SlowMo in a playoff series because you get his insane defensive versatility and impact and don't sacrifice offense.

We still lack some consistent 3pt shooting and scoring outside of Naz.

Monte Morris is a career 39% 3P shooter and 53% 2P shooter and a career 47% mid-range shooter. For anyone wondering, 47% from mid-range is higher than the league average PPP in the half-court. That is incredible valuable in a post-season setting where defense does a better job taking away lay-ups and open 3's.

I don't know if JMcL could maintain his 3pt shooting for the rest of the season. I think NAW and Morris may growth into a consistent scorer before the play offs.

JMac isn't a playoff caliber player. He provides the opposition too many opportunities as a defensive liability and his offense isn't Trae Young/Steve Nash level where he off-sets any defensive deficiencies by being an A+ Caliber offensive weapon.