Northwest division watch: Wolves add Kuminga, Ball

Let’s it get it Dub Nation. I’m taking a look around the league this summer division by freakin’ division to see what all the big hubbub is about. Now that the Warriors are apparently playing out the flickering hopes of their dynasty, it’s more important than ever to see who is standing in the way from Stephen Curry and Draymond Green taking ring number five.

As we continue to cruise through the Northwest, let’s go ahead and talk some Minnesota Timberwolves basketball. Last year the Dubs went 1-3 against Minnesota, an abysmal record that contributed to why the Dubs sank to the play-in tournament. This season the Wolves added LaMelo Ball, missed on LeBron James, and are plugging the hole left behind Naz Reid’s departure with a two-year, $13 million flier on Jonathan Kuminga. Remember him???

Kuminga is the presumptive starter at the position that opened up the moment Minnesota traded away Julius Randle and Reid this summer. He has a player option that lets him walk after year one if it doesn’t work out. Kuminga is stepping into that job with career averages of 12/5/2 with four of those seasons coming in Golden State before a half-season stint in Atlanta:

Jonathan Kuminga will step right in to a ready-made power forward slot with a chip on his shoulder, needing to still prove himself in the NBA landscape. More in depth analysis will be needed before projecting his true role with the team, having a player with his athleticism and skill while getting them for so cheap is huge for the Timberwolves aspirations this season. He does come with question marks on the defensive end, as well as figuring out his best place amongst a winning culture, but the talent is undeniable.

With star guards Anthony Edwards and Ball running the show at a presumably high octane pace, Kuminga should be able to slot in as a freak athlete streaking towards the basket and causing havoc. The Wolves are dangerous on paper, and it’s impossible to forget they eliminated Golden State in the second round two seasons ago on their way to back-to-back conference finals appearances. Edwards is entering into “face of the league” conversations while Ball gives Minnesota a shot creator it has never had running next to Edwards and pairs two players capable of turning any given night into chaos:

Ball gives Minnesota something it has lacked for years: a dynamic offensive organizer who can create for others, manipulate defenses, and remove some of the burden from Edwards. The Wolves now possess the most exciting backcourts in the NBA, and perhaps the most unpredictable.

Minnesota in recent years has been athletic, rugged, and feisty. Their defense, anchored by the giant rim protector Rudy Gobert, can stifle anybody on a given night. They seemed to lack the top end scoring punch (and health) that champions need to have, but on a night-in and night-out basis they’re absolutely going to force any team to execute at a high level. With Ball and Kuminga in the fold, they’ve got a new look they can throw out there to spice things up. The Dubs will have to be on high alert when these fellas howl into town.

Doesn’t it seem like just yesterday Golden State was up 1-0 on Minnesota in the playoffs by stealing Game 1 on the road before Steph Curry’s body gave out? That was the series Kuminga got a heavy showcase in postseason basketball. And eeven though the Dubs faltered, it appears the Wolves saw something in JK that they liked.

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