Jonathan Kuminga played with Minnesota's starters, and Anthony Edwards wants him fed: "They can't really guard him. They try to put the worst defenders on him." The plan is to get Kuminga the ball and let him play in space.
Jaden McDaniels is getting more touches in pick-and-rolls and isolations, Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards said: "if they put a small guy on him, give it to him in the post." Edwards predicted McDaniels will "average 20 to 25 points easy."
Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels says teams put smaller players on him because they can't on OG Anunoby or Jonathan Kuminga: "they can put them on me. I don't care. I'm gonna take advantage of it every time." No timeline on Donte DiVincenzo: "we just can't wait to have him back."
Jalen Duren played his first game back for the Pistons on Oct. 14. J.B. Bickerstaff said he was aggressive, set the tone and kept his focus on helping the team. "It's, you know, his first go at it. So I just expect him to continue to get better."
Minnesota's bench will go fast and small. "Pushing out in transition and making the game go faster will be our identity," Terrence Shannon Jr. said, with Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland. Rebounding is the focus; he said it has improved since the first preseason game.
Trey Lyles is still working out his Timberwolves role as Chris Finch keeps "switching up the rotations quite a bit." For now his job is mainly defense, rebounding and switching, but Finch recently got on him for turning down shots and wants him to keep shooting.
Rudy Gobert wants Minnesota's offense to run through him "as much as we can": "by playing through me... it relieves a lot of pressure on our guards." He had 8 assists in Game 6, and says he tells LaMelo Ball to slow down and use the advantage his screens create.
Jaden McDaniels doesn't know if the Timberwolves will use him off the ball more: "I'll do whatever. Like, on ball, off ball, I feel like I'm good at both, so it really don't matter to me." He told Cody Williams to keep guarding Jalen Brunson after a great job last game.
Whether to stagger Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball is undecided, but Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said "My gut tells me we'll play them mostly together," pointing to Ball's playmaking creating easy shots for Edwards in their most recent game.
Jaden McDaniels is sometimes moved off the ball on defense, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said, "maybe mostly to help with rebounding." He beat smaller defenders for offensive rebounds, setting up threes; Finch expects the same from Jonathan Kuminga once the team is healthy.
Joan Beringer is playing only at center for now, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said; he'd like to try him with Rudy Gobert once other things are sorted. He said Beringer, who used to overcommit into fouls, now regulates his energy better, helped by Trey Lyles beside him.