Takeaways from the Minnesota Timberwolves 2022 Media Day
The Minnesota Timberwolves held Media Day on Monday afternoon, and it gave the members of the media and fans a chance to hear what’s been going on in the offseason and the players’ expectations for the upcoming season.
The Timberwolves made a big splash this summer, acquiring All-Star big man Rudy Gobert. In that trade, Minnesota moved a lot of assets and players. They had to revamp their depth, and we saw a bunch of new faces front and center during Media Day.
Here are some notable conversations and takeaways from the Timberwolves players:
(Note: this article doesn’t include every player that was interviewed. The stream cutoff after Kyle Anderson spoke. You can hear the rest of the takeaways on the Let’s Talk Minnesota Sports podcast this Thursday.)
Chris Finch:
- The Timberwolves are zigging while everyone else zags
- “In a league that trends small, we go big. KAT’s ability allows us to do that.”
Rudy Gobert:
- Gobert emphasized that there is no ceiling for this team. He mentioned how talented this roster is and that they should be able to accomplish a lot.
- He’s excited to play alongside Karl-Anthony Towns because Gobert believes he is a good passer and can elevate KAT’s game.
Anthony Edwards:
- Anthony Edwards apologized for his comments on Instagram:
- “I learned that you have to think before you speak and things can be taken away in a blink. Words hurt people and I just gotta be better.”
- He’s going to prioritize rebounding.
- Physically, Edwards looks bigger than last year.
Taurean Prince:
- Taurean Prince on his legal situation:
- “Everything will be fine.”
- Mentioned that this process won’t be a distraction for the team.
- He’s excited for the addition of Gobert because of the Timberwolves’ issues rebounding the ball last season.
- Prince isn’t worried about the loss of Patrick Beverley because they have a lot of guys who can step up and be the leader of this team.
Austin Rivers:
- Summer was stressful:
- “I didn’t have 15-20 teams calling me.”
- Austin Rivers thought he was going to end up in Denver, but saw Beverley leave and ended up in Minnesota.
- Rivers doesn’t like the cold – good luck.
- The vibes are different in Minnesota:
- He mentioned all the talent this roster has and emphasized how great this fanbase is.
- No interest in stats:
- “My only intention is to win.”
- Austin Rivers on his defense:
- “I’m one of the best perimeter defenders in the league.”
D’Angelo Russell:
- D’Angelo Russell isn’t paying attention to expectations.
- He’s treating this year as the same as every season and isn’t worried about his next contract.
- Russell said he’s excited to run pick and roll with Gobert, but didn’t want to comment further on it because he is yet to play alongside him.
- DLo isn’t worried about the other teams in the Western Conference because they’re trying to figure it out too.
- He stated he’s not frustrated with contract extension talks, and said the Timberwolves organization has shown him nothing but love.
Jaden McDaniels:
- Jaden McDaniels didn’t work out with Kawhi Leanord but did have some conversations with him.
- JMac is going to try and foul less, which will allow him to stay on the floor longer.
- He worked on his dribbling this offseason in order to create more offensively.
Kyle Anderson:
- Kyle Anderson said that coming to Minnesota was an “easy call” after watching how hard the Wolves played against the Memphis Grizzlies in the playoffs.
- He noticed and liked how freely Chris Finch allows his players to play.
- Anderson wanted to come to a team that wanted to win.
- He said he’s not much of a leader in the sense of being vocal but will speak up and help others when it’s needed.
- The Timberwolves growing pains last season was something he went through with Memphis.
- Anderson feels healthier than ever after a good summer.
