The 2020–21 Minnesota Timberwolves season was the 32nd season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA) On February 21, 2021, the Timberwolves fired head coach Ryan Saunders after three seasons with the team.[1] On the following day, Toronto Raptors assistant head coach Chris Finch was announced as the next head coach.[2] After a loss to the Sacramento Kings on April 21, followed by the San Antonio Spurs defeating the Detroit Pistons the next day, the Timberwolves were eliminated from playoff contention for the third straight year.[3]
| 2020–21 Minnesota Timberwolves season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Ryan Saunders (fired Feb. 21) Chris Finch |
| General manager | Vacant |
| Owner(s) | Glen Taylor |
| Arena | Target Center |
| Results | |
| Record | 23–49 (.319) |
| Place | Division: 4th (Northwest) Conference: 13th (Western) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | Bally Sports North |
| Radio | WCCO |
Draft
edit| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School / club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Anthony Edwards | Guard |  United States | Georgia |
| 1 | 17 | Aleksej Pokuševski | Forward |  Serbia | Olympiacos |
| 2 | 33 | Daniel Oturu | Center | United States | Minnesota |
Before the start of the 2020 NBA draft period, the Timberwolves' selection was held stuck as the #3 selection of the draft with their record being the third-worst of all NBA teams the prior season at 19–45 before the NBA suspended their season on March 12, 2020 and cancelled the rest of Minnesota's season by June 5.[4] As a result, they held the best odds to move up at #1 alongside the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors for the 2020 draft, though also held odds to fall as low as the #6 pick of the draft. This year, the Timberwolves ended the 2020 NBA draft lottery with the #1 selection, moving up two spots from their initial projection. In addition to their first-round pick, the Timberwolves also held their second-round pick and gained a first-round picks from a previous trade involving the Brooklyn Nets. They traded the Number 17 pick and James Johnson for Ricky Rubio, the number 25 and 28 overall picks.[5] They then traded the number 25 and 33 overall picks for the 23rd overall pick.[5]
Roster
edit| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roster |
Standings
editDivision
edit| Northwest Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| z – Utah Jazz | 52 | 20 | .722 | – | 31–5 | 21–15 | 7–5 | 72 |
| x – Denver Nuggets | 47 | 25 | .653 | 5.0 | 25–11 | 22–14 | 9–3 | 72 |
| x – Portland Trail Blazers | 42 | 30 | .583 | 10.0 | 20–16 | 22–14 | 6–6 | 72 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 23 | 49 | .319 | 29.0 | 13–23 | 10–26 | 5–7 | 72 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 22 | 50 | .306 | 30.0 | 10–26 | 12–24 | 3–9 | 72 |
Conference
edit| Western Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | z – Utah Jazz * | 52 | 20 | .722 | – | 72 |
| 2 | y – Phoenix Suns * | 51 | 21 | .708 | 1.0 | 72 |
| 3 | x – Denver Nuggets | 47 | 25 | .653 | 5.0 | 72 |
| 4 | x – Los Angeles Clippers | 47 | 25 | .653 | 5.0 | 72 |
| 5 | y – Dallas Mavericks * | 42 | 30 | .583 | 10.0 | 72 |
| 6 | x – Portland Trail Blazers | 42 | 30 | .583 | 10.0 | 72 |
| 7 | x – Los Angeles Lakers | 42 | 30 | .583 | 10.0 | 72 |
| 8 | pi – Golden State Warriors | 39 | 33 | .542 | 13.0 | 72 |
| 9 | x – Memphis Grizzlies | 38 | 34 | .528 | 14.0 | 72 |
| 10 | pi – San Antonio Spurs | 33 | 39 | .458 | 19.0 | 72 |
| 11 | New Orleans Pelicans | 31 | 41 | .431 | 21.0 | 72 |
| 12 | Sacramento Kings | 31 | 41 | .431 | 21.0 | 72 |
| 13 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 23 | 49 | .319 | 29.0 | 72 |
| 14 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 22 | 50 | .306 | 30.0 | 72 |
| 15 | Houston Rockets | 17 | 55 | .236 | 35.0 | 72 |
Notes
- z – Clinched home court advantage for the entire playoffs
- c – Clinched home court advantage for the conference playoffs
- y – Clinched division title
- x – Clinched playoff spot
- pb – Clinched play-in spot
- o – Eliminated from playoff contention
- * – Division leader
Game log
editPreseason
edit| 2020 preseason game log Total: 1–2 (Home: 0–2; Road: 1–0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason: 1–2 (home: 0–2; road: 1–0)
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| 2020–21 season schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
edit| 2020–21 game log Total: 23–49 (Home: 13–23; Road: 10–26) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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December: 2–2 (home: 1–0; road: 1–2)
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January: 3–12 (home: 3–7; road: 0–5)
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February: 2–14 (home: 0–5; road: 2–9)
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March: 5–8 (home: 3–5; road: 2–3)
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April: 8–8 (home: 5–2; road: 3–6)
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May: 3–5 (home: 1–4; road: 2–1)
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| 2020–21 season schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Player statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
After all games.[8]
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malik Beasley | 37 | 36 | 32.8 | .440 | .399 | .850 | 4.4 | 2.4 | .8 | .2 | 19.6 |
| Jarrett Culver | 34 | 7 | 14.7 | .411 | .245 | .604 | 3.1 | .7 | .5 | .3 | 5.3 |
| Ed Davis | 23 | 7 | 13.0 | .432 | .000 | .833 | 5.0 | .9 | .6 | .6 | 2.1 |
| Anthony Edwards | 72 | 55 | 32.1 | .417 | .329 | .776 | 4.7 | 2.9 | 1.1 | .5 | 19.3 |
| Ashton Hagans‡ | 2 | 0 | 2.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| Juancho Hernangómez | 52 | 6 | 17.3 | .435 | .327 | .619 | 3.9 | .7 | .4 | .1 | 7.2 |
| Jake Layman | 45 | 11 | 13.9 | .495 | .295 | .703 | 1.5 | .6 | .6 | .4 | 5.1 |
| Jaden McDaniels | 63 | 27 | 24.0 | .447 | .364 | .600 | 3.7 | 1.1 | .6 | 1.0 | 6.8 |
| Jordan McLaughlin | 51 | 2 | 18.4 | .413 | .359 | .767 | 2.1 | 3.8 | 1.0 | .1 | 5.0 |
| Jaylen Nowell | 42 | 0 | 18.1 | .424 | .333 | .818 | 2.3 | 1.5 | .5 | .3 | 9.0 |
| Josh Okogie | 59 | 37 | 20.3 | .402 | .269 | .769 | 2.6 | 1.1 | .9 | .5 | 5.4 |
| Naz Reid | 70 | 15 | 19.2 | .523 | .351 | .693 | 4.6 | 1.0 | .5 | 1.1 | 11.2 |
| Ricky Rubio | 68 | 51 | 26.1 | .388 | .308 | .867 | 3.3 | 6.4 | 1.4 | .1 | 8.6 |
| D'Angelo Russell | 42 | 26 | 28.5 | .431 | .387 | .765 | 2.6 | 5.8 | 1.1 | .4 | 19.0 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 50 | 50 | 33.8 | .486 | .387 | .859 | 10.6 | 4.5 | .8 | 1.1 | 24.8 |
| Jarred Vanderbilt | 64 | 30 | 17.8 | .606 | .200 | .559 | 5.8 | 1.2 | 1.0 | .7 | 5.4 |
‡Waived during the season
Transactions
editTrades
edit| November 19, 2020[9] | To Minnesota Timberwolves Draft rights to Mathias Lessort 2023 second-round pick | To Los Angeles Clippers Draft rights to Daniel Oturu |
| November 20, 2020[5] (Three-team trade) | To Minnesota Timberwolves Draft rights to Jaden McDaniels Ricky Rubio | To Oklahoma City Thunder Draft rights to Aleksej Pokuševski James Johnson 2024 second-round pick |
| To New York Knicks Draft rights to Immanuel Quickley | ||
| November 19, 2020[10] | To Minnesota Timberwolves Ed Davis | To New York Knicks Jacob Evans Omari Spellman 2026 second-round pick |
Free agency
editRe-signed
edit| Player | Signed | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Malik Beasley | 4-year contract worth $60 million (November 25, 2020) | [11] |
| Juancho Hernangómez | 2-year contract worth $21 million (November 27, 2020) | [12] |
| Jordan McLaughlin | Two-way contract (December 17, 2020) | [13] |
Additions
edit| Player | Signed | Former team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashton Hagans | Two-way contract (November 19, 2020) | Kentucky Wildcats | [14] |
| Tyler Cook | Exhibit 10 contract (November 29, 2020) | Denver Nuggets | [15] |
| Ade Murkey | Exhibit 10 contract (December 2, 2020) | Denver Pioneers | [16] |
| Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | Exhibit 10 contract (December 3, 2020) | Toronto Raptors | [17] |
| Charlie Brown Jr. | Exhibit 10 contract (December 10, 2020) | Atlanta Hawks | [18] |
| Zylan Cheatham | Exhibit 10 contract (December 18, 2020) | Oklahoma City Thunder | [19] |
Subtractions
edit| Player | Reason left | New team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ade Murkey | Waived (December 18, 2020) | Iowa Wolves | [19] |
| Zylan Cheatham | Waived (December 19, 2020) | Iowa Wolves | [20] |
| Charlie Brown Jr. | Waived (December 19, 2020) | Iowa Wolves | |
| Tyler Cook | Waived (December 19, 2020) | Iowa Wolves | |
| Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | Waived (December 19, 2020) | Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Ashton Hagans | Waived (February 13, 2021) | — | [21] |
References
edit- ^ Timberwolves Relieve Ryan Saunders Of His Duties
- ^ "Minnesota Timberwolves Name Chris Finch Head Coach". NBA.com. February 22, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ Quinn, Sam (April 22, 2021). "Rockets, Timberwolves officially eliminated from playoff contention with Spurs win". cbssports.com. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
- ^ NBA Board of Governors approves competitive format to restart 2019-20 season with 22 teams returning to play
- ^ a b c "Timberwolves reacquire Ricky Rubio in 3-team trade". NBA.com. November 21, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ^ "Grizzlies-Timberwolves game postponed for Health and Safety Protocols". NBA.com. January 16, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
- ^ "Nets-Timberwolves game postponed". NBA.com. April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
- ^ "2020-21 Minnesota Timberwolves Roster and Stats". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
- ^ Timberwolves acquire Lessort, 2023 second-round pick for Gophers’ Oturu
- ^ Minnesota Timberwolves Acquire Ed Davis From New York
- ^ "Minnesota Timberwolves re-sign wing Malik Beasley". dunkingwithwolves.com. November 25, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ^ "Minnesota Timberwolves Re-Sign Juancho Hernangómez". NBA.com. November 28, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ^ "Minnesota Timberwolves re-sign Jordan McLaughlin to two-way contract". dunkingwithwolves.com. December 17, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ^ Timberwolves sign Kentucky guard Ashton Hagans to two-way contract
- ^ "Minnesota Timberwolves Sign Tyler Cook". NBA.com. December 2, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ^ "Minnesota Timberwolves Sign Ade Murkey". NBA.com. December 3, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ^ "Timberwolves Sign Ronade Hollis-Jefferson". NBA.com. December 3, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ^ Timberwolves Sign Charlie Brown Jr.
- ^ a b @KeithSmithNBA (December 19, 2020). "Per league sources, the Minnesota Timberwolves have waived Ade Murkey and signed Zylan Cheatham" (Tweet). Retrieved June 21, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Timberwolves Waive Four Players". NBA.com. December 19, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ^ Minnesota Timberwolves Waive Ashton Hagans
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