Host Danny Leroux (@DannyLeroux) and Nekias Duncan of The Dunker Spot podcast, You Late podcast and BasketballNews (@NekiasNBA) discuss the first week-plus of the NBA’s regular season.
They discuss how the league’s rule/officiating changes are affecting play, teams that are defying their expectations, surprise players and much more.
Karl-Anthony Towns talked about the Minnesota Timberwolves' need to create an identity following Saturday's win over the New Orleans Pelicans
“When you’re building an identity, obviously we don’t have one, to be very fairly honest in the NBA,” Towns said. “But if you want to build one, it’s going to take some time where you’re going to have to play your game even when people don’t understand how we’re playing. You try to be physical defensively, especially, so if we’re going to get a little foul here and there over physicality and building our identity and our culture, then that has to be what it is.”
Towns said he spent this offseason lifting heavier weight in an effort to be stronger and bigger to go against the biggest players in the league.
“Our culture and our identity is more important right now than trying to find a way of just letting us play the game, you know what I’m trying to say?” Towns said. “We’ve got to continue to build this culture and this identity every game, regardless of the result. We’ve got to play our game, and if they beat us playing our game, then kudos to them. We’ll go on to the next one.”
The Minnesota Timberwolves exercised their 2022-23 rookie scale team options for Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels. This is the third-year option for both players.
Edwards was selected first overall at the 2020 NBA Draft. The Georgia product played in all 72 games (55 starts) as a rookie. He averaged 19.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals.
McDaniels was drafted with the 28th pick of the first round at the 2020 NBA Draft. His rights were acquired by Minnesota in a three-team deal that involved the Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks. McDaniels played in 63 games (27 starts) and averaged 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds.
Edwards will be under contract for the 2022-23 season at $10.7 million, while McDaniels will earn $2.2 million.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed Vince Edwards.
Edwards, 6-8, played in 11 games in the G League for the Oklahoma City Blue last season where he averaged 7.4 points and 2.6 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game.
The 25-year-old holds career G League averages of 9.2 points on 41.4% shooting, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in three seasons with the Blue, Canton Charge and Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Edwards was originally drafted by the Utah Jazz in the second round (52nd overall) in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Karl-Anthony Towns lost seven members of his family to COVID-19, including his mother Jacqueline Towns, and was recently asked to share his opinion on vaccines for the novel virus.
"I'm obviously a strong believer in the vaccine," Towns told NJ.com. "I've been through so much and it would be kind of contradictory to not be on the pro-vaccine side. But what I will say is that I believe in choice and I like to give people their choice and I have no problem with people having their choice."
Towns added that he has not spoken to Kyrie Irving about his vaccination status.
"I think that's not only a human right, but it's an American right as well.. ... They make their own decisions on their own bodies and their own families. I have no ill will towards that," Towns continued. "The only thing I would say is just don't give me a (expletive) excuse why [you don't get the vaccine]...You don't want to do it, that's your choice."
Sachin Gupta and Gersson Rosas met on the morning of the latter's dismissal by the Minnesota Timberwolves to clear the air between them. Gupta had just returned from his honeymoon and had been urged to meet with Rosas by ownership of the Wolves.
Gupta and Rosas spoke about their situation and left it with a plan to work together. Gupta had previously been blocked by Rosas from taking a job with the Houston Rockets that would have increased his compensation.
Glen Taylor was on his way up from his house outside Minneapolis to fire Rosas amid growing concerns about his leadership and also an affair he was having with a team employee.
Gupta was summoned to a meeting with Taylor a few years later in which he was put in charge of the front office.
“I’ll be honest, it was definitely a whirlwind that first day,” Gupta said with a smile as he sat in his office overlooking the Wolves’ practice court. “But now that we’re in camp and everyone’s ready to go, definitely everyone’s moved past what’s happened and is really focused on our goals for this year. There’s a lot of good energy in the building and a lot of excitement.”
Gupta spoke of the strain in his relationship with Rosas stemming from being blocked from going to the Rockets.
“Those types of things happen around the league,” Gupta said. “I was just focused on doing the best that I could for everyone here in this building and for the team. I’m excited about the decisions that we were all able to make together. Really excited about where we’re at now and about moving forward.”
Gupta has spent his first days trying to connect with as many people in the organization as possible.
Gupta has the strong backing of ownership, coaching staff and Karl-Anthony Towns.
The new ownership group of the Minnesota Timberwolves has interest in trading for Ben Simmons, which could put Sachin Gupta in a unique situation of negotiating a major trade despite ostensibly acting as the interim head of their front office.
The conventional wisdom around the league has been that Simmons would be a natural fit with Karl-Anthony Towns. In any trade for Simmons, the Wolves would also consider Anthony Edwards to be completely untouchable. The Wolves would prefer to keep D'Angelo Russell but are believed to be willing to trade him if necessary.
"That's his challenge. Even though he doesn't have the interim tag, he knows he's essentially an interim guy," said Jon Krawczynski on The Athletic NBA Show of Gupta. "Do you make the decisions you think is best for the organization or the one you think is going to get you the job? Because I do know ownership is very bullish on Ben Simmons. They are very intrigued by the idea of adding him Towns, Edwards..."
Gupta, like Gersson Rosas, previously worked under Daryl Morey with the Houston Rockets.
"They want to get in," said Krawczynski on a Minnesota trade for Simmons. "I think Simmons' value around the league is pretty low, but the Wolves are bullish. They want to be at the head of this table. They know they don't have the pieces to give Daryl Morey that are immediately going to help him win a championship. The hope is that maybe if Daryl Morey gets pressed into a corner, maybe he would take a draft pick heavy package from the Wolves and then use some of those picks later on down the line to go get a Damian Lillard or a Bradley Beal."
Krawczynski also added that Towns and Simmons have been on "good terms."
Several teams are still talking trades with the Philadelphia 76ers for disgruntled All-Star Ben Simmons. League sources indicate that the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors are still inquiring about trading for Simmons.
Cleveland, Minnesota and San Antonio have been linked to Simmons since he went on the block a couple of months ago. Toronto was also rumored to be involved, but had no interest in moving All-Star forward Pascal Siakam as part of a package for Simmons. It's unknown what level of interest Detroit or Indiana have.
It was recently reported that Philadelphia has not issued Simmons a payment of $8.25 million that was due on October 1. The Sixers have reportedly placed that amount in escrow and will deduct any fines Simmons incurs from that account.
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