Things are looking brighter than ever for the Minnesota Timberwolves. For the first time in the franchise's history, it looks like they are going to have all the pieces needed to be successful for a sustainable amount of time. With a roster that boasts the past two reigning Rookie of the Year winners in Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, Spanish star Ricky Rubio, it is easy to overlook arguably the most exciting player on the roster, Zach LaVine.
The third year player has come a long way from his draft day faux pas. In two years, he has set the league on fire with his incredible athleticism, earned two slam dunk contest championships, and became one of the most marketable players in the league. During this summer, LaVine was a busy man. Whether it was embarrassing people at the Seattle ProAm, getting to know new head coach Tom Thibodeau while with the Team USA Selects, or building chemistry with teammates, LaVine put in the work to have a great season.
When it comes to ProAm's, the Seattle ProAm is one of the country's finest. Started by local star Jamal Crawford, the Seattle ProAm serves as a port in the storm for recovering Supersonics fans and showcases the best talent the Northwest has to offer. Since his days at UCLA, LaVine has participated and made everyone else look silly in comparison. Even though it is clear no one is really playing defense, they shots he hits and dunks he can throw down are still incredible.
Lavine also flourished as a member of the Team USA Select team ahead of the summer Olympics. For those who don't know, the select team is the group that goes up against the men's National team in practice and in scrimmages to tune them up for international play. This year's team featured young stars like Devin Booker, Kris Dunn, Aaron Gordon, C.J. McCollum, Jahlil Okafor, Jabari Parker, D'Angelo Russell, and Marcus Smart to name a few.
The time with the team was especially valuable for LaVine, who had a chance to spend a good portion of the beginning of summer with future head coach Tom Thibodeau. I'm sure both Thibs and LaVine were happy to get to know each other ahead of the season. LaVine isn't the typical guard mold that Thibodeau likes, in that he is far from a defensive stopper who can't shoot, but maybe the sneak peak at LaVine's game will help Thibs fix some of his flaws sooner than later.
The time is now for the young Minnesota Timberwolves. They have their coach, they have the roster (for the most part), and they are hungry. If they don't make the playoffs this year, expect them to be in by the following year. If LaVine continues to develop at the alarming rate that he is, the Wolves will only shine brighter and faster.
