Tickets are selling like never before in the history of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards won an Olympic gold medal in Paris and, along with the NBA's marketing team, is helping turn a once overlooked franchise into a hot commodity.

This Timberwolves season is set to be the most anticipated season since the very first one in 1989. The Wolves have a well-respected front office, a coaching staff with a proven track record of bringing out the best in the players under their care, and a young core that learned some valuable lessons in last season's run to the Western Conference Finals.

While the group that will open the season on Tuesday in Los Angeles against the Lakers is very familiar, there is still so much to learn about a group that is still in the getting-to-know-you phase. The seismic trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo occurred just before training camp began late last month. Randle only played in one preseason game, so there's still a lot of work to be done to build the chemistry that was so noticeable on last season's squad.

“I feel like we’re ready,” point guard Mike Conley said. “I think there are a lot of things we can do better at. In the preseason we didn't play a few full games to get our entire unit up and running. We’re still confident with what we have.”

The first few weeks of the season will be a trial period for this newly assembled team. Gone is the twin tower identity created by the couple Towns and Rudy Gobert. The Wolves' roster now looks more conventional, which they believe will help them better compete against a variety of opponents in the Western Conference.

Although the starting five – Conley, Edwards, Randle, Gobert and Jaden McDaniels – played sparingly in the preseason, a few things could be learned about this squad from these five games. The Timberwolves appear to be one of the deeper teams in the NBA, something they will need to lean on heavily to mitigate the loss of KAT's star power.

So let's take a look at the squad and what was seen in the preseason on the eve of the opener.

Direct the guards

Depth chart: Mike Conley (starter), Donte DiVincenzo, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Rob Dillingham.

Outlook: Point guard, once considered the thinnest position on the roster, no longer appears to be a major problem for Wolves coach Chris Finch at the start of the season. It starts with Conley, who turned 37 earlier this month. He is the team's most reliable player who has developed into an elite 3-point shooter. Last season, Conley shot a career-high 44.2 percent on three-pointers, helping to open up the offense a bit around Towns, Edwards and Gobert. But he played 76 games in the regular season, and Finch has said they will be more careful with Conley's minutes this season to keep him fit for the playoffs. An important question is who will take his minutes when he is not on the floor.

Reasons for optimism: DiVincenzo's playmaking. When the Timberwolves first made the trade with the Knicks, there was excitement over DiVincenzo's 3-point accuracy (40.1 percent) and volume (8.7 per game) he made last season in New York. But Tim Connelly, president of basketball operations, immediately began discussing DiVincenzo's style of play and their belief that he can play on the ball in the second unit. Throughout training camp and the preseason, Finch has praised DiVincenzo's creation so much that it appears he may have snuck into that role behind Conley at the start of the season.

the assist 🤌

the dunk 🤌🤌🤌 pic.twitter.com/R0jHHAnUPq

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 17, 2024

When asked how many of the questions at backup point guard were answered by DiVincenzo, Finch replied: “A lot. As a playmaker, he excelled with the ball in his hands. We know that Julius can create something too, we know that Nickeil. We've seen that Jaden (McDaniels) is a little more playful, not as a classic point guard, but I feel like we're very happy with what we're going to do at the point guard position in the future.”

Areas with potential for improvement: At just 19 years old, Dillingham showed a flair for finding teammates during the preseason, which was somewhat surprising to those who only imagined him as a microwave scorer on the bench. He had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 5-to-1 in five preseason games, but it's clear that Finch still needs to see more development from him before he gets significant minutes in the rotation. That's to be expected for a rookie on a team that sees itself as a championship contender, but Finch's description of his preseason after last week's finale against Denver was revealing.

“It’s typical ups and downs,” Finch said of Dillingham. “I think for him he needs to start understanding the purpose of his style of play. I think he's looking for a difficult path at the moment. He tries to try too hard. Come down, play in the flow a little more, be a little more of a distributor at first. Then, when he makes a quick, decisive move into the heart of the defense, he can find people. But too many droplets, I think. And defensively he’s already losing size and weight, so he has to figure out how to win the fight early and without fouls.”

wing

Depth chart: Anthony Edwards (starter), Jaden McDaniels (starter), DiVincenzo, Alexander-Walker, Joe Ingles, Josh Minott, Terrence Shannon Jr., PJ Dozier.

Outlook: It's a versatile group, with a home run hitter in Edwards, a defensive stopper in McDaniels, combo guys in DiVincenzo and NAW who can play with and off the ball, a quarterback in Ingles and a rising youngster in Minott. Shannon shows promise with his physicality, but likely won't be in the rotation early. Dozier was selected over Keita Bates-Diop for the final roster spot because of his versatility as a ball-handler, but he didn't play well in the preseason and won't be in the rotation. The top four on the depth chart excel in talent, shooting and defense, giving Finch plenty of options in various matchups.

Reasons for optimism: Edwards seemed more than ready to continue his rise to superstardom. He was vocal in practice and games and increased his leadership rate entering his fifth season. He also seemed to welcome the push for more 3-point volume to explain Towns' departure. As Finch suggested above, McDaniels has shown a bit more offensive play in the preseason, including the ability to create off the bounce. If he shoots like he did in the playoffs, he will become a real threat for both sides. And seemingly out of nowhere, Minott emerged in October, showing more control, shooting ability and maturity, giving the Wolves an intriguing 6-foot-8 option off the bench.

WHY NOT MINOTT?!?! pic.twitter.com/CQFqS33FsF

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 17, 2024

“I feel like I’ve just become smarter and understand what works and what doesn’t,” Minott said. “Just doing the right readings, things like that. I'm just simplifying my game and not thinking too much about it. I just do what they want me to do.”

Areas with potential for improvement: Alexander-Walker was so important to the Timberwolves' success last season, a defensive stopper who shot 39 percent from 3-point range and established himself as a true rotation player in his fifth season in the league. But the situation changed for him at the beginning of the sixth season. He's talked about wanting to be the main person to relieve Conley at point guard, but he didn't seem entirely comfortable in that role. Alexander-Walker is a rhythm player and deep thinker who is in a contract year. The DiVincenzo trade makes the competition for minutes even greater. How he handles this external pressure will play a big role in his performance this season, which could earn him a big pay rise next summer.

Size

Depth chart: Rudy Gobert (starter), Julius Randle (starter), Naz Reid, Luka Garza, Leonard Miller.

Outlook: In many ways, this could tell the story of the Timberwolves' season. They sent Towns, who dutifully made room for Gobert in the starting lineup and spread the field with his 3-point shooting, for Randle, a more conscious player who excelled in the midfield and in the iso games in New York. How will Randle and Gobert work together while ensuring Edwards has a clear path to the rim? Finch seems rather unconcerned. Randle played in New York with Mitchell Robinson, a stylistic offensive version of Gobert, and performed well in those lineups. There is a push to utilize Randle more as a playmaker as well, which will be key to improving from last season's 17th-ranked offense. Reid is one of the best bench players in the league, Garza is a legitimate scorer and Miller is an intriguing development project.

“I’ve always liked to say that I’m more of a passer than a scorer,” Randle said. “This is what I really enjoy doing. That’s how I grew up playing basketball.”

Ruuuuuuuu 🤌 pic.twitter.com/ZPiYRipmf9

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 17, 2024

Reasons for optimism: More Naz Reid. Towns' departure opens up more minutes for Reid, the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year, who seems to be making great strides as an all-around player each summer. He is one of the most skilled players on the team with a handle, a shot and improved defense that was showcased in the playoffs against Denver last season. Finch still likes coming off the bench, even after the move, but his two-man numbers with Gobert last season were out of this world and provide the coach with so much flexibility when it comes to building the Lineups are possible. He averaged 24.2 minutes per game last season and it wouldn't be a surprise to see that jump to 30, especially early in the season as Randle bounces back from a long layoff.

Areas with potential for improvement: Getting Randle acclimated to the group will be a priority. He only played in one preseason game and has not played in a regular season game since January 27 due to a shoulder injury that caused him to miss the entire second half of the season. Randle appears to be fully healthy now and has been training vigorously in the lead-up to the opening game. However, it is expected that he will need some time to shake off the rust and get used to his new teammates. Remember how long it took Gobert to settle in? It shouldn't be such a lengthy process, but there will be moments early in the season where the offense looks sluggish until they get their act together.

(Photo by Anthony Edwards: David L. Nemec / NBAE via Getty Images)