Can the Timberwolves get more 3-point shooting on the roster?
The Timberwolves finished tenth in offensive efficiency last season, despite taking and making less 3-pointers than any other team in the NBA (per Basketball-Reference). With the additions of Jimmy Butler, Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson the Wolves have improved their overall talent level on both ends of the floor, but reliable shooting will still be a major concern for this team. Butler is an average shooter from 3-point range and although Teague has improved significantly over his career, he’s not a killer from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Gibson provides no spacing on offense. This Wolves team will have many lineups that have cramped spacing to work with at best.
This team will be one of the league leaders in mid-range attempts. Butler and Wiggins can make those tough shots consistently and Minnesota should be able establish a functional regular season offense, even if they rely too heavily on mid-rangers. A lack of spacing kills teams in the playoffs though.
Karl-Anthony Towns is probably the most consistent 3-point shooter on this team at this juncture. That’s a testament to his crazy talent, but it also reveals a major structural problem for Minnesota. The addition of Jamal Crawford via the room exception could be helpful Minnesota in terms of shooting, but is also very risky. He’s coming off of a bad season and will turn 38 next spring. The Wolves need to find a few rotation pieces that can consistently hit 3-pointers. At this point they’ll probably have to scour the trade market and later the buyout market as the season progresses.