Rising NBA star Andrew Wiggins is reportedly expecting a postseason appearance next year for the up-and-coming Minnesota Timberwolves squad but would need a better, deeper bench to successfully reach their goals, analysts said.
The 21-year-old Canadian is entering his third season in the league this October and his expectations are high about what he and his teammates can achieve. With a starting lineup composed of fellow young and talented players Karl-Anthony Towns, Ricky Rubio, Zach LaVine, and Gorgui Dieng, no one can blame really him for thinking that way.
In an interview with Dime Magazine, the 2015 NBA Rookie of the Year said that he feels the Wolves "can beat a lot of good teams" and "can beat any team out there on a given day" as they are getting stronger, older, and more experienced.
"And we're building chemistry. We're just getting better every game. We have a lot of things to accomplish this coming year. We're all looking forward to it, and our expectations are getting higher. We want more. We're young, and hungry, and we want to see the playoffs," he said.
Wiggins was also enthused by the possibilities of playing under new head coach Tom Thibodeau, who he believes is a "tough" mentor that could bring out his fullest potential.
"He (coach Thibodeau) is going to bring out the best in me. He's a hard-nosed coach. He's tough. And that's what everybody on this team needs. We need our coach to take us out of our comfort zone," said Wiggins.
However, Fansided noted that Thibodeau and the Wolves will need to develop a "better bench to reach the next level" as their backups had a dismal campaign last season, finishing second to the last place in bench scoring and last place in rebounding.
The report said that it was the reason why Minnesota's "starters led the league in minutes after All-Star Weekend - the coaches couldn't trust anyone on the bench".
Thibodeau and company immediately addressed that problem by drafting former Providence standout Kris Dunn fifth overall last June. He is instantly hailed as a future starter at the point guard spot, but would have to take a backseat to the much experienced, and still young, Rubio at the moment.
Aside from that, the team had also signed former Golden State Warriors guard Brandon Rush and veteran big men Jordan Hill and Cole Aldrich in an attempt to infuse veteran leadership on and off the court.
