The Minnesota Timberwolves gave their home crowd plenty to enjoy last night, taking care of the Toronto Raptors 117-94 to improve to 3-0 on the season. Minnesota got another star performance from Anthony Edwards, saw LaMelo Ball make an immediate impact in his regular-season home debut and received plenty of help from its supporting cast.
The Timberwolves shot 55.8% from the field and knocked down 15 three-pointers. They also took control in the third quarter, outscoring Toronto 35-15 to turn a competitive first half into a comfortable win.
Here are my grades for every Timberwolves player who appeared in the game.
Anthony Edwards: A-
Stats: 26 points, 3 assists, 10-of-18 shooting
Edwards led the team in scoring once again, finishing with a game-high 26 points in just under 28 minutes due to some questionable officiating. He was efficient from the field, knocked down two three-pointers and gave Minnesota the punch it needed.
After struggling with his shot against Orlando, Edwards bounced back with a lot better shooting performance. He did not need to take over late in the game because Minnesota had already built a comfortable lead, but he did more than enough to set the tone offensively.
LaMelo Ball: A
Stats: 15 points, 8 assists, 4 three-pointers
LaMelo Ball made the most of his Target Center debut. He finished with 15 points and eight assists while shooting 5-of-8 from the field and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Foul trouble limited him to under 17 minutes, which made his production even more impressive. The Wolves were +33 in Ball's limited minutes and you could just see his impact watching the game. Even when he doesn't get assists, you see him getting his teammates in great positions. He also added some electric three-pointers that caused the crowd to explode.
The only reason his grade wasn’t perfect was that, while some of the foul calls were soft, he just can’t commit those fouls. Two of these fouls came within the first minute of the second and third quarters. That won’t hurt as much in the regular season but could be killer if it happened in the playoffs.
Jaden McDaniels: A
Stats: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks
McDaniels put together one of his better all-around performances of the young season. He shot 6-of-10 from the field, added six rebounds and blocked three shots while making an impact on both ends.
His offense, like it's been every night, has been efficient without needing a high number of field goal attempts, and his defensive tenacity helped Minnesota control the paint. McDaniels has always been a difference-maker defensively, and performances like this show how much he can add when his offense is clicking, too.
Jonathan Kuminga: A
Stats: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals
Kuminga continued to fit like a glove in the starting lineup. He scored 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting and went 3-of-4 from three-point range.
He also recorded two steals and avoided committing a turnover in just over 26 minutes. His ability to score without dominating the ball fits well alongside Edwards and Ball, and he gave Minnesota another athletic option on both ends. He also held All-Star Scottie Barnes to 0-for-12 from the field.
The three-point shooting was a major positive and looks great going forward. If Kuminga can consistently make defenses respect him from the perimeter while bringing the same energy defensively, he could become an even more valuable part of the rotation.
Rudy Gobert: A
Stats: 8 points, 13 rebounds, 1 block
Rudy finished with 13 rebounds, four offensive boards and a block while making all four of his field-goal attempts.
Minnesota controlled the glass, and Gobert was a major reason why. His presence around the rim also helped the Timberwolves get off to a strong defensive start, holding Toronto to just 21 points in the first quarter. He's such a constant doing the little things on the defensive glass you take it for granted sometimes.
He missed all four of his free throws, which kept this from being a completely clean night. Still, Gobert did exactly what Minnesota needed from him.
Terrence Shannon Jr.: A+
Stats: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
Shannon was one of Minnesota's biggest sparks off the bench. He scored 15 points while shooting 5-of-6 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from three.
He also contributed four rebounds, three assists and a steal. Shannon brought energy and the rest of the team fed off that. He made the most of his opportunities without needing tons of shots to get going.
His shooting was the obvious highlight, but the rest of his performance mattered, too. Getting this kind of production from the bench makes Minnesota even tougher to deal with when its starters need a break.
Ayo Dosunmu: B+
Stats: 9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
Ayo Dosunmu gave Minnesota another solid performance off the bench, scoring nine points on 4-of-7 shooting. He added three rebounds and three assists while helping keep the offense moving.
He did have five turnovers, which is the biggest negative on his grade tonight. That is something he would want to clean up, especially against better teams that can turn mistakes into easy points.
Even with the turnovers, Dosunmu shot efficiently and contributed in several areas. His ability to play alongside different lineups should continue to help Minnesota.
Joan Beringer: B
Stats: 6 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal
Beringer made good use of his 13 minutes. He scored six points on three shots, grabbed six rebounds and added a steal.
He didn't need to do anything spectacular to impact the game tonight. He played within himself, finished his opportunities and helped Minnesota maintain its advantage while getting some valuable minutes.
It was an encouraging showing in a game where the Timberwolves had room to give their younger players more time on the floor.
Trey Lyles: B-
Stats: 3 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Lyles wasn’t a massive scoring factor, but he found other ways to contribute. He grabbed six rebounds, handed out two assists and recorded a steal in just over 14 minutes.
Bones Hyland: C-
Stats: 3 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks
Hyland had a difficult shooting night, going 0-of-5 from the field and missing all four of his three-point attempts. He did get to the free-throw line and made all three attempts.
There were some positives beyond the scoring, including three rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks. Those defensive numbers helped give him some value despite the offensive struggles.
Still, Minnesota needs more efficient minutes from its bench guards. Hyland will want to find his rhythm from the field after a night when very little went his way offensively.
Jaylen Clark: B-
Stats: 3 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal
Clark played a bit less than five minutes, so there is not much to judge from his short stint. He scored three points on 1-of-2 shooting and got a rebound and a steal.
He took advantage of his limited opportunity and made a small contribution during the closing minutes. There was not enough time for him to do much more, but he made the most of what he got.
Cody Williams: C
Stats: 0 points in 4:36
Cody Williams did not record a point or a rebound in his limited playing time. With Minnesota already in control, his minutes came late in a game that was largely decided.
I don’t really feel right giving him anything but a C. He did not make a major impact, but he also had very little time to get involved.
Zyon Pullin: B
Stats: 2 points, 1 rebound
Pullin played just under five minutes and made his only shot of the night, finishing with two points and a rebound.
Like the other players who entered late, he did not have much time to make a major impact. He took care of his scoring opportunity and contributed during the final stretch of the win.
Isaiah Evans: C
Stats: 0 points, 1 assist
Evans saw just under four minutes of action and finished without scoring. He did get an assist, but he missed both of his three-point attempts.
It was a brief appearance in a game that was already out of reach for Toronto. There is not much to evaluate from such a small sample, and he will have other opportunities to make an impression.
The biggest positive for the Wolves was how many players contributed without needing the ball constantly. Minnesota finished with five players in double figures and shot nearly 49% from three-point range, making it difficult for Toronto to keep up once the Timberwolves pulled away in the third quarter.
Minnesota will look to carry that momentum into its next game against the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight.
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