The 2021–22 Minnesota Timberwolves season was the 33rd season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season for the league began on October 19, 2021, and featured the normal 82-game schedule for the first time since the 2018–19 season.[1] On September 22, 2021, general manager Gersson Rosas was fired,[2] and was subsequently replaced by Sachin Gupta.[2]
2021–22 Minnesota Timberwolves season | |
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Head coach | Chris Finch |
General manager | Sachin Gupta |
Owner(s) | Glen Taylor |
Arena | Target Center |
Results | |
Record | 46–36 (.561) |
Place | Division: 3rd (Northwest) Conference: 7th (Western) |
Playoff finish | First Round (lost to Grizzlies 2–4) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Local media | |
Television | Bally Sports North |
Radio | WCCO |
With a win over the Milwaukee Bucks on March 19, the Timberwolves clinched their first winning season since 2018, and only their second winning season since 2005.[3] After a win over the Los Angeles Clippers in the play-in tournament on April 12, 2022, the Timberwolves clinched their first playoff berth since 2018.[4] However, they lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round in six games.[5]
Previous season
editThe Timberwolves concluded the 2020–21 season with 23–49 record, finishing last in the Northwest Division and thirteenth in the Western Conference.[6]
NBA draft
editMinnesota did not hold any picks in the 2021 NBA draft.[7]
Roster
editPlayers | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roster |
Standings
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Divisionedit
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Conferenceedit
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Game log
editPreseason
edit2021 preseason game log Total: 3–1 (home: 1-0; road: 2-1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason: 3–1 (home: 1–0; road: 2–1)
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2021–22 season schedule |
Regular season
edit2021–22 game log Total: 46–36 (home: 26–15; road: 20–21) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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October: 3–2 (home: 2–2; road: 1–0)
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November: 8–8 (home: 5–5; road: 3–3)
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December: 5–9 (home: 3–4; road: 2–5)
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January: 9–6 (home: 4–0; road: 5–6)
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February: 8–4 (home: 4–2; road: 4–2)
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March: 10–5 (home: 7–1; road: 3–4)
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April: 3–2 (home: 1–2; road: 2–0)
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2021–22 season schedule |
Play-in
edit2022 play-in game log Total: 1–0 (home: 1–0; road: 0–0) | ||||||||||||||||||
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Play-in: 1–0 (home: 1–0; road: 0–0)
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2021–22 season schedule |
Playoffs
edit2021–22 game log Total: 2–4 (home: 1–2; road: 1–2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First Round: 2–4 (home: 1–2; road: 1–2)
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2021–22 season schedule |
Player statistics
editRagular season
editPlayer | POS | GP | GS | MP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | MPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Malik Beasley | SG | 79 | 18 | 1,976 | 227 | 116 | 43 | 12 | 953 | 25.0 | 2.9 | 1.5 | .5 | .2 | 12.1 |
Naz Reid | C | 77 | 6 | 1,215 | 301 | 71 | 40 | 71 | 637 | 15.8 | 3.9 | .9 | .5 | .9 | 8.3 |
Karl-Anthony Towns | C | 74 | 74 | 2,476 | 727 | 269 | 72 | 83 | 1,818 | 33.5 | 9.8 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 24.6 |
Jarred Vanderbilt | PF | 74 | 67 | 1,880 | 624 | 94 | 99 | 46 | 512 | 25.4 | 8.4 | 1.3 | 1.3 | .6 | 6.9 |
Anthony Edwards | SG | 72 | 72 | 2,466 | 343 | 275 | 105 | 46 | 1,533 | 34.3 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 1.5 | .6 | 21.3 |
Jaden McDaniels | PF | 70 | 31 | 1,803 | 293 | 79 | 52 | 54 | 647 | 25.8 | 4.2 | 1.1 | .7 | .8 | 9.2 |
Taurean Prince | PF | 69 | 8 | 1,177 | 174 | 68 | 47 | 23 | 502 | 17.1 | 2.5 | 1.0 | .7 | .3 | 7.3 |
D'Angelo Russell | PG | 65 | 65 | 2,077 | 216 | 460 | 62 | 22 | 1,176 | 32.0 | 3.3 | 7.1 | 1.0 | .3 | 18.1 |
Jordan McLaughlin | PG | 62 | 3 | 902 | 94 | 180 | 57 | 10 | 233 | 14.5 | 1.5 | 2.9 | .9 | .2 | 3.8 |
Jaylen Nowell | SG | 62 | 1 | 975 | 123 | 130 | 27 | 10 | 527 | 15.7 | 2.0 | 2.1 | .4 | .2 | 8.5 |
Patrick Beverley | PG | 58 | 54 | 1,476 | 240 | 268 | 67 | 52 | 533 | 25.4 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 1.2 | .9 | 9.2 |
Josh Okogie | SG | 49 | 6 | 516 | 70 | 25 | 26 | 12 | 133 | 10.5 | 1.4 | .5 | .5 | .2 | 2.7 |
Nathan Knight | PF | 37 | 2 | 267 | 85 | 22 | 7 | 8 | 138 | 7.2 | 2.3 | .6 | .2 | .2 | 3.7 |
Leandro Bolmaro | SF | 35 | 2 | 241 | 43 | 21 | 6 | 0 | 50 | 6.9 | 1.2 | .6 | .2 | .0 | 1.4 |
Jake Layman | SF | 34 | 1 | 231 | 36 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 81 | 6.8 | 1.1 | .3 | .2 | .1 | 2.4 |
McKinley Wright IV | PG | 5 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3.8 | .0 | .6 | .0 | .0 | 1.0 |
Greg Monroe† | C | 4 | 0 | 81 | 24 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 29 | 20.3 | 6.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 7.3 |
Chris Silva† | PF | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
- † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Timberwolves only.
Playoffs
editPlayer | POS | GP | GS | MP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | MPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anthony Edwards | SG | 6 | 6 | 227 | 25 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 151 | 37.8 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 25.2 |
Karl-Anthony Towns | C | 6 | 6 | 222 | 65 | 13 | 4 | 12 | 131 | 37.0 | 10.8 | 2.2 | .7 | 2.0 | 21.8 |
D'Angelo Russell | PG | 6 | 6 | 196 | 15 | 40 | 9 | 0 | 72 | 32.7 | 2.5 | 6.7 | 1.5 | .0 | 12.0 |
Patrick Beverley | PG | 6 | 6 | 194 | 19 | 29 | 7 | 7 | 66 | 32.3 | 3.2 | 4.8 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 11.0 |
Jarred Vanderbilt | PF | 6 | 6 | 129 | 43 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 33 | 21.5 | 7.2 | .7 | 1.2 | .3 | 5.5 |
Jaden McDaniels | PF | 6 | 0 | 130 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 56 | 21.7 | 2.8 | .7 | .3 | 1.8 | 9.3 |
Malik Beasley | SG | 6 | 0 | 119 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 51 | 19.8 | 3.3 | .7 | .3 | .2 | 8.5 |
Jordan McLaughlin | PG | 5 | 0 | 83 | 12 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 31 | 16.6 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 1.0 | .0 | 6.2 |
Taurean Prince | PF | 5 | 0 | 65 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 13.0 | 1.6 | 1.2 | .4 | .2 | 6.0 |
Naz Reid | C | 5 | 0 | 54 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 24 | 10.8 | 2.8 | .0 | .2 | 1.2 | 4.8 |
Greg Monroe | C | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3.5 | 1.0 | .5 | 1.0 | .0 | 2.0 |
Jaylen Nowell | SG | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 12.0 | .0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 6.0 |
Josh Okogie | SG | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
Transactions
editTrades
editAugust 3, 2021[8] | To Minnesota Timberwolves Taurean Prince 2022 WAS second−round pick Cash considerations |
To Cleveland Cavaliers Ricky Rubio |
August 25, 2021[9] | To Minnesota Timberwolves Patrick Beverley |
To Memphis Grizzlies Jarrett Culver Juancho Hernangómez |
Free agency
editAdditions
editPlayer | Signed | Former team |
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Nathan Knight | Two-way contract (August 6, 2021) |
Atlanta Hawks |
McKinley Wright IV | Colorado |
References
edit- ^ "NBA announces schedule for 75th Anniversary Season". National Basketball Association. August 20, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
- ^ a b "Gersson Rosas Fired as T-Wolves President of Basketball Ops; Sachin Gupta Promoted". Bleacher Report. September 22, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ Kulkarni, Divij. "The Minnesota Timberwolves Clinch Their 2nd Winning Season Since 2005, They Have The Best Record Since The All-Star Break". Fadeaway World. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ "Timberwolves Clinch Trip to the Playoffs". www.nba.com. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
- ^ "Grizzlies beat T-Wolves to clinch 1st playoff series win in 7 years". theScore.com. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- ^ "2020–21 NBA Standings". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
- ^ "2021 NBA draft order: Complete picks for the first and second round". ESPN. June 22, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ^ "Cavaliers Acquire Ricky Rubio from the Minnesota Timberwolves". NBA.com. August 3, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
- ^ "Grizzlies acquire Jarrett Culver and Juancho Hernangomez from Timberwolves". NBA.com. August 25, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2022.