Pre-season game preview # 1: Pelicans at Wolves

Who: New Orleans Pelicans (0-0) to Minnesota Timber Wolves (0-0)
When: 7:00 p.m. CST
TV: Bally Sports North
Radio: AM radio 830 WCCO

Ladies and gentlemen, the Minnesota Timberwolves are officially back – well, type of.

Our beloved Wolves kick off their 2021 preseason schedule tonight at home against Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans. Minnesota will play four preseason games this year, including three on the road, which means tonight is your one and only chance to see Anthony Edwards live and in person before the regular season begins on October 20.

It’s been 142 days since the Timberwolves last spoke at Target Center, and while the summer has been mostly uneventful in terms of major trades (the Wolves had no draft pick in the NBA 2021 and their biggest free agent signings were their two restricted free agents), the team still experienced a surprising amount of turnovers, especially at the top.

For starters, after years and years of rumors and close calls, the organization announced a succession plan for a new property group in order to ultimately oust majority owner Glen Taylor from his lasagna-filled suite. At an introductory press conference last Monday, the Timberwolves (and Lynx) officially introduced Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez – the two new sponsors of the franchise – as future heirs to Glen Taylor’s professional sporting throne (s). While the current power structure will allow Glen Taylor to retain full control for another two years (December 2023, Lore / Rodriguez are expected to take the final step to become majority owners), the influence these two new sponsors already have in Mayo Square is full screen.

Nowhere was this more apparent than the surprising and brutal sacking of Gersson Rosas, who had been the president of Wolves basketball operations for recent seasons. As you all know by now, Rosas was fired a few weeks ago after reports of a consensual relationship with another team leader became public, and since then Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Sachin Gupta has been named as his immediate replacement . Wolves, with a new owner and revamped front office at the helm, will now enter the 2021-22 season with one less distraction but a plethora of new and important questions.

A recap of the offseason wouldn’t be complete without mentioning some of the players who left the squad (and were brought in to replace them). After a second stint with the franchise that drafted him, Spanish Unicorn himself Ricky Rubio was traded earlier this summer in exchange for Taurean Prince, a future second-round pick, and almighty money considerations. (which I guess were used to pay for the steam cleaning of Gersson Rosas’ office).

The other major trade that took place this offseason was the deal that saw Jarrett Culver and Juancho Hernangomez shipped to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Patrick Beverley. While Rubio’s departure left a significant hole not only in PG’s save gig, but also left the team speechless in the locker room, Beverley’s acquisition resolved those two things while also giving the ‘team a better fit on the bench behind D’Angelo Russell.

With all of that now behind us, this current iteration of the Minnesota Timberwolves will be looking to enter the 2021-22 season with a cumulative chip all over their shoulders. Several players on the roster (including Jake Layman, Patrick Beverley, Taurean Prince and Josh Okogie) are in the final year of their current contracts, while other players (including Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell) will be eligible for the extensions. from next summer.

Factor in Rosas’ move to Gupta, the pressure for immediate results that usually comes with a new owner, and the simple fact that this team is tired of losing, and you suddenly have all the makings of a breakthrough season for Minnesota. Wolves of the woods.

Personally, I can’t wait to get started.

In terms of injuries, everything is on deck for Minnesota. While it is expected that the best players on the squad will play between 12 and 20 minutes tonight, there are currently no injury issues to worry about which is a good sign as we move into the first game. pre-season.

As for the pelicans:

In addition to Jonas Valanciunas (who was acquired by New Orleans this summer as part of a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies), Zion Williamson is also set to miss tonight’s game (and the entire preseason roster). after recovering from foot surgery in the offseason.

Last but not least, I just wanted to thank each of you again for your continued support of the site, our staff and the Wolves / Lynx. I know the implementation of Coral has caused a plethora of headaches in our community, but I sincerely appreciate those of you who have stayed and who will be following us throughout the season. This community and this Canis staff represent the world to me, and I am so excited to be starting another season of Timberwolves basketball. Cheers!