And your starting PF for the 26-27 Minnesota TimberWolves is?

[AussieWolf3]

I can see Green being very complementary to a lot of our other guys in that you can tell him to just go guard his ass off, hustle, and hit corner 3s (which he's already proven he can do at a high %), but otherwise move the ball and let others get most of the usage (Ant, LaMelo, Jaden, Ayo, Shannon).

Green also has enough size/bulk where I could see him guarding some 4's, meaning that just because Jaden is the tallest forward doesn't mean he's ALWAYS guarding opposing 4s. For example, let Green take the beating/fouls guarding someone like Zion, but give him a ton of backside help (which Rudy AND Jaden could help with). OKC and the Spurs did this to great effect against Julius Randle. Or how often did we see KAT struggle trying to post up smaller wings or even guards defending him in the post because they could get away with being so much more physical against him?

Honestly a good point about Randle vs teams such as those. Everyone was licking their chops about no on the Spurs having the size to matchup with him, yet he was horrible. Smart, active and connected defenders goes a long ways towards covering up the matchup details.

[Lipoli390]

https://youtu.be/h-jnqK2lFGA?si=Xh6V4Ye9Y9G_cfxu

I think Howls and Growls is the best quality source of Timberwolves video analysis. This video provides great insights into how things might work at the PF position with the current roster. It focuses on Jaden at that position and suggests that he shoudl be paired with Jaylen Clark or Josh Green to provide the on-ball point-of-attack defense we’d be missing with Jaden at the PF position. His analysis aligns with the suggestion of Q and others that Josh Green would probably be our best choice as 5th starter, although he leads with a favorable analysis of Clark as our 5th starter.

To me, Green seems like a better choice than Clark for several reasons. First, is slightly bigger (about 15 pounds heavier) than Clark. Second, Green is a more seasoned player than Clark. Third, Green is a proven 3-point shooter while Clark’s shooting is still a work in progress and largely uncertain. All of this leads me back to looking at Green as more than an expiring contract with trade value. Green is a solid, proven 3&D NBA player with great toughness and energy along with a high basketball IQ and plenty of seasoning although he’s still a young player. Looking back at his draft combine testing reminded me that he’s an elite athlete even by NBA standards. He had a 10.64 agility time, which was #1 in his draft class. He had a 2.28 shuttle run time, which was #2 in his draft class. He had a 3.12 sprint time, which was #5 along with a 39.5” max vertical. He has a 6’10” wingspan. He weighed 214 lbs at the combine, but by now he’s easily at least 220.

The video acknowledges that Jaden at PF could be a problem against the bigger PFs in the League. But I like how the analysis breaks down how putting Jaden at PF would unlock his excellent rim protection capability and his rebounding with either Josh or Jaylen taking on the primarily point of attack defense on-ball defensive role Jaden has had on this team to date. I highly recommend watching this video if you haven’t already. If nothing else, it’s fun to watch Jaylen Clark and Josh Green blocking LeBron’s shots.

[Q-is-here]

https://youtu.be/h-jnqK2lFGA?si=Xh6V4Ye9Y9G_cfxu

I think Howls and Growls is the best quality source of Timberwolves video analysis. This video provides great insights into how things might work at the PF position with the current roster. It focuses on Jaden at that position and suggests that he shoudl be paired with Jaylen Clark or Josh Green to provide the on-ball point-of-attack defense we’d be missing with Jaden at the PF position. His analysis aligns with the suggestion of Q and others that Josh Green would probably be our best choice as 5th starter, although he leads with a favorable analysis of Clark as our 5th starter.

To me, Green seems like a better choice than Clark for several reasons. First, is slightly bigger (about 15 pounds heavier) than Clark. Second, Green is a more seasoned player than Clark. Third, Green is a proven 3-point shooter while Clark’s shooting is still a work in progress and largely uncertain. All of this leads me back to looking at Green as more than an expiring contract with trade value. Green is a solid, proven 3&D NBA player with great toughness and energy along with a high basketball IQ and plenty of seasoning although he’s still a young player. Looking back at his draft combine testing reminded me that he’s an elite athlete even by NBA standards. He had a 10.64 agility time, which was #1 in his draft class. He had a 2.28 shuttle run time, which was #2 in his draft class. He had a 3.12 sprint time, which was #5 along with a 39.5” max vertical. He has a 6’1- wingspan. He weighed 214 lbs at the combine, but by now he’s easily at least 220.

The video acknowledges that Jaden at PF could be a problem against the bigger PFs in the League. But I like how the analysis breaks down how putting Jaden at PF would unlock his excellent rim protection capability and his rebounding with either Josh or Jaylen taking on the primarily point of attack defense on-ball defensive role Jaden has had on this team to date. I highly recommend watching this video if you haven’t already. If nothing else, it’s fun to watch Jaylen Clark and Josh Green blocking LeBron’s shots.

Thanks Lip. Clark has a higher ceiling defensively than Green (and may already be the better defender), but it is REALLY important that he can hit those open 3's. Green has now proven that he can do it at a plus-level for four seasons straight plus he has legit deep playoff/Finals experience....Kinda right up Finch's alley in terms of going with the safer, more trustworthy option.

But yeah, I'd love to see Finch pit Clark against Green in camp and pre-season and may be Clark wins the job. We'll see.

[Lipoli390]

I did an AI inquiry on why Kuminga played so few games in each of his last two seasons - 47 in 2024-25 and 36 in 2025-26. Here’s the explanation I got:

2024–25 Season (47 Games Played)

Severe Right Ankle Sprain: The bulk of his missed time was strictly due to a severe right ankle sprain. The injury sidelined him for 31 consecutive regular-season games, halting what had been an excellent individual stretch.

Playoff Inconsistency: Even when healthy at the end of the year, he was in and out of the rotation, only seeing consistent minutes when Steph Curry suffered an injury later on.

2025–26 Season (36 Games Played). The Steve Kerr Rotation Fallout: Kuminga’s relationship with the Warriors front office and coaching staff completely deteriorated. After beginning the year with minor knee tendonitis, he fell completely out of Steve Kerr's rotation and effectively sat out a large stretch of games. At one point, he declined multiple "mop-up duty" requests to enter games during low-leverage moments.

Left Knee Bone Bruise: On January 22, 2026, he hyperextended his left knee and suffered a severe bone bruise against the Mavericks.

Trade to Atlanta: While injured, he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in February 2026. The recovery from the bone bruise delayed his Hawks debut until late February, meaning he only appeared in 22 total games for Atlanta down the final stretch of the season.

I’ve bolded the more alarming part and underlined the even more alarming part. Kuminga’s stats have been blah, especially in areas most important for the PF position on a team like the Wolves - namely rebounding and defense. His G-league stats weren’t better than Freeman’s. He’s not particularly big, estimated to weigh between 215 and 220 lbs and not particularly long by PF standards. But most troubling is that the teams he plays for don’t want to keep him. And when you take a peak behind the curtain at why teams got rid of him, you see bright red flags raised high for all to see - flags of the sort that generally aren’t fixable. A player can improve his shot and other skills. A player can get physically stronger. But it’s very rare to see a player improve a bad attitude. After looking again at Kuminga’s stats, including his mediocre G-league stats and reading more about him, I wouldn’t touch him with a 10-foot pole. I want to put the days behind us when this franchise would draft or sign guys like Wes Johnson, Derrick Williams, Kandiman, Michael Beasley, and Darko. All those guys were very talented, but they had one fatal flaw in common - i.e., they lacked competitive drive and weren’t serious about the game. They were all about the money and the NBA lifestyle.

So here’s where I’m at. Sign Kevin Love to a vet minimum deal. He’s not the all-star he once was, but he can still box out, rebound, shoot threes and pass at a high level. He’s always had a high basketball IQ and now he’s a savvy veteran with years of experience, including championship experience. He’s brute strong physically with a base that can’t be moved inside. Let some other team sign Kuminga and learn what the Warriors and Hawks already know about him. Don’t buy into the hype over Kuminga’s potential.

[bleedspeed]

So here’s where I’m at. Sign Kevin Love to a vet minimum deal. He’s not the all-star he once was, but he can still box out, rebound, shoot threes and pass at a high level. He’s always had a high basketball IQ and now he’s a savvy veteran with years of experience, including championship experience. He’s brute strong physically with a base that can’t be moved inside. Let some other team sign Kuminga and learn what the Warriors and Hawks already know about him. Don’t buy into the hype over Kuminga’s potential.

I agree. I say sign Love and make a move at the trade deadline. We will know if this team is one player away or not.