The Minnesota Timberwolves finished last season with the worst record in the NBA for a variety of reasons. They had a lot of injuries to key players and hope this year, with better health, they willb improve. In general, this team is very young, but head coach and president of basketball operations Flip Saunders reportedly might want to add a veteran point guard to backup Ricky Rubio, according to the Star Tribune.
As of right now the two point guards on the roster besides Rubio are Lorenzo Brown and former Duke Blue Devil and first round pick Tyus Jones. Brown got playing time last season but he wasn't particularly effective, so it is likely that he is behind Jones on the depth chart. Jones, on the other hand, showed he has a high basketball IQ and is wise beyond his years in his one season at Duke. Jones should be able to come in and handle backup point guard duties right away, but it is never a bad idea to have a plan just in case he isn't ready as a rookie.
There doesn't appear to be much left out there in the point guard market, but Saunders said the team still has the cap space to add another player, which could wind up being at point guard.
"You don't want to put the pressure on the young guys so much... we're always looking to upgrade, so it could happen. It's a possibility," Saunders told The Star Tribune.
In terms of putting pressure on the young guys, Jones has seen about as much pressure as a 19 year old possibly could. He won Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four last season as he led Duke to the 2015 National Championship, hitting one clutch shot after another in the tournament.
Regardless of whether the Timberwolves do decide to bring in a veteran point guard or not (it wouldn't be the worst idea), Jones will likely start the year as the backup point guard. Jones is a talented young kid who the Timberwolves traded for on draft day, so they obviously have high hopes for him. It's rare to see a first-round pick not given a chance to play and show what he can do at the NBA level. Flip Saunders has the right mindset when he says they are always looking to improve, and bringing in a veteran point guard as a backup plan is a solid idea, but Jones will more than likely get his chances.
