Following the acquisition of rookie Kris Dunn in the 2016 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves with an abundance of talent in their backcourt. In preparation for his third NBA season, 21-year-old combo guard Zach LaVine is working to cement himself as a key part of Tom Thibodeau’s young team.
Alongside Dunn, LaVine will compete with Spanish, pass-first guard Ricky Rubio, 20-year-old Tyus Jones and John Lucas III to establish himself in the Timberwolves’ rotation during the 2016-2017 season.
The two-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner shined during the Timberwolves’ preseason loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. He managed to make five of his six shots in the first quarter, went 4-4 in the second and finished the game with 30 points.
LaVine will hope to carry some of this momentum when the Wolves’ season begins on Oct. 27 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Last year, the former UCLA standout averaged 14.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists over 28 minutes of playing time.
Monday wasn’t so great for the franchise’s other rising stars. Andrew Wiggins connected on only 3-of-13 of his shots and Karl-Anthony Towns ended up with only 4 points.
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