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Timberwolves ready for 2019-20 season

Wolves play season opener tomorrow night
Credit: AP
Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Ryan Saunders, center front, poses with players, from left: Jarrett Culver, Robert Covington, Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Josh Okogie during the NBA basketball team's media day Monday, Sept. 30, 2019, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

MINNEAPOLIS —  

After going through significant changes in the off-season, the revamped Timberwolves tip their season off on Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets.

Ryan Saunders officially took over the reins as the team’s head coach in May after Tom Thibodeau was fired last season. Saunders spent the summer looking to solidify relationships with players and assistant coaches.

The Wolves hired Gersson Rosas as President of Basketball Operations in May and his first official move was to take the interim tag off of Saunders and make him the full-time head coach, a job his late father Flip once held. 

As for the players on the court, there are a few core standouts who remain at the heart of this team. Karl-Anthony Towns is the face of the franchise, while Andrew Wiggins looks to finally break out into a more consistent and reliable contributor. Robert Covington also returns from injury looking to make an impact in his first full season with the squad. 

RELATED: One-on-One with Ryan Saunders

The team has plenty of new faces too. Rosas and company were very active this off-season signing plenty of young players who have viable NBA experience.  The Timberwolves also drafted Jarrett Culver, a 2019 first-round selection out of Texas Tech. Culver led the Red Raiders to a Final Four appearance at U.S. Bank Stadium in the spring, and hopes to make a quick transition to the NBA as a shooting guard. 

After ending a 13-year playoff drought two years ago, the Timberwolves dropped off big time last year. Jimmy Butler demanding to be traded and the firing of Tom Thibodeau as head coach marred what could've been a much better season. Instead the team only won 36 games last season and are now trying to build things up again. 

It all starts Wednesday night with a road game in Brooklyn against the Nets. The Wolves then travel to Charlotte to face the Hornets on Friday and then return to Target Center for the home opener Sunday against the Miami Heat.

RELATED: One-on-one with new Timberwolves coach Ryan Saunders

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