Well, Wolves fans, welcome back!

Oh, how I’ve missed NBA basketball, and how glad I am to see it return. The Minnesota Timberwolves blew an early lead that they managed to rebuild to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 124 to 107.

It was a lead built quickly and effectively by the Wolves’ actual rotation before the game evolved into a glorified All-Star game performance, which should mean good things for both the preseason and the upcoming regular season.

The Wolves return a week from today to play the new and improved Philadelphia 76ers on October 11th. They will look to defend what is now a 10-game preseason winning streak after going 5-0 last year and 4-1 the year before.

Let’s do some thinking!

The Ragu is freshly made

Look, new addition Donte DiVincenzo was always going to be the focus of this game for Wolves fans without Randle or Edwards (Anthony, that is), but it’s no exaggeration to say he might be the best shooter in Wolves, no, league history.

Donte played only a handful of minutes in the first quarter, but the impact was felt immediately. A perfect 3/3 from deep was exactly what the box score says. It felt like 13/13. DiVincenzo will be so good for this team and his ability to run off Gobert’s screens is already tempting.

The side effect of Donte’s inclusion in the Wolves rotation is the absolute feast of ballhandlers the Wolves can now throw on the field. While last year creation on the ball and shooting off the ball were a necessity, now they could be the strength of the team.

Either way, it’s hard not to be excited about the Big Ragu.

No Dilly-Dallying

Let’s start with the good: Rob Dillingham looked good in bursts and was more than capable of being a one-man offense off the bench, just as he was as a Kentucky Wildcat. The shooting was on full display for the recent eighth overall pick, as was the electricity he carries in his steps. Dillingham’s jersey should be a learning tool for all plyometric trainers who need to explain how the muscle chain works. The way he loads his body into a hop step and explodes up and down is excellent.

Now let’s get to the bad. It became clear early on that Rob will have trouble getting all the way to the edge. He was beaten by Bronny James, Dalton Knecht and the Edge itself in his first three trips to the Cup. For a prospect whose size and edge presence have always been warts, it’s a bit concerning to see how behind Dillingham is in that regard. On nights like tonight it matters less. If he can’t hit threes, will he still be a playmaker, or will he be relegated to a passer?

The sky is the limit for the young guard, and he should get both opportunity and mentorship from the aging and often rested Mike Conley. This is what preseason ball should be like for rookies. There are strengths and there are weaknesses.

The good news is that the strengths were definitely strong.

The peacock can run a bit

Luka Garza has always lived for situations like tonight. The question remains whether Garza is a rotation-level player in the NBA, but given his track record in the G-League, he can absolutely dominate the preseason.

With a double-double of almost 20 points, Garza was constantly ready for second chances. The physical change Luka has made to his body – from bulky, post-ready weight to today’s lean muscles and light frame – has to be the biggest story of his career that could have been put on ice when he was cut by the Pistons two. years ago.

Given the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, the Wolves expect an increased role for Naz Reid to eat up some of the minutes now vacated by the nine-year veteran, but there could be a real opportunity for Garza to work his way work towards a consistent position. backup role. That would be a huge step for a player who dominated for the Iowa Wolves, but a cameo stayed outside the G-League.

Joe, brother, I love you, but it’s time…

I love Joe Ingles. I loved him when he was a quirky, crabby old man who made fun of Donovan Mitchell. I loved him when I followed the Orlando Magic Insta account for the song last year and he made a nice little cameo. I loved him when he and Steven Adams made their own podcast called “Awl tha Smowke” (I’m so sorry).

But it became abundantly clear in just eleven minutes that Ingles is here solely as a dressing room man. The foot speed isn’t even crumbling anymore, it’s melted away, leaving an above-average shooter and great basketball IQ in a body that can no longer keep up.

This likely means more minutes for Memphis product Josh Minott, more than any change for Terrance Shannon Jr., who will likely spend the entire year in the G-League.

I will still love Ingles, but it seems like that love will have to remain in the past, just like the love for the player he once was.

Why not Minott?

It’s always difficult to understand preseason basketball, especially when Josh Minott makes 9/11 shots and 4/6 threes, but it seemed important that Minott was the forward coming off the bench to replace the aforementioned Joe Ingles.

Minott had a number of thunderous dunks and confidently stepped into threes, a welcome sight for those who still had stock in a player who has shown flashes but generally been unable to make appearances outside of garbage time.

With writing by Terrance Shannon Jr. the writing may be on the wall for development moving forward, but it’s nights like tonight where agents point to the offseason.

Or, the option all Wolves fans should be hoping for: This is Minott’s year and he becomes a real rotation piece.

Either way, preseason is for players like Josh, and he made tonight’s second half a bearable experience.

My new cat doesn’t like basketball (or the Lakers)

This one will be short.

The rims were clearly not properly tightened in the Crypto.com arena. In fact, they were so loud that they scared my new cat Melo, who sat on my lap while watching the game.

I now have two large scratches on my hand from a cat that was terrified of rocks.

Come on, Lakers, get it done!

Next

The Wolves get a week off until they face each other Philadelphia 76ers next Friday October 11 bee 6pm CT and try to continue a 10-game preseason win streak.