Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was asked who has impressed him with their work in the team’s practice facility in the weeks leading up to the start of training camp. He listed both rookies – Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. Their progression is natural as they adjust to the speed and physicality of the pro game.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Josh Minott (8) poses for a photo during the NBA basketball team’s media day, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Then he brought up a wing heading into Year 3.
“Josh Minott has had an incredible summer,” Finch said. “He has probably been one of our best players in the last six weeks here in the gym, watching us play.”
Minott has been the source of intrigue for Wolves fans since he was selected with a second-round pick in 2022. Then an athletic, wiry specimen with little playing time in his freshman year at Memphis, Minott was the unknown with endless potential.
He has seen little of the NBA floor in two years – a product largely of Minnesota’s strong roster. But there also never seemed to be a reason to force him into action. Minott’s jump shot was inconsistent, at best. And defensively he wasn’t far enough along to trust with any type of legitimate minutes.
This summer, Minott said he started to become a smarter player. He simplified thoughts on the floor for himself. He understood what worked for him and what didn’t. Reads became easier to execute.
And that jumper, specifically, has grown by leaps and bounds. After Tuesday’s practice, not only was Minott drilling every 3-point attempt, the ball was hardly touching the twine. The 21 year old said this is the most confident he has ever felt in his shot.
“I feel like anytime the ball leaves my hands from beyond the arc, it’s going in,” he said.
That leap in confidence, he noted, has come from his mentality. Minott was crippling himself in the first two years of his career with a fear of failure. The thought of “what if I miss?” crept into his mind as he’d rise up for a shot. Avoidance of mistakes was a top priority during his play.
“Coming into the league, I was scared of messing up, scared of making mistakes,” Minott said. “I wanted to be the perfect player. I wanted to impress the coach and all this other stuff.”
The contract Minott inked after he was drafted didn’t feature a guaranteed third year. Even that weighed heavily on him last season. That’s no way to compete.
“Not only was that not healthy mentally, but it wasn’t even helping me to stress like that,” Minott said.
That was a realization made late last season. That’s when his personal shift started to occur. Minott relaxed – not in terms of work habits. He remains on his personal grind. But, mentally, he doesn’t live in fear of falling short. He competes to win, not worried about numbers. Roughly 5,000 players have ever played in the NBA. He now savors the fact that he’s one of them.
“Just stop putting so much stress on myself, and not only is it healthier for my mental,” he said, “but I’m actually getting better at the game of basketball by not caring so much in terms of stressing.”
Because you have to fail to learn and grow. He has done plenty of both over the past few months, which has reignited the intrigue for his potential. Does that mean playing time is coming this season? Frankly, likely not unless an injury occurs. Minnesota is suddenly stacked at the wing position. Minutes are currently at a premium.
But that’s none of Minott’s concern.
“That’s an external situation. I don’t control that,” he said. “That’s for the front office and coaching staff to decide. All I can control is me, what I do, and I’m just going to go out there and try to be the best player I can be every day.”
It would likely be different if Minott played for a bad team. He doesn’t see the floor because he’s rostered by a championship contender. He understands as much.
“I’ve kind of seen it with players around the league, especially in my draft class, going to the opposite end of the winning spectrum and seeing how that works,” Minott said. “Honestly, I’m happy where my feet are. Opportunity is something everybody in this room knows is a little scarce here just with the culture we have and everything. I just embrace the work, embrace the G-League, did my time, so to speak.
“Overall, it’s just been a learning experience that I probably wouldn’t find on the other team that wasn’t winning as much. Yes, I might be ‘hooping’ and going out and playing, but I don’t really know the value of what I’d be learning. We just did something really special last year, went to the conference finals, and I got to be a part of that winning culture and see what it took. I feel like that’s more valuable than going 20-62.”
