The Timberwolves were back at Mayo Clinic Square for the second day of training camp on Wednesday. The focus in practice has been getting the returning players re-acclimated to playing with one another and helping the new additions learn the system.

Coach Tom Thibodeau talked about working with smaller, two point guard lineups in addition to bigger ones.

“We have a lot of versatility, we have guys who can play multiple positions,” he said. “You have to be both. You have to have the ability to play big, and you also have to have the ability to play small and change the speed of the game.”

Thibodeau said he likes having guards on the floor who can shoot the three, and mentioned Jeff Teague, Tyus Jones and Derrick Rose. He also said that Andrew Wiggins has shown that he’s capable of hitting the three ball and the team wants him to get better at that shot. However, Thibodeau also said that he really wants Wiggins to be using his athleticism to get to the rim.

The Wolves are in an interesting position because they have a center who can stretch the floor in Karl-Anthony Towns and a power forward in Taj Gibson who prefers to put pressure on the hoop. The most important thing for Thibodeau is that his team understands the value of shots and prioritizes getting shots that have the highest value.

The team has been very complimentary of Gibson’s leadership and his ability to play well in so many types of lineups. His skill set is such that he’s very hard to switch onto because he can bully smaller players, but he’s also quick enough that he isn’t exposed if the Wolves switch on defense.

“A lot of the things he does go unnoticed: the defense, the screening, the offensive rebounding, the extra possessions,” Thibodeau said. “Most of his post-ups are deep post position so the efficiency is extremely high.”

“It’s amazing to me, since his rookie year he’s the same guy,” forward Luol Deng said. “When Taj came into the league we used to call him ‘the young vet,’ and now he’s actually a vet. Not a single thing changed. Still the same guy who will come in, play hard, knows his role, really great teammate in the locker room, just does the right things. Every coach loves to have someone like Taj, and for a team like this his value is so important.”

Gibson is going to be huge for this team both as a player and a leader and he’s looking to build off his career year last season.

It looks like Rose has the inside track to starting alongside Teague and splitting primary ball-handling duties, at least for now. This gives the team a very interesting look because both players can shoot, but Rose is super effective as a slasher and Teague is better at driving to the hoop and dishing out to other players. It will be interesting to see how the starting lineup comes together.

Quick Hits

Players discussed the NBA’s new rule change that the shot clock will reset to 14 seconds instead of 24. Nobody seems to think it will make a huge difference because second-chance opportunities come quickly anyway, but it will change how they think about clock management.

Rose has changed up his routine from when he was younger and relied more on his athleticism. He’s taking care of his body, spending a lot of time in the weight room and making sure he’s eating right.

Thibodeau contested the idea that he doesn’t play his bench, saying that last year he had a nine-man rotation and his bench players were right about average in minutes.

There’s been a lot of noise around Wiggins in the last year, but his teammates, especially Gibson, have had his back. Everyone thinks he’s in line for a big year. More on this tomorrow…

The Wolves will have one more practice here in Minneapolis before heading to California for a few games and more practice in L.A. We’ll keep you updated on everything that happens.