The start of the NBA season 2025-26 is approaching fast, with training camp and the preseason now. For many players, a new season indicates a new start. This absolutely applies to former Minnesota Timberwolves players Josh Minott and Luka Garza, who are now members of the Boston Celtics.
Minott and Garza both struggled to get minutes on a loaded wolves rotation in the past three seasons. Nevertheless, both players in a Celtics team with uncertainty and injuries will have sufficient opportunities to eliminate NBA roles and rejuvenate their career.
Minott’s path to minutes
Minott, a second round pick in 2022, on average only 5 minutes and 2.3 points in his three seasons with the wolves. Anyway, the 6-foot-8 wing is a disturbing and versatile defender. In particular per data ball, Minott had an average of 2.1 blocks per 100 assets, a number that are in the 100th percentile and in the 92nd percentile, with 5.2 deflection per 100 assets.
As a career 33.9 3-point shooter, the development of attack will be the key to Minott. This is especially true in the 3-point centric style of Joe Mazzulla attacks. Nevertheless, the impressive defense of Minott will get him for a few minutes in a Celtics team that fogs a wing depth.
Jaylen Brown and Sam Hauser are clearly above Minott. Second -year Wing Baylor Scheierman is probably also above Minott. As a result, Minott will mainly compete with Jordan Walsh and Hugo González. Walsh has had difficulty with attack in the same way and has not shown the same defensive insight as Minott. González is an unproven rookie. Given this, Minott has a reasonable path to minutes.
Garza’s path to minutes
Garza has demonstrably a clearer path to minutes considering the matte central rotation of the Celtics. Neemias Queta, who is a competent yet rather raw big man, seems ready to earn the start center role of the Celtics. Veteran big man Chris Boucher will probably also see a few considerable minutes. After that, Xavier Tillman and second round Pick Amari Williams will be the competition of Garza for minutes.
Garza is the opposite of Minott, because he is a gifted attacking player who is struggling with defense. The Iowa product has spent four years in the NBA, including the last three with Minnesota. Garza has an average of 7.8 minutes and 4.9 points for his career. Although it is a poor stat, it is not nothing that he has an average of 22.3 points per 36 minutes before his career. Similarly with the wolves, he had an impressive 0.72 points per minute on average.
Anyway, Garza’s poor mobility hurts him on the defense, and this can prevent him from being a quality of quality NBA. The Celtics give him the opportunity to develop on the defense, and his attacking skills will help him get some real minutes.
Eventually in a team that she will give more minutes, both Garza and Minott are confronted with a crucial season.
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