Wendell Moore Jr. is entering his second season in the NBA. Considering the Minnesota Timberwolves’ lack of depth at point guard, expect the 21-year-old to capitalize on any opportunity they’ll give him to develop his game and earn a spot in the rotation next season.
The Wolves took Moore with the 26th-overall pick last year. Eventually, he found his way to the Timberwolves after they finalized their trade with the Dallas Mavericks, who originally had the 26th pick. He played 29 games last season, and his most notable appearance came against the Memphis Grizzlies. He started the game and played a season-high 20 minutes in a 109-101 win. In his time with the Iowa Wolves in the NBA G League, Moore Jr. showcased his ability to play with and without the ball after averaging 19.4 points and 5.1 assists in eight games. With the NBA Summer League starting July 7, Moore will be able to make an impression on the coaching staff and potentially find a role next season.
In Summer League two years ago, Jaden McDaniels had the opportunity to be the focal point of the roster. McDaniels put on a strong showing, which led to an increased role and impactful last two seasons for him. Unfortunately, he accidentally punched the Target Center wall in frustration in the last game of the regular season against the New Orleans Pelicans.
McDaniels got minutes early as a late-round draft pick because he joined a young roster at the bottom half of the league. On the other hand, Moore joined a playoff team with no urgency to develop young talent outside of the G League. Regardless, if Moore Jr. can put up a display somewhat close to McDaniels’, he’ll soon become a fan favorite and contender for minutes on the main roster.
If Moore can perform at a high level in Las Vegas alongside Josh Minott and Leonard Miller, he may become a player Chris Finch will want to use in the rotation. Especially because Timberwolves backup point guard Jordan McLaughlin was underwhelming for large parts of last season after playing well in 2021. Now McLaughlin’s days in Minnesota look numbered. At this point in time, there are even reports of the Wolves’ interest in addressing his position by acquiring Monte Morris or Delon Wright, point guards for the Washington Wizards, to fill the backup spot behind Mike Conley.
Speaking of Conley, he can be a great mentor for Moore. Conley has a year left on his current deal before Minnesota will have to either re-sign him or find a replacement. But until then, he could pass on some lessons from his 17-year NBA career. Hopefully, Moore has already been learning plenty from the veteran in their short time together. Anthony Edwards, among others, has already voiced his appreciation for Conley after the Wolves traded for him at the deadline to replace D’Angelo Russell.
Another point of conversation that can’t go unnoticed is Moore’s development in his three years at Duke. He arrived in 2019 in one of Mike Krzyzewski’s highly-ranked recruiting classes. After an underwhelming freshman season, Moore was already getting criticized for not fitting the system. But he worked to prove them wrong and came back the following two seasons as an improved player.
Duke named Moore a team captain in his final season, a testament to the trust he garnered from Coach K as a leader of the team. He was also named a part of the Second Team All-ACC, the All-Defensive team, and the recipient of the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year award in his final season. Moore ended his Duke career playing a big part in their run to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.
His accomplishments at the college level speak to the work ethic he carried with him to change the narrative surrounding his Duke career, ultimately propelling the Wolves to take him in the first round of the draft. The hope is for him to use those same principles to find his way toward becoming a mainstay on the Timberwolves roster.
