2015–16 Minnesota Timberwolves season

The 2015–16 Minnesota Timberwolves season was the 27th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA).[1] Before the season, the Timberwolves announced that head coach and team president Flip Saunders will not coach the team this season as he continued his battle with cancer. Sam Mitchell was named interim head coach. On October 25, 2015, Saunders died and the Wolves announced that Mitchell as the interim coach for the rest of the season. Around the start of the season, the Timberwolves were the first team in NBA history with four players that were around 20 or younger, between Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Tyus Jones to start out a season.[a] It also marked the final season of Kevin Garnett's time in the NBA and his return with the Timberwolves. Garnett previously played for the Wolves from 1995 to 2007 until being traded to the Boston Celtics, where he won a championship with them in 2008. Prior to his second stint with the Wolves, Garnett played two disappointing seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, one of them with fellow Celtics Paul Pierce and Jason Terry. Garnett is believed by many as the greatest Timberwolf of all time.

2015–16 Minnesota Timberwolves season
Head coachSam Mitchell
General managerMilt Newton
OwnersGlen Taylor
ArenaTarget Center
Results
Record29–53 (.354)
PlaceDivision: 5th (Northwest)
Conference: 13th (Western)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionFox Sports North
RadioWCCO

The Timberwolves missed the playoffs for the 12th consecutive season, equalling the second-longest postseason appearance drought in NBA history of the Golden State Warriors between 1994–95 and 2005–06, only behind the Los Angeles Clippers[b] between 1976–77 and 1990–91. However, the Timberwolves had their second straight Rookie of the Year winner with #1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns earning the award.

Draft
Main article: 2015 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College / Club
1 1 Karl-Anthony Towns C  Dominican Republic Kentucky
2 31 Cedi Osman SF  Turkey Anadolu Efes
2 36 Rakeem Christmas PF / C  United States Syracuse

Roster
Roster listing
2015–16 Minnesota Timberwolves roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY-MM-DD)From
PF 88 Bjelica, Nemanja 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1988–05–09 Serbia
PF 21 Garnett, Kevin 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 253 lb (115 kg) 1976–05–19 Farragut HS (IL)
C 5 Dieng, Gorgui 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1990–01–18 Louisville
PG 1 Jones, Tyus 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1996–05–10 Duke
SG 8 LaVine, Zach 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 189 lb (86 kg) 1995–03–10 UCLA
SG 15 Muhammad, Shabazz 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 223 lb (101 kg) 1992–11–13 UCLA
PF 33 Payne, Adreian 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 237 lb (108 kg) 1991–02–19 Michigan State
C 14 Peković, Nikola 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 307 lb (139 kg) 1986–01–03 Montenegro
SF 12 Prince, Tayshaun 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 212 lb (96 kg) 1980–02–28 Kentucky
PG 9 Rubio, Ricky (C) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 194 lb (88 kg) 1990–10–21 Spain
SF 10 Rudež, Damjan 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 228 lb (103 kg) 1986–06–17 Croatia
PF 4 Smith, Greg 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1991–01–08 Fresno State
C 32 Towns, Karl-Anthony 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 244 lb (111 kg) 1995–11–15 Dominican Republic
SG 22 Wiggins, Andrew 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1995–02–23 Kansas
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (DL) On assignment to D-League affiliate
  • Injured

Roster
Last transaction: 2016–04–13

Pre-season
2015 pre-season game log
Total: 2–5 (Home: 2–2; Road: 0–3)
Pre-season: 2–5 (Home: 2–2; Road: 0–3)
2015–16 season schedule

Regular season

Standings

Conference
Western Conference
# Team W L PCT GB GP
1 z – Golden State Warriors * 73 9 .890 – 82
2 y – San Antonio Spurs * 67 15 .817 6.0 82
3 y – Oklahoma City Thunder * 55 27 .671 18.0 82
4 x – Los Angeles Clippers 53 29 .646 20.0 82
5 x – Portland Trail Blazers 44 38 .537 29.0 82
6 x – Dallas Mavericks 42 40 .512 31.0 82
7 x – Memphis Grizzlies 42 40 .512 31.0 82
8 x – Houston Rockets 41 41 .500 32.0 82
9 Utah Jazz 40 42 .488 33.0 82
10 Sacramento Kings 33 49 .402 40.0 82
11 Denver Nuggets 33 49 .402 40.0 82
12 New Orleans Pelicans 30 52 .366 43.0 82
13 Minnesota Timberwolves 29 53 .354 44.0 82
14 Phoenix Suns 23 59 .280 50.0 82
15 Los Angeles Lakers 17 65 .207 56.0 82

Division
Northwest Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div GP
y – Oklahoma City Thunder 55 27 .671 0.0 32–9 23–18 13–3 82
x – Portland Trail Blazers 44 38 .537 11.0 28–13 16–25 11–5 82
Utah Jazz 40 42 .488 15.0 24–17 16–25 8–8 82
Denver Nuggets 33 49 .402 22.0 18–23 15–26 4–12 82
Minnesota Timberwolves 29 53 .354 26.0 14–27 15–26 4–12 82

Regular season game log
2015–16 game log
Total: 29–53 (Home: 14–27; Road: 15–26)
October: 2–0 (Home: 0–0; Road: 2–0)
November : 6–9 (Home: 2–6; Road: 4–3)
December : 4–12 (Home: 3–6; Road: 1–6)
January : 2–14 (Home: 2–6; Road: 0–8)
February : 5–6 (Home: 3–2; Road: 2–4)
March : 6–9 (Home: 3–5; Road: 3–4)
April : 4–3 (Home: 1–2; Road: 3–1)
2015–16 season schedule

Transactions
Main article: List of 2015–16 NBA season transactions

Trades
July 12, 2015
 To Minnesota Timberwolves[2]
Damjan Rudez		 To Indiana Pacers
Chase Budinger

Free agents

Re-signed
Player Signed
Kevin Garnett[3] Signed 2-year contract worth $16.5 million

Additions
Player Signed Former Team
Nemanja Bjelica[4] Signed 3-year contract worth $12 million Fenerbahçe Ülker
Andre Miller[5] Signed 1-year contract Sacramento Kings
Tayshaun Prince[6] Signed 1-year contract worth $1.5 million Detroit Pistons

Subtractions
Player Reason Left New Team
Gary Neal[7] Signed 1-year contract worth $2.1 million Washington Wizards
Robbie Hummel[8] Signed 1-year contract Emporio Armani Milano

Notes

a That mark was shattered by the 2016-17 Phoenix Suns, who, in addition to holding four rookies between the ages of 18 and 20 to start out the season in Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss, Tyler Ulis, and the undrafted Derrick Jones Jr., also held a second-year player named Devin Booker that played at the start of the season at age 19.
b The team originally played in Buffalo, New York as the Buffalo Braves up to the end of the 1977–78 season and later played in San Diego as the San Diego Clippers between the 1978–79 and 1983–84 seasons inclusive before becoming the Los Angeles Clippers.

References
  1. "2015-16". Minnesota Timberwolves. National Basketball Association. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  2. "Pacers Acquire Budinger From Minnesota In Exchange For Rudez". nba.com/pacers. July 12, 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  3. "Timberwolves Re-Sign Forward Kevin Garnett". nba.com/timberwolves. July 11, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  4. "Timberwolves Sign Reigning Euroleague Most Valuable Player Nemanja Bjelica". nba.com/timberwolves. July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  5. "Timberwolves Sign Andre Miller". nba.com/timberwolves. August 3, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  6. "Timberwolves Sign Tayshaun Prince". nba.com/timberwolves. August 20, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  7. "WIZARDS SIGN GARY NEAL". wizardsmysticstoday.monumentalnetwork.com. July 9, 2015. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  8. "EA7 Milan signs power forward Hummel". euroleague.net. July 31, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
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